November 11, 2021
Like many other Deconverted Men, I have modern science to thank for contributing to my decision to leave fundamentalist religion.
I’ve noticed that many recently-Deconverted Men are quite hesitant to consider anything outside of mainstream scientific plausibility, as if doing so disrespects the very ideas that helped save them from religion. I get it. But it’s been quite some time since I deconverted and I’m comfortable having fun conversations with friends (usually over drinks) about non-mainstream explanations for our reality. As I’ve said before, I’m a real curious bastard, and I love looking into this kind of stuff.
Of the numerous and potential non-mainstream explanations for reality, the one I place the heaviest odds of actually being true is the Simulation Theory.
If you aren’t familiar, the Simulation Theory is exactly what it sounds like—that we’re actually living within a simulation. Think of that computer game The Sims. You create people, then put them in a house where they eat, sleep, go to work, fall in love, and even die. The makers of The Sims game have already created a simulated world that we can control and manipulate. Simulation Theory posits that there’s another level up, and we and our lives are “The Sims” to whoever is over us.
This idea is explored quite frequently in media. Perhaps the most recent, well-known show to do so is Westworld. In it, advanced humans have created a Wild West theme park complete with very realistic robots acting as “hosts.” These hosts live programmed lives that repeat every single day (kind of like our own lives). The story starts when one of these robots begins to question her reality—only to learn that the Wild West environment she’s known her whole life isn’t actually real.
Before Westworld, The Matrix films in the 90s also explored Simulation Theory. And just the other day I saw that new movie Free Guy with Ryan Reynolds, and I was glad to see that Simulation Theory is still a reliable go-to for filmmakers today.
People who are strong proponents of Simulation Theory generally fall into two different categories:
Technological Framework: We are within a computer program designed by humans in the technologically-advanced future and they are studying us to see how we react to things and how certain events play out (i.e. The Sims).
Spiritual Framework: The world is a kind of “soul school” and we choose to reincarnate here over and over again to have different human experiences to grow and mature our souls.
The second viewpoint—the spiritual explanation—strikes me because it’s actually semi-compatible with Christianity.
Christians already believe there’s a God who created the entire world. Then your soul is born into a human body, you live your life having experiences in a “fallen world” where God chooses to not intercede for the purposes of growing and strengthening your faith. The goal is to steadfastly stay focused on God and develop as a better Christian throughout life. This can be done even as the entire world burns down around you because it ultimately doesn’t matter—only God does. The world you’re living in “isn’t real” or at the very least “doesn’t count” and the real world—Heaven—is what you’ll earn based on how you behave in this false world.
When a Christian gets saved, they come to the understanding that God exists, he created them, and their soul will move on to heaven after their physical body dies. The next step is to understand that “the world” (all of reality) is a fallen place of sin, violence, and evil that they need to detach from.
That’s not too terribly different from the host robots in Westworld “waking up” and realizing their world and reality is false and there are greater truths to learn.
For this reason, I’ve wondered if I’m more inclined to place my bets on Simulation Theory (as far as non-mainstream explanations for reality go) because I was once a Christian. Perhaps my brain was already drawn toward the idea of a “simulated reality” long ago and it’s still there. Or maybe any and all ideas that broadly state “reality isn’t real” is a coping mechanism for the challenging world we live in, regardless of any religion or spiritual beliefs.
But on the other hand, the idea of “reality isn’t what it seems” has been explored in stories, myths, and legends for thousands of years. One major component to The Hero’s Journey—the story structure underlying most famous movies and stories today (such as Star Wars and Harry Potter) involve the main character having the sharp realization that his reality isn’t real. He or she must then go on a journey of changing, growing, developing, taking risks, learning new things, and defeating enemies both internally and externally to fully integrate into the new world.
The process of deconstruction and leaving religion is an experience of realizing your reality isn’t real. Christianity and Church culture is, in a way, like its own little simulation within the wider world. One day you “wake up” and look around and can’t help but think to yourself, “What if none of this is real?”
If that thought eventually led you out of the simulated world that is religion, then is it really that much of a leap to look around at the rest of reality and wonder the same thing? As I’ve mentioned many times before, religion is not the only thing that can (or should) be deconstructed.