As humans, it’s all too easy to go about our daily lives without ever contemplating the nature of reality. However, for those of us with a curious spirit, it’s impossible not to question the world around us.
Personally, I found myself repelled by the dogmatism of many religions, yet also unable to fully embrace the traditional dichotomy presented by mainstream science: life and then nothingness.
So, I began to ponder the ultimate question: what is life, and why do we exist? In my quest for answers, I turned to psychedelics as a tool to unlock the secrets of the universe. I tripped time and time again, and each time I was met with the same answer: reality is illusory.
Naturally, I did what anyone else in my situation would do:
❌ See a psychologist
❌ Write it off as a mild psychosis and stop using psychedelics
✅ Cold email Sam Altman
I noticed that Sam Altman was vocal about both the nature of reality and psychedelics, so I emailed him about the link between the two. To my surprise, I received a brief response.
“Check out Jed McKenna’s Theory of Everything… I think you’ll like it.”
Intrigued, I delved into Jed McKenna’s Theory of Everything, which presented a compelling argument for a specific strand of metaphysics known as monistic idealism. This book became a springboard for my exploration of metaphysics, and I became consumed by it for months, devouring various philosophical texts and even reaching out to multiple Oxford professors who specialize in the field.
The concepts I encountered were often ineffable and challenging to grasp, but they opened up a whole new world of understanding. In this article, I distill what I’ve learned in basic terms.
Metaphysics 101
In metaphysics, there are two main philosophical views about the nature of reality:
- Physicalism – Everything that exists is physical in nature.
- Idealism – Everything that exists is mental in nature.
Physicalism
Physicalism is the dominant framework for reality that most people and mainstream science adhere to.
The main beliefs of physicalists are that:
- Everything in the world can be reduced to physical matter.
- Consciousness is simply defined as awareness — when we are awake, we perceive things and are conscious.
- Consciousness is an emergent property of brain activity and arises from certain neurological processes.
All fairly uncontentious, right?
Well, recent advances in neuroscience and quantum physics suggest that physicalism may not be the whole story.
- The hard problem of consciousness – Neuroscience has made major advancements in mapping detailed correlations between brain activity and conscious experience. However, we have made no progress in explaining how consciousness emerges from physical processes. Essentially, we still have no clue how to start with unconscious ingredients and create consciousness.
- The “zombie” concept – From a biological standpoint, there appears to be no need for consciousness. It’s conceivable that a being could behave exactly like a conscious person without actually being conscious.
- Quantum physics & the observer effect – Recent observations have revealed that the existence of objects isn’t definite until they are observed. This means that the presence of an observer plays a crucial role in determining whether something exists or not. Schrödinger’s cat is a well-known thought experiment that illustrates this concept.
In short, all roads lead back to the observer — our subjective experience of consciousness appears to play a fundamental role in shaping the fabric of reality.
Idealism
This brings us to idealism, the philosophical view that posits that everything that exists is mental in nature. I will focus on monistic idealism, the particular strand of idealism that was featured in Jed McKenna’s Theory of Everything. To paraphrase from the book:
Picture this: a blank white sheet of paper stretched infinitely in all directions — label this ‘universe.’ Now, imagine a tiny dot in the middle of the page — label this ‘consciousness.’
This is how most people perceive reality — you’re a speck of awareness in a vast universe governed by the laws of space and time, surrounded by planets, stars, and people.
Now, switch the labels.
According to monistic idealism, the material world is a byproduct of consciousness rather than the other way around.
Consciousness here refers to something more than just mere awareness; it is akin to what one might typically conceive of as God. Omnipotent, formless, and transcendent, it exists beyond space and time, infinite and without content.
This concept resonates with me deeply. During past psychedelic experiences, I’ve felt a sense of profound connectedness that defies rational explanation. It’s as if my awareness is part of a universal consciousness that extends far beyond the limits of my physical body. I am this god-like consciousness, individuated and unique, yet fundamentally interconnected with everyone and everything else.
And here’s where things get really interesting — it seems that this god-like consciousness intentionally hides its true nature from itself.
Even though we are all manifestations of this universal consciousness, we remain largely unaware of this fundamental truth.
Speculations about why this happens range from:
- The idea that it’s boring being omnipotent.
- The idea that it’s lonely.
- The idea that consciousness does this to learn about itself.
If this concept sounds vaguely familiar, it may be because it runs through many religions, albeit with slightly more mysticism:
- Buddhism – Non-duality and Nirvana point towards a realization of universal consciousness that transcends individuality.
- Advaita Vedanta (Hinduism) – Brahman is a non-dual, undifferentiated consciousness.
- Taoism – The concept of Wuji refers to the unmanifested, undifferentiated state of the universe.
- Sufism – Wahdat al-Wujud (Unity of Being) states that there is only one true reality, which is the Divine Essence.
Personally, I find monistic idealism to be a beautiful mixture of Eastern wisdom imbued with Western cerebralness. It is an elegant view of reality that is universally accessible without the need for obscure physics models or specialized terminology while still being fully consistent with the latest scientific findings.
It avoids the hard problem of consciousness and corresponds gracefully with our understanding of quantum physics.
What Are the Implications?
The implications of this view can be both daunting and liberating.
- On one hand, it can lead to a profound sense of cosmic nihilism—the realization that our individual lives are ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things.
- On the other hand, it can free us from the burden of individual identity and offer a sense of unity with all that exists.
This view encourages us to:
- Take life less seriously – Enjoy the ride instead of being bogged down by the incessant demands and insecurities of our egos.
- Recognize our interconnectedness – If we are all manifestations of the same consciousness, it makes sense to prioritize altruism and minimize harm to the world.
- Re-evaluate our priorities – The state of humanity, with its emphasis on individualistic egos, has led to the exploitation of both people and the planet for personal gain.
As the development of AGI draws closer, it becomes increasingly urgent for us to engage in discussions about the nature of reality and consciousness.
“Something very strange is happening with consciousness.” — Sam Altman
