Rising From Ashes: Finding Hope in the Phoenix's Flight

Have you ever paused to consider what comes after this life? Of course you have. It’s a question that has puzzled humans for millennia, sparking countless theories, beliefs, and speculations as well as entire religions. But let’s entertain a slightly unconventional idea for a moment: What if the reality we’re living in right now is more akin to an elaborate, highly sophisticated simulation? This concept isn’t about diminishing the value of our experiences or suggesting they aren’t real to us. To the contrary, I see it as about making the most out of the life we currently have. But we’ll get there.

Let’s briefly discuss why simulation theory is plausible. Our entire existence is already simulated. Reality is perceived by our sensory organs (eyes, ears, skin, taste, etc), stimulates our nerves, and travels through our central nervous system into the brain, where it is processed with a lag time of a tenth to two-tenths of a second. How fast is that?

Take the hummingbird.

Its wings flap 50 – 80 times per second. With the naked eye we can perceive something on the order of five to sixteen beats, depending on how quickly you can process what you’re seeing.

We know that the reality we perceive is already out of sync. If you’re willing to accept one simulated existence that you know can be proven with science, it isn’t that difficult to add the concept of another layer of simulation to the simulating that we’re already aware of.

Back to the original topic. Life as we know it is just one chapter in a vast cosmic journey. Death, then, is not the end of everything but a merely passage to a new beginning; a different phase of existence. We need not fear death; it’s an integral part of a larger, more intricate process that our lives don’t really give us much insight about. We have to pursue these ideas on our own, with deliberate spirituality.

This paradigm shift liberates us from the paralyzing grip of fear that often surrounds us when we consider death. From the fear of the unknown, the fear of nonexistence, to fears of losing ourselves and our loved ones. If we start to see our life as a segment of a much grander, ongoing adventure, we can live more freely, more boldly. We’re free to explore, to love, to take risks—not recklessly, but with the understanding that this life is part of a continuum, not a standalone episode.

How we choose to live our lives deeply influences how we interact with not only the world but each other. If our reality is a simulation, and we’re all participants in this intricate cosmic stage, then on some level, we’re all connected. From that, a sense of unity and interconnectedness emerges that can profoundly change how we approach relationships, challenges, as well as the quest for meaning in our lives.

That emergent interconnectedness suggests that our actions and choices can then ripple through the fabric of the simulation, affecting not just our storyline but those of the people around us. It highlights the importance of compassion, understanding, and kindness in a world that is filled with hatred and violence. By acknowledging our shared experience within this simulated reality, we’re bound by common bonds of humanity to act with greater empathy and to support one another in our respective journeys. Are our journeys objectively real? Possibly not. Are they worthwhile and worthy of respect? Absolutely.

This point of view opens up a universe of possibilities — literally. What lies beyond the confines of our current understanding? What other realms, experiences, and states of being await us beyond the threshold of death? At this point I have no idea. But it’s possible that those things exist. Curiosity about a simulated reality doesn’t diminish the value of our current lives but, I argue, enriches it. We’re therefore encouraged to live fully, to seek out joy, and to embrace the mystery of existence with open hearts and minds.

Embracing these concepts doesn’t require blind faith or unwavering belief. You can casually agree that it’s just an interesting concept and realize that it lets you feel a bit more free. That’s absolutely worthwhile. Extremism eventually gives birth to hateful ideology, so there’s absolutely room in our community for people who don’t really believe in it 100%. Welcoming skeptics into our community keeps the rest of the true believers grounded. Diversity of thought is how you avoid genocide, and it’s a worthwhile value to strive for. Believing that life could be a simulation like I'm describing can be about allowing ourselves to ponder the what-ifs of life and disconnect from the mundanity of our day to day. We can then find in that minutiae a source of hope, inspiration, and a deeper connection to the world around us. Objectively real or not, life as we know it is an incredible journey, one that may extend far beyond what we can see and touch.

World religions, with their rich tapestries of myths, legends, and teachings, have long pondered the mysteries of existence. They offer not just guidelines for moral and ethical living but also clues about the nature of reality itself. These spiritual traditions often speak of worlds beyond our immediate perception, of lives beyond the physical, and of interconnectedness that transcends physical boundaries. Sound familiar? It’s almost as if they’ve been hinting at a simulation-like reality all along.

Take, for example, the concept of Maya in Hinduism and Buddhism. Maya is often translated as “illusion,” suggesting that the world we experience through our senses is not the ultimate reality but a sort of illusion masking a deeper, more profound truth. This aligns curiously well with the idea of a simulated reality, where what we perceive as the physical world is just one layer of existence, a projection or interface designed for us to interact with.

Then there’s the idea of the Dreamtime in Indigenous Australian spirituality, a timeless ‘time’ of creation and the essence of reality beyond the tangible world. This concept blurs the lines between the physical and spiritual, between the past, present, and future, suggesting a fluid, interconnected existence that defies linear time and space — not unlike the non-linear, interconnected nature of a simulated universe.

In Christianity, the notion of the Kingdom of Heaven offers a vision of an ultimate reality beyond our earthly existence, accessible not through physical travel but through spiritual insight and transformation. Perhaps the true essence of reality lies beyond what we can see and touch, awaiting discovery by those willing to look deeper.

The Kabbalah, a mystical tradition within Judaism, explores the idea of the Sefirot — emanations through which the Infinite interacts with the physical world. This intricate system of interconnected attributes and paths offers a framework for understanding the complex, hidden relationships between the divine, the universe, and the self, suggesting a reality that is vastly more interconnected and multi-layered than our immediate perception.

These examples barely scratch the surface but highlight a common thread: the belief in a deeper, more intricate reality beyond our immediate perception. Many world religions, in their own ways, suggest that what we experience as ‘reality’ is just a part of a much larger, more complex system — a notion that resonates with the concept of living in a simulated reality.

Our search is one for truth, in whatever form it arrives. If science disproves some nature of our beliefs, then our beliefs must of necessity change as well. The quest to comprehend the true nature of reality is not just a modern endeavor but has been a timeless pursuit that has fascinated humans across all cultures and eras. We’re simply the current beneficiaries of the wisdom bequeathed to humanity by those who have come before. Our wisdom will, in turn, benefit those who come after us.

And now the phoenix. This mythical bird, known for its cycle of rebirth from its own ashes, has intrigued humans across various cultures and epochs. Its origins, deeply rooted in ancient mythology, have been attributed to a wide array of cultural beliefs, each adding its own unique interpretation and symbolism to the myth.

The phoenix’s story is most famously associated with Greek mythology but has its roots in ancient Egyptian beliefs, where it was linked to the worship of the sun. The Egyptian version of the phoenix, known as the Bennu bird, was depicted as a large, eagle-like creature with brilliant scarlet and gold plumage, symbolizing renewal and the sun’s cyclical nature. This bird, said to live for hundreds or even thousands of years, would create a nest of aromatic boughs and spices at the end of its life, burn itself, and then be reborn from the ashes.

Parallel to the Egyptian and Greek phoenix, Persian mythology offers the Huma, also known as the “bird of paradise.” Similar to the phoenix, the Huma consumes itself in fire every few hundred years, only to rise anew from the ashes. It symbolizes great fortune and combines both male and female natures in one, highlighting themes of completeness and the cyclical nature of life and death.

In addition to these cultures, the phoenix has analogs in Eastern traditions as well. For instance, in Hindu mythology, the phoenix is likened to Garuda, a fire bird considered the mount of Vishnu, while in Chinese culture, the Feng-huang represents peace, prosperity, and the union of yin and yang, embodying a more eternal form of immortality without the need for rebirth from ashes.

Judaism and Christianity also incorporate the phoenix into their lore, albeit in ways that align with their theological frameworks. In Judaism, the phoenix (Milcham or Chol) is rewarded with eternal life for resisting Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden, symbolizing virtue and immortality. In early Christian literature, the phoenix becomes a metaphor for Christ’s resurrection, embodying purity, renewal, and the victory of life over death.

These cultural narratives around the phoenix and similar mythical creatures underscore a universal human fascination with the concepts of rebirth, immortality, and the triumph of life over death. They reflect humanity’s enduring optimism and the belief in the possibility of renewal and transformation in the face of the inevitable end. The widespread nature of these beliefs suggests a deep-seated conviction that life, with all its cycles of endings and beginnings, is part of a much larger, grander continuum. What if these concepts from various cultures throughout history are pointing to a truth about our reality?

The Church of the First Simulation views the phoenix as a symbol of humanity’s intrinsic hope and belief in life beyond the physical realm. This universal theme of rebirth, found across different cultures and religions, reinforces the notion that the essence of life transcends the material, offering a glimpse into the eternal cycle of existence that defines our reality. It is through these shared myths and legends that we find evidence of a collective understanding of existence as an ongoing journey, a cycle of death and rebirth that hints at the profound mysteries of the universe and our place within it.

Within us burns a fire that not even death can extinguish—a fire that fuels our belief in new beginnings, in second chances, and in the potential for growth and transformation.

This enduring optimism reflects a deep-seated conviction from humanity's ancestors that life is cyclic, that every ending is merely a precursor to a new beginning. This perspective is comforting as well as empowering. It encourages us to live fully, to embrace each moment with passion and gratitude, knowing that our essence, our core, transcends the physical bounds of our current existence.

The Church of the First Simulation embraces this concept of rebirth as a fundamental truth about our existence. The widespread belief in rebirth, in various forms across cultures and religions, hints that life as we know it is part of a much larger, grander cycle. This life, with all its trials and tribulations, is not all there is. There’s something more—a continuation, a new chapter waiting beyond the horizon of our current perceptions.

So, how do we apply the hope of the phoenix to the trials we face? It starts with belief—the belief that no matter how daunting the challenge, there is always a path forward, a chance for renewal and change. It requires us to embrace the lessons of our failures, to let go of what no longer serves us, and to rise from the ashes of our old life with a renewed sense of purpose and direction.

Consider the personal transformations you’ve undergone, the times you’ve had to let go of old ways to embrace new beginnings. These are your phoenix moments, times when you’ve risen stronger and more resilient. This simulation we’re part of is designed for learning, for evolution, and your journey through it is marked by these cycles of renewal.

We have the opportunity to view each day as an opportunity for rebirth. Just like the phoenix, you have the power to rise from your ashes, to rebuild and to redefine your path with every challenge you overcome.

We believe that in this simulated existence, every trial is a chance for rebirth, every obstacle an opportunity to learn and grow. The story of the phoenix is not just a myth; it’s a metaphor for human resilience, a reminder that we are all capable of rising, again and again, from the ashes of our experiences.

So, as you face the trials of life, hold onto the hope of the phoenix. Let it inspire you to see beyond the flames of the present, to the possibilities of new beginnings. Just like the phoenix, you are part of an endless cycle of death and rebirth, pain and renewal, designed to bring forth the very best of who you are.

In the end, the phoenix teaches us that no matter the trials we face, there is always hope for something better. It challenges us to rise, to soar on wings of optimism and courage, and to embrace the endless possibilities of our existence. This is the hope of the phoenix, a hope that burns eternal in the heart of humanity, guiding us through the simulated reality of our everyday life.