Dimensions of Realities Initially, our gateway to Virtual Reality

VK-November-2017 was our computer or mobile phone. To

experience Augmented Reality, we now,
In the Net of Everything for instance, use google glasses. This helps
us to see more than what we would see,
Though the 'internet' of sorts was there our earphones help us hear more than what
since about 1975, it grew globally during we would hear, and thus our experiences
the 90s. Jaron Lanier coined the term are more virtual than 'real'. However, these
Virtual Reality (VR) in 1981. A decade accessories may not be needed in the near
later, in 1990, we had the World Wide future. Why? Because we will by then be
Web, first made for CERN and then quickly completely inside the 'world' of
exploding over the globe. In the same year, technological creation. Let us enjoy!
the term Augmented Reality (AR) came
into existence. Reality, Virtual Reality, So, VR, AR, and 10T are the names
Augmented Reality and Ubiquitous Reality— given to the building blocks of a new
all arriving in quick succession. universe we have started living in since the
last two decades. We are living in a world
Virtual Reality (VR) is a simulation. within a world—a universe within a
Whether it is on the computer or mobile, universe. We are inside a WWW—worldwide
it's a simulated universe. It is all web, literally. Everything will be
technological creation. Nothing is real, so connected to the net; which means we
to say. Augmented Reality (AR) is shall be living in a huge net, a web.
enhancing the experience of real and
virtual worlds using data and information. Just imagine our world becoming
AR blends virtual reality and physical completely internetized—everything linked
reality; it helps us to interact with the to the internet! The time is soon to come
universe around in a better way and guides when we return home from the office to
disciplines like medicine towards better find unseen 'slaves' ready to serve us. If we
knowledge, work, and efficient results. are tired, our room will sense it. The mom
Ubiquitous Reality is the computation of will cool itself, our dress will internetically
our world; it is somewhat related to AR but advise us that we need to change, our
does not concern many. Augmented Reality fridge will internetically prepare our food
has come to stay and grow, and is for our or inform the supermarket that our bread
experiencing the world in an enhanced (or is getting exhausted. Suitable music will
sometimes diminished) way. Augmented begin to play and the TV will show movies
Reality has a twin sister. It is the Internet to our liking. The printer will sense that we
of Things. Internet of Things (IOT) connects are hungry and print a beautiful pizza for
everything possible to the Internet, thus us. Harry Potter like situations are soon to
paving the way for augmenting reality in come when hanging photos become alive.
which we live. The D'S will increase, so to say—3D, 4D,
5D.... If we wish, we can experience a
Till recently, our computers and mobile jungle in our own room. Thus, we will soon
phones were connected to the internet. live like an emperor. We do nothing;
Then, our cars got connected, thanks to everything is done internetically. In the
GPS. And then, our refrigerators. Now, past, emperors had hundreds of servants.
everything is connected to everything else. But here, the very walls of our house act as
When we are driving, our car is in touch our servants, and our travels, purchases,
with other cars, and so on. workplace, treatment—everything is going
to change. So they say.

1
 And we shall be a lazy subject of the Vyavahanka Satta. The world which we
internet, living inside the net of everything consider so real is where we live and
or the IOT. We will be left confused about interact during our waking state. Suddenly
which world is real, which is augmented or we fall asleep. When we are asleep, we
fake, which one to believe in. Whether we have dreams. During dreams, we are aware
like this or not, we have no escape. of a different universe. In a day, almost
However, the question will haunt us. 40% of our time is spent in a different
universe in sleep. That universe is called
Which world is real? Pratibhasikn Satta (apparent universe).
Pratibhasa means appearance. Until our
The Reality of the Real Universe ego disconnects from that apparent
universe, it is as real for us as it is when
In one of his stories to the BBC, we experience the everyday world in the
considered one of the 'Best of BBC in 2016', waking state. So we have two universes to
Philip Ball wrote: 'Several physicists, live in. When we wake up, our apparent
cosmologists, and technologists are now world disappears, as it were, but its
happy to entertain the idea that we are all memory lingers. There is, however, one
living inside a gigantic computer extraordinary difference between the
simulation, experiencing a Matrix-style Pratibhasika Satta (imagined) universe of
virtual world that we mistakenly think is dreams and the Vyavaharika Satta (actual)
real.’ universe of the waking state. While there
If this is true, our situation is is no surety that we shall return to the
precarious. There is no real world at all So same universe every night in sleep, while
where is the real world or universe? We waking, we are certain to return to the
have already had a virtual world and we same universe—of our own family, friends,
have been creating for ourselves another workplace, etc.
world within a world—a labyrinth—to live
in. This makes us think that this waking
universe, though pundits and scientists may
Creating such worlds for ourselves is call it fake, is absolutely real.
not something new for us. We have been Unfortunately, however, we forget some
doing this since the beginning of time, if factors of this waking universe. First, this
ever there was one. While we assume that too is a memory only. Second, we are
the present generation is the pioneer in constantly changing and so is the so-called
creating the Virtual Universe or Augmented 'real' universe. Third, what we think is solid
Reality, such things have been going on and firm ground is not so solid, after all.
since ages. We wish it was real and want it to be
permanent and real.
Since ancient times, our rishis have
told us that we have several universes. So, the question arises again—Is this
They informed us about the real and unreal universe of the waking state real? It is not
worlds. In Sanskrit, the root 'as' (to be) real because when we sleep we are
creates the word sat (being) and thence unaware of it and when we wake-up things
come satta (existence) or satya (truth). So, keep changing; when we are happy it
the reality is called satta. Vedanta uses appears joyful and when we are sad it
this word to explain the different worlds appears miserable. It is all in the mind. So
we live in. Vedanta has given the clearest nothing is as real as we want it to be. This
indications about how we idealize the is the plain fact.
universe around us. It calls our awareness
of the universe in the waking state

2
 Vedanta pointed this out ages ago. The Reality. It is the ground, the base, the
Buddhists went a step further when foundation for everything else. This ground
Nagarjuna said that the universe we think of everything is what is called
to be real is virtual shunya. Several Indian Consciousness. The rest is superimposition
thinkers gave several viewpoints about the or creation. So, through the maze or
universe. Edmund Husserl and his followers labyrinth of universes, Vedanta wishes to
recently gave phenomenology to the world lead us to the Real universe, the
and said that the external universe is the Paramarthikn Satta.
suggestion and the ideation happens
within. Starting from Virtual Reality through
Augmented Reality to prat1bhas1k7 reality,
The Storv of the Sattus all fake universes are creations of the
processor internal and external. The
We began by saying that technology is processor may be an external device or the
creating the illusory Virtual Reality and the internal brain itself. So, these processors
semi-real Augmented Reality. We also are creating universes and holding on to
noted that the real universe we live in is them. Until this moment, the gateway to
not as solid as we think it to be. information technology is the mobile and
Furthermore, we recognised the fact that the computer. Soon, we shall eliminate all
every day we live in two universes—the so- gateways and gadgets. We shall be
called real, and the dream universe. experiencing the universe without the help
of instruments. And as we get accustomed
Vedanta too speaks of other universes. to the new universe, it will become
Extending the scope of the apparent inseparable from our system. Which means
universe (pratibhasika) to be more than the our brain shall tease us into believing in a
dream universe, we can divide it into universe which is created. And this created
Pratibhasika Satta and Swapna Satta. That universe is within another created
is, in dream we live in the swapna universe, which is within another.
universe. But while someone is drunk or
Goodness, gracious!
drugged or mentally ill, he apparently
enters into another universe. Even normal The Uddhava Gita (23.21) says: 'Listen,
persons seem to live in imaginary worlds. O human being! That which is not before
And at that moment, that universe is you in the future or was there before, will
absolutely real for them. not be there now also. So hold on to the
Real alone.’
What does all this mean? It means we We have already reached a point of no
must be alert and awake. We should not return. The 10T is sucking and throwing us
get confused. Vedanta comes to our rescue into a huge net. It seems useful, of course.
here. Vedanta does not try to force us to But let us be watchful. It is like seeing a
become religious'. All it wants to do is tell mirage in the desert and taking it for real,
us certain simple facts of the universe. and then again seeing it with the
awareness that it is says: only a mirage. In
So what is real and what is not real both cases, the mirage is still there. We
according to Vedanta? were deluded when we were not aware
that it was a mirage. But the moment we
According to Vedanta, there is the recognised it as a mirage, we were freed
Paramarthikn Satta or the Paramarthika from that delusion.
Reality (PR). This alone is real.
So, let us wake up and study Vedanta.
Paramarthikn means the absolute or
Let us be wise enough to know what is real
spiritual. That plane of Reality is the only
and what is not real. Knowledge is power.

3
Let us pray with the glorious Vedic sage,
'From the unreal, lead me to the Real'