I think Neo from Matrix was in another simulation like that. He is a hero in a world of suffering, the rebel everyone needs, the “One”. Does that not sound like a VR simulation? As long as he felt good and had this perceived sense of danger and payoff, it does not matter if it’s real or not. And what about Cypher? This “guy” (again part of the simulation) was dragged by Morpheus in to the "real" world to live in crap while getting his girlfriend stolen. So it would be natural for him to go back to Matrix. It’s actually kind of cruel that people don’t want others to escape in to VR, means that their misery will have less company. Are alcohol and drugs not a form of escapism, just because they are wildly used? Vagaries of perception, Mr Anderson.