History Main / LotusEaterMachine

* This is the premise of the BatFamilyCrossover ''ComicBook/{{Gothtopia}}'', with the Lotus Eater Machine affecting everyone in Gotham City except the group of villains responsible, led by [[spoiler:the Scarecrow]]. In Gothtopia, there is virtually no crime, Oswald Cobblepot is mayor, the Joker is just the logo of an ice cream company, and a white-clad Batman leads an organisation of brightly dressed heroes, including Selina Kyle in red-and-green as Catbird. Bruce's first indication that something isn't right is an increase in the number of suicides, as more and more people living "perfect lives" succumb to despair without ever realising ''why'' they're despairing.
** It's interesting to note how different some of the reactions are to the other examples; Selina, in particular, realizes that while she wasn't ''completely'' happy as Catbird (and also free of her cat obsession), she's ambivalent whether being released from it was a good thing, even after knowing it was a lie.
* In ''Comicbook/JLA1997'' the Key put the seven core members of the League in individual illusions. Using a programmable "psycho virus" to put them each in a designed hallucination, he planned on exploiting their inevitable escape from such a situation to harness the psychic energy generated to empower himself for interdimensional travel.

The truth, however, is that the paradise isn't real; the character is held prisoner by someone who is using something -- a mind-control machine, computer program, magic spell, powerful drug, PlatonicCave, or other {{phlebotinum}} -- to cause intense, realistic and pleasant hallucinations. Some monsters even weaponize the ability to project YourHeartsDesire to immobilize prey.

* ''Anime/NeonGenesisEvangelion''; In the final TV episode, Shinji sees himself in an illusionary Instrumentality-induced world without Evangelions: he and Asuka are childhood friends with BelligerentSexualTension, with Asuka being a Tsundere rather than aggressive, and Shinji being shy and kind rather than utterly submissive. Gendo, Shinji's father, is a HenpeckedHusband that stuffs his head in a newspaper and agrees with everything his chatty wife says, Toji and Kensuke are a case of ThoseTwoGuys, Misato is a hot substitute teacher, and most jarringly Rei is a clumsy GenkiGirl. [[spoiler:In a way, Instrumentality can be considered a Lotus Eater Machine -- a world born from every human soul in existence uniting to cancel out each other's fallacies and fears of loneliness to achieve perfect happiness through a twisted, forced evolution.]]

* ''Manga/OnePiece'''s [[Anime/OnePieceBaronOmatsuriAndTheSecretIsland sixth movie]] has a rather twisted version of this, wherein [[spoiler: the 'lotus' literally ''eats'' people in order to preserve the masquerade that the BigBad is living in.]]

* In ''[[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13986235/1/Shatter Shatter]]'' the Mirror of Erised sends Harry into a mental fantasy world where his parents and their friends are all alive and well. Snape has to use Legilimency to snap him out of it.

* In ''VideoGame/TheLegendOfHeroesTrailsInTheSky SC'', as Estelle and her friends find the source of the fog covering Rolent, they are engulfed by a spell from Luciola. Estelle wakes in front of her family house with her father and suddenly-alive mother and turns into a child, spending happy times together. She manages to get out of it when she remembers Joshua's harmonica song.

* ''Fanfic/LifeInManehattan'': The first trial to reach the Soluna Stone in ''Daring Do and the Soluna Stone'' is to pass a field of Heart's Desire, the pollen of which has this affect -- Twilight becomes Celestia's right-hoof mare, Trixie's act gets world renown, and Spike finds a whole cavern of gems all for himself. Honey snaps them out of it by pointing out how to achieve these dreams as presented in the illusions, they'd have to abandon their friends, which they can't bring themselves to do.

* ''Anime/{{Pokemon}}'':
** In the episode "Malice in Wonderland", Ash and his party get trapped in a dream-world, where Ash is able to defeat the champion Cynthia and owns every single badge in the world, Dawn is a undefeatable Coordinator, who has no problems taking on her own Mom and owns more Ribbons than one can count, and finally, Brock is surrounded by an army of Joys and Jennys, who all want to marry him. The cause is a Ghost-type Pokemon, Mismagius, who wants them to play with it... ''forever''. As soon as they realize that everything around them is not real, the dream changes into a nightmare, but they find a way to use their own imaginations to fight back.
** [[RecycledScript Done again]] in ''Best Wishes'', this time the work of a [[LittleGreenMan Beheeyem]] belonging to a crook. The trick here is that they can only be freed from the illusion once they are all fully awake, which is a problem since Meowth (who, at that time, was traveling with Ash and friends), instantly goes back to sleep every time they try to wake him up.

* The concept of Solipsism is that the only thing that is real is "the mind" (which is to say, the person reading this) and that "the mind" created the universe as an illusion to protect itself from the horror of the void. A self imposed illusory world if you think of it that way.
* This is an idea which has repeatedly arisen in various forms throughout all of human history, from UsefulNotes/{{Manichaeism}}, to UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, to UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}}, to even the modern "Reality is a Computer Simulation" hypothesis, all essentially stating the same thing: that "Reality" is actually an illusion - a prison - from which we must escape, and most often this is achieved by "detaching" ourselves and focusing on the "unreality" of everything we perceive.

* This is essentially what computer virtualization is from the perspective of the operating system running on top of the virtual hardware. The guest OS and apps running therein don't "know" that they aren't running on physical hardware. its Network card? Emulated. The disk it boots from? Just another file on a real computer. RAM? An isolated section of a larger system's physical memory that can be dynamically expanded or shrunk as necessary. Everything it thinks it knows is a lie! [[EvilLaugh Mwahahahaha!]]

* This is an idea which has repeatedly arisen in various forms throughout all of human history, from Useful notes/{{Manichaeism}}, to UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}}, to UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}}, to even the modern "Reality is a Computer Simulation" hypothesis, all essentially stating the same thing: that "Reality" is actually an illusion - a prison - from which we must escape, and most often this is achieved by "detaching" ourselves and focusing on the "unreality" of everything we perceive.

* UsefulNotes/{{Buddhism}} essentially purports that the universe we inhabit is this.
* Same with UsefulNotes/{{Gnosticism}}, except that the illusion is imposed by Yaldabaoth and his archons.

* ''WebAnimation/ManiManiPeople'': [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JT9UIQ3pPg8 Shinji and his friends]] were put in Moroboshi's machine that puts them in a scenario where all schools disappear. The kids found it fun at first but they soon needed jobs but couldn't get any due to lack of education. The kids appreciated schools at the end of the episode.

** After the final boss fight, [[spoiler:when Velvet seals herself with Innominat, she creates for herself and her brother a happy realm of what could be instead, where Laphicet is cured and embarks on great journey with Velvet, meeting all named characters, who are alive and well]].

* Dark Skye by Kresley Cole has one, where the main characters think they are in a paradise where lusts cannot be contained. Unfortunately they are actually in the stomach of a creature feeding off them and periodically experience pain from the acid eating them.

A character is knocked out, or goes to sleep, and wakes up in their own [[HappyPlace personal paradise]]. Whatever they wanted most all their life is finally theirs. The sky is blue, the air is warm, the waves of the ocean lap at the white sand beach, there are banquet tables laden with fresh platters of delicious food. They smile as [[{{Fanservice}} attractive, scantily-clad attendants]] replenish their drink...

The truth, however, is that the paradise isn't real; in fact, they're being held prisoner by another character who is using something -- a mind-control machine, some AI computer, a magic spell, a powerful drug, a PlatonicCave, or other {{phlebotinum}} -- to cause intense and realistic hallucinations. Some monsters even weaponize the ability to project YourHeartsDesire to snatch up easy prey.

Sometimes the lotus-eater has no idea it's all fake. Sometimes they do know but it's so beautiful and relaxing there that they don't care, and they'd rather stay there. In order to escape, the dreamer has to figure out they're dreaming, if that isn't already known to them; then they have to [[BrokenMasquerade break the masquerade]] and give up their life's dream. If they're in too deep, friends (or even [[DreamTellsYouToWakeUp characters from the fantasy itself]]) hoping to mount an OrpheanRescue have to force the hero to BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind in order to escape. More often than not, a DreamApocalypse occurs. Might involve a realistic ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay.

Often lends itself to [[AntiEscapismAesop anti-escapism aesops]] against spending all of [[ThisLoserIsYou your time]] in [[MassivelyMultiplayerOnlineRolePlayingGame a virtual fantasy world]].

In the majority of these cases, YourMindMakesItReal. May also be an [[TailorMadePrison exitless]] HappyPlace or not-so-happy OntologicalMystery or PsychologicalTormentZone. If the place isn't happy, but the hero is still made to believe it's real over his old life, it's a CuckooNest. May be equipped with a DreamEmergencyExit. May be used in conjunction with the LeaveYourQuestTest to create TheFinalTemptation. May be used to set up an EpiphanicPrison. If an entire society lives in one, it's a TerminallyDependentSociety. May involve MindRape at some point. Possible to involve VictoryIsBoring. May overlap with cases of ArtificialAfterlife, where the afterlife in question may take place in some digital paradise.

'''Beware of spoilers. The revelation that the events in the story are just an induced fantasy is often used as a major plot twist.'''

-->"[[TheStinger What do you mean that]] I've been on Website/TVTropes [[JustForFun/TVTropesWillRuinYourLife for four years straight]]... [[OhCrap holy shit!]]"

* For many people with Dissociative conditions such as [[https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/maladaptive-daydreaming Maladaptive Daydreaming]], your own brain can do this to you. Maladaptive dreamers regularly become entirely lost in their own vivid daydreams for minutes, hours, or longer. It sounds awesome, but the huge downside is how highly addictive it is. That, and it doesn't always happen when you want. When a regular person gets distracted by a daydream on the job it lowers their concentration. When a Maladaptive daydreams they can get totally lost in their own world for so long and so deeply that they flat out lose that job because they spent half of it liberating the One Ring from Skeletor. It isn't clear what causes Maladaptive Daydreaming, but anecdotes range from oppressive boredom during a long chidhood illness to 'just born this way'.

* The comic book continuation of ''WesternAnimation/TheIncredibles'' has EvilRedhead Mezmerella capable of inducing this effect with her hypnotic powers.

* ''Anime/{{Shelter|2016}}'' starts with Rin appearing to create worlds, but it turns out that she's inside a one person spaceship linked up to a life support machine and a virtual reality generator, [[spoiler: because the Earth has been destroyed, and her father wanted her to survive and be happy.]]

* ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' 2nd Edition supplement ''The Illithiad''. The Microcosm psionic power allows an illithid to take over a victim's mind and make them think they have been transported to a paradise-like fantasy world. In fact, they're just standing around not doing anything. The power negates all normal sensory input and the victim can only be brought out of it if they can realize that what their senses are experiencing is false.

* ''VideoGame/CookieRun'' has Lotus Dragon Cookie, who uses the Wish Festival to collect Cookie's dreams, then send them into dreams where their wishes come true, while absorbing their life energy with lotus.

The truth, however, is that the paradise isn't real; in fact, they're being held prisoner by another character who is using something -- a mind-control machine, some AI computer, a magic spell, a PlatonicCave, or other {{phlebotinum}} -- to cause intense and realistic hallucinations. Some monsters even weaponize the ability to project YourHeartsDesire to snatch up easy prey.

A character is knocked out, or goes to sleep, and wakes up in their own [[HappyPlace personal paradise]]. Whatever they wanted most all their life is finally theirs. The sky is blue, the air is warm, the waves of the ocean lap at the white sand beach, there are banquet tables laden with fresh platters of delicious food. They smile as [[{{Fanservice}} attractive, scantily-clad attendants]] replenish your drink...

The truth, however, is that they're being held prisoner by another character who is using something -- a mind-control machine, some AI computer, a magic spell, a PlatonicCave, or other {{phlebotinum}} -- to cause very intense and very realistic hallucinations. Some monsters even weaponize the ability to project YourHeartsDesire to snatch up easy prey.

Sometimes the lotus-eater has no idea it's all fake. Sometimes they do know but it's so beautiful and relaxing there that they don't care. In order to escape, the dreamer has to figure out they're dreaming, if that isn't already known to them; then they have to [[BrokenMasquerade break the masquerade]] and give up their life's dream. If they're in too deep, friends (or even [[DreamTellsYouToWakeUp characters from the fantasy itself]]) hoping to mount an OrpheanRescue have to force the hero to BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind in order to escape. More often than not, a DreamApocalypse occurs. Might involve ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay.

Because of the [[SchrodingersButterfly nature of this trope]], it often lends itself to doubts after the characters "escape". Sometimes it isn't clear whether their escape is genuine or not. This can range from EpilepticTrees theories by a handful of viewers, all the way up to extreme canon cases of a DreamWithinADream. In this tone, a particularly [[FridgeHorror Fridge Horrific]] ending for a villain (or a hero) may see them fall under the spell of the Machine, but only for a second before ShatteringTheIllusion, defeating their enemies, and re-making the world in their image. Cut back to reality, where they're still under the thrall of the Machine.

A character is knocked out, or goes to sleep, and wakes up in their own [[HappyPlace personal paradise]]. Whatever they wanted most all their life is finally theirs. The sky is blue, the air is warm, the waves of the ocean lap at the white sand beach, there are banquet tables laden with fresh platters of delicious food. You smile as [[{{Fanservice}} attractive, scantily-clad attendants]] replenish your drink...

A character is knocked out, or goes to sleep, and wakes up in their own [[HappyPlace personal paradise]]. Whatever they wanted most all their life is finally theirs.

The truth, however, is that they're being held prisoner by another character who is using something -- a machine, a PlatonicCave, or other {{phlebotinum}} -- to cause very intense and very realistic hallucinations. Some monsters even weaponize the ability to project YourHeartsDesire to snatch up easy prey.

Sometimes the lotus-eater has no idea it's all fake. Sometimes they do know but don't care. In order to escape, the dreamer has to figure out they're dreaming, if that isn't already known to them; then they have to [[BrokenMasquerade break the masquerade]] and give up their life's dream. If they're in too deep, friends (or even [[DreamTellsYouToWakeUp characters from the fantasy itself]]) hoping to mount an OrpheanRescue have to force the hero to BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind in order to escape. More often than not, a DreamApocalypse occurs. Might involve ArtificialOutdoorsDisplay.

* ''Webcomic/TheOrderOfTheStick'' [[http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0887.html gets stuck in a lotus-eater illusion]] while searching for Girard's Gate. However, Elan snaps the group out of it after realizing that his desire (his family happily reuniting) is [[TooGoodToBeTrue much too implausible and childish for it to come true]].
** When Nale becomes a victim of the same spell, he snaps himself out if when he realizes that he's been [[JustBetweenYouAndMe monolouging]] his EvilPlan for an hour and a captured Elan and Haley haven't escaped yet.
** When [[spoiler:Roy]] dies and goes to Heaven, he finds that it's everything he's ever wanted: he gets to [[spoiler:see his mom, who is clearly his favorite of his two parents, his little brother who died in an accident when he and Roy were young, and his grandfather and idol, who inspired Roy to become a fighter in the first place]]. Subverted in that Heaven is ''real'', and not an illusion, and that [[spoiler:Roy]] suffers no ill effects besides, well, being dead. However, because he has no pulse and heartbeat, and because the sun stays in the same place in the sky, he's unaware of time's passing. When he finds out that it's been three months since he died, he freaks out as most people who discover they're in a Lotus Eater Machine do.

** ''Manga/StardustCrusaders'': The Mannish Boy's [[FightingSpirit Stand]], Death 13, has the ability to transport anyone who falls asleep near him to a dream amusement park [[RealityWarper that he has full control over]] while his victims are unable to defend themselves [[spoiler:unless they have their Stand active before falling asleep]], with any injury or death that occurs [[YourMindMakesItReal translating into real life]].
** ''Manga/GoldenWind'': In the spin-off, ''Literature/PurpleHazeFeedback'', Vladimir's Stand, Rainy Day, has a secondary ability to let him trap a victim in their own mind. He uses it to trap Fugo in a dream where he's with his old team, and all of them are alive and happy. It almost works, until Fugo notices [[FourIsDeath Mista]] [[OutOfCharacterAlert take the fourth slice of cake]].
** ''Manga/StoneOcean'': [[SinisterMinister Enrico Pucci]]'s Stand, Music/{{Whitesnake}}'s "Melt Your Heart" ability allows him to trap his victims in a dream world while slowly dissolving their bodies in real life.

* The first season of ''LightNovel/NyarukoCrawlingWithLove'' ends with a two-parter where Mahiro finds himself in a GroundhogDayLoop where he's the [[LastOfHisKind only person in the city (and maybe beyond that)]]. What makes it a Lotus Eater Machine is that the person who did it honestly wanted Mahiro to be happy, but misinterpreted his desire for a little peace and quiet (or at least his UnwantedHarem taking a day off from being clingy and zany) and honestly thought he would be happy if he was all alone. [[spoiler:And then it turns out there's TheManBehindTheMan who set up the entire thing as part of his own larger plan.]]

!!''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex''

* A Literature/CaptainFuture villain named Ru Ghur discovered a type of radiation capable of doing that. He denied it was anything bad, but people were apparently a bit too desperate to get another dose.
* ''LightNovel/ACertainMagicalIndex'' has a variation where: (a) the world is actually real, not a dream or virtual reality; (b) the world is meant to convince the victim to commit suicide. [[spoiler:[[PhysicalGod Othinus]] traps Touma in the "Omega World," where everyone is happy and safe without his intervention. She claims that he has to die to allow this world to keep existing, otherwise his presence will lead to its destruction. What makes this worse is that while Touma knows intellectually that he should keep fighting (since Othinus has no reason to preserve this world), he can't bring himself to destroy a seemingly-perfect world. Only external intervention keeps him from committing suicide and convinces him to resist.]]