- Believers of simulation theory think that a civilization capable of simulating life would do so and there’s a good chance we’re in a simulation now.
- Many people believe that it’s not possible to escape the simulation, while others think it is possible to escape.
- You may be able to escape by staying self-aware, achieving an abnormal amount, or simply asking for a way out.
- Even if we are in a simulation, you and your decisions matter. You would be (and are) totally unique and valid in who you are.
Simulation Theory
Simulation theory is the idea that we’re living in a false reality. Simulation theory, aka the simulation hypothesis, is the idea that it’s possible (and potentially probable) that we’re living in a computer simulation. Much like The Matrix, the idea states that if we are living in a simulation, it would be completely indistinguishable from the “real” world, also known as base reality. Furthermore, it’s possible that a simulated reality contains a civilization that evolves to become complex enough to simulate reality, too! In theory, this can go on forever.
This theory was popularized by Nick Bostrom in 2003. Bostrom’s essay, Are You Living in a Computer Simulation?, was originally published in Philosophical Quarterly. The argument basically boils down to 3 possibilities. (1) Civilizations all go extinct before they reach the stage where they can simulate life. (2) Civilizations can simulate life, but don’t want to. (3) Civilizations that exist for long enough become capable of simulating life and are interested in doing so. In scenarios 1 and 2, there is no chance you are living in a simulation. Since humanity is yet to create a computer powerful enough to simulate consciousness, this seems like a safe bet. In scenario 3, it is possible you are living in a simulation, although there is still a chance you’re in the base reality and humanity hasn’t been around long enough to create sentience. It’s important to note that Bostrom’s argument isn’t that we are living in a simulation, just that it’s possible we’re living in a simulation.
Who would simulate us?
According to Nick Bostrom, probably another simulation. This is where simulation theory gets really whacky and interesting. If it’s possible for a civilization to simulate reality, then why wouldn’t the simulation simulate a reality? This could basically go on forever, so Bostrom postulates that if we are living in a simulated reality, it’s probably another simulation’s fault. There are 3 episodes of Rick and Morty that deal with this specific scenario if you’re interested (season 1 (episode 4), season 2 (episode 2), and season 6 (episode 2).
Many people argue that God is running the simulation. In a lot of religious traditions, life is sort of a simulation for the “real” afterlife if you think about it. According to some proponents of the simulation theory, conscious beings wouldn’t simulate consciousness, and any civilization that is advanced enough to do something this complex would choose not to. As such, it would take a divine being to simulate life! This could also be a potential explanation for a lot of unexplainable scientific mysteries, like the movement of quarks, or the vastness of space.
It could be aliens or some kind of artificial intelligence. It’s possible that the entity behind the simulation isn’t human at all. We could be the result of an alien experiment, or a hyperintelligent computer gone awry. It’s possible that at some point, humanity created an artificial intelligence that was so powerful, it could functionally recreate the world as it sees fit. This is sort of the plot of the Terminator series! Let’s hope our robots are a bit nicer.
Why would someone simulate us?
The likely answer is that someone is running a test to solve a problem. What if we’re in a simulation to see if there’s an elegant way to solve climate change? Could our simulation be a test to see how far into space humanity is capable of travelling? There are no shortage of potential benefits to simulating an entire civilization, so this seems to be an intuitive answer. We run simulations of our own all the time. We run tests to simulate what the weather might be or if the Chicago Bears will make the playoffs this year. If we’re willing to run simulations for mundane things, why wouldn’t we run simulations for bigger problems?
A potential answer might be that it’s simply interesting to simulate life. Why do people enjoy playing The Sims? Well, it’s interesting to create a life that you’re responsible for and see how it interacts with the world. Some individual or AI might simulate an entire universe just to see what happens, follow the action, and invest their time and energy into something unique. This is a bit of a darker scenario. If a hyperintelligent being is willing to just create life because they’re bored, what’s the point of all this?
Can we escape the simulation?
Many say no, because the simulation would be a closed system. According to the “escape is impossible” crowd, getting out of the simulation would be like a comic book character jumping off of the page, or a movie character walking off of the screen and into the theatre. If the characters in a video game can’t get out of the computer, why would you be able to escape your simulation? Most simulation models are designed with certain parameters. Like the movie Tron, simulated entities shouldn’t be designed to leave by default.
Bostrom himself suggests it’d be impossible to know one way or the other. If civilizations can simulate life, that life can simulate other life, and so on, there’s no reason to believe it wouldn’t go on infinitely. In this scenario, it would sort of like being placed on a random floor of a building with infinite levels. Are you at the top? The bottom? The middle? Who knows, and you’d have no way of confirming one way or another. With this perspective in mind, it may be worth not even proposing the question, “How do I escape the simulation?” You have no way of knowing when you’re out, so why bother?
A lot of people think it’s likely if you can be simulated in the first place. Nobody can deny that you’re conscious. Even if you are a simulated being, you’re so smart and complex that it’s indistinguishable from consciousness anyway. If you’re in a simulation, it’s proof that consciousness can be artificially created. Ergo, why can’t you be transferred or downloaded into base reality? People debate what this would actually look like in practice, but it might be as simple as plugging a hard drive into a really powerful computer and transferring your consciousness.
Ideas for Escaping
Dig deep into glitches and other rendering issues. If we are in a computer simulation, everything has to be rendered—just like a video game. If you have déjà vu, you see something that doesn’t quite make sense, or you get the feeling like an object is incomplete, explore it further. Feel strange items, look carefully when you spot a mistake, and research as deep as you can. Many people believe the Mandela Effect (false memories shared by multiple people) and ghosts are signs that we’re not living in base reality.
Be aware of yourself and remember you’re conscious. Whoever is running the simulation may not know that it’s simulating something self-aware. As you go about daily life, remind yourself internally that you’re alive, aware, and possess consciousness. This alone may be enough to shake whoever is monitoring this thing into freeing you.
Give the simulator a reason to want to interact with you. Be as interesting as you possibly can by picking up new hobbies, achieving goals, and making tons of friends. Pull other people into a higher state of consciousness by talking to them about life, philosophy, religion, and maybe even simulation theory. If you shake enough people awake and you make a big of enough splash in your personal life, you may catch the attention of the folks running the simulation, who may reveal themselves. This is basically the plot of the movie Free Guy, a fun movie from 2020 about an NPC in a video game breaking the rules! Don’t try to get the simulator’s attention by harming people or the environment. They would be unlikely to pull you out if you’re destructive.
Ask politely for a way out of the simulation. If the person or entity monitoring the simulation is benevolent, you might be given a way out just by asking. Try asking in your head and then out loud. If you’re super lucky, someone might pull you out of the simulation (if you’re in one, that is!).
Don’t bother and enjoy your life. If you are in a simulation, so what? That doesn’t give your life any less meaning, or your decisions any less weight. You’re self-aware, conscious, and totally in control of your life. Enjoy reality and don’t overthink things. A lot of people who fall into this rabbit hole find themselves experiencing existential dread. If you do get depressed or anxious over this, stop looking into it and reach out to a psychiatrist for help. Simulation theory is a ton of fun to read and think about, but there’s no direct evidence it’s real. Have fun with the thought experiment!
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