What if we are living as a computer simulation like a video game? This theory has been bouncing around for years, but has recently become more popular, with big names like Elon Musk and Neil deGrasse Tyson weighing in on the subject. When I first heard this theory, I was almost offended, or at least overwhelmed. Now, years later, I think it might give us the shift in perspective we need to move forward.

Yogis and mystics have always told us this world is an illusion. All religions tell us that our next life is built from our conduct in this one. With the introduction of quantum physics, even science says part of us exists after the body dies. With the current vernacular, we can easily convert these messages to reflect a simulated reality. Our “Higher Self” could be the player, our body is to be treated as a temple because it is our avatar, making it to the next level requires gaining mastery at the current one… it just keeps going.

The reason I’m currently fond of this worldview is because it eliminates judgement by an outside deity, and increases personal power and responsibility. Humans have such a propensity for guilt, shame, and self-loathing because they feel inadequate. This inadequacy stems from comparing themselves to an unattainable standard, then being threatened with eternal damnation (or any number of afterlife horrors) for not meeting that standard, and finally being too overwhelmed to even try to crawl out of the hole they imagine themselves in. Not the best way to encourage human development, on any level.

If we change the setting from deity-created to computer simulation, then life just becomes a series of choices. No more “shoulds”, no more “not good enough”, no more “sin”, just choices. If we want to get to the next level (and who isn’t competitive, or at least curious?) then our choices matter. See? Personal power and personal responsibility. You don’t want to waste the game doing nothing, but you no longer have the pressure of all the societal norms. Brilliant!

One of the biggest shifts with this perspective is how we view addiction. Instead of all the struggle and pity, it becomes more of a sand trap in your golf game. It’s more a matter of maneuvering your avatar back to the course, than a personal failure or condition. I’m not making light of addiction, I have seen many friends affected, but they all seem to self-sabotage with negative thinking, making it even harder to change their path. Maybe a new perspective would be helpful.

“What if…” is one of my favorite games to get the possibilities rolling, so let’s explore… What if you were designed to be exactly as you are? What if harder lives (abuse, addiction, illness) are just higher levels? What if you have the ability to change the basic script? What if this spiritual awakening is the technology becoming aware of itself? What if meditation just quiets the mind enough to hear the guidance of our “real selves”? What happens when you reach the level of “programmer”? And if you have a good life but are still unhappy, then welcome to Level 1, Earth: Extreme Sports for the Spiritually Bored!

Also of interest, at least to me, is what this says about being creators-in-training. Is there any better way to practice creating a reality? How better to play with different frequencies of energy, and see what they make? Is this heaven or hell? Yes. You get to choose, once you learn how to play the game.

None of this tells us why we are here. Religions don’t either. You have permission to use whatever concept keeps you going, but it’s time to drop the reward / punishment system. You are perfect and you are enough, and you have the power to choose a different route at any time. We are all just stories, in the end. Make yours epic.

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