Simulation Theory Ticks Me Off

I understand that minds that are greater than mine, as well as many others feel we ar living in some kind of simulation, or matrix.(only since that movie came out has it been called that, odd)
I find it hard to believe myself. It seems there is too much clutter, mysterious and un answered questions on life on this planet to say for certain it is a simulation.

I have a question for those that believe this said theory. Why bother, what's the point in life if we are just a playable character. Why not just give up and suck off the system? Or off yourself and respaw with better gear or in a better spot?
Do you think you can "hack" the simulation or enter some kind if "cheat code"? Maybe that's what the elite have done or figured out?

Not really a rant per se. I've just been in a very strange mood and mentally just am off in the clouds. I've been questioning alot about myself and my position on this rock and if I have a purpose per se....

This theory for whatever reason just runs me the wrong way. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth and me feeling more awkward then normal.

Do I have any idea what's going on....heck no. I haven't the foggiest....

matrix (n.)

late 14c., matris, matrice, "uterus, womb," from Old French matrice "womb, uterus" and directly from Latin mātrix (genitive mātricis) "pregnant animal," in Late Latin "womb," also "source, origin," from māter (genitive mātris) "mother" (see mother (n.1)).

www.etymonline.com...

originally posted by: SwampFox999
I understand that minds that are greater than mine, as well as many others feel we ar living in some kind of simulation, or matrix.(only since that movie came out has it been called that, odd)
I find it hard to believe myself. It seems there is too much clutter, mysterious and un answered questions on life on this planet to say for certain it is a simulation.

I have a question for those that believe this said theory. Why bother, what's the point in life if we are just a playable character. Why not just give up and suck off the system? Or off yourself and respaw with better gear or in a better spot?
Do you think you can "hack" the simulation or enter some kind if "cheat code"? Maybe that's what the elite have done or figured out?

Not really a rant per se. I've just been in a very strange mood and mentally just am off in the clouds. I've been questioning alot about myself and my position on this rock and if I have a purpose per se....

This theory for whatever reason just runs me the wrong way. It leaves a bad taste in my mouth and me feeling more awkward then normal.

Do I have any idea what's going on....heck no. I haven't the foggiest....

Well, first of all, let me welcome you to Agnosticism lol. I find it to be a refreshingly open-minded and intellectually honest position, so don't allow it to frustrate you. When you open yourself to all possibilities then you're more apt to find one that suits you. We organize our belief and relation to the reality around us, and people do so in different ways. For me, I'm a man of faith, so I organize that reality around my beliefs in One God and The Messiah. Obviously a lot of people choose not to see reality through that lens. However, we are still observing the same reality. My synonym for simulation would be The Book of Life. I believe in God the Author, who wrote this book about all the things in creation from beginning to end, and that includes you and me. Someone who believe in simulation theory isn't really saying much different, they're just describing it different, probably because the basis of their belief system is different than mine. They view things likely from a very scientific perspective (which I do as well, I just find it all fits into my faith). They are possibly atheist and so coalesce their observations in a POV more in-line with their organized belief systems (or lack of belief). It doesn't mean where not observing like-wise things, simply collating the empirical data differently.

Point is...wooshaw. You'll find your path, life takes time.

a reply to: SwampFox999

I wouldn't take it that seriously, when electricity was discovered that was the terms everything was described in. Then atoms. Now it's computer stuff. Does that make it the final answer?
Probably not. It might take a hundred years or so before we come up with the next big thing and then everything will be described in whatever that might be terminology.
Whatever theory you choose doesn't actually affect reality, the only thing that can give or take away meaning from life is you.

a reply to: SwampFox999

When I first heard of simulation theory I had imagined a different form than most, I assumed they were referring to all the energy that exist has always existed in some form or another. I tied in more to the potential that everything that can happen, will and already has at some point, that we are essentially in a residual simulation that has already played out.

I still feel that is more likely than us being in a simulation through direct controllers. Not saying it's not a potential, but I myself kind of doubt it.

a reply to: SwampFox999

I've never doubted I was created. I certainly wasn't always here. I think, therefore I am. If I'm a program, so be it. I certainly wasn't given any clear directives here.

originally posted by: Peeple
a reply to: SwampFox999

I wouldn't take it that seriously, when electricity was discovered that was the terms everything was described in. Then atoms. Now it's computer stuff. Does that make it the final answer?
Probably not. It might take a hundred years or so before we come up with the next big thing and then everything will be described in whatever that might be terminology.
Whatever theory you choose doesn't actually affect reality, the only thing that can give or take away meaning from life is you.

First of all, I do horsey hair design professionally, so let me just say that you look faaaabulous darling! Secondly, I couldn't agree with you more on what you had to say, though I must admit I don't understand how you type so eloquently with hooves.

originally posted by: sine.nomine
a reply to: SwampFox999

I've never doubted I was created. I certainly wasn't always here. I think, therefore I am. If I'm a program, so be it. I certainly wasn't given any clear directives here.

Here was not created......because here never comes or goes.

Without this here there would be nowhere for anything to appear.

The I that thinks that it is here is not..... there's only here.
Thoughts appear and disappear here.....as does everything.

a reply to: Itisnowagain
Pretty much what he said.
Still hoping if it is a simulation someone can hook me up with some "hacks" only need about 100k not too much haha.

a reply to: TheMirrorSelf

lol

a reply to: SwampFox999

Hey Swamp: not sure if this rant that’s not a rant is some sort of reaction to my post earlier today www.abovetopsecret.com... I certainly didn’t mean to puss anyone off this early! I’m not entirely comfortable with the Matrix as a solution to the question of why we’re here, either. I was pointing out that was a possible solution to certain mysteries, particularly UFOs.

IMHO, even if it WERE true, and we were “playable characters”, that automatically allows for Free Will. How we got here and what happens when it’s game over isn’t as important as how we play the game.

Hope that helps settle your mind.😉

a reply to: SwampFox999

I have a question for those that believe this said theory. Why bother, what's the point in life if we are just a playable character. Why not just give up and suck off the system? Or off yourself and respaw with better gear or in a better spot?

I can fully understand why you don't like the idea, I don't really like it either. However, I would point out that it doesn't really make much difference if we live in base reality, because quantum mechanics tells us our universe is just one of many, and ours just happens to have laws of physics which allow life to exist. What I mean to say is, if God doesn't exist, and we are just the result of randomness, you have the same issues of meaningless. I'm agnostic and I tend to think God doesn't exist based on all the evidence I have seen, but I still think there is meaning to life, and that's the meaning we give it. Why is the meaning we ascribe any less valid than the meaning ascribed by a god?

I choose to place value in certain things, like family and the beauty of this Earth. Those things have meaning to me and that's all that really counts from my perspective. Even if I did believe this universe was a simulation, it wouldn't make any difference to the meaning I ascribe to it, I still love my relatives and leaving them would cause them pain. So killing myself just to get a better life would be selfish and an easy escape. Plus there are too many things I value in this life regardless of whether it's governed by computer code or the laws of physics, they are both just sets of rules to determine the nature of reality.

By the way, if you really want to dig deep into the science behind the simulation theory, I have embedded a video below which is one of the best I've seen on this subject. He argues that we don't live in a simulation, which I agree with, but for a slightly different reason.



Here's a comment I made in response to that video which is worth reading if you want to fully understand my reasoning:

This is probably the most detailed and well thought out video I've ever seen on this topic but I feel there are some important issues I need to point out. Your arguments were all very solid up until the stuff about simulating consciousness. I agree with your final conclusion that this probably is base reality but my reasoning differs. You said:

"He assumes with absolute certainty that we will one day simulate conscious beings on a computer, and to me that is just too strong of an assumption to make."

It is somewhat interesting how it all boils down to consciousness, but it makes sense since reality requires a conscious observer to experience it. However there are zero technical or physical reasons why we couldn't simulate a human brain. Our self-awareness comes from the information processing that our neurons perform, and unless you believe there is something mystical about the way our brain works, it's perfectly possible to simulate those neurons.

Just because a computer is made of metal and silicon instead of organic material doesn't mean it's somehow inherently incapable of performing the computations that a human brain does. Also, if we did create a self-aware AI, we are very unlikely to keep it completely separated from our reality. If the AI was aware of the real world, or perhaps we put the AI into a robot body, then the AI is experiencing the same reality we are experiencing.

A lower level simulation will only be spawned if it's actually created by someone. So lets say that we build a highly complex universe simulation, like an ultra-advanced version of No Mans Sky, and then we put the AI into that world. For what purpose would we build such a world, and why would we keep it completely separated from the "real world"? One explanation is the "Ancestor Simulation" idea, but I don't fully buy that idea either.

It would cost a huge amount of energy and wouldn't really tell you what happened in the past anyway. It seems far more likely that such simulations would be used so that people could "plug directly into the matrix" in order to experience hyper-realistic virtual reality. We can already see that VR video games are becoming increasingly popular and eventually projects such as Neuralink will allow a type of VR which wires directly into your brain.

In that scenario it's extremely likely that the people inside the simulation will be fully aware of the reality outside of the simulation, but it could still contain "NPC's" which use self-aware AI to fill the game world with people who are not aware they live in a simulation. This implies most simulations are not isolated from each other, meaning there can be communication between most levels of reality, yet there's no evidence of that in our reality.

Even if we did create a simulation where everyone inside was unaware they were living in a simulation, it's unlikely they would remain unaware for very long. It's nearly impossible to create a simulation which doesn't give away the fact it's the result of programming. That is especially true if the simulation is designed to be a game and not a fully functional universe which operates according to consistent and logical laws of nature.

The laws of our universe are so complex but those laws allow for life forms which are capable of reproduction, and you can describe that entire process at the level of particle physics. There are many constants which are fine-tuned in our universe, and if any were changed only very slightly it would destroy the ability for life to exist anywhere. If this isn't a simulation, it must mean a very large number of other universes exist with different laws.

It would mean we exist in one of the universes that happens to have laws which allow life to exist. If this is a simulation, it would mean someone is running a large number of universe simulations using an unfathomable amount of computing power, so they can find out what type of designs will allow interesting things to emerge. In a sense they're both basically the same scenario, our universe is essentially a product of random trial and error in both cases.

From a practical and philosophical standpoint it doesn't really matter. Any self-aware being who lives in base reality will still question whether or not they live in a simulation because they have no way to prove they don't, much like us right now. Even if we are in a universe simulation, that simulation is still being computed by machines in the "real world". There are tangible things changing in base reality which correspond to events in the simulated reality.

Just like when we run a simulation on our computer there are physical particles moving through the wires which correspond to the computations being done. So I would argue that every level of reality is in some way just as real. For instance some physicists believe we live inside a hologram which is the projection of 2D information held on the surface of a blackhole. Would that make our 3D existence less meaningful knowing that it's really contained as 2D data?

The question is relevant because when we run a simulation on our computer the data for the world is held in RAM, and from the perspective of the program the RAM is simply one dimensional storage which can hold a sequence of data. Sure you can make a multi-dimensional array but the data in the array is really just stored sequentially. From that 1D data we can render an entire 3D world. The dimensionality or format of the data is irrelevant to the end result.

To conclude, I think if we did live in a simulation the probability of us noticing would be very high for the reasons I have mentioned. The elegance of the laws which govern our universe just feel like they are intrinsically the result of natural emergent processes. Some may say the discrete nature of quantum mechanics provides evidence we live in a simulation and I do agree to an extent, but a sensible universe wouldn't have infinite resolution.

The random nature of quantum mechanics is probably what allows universes to spring into existence in the first place, which gets to the question of why anything exists rather than nothing. Conscious self-aware machines will probably exist within a decade based on current trends and how close AI is to human intelligence. Even if our brains are performing some sort of quantum computations, there's no reason we couldn't simulate that with quantum computers.

We will never be able to simulate our own universe with 100% fidelity because as you point out each level down becomes less complex. Even just simulating a few atoms or a chemical reaction using accurate physics can require super computers, let alone a single planet or entire universe. That means we will never create a completely accurate simulation of our world, or at least not a very big simulation, it would have clear boundaries which exposed the simulation.

originally posted by: TheLead
a reply to: SwampFox999

When I first heard of simulation theory I had imagined a different form than most, I assumed they were referring to all the energy that exist has always existed in some form or another. I tied in more to the potential that everything that can happen, will and already has at some point, that we are essentially in a residual simulation that has already played out.

I still feel that is more likely than us being in a simulation through direct controllers. Not saying it's not a potential, but I myself kind of doubt it.

Based on the downward spiral of intelligence, I think you're right. We're at the end of this simulation.

a reply to: SwampFox999

If you really want to investigate this further there are easter eggs all over the planet.

Almost every human being can find them if they want.

Oh, and to answer to your question, there is no point, so what? Why should there be?

Just watch things happen and do stuff, i mean you can set your goals high in this place if you want but the magic is in the little details, Like you know, when in the morning you step outside and breathe that first breath of nice and fresh outside air?

I dont understand why we humans obsess over these matters, like sometimes i wonder are all scientists just control freaks, they push their knowledge further and further, and after a million years of research their understanding will still be just be like a tiny drop in the ocean.

originally posted by: XipeTotex
a reply to: SwampFox999

If you really want to investigate this further there are easter eggs all over the planet.

Almost every human being can find them if they want.

Like Pokemon Go?

originally posted by: TheMirrorSelf

originally posted by: XipeTotex
a reply to: SwampFox999

If you really want to investigate this further there are easter eggs all over the planet.

Almost every human being can find them if they want.

Like Pokemon Go?

Yeah just replace the pokemons.

a reply to: TheMirrorSelf

Pretty much

Make sure to bring poke balls, as there is plenty of critrer guarding them.

a reply to: Terpene

Only found four today but i am getting a bit old for wild adventures.

I really just enjoy being bored nowadays, just regular, normal, bored.

Best feeling ever.

a reply to: SwampFox999

I have a question for those that believe this said theory. Why bother, what's the point in life if we are just a playable character. Why not just give up and suck off the system? Or off yourself and respaw with better gear or in a better spot?

If this is a simulation then even the body that you might call 'yours' is simulated...... it's not 'yours'..... it's just a body.

It's just a movie in 3D......

No one is doing what's happening.

There is no one in the body.