I urge you, right now, to take a moment and ponder the sheer perplexity of human existence. Most of us can’t—or won’t—because our busy lives (and/or general lack of interest) limits us to only what what see on our little mud ball in space. Most people are simply content with the beauty of blinking stars at night or the warmth of sunlight on a summer day, but as a Science Fiction author, I unfortunately can’t help but go beyond. To simply see is not enough. I want answers.
Which is why I ask the questions.
What if someone up there—or something—is pulling the strings? Our strings? What if we’re just puppets in some sort of twisted game for others, beings so transcendent of our current reality that we simply can’t fathom their existence? What if our understanding of fate is simply a construct of someone else’s extra-dimensional down-time? As much as I tend to shelve unprovable arguments like Simulation Theory, I must concede that my philosophical interests in its validity have led me down a rabbit hole that won’t let me look away.
So let’s take a look.
At face value, the sheer complexity and remarkable consistency of the laws of physics, the precise constants that govern our reality, and the astonishingly detailed patterns of spacetime all hint to, but do not prove, the presence of an Intelligent Architect interacting with us behind the scenes. Even our own exponential advancements in technology, particularly in the field of virtual reality, demonstrates that civilization has already been on the precipice of replicating our own reality for some time now. The intricate tapestry of clues reveal themselves with each new step into Humanity’s Unknown and strengthens the case for controlled simulation in ways that feel scary, mostly because of what lies beyond the veil of what can be seen may not be what we’re hoping for.
Perhaps we’re blind to this new “Simulator” dimension because the walls of our digital cocoon are too thick. Plato's Allegory of the Cave, explained in his work The Republic, offers a compelling argument for Simulation Theory. Plato describes a group of prisoners who have spent their entire lives chained within a dark cave, only able to decipher shadows cast on a wall in front of them. These shadows, perceived as reality to the prisoners, become their only reference point to the world outside the cave walls. Freeing themselves from their restraints seems impossible and, therefore, no one tries. Everyone simply accepts the shadows as truth.
Simulation Theory posits that our perceived reality is not the ultimate truth, but rather a construct manifested by a higher intelligence, just like the cave dwellers' limited perception of shadows on a wall versus the unattainable outside world. Plato's Allegory serves as a strong foundation for the Simulation Theory framework because it is the same argument, just offered as a philosophical thought experiment rather than an inexplicable theoretical. At the very least, both encourage us to question the authenticity of our own experiences for deeper inquiry into the nature of reality itself. After all, it simply may not be what we think it is.
So if Simulation Theory is one day proven to be true, its unlocking has the potential to unleash the full capacity of human potential. If we were somehow to prove that our reality is a simulated construct, it would certainly shatter the limitations and boundaries that have long held us back in our journey of discovering how our universe works. At the very least, mere speculation invites us to question the very nature of our existence and the rules that govern it, setting us on the generational path of reaching further and further into ideas that seem so foreign that most of us perceive them as absurd.
I will argue we’ve already taken the first critical steps in shattering those preconceived notions. Humanity’s revolutionary scientific and technological advancements have shaped who we are for decades now. From NASA’s Moon Landing to the Hubble and James Webb Space Telescopes—why continue to explore the boundless expanse of space if we have no interest in freeing ourselves from the chains of Plato’s cave? Because we’ve already begun the journey and find it asinine to go back and forget all we’ve already learned.
Simply by embracing the fact that Simulation Theory may be an answer to our understanding of the universe, we are certainly well on our way to tapping into never before seen reservoirs of creativity and innovation, further blurring the line between imagination and reality, and propelling humanity into a future where the impossible becomes possible and the extraordinary becomes ordinary. Our children and children’s children will be just as, if not more, curious about their universe than we are and, while Simulation Theory may not end up being the ultimate underpinning of our universe, if it somehow is, it’ll be because their parents and grandparents dared to break free from the chains of our limited experience and ask the simple question—”what’s beyond the Cave?”