Maya did not believe she lived in a simulation. She knew that her continued hope that she could escape from the nonexistent simulation was based on motivated reasoning. She said this to herself in the front of her mind instead of keeping the thought locked away in the dark corners. Sometimes she even said it out loud. This acknowledgement, she explained to her therapist, was what kept her from being delusional.

“I see. And you said your anxiety had become depressive?” the therapist said absently, clicking her pen while staring down at an empty clipboard.

“No- I said my fear had turned into despair,” Maya corrected.

It was amazing, Maya thought, how many times the therapist had refused to talk about simulation theory. Maya had brought it up three times in the last hour, and each time, the therapist had changed the subject. Maya wasn’t surprised; this [...]

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First published:
July 27th, 2025

Source:
https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/ydsrFDwdq7kxbxvxc/maya-s-escape

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.