If we were living inside a screen, would we know it?

This idea has popped up in my head a couple of years ago, and it seems like there are other people who pose the same question as well.

If we were nothing but a bunch of 'characters' in a computer game of sorts, would we know it? The obvious answer seems to be a 'no', however, during some of my meditations, I've felt what seemed like a reality that was created completely as an illusion. This world we live in and see and experience as a reality is actually an illusion. It was a strange feeling, one I wasn't too keen on contemplating on for too long since the very idea of it broke down my sense of reality, and made me feel vulnerable.

What do you think?

reply to post by nusnus


By you posing this question I think you have the answer already. People that couldn't realize this wouldn't be thinking it.

reply to post by kro32


But wait, you're not answering the REAL question, how does one actually come to realize it? I mean,aren't we made to go along with this charade ?

reply to post by nusnus


What charade?

And who made you?

Ever hear of the "Brain in a vat theory".. Very similar concept Link

Ok.We;; i wondered what if like was liek a big thing simliar to that too lmao.. like a giant reality show... but were not bottom line should know when ur imagination works too much.. lol lay off too much conspiracy supbject befre you go nuts please lol .>.>

Believing what our chemical mind tells us is the greatest illusion. I've seen robotic spiders crawling on my ceilings, huge insects squirming on the walls and shadows moving through a room at great speed. Are these ghosts? probably not, just an over active mind making me see things that are not really there.

If we where indeed in some sort of a simulation or video game that would make us data and data can be transfered from one place to another, if you can find a way out of the program then you can get anywhere you want. No I do not think we are part of a simulation not unless it is being run by the alimighty.

Once upon a time, I, Chuang Chou, dreamt I was a butterfly, fluttering hither and thither, to all intents and purposes a butterfly. I was conscious only of my happiness as a butterfly, unaware that I was Chou. Soon I awaked, and there I was, veritably myself again. Now I do not know whether I was then a man dreaming I was a butterfly, or whether I am now a butterfly, dreaming I am a man. Between a man and a butterfly there is necessarily a distinction. The transition is called the transformation of material things.

Originally posted by shadowreborn89
Ok.We;; i wondered what if like was liek a big thing simliar to that too lmao.. like a giant reality show... but were not bottom line should know when ur imagination works too much.. lol lay off too much conspiracy supbject befre you go nuts please lol .>.>

Mind slowing down, and taking the time to correct your grammar..? Wall of poorly spelled words.

Well, if we were, I would think we would be in 2-d.....I think....


I mean, think of a video game.... even the modern games ( Aside from the Nintendo 3DS) aren't really in 3D... They use polygons to create the illusion of a 3rd dimension....

So, unless we are all a part of a Nintendo 3DS game, I doubt we are in a screen, and I doubt we would be 3 dimensional beings.

But I don't know.

Well I think the matrix trilogy went a long way to igniting the concept in people, for me personally I have spent a most if my life at times wondering if I my actually be dreaming my life, or in a coma somewhere, I then answer myself by going "Nah!" But always come back round to "But how do I know for sure ?"

In the end I settle for the concept of my life being one long dream I will wake up from at some point quite frightening, and let it go again

we only relate our lives with a computer because we have been conditioned in this age of technology. before this there was no contemplation to that sort of technology so there was no way to correlate a thought with it. existance I think is natural because if this were a program there would be glitches and everything would be set whereas the world I see is very loose and unorganized and it can swing one way or another very quickly in regards to people, but the environment itself is very set like a program.

This is my concept of what you are suggesting. LINK Make sure you watch the initial video and then read carefully. Skimming looses the point.

reply to post by nusnus


I know what your saying here and I have always felt that we are in some kind of matrix, all connected to the same mega computer on the same level or frequency meaning our realities are all running in sync.
So we don't act like robots in our realities, our brains which are like our own mini computer will process or generate its own version of this reality based on what our senses are telling it and that I guess is what makes us different from each other. It gives us different views & opinions on things and is the reason why I think that girl over there is hot but you think she's a minger.
You can get really deep talking about this kind of stuff and what I find amazing is that if you were to change the level or frequency coming out of the mega computer everything around us would change, including us. It would be a whole new world. So I guess it would be some kind of illusion.
I remember watching a video a while back where some scientists put a load of sand or salt on a vibrating plate and when they changed the frequency the sand or salt would completely change and form a new pattern. It's crazy and I guess it would have the same effect on us if our frequencies changed. Maybe this is where people get the theory behind shape shifting reptilians? who knows?
Sorry if this doesn't make sense, i've had a few tonight.
Great thread

Originally posted by Eastern1Stranger
I've seen robotic spiders crawling on my ceilings, huge insects squirming on the walls and shadows moving through a room at great speed.

That sounds like some good sh*t!

Originally posted by nusnus
This idea has popped up in my head a couple of years ago, and it seems like there are other people who pose the same question as well.

If we were nothing but a bunch of 'characters' in a computer game of sorts, would we know it? The obvious answer seems to be a 'no', however, during some of my meditations, I've felt what seemed like a reality that was created completely as an illusion. This world we live in and see and experience as a reality is actually an illusion. It was a strange feeling, one I wasn't too keen on contemplating on for too long since the very idea of it broke down my sense of reality, and made me feel vulnerable.

What do you think?

I can't agree with that illusion ideology. An illusion is a trick of the mind that makes something unreal seem real. A magician passing through a solid wall is an illusion. We can see that we're made up of energy when we zoom in, but the form we get from those energies is not an illusion. The form is real.

As far as us being characters in a computer, yes, I'll partially agree with that. The terminology needs to be refined, but it's seemingly as good a concept as anything else out there.

Ok, I like this one a lot. Let's put it this way, in an experiment where a placebo is used does the scientist tell the subject that the placebo is a placebo, no because it would throw off the results. So, if a reality simulator was created and put to use would the programmers tell the code to make subjects in the simulation realize they are on a computer program, no because it would alter the true results. Is it possible, given enough simulation time that some subject might think of the possibility, yes it is. Also, to the asker about being two dimensional, can we generate three dimensional models, yes we can, we just observe these models on a 2d perspective.

Also, if you've ever played halo, when operating the camera to view the environment would you think, given enough ai, that the character would realize they were being followed/watched.
If this reality was a simulation in a computer the subjects within would be none the wiser. If it was programmed in then it wouldn't be a proper simulation would it.

Basically, yes, it is possible that we are in a 3D reality simulation that is being observed from "above". In fact we already generate 3D environments on computers, scientists are currently working on building a quantum calculator/computer and bringing certainty to heisenburgs theory, we are also beginning to really improve artificial intelligence. Put these together and then perfect them and you have yourself a reality simulator. If we are in this type of reality, my guess would be that when we perfect reality simulation there will be no need for our current reality anymore.

reply to post by DarkSarcasm


I like where you're going with all this.

It sort of fits in with belief in God as well. I mean, think about it, there is a world out there that is real and God wants to know what this simulator is going to result in so everyone is in their 'right place' so to speak.

Keep the interesting ideas coming people

Genetic engineering can alter how our eyes see - and thus, we could see things that are exclusive to our own reality or exclusive to the illusions generated by the engineering.

The strange thing is, being combined with an artificial lens, will not exclude the subconscious from perceving the "real world" - so many of us live "double lives", unaware of what the other side of ourselves is doing.

God is a kid with a souped up version of The Sims.....