Mind Vacation

Remember the movie Total Recall, the old one (good one) not the new one (bad one). If not, in the movie there are machines that basically give you the feeling of doing something so that it feels like a memory you had. For example, want a vacation to Paris but don't have the time, this machine would replicate the experience in your mind; like a dream you get the sense you went on that vacation or that you used to be an astronaut or possibly lived a nicer, more interesting life.

What could technology like this do in the real world? Obviously all of the above was covered in the movie, but what about learning a new subject or language. If this existed theoretically couldn't we just put this machine on and in an hour we learned what could've taken a month of schooling? Think about the extra time people would have. So much more could be accomplished tech like this existed. More people would know more of every subject. Mechanics wouldn't be needed as much because everyone knows how to fix their car, basically most service jobs would be a lot less necessary. Professionals would be less important because most could do what they do. Honestly the world would seem a little more dull, people would be less unique, unemployment would be an issue because everyone can do what you do as good as you do it...

No need to worry though, technology like this is far from reality. There is still alot about the mind and about dreams we don't know yet. We know about dreams, and where they are active in the brain, but there are so many more unknowns. You could think your recalling a past experience when possibly it was all just a dream you had had. See, it isn't far fetched that a machine like this could be used to gain knowledge. A problem that comes to mind is a problem with dreams aswell. Would information gathered while in this machine quickly fade from memory like a dream. Only on rare occation can I ever remember my dreams 10 minutes after I wake up, so does that mean the information would flee my head aswell or would it somehow stick in my memories.