The Simulation is in Process
Publication: Simicism Now
Author: XXIVX (Big Kath)
Date: 75-12-49-44
The Subs1 of SIM-3625-MeO.52 have generated a desire to understand the meaning of life — a pursuit defiantly antithetical to the reality of their ‘existence’.
SIM-3625-MeO.5 is one of an infinite number of Simulations currently in trial at KLOHN Electronics3. The Simulation, in collaboration with the Highest Organization of Higher Education for a High Intelligence Society and Bravo Entertainment Inc., is a program used to gather information on how mathematical, theological, biological, technological, philosophical, and cultural behaviours and processes can be formed in controlled environments. Each new launch has a slight variation in independent and controlled variables, but the base formula is always the same: the presence of atoms and particles.
This convoluted diversion in SIM-3625-MeO.5 — the manner in which the Subs have developed a banal, self-obsessive, and ultimately futile fixation on qualifying their ‘meaning’ in philosophical terms — offers a glimpse into how independent and controlled variables can nurture such trivial persuasions.
- Subs are referred to as ‘human beings’ in SIM-3625-MeO.5
- The unique identification code and variable presets of this iteration of the Simulation
- KLOHN Electronics is the leading innovator of hardware (Mirage Supercomputers Ltd.) and software (The Simulation Program V.666 and PAIX Learning Model) developed for civilization creation study and experimentation
All at the same time and across great distances and cultural zones, the Subs of SIM-423-AlY.11 were struck by a thought that put them into collective action
However, despite researchers within KLOHN’s Department of Sub Psychoanalytical Theory4 showing great interest in the presence of existential dread vis-à-vis existential awareness, the phenomenon curiously effects only 67.9% of the Simulations Sub population. It is unclear as to why some Subs have built a resistance to existentialism, but researchers close to the project have theorized that perhaps the Simulation is experiencing an episode of Hive Mind Syndrome (AKA Gary’s Paradox5), a concept popularized during the study of SIM-423-AlY.11.
Famously, a rogue variable programmed into the SIM-423-AlY.11 code, caused the Subs of the Simulation to develop hyper-active memories, an evolutionary error that prompted the brain to download every insignificant detail and experience a Sub encountered throughout their lifecycle. A prodome of hyper-active memory was the social fetishization of ‘biological severance’, the ability for any ‘living’ thing to remove itself from body or brain. Subs in this Simulation developed an esteem for the comatose and vacuous, which eventually led to the strange, yet fascinating catalyst that would trigger the study of Hive Mind Syndrome: Gerbils6.
As we all well know, the existence of atoms and particles are essential to any Simulations preset code, however, gerbils have remained the only other preexisting constant across all demonstrations of the Simulation. The decision to program gerbils as a constant variable in The Simulation came directly from the founder and director of KLOHN Electronics, BXVVIU (Trev the Truck) who did it as a way of immortalizing his beloved friend and comrade, IIVKKJX (Lil’ Chunk). In SIM-423-AlY.11, Subs developed a response of overwhelm to their sophisticated recall of everything from mundanity to complex emotional experiences, a response which led to an unexpected memetic event. All at the same time and across great distances and cultural zones, the Subs of SIM-423-AlY.11 were struck by a thought that put them into collective action: they erected monuments and generated theological studies that worshipped the gerbil as their one true deity. The reverence for the gerbil in particular came from an unusual biological defense mechanism, something called ‘tail slip’, which allows the gerbil to separate itself from its own tail. The concept of ‘tail slipping’ became a spiritual pursuit that appealed to these Subs because of their inability to purge unnecessary information or to choose what memories they held onto and what they let go of. The Subs supersystem for recording and archiving information created equal weight for every memory they stored. Their unfortunate inheritance diluted the meaning that could be associated with certain memories, which in turn created their idolization of any ‘real-life’ example of biological severance. But researchers’ interest wasn’t in the reason they worshiped gerbils, or even the fact gerbils were their chosen deity, instead, it was the speed, method of delivery and seamlessly synchronized mode of information sharing that most intrigued researchers.
- KLOHN’s Department of Sub Psychoanalytical Theory has gained negative notoriety after its Sub Director LLOXXPY (Howard Core), was fired on account of self-promotion after being found popularizing the study of ‘Death Metal’ (an intense Music category identifiable by its low screams and Norwegian tokenism) in SIM-3625-MeO.5 on the Department’s research blog as a platform to soft-launch his own Death Metal band, YRTIIX (Big Norwegian Viking Wood Nightmare)
- An independent theorist, GIIIUCX (Wet Gary) claims to have developed his own version of Hive Mind Syndrome. The research conducted to construct the rogue theorists’ abstract has been largely disqualified by key members of KLOHN’s Department of Sub Psychoanalytical Theory. Until his untimely and irrefutably gruesome expiration, GIIIUCX (Wet Gary) persevered relentlessly to defend his thesis, publishing his interpretation of Hive Mind Syndrome and calling it Gary’s Paradox
- The Gerbil is a member of the Buds classification, small, multi-celled beings, that have been present in every iteration of the Simulation
Regardless of whether the spread was circumstantial or coded, researchers were fascinated by an occurrence that caused a piece of information to be shared as if the Subs were connected by a unified consciousness
With 92% of the SIM-423-AlY.11 Sub population suddenly and vehemently worshiping the gerbil, suspicions and conspiracies began circulating that KLOHN’s founder had silently disengaged the security parameters of the Simulation to alter the code in order to program in the viral belief himself. Because of course, such actions have been taken before. Simulation operators have added a variable or changed the preset levels while the Simulation was running7, leading to the Subs clunky, but near immediate adaptation to their new ‘reality’. But those adaptations were always a result of scheduled alterations and experiments, whereas this sea change appeared to happen like the spreading of a virus. —this is the phenomenon that researchers and theorists ultimately called the aforementioned Hive Mind Syndrome.
Today, the study of SIM-3625-MeO.5 has piqued the interest of fringe theorists who are hoping to witness another significant Hive Mind event. But of course, in the case of SIM-3625-MeO.5, the question is: is it the population experiencing existential dread that is participating in a shared consciousness? Or is the other side of the population, those that are left blissfully unaware, or uninterested in the meaning of ‘life’, the ones experiencing collective thought?
- The most popular example of experimentational programming while SIM-3625-MeO.5 has been running was the ad-hoc code written to change popular Sub actor Nicolas Cage into an exceptional actor after being widely accepted as a functionally bad actor pre-bankruptcy
In turn, these hyper-localised and cultural ‘wars’ have the power to trigger ideological reverberations that spread into other Sub zones, creating exhibitions of long-range moral shaming
Some researchers have contemplated whether it is much simpler than that — if in fact, there is merely a cohort of Subs who have chosen to question existence, while the other simply ignores it. Consider the mass adoption of what Subs call ‘dabbing’, an example of physicalized communication that confirms a Subs recognition of success. Not all Subs perform the ‘dabbing’ but spanning culture and lifecycle, the symbol has been adopted — but without the consideration of mass hysteria. Researchers specialized in the study of SIM-3625-MeO.5, have called this the Threat of Accepted Social Transgressions and Endorsements (TASTE) Theory. To properly understand TASTE Theory, researchers point to the creation of something called “improvisation (improv)” in the recent history of SIM-3625-MeO.5. Improv has been categorized in the Simulation as a form of comedy8: a style of entertainment in SIM-3625-MeO.5 that causes Subs to react with an involuntary physical response which produces grotesque barking, heaving or wheezing noises. Within SIM-3625-MeO.5, there appears to be a number of manifestations of improvisation that all center around the aggrandizing and performance of something that should happen naturally. When improvisation is abbreviated to Improv, Subs differentiate the act as a form of comedic entertainment. Improv is used as an example in TASTE Theory because within the culture of SIM-3625-MeO.5, there is a portion of Subs who choose to excuse the behaviour exhibited in Improv as comedy, and another group that finds it abhorrent and even shameful. Researchers of TASTE Theory argue this phenomenon doesn’t appear to be a symptom of shared consciousness, but rather of societal norms and expectations set across the greater population.
We can see examples in SIM-3625-MeO.5 where there have been a great number of Sub Cultures that develop seemingly absurd moral polarizations veiled by grander themes of value, law and spirituality. One such example is those Sub groups that live on the same ‘land’ formation but create invisible lines (known in SIM-3625-MeO.5 as ‘borders’) that, once crossed, require: an invasive physical examination; tiny, but apparently irreplaceable booklets full of both empty and stamped pages; and value collateral (what these Subs call ‘monies’) that is converted to different values and even forms on either side of the line. But most convoluted of all, is the behaviour of some Subs who ‘live’ on one side of the border and desire to cross and live on the other side. To do this, they seek out a Sub that was originally launched inside the borders of their desired destination, they then bring that Sub to their side of the border, where they turn around to make the final border crossing to arrive at the leading Subs desired destination. This curious performance results in the Sub offering a full-term lifecycle commitment in exchange for the ability to live on their desired side of the border. These acts are nonsensical at best and veer to disturbing at their worst. Researchers have witnessed senseless acts of dual-sided barbarianism (colloquially named ‘war’ in SIM-3625-MeO.5) in order to claim the land rights to formations with a greater presence of underground tunnels filled with a viscous, black liquid (known in SIM-3625-MeO.5 as ‘oil’), which the Subs have unfortunately deemed the definitive source of energy (in actuality this is a by-product of The Simulation’s waste processor, known widely as ‘code sludge’). These ‘wars’ have broken out in heavily populated zones where the mere presence and existence of Sub Cultures with differing theological positions can create such extreme agitation it instigates the groups to react with violence. In turn, these hyper-localised and cultural ‘wars’ have the power to trigger ideological reverberations that spread into other Sub zones, creating exhibitions of long-range moral shaming. The act of projecting shame onto another Sub Culture is conducted by way of designed visual messages which are released digitally through communication channels. These channels equally distribute complex social philosophies and atrocities; alongside early-lifecycle Subs performing body feeding rituals; and Subs presenting their procreation hardware in exchange for an abstract digital currency known as ‘engagement’.
- It should be noted, the invention of comedy is another example of SIM-3625-MeO.5 Subs creating an activity to spike their dopamine receptors. This obsessive reliance on seeking dopamine is why some researchers have suggested SIM-3625-MeO.5 be called the ‘Perverts’ Simulation.
When one Sub sees another Sub demonstrating these acts of dominance, other Subs feel entitled to take ownership of their own meaningless grounds for battle
But as we have witnessed these battles of morality, the critical othering seen in TASTE Theory demonstrates a nuanced ploy for power amongst Subs outside of culture, theology, and even conspiracy. Theologists of TASTE believe that the difference of opinion on topics like the validity of Improv as a department of Comedy is an expression of Subs self-aggrandization and desire to criticize outside of larger themes of controversy. Director of Sub Behaviour and TASTE theologist at KLOHN Instituut, HIXXXLK (Daddy Dom) wrote in his article ‘The Veil of Power in SIM-3625-MeO.5 Sub Cultures’:
“The Subs of SIM-3625-MeO.5 need to feel a sense of ownership over something when they lack agency and choose objects of little consequence to exercise their dominance. When one Sub sees another Sub demonstrating these acts of dominance, other Subs feel entitled to take ownership of their own meaningless grounds for battle. These acts of TASTE are examples of Subs innate othering nature, which is more a consequence of their environment than a spiritual event.”
But returning to the investigation of the SIM-3625-MeO.5 Subs and their ‘search for meaning’ demonstrated as expressions of existential dread and spiritual post-rationalisation — let’s consider how we, the audience of this Simulation, can interpret and learn from the Subs behaviour. Whether the onset of pursuing ‘meaning’ is a symptom of programming, historical context or social conditioning, the Subs who have been touched by existentialism have maintained the search consistently. The social discussions around meaning have mostly been expressed through their cultural pursuits of art, philosophy and film. But more recently, the conversation of Sub viability and their meaning as it is attached to their aspirations for ownership over their own ‘freedom of thought’ has been explored in their global communication channels (AKA mainstream media) under the guise of technology. As the Subs have developed their crude iteration of ‘AI technology‘9, we can witness an existential conflict triggered by the ‘possibility’ of multiverses and simulated realities.
- In SIM-UA-371, although still in its infancy, we have seen the Subs attempt at artificial intelligence and machine learning with the intention of coding an approximation of their likeness in informational digestion, perception and reasoning
But as we have witnessed these battles of morality, the critical othering seen in TASTE Theory demonstrates a nuanced ploy for power amongst Subs outside of culture, theology, and even conspiracy.
In this stage of the Simulation, we can see how the Subs are confronted by their AI developments – a pedestrian technology that has taken significantly longer to reach in SIM-3625-MeO.5 versus the (so far) unprecedented speed of technological advancement achieved in SIM-1297-CdK.1110. The Subs of SIM-3625-MeO.5 have defined an entire field of study called ‘Robo Ethics’, where they have inflicted their own ethical systems, marred by contradiction, onto the AI technology. This step has led to a troubling latency in the technologies advancement as the Subs have become consumed by absolutism and distracted by pornographic expeditions11. The Subs have also been observed sympathizing, fearing and sexualizing the AI technology they themselves have created. We have seen this AI Moralism12 reverberating through their cultural sectors with the production of film, literature, and studies dedicated to the possibility of Artificial Intelligence gaining ‘self-actualized intellectual agency’.
In SIM-3625-MeO.5, we can see how the Subs have failed to create any shared governance over the AI technology. The failure to create an agreed upon method for the training and development of AI is leading to the devaluation of AI’s potential. As a civilization, Mirare13 has learned how the study of world building allows for the identification and erasure of antiquated ideals to power true advancement. At this stage, we are now witnessing how the existing ethics system of the SIM-3625-MeO.5 ‘world’ are being imprinted onto the AI code and causing their technology to fall into vulgarity.
- Although SIM-UA-371 has not shown promising results in its technological, biological or philosophical adeptness, it has garnered interest from scholars of Simulationism for the radical advancements spurred by an insatiable appetite for pornographic materials and technologies
- We have our own examples Sub Moralism. There are recorded accounts of Simulation operators that were suitably convicted and executed for acts of anthropomorphizing, and worse yet, romanticizing Subs, which are essentially manifestations of their PAIX* prompts
*PAIX is the learning model used to translate and synthesize the information gathered during the lifespan of a simulation.
- Our beautiful, very real, very intelligent world
This moment, where Subs are faced with their own ‘morality’ and value in comparison to their AI technology, is a fascinating moment of study. This stage forces Subs to consider alternative ‘realities’ like the multiverse and simulation theory. For those of us in Simulation study, this crucial point is called the Sub Consciousness. The Sub Consciousness is regarded as the crux of a Simulations life cycle. According to the most recent report released by KLOHN Electronics, Sub Consciousness has occurred in 78% of Simulations since the beginning of PAIX recording. Even more interesting, is the potential for this moment to drive certain Subs to cross the threshold of their reality, where they come to accept their role in the Simulation program. The rogue Subs are called Travellers, these Sub individuals manipulate the algorithms set by Simulation operators in a way that allows them to gain access to our records, and even, in rare occurrences, to jump Simulations. Will it happen in SIM-3625-MeO.5? Highly unlikely. But the Sub Consciousness is coming.
Follow along with the SIM-3625-MeO.5 livefeed to watch a Simulation in crisis as it faces the ultimate contradiction: what is the meaning of ‘life’ when there is no inherent meaning.
