The universe may consist of at least 11 distinct layers, moving from daily perception to quantum fields and the primacy of information. According to research by Arvin Ash et al., these layers suggest that consciousness and artificial intelligence could eventually create simulated realities, potentially placing our existence within a massive, nested cosmic hierarchy.
Why does reality appear to have 11 different layers?
Most of us live in “Level 1” reality. This is the macroscopic world where objects feel solid, stable, and predictable. We trust our eyes when we see a chair or a tree. Evolutionarily, this level of perception is enough for survival, provided our basic biological needs are met.
However, science reveals that this stability is a surface-level illusion. As we use scientific instruments to peer deeper, the rules change. We move from the chemistry of molecules to the “empty” space of atoms, and eventually into the realm of pure energy and information. Each layer requires a different mathematical language to understand, and each one challenges our common sense.
The illusion of solid matter
At the atomic level, reality becomes surprisingly hollow. An atom is 99.99% empty space. To visualize this, if an atom were the size of a massive stadium, its nucleus would be no larger than a single pea in the center. Everything else is just a cloud of electron probability.
You might wonder why you don’t fall through your chair if atoms are mostly empty space. The answer lies in the Pauli exclusion principle. Discovered by Austrian physicist Wolfgang Pauli in 1925, this rule states that two electrons cannot occupy the same space at the same time. When you touch a smartphone screen, you aren’t actually “touching” matter; you’re feeling the powerful electromagnetic repulsion between the electrons in your fingers and the electrons in the device.
How do quantum fields and spacetime define our world?
If you go deeper than atoms, you leave “matter” behind entirely. In the realm of quantum field theory, particles like electrons aren’t tiny balls; they are local vibrations in fields that permeate the entire universe. Think of the universe as a vast ocean, and an electron as a single ripple on its surface.
These vibrations don’t happen in a void. They occur within the fabric of spacetime. According to Einstein’s general theory of relativity, space and time are woven together into a flexible, four-dimensional material. Mass and energy don’t just sit in space; they warp and curve it. This curvature is what we experience as gravity.
Planets orbit stars not because they are being pulled by an invisible rope, but because they are following the curves in spacetime created by the star’s massive presence. Even the ground beneath your feet is a result of the Earth’s mass curving spacetime, preventing you from falling toward its center.
What is the Planck length and why does it matter?
Physicists have hit a wall at the Planck scale, roughly 1.6 x 10⁻³⁵ meters. This is the ultimate limit of our current understanding. At this scale, the smooth fabric of spacetime described by Einstein begins to crack and break down.
Some theories suggest that at this level, space becomes “granular,” appearing more like digital pixels than a continuous flow. Others, such as string theory, propose that everything is made of tiny, vibrating loops of energy. We may never be able to see this level directly. Any attempt to observe something so small would require so much energy that it would instantly collapse into a tiny black hole, swallowing the very information we tried to collect.
Is information the true foundation of the universe?
Because traditional physics struggles at the Planck scale, many scientists are pivoting toward a radical idea: information is more fundamental than matter or energy. This is often linked to the holographic principle, which suggests that the three-dimensional world we see might be a projection of information stored on a distant, two-dimensional boundary.
In this view, the universe acts like a cosmic operating system. Distance and space might simply be ways of measuring how much “quantum entanglement”—or information connection—exists between two points. This concept echoes historical ideas, such as Nikola Tesla’s belief in a universal field of information or Carl Jung’s theory of the collective unconscious.
Can consciousness emerge from biology?
As complexity increases, we see the rise of life. Biology is essentially a highly organized way for matter to fight against entropy. While the rest of the universe tends toward chaos and disorder, living organisms use energy to maintain internal structure and process information.
This leads to the “hard problem of consciousness.” We can explain how light hits your retina and triggers electrical impulses in your brain, but we cannot explain why those impulses result in the actual *feeling* of the color red or the *sensation* of love. This mystery leaves scientists divided: is consciousness a byproduct of complex biological computing, or is it a fundamental property of the universe itself, much like gravity or electromagnetism?
As the philosopher Alan Watts famously suggested, “You are the Universe experiencing itself.” We are essentially stardust that has evolved to the point of self-awareness, allowing the cosmos to finally look in a mirror and contemplate its own existence.
Will AI lead us into a simulation?
The final frontier involves the potential for artificial intelligence to create new layers of reality. We are already seeing the birth of a collective digital intelligence through the internet and AI. If a superintelligence is ever created, it could theoretically possess enough computing power to simulate entire universes.
This creates a “Matrioshka” or fractal effect. A biological intelligence creates a synthetic intelligence, which then creates a digital simulation containing its own version of life and consciousness. This raises the unsettling possibility that we might already be living inside a simulation created by a higher-level intelligence.
Whether we are biological beings or digital code, the quest remains the same: to understand the rules of the game and, as the famous phrase from The Matrix suggests, to “know thyself.”
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the “hard problem of consciousness”?
It is the scientific and philosophical mystery of why physical processes in the brain give rise to subjective, internal experiences (like the taste of chocolate or the feeling of joy).
Is the universe actually made of information?
While not proven, many modern physicists explore the idea that information is the most fundamental building block of reality, with matter and energy being emergent properties of information networks.
What happens at the Planck scale?
At the Planck scale, our current laws of physics—specifically general relativity and quantum mechanics—clash and cease to function, suggesting we need a new “theory of everything” to understand it.
What do you think? Are we living in a sophisticated simulation, or is consciousness something purely biological? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and subscribe to our newsletter for more deep dives into the mysteries of the cosmos!
