VIRTUAL REALITY –reality or illusion?

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Post written by Yfke Laanstra

One of my favorite movies of all time is ‘The Matrix’. I still remember the day like it was yesterday in which (back in 1999) I left the cinema after watching this movie: I was flabbergasted but also hugely inspired. I felt this movie was about much more then I could grasp at that time and my system, my whole being was in overdrive. It triggered so much in me but I couldn’t comprehend it back then…

For those who haven’t seen this movie: the hypothesis is that we’re caught in a illusory reality called ‘The Matrix’, a computer simulation with its main program being the enslavement of mankind into a constant ‘buy, consume, die’ mode. Every individual has the choice to awaken from this so called ‘reality’.

One of the fascinating quotes of this movie is in which Neo , the main character, asks himself this question about reality:

‘This isn’t real?’

Morpheus answers:

‘How do we know what we experience is ‘real’? What is ‘real’? How do you define ‘real’?’

‘If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by the brain’.

This hypothesis hasn’t left my brain and seemed to be hardcoded into my system ever since…

Fact or fiction

In our 3D reality (let’s simply call it that) we mainly assume that what we observe with our five senses is our actual reality, and we also collectively assume this is the only reality.

We however do talk about the existence of a six sense, the third eye. Which can observe that which is outside our visual spectrum: like clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience etc. The so called extrasensory perception.

There is a lot of controversy about this amongst (the classical) scientists, because they tend to focus on what is measurable, visible and can be seen with our eyes.

What is observation?

Maybe therefore it is a better idea to focus on the term observation.

Wikipedia says ‘observation is the active acquisition of information from a primary source. In living beings, observation employs the senses. In science, observation can also involve the recording of data via the use of instruments. The term may also refer to any data collected during the scientific activity. Observations can be qualitative, that is, only the absence or presence of a property is noted, or quantitative if a numerical value is attached to the observed phenomenon by counting or measuring.’

Again it is referring to the use of our five senses (with or without the help of instruments), as if this is the only means of observation.

The Quantum Theory adds another dimension to the equation: in which the observer seems to have influence upon that which is being observed.

Perception deception

Observation is also called perception. And this seems to demonstrate a closer link to the subjective element of observation: the interpretation of the stimulus. How objective is our so-called reality…?

You are probably familiar with the drawings in which you can distinguish multiple elements (see image): do you see the old or the young woman? The art of M.C. Escher is also brilliant with regards to this perception deception.

Your frame of reference also plays an important part in your interpretation; often times we consciously or unconsciously draw all kinds of conclusions to what we assume we’re observing through our lens of perception at that certain moment in time. This influences our view of the world, of humanity and this is purposively being taken advantage of by mainstream media and politics. All be it in seemingly innocent product marketing to the level of collective (subliminal) brainwashing which is called the News…

I find it fascinating, the level to which we let science or mass media dictate us what is real, what is true or truth, what is legitimate in our perception and where we draw the line between fact and fiction.

Left and right hemisphere

Another essential aspect of our observation is which hemisphere is most dominant and how this affects our perception of reality. The left hemisphere represents our analytical side, where logic, structure and separateness rules. Our right hemisphere represents our intuition, our creativity and our ability to see the bigger picture. Our society and especially science focuses its attention mainly on the left hemisphere and approaches reality from this perspective. While it is our right hemisphere that is able to have a holistic view on reality, not limited to time and space, from a perspective of unity, wholeness and cohesion. One isn’t particularly better than the other, it is a balanced perspective that is essential.

Dream world

How about our dream world? Day dreaming, visualizations, visions, guided meditations? Is this by definition a fantasy or isn’t it? Who decides whether it is the dream world, the virtual reality or our 3D reality that is more real? Or that a vision is merely a delusion or actually a sneak peak into another reality?

Have you ever heard of lucid dreaming?

In a lucid dream you actually become awake within your dream and realize that you are in a dream so you can consciously decide on what does or does not happens next. You can invite characters to join you in your dream, switch locations instantly, (de)materialize objects etc.

Have you seen the movie ‘Inception’? Reality and the dream world become more and more entangled. These types of movies are generally considered to be ‘science fiction’ or even ‘fantasy’ but I dare to question this. Maybe it’s just that we haven’t been able to really grasp the concept and we need a wake up call of our own…

‘Have you ever had a dream, Neo, that you were so sure was real? What if you were unable to wake from that dream? How would you know the difference between the dream world and the real world?’

Multidimensionality

This touches upon an essential aspect of reality and observation/ perception. Who decides that our reality is limited to merely our 3D version? What about the stories concerning the 4th, 5th or many other dimensions? Parallel realities like the spirit world, in which people can see deceased people with their sixth sense and actually communicate with them. And what about the sightings of extraterrestrial or should I say ‘inter dimensional’ beings?

Is this fiction or could it be that this another existing reality that is not yet fully visible, perceivable by our consciousness because of our collective denial of this reality?

‘Truth is in the eye of the beholder….’

We consist of so much more than just our physical body. We are the cosmos in miniature and therefore so immense in such a comparatively small body that this in incomprehensible to our human brain. And let’s not forget the function of the heart. It is our heart that connects us to our multidimensionality. Our heart signals and registers other types of stimulus than we we’re able to with our five senses. This is where the deeper, inner knowing resides, beyond our observation and connected to (the) source (code).

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) is actually a catch-all term for everything that can be programmed into a virtual reality, parallel to our current 3D reality. Created by computers, through bits & bytes, via ones and zeros.

The virtual reality is actually a parallel digital reality/ dimension

A well known VR technique is in which you’re being immersed in this Virtual Reality by wearing VR glasses, like Occulus Rift or the Google Cardboard. In these glasses you can place your smartphone and this functions kind of like a portal to this virtual dimension.

When you’re sitting behind your TV, desktop or when you’re looking at your tablet or smartphone, there is always this distance remaining between you and the hardware. So you remain more aware/ conscious of the fact that these realities co-exist. You are able to consciously choose whether and when you want to leave this ‘reality’. 3D or IMAX movies are already blurring this line but as soon as you put on VR glasses you are fully immersed in its software, in this programmed virtual reality. The graphics are no longer to be distinguished from our 3D reality. Boundaries seem to continuously fade between these different realities (the ‘veil of illusion’) and it is becoming more difficult to be able to make the distinction.

As soon as you put on the VR glasses your brain can no longer tell this difference anyway and it considers the Virtual Reality as the sole existing reality. These glasses evolve at high speed: glasses become helmets (with e.g. scent applications), helmets become suits and suits become constructs (with physical applications like wind, water etc). Did you know that there is an actual VR Theme Park under construction? Go and Google ‘The Void’.

Another very clear example of a virtual reality is Second Life. Where you create an Avatar (a virtual alias) of yourself and you start living this fully virtual parallel life: you start making new friends, go out, start businesses, do your groceries, taking part in a virtual economy with virtual currencies that you can buy in real life. The Simms is a comparable, immensely populair, life simulation game.

Multidimensional techniques

Another type of Virtual Reality is Augmented Reality, in which the virtual reality is added to our 3D reality instead of it being taken over by it. Virtual layers are being projected over our reality, through e.g. apps on smartphones. Go and Google ‘Layar’: this app can locate and point out restaurants in a certain area by means of a GEO layer by scanning this area with the camera of the app. These types of techniques are also becoming more integrated with our biology by the introduction of Google Glasses and specific Smart lenses.

Applications and implications

What are the applications of these types of technology? Think about for gaming, for fun, but also think of it for health purposes (test environments, operations, treatments of phobias), corporate means (marketing, production) or for educational purposes (serious gaming). However also for military and industrial purposes…

What if we would apply these techniques for the evolution of our consciousness, to remember our true origin and our true potential? Imagine a VR experience where you are being fully immersed into sacred geometry, with additional healing frequencies? A VR game that reconnects you to the reality outside of The Matrix?

So using these technologies to become, and stay, more connected to yourself instead of becoming increasingly disconnected into a cloned reality.

Copy…right?

Because of my personal fascination to everything consciousness related, to the bigger questions in life like ‘who am I’, ‘what is my purpose in life’ but also ‘what is real’, it was a no brainer to me to start researching the virtual reality.

‘Let me tell you why you’re here Neo. You’re here because you know something. What you know you can’t explain, but you feel it. You’ve felt it your entire life, that there’s something wrong with the world. You don’t know what it is, but it’s there, like a splinter in your mind, driving you mad.’

We are becoming increasingly aware of how powerful and complex we are and at the same time continue to develop these exponential technologies.

I see a clear connection between the computer/machine reality and our 3D reality. It is almost as if we are trying to understand ourselves and the world around us by creating an artificial copy, a kind of cloned reality. Where we are convinced, or try to convince ourselves, of the fact that we can replicate something using our limited human brain. Something we cannot even grasp or process with those same brain cells. It is almost like a God-complex.

And that is where the danger lies: the usage of exponential technologies needs to go together with a dito level of consciousness (and ethics for that matter). Technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), nanotechnology, transhumanism, genetic technology, man-machine interfaces etc. have even bigger implications and seem controllable by man: it is us that write the programs and construct the hardware, right? But just as our limited understanding of who we are this might also be the case for the implications of these technologies…

‘Wake up (Neo)….’

Welcome to the future.

The Dutch version of this article has been released in the Dutch printed magazine ‘BRES – bewustzijn in beweging’, edition #296 March/April ’16. It is also available online at www.yfkelaanstra.nl

Yfke Laanstra her mission is to empower conscious entrepreneurs & individuals through virtual products and services.

She has recently launched a virtual platform called Soulvalley. Which is all about the cutting edge of consciousness and computer technology and how this relates to human potential and wellbeing.

She is a spirit junkie, holistic hacker and a truth seeker and wants to know everything there is to know about our true nature and the nature of reality. The virtual realms are her main medium.

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