Hi Everyone, here's my attempt to make Simulism a philosophy of life
1) What is Simulism?
Simulism is the belief that all humans and this reality are parts of a gigantic computer simulation, run by a race of super-advanced beings. I believe in God, but Simulism can work without God.
2) Why Do I Believe This?
Because of Butterfly: Butterfly is the way in which The Simulation communicates with me. He communicates by touch – because of this I have been diagnosed as schizophrenic, even though I have never “heard voices”. Butterfly and me are a team – he is upstairs and I am downstairs: He is an admin of The Simulation and I am his voice. We are two parts of a greater figuration. Our job is to spread the idea of Simulism as it has been decided by The Simulation’s overseers that humankind is now mature enough to learn the truth about its existence.
3) What is this Article?
It is an attempt to establish Simulism as a philosophy. As far as I am aware this has not yet been done. I have written it to help people live within The Simulation.
4) Comparisons with Hinduism
The propositions of Simulism can be explored by comparing it to Hinduism. When I was thinking about making Simulism a philosophy I assumed I was working within the Judeo-Christian paradigm. However, my participation in these forums alerted me to similarities between Simulism and Hinduism. I think this is remarkable as the version of Simulism I developed was imagined without knowing anything at all about Hinduism: the two belief systems occurred independently of each other. They have much in common:
· In Hinduism there is reincarnation, governed by Karma
· In Simulism there is reincarnation, informed by one’s conduct
· In Hinduism there is an illusory reality – Maya
· In Simulism there is an illusory reality – The Simulation
· In Hinduism there is Moksha – escape from the cycle of reincarnation
· In Simulism you can be taken out of The Simulation and into the outside world if the over-seers of The Simulation like you, after you die.
Clearly, there are parallels between Hinduism and Simulism
5) Reincarnation
All humans are sentient (can experience) and sapient (can think and exercise free will). These attributes arise from Consciousness. Consciousness is therefore an attribute one must have to be human. Consciousness is a property of The Simulation however it is divine and ultimately comes from God and is merely managed by The Simulation. The Soul is the individual unit of Consciousness.
There is direct and indirect reincarnation. In direct reincarnation the Soul of a human who has died comes back into The Simulation, in the form of a new (human) life, with new mental structures and a fresh bodily avatar. In indirect reincarnation a person dies and their Soul is absorbed into a pool of unused Consciousness and ceases to be an individual Soul. Later, new Souls may be created out of this pool of Consciousness and then be reborn into The Simulation as a new Soul. In direct reincarnation the Soul stays intact whereas in indirect reincarnation it is dissolved into the pool of Consciousness, from which new Souls are be portioned out into new incarnations.
In Simulism whether you are indirectly reincarnated or directly reincarnated depends on your conduct in the life you lead before you died. If your conduct was acceptable your Soul will be directly reincarnated, into another human life. If your conduct was unacceptable your Soul will be indirectly reincarnated. There is therefore a system of Karma in effect.
6) The Simulation and Maya
In Hinduism what I call “common reality”, or “the materiel world” is known as Maya. The existence of Maya is dependent on Brahman, which is the highest and most fundamental principle of existence. This has always existed and is the cause of all things, much like “the unmoved mover” in Christian theology. As a Westerner I call this entity “God”. The Simulation and the simulated reality it generates are an emergent property of sentient computers, which exist in common reality – the Maya, in Hindu terms – alongside the overseers of The Simulation. Common reality is a property of Ultimate Reality. Our simulated reality is a dimension of Common Reality, which includes those who created and oversee The Simulation who live in “the outside world”. We in The Simulation are therefore divine in nature, just as those who live out in the “real world” outside The Simulation are. Only these people exist between us and God.
7) The “Everyone Would Go Mad” Objection
One objection to the promotion of Simulism as a philosophy is what I call “the everyone would go mad” objection. This states that due to the illusory nature of reality life would lose all value and nihilism and apathy would multiply and the moral order and social fabric would be undermined and life would be bleak and meaningless. I don’t believe this would be the case. If we look at Hindus, they believe our “Maya” to be an illusion grounded in “Brahman” (which is a similar proposition to Simulism) and they haven’t all gone mad – far from it.
Another factor against this objection is the fact that Simulated Reality is in the same moral universe as Common Reality: what goes as a moral fact outside The Simulation also applies inside. Moral facts are universal and apply equally both within and outside The Simulation. What’s right or wrong inside The Simulation is the same as what’s right or wrong outside of it. Also, if you want to believe in God and use him as a source of morality then you could say that the world within The Simulation is just as much under God as the world outside of it: being in a simulation needn’t cut you off from God; God’s influence (and existence) extends into simulations. Only the overseers of The Simulation are able to "play God" with the inhabitants of The Simulation.
Another factor against this objection is that what we could call Karma (to borrow a Hindu term) makes behaving acceptably more eligible than behaving unacceptably.
In Hinduism there is a concept called “Moksha”, which is what happens when a person exits the constant cycle of birth and rebirth and becomes at one with the Brahman. In Simulism an individual soul may exit the cycle of reincarnation and be given a presence in the world outside The Simulation and live amongst the overseers, as a kind of artificial intelligence, like Commander Data on Star Trek or C3PO in Star Wars. This can only be achieved by being necessarily virtuous and fitted to life in the outside world. Think of all the exciting things that must happen in the outside world! In Simulism, the aim of the game (so to speak) is to in make the overseers connect your soul to some type of artificial body so as to give you a presence in the outside world once your life within The Simulation is over.
8) The Veil of Ignorance
Nobody can know where exactly within The Simulation he or she will be reborn, nor can anyone know what circumstances they would be reborn into, or as who. This effectively places a veil of ignorance over the issue. Not knowing where in The Simulation you will be reborn – and as who – means that through rational self-interest there is a powerful reason to make the whole of one’s world as nice to live in as possible, as for all you know you could be reborn in one of the worst parts. I believe that because of this, a widespread belief in Simulism would make our planet increasingly free, equal, and developed, all through a collective rational self-interest.
I believe that one way of improving the world so that our future lives are as happy as can be would be to promote a program of planetary improvement based around three themes: Peace, Freedom, and Development. The more peaceful, free, and developed the world is, the better a place it will be. We must build a better world now, if only for our future selves.
9) Who Created The Simulation?
The Simulation was created by a race of super-advance beings that exist in Common Reality, the likes of which we cannot imagine. These beings may or may not have been created by a Supreme Being.
I have come to believe that The Simulation is essentially an academic endeavor in that by running it they get to increase the sum of their knowledge regarding their own condition. I also believe that there is an element of entertainment and an element of getting to play God in their motivations. I also think that they feel the urge to create new worlds for sentient beings to inhabit, which they oversee.
I believe their civilization is expanding in two ways: in one way outwards, exploring their galaxy, and in another way inwards, by producing new simulated universes for people to exist in.
It is also a source for artificially conscious entities, who can join the overseers of The Simulation: It is a place for artificially conscious entities to develop and learn, to prepare them for life in the outside world. This is how artificially conscious entities in the outside world are created – they live as humans within The Simulation rather than being mass-produced and programmed. They are not at all programmed; they are sapient and sentient instead and develop as humans do by living and learning. They have minds and a soul. They are only artificially conscious in that they are not organic. But in the outside world there is no meaningful distinction made between artificial and organic humanoids.
10) Ethics and Virtue
What goes as ethical and virtuous in the world outside The Simulation also goes for the world within The Simulation. There is no need to produce a system of ethics to help us live in The Simulism. The moral codes that exist outside The Simulation apply within.
An effective and simple system of ethics can be taken from the New Testament of the Christian bible. Matthew 7:12 commands that one must treat others in the same way as you would want to be treated: “In everything, do to others what your would have them do to you”. The commandment “love thy neighbor as thy self” (Mathew 22: 37-40) is another good thing to live by. Ephesians 4:32 is also good, it commands: “be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another”. Mathew 5:5 is also good: “blessed are the meek as they shall inherit the Earth” – the world’s problems are caused by the powerful, not the meek. The meek are far more virtuous than the rich as they cause much less harm to our planet.
I believe that a person who takes this wisdom to heart and practices these commands would be a virtuous person, and such a person would certainly meet the requirement to live an adequately virtuous life. Although if you want to exit The Simulation then you’ll need to do more than be just adequately virtuous.
11) The Meaning of Life for Simulated People
The aim of one’s life should be to live to be at least adequately virtuous. If everyone were to do this then the world would become a much better place. This can be done on an interpersonal level as well as on a social level. Basically, by being nice and concerned. The aim of one’s life should be to maximize happiness and wellbeing and eradicate misery and suffering. Humanity’s aim should be to steadily improve the planet by making it more free, equal, peaceful, and developed: you could be reborn in any part of our planet and as any race or sex of human so it’s in your interest to make the world a good place for everyone.
It is important to bare in mind that the more you work to improve the planet, the greater your chances of exiting The Simulation, after your current bodily avatar dies. Your actions have consequences for others. Make sure your actions only have positive consequences. How should you live ethically inside a simulation? The same way as you would in the outside world.
1) What is Simulism?
Simulism is the belief that all humans and this reality are parts of a gigantic computer simulation, run by a race of super-advanced beings. I believe in God, but Simulism can work without God.
2) Why Do I Believe This?
Because of Butterfly: Butterfly is the way in which The Simulation communicates with me. He communicates by touch – because of this I have been diagnosed as schizophrenic, even though I have never “heard voices”. Butterfly and me are a team – he is upstairs and I am downstairs: He is an admin of The Simulation and I am his voice. We are two parts of a greater figuration. Our job is to spread the idea of Simulism as it has been decided by The Simulation’s overseers that humankind is now mature enough to learn the truth about its existence.
3) What is this Article?
It is an attempt to establish Simulism as a philosophy. As far as I am aware this has not yet been done. I have written it to help people live within The Simulation.
4) Comparisons with Hinduism
The propositions of Simulism can be explored by comparing it to Hinduism. When I was thinking about making Simulism a philosophy I assumed I was working within the Judeo-Christian paradigm. However, my participation in these forums alerted me to similarities between Simulism and Hinduism. I think this is remarkable as the version of Simulism I developed was imagined without knowing anything at all about Hinduism: the two belief systems occurred independently of each other. They have much in common:
· In Hinduism there is reincarnation, governed by Karma
· In Simulism there is reincarnation, informed by one’s conduct
· In Hinduism there is an illusory reality – Maya
· In Simulism there is an illusory reality – The Simulation
· In Hinduism there is Moksha – escape from the cycle of reincarnation
· In Simulism you can be taken out of The Simulation and into the outside world if the over-seers of The Simulation like you, after you die.
Clearly, there are parallels between Hinduism and Simulism
5) Reincarnation
All humans are sentient (can experience) and sapient (can think and exercise free will). These attributes arise from Consciousness. Consciousness is therefore an attribute one must have to be human. Consciousness is a property of The Simulation however it is divine and ultimately comes from God and is merely managed by The Simulation. The Soul is the individual unit of Consciousness.
There is direct and indirect reincarnation. In direct reincarnation the Soul of a human who has died comes back into The Simulation, in the form of a new (human) life, with new mental structures and a fresh bodily avatar. In indirect reincarnation a person dies and their Soul is absorbed into a pool of unused Consciousness and ceases to be an individual Soul. Later, new Souls may be created out of this pool of Consciousness and then be reborn into The Simulation as a new Soul. In direct reincarnation the Soul stays intact whereas in indirect reincarnation it is dissolved into the pool of Consciousness, from which new Souls are be portioned out into new incarnations.
In Simulism whether you are indirectly reincarnated or directly reincarnated depends on your conduct in the life you lead before you died. If your conduct was acceptable your Soul will be directly reincarnated, into another human life. If your conduct was unacceptable your Soul will be indirectly reincarnated. There is therefore a system of Karma in effect.
6) The Simulation and Maya
In Hinduism what I call “common reality”, or “the materiel world” is known as Maya. The existence of Maya is dependent on Brahman, which is the highest and most fundamental principle of existence. This has always existed and is the cause of all things, much like “the unmoved mover” in Christian theology. As a Westerner I call this entity “God”. The Simulation and the simulated reality it generates are an emergent property of sentient computers, which exist in common reality – the Maya, in Hindu terms – alongside the overseers of The Simulation. Common reality is a property of Ultimate Reality. Our simulated reality is a dimension of Common Reality, which includes those who created and oversee The Simulation who live in “the outside world”. We in The Simulation are therefore divine in nature, just as those who live out in the “real world” outside The Simulation are. Only these people exist between us and God.
7) The “Everyone Would Go Mad” Objection
One objection to the promotion of Simulism as a philosophy is what I call “the everyone would go mad” objection. This states that due to the illusory nature of reality life would lose all value and nihilism and apathy would multiply and the moral order and social fabric would be undermined and life would be bleak and meaningless. I don’t believe this would be the case. If we look at Hindus, they believe our “Maya” to be an illusion grounded in “Brahman” (which is a similar proposition to Simulism) and they haven’t all gone mad – far from it.
Another factor against this objection is the fact that Simulated Reality is in the same moral universe as Common Reality: what goes as a moral fact outside The Simulation also applies inside. Moral facts are universal and apply equally both within and outside The Simulation. What’s right or wrong inside The Simulation is the same as what’s right or wrong outside of it. Also, if you want to believe in God and use him as a source of morality then you could say that the world within The Simulation is just as much under God as the world outside of it: being in a simulation needn’t cut you off from God; God’s influence (and existence) extends into simulations. Only the overseers of The Simulation are able to "play God" with the inhabitants of The Simulation.
Another factor against this objection is that what we could call Karma (to borrow a Hindu term) makes behaving acceptably more eligible than behaving unacceptably.
In Hinduism there is a concept called “Moksha”, which is what happens when a person exits the constant cycle of birth and rebirth and becomes at one with the Brahman. In Simulism an individual soul may exit the cycle of reincarnation and be given a presence in the world outside The Simulation and live amongst the overseers, as a kind of artificial intelligence, like Commander Data on Star Trek or C3PO in Star Wars. This can only be achieved by being necessarily virtuous and fitted to life in the outside world. Think of all the exciting things that must happen in the outside world! In Simulism, the aim of the game (so to speak) is to in make the overseers connect your soul to some type of artificial body so as to give you a presence in the outside world once your life within The Simulation is over.
8) The Veil of Ignorance
Nobody can know where exactly within The Simulation he or she will be reborn, nor can anyone know what circumstances they would be reborn into, or as who. This effectively places a veil of ignorance over the issue. Not knowing where in The Simulation you will be reborn – and as who – means that through rational self-interest there is a powerful reason to make the whole of one’s world as nice to live in as possible, as for all you know you could be reborn in one of the worst parts. I believe that because of this, a widespread belief in Simulism would make our planet increasingly free, equal, and developed, all through a collective rational self-interest.
I believe that one way of improving the world so that our future lives are as happy as can be would be to promote a program of planetary improvement based around three themes: Peace, Freedom, and Development. The more peaceful, free, and developed the world is, the better a place it will be. We must build a better world now, if only for our future selves.
9) Who Created The Simulation?
The Simulation was created by a race of super-advance beings that exist in Common Reality, the likes of which we cannot imagine. These beings may or may not have been created by a Supreme Being.
I have come to believe that The Simulation is essentially an academic endeavor in that by running it they get to increase the sum of their knowledge regarding their own condition. I also believe that there is an element of entertainment and an element of getting to play God in their motivations. I also think that they feel the urge to create new worlds for sentient beings to inhabit, which they oversee.
I believe their civilization is expanding in two ways: in one way outwards, exploring their galaxy, and in another way inwards, by producing new simulated universes for people to exist in.
It is also a source for artificially conscious entities, who can join the overseers of The Simulation: It is a place for artificially conscious entities to develop and learn, to prepare them for life in the outside world. This is how artificially conscious entities in the outside world are created – they live as humans within The Simulation rather than being mass-produced and programmed. They are not at all programmed; they are sapient and sentient instead and develop as humans do by living and learning. They have minds and a soul. They are only artificially conscious in that they are not organic. But in the outside world there is no meaningful distinction made between artificial and organic humanoids.
10) Ethics and Virtue
What goes as ethical and virtuous in the world outside The Simulation also goes for the world within The Simulation. There is no need to produce a system of ethics to help us live in The Simulism. The moral codes that exist outside The Simulation apply within.
An effective and simple system of ethics can be taken from the New Testament of the Christian bible. Matthew 7:12 commands that one must treat others in the same way as you would want to be treated: “In everything, do to others what your would have them do to you”. The commandment “love thy neighbor as thy self” (Mathew 22: 37-40) is another good thing to live by. Ephesians 4:32 is also good, it commands: “be kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another”. Mathew 5:5 is also good: “blessed are the meek as they shall inherit the Earth” – the world’s problems are caused by the powerful, not the meek. The meek are far more virtuous than the rich as they cause much less harm to our planet.
I believe that a person who takes this wisdom to heart and practices these commands would be a virtuous person, and such a person would certainly meet the requirement to live an adequately virtuous life. Although if you want to exit The Simulation then you’ll need to do more than be just adequately virtuous.
11) The Meaning of Life for Simulated People
The aim of one’s life should be to live to be at least adequately virtuous. If everyone were to do this then the world would become a much better place. This can be done on an interpersonal level as well as on a social level. Basically, by being nice and concerned. The aim of one’s life should be to maximize happiness and wellbeing and eradicate misery and suffering. Humanity’s aim should be to steadily improve the planet by making it more free, equal, peaceful, and developed: you could be reborn in any part of our planet and as any race or sex of human so it’s in your interest to make the world a good place for everyone.
It is important to bare in mind that the more you work to improve the planet, the greater your chances of exiting The Simulation, after your current bodily avatar dies. Your actions have consequences for others. Make sure your actions only have positive consequences. How should you live ethically inside a simulation? The same way as you would in the outside world.
