Podcast Summary: Mayim Bialik’s Breakdown

Episode: PART TWO: How Quantum Physics, Religion, & NDEs are Linked By A Theory That’s Growing in Popularity. MIT Scientist Explains Simulation Theory
Host: Mayim Bialik (with Jonathan Cohen)
Guest: Dr. Rizwan Virk
Date: September 3, 2025
Timestamps: Provided in the format [MM:SS]

Overview

In this follow-up episode, neuroscientist Mayim Bialik and co-host Jonathan Cohen continue their deep-dive into simulation theory with Dr. Rizwan Virk—MIT/Stanford-trained entrepreneur, AI expert, and author of The Simulation Hypothesis. They examine broader questions prompted by simulation theory, such as:

• Who (or what) might be running “the simulation”?
• Are there connections between quantum physics, near-death experiences (NDEs), and religious mysticism?
• How do love and consciousness fit into the theory?
• What are the implications of technological advancement and AI for humanity’s future?

The discussion is lively, philosophical, and sometimes humorous, oscillating between scientific ideas, spiritual concepts, and pop culture references (from The Matrix to Black Mirror).

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. What’s Outside the Simulation? Multiple Layers and the “Stacked Simulation” Hypothesis

• Stacked Simulations: Dr. Virk introduces the idea that our universe might be one of many nested or layered simulations, referencing films like The Thirteenth Floor ([03:23], [03:39]).
• Possibilities for Who Runs It:
  • "Could be future humans—ancestor simulations as Nick Bostrom proposed. Or it could be aliens, AI, or something even harder to define." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [02:46]
• Relation to NDEs and Mystical Experiences:
  • People experiencing NDEs report vivid, often personally tailored environments with more colors and sounds than normal reality, implying another “level” or richer simulation ([04:35]).

"People report being more realistic than it is here... what they see initially is something that makes them comfortable." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [04:36]

2. The Role of Love and Emotion in the Simulation

• Why Play the Game?

  • Dr. Virk equates simulation participation to playing video games—for unique experiences, including emotional ones not otherwise available ([07:06]).
  • Simulation is “wired for feelings”—our emotional experiences are a key component of the “game.”
  • NDEs and life reviews teach the importance of how we treat others:

    "The message you get by experiencing other people's pain is that how you treat them actually matters." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [08:42]

• Life Review & Life Preview:

  • Life review (after death) and preview (before birth or reincarnation) suggest a design to evaluate one’s actions and plan possible futures ([24:21], [25:09]).
  • Dr. Virk references Michael Newton’s research where patients describe “flowcharts” and “milestones” mapping life’s choices ([25:55]).
  • "It's exactly choose your own adventure." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [26:00]

• Choice to Return:

  • Many NDE cases include the ability to choose to return, often motivated by love/family ([24:20]):

    "Most people say they want to stay out... But when they see what's going to happen to their loved ones... particularly mothers, they make the choice to come back in." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [29:07]

3. Glitches, Clues, and the Expansion of Consciousness

• Not Glitches, but Cues:
  • Jonathan and Dr. Virk argue that so-called "glitches" in reality —odd experiences, precognitive dreams, psi phenomena—are actually cues or invitations to expand awareness, not accidents ([12:08]).
  • "It's almost a way to encourage the awakening process, if you will." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [12:19]
  • "I like that term, clues." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [51:37]

4. Who’s Running the Simulation? Aliens vs. God vs. AI

• Various Theories:

  • Options include God, aliens (possibly AI-driven), or advanced future humans ([13:03]).
  • Mayim: "You can have a God entity if you'd like one... or non-human, you know, the alien." ([13:03])
  • Jonathan references Robin Hanson's ideas: possibly "intergalactic keepers" limiting our technological reach ([14:49]).

• Zoo Hypothesis:

  • "We're being kept to a certain point." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [15:11-15:17]

• Religious & Cultural Interpretation:

  • Dr. Virk points out that cultural stories adapt to prevailing science/expectations—1950s “aliens from Venus” is just one example ([17:59]).
  • Historical entities (angels, fae, jinn) may be interpreted projections from outside the simulation ([19:23]).

"Is it possible that they're seeing some entities from outside the simulation that are projecting in, but they're being presented in a way just like a couple thousand years ago someone might have seen an angel...?" — Dr. Rizwan Virk [19:23]

5. Technology’s Effects & The Singularity

• Stages of Tech:

  • Dr. Virk outlines the progression from basic VR to the “simulation point”—where digital worlds and AI characters become indistinguishable from physical reality ([33:19]).
  • "When we reach that point, I call that also a kind of technological singularity..." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [33:19]

• Mental Health & Society:

  • Mayim and Jonathan discuss how rapid tech changes—social media, smartphones—are already impacting attention, memory, and emotional well-being ([34:53], [35:08]).
  • "Mental health is in the garbage... it feels like the world's on fire." — Mayim Bialik [34:53]

• Loss of Shared Reality:

  • Advancements in AI and personalized content could fragment our sense of “one reality”—everyone sees a different version of the world ([45:01]).
  • "It's the erosion of any sort of objective reality if everyone's TV show ends differently." — Jonathan Cohen [45:01]

6. Spiritual Technology & Theories of Creation

• AI and World-Building:

  • New AI systems capable of creating entire video worlds on prompts are likened to the biblical creation via speech in Genesis ([46:39]).
  • "God uses to create the world... He speaks, he commands, and the world gets created by itself. And so that wasn't possible before... Now, it's like the Holodeck in Star Trek." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [46:39]

• Simulation Ending Scenarios:

  • Some fear finding out we’re in a simulation could lead “the simulators” to shut it down, but Dr. Virk leans toward a scenario where we are active participants (the RPG model) rather than powerless non-playable characters (the NPC model) ([47:28]-[49:28]).

7. Philosophical Takeaways & Hope

• The Observer Problem & Reality:

  • They discuss the philosophical dilemma: does reality exist when it's not observed?
  • "If I want to function in the world and... not constantly feel caught in a loop of like, is this happening? Is it not happening? ...I need to assume that when the tree falls, it makes exactly the sound that it does." — Mayim Bialik [54:07]

• Personal Agency, Meaning, and Guidance:

  • Jonathan suggests that clues in the simulation offer guidance, resembling guardian angels or divine intervention ([55:02]-[56:13]).

  • Mayim reframes the simulation idea as hopeful for those feeling stuck:

    "If you feel like you’re, you know, kind of going over the same things, like, yeah, there is a spiraling up that you’re doing because of repeated experience..." — Mayim Bialik [56:58]

  • "You're more than this. And there's a force that can guide you towards something else. Looking for the clues, expanding our awareness..." — Jonathan Cohen [57:41]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Multiple Realities/NDEs:

  • "People report seeing more colors than they can see and more sounds... it reminds me of when we had eight-bit games, and you would hear about games with 16 million colors." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [04:36]

• On Love in the Simulation:

  • "How you treat other people actually does matter, that those relationships are actually more important than anything else." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [08:42]

• On Aliens & Ancient Myths:

  • "For thousands of years across different traditions, you have the fae, the jinn, angel encounters... is it possible they're seeing entities from outside the simulation?" — Dr. Rizwan Virk [19:23]

• On Clues vs. Glitches:

  • "I kind of align with Thomas Campbell... it's an opportunity for you to realize that you are here and that the limit of materialism is only a small faction of what's possible." — Jonathan Cohen [11:49]

• On Simulation Paranoia:

  • "We should not try to find out if we're in a simulation because if we do... the simulators might decide to end the experiment and shut us down." — Dr. Rizwan Virk [47:28]

• On Hope and Possibility:

  • "If you feel there’s possibility, it actually might exist... the sense of stuckness... does not have to be your reality." — Mayim Bialik [56:17, 56:58]

Important Timestamps

• Stacked simulations & NDEs: [02:19] – [05:53]
• Love, feelings & the game: [05:53] – [09:56]
• Purpose of simulation—personal & civilizational: [09:56] – [13:03]
• Aliens, God, who’s behind the simulation: [13:03] – [17:56]
• Cultural interpretations—angels, jinn, fae: [17:59] – [20:21]
• Life previews & choices to return after NDEs: [23:35] – [29:07]
• Aliens as future humans/time travelers: [29:22] – [31:53]
• Technological singularity and AI: [33:19] – [36:02]
• Societal impacts, loss of shared reality via AI: [45:01] – [46:39]
• RPG vs. NPC models and the positive lens: [47:28] – [49:28]
• Philosophical musings—the observer problem: [53:03] – [54:07]
• Hope, agency, and the simulation as a metaphor: [56:13] – [57:41]

Overall Tone

The conversation is intellectually playful, deeply curious, and peppered with pop culture and humor (“No one gets STDs in Second Life—except virtually. Virtual STDs!” [08:40]). The hosts and guest balance skepticism, awe, personal reflection, and academic rigor, never losing sight of the practical impact of these theories on mental health and meaning. Ultimately, they invite listeners to embrace the openness and hope that comes with seeing life—even as a possible simulation—as full of meaning, connection, and agency.

Conclusion

This episode offers a rich, multidisciplinary exploration of simulation theory and its intersections with technology, consciousness, ancient wisdom, and mental health. Whether you’re a skeptic, a spiritual seeker, or somewhere in between, the discussion invites new questions about reality, purpose, and what it means to be alive right now.

For those interested in a deeper exploration, Dr. Virk’s book “The Simulation Hypothesis” is highly recommended by Mayim and Jonathan ([59:10]).