Tommy

Well after The Wall I thought it would be cool to do more music related deficts.  This one is called Tommy.  Written in 1969 by Pete Townshend and performed by his band, The Who, this particular album was what started Rock Operas, which paved the way for others like The Wall.  This has spawned one album,  three stage versions and a film in 1975 starring the lead singer Roger Daltrey as the titular character, with an all-star cast in tow, from other singers such as Tina Turner and Elton John to other actors such as Jack Nicholson and Olver "Bill Sykes" Reed. It was only a few years ago that I seen this particular version  and I loved every minute of it. Fair warning, there will be spoilers.

The story goes like so.  It is WWI (WWII in the movie.) A British army soldier named Captain Walker is missing and presumed dead.  His widow has given birth to their son, Tommy.  As she moves on with another man, Walker comes home and in the heat of the moment kills her lover in front of Tommy. (In the movie it was the other way around and the Lover killed him.)  While that is bad enough as it is, the two demand Tommy that he didn't see, nor hear nor will speak of the evil act that has happened.  This in turn makes him blind, deaf and mute which goes on through his adulthood.  The parents out of their own guilt try to cure him through many means:  From the use of religion to Hallucinogenic Drugs.  What they don't know, is that Tommy in his own mind has experienced a form of enlightenment.  This particular form influences him through the use of mirrors.   During such a trip he stumbles upon a pinball machine using his senses of Touch and Smell to get the high score.  He becomes an instant superstar and his parents live a life of luxury, but still want to help him.  It wasn't until a freak accident with a broken mirror, that he is able to see and hear and speak once more and uses his new-found enlightenment to try to influence others.

Now for the fun part,  Could It Exist In Real Life?   The answer is yes.

First and foremost is Tommy's condition.  It is possible to make someone blind deaf and mute psychologically.  In Tommy's case, the Trauma of witnessing a murder, plus the guilty parties demanding that he didn't see, hear or will say anything about it, put him in a state of Catatonia. In other words his mind shut his body down for the most part.  Because he couldn't see outside he could only see in his own mind, so much of what he experiences mentally is a mix between sleepwalking and lucid dreaming. 

Second, his skills in Pinball.  Now this is not as farfetched as it sounds, but there is a way to play arcade and other games even if you are blind, deaf and mute physically as well as mentally.  This particular method comes from martial arts and it is known as sensitivity training.  It's where you use a sense of touch to get a perspective of the world surrounding you.  This could start as subtle things like feeling around with your hands or a cane.  As well as more complex things such as using every nerve on your body. 

Last but not least is Tommy himself, he can exist.  The most famous example is Hellen Keller.  However unlike Tommy her condition was not psychological, nor was it cured....for the most part.

As usual debate, argue and let me know what I missed.  Stay Tuned For More.  I'm free and I'm waiting for you to follow me.