What is reality? What is the nature of consciousness? How do we know that what we are experiencing is base reality and not a simulation?These may seem like the kind of questions that you’d associate with modern concepts like The Matrix and simulation theory, but the fact is that every ancient philosophical tradition has wrestled with these problems in some form or another.And with the advent of rich, complex VR worlds and the nascent metaverse, even more philosophers are turning toward these deep questions of consciousness and the human experience.One of the most interesting thinkers in this space is David Chalmers, Professor of Philosophy and Neural Science at New York University, and co-director of the Center for Mind, Brain, and Consciousness.In his latest book, Reality+: virtual worlds and the problems of philosophy, David investigates not only the nature of reality, but how we should conceptualize virtual reality, the idea that we can actually live a meaningful life in VR, how we know there’s an external world, and much more.We explore these topics and more in today’s wide-ranging conversation, covering everything from the hard problem of consciousness to the probability that we’re actually living in a computer simulation.You don’t have to be a student of philosophy to enjoy today’s conversation - especially if you’re as excited as I am about the possibilities being unlocked by virtual reality and the metaverse.And if you want to dive deeper into David’s work, you can order his new book, Reality+, by clicking here: https://amzn.to/3vMSS0vCheck out our sponsors: Coinbase: coinbase.com/impactTextExpander: Go to textexpander.com/podcast and get 20% off your first yearOmbre: Visit tryombre.com/TomBilyeu to get $30 off an at-home gut health test.“I think, therefore I am.” - René DescartesSHOW NOTES:00:00 | Introduction01:41 | The Hard Problem of Consciousness10:42 | Consciousness as a Fundamental Law of Nature17:38 | The Foundations of Simulation Theory27:33 | Is Reality Made of Information?39:03 | How to Live a Meaningful Virtual Life45:10 | The Philosopher’s Zombie51:59 | Orderable States of Consciousness58:23 | Zhuangzi and the Butterfly1:05:20 | The Experience Machine1:14:40 | GPT3 and Deepfakes1:19:08 | The Future of “Technophilosophy”Are You Ready for EXTRA Impact?If you’re ready to find true fulfillment, strengthen your focus, and ignite your true potential, the Impact Theory subscription was created just for you.Want to transform your health, sharpen your mindset, improve your relationship, or conquer the business world? This is your epicenter of greatness. This is not for the faint of heart. This is for those who dare to learn obsessively, every day, day after day.Subscription Benefits: Unlock the gates to a treasure trove of wisdom from inspiring guests like Andrew Huberman, Mel Robbins, Hal Elrod, Matthew McConaughey, and many, many, more New episodes delivered ad-free Exclusive access to Tom’s AMAs, keynote speeches, and suggestions from his personal reading list You’ll also get access to an 5 additional podcasts with hundreds of archived Impact Theory episodes, meticulously curated into themed playlists covering health, mindset, business, relationships, and more: Legendary Mindset: Mindset & Self-Improvement Money Mindset: Business & Finance Relationship Theory: Relationships Health Theory: Mental & Physical Health Power Ups: Weekly Doses of Short Motivational Quotes  Subscribe on Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3PCvJazSubscribe on all other platforms (Google Podcasts, Spotify, Castro, Downcast, Overcast, Pocket Casts, Podcast Addict, Podcast Republic, Podkicker, and more) : https://impacttheorynetwork.supercast.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices