Science & Technology

Are we a product of a self-simulating universe?

By T.K. Randall
April 27, 2020

Image: AI-generated (Bing AI / Dall-E 3) The idea that we could all be living in a computer simulation - a concept popularized by hit movie The Matrix - is certainly nothing new, but now scientists at an LA-based theoretical physics institute have taken things one step further with a new hypothesis that is sure to leave you scratching your head.

The new paper, which is entitled "The Self-Simulation Hypothesis Interpretation of Quantum Mechanics", puts forward the idea that rather than living in a simulation generated by a sophisticated computer system, perhaps our 'reality' is a mental 'self-simulation' generated by the universe itself.

This implies that the world and everything in it does not exist physically but is an expression of the universe's consciousness i.e. the cosmos is 'self-actualizing' itself into existence.

This concept of reality also implies that time does not actually exist; instead the universe consists of a hierarchical order of thought and sub-thought covering everything from people and things all the way down to fundamental particles and the laws of physics."While many scientists presume materialism to be true, we believe that quantum mechanics may provide hints that our reality is a mental construct," said physicist David Chester.

"Recent advances in quantum gravity, such as seeing spacetime emergent via a hologram, also is a hint that spacetime is not fundamental."

"In a sense, the mental construct of reality creates spacetime to efficiently understand itself by creating a network of subconscious entities that can interact and explore the totality of possibilities."

This idea is known as panpsychism - meaning that everything exists as thought or consciousness.

It certainly offers an interesting take on the answer to life, the universe and everything.

Source: Big Think

Tags: Universe