Simulation Theory - The Matrix - Buddhism We will never know the world exactly as it is. What we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch is only what we perceive it to be, or is merely a reaction of our sensory system to an external signal, an interpretation of stimuli. But due to differences in our sensory systems, the world of human beings is not the same as the world of cats, dogs, birds, insects, earthworms, or bacteria. A bat “sees” its surroundings using echolocation, while a snake “sees” with its tongue and its olfactory senses. Naturally, then, the world of the snake and the bat is different to that of a human being. There is a belief that there are other worlds that exist at different frequencies to our own, which cannot be perceived using our own sensory organs. But if we were able to change the frequency of our senses to the right setting, we might be able to perceive a whole “other world” that bears no resemblance to our own. There is a line of thought that takes this idea even further, to the point of sounding like science fiction: it is called“simulation theory.”According to simulation theory, the earth and the universe are not real, and we and every other living being on earth are merely artificial automatons trapped in a simulation program. The theory goes on to suggest that the way living beings perceive and respond to stimuli is determined by an algorithm written by the programmer of the simulation (who can be rightly called God), and that the algorithm is much like the present natural laws of the universe. Occasionally, however—or so the theory goes—the programmer can directly intervene in the simulation. In short, this is the same concept as depicted in the film The Matrix. When it was first publicized in the 1960s, most people laughed at simulation theory and thought it a silly idea. But since artificial intelligence (AI) has developed to the point where computers can almost think in ways that mimic living creatures, simulation theory is now of interest once again. Though still be hard to believe, and though our computers are still a far cry from the power of the human brain, simulation theory cannot be laughed off as it was in the past. Think of a computer game in which some of the characters move according to the commands of the player but others move according to the commands of program. Both sets of characters can fight with each other, and if a character gets shot or stabbed, he dies. Now, if we can make every character able to perceive, feel, and act according to its own perceptions, independent of the player's commands, then the emotions of the characters, especially their suffering, will keep the game alive. Certain emotions will force the characters to behave in a certain way, and the game will become a world of its own, with its own dimensions and its own natural laws. That world may be one of magic, demons, heaven and hell, but the author of the game will be its God. If any believer of this theory happens to be a Buddhist, it should bring to mind the Three Marks of Existence. In Buddhism, the Three Marks of Existence is an important concept which states that everything in the world (including the universe itself) is subject to the following three laws: Anicca: Impermanence, constant change. Dukkha: Suffering – birth, aging, sickness, and death. Anatta: Non-self or absence of self. Think about the programmer: If he wants his program to be constantly on the move, then his algorithm must conform to the Three Marks of Existence, because a program that never stops requires constant change. Everything in the universe is a product of opposing forces--positive and negative, yin and yang, good and evil--each of which can attract or repel, with suffering as its driving force. In particular, “non-self” denies the possibility of a self in everything around us. But what if this denial is meant literally, and not just as an abstract concept that teaches us not to become too “attached” to our sense of self? From : S.T.P. Sachi, How Much Control Do You Really Have over Yourself?
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