I guess it could be a barrier, but at the same time you can relate to people and situations a little better when it feels like something you already know- whether it has positive or negative connotations. Either way, people are always capable of surprising you.
Yes, I landed here too. Went from an awful situation to a great one. This universe has been good to me.
From what I understand, most of the people on this board have been subjected to the vortex. But they definitely don't make up the whole population of this world.