As long as we have been on this planet, we have longed for answers to some difficult questions. Where did we come from? How did the universe come to exist? What was there before the universe came into existence? Can something come out of nothing?
These are really tough questions. Questions that science has been trying to answer for a long, long time. Each time we seem to get closer to the truth, it seems to get further away.
Will we ever know?
Is it even possible to find out the answers?
Possible or not, that hasn’t stopped us from trying. People from all walks of life have tried to make sense of it all. Scientists, religious people, philosophers, scholars have all grappled with the enigma that is the universe and the nature of reality itself.
The Simulation Hypothesis
One among the many theories suggested by some of the smartest people on the planet, is The Simulation Hypothesis, which states that reality is an illusion and we are living in a computer simulation.
What this effectively means is that we are the subjects in a virtual reality created by really advanced beings. What or who these beings are, is a matter up for debate. It might be god, it might be some advanced alien civilisation or it might even be higher dimensional beings. Who knows!
Arguments For
1. Bostrom’s Trilemma
Swedish philosopher, in 2003, published a paper which stipulated that one of the following three statements must be true:
a) Civilisations do not reach a “post human” stage where they are capable of rendering “ancestor-simulations” using computer power.
b) Civilisations do reach this stage, but, for whatever reason (ethics? superior intelligence that leads to disinterest?), have no interest in running ancestor-simulations.
c) There is an extremely high probability that we are living in a simulation.
2.Universe is maths based
As we learn more and more about our universe, one thing becomes clearer. That it is based on rigid mathematical laws. The universe might even be the manifestation of those laws.
When computer code is found in the fabric of reality itself, one has to wonder if everything really is programmed. That our entire existence is just a program running on someone’s hard disk.
3. Consciousness can be simulated in a computer
The argument here, is that if self awareness can develop in a collection of neurons in the brain then why can’t it develop on a lump of silicon?
We are trying to do the same ourselves by building more robust neural networks and AI on top of them. Isn’t it possible for more advanced civilisations to have already achieved that?
Arguments Against
1. Limitations of computing resources
Some people believe that even for a post human civilisation, creating a simulation as sophisticated as ours would be impossible.
There has to be a limit to computer resources which makes the whole idea of simulation infeasible and impractical.
2. The question of free will
Many people argue that if this reality was in fact a simulation, then how come we have free will. How is it that we can decide for ourselves to do or not to do anything at all. And how come we can even ask these questions regarding reality. The programmers wouldn’t want that, would they?
3. No Scientific Base
Some scientists dismiss the theory on grounds that it is merely philosophical in nature and doesn’t have any scientific base whatsoever.
Implications of living in a matrix.
If it is true that we are indeed living in a computer simulation, how would that change our lives? Will it just be something we know but has no effect on our lives? After all it would change nothing on a pragmatic level.
Some thinkers disagree. They say that it will have huge implications and has the power to reshape our civilisation and reality itself.
Possible implications suggested are:
1. If we prove that this reality is a simulation, then we can start thinking about eternal lives and resurrections as we are just computer programs that can be re-launched.
2. If the theory turns out to be true, we would then be interested in the beings that created this simulation and we would at least try to understand them or communicate with them. How this would go is best left to imagination.
3. If the creators come to realise that the subjects of their simulations have figured out that they are living in a simulation, then would they shut down the simulation, thereby erasing existence as we know it? Or would they do something else that we can’t even contemplate.
4. The questions about the creator’s world would arise too. Where did this original reality come from? Does it share the same laws of physics as programmed into our own?
5. If we confirm that it is some higher, more advanced civilisation that created us, then what would it mean for religions?
The theory that the all powerful god exists and created everything would be disproved. That has the potential to cause chaos on earth, even starting wars. Granted, they could also simply place God above even the ‘original world’, to get around this.
6. What would it mean for us psychologically? Would we still take life so seriously knowing that it is just a simulation. That we are just bits of programs that don’t have any purpose!
Final Thoughts
These are uncharted territories that we are dwelling into. To prove or disprove this, a lot of research needs to be undertaken over many years. Maybe we just aren’t technologically adept yet to be able to confirm the truth. Maybe we will never be.
Who knows if we are even programmed not be able to find any answers ever. It might all be for nothing, a race with no finish line. A race only for the entertainment of the spectators.
Or maybe a day will come where we are finally capable of making sense of it all. That day would be a victory for humanity itself. Just imagine the anxiety the world over. Will that finally fulfil our purpose? What would be next?
Anyways, these are exciting times to be alive without any doubt.
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I'll be just practical this time.
First of all every system you think is the REAL reality is just a mind game. It's created by your mind based by external collection of data (movies, books, magazines) and your imagination. In the Multiverse we are living (this concept is main stream now) all imaginable possibilities coexist in different parallel universes.
Therefore everything you said exists (in some Universe)
Related to holographic principle...the one with "we live in a hologram" it's not proved to be accurate, but it seems in a couple of years we will know. And it seems we are in a holographic universe, a projection of a 2D universe. It's strange but the theory is really strong.
Related to the how much I can understand from the Universe let's play a game: you encounter an ant. What can she say about you ? What are you? How do you move (for the ant you have the speed of an airplane and you are bigger than Godzilla). You eat mountains and drink rivers, you can disappear, you can fly, you can kill an entire ant city by one move. What's your life ? What's your God ? How about the oceans or the sky or the planets ? What are these to an ant ? What is your communication to an ant ? What's your purpose ? Etc....it 's long....
So, my point is: our species is very limited to discovering the universe, aliens, God, the meaning, etc because every biological being that dies has a limited knowledge.
So, to be more practical: all you said is possible and all can be a fairy tale. One from 1000 fairy tails. There is a point where all questions stops. They are irrelevant and the answers doesn't matter, actually.
I hope I'm coerent and not to rough.
Nice post.
Cheers.
Life is more than you can see with your eyes. Are you determined enough to go down the rabbit hole? What you may find will change your world view forever...
This is a really well written article thanks @dragonslayer109 :)
I had actually been exploring this issue for a #downtherabbithole article of my own , but you nailed it !
I'm 10 years into processing this concept, and I've come to agree with Elon Musk's conclusion. This realisation only adds even more intriguing layers when you re-explore other concepts like bursts in "the power of attraction", psychic communications, out of body experiences etc.
Newbies to this idea may appreciate this video "Is Reality Real" by camper killer commentary on youtube:
Veterans may help gain a more complete understanding by working through the gnosis material by montalk.
Great post, I will go back to read it more in-depth.
Definitely I am following you for the great quality and interest of these topics :)
I wrote something that may be related to your post and your vision here
https://steemit.com/science/@andrew0/mysterious-mandela-effect-real-anomaly-psyop-or-collective-paranoia
I'm in matrix since I joined Steemit! I love it.I'm happy you made a nice post man.
Good post and all nicely put together, but there are a number of other posts on the same topic.
One thing strikes me as particularly pertinent right now though. There is a proposition that if we do indeed inhabit a simulated universe, then it might well end when we become able to set up a sufficiently detailed simulated universe of our own - simply due to the extra processing demands this would put on to the higher level simulation.
Let’s hope not, because if so tomorrow could be doomsday… It's No Man’s Sky release date on PS4/PC - 18 quintillion planets! ;-)
hehe that is an interesting observation! :)
This was a concept I imagined long ago pre-matrix, purely by accident and as part of a game.
I was young in the 80s and 90s and pretty angry at organized religion, persecution, killing for religion, intolerance, etc. You name it. I was angry.
I was not a drinker or user of drugs, though I had no problem with others partaking and many of my friends did. I didn't need them, I was plenty weird and interesting to most without their assistance.
One night sitting at a party I came up with a new mental game. I hypothesized that we as a group could make up a completely plausible religion in one hour that was just as difficult to prove or disprove as any that are out there now.
It turns out we could, and we did it many times. Many of them were funny though I don't think we ever quite beat the comedy that has been achieved by The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Ramen, may you be blessed by his noodley appendage.
We hit upon variants of the simulation idea quite a few times.
When The Matrix came out I was not surprised by it's content but I was extremely pleased to see a visual realization of such ideas.
It has gained a lot of traction since Elon Musk came out endorsing it as a distinct possibility.
For me it is amusing as it is musing I had with drunken cohorts coming alive and going mainstream.
It helped that in my youth I was into physics, computers (fractals, etc), philosophy, new age concepts, and I was angry at religion so I studied it furiously.
GOOD POST. Thank you for putting it out there.
Good choice of imagery to go along with it too.
you and i share the same way of thinking. great minds DO think alike! LOL :D
And I'm glad you like my poems.
If I will make $155 in 32 minutes I will scream so loud that police will show up to my door!
Won't we all @the-future ;)
Something interesting to think about!
If we are in a simulation, that in no way would disprove a God creating the universe. I mean, how much do we know of how God actually did it all?
Let's say we are His children, and we lived as spirits with Him, where ever He is. Let's say He wanted us to learn and grow and develop in a way that requires a physical and imperfect body (Kind of like parents wanting their children to get out of the house and get a job and a life of their own). How would He do that? He might create a universe where suitable bodies would evolve on a nice little blue green planet.
What is that quote? "We are not mortal beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a mortal experience."
I can't remember who said that.
If this theory is true, then He created a universe our spirits could interface with. (That interface is our own individual bodies). I'm thinking of James Cameron's Avatar-like simulation, at least for the purpose of this post.
This universe being a simulation would in no way invalidate our worth or future. We would still be individuals with individuality and purpose. Maybe when we are done with our own individual simulations, we would return to God's realm and learn how to create our own simulations for our own future children! The Multiverse Theory would seem to support this idea.
As far as the mathematics... this is what intrigues me, though I am not a mathematician. There is some indication that the math that describes a black hole also describes the whole universe. Fascinating! Does that mean that the All of Everything can be compressed to a single point? And what would the universe look like if we were as large as the universe? What realm would we experience?
That's interesting! :) Thank you guys - @dragonslayer109 and @sauravrungta! I definitely want to write a response article to this post :)
would love to read that! :)
good stuff- glad to see other people out there are into simulationism like myself. I mean I'm religious but I'm also fanatical in my thoughts about us being in a simulation
there are a million theories out there. but seems like all are starting to point in one direction. sooner or later we will find out the truth :)
Dejavu. That is all.
It was very interesting to read
I waiting to a new posts
I believe we live in a controlled environment. I'm not sure if it is computer program...but I tend to lean more towards the flat earth theory. The Earth is flat and we live under a dome and we were created by God. But if you think I'm crazy just up-vote this post ;)
No, I don't think we are in a simulation.
When I try to click @dragonslayer109 it says unknown account?
Procedural Generation
Free will is an illusion.
Procedural Generation. And "No scientific base" has no scientific base.
You know what Mandela Effects are right?