Isn’t the “Do I live in a simulation?” question practically indistinguishable from the question “does God exist?”, for a sufficiently flexible definition for “God”?
Unless of course We created the simulation.
And you (among others) have voluntarily forgotten the fact,
in order to better appreciate the full immersion experience.
As the case may be, taking into consideration that it would be consistent with in-between-life hypnoregression.
http://newtoninstitute.org/
Nothing said or began to imply that every member of the outside society entered the simulation.
If you enter a simulation, it is reasonable to suspect that you had some degree of say over what kind of simulation it is. Far from certain, of course.
I don’t quite follow what the objection is. Suppose Alice and Bob design a simulation. They design it so that once started it will run with no interference from either of them or anyone else until it is done. Then Alice enters, while Bob does not; it then begins.
To the extent that this sim has gods, Alice is one. But there is no one outside with control. Also, the civilization did not all hop into the sim.
They design it so that once started it will run with no interference from either of them or anyone else until it is done.
This is the case of the “dream-maker on full autopilot”, right?
But I’m curious about Bob. Can Bob meddle with the simulation if he decides he wants to? Can he hit the off switch? Cut the wires? Smash the computing substrate into tiny little pieces?
To the extent that this sim has gods, Alice is one.
Why so? Alice is not a god. She has no special (“supernatural”) powers. Since we are talking about our empirical reality maybe/possibly being a simulation, Alice even does not remember being outside of the simulation. She is just another unique snowflake in the Matrix. Now, Bob, he’s in a very different position.
Can you expand? This confused me.
Those who have created and are running a simulation are, for all purposes, Gods to those inside the simulation.
Unless of course We created the simulation. And you (among others) have voluntarily forgotten the fact, in order to better appreciate the full immersion experience.
As the case may be, taking into consideration that it would be consistent with in-between-life hypnoregression. http://newtoninstitute.org/
No, not unless. Someone is running the simulation, someone has control. These someones are Gods regardless of their origin.
You don’t mean that a civilization put a dream-maker on full autopilot and then jumped in, do you?
Nothing said or began to imply that every member of the outside society entered the simulation.
If you enter a simulation, it is reasonable to suspect that you had some degree of say over what kind of simulation it is. Far from certain, of course.
(emphasis mine). Notice the tense.
Things change.
I don’t quite follow what the objection is. Suppose Alice and Bob design a simulation. They design it so that once started it will run with no interference from either of them or anyone else until it is done. Then Alice enters, while Bob does not; it then begins.
To the extent that this sim has gods, Alice is one. But there is no one outside with control. Also, the civilization did not all hop into the sim.
This is the case of the “dream-maker on full autopilot”, right?
But I’m curious about Bob. Can Bob meddle with the simulation if he decides he wants to? Can he hit the off switch? Cut the wires? Smash the computing substrate into tiny little pieces?
Why so? Alice is not a god. She has no special (“supernatural”) powers. Since we are talking about our empirical reality maybe/possibly being a simulation, Alice even does not remember being outside of the simulation. She is just another unique snowflake in the Matrix. Now, Bob, he’s in a very different position.