LATEST
Read new articles daily
Our Black Friday & Cyber Monday offers expire soon
By: Gaia Staff | April 17th, 2018
In 2003, Nick Bostrom published a paper proposing three scenarios he says he believes are likely to be true about our reality. One of those possibilities is that we are living in a computer simulation, a theory gaining increasing attention in our era of prevailing tech fascination. But if the universe is a simulation, can it be hacked?
We’ve heard from a number of scientists and thought leaders, including Elon Musk, it’s likely we’re living in a computer-simulated reality. Musk said he believes there’s a one-in-billions chance we’re living in “base reality,” or a non-simulated, completely organic existence.
It’s also becoming more apparent that mathematics is the language of nature — a universal dialectical that can be used to describe everything, from the inconceivably large to the infinitesimally small. As we continue to acquire more insight on this reality it appears we may be living in what appears to be a physical construct that might actually be generated from code.
Reprogramming the Simulation Code
In an attempt to understand the fundamental laws of nature, theoretical physicist, Dr. James Gates, discovered a set of equations he says are indistinguishable from the computer code one might find powering their web browser. In his study of string theory, he also discovered an error-correcting code in supersymmetry equations used to describe how the universe works. This forced him to ask himself, “am I living in the Matrix?”
Gates said, upon his discovery, that he came to a profound existential quandary; “I have in my life come to a very strange place, because I never expected the movie The Matrix might be an accurate representation of the place in which I live.”
But this concept can also be thought of as a semantic argument bridging the gap between materialists identifying as atheists, and those with spiritual or religious beliefs in a creator. Could stories of saints and enlightened beings performing miracles, reincarnating, and transcending our reality also be construed as humans who figured out how to hack the simulation?
The concept of a computer-generated reality would require a creator or engineer behind the simulation, similar to what us mortals might call a god – but isn’t that essentially describing the same thing, just explained by the language of two different world views?
In fact, one of the comments pinned to the front page of Bostrom’s website reads, “the simulation argument is perhaps the first interesting argument for the existence of a creator in 2,000 years.” The comment comes from David Pearce, a thought leader in the decreasingly conceptual, and increasingly applied realm of transhumanism, a field of technology epitomizing the desire to hack our existence.
For many this leads to ethical questions of “playing god” and messing with nature. But could transhumanism prove to be an inevitable next step for us?
With transhumanism, gene editing is considered the future key to solving our physical, emotional and intellectual problems. While this is perhaps the most scientific approach of hacking the simulation, it also raises ethical concerns of theoretical designer babies and physical upgrades that only the wealthy can afford.
We’re not getting the other side of the story, or the opposing views that are needed to connect with other humans and generate meaningful, healthy discourse. Unity, understanding, empathy — if we want to hack the simulation and advance to the next level, these are key factors we need to embrace in order to advance emotionally, physically, and intellectually.
Some of these superpowers, thought to be impossible by many, are starting to become theoretically plausible through discoveries in quantum physics. For example, the ability to manifest material things has been proven in a sense through the famous double-slit experiment which determined that light acts as a particle when we observe it, and as a wave when we don’t. This wave-particle duality essentially revealed that our consciousness affects the way light manifests. Quantum physics has also allowed for information to be teleported through quantum entanglement, a process once thought to be impossible.
But for those of us unable to live the ascetic life, short, daily meditation is still a solid method of hacking the simulation in subtler ways. The physical, emotional, and intellectual benefits of meditation have been scientifically proven numerous times, all the way down to the molecular level. If affecting your cells with the power of your mind is isn’t a simulation hack, then what is?
Life on the Other Side of the Simulation
Our Black Friday & Cyber Monday offers expire soon
Travel down a new road with Gaia, a member-supported conscious media company. Join our community of seekers, dreamers, and doers to empower your own evolution. Discover over 8,000+ ad-free, streaming videos to inspire and encourage curiosity. Everything is waiting for you; which path will you choose?
Provides an ad-free experience, no exceptions!
Pays the bills without selling your personal information.
Produces, edits, and shares thought-provoking original shows and videos.
Brings scholars, scientists, and even shamans into the studios .
Makes Gaia accessible on your favorite devices.
Keeps our community active and support its growth.
STEP 1 of 3
Prices shown in USD45% Savings Annually
Cost After First Payment
Cost After First Payment
Available on Laptop, Phone, Tablet, TV
Available on Laptop, Phone, Tablet, TV
Unlimited Ad-Free Streaming
Unlimited Ad-Free Streaming
Black Friday Savings (Limited Time)
Black Friday Savings (Limited Time)