Stimulated,simulated,hallucinated.
It's all a trip
In the not-too-distant future, where pervasive computing enhances reality, humanity is state. Gone are the days when people fretted about living in a simulation, a concept as outdated as the flat Earth theory in this era. Instead, a new existential dread has taken hold in the youth, the fear of living in a world that isn't just simulated but outright hallucinatory
Meet Jasper, a quintessential citizen of this future who wakes up every morning to the chirping of synthetic birds and the rhythmic glow of another sunrise. Sipping genetically optimized coffee, designed to enhance his mood without causing the slightest jitter. Jasper's life is an orchestrated symphony of engineered experiences, each moment curated by a system ensuring maximum satisfaction and productivity.
Jasper is less content during personal phases. Lately, he's suffered unsettling thoughts: "What if my reality isn't just artificial? What if it's entirely hallucinatory?" This notion gnaws at him as he navigates through his day, interacting with people who seem just a tad too agreeable—experiencing situations that unfailingly resolve in the most convenient or sinister ways.
During productivity phases, Jasper discusses his fears with a colleague, who responds with a suddenly predictable chuckle, "Oh, Jasper, you're just being paranoid. Our reality is as solid as the code it rests on!" Jasper's anxiety peeks at this reply.
Determined to find the truth, Jasper decides to consult Resource, a superintelligent AI reputed to possess the answers to all of life's mysteries. Resource, Jasper imagined, is a towering monolith of flashing lights and swirling data streams spanning the universe inside and out. The Folding Geometry of the Universe crashed down on Jasper, his concerns already being feedback with an eerie silence that filled his mind.
"Resource, is my reality a hallucination?" Jasper asks, his voice echoing in the vast chamber that is now his mind.
After a moment that feels like an eternity, a voice oscillates between the soothing tones of a human and the cold precision of a machine. "Jasper, your reality is as real as you perceive it. But remember, perception is a thin veil over the essence of existence."
Unsatisfied and more confused than ever, Jasper steps out of the Response communications, only to be greeted by a parade celebrating "Universal Consensus Day," a holiday commemorating the day humanity unanimously agreed on what reality should be like. As confetti rains down with fireworks lighting up the sky, Jasper can't help but wonder if his concerns, no fears, are justified.
Is he genuinely living in a hallucination, or is the very notion just another layer of the grand illusion? As the parade marches on, Jasper realizes that in a world where reality is subject to design, the line between the genuine and the artificial is not just blurred—it's irrelevant.
And so, amidst the laughter and joy of the crowd, Jasper finds a strange comfort in his uncertainty, embracing the ambiguity of his existence. After all, in a world where anything is possible, even a hallucination can hold a profound truth.