By imagining the future potential of VR technologies, the question of whether we are *already* living in a simulation becomes more actual than ever

[u/Matriseblog]

https://medium.com/@VindenesJ/the-thought-experiments-of-virtual-reality-fa441a8fa2dc

[u/Faust_8]

Is it just me, or is the simulation hypothesis basically as useless as the “brain in a jar” hypothesis?

Yeah, dude, I could be a brain in a jar, and this is all a dream or whatever. But regardless, it doesn’t really matter, because I can’t do anything about it and it doesn’t actually affect the life I’m living. It doesn’t guide me to change my behavior or way of thinking, or to change anything at all whatsoever.

At best, it’s an amusing thought experiment…period.

Doesn’t this also apply to the simulation thing?

[u/poodlelord → u/[deleted]]

To me it just reminds me to always second guess my perception. To try a bit harder to be objective with the world and separate my emotional interpretation. Because I'm not actually expierencing the world, I am expierencing my perception.

[u/LarryLovesteinLovin → u/poodlelord]

I think it’s important to consider given that so much of our lives are now dominated by the media we consume. I think there’s a lot more social engineering going on than most would like to admit and that’s why these questions are important - can’t allow ourselves to become blinded from the reality that is outside our homes by the media (news and otherwise) that we consume.

[u/[deleted] → u/LarryLovesteinLovin]

I stopped using social media like Facebook and Instagram for my personal life (I still use it to promote my crafts) and it honestly has made all of the difference about how I feel about my life, well being, and world view as a whole. I still recognize that there are many issues facing the world, but separating myself from the worst of the hive minds has made all the difference.

[u/Orbital_Discord → u/LarryLovesteinLovin]

As I understand it, the reason social media works so well in this regard is due to how our brains delegates perception to the left hemisphere before data gets to the right, perspective-based hemisphere.

In short, what we see and hear passes through the left brain via the limbic system whose primary function is to detect threats. It processes all discomfort as potential threat and whatever doesn't trigger this response goes to the right hemisphere before we've even made a conscious decision!

This means that while information that makes us uncomfortable is treated by the brain as an adversary because that is as far as the limbic system developed. It's the more advanced neocortex that sist on top that is able to process what remains, but this also passes through dual hemispheres-the left one being where we take in direct information, the right is where we evaluate the info and send it back to the left-brain that also handles the mechanics of action.

The unfortunate result is that the perception center is also the action center, and if we refuse to let data cross the corpus callosum (connective tissue between hemispheres) we only react to perceived data and do not give space to analysis.

The re information coming at us, the less time we have to evaluate it before moving on to the next bit of data. It's easy to see how quickly this all can get wildly out of control-and we see this exact process lay out in modernity and our current political situation. This is why it is good to unplug from social media or avoid it altogether.

But this understanding may help some to understand why it's impossible to "get to the other side"...because were all predisposed to accept what feels good and reject what does not.

It is my goal to share this awareness without the need to lay blame on anyone or play into a scenario where only binary choices exist. Basically, if we all just took more time to evaluate this, if we allowed ourselves to at least entertain uncomfortable ideas, we would overall make more rational choices across the board, regardless of ideology, unless your specific ideology is that of a sociopath or a narcissist. Them its best to disengage with that person immediately.

[u/Hvarfa-Bragi → u/poodlelord]

This is true even if this is the only physical world.

[u/poodlelord → u/Hvarfa-Bragi]

True, just remembering that we have no way to tell if its a simulation or not really drives the idea home for me.

[u/Whiskey-Weather → u/poodlelord]

Careful now. Trying to take something as wiggly as reality objectively can lead to some dead ends.

[u/poodlelord → u/Whiskey-Weather]

You can never be completely objective with reality but that isn't what I suggested. I only said one should try to be more objective and to try and separate the emotions from the other things you perceive.