Appearance and the Matrix

Does naming an illusion explain the experience of it?

Stories about simulated realities invite the picture of a hidden world behind appearances. The imagery can be compelling.

The conversation explores the metaphor but does not treat a dramatic image as proof. Calling one world unreal can merely lead to the invention of another world imagined to be more real.

The cosmic imagery on this website serves a similar aesthetic role: it is a visual metaphor, not evidence for a hidden reality or a scientific conclusion.