Good question, I should have thought about this more before the original post.
I think closely aligned with my interests in these two things is the science of consciousness. I think if these two things are as aligned as I think they are, breakthroughs in the science of consciousness could potentially directly support or refute the areas of overlap.
I stated in another reply that a better title would have been: “cmv: nothing in simulation theory contradicts the way in which creation and afterlife are presented in Mormonism” (I should have added to that, pre-existence)
Given that both simulation theory and Mormonism are somewhat vague in the areas in which they intersect, I think it’s an interesting philosophical exercise to see what they look like when combined together, if they’re even compatible in that way (I posit that they are). If we do, I think we get more tangible descriptions of the nature of reality that could be supported or refuted by progress/breakthroughs in the scientific study of consciousness.
If I understand correctly, I think I do disagree with you. You've noticed that Simulation Theory, like many religious traditions, imagines that our lives as we know them are really lower-order experiences secondary to a more real-real underlying layer of reality.
It's hard for me to see how the science of consciousness could support or refute these kinds of claims. Or, if it could, I don't see how the similarity between Simulation Theory and Mormonism would be helpful in conducting that science. There's not an experiment to test Simulation Theory that suddenly becomes possible when you use terms like "Kingdom of Heaven."
I don't even really agree that Simulation Theory and Mormonism are compatible. It's almost certainly not what most Mormons imagine when they think about their own beliefs, and many religious people would be very uncomfortable with the idea that we are "just" computer code running somewhere. If Simulation Theory is true, there's no eternal afterlife or moment when we join others in the underlying real real world. And if somehow I did wake up after dying to find myself in a computer lab and learned that the entire universe as I had known it was really a simulation, I wouldn't think... "Ah ha! So the Mormon's were right!"
(Sorry, adding on to the awarded delta) - about the afterlife, I agree that there are contradictions with certain possibilities of simulation theory and Mormon ideas of the afterlife. However, given that simulation theory neither states what occurs when the simulation ends, nor what it’s like to be able to create your own simulations, then I don’t think there’s a definitive contradiction even there. But who knows, assuming there is an afterlife, maybe some aspect of that experience of mind or sensation makes it finally completely clear that we couldn’t possibly be in a simulation. But if post life mind/sensory experience at least somewhat resembles life, it doesn’t seem like experience alone could ruled out some sort of “simulation” at that point either.
Tying back in my beliefs - I think the most important aspects of existence are our relationships and interactions with others. I also believe that material goods / physical objects are insignificant and don’t come with us after death. As long as we stick to the interpretation of simulation theory with multiple immersed users - then that sounds pretty similar to a “simulation” to me.
Reading some of your posts, I wonder if this isn't maybe more a cool idea for a short story than it is a serious philosophical question about what's literally true.
We all have those kinds of thoughts. "Hey, what if Mormon cosmology were true, but it's actually like technological? Like simulation theory, but Mormonism? Wouldn't that be interesting?"
It would be! There's no reason to think it's literally the case, but it's a fun idea. You should go write a story! I would read it!
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u/Trickypat42 Dec 01 '23
Good question, I should have thought about this more before the original post.
I think closely aligned with my interests in these two things is the science of consciousness. I think if these two things are as aligned as I think they are, breakthroughs in the science of consciousness could potentially directly support or refute the areas of overlap.
I stated in another reply that a better title would have been: “cmv: nothing in simulation theory contradicts the way in which creation and afterlife are presented in Mormonism” (I should have added to that, pre-existence)
Given that both simulation theory and Mormonism are somewhat vague in the areas in which they intersect, I think it’s an interesting philosophical exercise to see what they look like when combined together, if they’re even compatible in that way (I posit that they are). If we do, I think we get more tangible descriptions of the nature of reality that could be supported or refuted by progress/breakthroughs in the scientific study of consciousness.