Virtual reality images inserted into people's minds to "break" them

[Don]

Asked by another person on a different forum:

I read this give or take 15 years ago which probably means 20 to 30 by​

now, in, most likely Analog.​

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Scenario is a former worker for either a corp or the gov't​

had been inserting virtual reality images into people​

they wanted to "break".​

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He was the best at making sure all the superbly tiny​

details like the (example made up here) sparkles on​

the rain water on the window had just the right prism​

effects in them, so the subject would really, really,​

really, believe they were "living" through it.​

​

The larger part of the story is he's run away from​

them, with the final straw being when they had him​

destroy his girl friend until she died for real.​

​

And the question becomes ... is he succesfully running​

away or is he, too being fed the imagery.​

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Ring any bells? Thanks​