Simulationism
| Simulationism | |
|---|---|
| Family | Modern / Philosophical and technology-centered worldview |
| Origin region | Global philosophical and internet culture |
| Founding period | 21st century CE, with older philosophical roots |
| Estimated adherents | Unknown; usually a philosophical hypothesis or spiritual speculation rather than an organized religion. |
Simulationism is a modern worldview or speculative belief that reality may be a simulation, sometimes interpreted spiritually through themes of creators, code, awakening, and liberation.
Overview
Simulationism is not a formal religion, but it can function religiously when it gives people a cosmology, creator concept, moral speculation, or salvation narrative. It overlaps with simulation hypothesis debates, Matrix-inspired spirituality, gnosticism-like ideas of illusion, and technology-centered theology. Neutral coverage should distinguish philosophical arguments from religious or internet subcultural interpretations.
Key beliefs
- Reality may be computationally generated or simulated
- The apparent world may conceal deeper layers of reality
- Creators of the simulation may be interpreted as godlike beings, programmers, ancestors, or unknown intelligences
- Awakening, escape, or understanding can become spiritual motifs
- Critics argue that simulation claims are often unfalsifiable or speculative
Practices
- Philosophical discussion of the simulation hypothesis
- Meditation on illusion, code, and awakening
- Creation of symbolic diagrams or cosmologies
- Study of The Matrix and related media in some circles
- Ethical reflection on agency within systems
Places of worship
- Online communities
- Study groups
- Private meditation space
- No standard place of worship
Sacred texts
- Philosophy papers on simulation
- Science fiction and cyberculture texts
- Matrixist writings in related movements
- Personal essays and manifestos
Holidays and observances
- No universal calendar
- Film or publication anniversaries in some groups
- Community-defined awakening observances
Branches and related traditions
- Matrixism - A related popular-culture-inspired religious movement.
- Artificial Intelligence Theism - A related category when AI or posthuman beings are imagined as creators.
- Gnosticism - An older religious category sometimes compared to simulationist themes of illusion and awakening.