I'm currently living through just one of my soul-cringing eternities. I've had a friend die (do we know if everyone's visitor was dead?). I've had a grandfather I despised die. I've had friends, enemies...


Are the visitors from the subconscious? I don't really think Karl learns anything new from Rheya/Harey - her "first" suicide certainly didn't teach him to govern his temper. Also, his acceptance of her - he "wanted" her alive, and possibly if he'd been asked he'd at least have said he wished he weren't dead.

Maybe these were all mostly-balanced individuals who had only one major thing that they wanted to see manifested. And sometimes it worked out, and sometimes it didn't. Even when they're alive and okay with themselves and us, people never do what we expect.

I think Solaris manifested the subject of what these scientists wanted to see, but it didn't manifest the fantasy. If your view of XXX is that she's a horrifying demon, and your wish is that she show up and be all nice and humane, the planet manifests her - she shows up - but the planet can't manifest a fantasy, which is never as detailed as our impressions (and those are fuzzy enough!).

Anyway, to answer your question.

If Solaris manifested anything for me there'd be a host of tears and quarrels and maybe some sex and we'd need a circus tent t house them all.