Can We Change Reality?

In this piece, I will describe my thoughts on what reality could be, in different landscapes, dimensions or points of view, using a computer programming model. Then I will stop in the middle of that to discuss Artificial Intelligence, AI, what it actually is and a simple example of early models, and then go into the downward spiral of humanity within these two models to show how we got to this time of chaos, and then finally, how to get to a new world. This is not completely mystical, it is logical, human, and completely my opinion. Are you ready to go for a ride? Let’s go!

Reality as a Video Game

For many years, I have felt like we are in a video game. Are you a gamer? I am in my 60’s and was around when Pong, Space Invaders and Ms. Pac-Man were born. During college, my first programming language was Fortran IV, and just after college I learned Basic so I could program my TRS 80. Depending on your age and experience, this may all sound like a different language, and it may be so. But it is the beginning of understanding who we are and how we got here, to this era of chaos.

Ms. Pac-Man

One of the early games, Ms. Pac-Man, was quite simple. She was a round dot with a mouth, who could go forward, backward, left and right through a set maze. When she gobbled up little dots, she gained points, and the goal at each level was to gobble up all the dots in that maze, and the mazes got increasingly more complex as she graduated through the levels. The challenge was to avoid the ghosts who also had to stay in the maze, and who would kill you her if she was caught. Higher and higher levels had more ghosts. There was background music and simple tones when eating or dying.

Ah, if real life was so simple! All she has to do is eat and run away from danger. Take a second here and imagine reality like this. It seems like life as Ms. Pac-Man would be comparable to life as a simple animal. A mouse in a maze. Find food, run through the maze, escape by fleeing. And eventually getting caught, thus ending this life.

Imagine that reincarnation exists, and that souls exist. These souls remember the lessons learned from the previous life, similar to Ms. Pac-Man remembering the level she was on when she died. She returned at that level, and did not have to start from scratch. She learned by trial and error and got smarter the more she played. Sounds like playing almost any video game, right? However, Ms. Pac-Man may not remember exactly all the details from each previous level, like the exact experiences, as she only needs to remember how to play the game at the level that she died at. The ultimate goal of the game is to reach a level so high that the program reached “Game Over”. There is no more to learn, nothing to run from, no more dots to eat. Ms. Pac-Man won!

Consider this analogy for humans. It would mean that the goal of a certain level is to achieve something. Like the goal of infancy is to get to the point of walking. Once walking is achieved, the child is no longer considered an infant; he has graduated to being called a toddler. Taking the analogy further, there are many more stages through life, some defined by physical changes, some by educational goals, some by societal norms. The ultimate goal of a soul in a lifetime in this analogy is enlightenment, nirvana, or Heaven on Earth. The goal is to achieve so much knowledge and spiritual development, that the game is complete, and the soul cannot come back. There is no place to go. There is no more learning to be had.

Most people do not reach enlightenment in their current lifetime. Their soul has incarnated on earth many times, accumulating knowledge, dying, then coming back at that level to learn more, to gain spiritual knowledge and to go forward on the spiritual journey.

Realms of Perspective

We have looked at life from the perspective of Ms. Pac-Man, or the individual human. Consider now the Gamer. When you, the gamer, are playing, you control the movements of Ms. Pac-Man within the environment of the game. You cannot jump walls of the maze, you cannot change the structure of the maze, or the movement of the ghosts. You have control over Ms. Pac-Man. That’s all. You can deliberately kill her or work hard to learn the game. The thrill comes from achieving new levels. This is similar to the perspective of the human soul. Ms. Pac-Man can be called an avatar or an incarnated human. The soul remembers from lifetime to lifetime, bringing forward some level of knowledge to each new lifetime, each new level. But Ms. Pac-Man has no idea that you, the gamer, exists. She is your puppet, and you are the puppet master.

There is a higher perspective as well. The perspective of the programmer. The Creator. God. The programmer has created all of the characters, the backgrounds, the potential movements. But the programmer cannot anticipate the exact movements of the characters in the game. In Ms. Pac-Man, the ghosts can perceive where Ms. Pac-Man is in the maze, and change direction depending on her moves, constantly working to get closer and closer to her, to ultimately overtake her. The programmer has created the code that will take all this into account, but cannot “hard code” each and every move. Instead, the programmer writes code that says something like the following:  when the coordinates of MPM are in zone A, ghost3 must follow the maze toward zone A. The directions are more fluid, allowing for changes of direction and choosing new pathways.

In an incarnated life on earth, the soul can have the human go here or there, but the Creator has given the human Free Will to learn by experience and by their nature. In this scenario, nature would be the knowledge brought forward from previous incarnations.

Other games from that era that are slightly more complicated include Super Mario and Donkey Kong. In these, the main character has more options, like run or jump, but also has the ability to gain points or lose them. There are also levels, and always you can level-up, but never level-down. You can be stopped by dying, but then when you play next time, you come back at that same level.

The Sims

There are next generation video games that were created for playing on a personal computer that have much more sophisticated graphics and programming. These include The Sims or Loopy Landscapes (an amusement park simulation). The Sims is a human life simulation game, like the board game Life but a thousand times more sophisticated. The gamer gets to create a family, their entire house and neighborhood, and then play them as if they are their own avatar. Like in life on earth, the family members can gain in health and wealth through positive actions and reactions, or lose the same from acting negatively. The complexity is so much greater, and the thought of a single programmer creating all the code seems impossible to me. I am sure a full team of designers and programmers was required to create it.

Through games like these, people like us can play these games and learn lessons about how to grow into a positive human being without having to experience some of the difficult lessons. For example, if you do not eat or exercise, you lose health. In Loopy Landscapes if you do not hire enough janitors, your amusement park gets so dirty that people stop coming and you can eventually lose the park.

Multiplayer Games

Beyond the previous games are games that are played on the internet, where gamers can play together in teams or against each other. Now, rather than creating a single artificial world, the world is created for the players, and the players interact within it. They discover the world bit by bit, work together within the world, and create the world as well. An example of this is Minecraft, which has been around over a decade and captured the hearts of millions of players. It is almost like a world within a world.

Now that we have done a very quick overview of the history of gaming and the programming required to create it, let’s move on to Artificial Intelligence, the history, and where I see it today.

Artificial Intelligence vs. Human Collective Intelligence

I see two extremes when reading about Artificial Intelligence, either fear or excitement. In this next section, we will objectively look into it, so that emotion does not enter the discussion, and then we can look at where it fits in this perspective of reality.

A database to solve health problems

In the very beginning, AI was a very useful tool, allowing users to let a computer compute what a person did not have the time or energy or brain power to do. For example, let’s say that a health care company wanted to know the best solutions for colon cancer. The programmers begin with code – the program – and some initial data – the database or information that is fed into the program. The program has a simple task, to calculate the odds or the statistical probability, that a health care solution would eliminate the cancer in a given individual. The more data that is fed into it, the more accurate the calculations. The solutions are not programmed in. Instead, the program generates a new database of solutions. In the beginning, perhaps there are two solutions, chemotherapy and radiation. Then, as new solutions are fed to the program, such as certain herbs, prayer, exercise, placebo, or nothing, these categories are added to the solution database. Along with the solution is the result from using that solution. Let’s say that chemotherapy had 1,000 records, and of that, 850 people had long-term remission. The computer then calculates with a high accuracy that chemotherapy works 85% of the time.

Then, say some data is entered for a certain herb. The number of times this herb has been given is 10 times with remission for 9 out of 10 cases. Even though the results are very positive, the accuracy is much less because of the fewer cases, so the AI part of the program realizes it is not the best solution. Next, let’s say that over the years the number of solutions rise to a hundred, with many thousands of cases entered, the accuracy of each solution is improved and the ability to forecast the outcome of using any particular solution is greater. Note, however, that all is dependent on the input of the data – the number of cases for each solution and the number of cases overall. A user can rely on the AI solution for cancer but notice that the data can be skewed.

If the data that is entered into the program has a human element of preference toward a certain solution, even AI can be incorrect. AI is dependent on the humans that enter the data. Why is it called Artificial Intelligence? Because it learns from each new data point entered. It becomes intelligent over time, with the more information provided. It was created by humans, artificially.

Another example is speech to text. Years ago, when programs like Dragon Naturally Speaking came on the market, the user had to train the program to understand their voice. Through speaking a series of words provided by the program, the program would then learn the person’s accent, tones, and other specifics of their voice. Once the initial database of words is created, all new words spoken are added when the user informs the program of the accuracy of resulting text. The program gets smarter with each new word added to the database, creating more understanding, more knowledge, and therefore, more accuracy.

The important information about AI to note here is that

1.       The program learns from the user

2.       The program continues to learn

3.       The program accumulates more and more knowledge, similar to people

4.       The program is formed from only the data provided and can be skewed

An analogy for AI in reality is the human collective intelligence, or The Collective Consciousness. All consciousness experience is fed into the collective intelligence to create the game called “reality”. The program of today’s reality as we experience it comes from all of the events in the world, as they accumulated throughout history. We learn about the history through classes, and we add to the history through our own actions. Each of add to the Human Collective Intelligence every minute of every day. We determine, as a whole, the future of humanity, good or bad.

Human values, including selfishness and greed

We now go back in time to a board game that most people know about, Monopoly. Although it is not a video game, it provides a simple example where we can explore the darker side of human nature. In Monopoly, each person begins as an individual with a set amount of money. The money is used to purchase property and improvements on those properties. When one player lands on the property of another, they must pay rent. The main way to spend money is to purchase property, and the main way to lose money is to pay rent. There are also elements of luck that can cause you to gain or lose money along the way. The goal of the game is to accumulate as much wealth as possible, causing your opponents to go broke.

I was thinking as I wrote this about two different sayings about dying: “They who die with the most stuff win” and  “The goal of life is to die the day you spend your last dollar”. The first statement glorifies greed and selfishness while the second is more dependent on living in a balanced manner.

In the United States, we generally put high regard on “pulling yourself up by the bootstraps”, by becoming a self-made person, by not relying on other people or systems to get by. All this leads to seeing community building as weak, or as government assistance as morally wrong. From the beginnings of our country’s history, we applaud hard work. “Greed is good” comes from a movie called Wall Street, where the game is to destroy the weak by being selfish and greedy. Certainly, we see in many video games the lesson that strong independence can lead to a satisfactory result in the game, but not all games. There are many instances in which pulling together as a community can reap even more rewards.

Throughout the history of the United States, because of our history and the resulting culture, we Americans have fed into our database more and more independence, resulting in more selfishness and greed. When a young person grows up in a culture like this, it does not seem evil or even extraordinary. It simply is the learned game of life.

The Reality of Hell

In humans, where did these notions of self-reliance and greed originate? I assume, from the beginning of humanity. I assume we all were programmed to do what was necessary to survive. If someone had food but you didn’t, and the other would not share, you would steal or even kill. It was necessary for survival. Yet, we see today that this part of our human nature, our programming, is way out of balance. Wars for thousands of years have happened, not to survive, but to conquer. Killing other humans for land. For superiority, for greed.

And how does it make us feel? Have you ever played laser tag or paint ball? When you “killed” but not for real? Or played a first person shooter game, shooting your friends or other people who you don’t know, but in a game, knowing it’s just an avatar? Ever feel that rush of adrenalin that you are not allowed in real life?

Yeah. You probably know what I am talking about. When not playing for real, we get to do all sorts of horrible things. Grand Theft Auto, for example. Being very, very bad feels good when you win.

Yikes, this has become dark, but we are on the dark part of this exploration into reality. Reality is not all fun and games, right?

We are all energy – including the energy of selfishness and greed

Science has explained spirituality in very concrete terms. Even if we cannot see the foundation of all life, we can begin to understand it in scientific terms. Take a look at the skin on your hands. It is very solid, you cannot see through it, and if you touch it, it is hard. But you have been taught that your skin is made up of cells, and you probably have seen cells through a microscope. Within the cells are various parts, including water. A molecule of water is made up of two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen. That atom of oxygen, as well as all atoms, is made up of particles of energy and space. And that’s it. All matter, whether it is solid, liquid or gaseous, is made of energy. You are energy, the lemonade you drink and the salad you eat is energy, even the air you breathe is nothing but energy. The entire material universe is energy.

And this energy has different frequencies. Rather than go into much detail that would show my ignorance, I will jump to how we as humans project the levels of our energy as we live.

We may wake up in the morning, and sing “It’s going to be a great day!” or we might “wake up on the wrong side of the bed”. Each of these feelings has an energy attached to it, and it colors how you go forward into your day, as well as how you project that energy onto others. Yes, we share energy without realizing it or meaning to.

For example, imagine walking into a hospital room where a person is dying. The air is heavy and dark, the people’s faces are sad, eyes downcast. Even if you had brought flowers and a bright attitude, you feel the effects of their energy as it lowers your vibration. On the opposite side, imagine walking into a party where everyone is happy to see you, so glad you came! You may have walked in after a hard day feeling depleted, but the energy of those who extend their happiness to you is real, and your energy is uplifted as well.

We share energy, like it or not. And even though it may not seem like we can affect the Universe, even though our singular energy is not that great, we do, in microdoses. And we can cause a wave of change through our emotions as our one boost of energy spreads in concentric circles, out further and further. So, this seems like we have a responsibility to the world – what energy are we putting out? The exhilaration of greed or killing, or the warmth and beauty of falling in love, of eating delicious nutritious food, or of feeling the sunshine on our face and clean sweat dripping during a satisfying run? Even if we are “only playing a video game” of greed or war, we are simultaneously adding that negative energy to the Universe.

The Spiral to the Hell we Live in Today

Perhaps in the beginning, people were simpler, and hurting others – people and animals – was only done for survival. Today, we are so much more sophisticated. We have bred into ourselves, through Human Collective Intelligence, this desire for pleasure that will conquer the hurt of loneliness or boredom or anxiety; even if for only a short while. We might do pleasurable things that help those around us through acts of charity or working a garden or taking a walk. We might do pleasurable things that hurt ourselves and others like drinking and drugging, violent acts, or even sharing our bad juju. The more people that share bad vibes, the more bad vibes that are created and shared, and it spirals. Now, it seems that because the human race is spiraling downwards, Mother Earth is spiraling down also, taking the entire plant and animal kingdoms with her.

How can we break this cycle?

What if our world is The Matrix and we are the Sims!

Many people have seen the movie, The Matrix. In it, the protagonist is shown that reality, as people know it, actually is not real. The people are avatars, and the game – The Matrix – is controlled by sinister players. Let’s call them gamers, so that we are clear who is who. The gamers live in an ugly world and can enter the game at will. Their goal is to eliminate the protagonist who “wakes up” as to how this game is played, so he does not break the code and wakes everyone else up, too.

Could we be living in a matrix? Could our bodies be avatars – the Sims - controlled by our soul? Could there be a creator that goes by many names – God, Goddess, Spirit, Source, Grandfather, All There Is? And could it be that this creator has put all of this reality into motion, giving the souls free will to kill and hurt others for selfishness, or the free will to save each other? Could it be that we get to choose to win the game or lose it all?

The Path to The New World

We are all One

Let us step back from Reality for a moment. Let us step back from our avatar, to see the perspective of reality from that of the gamer/soul. From this perspective we have control over how we play the play the game through practicing, learning, and playing to win.

Next we pull back even further to the perspective of the Creator. Perhaps we can even create our own game. This is called manifestation in spiritual circles. Using high vibration and desire, people who play the game at this high level can create objects and events that they desire. If they are powerful, they can inadvertently create bad events in their lives as well. The point here is that people can be creators of their own lives. Many books have been written on manifestation, so I won’t explore it further here.

Going back to everything being energy, and that we create the energy that we live in, and that we can manifest objects and events, it becomes clear that we can create a new world. The game is intelligent, cumulative and dynamic. The more input we give, the more accurate the model. The more we desire and visualize it, the more clear it becomes.

We are all One. We breathe the exact same air in this reality. The atoms that exist in the water you drink are the same as the ones that were in the rain that fell on the earth thousands of years ago and that I will swim in next summer. Literally, we all exist in the same One Reality that includes the past and the future. So, the more data we can feed into the intelligence model called Collective Consciousness or Human Collective Intelligence, the sooner we can solve the problems of war, chaos, famine, disease and more in this old programming. Ready?

The key to the backdoor of the Game – light, love and compassion

The energy of the old world is darkness. I love the quote from Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. that “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.” Therein lies the key to the backdoor of the programming code. Every game has a backdoor. Hackers are adept at finding that password or that key that gets them into the original code. Normal users do not know it exists, and normal users are too involved within the game to care.

But you and me? We can look at the program from a new perspective. Not from the perspective of the avatar. Not from the perspective of the gamer, either. We can lift ourselves up to the level of Creator – even if only at a low level or for only a minute at a time. We know the key.

Light, love, and compassion. We can flood the Universe by praying, meditating and acting with these values. Any time that we feel the low vibrations that we want to leave behind, we remind ourselves that we are the creators of our reality. We recall times when we were happy, even ecstatic. We think of those we love and send them thoughts and prayers filled with love. We meditate, emptying out the negative and flooding our consciousness with the positive. We affect all those around us by being the energy that we want to feel in the world.

Through this process, we create the New World. This is how we…

Break the Code!!!!