Oraculon
Pythia of the Oracle of Delphi
John Collier (Public Domain)
Uncertainty. Such a heavy word, the burden of which humanity has had to carry since the dawn of time. It comes as no surprise that we have turned to various means, from astrology to palmistry and divination, trying to seek guidance and regain some sense of control. In ancient Greece, from mere peasants to kings and generals, people used to consult Pythia of Delphi, a high priestess, infused with oracular powers by the god Apollo - or questionable fumes - .
Even in modern times, psychics and tarot readers are highly sought after, and with fortune cookies and magic 8balls entering the sphere of pop culture, it is safe to conclude that the interest in fortune telling is timeless and ever-relevant. Considering how ingrained the need for guidance is in us humans, it comes as no surprise that fortune telling automata have been created, the most notable example being Zoltar.
Inspired by all the above, my idea is to create an oracular automaton -in other words, an Oraculon- an anthropomorphic machine, that operates with pre recorded audio. The spectator presses “start” and the fortune teller automaton introduces itself and encourages them to mentally concentrate on an issue they have to face. There has, of course, to be some mystical music playing in the background, to set the mood. To put the Barnum effect in action, the Oraculon’s advice has to be generic enough, in order to be easily applicable to anyone’s life, but also appear profound, inspired by wise proverbs and quotes. Even the biggest skeptics will be tempted to try and fit that message into their current affairs and troubles. That will create a highly individual and subjective experience for everyone. Each spectator will interpret the message in a unique way and give a different meaning to it, depending on their current concerns and feelings, and thus, they will perform the ultimate projection on a machine that will simply spit out generic phrases.
“The greatest risk is not taking one.”
“Sometimes the best way to solve your own problems is to help someone else.”
“Be like a tree and let the dead leaves drop.”
“The greatest mistake you can make in life is to be continually fearing you will make one.”
“Sometimes it’s not enough to know what things mean, sometimes you have to know what things don’t mean.”
“You already know the answer to the questions lingering inside your head.”
“Many things that seem threatening in the dark become welcoming when we shine light on them.”
“An upward movement initiated in time can counteract fate.”
“Let the deeds speak.”
“You must look within yourself to save yourself from your other self. Only then will your true self reveal itself.”