Exploring the Nature of Reality: Are We Living in a Simulation?
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Chapter 1: Not in “Base Level Reality”
Elon Musk's provocative idea that we might be living in a simulation has gained traction among thinkers and scientists alike.
In C.S. Lewis's concluding Narnia book, The Last Battle, characters transition through a gateway into a stunning landscape that they soon recognize as Narnia, but in a more profound sense. One character, Digory, articulates this realization:
“Listen, Peter. When Aslan said you could never return to Narnia, he meant the Narnia you recall. That version had a beginning and an end. It was merely a reflection of the true Narnia, which has always existed and always will, just like our world is a mere shadow of Aslan’s true realm. The difference is stark, much like the distinction between a reality and a shadow, or waking life and a dream... It’s all in Plato, bless me; what do they teach these days in schools?”
Through the Narnia allegory, Lewis echoes a broader philosophical insight, including concepts found in Plato's cave allegory and ideal forms, as well as contemporary interpretations like the Matrix. The notion that we might currently be ensnared in a simulation has been popularized, with Musk asserting that “There’s a one in billions chance we’re in base reality.”
This perspective, however, extends beyond Musk's musings on technological advancement; it roots itself in ancient philosophical inquiries about existence that challenge the prevailing belief systems shaped by scientism. This mindset convinces us that objective scientific models can provide a comprehensive understanding of reality, yet they fall short.
Thrownness and Consciousness
During the early days of the 2020 lockdown, I spoke with a general practitioner who likened the situation to suddenly awakening in an alternate reality—an experience many could relate to amidst the chaos of those times.
His reflections touch on the essence of conscious experience. Philosopher Martin Heidegger introduced the term “thrownness” to depict the peculiar nature of our existence. The randomness of our birth circumstances can feel contingent, leading us to wonder about our identities and purposes in life. It often feels as if we have awakened from a different existence, embarking on a quest to comprehend the nature of reality itself.
We sometimes overlook the extraordinary fact of our being. Scientific analyses can have their value, yet they fail to capture the profound absurdity of consciousness—those fleeting moments of genuine self-awareness when a person feels truly alive.
Interestingly, many of our highest values stem from this realization. The saying “there but for the grace of God go I” underscores that empathy, compassion, and kindness emerge from our shared experience of thrownness—recognizing that anyone could be in our place, and we could be in theirs. Such insights lead us beyond objective theories into the realm traditionally explored by religion, where morality and meaning reside.
Being and Contingency
Our understanding of reality’s contingency isn’t limited to consciousness. Even our most advanced scientific theories, which link past events to present outcomes, fail to elucidate why events occur in any given moment. While the idea that a causes b seems straightforward, it merely highlights a connection without explaining the essence of either a or b. As Philip Goff notes in Galileo’s Error, physical science describes behavior rather than intrinsic nature, leaving us clueless about the fundamental essence of substances like hydrogen and oxygen.
This recognition leads to a deeper observation: the scientific endeavor requires “one free miracle” to establish a foundation, as Terence McKenna aptly put it. Science operates on the assumption that everything already exists, much like characters conversing in a Shakespearean play or figures in Musk’s simulated reality. Science can model and predict behaviors but cannot reveal the true nature of reality or justify the existence of its own laws.
Religion and Revelation
Many religions propose that the highest form of spiritual texts arises from revelation. In Christianity, for example, believers see Jesus as the ultimate revelation of the divine. This introduces a complex interplay between faith and personal experience—concepts that lack objective proof, thus leaving those in the metaphorical play of life unable to rationalize their way to the playwright.
Yet, personal experiences of the divine often transcend rationality. The resurgence of interest in meditation and psychedelics reflects a collective yearning not merely for optimization but for a taste of the boundless and absolute.
Shadow and Substance
It’s intriguing that we associate this expansive and absolute reality with morality. Peak psychedelic experiences are frequently described as mystical encounters with profound love. While such sentiments may sound cliché, journalist Michael Pollan noted in How to Change Your Mind that when someone expressed, “love is everything... no, you don’t understand, it’s everything,” it challenges the notion of platitudes.
As Plato suggested long ago, the forms of contingent entities signify their absolutes, implying that our experiences of love may connect us to a higher reality beyond mere existence.
Nevertheless, such experiences remain ineffable. Lewis’s Narnia metaphor parallels the idea of awakening from the Matrix: the reality beyond can only be imagined in contingent terms. Even when liberated from the Matrix, one cannot be certain they aren’t in another.
In religious contexts, the ineffable nature of God is widely acknowledged. When Moses encountered God in the burning bush, the divine simply declared, “I AM that I AM.” In Hebrew tradition, God’s name is too sacred to be vocalized, a practice mirrored in English translations. Other traditions, like that of Lao Tzu, reflect a similar sentiment regarding the Tao: “the name that can be named is not the eternal name.”
Perhaps the only discourse that can transcend objective understanding is metaphorical and poetic language—expressions that expand the mind and intuition to reach profound realizations. Lucille Clifton’s poignant poem The Death of Fred Clifton captures this essence beautifully, revealing deeper truths that often elude rational discourse.
The video titled "The Simulation of Reality and 3 Ways to HACK the System" explores the concept of reality as a simulation and offers insights into how we might navigate or understand this perception.
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