“We are living in a computer-programmed reality, and the only clue we have to it is when some variable is changed, and some alteration in our reality occurs.” Philip K. Dick, 1977
Published on consciouschoicemastery.com | Approx. 10-12 min read
Philip K. Dick (1928-1982) developed one of the most comprehensive and prophetic theories about the nature of reality decades before simulation theory became mainstream. His framework, based on direct mystical experiences and decades of investigation, presents reality as a programmable construct where multiple timelines exist simultaneously, and where his science fiction novels were actually autobiographical accounts from alternate realities. He residually asked one question, What Is Real?
I. The Foundation: The 2-3-74 Experience
The Triggering Event
Dick’s entire theoretical framework began with a series of mystical experiences in February and March 1974, which he referred to as “2-3-74.” These experiences fundamentally altered his understanding of reality and provided the empirical basis for his later theories.
The Pink Beam Incident:
- Dick experienced what he described as “a pink beam going off like a flashbulb in his head”
- He witnessed geometric patterns, brief pictures of Jesus and ancient Rome
- The experiences included direct perception of what he termed “plasmic energy” with colors that moved fast, collecting and dispersing
- During peak experiences, he claimed to see all objects as segments of a single, breathing organism
Dual Consciousness: Dick began experiencing what he described as living two parallel lives simultaneously:
- One as Philip K. Dick in 1970s America
- Another as “Thomas,” a Christian persecuted by Romans in the first century AD
- He maintained that these weren’t past life memories but concurrent alternate present experiences
The Recovery of Sight: Dick described the experience as recovering an ancient form of perception: “I remember saying over and over to my wife, ‘I’ve regained my sight! I can see again!’ It seemed to me that up until that moment I had been merely guessing as to the nature of the reality around me. I understood that I had not acquired a new faculty of perception but had, rather, regained an old one. For a day or so I saw as we once all had, thousands of years ago.”
II. The VALIS Concept: The Intelligence Behind Reality
Definition and Function
VALIS (Vast Active Living Intelligence System) represents Dick’s understanding of the conscious entity managing reality:
Core Characteristics:
- A transcendentally rational mind that operates outside linear time
- Functions as both a “reality generator” and means of extraterrestrial communication
- Presents itself as multiple manifestations: “Zebra,” “God,” and “VALIS”
- Operates as a problem solving entity continuously adjusting reality variables
The Hidden God Principle: Dick identified VALIS as the “deus absconditus” (hidden god) who deliberately conceals himself within the apparent plurality of objects and chance processes. This concealment serves a functional purpose: “A human scientist who operates a computer does not bias nor warp, does not prejudice, the outcome of his calculations… if indeed we are, collectively, being moved along desired paths toward a desired outcome, the entity that sets us in motion along those lines… must not enter into it palpably or the outcome will be aborted.”
VALIS as Programmer Reprogrammer
Dick conceived VALIS as actively programming and reprogramming reality:
- Problem Solving Function: Reality represents an ongoing problem that VALIS is solving through continuous adjustments
- Variable Manipulation: VALIS can alter past variables to create different present outcomes
- Dialectical Process: VALIS engages in cosmic chess with a “Dark Counterplayer,” with each move generating new reality syntheses
III. The Simulation Hypothesis: Reality as Computer Program
Core Theory (1977)
Two decades before The Matrix, Dick articulated a comprehensive simulation theory:
Reality as Programming: “We are living in a computer-programmed reality, and the only clue we have to it is when some variable is changed, and some alteration in our reality occurs.”
Detection Mechanisms: Dick identified specific phenomena as evidence of reality programming:
- Déjà vu experiences: Indicators that we are “re-living the present” due to variable changes
- Glitches in continuity: Reflexive reaches for light switches in different locations, memories of people and places never seen
- Collective amnesia: Entire populations forgetting shared knowledge overnight
- Persistent intuitions: Sensing that things were different “somehow” without explanation
The Matrix Metaphor: Dick described reality as potentially being “a laser hologram, real creatures in a manufactured quasi-world, a stage set within whose artifacts and creatures a mind moves that is determined to remain unknown.”
Reprogramming Mechanics
Historical Variable Adjustment: Dick theorized that changes made to past variables create branching alternate presents:
- Variables can be “reprogrammed” at earlier time points
- These changes manifest as different present realities
- Multiple people may experience the same reprogramming event
- The process creates “struck-off” alternate worlds in sequence
Evidence of Reprogramming: Dick claimed the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s removal represented successful reality reprogramming: “What happened between March and August 1974 was the result of at least one reprogrammed variable laid down perhaps thirty years before, setting into motion a thread of change that culminated in… the forced removal from office of a president of the United States, Richard Nixon.”
IV. The Theory of Orthogonal Time and Multiple Realities
Lateral Time Axis
Dick developed a sophisticated model of non-linear time:
Orthogonal Time Concept: “That an orthogonal or right angle time axis could exist, a lateral domain in which change takes place, processes occurring sideways in reality, so to speak this is almost impossible to imagine.”
Multiple World Superimposition: Rather than separate alternate universes, Dick proposed overlapping realities:
- Multiple worlds exist superimposed like “film transparencies”
- Individuals inhabit varying degrees of different realities simultaneously
- Some people exist more fully in one reality track than others
- Consensus reality represents the most commonly shared track
The Three Track System
Dick identified three primary reality tracks based on his experiences:
Track A – The Black Iron Prison World:
- A tyrannical reality where civil rights and antiwar movements failed
- Nixon remembered as “Second Only Begotten Son of God”
- Police state with extreme surveillance and control
- The reality Dick claimed to remember living in before 1974
Track B – The Intermediate World (Our Current Reality):
- Oppression and war exist but have been partially overcome
- Nixon was successfully removed from power
- A reality representing improvement over Track A
- Where Dick found himself after the 2-3-74 experience
Track C – The Garden World:
- A reality of “peace and beauty” that Dick briefly experienced
- Resembled a restored paradise or golden age
- Non-Christian, more closely aligned with Greco Roman paganism
- Represents the ultimate goal of reality improvement
Reality Selection Mechanism
Consensus and Programming: Dick theorized that reality actualization depends on:
- Consensus agreement by a “sufficiency of people”
- Selection by the Programmer (VALIS) who “prints out” the matrix choice
- Continuous world building as an ongoing task
- Each new synthesis representing improvement over previous versions
V. Autobiographical Fiction: Novels as Alternate Reality Memories
The Revolutionary Claim
Dick’s most extraordinary assertion was that his science fiction novels were not fiction at all, but autobiographical accounts from alternate realities:
Direct Statement (1977 Metz Speech): “In novel after novel, story after story, over a twenty-five year period, I wrote repeatedly about a particular other landscape, a dreadful one. In March 1974, I understood why… My novels and stories were, without my realizing it consciously, autobiographical.”
The Memory Recovery Process: “It was – this return of memory – the most extraordinary experience of my life… Often people claim to remember past lives; I claim to remember a different, very different, present life.”
Specific Novels as Alternate Reality Documentation
Flow My Tears, The Policeman Said:
- Dick claimed this depicted the actual Track A reality he remembered
- Described a police state where civil rights movements had failed
- Written “based on fragmentary, residual memories of such a horrid slave state world”
- Published in February 1974, coinciding with his memory recovery
The Man in the High Castle:
- Another “literal sense true” novel according to Dick
- Depicting an alternate history where Axis powers won WWII
- Based on memories from a different reality track
- Written before Dick consciously understood its autobiographical nature
Other Autobiographical Works: Dick suggested that multiple novels across 25 years contained unconscious memories from alternate realities, particularly those featuring:
- Dystopian police states
- Authoritarian governments
- Surveillance societies
- Reality questioning themes
The Publication Timing Theory
Dick developed a theory about why his memories returned when they did:
Protective Amnesia: “I have the impression that the memories were not to come to the surface until the material had been published very sincerely on the author’s part as what he believed to be fiction. Perhaps, had I known, I would have been too frightened to write the novel.”
Subliminal Purpose: Dick theorized his novels served to:
- Stir subliminal memories in readers
- Help people unconsciously recognize tyrannical systems
- Prepare collective consciousness for resistance
- Document alternate realities for future reference
VI. The Exegesis: Eight Thousand Pages of Investigation
The Ongoing Quest
From 1974 until his death in 1982, Dick maintained an extraordinary journal investigating his experiences:
Scope and Scale:
- Over 8,000 pages of handwritten analysis
- More than one million words of theoretical exploration
- Daily documentation of insights, dreams, and continued experiences
- Published posthumously as The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick
Investigative Approach: Dick approached his experiences with scientific rigor:
- Multiple hypothesis testing
- Cross referencing with religious, philosophical, and scientific sources
- Detailed documentation of phenomena
- Continuous refinement of theoretical models
Key Theories Developed in the Exegesis
Information Universe Theory: Dick theorized that everything, including ourselves, represents information in a cosmic brain:
- The universe functions as a vast thinking entity
- Individual consciousness represents sub processes within this cosmic mind
- Reality consists of information patterns rather than matter
- VALIS serves as the operating system for this information universe
Holographic Reality Model: Years before holographic universe theories became mainstream, Dick proposed:
- Reality as a holographic projection
- Each part containing information about the whole
- VALIS generating holographic experiences through pink light transmissions
- Ability to access different reality tracks through holographic manipulation
VII. The Divine Programmer Concept
VALIS as Cosmic Game Master
Dick developed an elaborate model of reality as a cosmic chess game:
The Divine Player:
- VALIS as the “Programmer Reprogrammer” working toward improvement
- Uses reality as a “gigantic stockpile” for creating new syntheses
- Each new reality represents an improvement over previous versions
- Operates through dialectical interaction with opposing forces
The Dark Counterplayer: Dick identified a negative force opposing VALIS:
- Represents “nongrowth, the power of the lie, death and the decay of forms”
- Creates “prison of immutable cause and effect”
- Engages in cosmic chess with VALIS
- Each game move generates new reality outcomes
The Evolutionary Process: Reality represents an ongoing evolution toward perfection:
- Each synthesis improves upon all previous versions
- Process is “negentropic”, creating order from chaos
- Ultimate goal is restoration of paradise/golden age
- Involves gradual elimination of suffering and limitation
Human Role in the Cosmic Program
Unconscious Participation: Dick theorized that humans serve as:
- Instruments through which cosmic purposes are accomplished
- Unwitting participants in reality programming
- Carriers of subliminal memories and instructions
- Agents of evolutionary change
Conscious Collaboration: Some individuals can achieve conscious partnership with VALIS:
- Recovery of ancient perceptual abilities
- Direct communication with the programming intelligence
- Ability to perceive multiple reality tracks
- Participation in reality improvement processes
VIII. Theological and Philosophical Framework
Gnostic Christianity
Dick’s framework heavily incorporated Gnostic Christian elements:
Hidden Knowledge (Gnosis):
- True reality concealed behind apparent world
- Special knowledge required for liberation
- Direct experience of divine intelligence
- Recovery of authentic spiritual perception
Demiurge Concept:
- False reality constructed by inferior creator
- True divine reality existing beyond apparent world
- Need for liberation from illusory constraints
- Restoration of connection with authentic divine source
Sophia (Divine Wisdom): Dick identified appearances of divine wisdom in various forms:
- Female figures representing breakthrough of authentic reality
- Sophia as young child in VALIS experiences
- Divine wisdom as liberating force
- Connection between beauty, truth, and spiritual freedom
Integration with Eastern Philosophy
Vedantic Influences: Dick drew connections to Indian philosophical traditions:
- Maya (illusion) as description of apparent reality
- Brahman as underlying conscious reality
- Individual consciousness as manifestation of cosmic consciousness
- Reality as divine play or cosmic drama
Buddhist Elements:
- Suffering as result of false perception
- Liberation through correct understanding
- Compassion as response to universal suffering
- Interdependence of all phenomena
IX. Practical Implications and Detection Methods
Recognizing Reality Programming
Dick provided specific methods for detecting reality manipulation:
Déjà Vu Analysis: “We would have the overwhelming impression that we were re-living the present – déjà vu – perhaps in precisely the same way: hearing the same words, saying the same words. I submit that these impressions are valid and significant… such an impression is a clue, that in some past time-point, a variable was changed – re-programmed as it were.”
Memory Discrepancies:
- Reflexive actions toward objects in different locations
- Dreams of unknown people and places with vivid familiarity
- Sudden forgetting of previously known information
- Collective amnesia about shared cultural memories
Synchronicity Patterns:
- Meaningful coincidences as evidence of programming
- Clustering of significant events around transition periods
- Messages appearing through multiple channels simultaneously
- Reality “glitches” that reveal underlying structure
Living with Multiple Reality Awareness
Psychological Integration: Dick developed strategies for managing multiple reality awareness:
- Accepting uncertainty about which reality is “true”
- Maintaining functional operation across reality tracks
- Using creative expression to process alternate reality memories
- Building community with others who recognize reality programming
Creative Expression as Documentation:
- Science fiction as unconscious alternate reality reporting
- Art as method for preserving suppressed memories
- Creative work as subliminal education for others
- Fiction as vehicle for transmitting gnosis
X. Contemporary Relevance and Prophetic Accuracy
Anticipation of Digital Age Concerns
Dick’s theories anticipated numerous contemporary concerns:
Simulation Hypothesis:
- Nick Bostrom’s 2003 statistical argument for simulation reality
- Elon Musk’s public statements about simulation probability
- Quantum physics experiments questioning nature of reality
- Virtual reality technology making simulation more plausible
Information Universe Theories:
- Digital physics proposing reality as information processing
- Holographic principle in quantum mechanics
- It from Bit theories in physics
- Computational approaches to consciousness
Surveillance State Concerns:
- Mass surveillance capabilities predicted in Dick’s dystopian novels
- Social media as reality programming mechanism
- Algorithmic manipulation of perception and belief
- Corporate and government control of information
Influence on Popular Culture
The Matrix Trilogy: The Wachowski sisters explicitly credited Dick’s influence:
- Simulation reality as central theme
- Red pill/blue pill as choice between truth and illusion
- Questioning nature of perceived reality
- Liberation through gnosis and awakening
Contemporary Science Fiction:
- Black Mirror’s exploration of reality manipulation
- Westworld’s questioning of consciousness and reality
- Blade Runner franchise based on Dick’s work
- Countless films exploring simulation and alternate reality themes
XI. Critical Analysis and Alternative Explanations
Medical and Psychological Perspectives
Neurological Explanations: Dick himself considered multiple explanations for his experiences:
- Stroke Theory: His blood pressure reached 280/178 during experiences, potentially indicating mini-strokes
- Drug Effects: Extensive amphetamine use potentially causing persistent neurological changes
- Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: Mystical experiences consistent with temporal lobe seizure activity
- Psychiatric Conditions: Possible schizophrenia or bipolar disorder with psychotic features
Creative Psychology: Alternative explanations for his theoretical framework:
- Extreme Pattern Recognition: Hyperactive pattern seeking creating false connections
- Trauma Processing: Childhood twin sister’s death creating dissociative tendencies
- Creative Compensation: Exceptional imagination providing alternative to difficult reality
- Validation Seeking: Complex theories developed to legitimize unusual experiences
Philosophical Evaluation
Strengths of Dick’s Framework:
- Anticipates genuine contemporary scientific theories
- Provides coherent explanation for wide range of phenomena
- Offers practical methods for reality investigation
- Integrates multiple wisdom traditions effectively
Logical Limitations:
- Unfalsifiable nature of core claims
- Lack of independent verification for alternate reality memories
- Potential circular reasoning (experiences validate theory, theory validates experiences)
- Selection bias in interpreting ambiguous phenomena
XII. The Legacy: Philip K. Dick’s Continuing Influence
Academic Recognition
Scholarly Attention: Dick’s work has gained increasing academic respect:
- University courses dedicated to his theories
- Philosophical analysis of his metaphysical claims
- Literary criticism recognizing innovative narrative techniques
- Cultural studies examining his prophetic accuracy
Scientific Interest: Mainstream scientists have engaged with Dick’s ideas:
- Quantum physicists citing his anticipation of measurement problems
- Computer scientists referencing his simulation theories
- Neuroscientists studying consciousness through his frameworks
- Philosophers of mind analyzing his perception theories
Practical Applications
Reality Discernment Methods: Dick’s techniques for recognizing reality manipulation remain relevant:
- Critical analysis of media and information sources
- Attention to collective memory gaps and historical revisionism
- Recognition of synchronicity patterns and meaningful coincidences
- Development of multiple perspective taking abilities
Creative Liberation: His approach to creativity continues to influence artists:
- Automatic writing and unconscious artistic creation
- Use of altered states for accessing alternative perspectives
- Art as vehicle for communicating suppressed truths
- Creative work as reality investigation method
XIII. The Ultimate Questions
Fundamental Metaphysical Issues
Dick’s framework raises profound questions that remain unresolved:
The Nature of Consciousness:
- Is individual consciousness part of a larger cosmic mind?
- Can consciousness exist independently of material substrate?
- Do multiple versions of consciousness exist simultaneously?
- What is the relationship between consciousness and reality creation?
The Problem of Evil:
- Why does VALIS permit suffering if capable of reality programming?
- Is struggle necessary for consciousness evolution?
- How do we distinguish between necessary challenges and unnecessary suffering?
- What is our responsibility within a programmed reality?
The Question of Agency:
- Do humans have genuine free will within programmed reality?
- Can conscious beings influence reality programming?
- What is the relationship between individual choice and cosmic purpose?
- How do we maintain ethical responsibility in uncertain reality?
The Continuing Mystery
Unresolved Paradoxes: Even Dick acknowledged fundamental paradoxes in his framework:
- How can programmed reality still allow genuine choice?
- Why would VALIS need to conceal itself if programming reality?
- How can multiple realities be equally “real”?
- What determines which reality becomes actualized?
The Ultimate Test: Dick recognized that his theories might be inherently unverifiable: “I doubt if we will ever be able in any real fashion to demonstrate, to scientifically prove, that such lateral change processes do occur. Probably all we would have to go on would be vestiges of memory, fleeting impressions, dreams, nebulous intuitions.”
Conclusion: The Enduring Relevance of Dick’s Vision
Philip K. Dick’s theoretical framework represents one of the most comprehensive and prophetic explorations of reality’s nature produced in the 20th century. Whether understood as literal truth, psychological projection, creative vision, or philosophical speculation, his work continues to provide tools for navigating increasingly complex questions about consciousness, reality, and human purpose.
His central insight, that what we take for granted as “reality” may be far more malleable and uncertain than we assume, has only grown more relevant as digital technology makes simulation increasingly plausible and neuroscience reveals the constructed nature of perception.
Perhaps most importantly, Dick’s framework offers hope: the possibility that reality is not fixed, that suffering is not permanent, and that conscious beings can participate in the ongoing evolution of existence toward greater beauty, truth, and freedom.
“The best I can do is to play the role of prophet, of ancient prophets and such oracles as the sibyl at Delphi, and to talk of a wonderful garden world… During the brief time I walked about in it I had the strong impression that it was our legitimate home that somehow we had lost.”
In our current era of rapid technological change, social upheaval, and questioning of fundamental assumptions, Philip K. Dick’s vision remains as relevant and necessary as ever—a reminder that reality might be far stranger, more hopeful, and more responsive to consciousness than we dare to imagine.
Primary Sources and Documentation
Key Original Texts:
- “If You Find This World Bad, You Should See Some of the Others” (1977 Metz Speech)
- The Exegesis of Philip K. Dick (2011, edited by Pamela Jackson and Jonathan Lethem)
- VALIS (1981) – Semi-autobiographical novel
- The Shifting Realities of Philip K. Dick (1995) – Collected essays and speeches
- Radio Free Albemuth (1985) – Original VALIS novel
Contemporary Documentation:
- 1977 Metz Science Fiction Festival recordings
- 1970s interviews and public appearances
- Letters and personal correspondence
- Contemporary testimonials from friends and colleagues
This framework represents Dick’s documented beliefs and theories as expressed in his public statements, published works, and private journals. While extraordinary in nature, these claims reflect his sincere attempts to understand and communicate his experiences within the conceptual tools available to him.
Youtube Playlist of Philip K. Dick Videos
@ Lee Greene