VIRTUAL Reality

Events over the past few days lead me to discuss a very important subject in this article.  No doubt, most of you are familiar with the concept of a holograph or even the holodeck on the Star Trek shows.  These programs portray a virtual world that appears just as true as the real world.  Likely, you have seen some 3-D movie, such as the recent edition movie release of “A Christmas Carol” or possibly you have even been to an I-MAX theatre.  These theatres make you feel as though you are a part of the show.  Most of us are at least familiar with or even regularly experience stereo sound and even the effects of a surround sound stereo system.  Virginia Tech does cutting-edge research in an area they call The CAVE, where images and sounds are projected to simulate something like the Star Trek holodeck.  With all of the games, audio and video images around us, we each are increasingly involved in what are called virtual experiences.  The sensory perception of a simulated atmosphere mimics what a real atmosphere might be like.  Why I am writing about this today?  There is a real world and there are many virtual worlds.  I wonder, dear reader, if perhaps you could be falling victim to a VIRTUAL Reality?

I have often written about the important difference between reality and imagination.  There is so much information available today and so much technology, that it is far easier for any of us to get caught up in a virtual world.  In fact, these virtual worlds and our own imaginations will tend to desensitize us to readily spotting a counterfeit.  A recent incident with fake money where I currently work illustrates how it is so often easy for someone to pass off a clear counterfeit as the real thing.  In fact, you can even do this personally with others around you.  Acting is so common and seen as so important today that many are finding it easier to pretend to be something that they are not.  Do you find yourself doing this?  Are you leading a double life or pretending to be one way before some and a different way before others, and even different when you are alone?  It seems that this is almost a requirement today for those who would be politicians.  I think the average person today is really more interested in what is real.  Though increasing technology keeps people interested in the latest things, the tendency is for one to grow bored with the virtual and long for what is real.

Friend, there is a reality that many today are not understanding as they could.  There is the physical world and there is the spiritual world.  One is just as real as the other, though one most often goes unseen by our perceptions.  The spiritual world is connected to the physical world and those paying attention can learn to see many of the interactions.  Spiritual truth is no different from physical truth in principle, but is different in its realization.  A day is coming, when what has been hidden will come into full view.  Will you be ready for that day?  The Bible tells you how to be ready and explains much more about this real spiritual world.  It also warns us that there is a spiritual deception at work too, and tells us how to spot it and not be deceived by it.

Don’t be deluded (review my 05-22-09 Blog:  “DELUSION”)!  You can be certain of your faith as much as you can about anything else in this world.  Faith need not and should not exclude reason.  Investigate for yourself.  You have little excuse for ignorance in this day and age of information.  Be sure that you are not being deceived or even deceiving yourself.  It is easy to live in a false or VIRTUAL Reality.  This will not help you when all things are made known and come to light.  Are you ready?