[thoughtgypsy]

One of the most profound questions over the meaning of life and our place in it is what the true nature of reality is and where we come from.

I don't hope to ever have a firm grasp of the answer to that, but there are some themes and ideas which I've seen recurring throughout human history, in popular culture, and some which even have occasional scientific backing.

Preface
Before delving into the world of wild speculation, I want to state for the record that I don't firmly believe any of this. I merely put these ideas forward as a thought experiment, and a way to tie together random patterns throughout history.

Some of these ideas will be quite radical, drawing on themes from pop culture, Sci Fi, and ancient religion. I wanted to cover different ideas with no particular order or structure simply to throw them out there. Please keep an open mind and take this discussion for what it is, wild (and hopefully entertaining) speculation.

Spoiler Alert: As part of this discussion, I draw quite a bit on the themes in popular movies. These include The Matrix trilogy, Jupiter Ascending, The Alien series (mainly Prometheus and Covenant), and Dark City. If you do not want me to spoil the plot for these ones, give them a look first before continuing.

Now, let's jump in.

Holographic or Constructed Reality

For many, The Matrix Trilogy was the introduction to the groundbreaking idea that we live in a constructed reality, far different from the true nature of existence. It presents a world where an artificial, mathematically constructed world is foisted upon a populace of sentient beings in return for their harvest.

There are similar concepts in pop culture. The movie "Dark City" predates the Matrix, and presents a scenario where people exist in a false reality created by an alternate society which harvests their souls to survive.

There are some parallels in ancient religions. The Cathars, a gnostic group of early Christians, and the ancient Hindus believe that our existence is an illusion, and that our souls are trapped in a physical matrix (the human body).

Recently, the simulation hypothesis has garnered wide exposure in mainstream news outlets and is even being pushed in some "science" media outlets.

For a more visceral experience of the sensation of a constructed reality, people who have taken DMT (ayahuasca and hallucinogenic mushrooms) often describe a realization that the reality we exist in is artificial.

In the physical realm (space, matter, time), there is an incredible re-occurrence of specific numbers, patterns, and geometry on both the micro, macro, and cosmic scales. This is an incredibly lengthy topic for study in itself, but for an intro, check out the video below:

Many secret societies describe their god as the "architect" of the universe, implying the artificial construction of the reality we live in. They are also obsessed with sacred geometry. I believe their earliest known fore-bearers were the Phoenicians, whose religious mythology ties in with the overall theme.

The most comprehensive theory for the way our brains (where we believe our consciousness exists in this plane) function is that of a holographic storage network. The theory is called the holonomic brain theory.

Vampires, Demons, and Harvesting of Souls

Throughout history, major religions have described powerful creatures which prey on humans. One of the most recognized creatures is the vampire, which is depicted of being immortal, avoiding sunlight, and living off the blood of victims.

Prior to the modern era, human sacrifice has been a reality in human cultures for thousands of years. The Phoenicians, Carthaginians, and Aztecs all practiced human sacrifice to appease what they believed to be gods.

Blood held great significance in many of these sacrifices, and when people think of demonic or satanic practices, they often think of human sacrifices and the drinking of blood.

I may be mistaken, but I believe the Aztecs believed the powerful creatures they wished to appease were sustained by the souls and the blood of those who were sacrificed.

While many of the allegations surrounding Pizzagate are difficult to prove, one of the most shocking aspects revolve around spirit cooking, and the blood sacrifice of innocent victims. There are previous cases where similar allegations were put forth, including the Presidio day care scandal, the Franklin coverup scandal, the Marc Dutruox case, among others.

Many of the benevolent societies warned against these practices as those which support an intelligence which is against humanity. Early MesoAmerican societies describe their god Quetzlcoatl as imploring them to oppose human sacrifice. Christianity does as well, associating blood sacrifice as supporting demonic entities which wish to capture our souls.

Another figure related to the theme is the Grim Reaper, or as the ancients knew him, Cronus/Saturn/El. Cronus was the god of time and the reaper of souls, worshiped among some groups as the highest deity of all (El). The Greeks knew him as saturn, and he was depicted as a god who sacrificed his children.

The theme of the harvesting of humans, or the harvesting of souls is also prevalent in pop culture. In The Matrix trilogy, Dark City, Jupiter Ascending, and perhaps even the Alien series, the theme of human harvest is prevalent.

All these series depict a scenario where humans on Earth exist to be harvested for
the sustenance of an immortal, nonhuman elite. While this theme is quite bizarre and out there, it's interesting that it has continued to persist in art and culture, even if it's most likely fiction.

Hiding in plain site, free will and demonic possession

Along the same vein, a similar idea is that vampires/demons require being "invited" by their victims before they can be turned. A common saying is making a "deal with the devil" where one thinks they are getting something nice, only to lose their soul.

Many have noticed the strange practice where secret societies feel the need to throw their symbolism everywhere in pop culture, often called "hiding in plain site". Some who study the esoteric believe this is a form of spiritual warfare, grasping in vain for a claim of showing themselves, thus eliciting an unspoken "consent".

Years ago, the Trimondis claimed to have witnessed initiation ceremonies for the highest orders of esoteric (Tibetan) Buddhism. They describe a scenario where the initiate undergoes what would be described in Christianity as demonic possession. This is not the first source which would claim that the initiation into the highest orders of certain secrets societies involves a form of possession. Many historically isolated cultures throughout the world believe in the possibility of possession by malicious entities.

Possession is also described as a way for more advanced entities to enter our plane of existence, and to attain immortality by living in different physical bodies through serial possession. In the Matrix, agent smith is able to manifest in the matrix by possessing the body of any "plugged in" human at will.

Antedeluvian Civilizations and "Resets"

Nearly every major religion throughout known history describes an apocalyptic flood event. This includes cultures which were apparently isolated for 30,000 years, making the possibility of cultural flow extremely unlikely.

The work of Graham Hancock and Randall Carlson produce an enormous body of evidence in support of the theory of advanced pre-flood civilizations, and an apocalyptic cometary impact which would have wiped them out roughly 12000 years ago.

The freemasons trace their lineage to Cain, who they say preserved an ancient pre-flood craft through two pillars. One of stone (which would survive the apocalyptic fires), and one of wood (which would survive the flood).

The bible describes a scenario where humanity was attempting to attain equal footing with god, only to be wiped out and the favored breed preserved in an archive.

The Matrix trilogy shows a scene where Neo talks with the "Architect of the Matrix", a saturn figure, discussing the nature of the matrix. The architect reveals that there have been dozens of versions of the matrix before the current one, and they periodically wipe them out and reset anew. Almost as if they're being grown and harvested cyclically.

Hancock and Carlson describe the idea that cometary impacts may happen more often than we may realize, and it's possible that humanity has undergone multiple independent cycles of creation and destruction of humanity.

Creation and Seeding of Humanity by Advanced species

The bible (and esoteric books like the Book of Enoch) describe that prior to humanity, there existed an advanced race of godlike people called the Elohim. Similarly, the ancient Sumerian religion is said to have described a race called the Annunaki who seeded the earth with humanity to serve their own purposes.

In the movies Prometheus and Covenant, they depict an advanced species which creates humanity and seeds them on Earth. The creatures seem to be bent on the destruction of humanity, perhaps to seed the Earth with a favored lineage (such as shown in the Matrix and discussed in the Bible).

Did humanity evolve from earlier priamtes? I have a difficult time reconciling evolutionary theory. The official theory is that humans evolved from homo erectus sometime between 1M and 200kY BP. However, skeletal reconstructions of pre-human ancestors show them to have a dramatically non-human appearance.

A major obstacle with evolutionary theory for me is the lack of fossil record supporting a gradual change in appearance as would be expected with evolution. The fossil record shows dramatically different species as ancestors, but there is a major step change between them. I do not deny natural selection and adaptive fitness, but the prevailing theory of evolution leaves much to be desired.

A great article which opens up a lot of doubts on the official theory of evolution is this one by Fred Reed. I don't agree with much of what he says, but it's an entertaining read nonetheless.

Not that I have an alternate theory, but I found this worth mentioning in order to keep an open mind on the topic of human origins.

A unifying Narrative for these themes

Are these themes separate, or is there a way to tie them together? Let me give it a shot:

Humanity exists in an artificial reality constructed by a technologically advanced, predatory species. What we experience is actually an illusion, and our souls are trapped within a physical matrix.

This matrix allows the advanced species to feast off our souls, and periodically people are sacrificed or possessed to rejuvenate them or enter this plane. There have been many iterations of this simulated reality, and cycles of civilization and destruction have taken place towards the ends of the architects.

To escape the matrix, one must conquer the desires and trappings of the material world, seeking spiritual empathy while acting just even in the face of fear.

Do I believe any of this? Not really, but its fun to think about.