Dude, I’ve been obsessed with Philip K. Dick’s works and ideas for the last 3-4 years. To be honest, by now this thought is so familiar to me that much of the fear has drained out of it, and I’m just pondering how to use decision theory or sympathetic magic to one’s advantage in such a case :)
Of course, if I had strong evidence, I’d look at it in a much more urgent light—that’s why I’m saying I’d snap if it was my default interpretation of this life.
Oh, yeah. I can see it if there was always a “tell”, but you had to actively seek it out; that way people who want ignorance could have it and I could keep my peace of mind.
(But what if that’s just to throw me off? If I ever escaped the Matrix I would spend the rest of my life convinced Zion was another trick. The machines tell elegant lies.)
Incidentally, I ended up with much the same attitude through lucid dreaming; by the time I discovered PKD I was used to it.
I can see it if there was always a “tell”, but you had to actively seek it out
But how would you know—and, more importantly, stay aware over long periods—that there’s a “tell” in the first place, and that it’s something legitimate and of existential importance?
Well, since this existential panic is itself caused by observing Matrixes (Matrices?) in the environment, you would just make sure to publicise the fact that they all have this “tell”. If you don’t want people to know there’s even a possibilty they’re in an illusion then obviously this idea wont work.
How could it be publicized while not coming across as a hoax/delusion, or a dragon-in-the-garage meme that’s not supposed to be taken seriously? If the hint is subtle enough not to break one person’s suspension of disbelief, it’s likely subtle enough to elude some others entirely and leave them trapped in a world they loathe.
“Behold, our latest product: a dream machine! This allows you to experience various scenarios as real, untroubled by memories of renting one. If you are in a dream machine simulation, the back of your head will have a warning message; visible only to you. If you ever suspect you may be in such a machine, we suggest using mirrors to check the back of your head at the first available opportunity.”
So damn near everyone wouldn’t be able to resist checking (how could you?), then after it’s confirmed they’d have to lose the memory somehow, at which point they’d immediately be tempted to check again. They’d spend more time being anxious to check or aware of the simulation than living it out.
Presumably people who would sign up for such a thing wouldn’t want to know. I don’t really understand that, but...
I don’t think there’s a way to get rid of the niggling feeling that this could all be a lie without making it for real, and even then it could be a clever lie.
Maybe you’re already there.
EDIT: Sorry, couldn’t resist
Dude, I’ve been obsessed with Philip K. Dick’s works and ideas for the last 3-4 years. To be honest, by now this thought is so familiar to me that much of the fear has drained out of it, and I’m just pondering how to use decision theory or sympathetic magic to one’s advantage in such a case :)
Of course, if I had strong evidence, I’d look at it in a much more urgent light—that’s why I’m saying I’d snap if it was my default interpretation of this life.
Oh, yeah. I can see it if there was always a “tell”, but you had to actively seek it out; that way people who want ignorance could have it and I could keep my peace of mind.
(But what if that’s just to throw me off? If I ever escaped the Matrix I would spend the rest of my life convinced Zion was another trick. The machines tell elegant lies.)
Incidentally, I ended up with much the same attitude through lucid dreaming; by the time I discovered PKD I was used to it.
But how would you know—and, more importantly, stay aware over long periods—that there’s a “tell” in the first place, and that it’s something legitimate and of existential importance?
Well, since this existential panic is itself caused by observing Matrixes (Matrices?) in the environment, you would just make sure to publicise the fact that they all have this “tell”. If you don’t want people to know there’s even a possibilty they’re in an illusion then obviously this idea wont work.
How could it be publicized while not coming across as a hoax/delusion, or a dragon-in-the-garage meme that’s not supposed to be taken seriously? If the hint is subtle enough not to break one person’s suspension of disbelief, it’s likely subtle enough to elude some others entirely and leave them trapped in a world they loathe.
“Behold, our latest product: a dream machine! This allows you to experience various scenarios as real, untroubled by memories of renting one. If you are in a dream machine simulation, the back of your head will have a warning message; visible only to you. If you ever suspect you may be in such a machine, we suggest using mirrors to check the back of your head at the first available opportunity.”
So damn near everyone wouldn’t be able to resist checking (how could you?), then after it’s confirmed they’d have to lose the memory somehow, at which point they’d immediately be tempted to check again. They’d spend more time being anxious to check or aware of the simulation than living it out.
Presumably people who would sign up for such a thing wouldn’t want to know. I don’t really understand that, but...
I don’t think there’s a way to get rid of the niggling feeling that this could all be a lie without making it for real, and even then it could be a clever lie.