“THERE’S A ONE IN BILLIONS CHANCE THAT THIS IS BASE REALITY.” – ELON MUSK
CONV ERGENCE
A (VIRTUAL) PERCEPTION OF REALITY BY CHRISTOPHER SCHMITT I’M A COMPUTER GEEK BY NATURE. I hardwired my first computer from microchips when I was 16, before there was such a thing as a personal computer. By the time I was 18, I held a job in the telecom industry.
that “There’s a one in billions chance that this is base reality.” What he meant was that the likelihood that we are living in a real world, which he referred to as ‘base reality’, is incredibly slim. Influential astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson puts the odds that we’re living in a simulation at 50-50.
In the spring of 2017, I began to lose my sense of reality. My company had undergone dramatic changes and my new responsibilities did not align with my values and strengths. Placed under these sustained pressures for too long a period of time, my mental health deteriorated, preventing me from continuing to work. I applied for short-term disability, but my claims were repeatedly denied.
The photographic works I’ve created for this portfolio mimic our increasingly virtual world and challenges one’s perception of reality. My inspiration flows from a deep connection with science and technology, with each image representing my vision of a current or future state of the world.
I was stuck in an endless loop and my debts mounted. To recover from the impact of the trauma, I sought professional help, exercised, and meditated; but, the financial stress and my diminishing sense of self-worth made my condition worse. I lost faith in the “system.” Then one day, my brain re-booted. Initially, it felt like an awakening: I experienced great joy and a newfound creativity. I became obsessed with trying to figure out how my brain worked. After watching a TED Talk hosted by a neuroscientist and a surgeon that explained that the brain is like a biological supercomputer, I started to wonder: if my brain is a computer, then how do I know that I’m real? I found this thought intriguing because computers don’t have emotions; they aren’t affected by sorrow, anger, or fear, and they never feel anxious or depressed. A computer simply does what it’s programmed to do. I concluded that my emotional state was not real and that perhaps it was simply a bug in my software. Through thought experiments I proved, at least in my mind, that my hypothesis was correct: we are living in a computer simulation. It’s not that crazy of an idea. At Code Conference 2016, when responding to a question that asked if we are living in a computer simulation, Elon Musk answered unequivocally 22 photo ED
While technology can benefit society, there’s often a dark side, and so people are often pessimistic or anxious about the future. Fake news, identity theft, invasion of privacy, cyberattacks, and environmental disaster seem to be unintended consequences of technological advancements. I expect that some of those viewing my images may recognize in them the marvels of technology, while others will see a more dystopian future. Ultimately, thanks to family and friends, I recovered from my illness and talking about my experience seems to gradually ease the pain and embarrassment I continue to feel. Photography provides me with a creative outlet that grounds me to the present. Regarding whether or not we are living in a computer simulation, it’s still something I often think about. On the one hand, if we are in a simulation, wouldn’t that mean that we could create our own reality by simply playing the game? On the other hand, how is living in the real world any different? Christopher Schmitt is a lens-based artist located in Ottawa. His practice explores disruptive technologies and the impact they have on the networks of our minds, and on our land. Before graduating from the School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa, he worked in high-tech. His work is held in the City of Ottawa’s Art Collection.
www.christopherschmittphoto.com
