Philosophers have debated
the possibility that the world is an illusion ever since there were thinkers
that can be called the name. The French philosopher René Descartes, of ‘I think
therefore I am’ fame, was one of the first to describe the problem clearly. He
postulated that there might be an evil demon that controlled all his sensory
inputs and could therefore delude him about everything, except himself. Today’s
philosophers are more likely to talk in scientific terms, of a mad scientist controlling
a virtual-reality machine that we are plugged into. The problem is how can we
know this is not the case?
If it is the case
that the universe is an independent reality, or a common-sense reality as we
normally think about it, how could we tell this apart from an extremely well
generated simulation? There might even be quite severe shortcomings of the
virtual reality, but we would be so accustomed to them that we would be
unlikely to see them as such. With no other ‘true’ reality to compare this one
with, it would seem impossible to notice such shortcomings. All we can really
know for sure is that something exists, and that ‘something’ I call ‘me’.
So, in the universe
we are thinking about. there is definitely me and someone, or something else, which
is generating what I perceive as reality. Rather than labelling that something
as a mad scientist or evil demon I will use a more neutral word, the Generator.
I think the Generator also deserves the use of capitals as in this universe It
would be the equivalent of God. It has, presumably, created this false reality,
It controls it to a very fine degree and I am essentially totally in Its power.
Also why should I assume that It is evil or mad, certainly there seems to be
many bad and even evil things in this reality but there are many good and
beautiful aspects too.
From my own point of
view the Generator appears to have treated me quite well and fairly, maybe
there is even a hint of love there. If It was evil or mad surely my life would
have been different, not something that seems to have been leading me to
greater self-awareness and empowerment but something more like the traditional
view of hell, or a living insanity. No, I see a world that generally seems to
make rational sense, in which I can see most of my misfortunes have been
created by my own actions, or inactions, and where I have experienced much
pleasure and joy.
So it seems unfair to
label the Generator as evil, at least not yet, plus I don’t really want to
believe that the being who has total control of my experience of the world, and
who seems to be my only companion, is evil or mad. On the other side it seems
difficult to really believe It is doing this all for my benefit, as I have
suffered some injustices, accidents and other things that would not seem
necessarily to be for my benefit.
Of course all of this
is a kind of binary universe, the Generator and I., maybe my reality is
controlled by hundreds of other beings, millions or none. Perhaps the Generator
and myself are the same being. This would seem to be more likely as it does not
require that I postulate this incredible other being. The only thing I really
know exists is me, so maybe I generate reality, and hide this fact from myself.
Perhaps I am trapped within my own fantasy and out there, if I could only let
it go, is a true reality waiting, or perhaps not.
If I am indeed all
that exists then maybe I have been forced to create a reality to escape
crushing loneliness, isolation and boredom. One can imagine a consciousness all
alone in the void and darkness wanting to do just that, assuming It didn’t have
the means to create a ‘real’ reality, which would surely be preferable. In fact
I may have just started seeing swirls of light in the darkness, indistinct
shapes and started ‘hearing’ noises or voices, and that was just the beginning
of everything I now perceive as existing.
If all this was true
then in fact my current mental state may be due to a long process of fantasy
creation, where I have ended up with a very coherent virtual reality which
basically does work. I am rarely bored, often feel that I am with others, have
projects that interest me, and it even feels like I am becoming somehow better.
Perfect, the illusion is so strong that I can even write an article on this fact
without it feeling at all illusory, so what’s the problem?
Well with the
single-being universe I can’t see a problem. I am probably doing the best I can
to cope and will probably continue to do so (not only that, but I already
capitalise ‘I’ so that is sorted out). After all what would be the choice;
darkness, loneliness and boredom? I think fantasy is a much better alternative.
On the other hand the
binary universe looks even better, just the benefit of not being completely
alone makes up for ambiguities or imperfections in the Generator. Also it
explains how such an apparently puny being, such as I appear to myself to be
when I examine my own thought processes, manages to generate such an incredible
place. After all can it be that the same creature that, on the one hand, can’t
work out how to program his video-recorder is capable of generating all of
reality. So the binary-universe looks more likely again.
However there exists
the possibility that the binary universe could be worse than the ‘I’ universe.
Maybe the Generator has just been lulling me into a false sense of security, so
that when the rug is finally pulled from under my feet, the fall will be so
much more sadistically satisfying. In other words the fact that the universe
seems reasonably benign and predictable could be just temporary.
Maybe this dramatic
change in reality has happened many, many times in the past and the Generator
has arranged for me to forget this terrible fact. Perhaps It uses the illusion
of birth and early childhood, which does seem a bit unreal, fuzzy and a long
time ago, to hide the past. There does however seem to be a more likely
scenario for the binary universe, and one that is much more appealing anyway.
Maybe the Generator
was at one time the only being, as in the ‘I’ universe, but instead of falling
into fantasy, or after long periods of fantasy that It eventually tired of or
escaped, It decided to try creating a genuine other being. I am Its first
prototype companion, which would explain some of the mistakes that I see as
injustices and suffering. Obviously the suffering of others is unreal and
therefore is only there as instruction, or support for myself, and tells me
nothing about the goodness or otherwise of the Generator. However what if
others are not illusions purely for my benefit?
Perhaps the
Generator, realising that it had the capacity to create other beings decided
that It better create more than one. It could be the case that in the past It
started with one, or just a few beings, and this did not really work out well.
These prototypes were able to realise they were alone, or very few, in the
universe and suffered because of this. On the other hand they may not have been
entirely what the Generator wanted or, after creating them, It had a grander
vision. It saw the possibility of creating a whole other genuine and rational
reality into which would spring consciousness largely from itself. Just a
‘little’ Big Bang, of exactly the correct type, and everything would lead from
that.
Not only would this
have the advantage of creating a whole range and variety of others but they
would have a certain independence from the Generator. Within this separate
reality they could interact with each other and would not have to face the same
problems of loneliness and boredom, or general lack of anything, that the
Generator Itself had suffered. Given time these beings would develop and grow,
and many, if not all, would mature to the point where they would be genuine
companions to the Generator.
All these scenarios
have one thing in common; it is better to believe in a good Generator whichever
universe is in fact true. If the ‘I’ universe is the case, then the belief in a
separate Generator, would increase the illusion of companionship and security.
In the binary-universe I, being the only subject of every whim of the
Generator, had better believe that It has my interests somewhat at heart. The
alternative is really not worthy of consideration, if taken seriously.
If It does have awful
things in store for me there is absolutely nothing that I can do about it,
apparently, and worrying about it will only make the situation worse. Better to
enjoy this short lapse in hell as much as I can, for as long as I am allowed,
and hold on to the hope that, even if the Generator is evil, perhaps It will
change. Perhaps It will tire of torturing me, even though I have no proof that
It in fact ever has tortured me, and decide that co-operation and mutual
support are preferable.
Also I can continue
to grow in myself and perhaps become strong enough to control myself, and my
responses to the illusion, to the extent that I can no longer be tortured. At
that point I would probably be destroyed, in every sense that I am me anyway,
in my memories, habits and personality. The process would start again with,
essentially, a new being. Again this is not something that should worry me, or
something I can do much about. Better to believe the Generator is in fact good,
and has my development and interests at heart, as it indeed appears.
If the multiple-others-universe,
is the case, then all is as it appears to be to common sense. The world does
really exist independent of me and, to some extent at least, independent of the
Generator. Also other people and animals do also exist, and the sense of companionship
and love that I sometimes feel is genuine. My projects are also real, there are
real challenges and problems to be met, and change is a reality. The most
important changes are those happening in myself, that I perceive as
improvements, and those happening to humanity as a whole. We genuinely can as
individuals, and as a community, progress and better our situation and
ourselves, always assuming the Generator is not evil.
Again we might as
well assume that It has our interests in mind, or at least is neutral or
completely uninterested in us. If It is just leading us to believe we can
improve our lot and grow, so that later It can get more pleasure from
shattering the illusion, then it is unlikely this knowledge would help us at
all. It has created the game and surely stacked the dice in Its favour. As
individuals we may choose to try to escape the influence of the ‘illusion’, or
we can hope the Generator will change, but probably it is better to believe
that It already has, and accept Its bounty trustingly.
Another interesting
possibility exists that should be addressed. The world is as it appears
scientifically, - a conglomeration of almost unimaginable coincidences, of
random events, resulting in a multiple-others-universe. There was a Big Bang
and 15 billion years later a planet, ideal for life, saw conscious animals
emerge by the blind, self-assembling process of evolution. Lets face it this
could indeed be the case, as well, but perhaps we are still better off
believing there is Someone out there looking out for us.