G.A.O.T.U.
There has been a lot of discussion pertaining to whether the first Matrix was just one in a series of matrices in the overal construct. Many, including myself, have postulated that Zion was not "reality" but rather a safety valve to allow those who reject the first Matrix to leave it but to still be a battery in the system. The actions in M2 and M3 were vague enough that there is enough wiggle room to argue either way.
My point here is not to discuss that further since there are other threads actively discussing the topic in more detail than many would care for. Rather, I want to introduce interested readers to a book that I think has something offer the general subject matter.
I did a search and was surprised to see no one (including myself) had previously mentioned a book called Flatland written by Edwin Abott and published in 1884.
This book is about a man who lives in Flatland, which you might have guessed is a world of two dimensions. He has encounters with beings in Pointland, Lineland and ultimately Spaceland. I will leave it up to your imagination as to the nature of those additional worlds.
What follows are two passages from the book. The first hints at agent-like activity and the other points more directly to the topic at hand, to wit, how would you know if a different world or dimension existed if your concept of reality precluded you from doing so?
from Chapter 12 Of the Doctrine of our Priests:
>>>It is the merit of the Circles that they have effectually suppressed those ancient heresies which led men to waste energy and sympathy in the vain belief that conduct depends upon will, effort, training, encouragement, praise, or anything else but Configuration. It was Pantocyclus -- the illustrious Circle mentioned above, as the queller of the Colour Revolt -- who first convinced mankind that Configuration makes the man; that if, for example, you are born an Isosceles with two uneven sides, you will assuredly go wrong unless you have them made even -- for which purpose you must go to the Isosceles Hospital; similarly, if you are a Triangle, or Square, or even a Polygon, born with any Irregularity, you must be taken to one of the Regular Hospitals to have your disease cured; otherwise you will end your days in the State Prison or by the angle of the State Executioner. <<<
Sound kind of like the agents?
Here is some text that makes one reflect on the nature of dimension, reality and how we would react when ecountering a reality we deem impossible:
From Chapter 15 Concerning a Stranger from Spaceland
>>>I was rapt in thought, pondering in my mind some words that had casually issued from the mouth of my youngest Grandson, a most promising young Hexagon of unusual brilliancy and perfect angularity. His uncles and I had been giving him his usual practical lesson in Sight Recognition, turning ourselves upon our centres, now rapidly, now more slowly, and questioning him as to our positions; and his answers had been so satisfactory that I had been induced to reward him by giving him a few hints on Arithmetic, as applied to Geometry.
Taking nine Squares, each an inch every way, I had put them together so as to make one large Square, with a side of three inches, and I had hence proved to my little Grandson that -- though it was impossible for us to see the inside of the Square -- yet we might ascertain the number of square inches in a Square by simply squaring the number of inches in the side: "and thus," said I, "we know that three-to-the-second, or nine, represents the number of square inches in a Square whose side is three inches long."
The little Hexagon meditated on this a while and then said to me; "But you have been teaching me to raise numbers to the third power: I suppose three-to-the-third must mean something in Geometry; what does it mean?" "Nothing at all," replied I, "not at least in Geometry; for Geometry has only Two Dimensions." And then I began to shew the boy how a Point by moving through a length of three inches makes a Line of three inches, which may be represented by three; and how a Line of three inches, moving parallel to itself through a length of three inches, makes a Square of three inches every way, which may be represented by three-to-the-second.
Upon this, my Grandson, again returning to his former suggestion, took me up rather suddenly and exclaimed, "Well, then, if a Point by moving three inches, makes a Line of three inches represented by three; and if a straight Line of three inches, moving parallel to itself, makes a Square of three inches every way, represented by three-to-the-second; it must be that a Square of three inches every way, moving somehow parallel to itself (but I don't see how) must make Something else (but I don't see what) of three inches every way -- and this must be represented by three-to-the-third."
"Go to bed," said I, a little ruffled by this interruption: "if you would talk less nonsense, you would remember more sense."
So my Grandson had disappeared in disgrace; and there I sat by my Wife's side, endeavouring to form a retrospect of the year 1999 and of the possibilities of the year 2000; but not quite able to shake of the thoughts suggested by the prattle of my bright little Hexagon. Only a few sands now remained in the half-hour glass. Rousing myself from my reverie I turned the glass Northward for the last time in the old Millennium; and in the act, I exclaimed aloud, "The boy is a fool."<<<
And so the cries similarly arise here that people who support MIAM are likewise foolish.
The whole meeting of Morpheus and Neo could be described by Section 16: How the Stranger vainly endeavoured to reveal to me
in words the mysteries of Spaceland.
Interestingly, the story of the book is set in 1999, the date of the release of The Matrix and roughly the year in which the movie is set.
You can buy the whole book in the usual places or read it online here:
http://ry4an.org/flatland/
G.A.O.T.U.
My point here is not to discuss that further since there are other threads actively discussing the topic in more detail than many would care for. Rather, I want to introduce interested readers to a book that I think has something offer the general subject matter.
I did a search and was surprised to see no one (including myself) had previously mentioned a book called Flatland written by Edwin Abott and published in 1884.
This book is about a man who lives in Flatland, which you might have guessed is a world of two dimensions. He has encounters with beings in Pointland, Lineland and ultimately Spaceland. I will leave it up to your imagination as to the nature of those additional worlds.
What follows are two passages from the book. The first hints at agent-like activity and the other points more directly to the topic at hand, to wit, how would you know if a different world or dimension existed if your concept of reality precluded you from doing so?
from Chapter 12 Of the Doctrine of our Priests:
>>>It is the merit of the Circles that they have effectually suppressed those ancient heresies which led men to waste energy and sympathy in the vain belief that conduct depends upon will, effort, training, encouragement, praise, or anything else but Configuration. It was Pantocyclus -- the illustrious Circle mentioned above, as the queller of the Colour Revolt -- who first convinced mankind that Configuration makes the man; that if, for example, you are born an Isosceles with two uneven sides, you will assuredly go wrong unless you have them made even -- for which purpose you must go to the Isosceles Hospital; similarly, if you are a Triangle, or Square, or even a Polygon, born with any Irregularity, you must be taken to one of the Regular Hospitals to have your disease cured; otherwise you will end your days in the State Prison or by the angle of the State Executioner. <<<
Sound kind of like the agents?
Here is some text that makes one reflect on the nature of dimension, reality and how we would react when ecountering a reality we deem impossible:
From Chapter 15 Concerning a Stranger from Spaceland
>>>I was rapt in thought, pondering in my mind some words that had casually issued from the mouth of my youngest Grandson, a most promising young Hexagon of unusual brilliancy and perfect angularity. His uncles and I had been giving him his usual practical lesson in Sight Recognition, turning ourselves upon our centres, now rapidly, now more slowly, and questioning him as to our positions; and his answers had been so satisfactory that I had been induced to reward him by giving him a few hints on Arithmetic, as applied to Geometry.
Taking nine Squares, each an inch every way, I had put them together so as to make one large Square, with a side of three inches, and I had hence proved to my little Grandson that -- though it was impossible for us to see the inside of the Square -- yet we might ascertain the number of square inches in a Square by simply squaring the number of inches in the side: "and thus," said I, "we know that three-to-the-second, or nine, represents the number of square inches in a Square whose side is three inches long."
The little Hexagon meditated on this a while and then said to me; "But you have been teaching me to raise numbers to the third power: I suppose three-to-the-third must mean something in Geometry; what does it mean?" "Nothing at all," replied I, "not at least in Geometry; for Geometry has only Two Dimensions." And then I began to shew the boy how a Point by moving through a length of three inches makes a Line of three inches, which may be represented by three; and how a Line of three inches, moving parallel to itself through a length of three inches, makes a Square of three inches every way, which may be represented by three-to-the-second.
Upon this, my Grandson, again returning to his former suggestion, took me up rather suddenly and exclaimed, "Well, then, if a Point by moving three inches, makes a Line of three inches represented by three; and if a straight Line of three inches, moving parallel to itself, makes a Square of three inches every way, represented by three-to-the-second; it must be that a Square of three inches every way, moving somehow parallel to itself (but I don't see how) must make Something else (but I don't see what) of three inches every way -- and this must be represented by three-to-the-third."
"Go to bed," said I, a little ruffled by this interruption: "if you would talk less nonsense, you would remember more sense."
So my Grandson had disappeared in disgrace; and there I sat by my Wife's side, endeavouring to form a retrospect of the year 1999 and of the possibilities of the year 2000; but not quite able to shake of the thoughts suggested by the prattle of my bright little Hexagon. Only a few sands now remained in the half-hour glass. Rousing myself from my reverie I turned the glass Northward for the last time in the old Millennium; and in the act, I exclaimed aloud, "The boy is a fool."<<<
And so the cries similarly arise here that people who support MIAM are likewise foolish.
The whole meeting of Morpheus and Neo could be described by Section 16: How the Stranger vainly endeavoured to reveal to me
in words the mysteries of Spaceland.
Interestingly, the story of the book is set in 1999, the date of the release of The Matrix and roughly the year in which the movie is set.
You can buy the whole book in the usual places or read it online here:
http://ry4an.org/flatland/
G.A.O.T.U.