If Reality Is A Simulation, Who Is Its Architect?
There is this hypothesis called the “simulation hypothesis” that I’m sure you must have read about or at least heard about, in light of the fact that it has soared in popularity in recent years.
In search for an answer to one of the biggest questions we have, “What is the origin of the universe; how did it all start?”, we have come across several possible answers but we haven’t been able to definitively say for sure, though “the Big Bang theory” is pretty much the consensus right now.
The simulation theory is another one of those theories that tries to explain it all, going one step beyond even the big bang theory, but it is quite a weird one and something that sounds straight out of science fiction, but when you think about it, it sounds very plausible.
The Simulation Hypothesis
In simple words, this hypothesis states that the whole of reality, is nothing but a simulation likely running on some kind of computer of a highly intelligent being, somewhere outside of our realm.
If true, this has huge implications for us and our search for meaning and origin of life and reality itself. We might be just code/program running in some super powerful computer and all of this might just be an experiment for a higher intelligent being.
Some of you may think that this renders everything totally meaningless because it’s a fake reality conjured up in a computer that might be terminated at anytime. The rest of you may think that despite this being a simulation, it is as real as it gets for us and it doesn’t matter if it is real or just computer code.
Regardless, I think the real question is, who is the creator of this simulation and more importantly, did they leave a backdoor out of here?
Who Could Be The Architect?
When I think about who the creator of our simulated reality could be, three possibilities come to mind. God, aliens and our future selves.
In my opinion, god is not the answer, at least not in this particular scenario. I fail to see why an all powerful being would need to create a simulation, the purpose of which is mostly to test things out. An all knowing god would not need to ‘test’ anything and so, I think that if our reality is indeed a simulation, god might not be it’s creator.
A super intelligent race of alien beings is one of the likely answers. There could be many reasons why aliens would want to create a virtual reality universe. Maybe it’s just a part of a massive multiplayer online game for them, or maybe they want to see how things progress in a universe with different parameters (laws) into play or maybe it’s just a science project of an alien teenager and we all exist on his pen drive!
Another likely answer is our future selves. Our computing prowess is increasing day by day and soon we might be equipped with the power of a quantum computer. In the future, we might be able to create the most complicated simulations easily on a personal computer. So, in that case, maybe we are a result of our future selves creating a copy of their universe in their computer through which they are trying to study everything that happens from the very beginning. It is not too far-fetched to imagine something like this happening in our own future.
Could There Be A Backdoor?
One of the things that people ask when they learn about this theory is whether there could be a backdoor here in this reality so that we can escape into the ‘real’ world through it.
I gave it some thought and I think that would not be possible. Just think about it. We create games in which we control the characters. Even if the characters in our games had consciousness and free will, they just couldn’t come out of the game and into our world even if there was a ‘backdoor’ of any kind.
Similarly, if we are in a simulated universe, our whole existence would be a subset of the larger set which is the simulated universe itself. So, I don’t think any such thing would be possible. Being able to communicate with them though, would be a different matter. They could do it if they wished to and we could do it if we found a way to.
In any case, if we ever find an evidence proving this theory to be right, our lives would never be the same again. Or at least that’s what I think!
I'm sure this is something most of us have given a lot of thought indeed.
I want there to be a God! It is preferable to me than the ancient alien theory or certainly more realistic to my mind than the thought of us being in a simulation, much less a simulation designed by a future version of ourselves.
Perhaps the answer is beyond our ability to understand or perhaps one day one of us will figure it out and that will be the game completed!
Whilst I have a bias that I lean towards, I understand that I could be wrong.
My 'beliefs' can only be based on the knowledge and wisdom I have available to me so I always leave myself room to change my views.
There is no proof for any of these theories along with the mainstream theory of evolution so if I am being honest with myself then I would have to say any and all of them are possible. I simply don't know.
It does appear to me, however, that modern society is moving away from God in a big way and it strikes me that this correlates with what I feel is a downward turn in human morality.
I ask myself which one of these theories serves us best in our objective of becoming better men and women?
Thanks for the post!
Wow, this is one of the most awesome, open-minded comment I have read on Steemit ever. Thanks man!
I agree with you 100%. A lot of the stuff we are not sure about, we can't simply dismiss them saying they can't be true or they are true in a particular way only. There are lots of examples that show we do not understand things even with proper experimentation and proper results.
We can only hope to find more answers as we go and try to complete the game as you state (if ever we can).
Thank you very much @saurvungta ! You are very kind!
I really enjoyed reading your post and another couple I've read also and look forward to looking back through your previous posts.
Thanks again for replying to my comment and for such a thoughtful post!
Hope you're having a great day wherever you are!
Thanks for that wonderful comment brother and for checking my other posts out! Have started following you too. Keep steeming :)
Maybe we shouldn't search for a backdoor, but a way of communicating with the intelligence. Even if we can't get out of this trap, we can ask questions and make more sense of everything.
Exactly. Being able to communicate with any intelligence that resulted in the creation of this reality would be just awesome. We could find out about a lot of things and could fill in a lot of gaps. Maybe some day, we will find a way. What a day that would be. :)
Early writings tell us that we were created by aliens to be 'dumbed down', that we were genetically altered to experience a limited reality. Previously we may have had sensory powers of great magnitude and would have been aligned with our spirit body. Who knows what else is around us that we cannot hear or see?
In Hindu mythology, there are tons of mentions about these saint-type people who were able to perform a lot of miracles that we are now doing thanks to technology. I wonder if there is such a realm that is beyond our perception and can be perceived with the help of either technology/science or on our own like through meditation like many people claim to do.
The reason I don't enjoy this kind of speculations is because they create more questions than those they claim to answer. It is the same as with the God hypothesis.
If there is some extremely intelligent supreme entity that created such an extremely complicated universe then who created the original and extremely complicated entity that created all these? (and so on and so forth).
If a hypothesis raises the same innate premise then it becomes invalid by default. What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
Not knowing where the creator came from does not prove there isn't one. We don't need to know where a creator came from to know there is a creation, i.e. I'm wearing pants, but because I don't know who made them does not mean I'm not actually wearing them.
You can't disprove a negative. You don't have any evidence there is a creator thus the hypothesis is discarded. Again. What can be assume without evidence can de discarded without evidence.
Aliens...
that is correct! the fundamental error we commit when trying to explain "life" is that we assume there are choices waiting for us to pick when in truth i say "God-aliens-future selves are nothing but 1 inseparable entity just like the past-present-future are: Time deconstructed into 3 parts for conventional reasons. We forget the oneness of things, we deconstruct instead of constructing, we think instead of meditating, we float instead of immersing, we exist instead of living. This article would have been deemed valuable instead took the opposite direction in terms of the approach but nonetheless, respectful.
Yes, I agree that such a theory, even if proved somehow, would raise even more questions, but would it not take us one step closer to the answer though? Like for example we find proof that reality is indeed a simulation created by some super intelligent race of aliens, would that not be an answer to our origin? It would raise even more questions but I think that is how science has progressed and will progress. But I do see your point :)
The answer is close than you think. All the evidence we have as of now is that everything, always existed and that we just found ourselves in a given cycle with some given parameters. Everything looks designed for us because we are the outcome of such an environment. In the same respect if a paddle woke up today it would say "What a wonderful hole I am in, its just the right depth to keep me wet, and look at that tree, it is shading me so I won't evaporate. And hey, check that animal that drinks from me. I am needed and important".
Instead of searching for creators assume simply that there are not any and that we are just the outcome of a given environment that doesn't have any purpose. The only reason you seek a creator is because humans seek meaning.
steady state hypothesis?
yup...that's what I'd bet on.
What can be asserted without evidence can be dismissed without evidence.
oh...I LIKE that.
Our reality is not an illusion. It is very real, but it is a much smaller version of a much greater reality that awaits us.
The matrix, world, this reality (whatever it is)...Seems to be responding to us in more personal tangible ways. Have you noticed this? Kharma is being dished out hard for those who have it coming. (Got a good dose myself, recently:). Its like the law of attraction concepts in Real Time. Anyone else experiencing this?
Yeah, there are other theories pointing to what you are saying, that ours is not the only reality out there, that there might be many dimensions and many universes.
Yes I believe this theory is plausible, they say at the rate of our creation of virtual universes (VR as it is today, compared to the first ever video games) there is bound to be a time that we reach perfect simulation, where the characters in that virtual reality have full consciousness and are not aware of the fact that they are a simulation. So there could be either a very advanced alien species that are running experiments like you said, or it could very well be future humans trying to understand their own selves by emulating an entire world of new humans to see how they behave adapt and evolve to certain situations.
Very interesting stuff...
Maybe when we die our so called spirit progresses to a different physical being or body.This would be given that should we progress according to the evolution of the universe. If you believe in reincarnation, it might be possible that a person is reincarnated as another being or species further along a specific spiritual path I guess I could say. Maybe each species in the universe exists on a different spiritual plain and the life you live now will determine the outcome of your next existence, species ect.... on this earth or elsewhere....
That is bound to happen. Our computing power is just increasing exponentially and virtual reality is just in its infancy right now and already producing great results. Also we are already running several simulations on the world's supercomputers for various purposes.
Just imagine the possibilities when the power of a supercomputer could be put inside a personal computer thanks to quantum computing and when that is combined with the ability to create virtual worlds, even kids would be able to create worlds of their own. Now, being able to create conscious beings in those world is a different matter.
Since time itself would likely be an aspect of the simulation perhaps we are the architects from the future, simulating our past. Wrap your head around that.
That is where I was going with the idea that it might be our future selves that are the architects and they have created this simulation for whatever purposes it might be. It's so mind boggling to think about this particular possibility.
But why in the hell would we want to come back to this?
Same reason we play many simulation games. :)
What if one day when you die you realize you have actually just woken up for the first time.
It's nightmare.
there are a number of references that echo this idea; that some day, this life will seem like the dream from which you have awoken
And there goes my mind again, hope i can catch it!
it is wonderful to think of a better world, wish we had more of it now!
what if earth is a simulation test to see if you are great enough to bring to the world that is running the simulation. For example: if you are extremely violent angry and not too intelligent, when you die you will not wake back up, but if you prove yourself to be superior, intelligent, and helpful then they rise you to live your actual life on their planet which might just be a massive sized earth with a perfect race of humans living on it.
Exactally you said it better than I could!
But why would they go through the process of birth, life and death if they had to just 'test' us. Couldn't they do it within a shorter time frame?
Maybe years for us is simply minutes for them
That could be it!!
Some say our reality has been hijacked, and I believe it has by the 'gods' aka interdimensional entities, aka demons. They are the sons of Babylon. Nephilim, etc. Your RH- bloodline today, the reptilians. Some stories say that they have hijacked the original intent of this simulation, and created a cycle of death/war where they steal your immortal soul, trick you into a fake heaven, and recycle you back to continue to live, and allow the negative creatures to feed on your stress and anxiety they create.
IF we are immortal souls, being tested for quality, to ensure we are good enough in constitution to be released to judge others, do you really feel that this life is that long? (HUGE speculations in that, just a thought provoker).
Just like in Matrix right? Now, THAT would be freaky!
You are the architect of your own life.
That is a really nice saying and I think you are referring to the Law of Attraction, maybe?
beware of contractors.... ;)
There is evidence. They can't find what causes mass. Period. Being in a simulation does NOT imply we are not real, or nothing matters. Perhaps its a place where souls learn hardship and kindness in a hostile world. There is an exit. It's the holy grail, at the north pole, where the ether (aurora borealis) comes from the black hole sun and hits the firmament dome. Drink from the waters at the base of the tree of life.. Your compass points to mount meru.. Compass. Come-Pass. Pass out of the matrix, via the positive energy source of our dualistic universe to the land of perpetual twilight. Only the true of heart and faith can make the journey.
So, you do believe that our reality is a simulation?
Not as such as we are not real, and the things we do don't matter.. we live in a holographic universe.. the implications are far more important than a casual huh. I don't know for sure, but you should look into it. You will find even corporate shills pushing this reality. They could not find mass. Remember that hunt for the god particle? No mass found.
Yeah, but they found the Higgs Boson that gives everything mass, right?
no sir. well. they found it.. but its not what provides mass.
Look, you're being lied to at such an astounding level it's insane. Most of what you know is bullshit, based on a lie.
You need to start from zero, pretend you know NOTHING and do base research yourself. There is no other way to do this. So much is a lie, starting with Gravity.
So much is based on gravity being what They say.. and sure the force downward is 9.8m/s^2 but that does not mean their theory of why is correct, and I would assume incorrect if it's still not proven. Same with evolution. Until this theory is proof, I'd question everything you are told.
It's very easy to fool people, it's very hard to tell people they are being fooled.
But then, how can I be sure that these other people are telling the truth or the credibility of the information?
How can you be sure your current sources are credible? I guarantee you will find that people you assume credible are not. Solution? Start doing your own research. Trust no one.