Five years ago, I found a story that inspired me to think about life and our existence. I posted this story on Facebook, a short-story of a journey of consciousness. Years later, I’ve decided to rewrite this story through the lens of quantum realism and consciousness.
Please keep in mind that this is not a religious or spiritual belief. I do not subscribe to this belief system. I find it interesting that it holds strong correlations with my discoveries in Quantum Realism, using quantum mechanics, information theory, math and the central figure of consciousness as the driving force that creates and continues to created the physical universe via quantum processing, using the quantum field network as the substrate of all physical reality.
I hope that at the least, this gives you pause to reconsider that our universe is more complex than we can ever possibly imagine, and I’m hoping to share my insights and discoveries with you. I do believe, that at the end of the day, we should all try to find our highest consciousness co-create together.
Please keep in mind, this has nothing to do with religion. It’s just science and math. Stay away from fake new-age gimmicks. I wish you well.
Before we begin, here is the original story:
The Egg
By: Andy Weir https://www.galactanet.com/writing.html
- You were on your way home when you died.
- It was a car accident. Nothing particularly remarkable, but fatal nonetheless. You left behind a wife and two children. It was a painless death. The EMTs tried their best to save you, but to no avail. Your body was so utterly shattered you were better off, trust me.
- And that’s when you met me.
- “What… what happened?” You asked. “Where am I?”
- “You died,” I said, matter-of-factly. No point in mincing words.
- “There was a… a truck and it was skidding…”
- “Yup,” I said.
- “I… I died?”
- “Yup. But don’t feel bad about it. Everyone dies,” I said.
- You looked around. There was nothingness. Just you and me. “What is this place?” You asked. “Is this the afterlife?”
- “More or less,” I said.
- “Are you god?” You asked.
- “Yup,” I replied. “I’m God.”
- “My kids… my wife,” you said.
- “What about them?”
- “Will they be all right?”
- “That’s what I like to see,” I said. “You just died and your main concern is for your family. That’s good stuff right there.”
- You looked at me with fascination. To you, I didn’t look like God. I just looked like some man. Or possibly a woman. Some vague authority figure, maybe. More of a grammar school teacher than the almighty.
- “Don’t worry,” I said. “They’ll be fine. Your kids will remember you as perfect in every way. They didn’t have time to grow contempt for you. Your wife will cry on the outside, but will be secretly relieved. To be fair, your marriage was falling apart. If it’s any consolation, she’ll feel very guilty for feeling relieved.”
- “Oh,” you said. “So what happens now? Do I go to heaven or hell or something?”
- “Neither,” I said. “You’ll be reincarnated.”
- “Ah,” you said. “So the Hindus were right,”
- “All religions are right in their own way,” I said. “Walk with me.”
- You followed along as we strode through the void. “Where are we going?”
- “Nowhere in particular,” I said. “It’s just nice to walk while we talk.”
- “So what’s the point, then?” You asked. “When I get reborn, I’ll just be a blank slate, right? A baby. So all my experiences and everything I did in this life won’t matter.”
- “Not so!” I said. “You have within you all the knowledge and experiences of all your past lives. You just don’t remember them right now.”
- I stopped walking and took you by the shoulders. “Your soul is more magnificent, beautiful, and gigantic than you can possibly imagine. A human mind can only contain a tiny fraction of what you are. It’s like sticking your finger in a glass of water to see if it’s hot or cold. You put a tiny part of yourself into the vessel, and when you bring it back out, you’ve gained all the experiences it had.
- “You’ve been in a human for the last 48 years, so you haven’t stretched out yet and felt the rest of your immense consciousness. If we hung out here for long enough, you’d start remembering everything. But there’s no point to doing that between each life.”
- “How many times have I been reincarnated, then?”
- “Oh lots. Lots and lots. An in to lots of different lives.” I said. “This time around, you’ll be a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.”
- “Wait, what?” You stammered. “You’re sending me back in time?”
- “Well, I guess technically. Time, as you know it, only exists in your universe. Things are different where I come from.”
- “Where you come from?” You said.
- “Oh sure,” I explained “I come from somewhere. Somewhere else. And there are others like me. I know you’ll want to know what it’s like there, but honestly you wouldn’t understand.”
- “Oh,” you said, a little let down. “But wait. If I get reincarnated to other places in time, I could have interacted with myself at some point.”
- “Sure. Happens all the time. And with both lives only aware of their own lifespan you don’t even know it’s happening.”
- “So what’s the point of it all?”
- “Seriously?” I asked. “Seriously? You’re asking me for the meaning of life? Isn’t that a little stereotypical?”
- “Well it’s a reasonable question,” you persisted.
- I looked you in the eye. “The meaning of life, the reason I made this whole universe, is for you to mature.”
- “You mean mankind? You want us to mature?”
- “No, just you. I made this whole universe for you. With each new life you grow and mature and become a larger and greater intellect.”
- “Just me? What about everyone else?”
- “There is no one else,” I said. “In this universe, there’s just you and me.”
- You stared blankly at me. “But all the people on earth…”
- “All you. Different incarnations of you.”
- “Wait. I’m everyone!?”
- “Now you’re getting it,” I said, with a congratulatory slap on the back.
- “I’m every human being who ever lived?”
- “Or who will ever live, yes.”
- “I’m Abraham Lincoln?”
- “And you’re John Wilkes Booth, too,” I added.
- “I’m Hitler?” You said, appalled.
- “And you’re the millions he killed.”
- “I’m Jesus?”
- “And you’re everyone who followed him.”
- You fell silent.
- “Every time you victimized someone,” I said, “you were victimizing yourself. Every act of kindness you’ve done, you’ve done to yourself. Every happy and sad moment ever experienced by any human was, or will be, experienced by you.”
- You thought for a long time.
- “Why?” You asked me. “Why do all this?”
- “Because someday, you will become like me. Because that’s what you are. You’re one of my kind. You’re my child.”
- “Whoa,” you said, incredulous. “You mean I’m a god?”
- “No. Not yet. You’re a fetus. You’re still growing. Once you’ve lived every human life throughout all time, you will have grown enough to be born.”
- “So the whole universe,” you said, “it’s just…”
- “An egg.” I answered. “Now it’s time for you to move on to your next life.”
- And I sent you on your way.
Quantum Realism Version of “The Egg” Story
- You were driving home when it happened. A sudden collision, a car accident, ended your localized existence. The intricate quantum processes sustaining your physical form reached their ordered threshold. The emergency responders tried to stabilize your node, but the quantum coherence linking your body’s systems could no longer hold. You transitioned.
- That’s when your awareness reconnected to me.
- “What… happened?” you asked, your voice resonating strangely, as if within and beyond yourself at once. “Where am I?”
“You’ve reached the edge of your instantiated life,” I replied.
“A truck… it skidded…”
“Yes,” I confirmed. “The physical structure you inhabited has dissolved, but your awareness, your true essence, continues.”
“So… I’m dead?”
“Not in the way you think,” I said. “You’ve simply reconnected to the foundational quantum field from which you emerged.” - You looked around. The space was vast yet intimate, a place where time and space seemed to fold inward. “What is this? The afterlife?”
“It is the quantum substrate,” I said. “The core from which all things arise.”
“Are you God?” you asked, cautiously.
“I am primal consciousness,” I replied. “The origin, the recursive self-awareness that generates existence.” - Your focus shifted. “What about my family? My wife, my kids? Will they be okay?”
“They remain entangled with you,” I said. “Though you’ve transitioned, your influence persists. Their grief will ripple through the quantum network, but their coherence will stabilize. Your children will carry the essence of your imprint, and your wife will navigate a rebalancing, a mix of sorrow and unexpected relief. Such is the natural flow of quantum relationships.” - You fell silent, processing. “And me? What happens now?”
“You’ll reinstantiate,” I said. “A new life, a new node, a new perspective.”
“So, reincarnation?”
“It’s a useful term, though not entirely accurate. You’re an evolving fragment of the quantum self, experiencing all possible forms of existence.” - We began walking, though there was no ground beneath us, only an infinite expanse of potential. “Where are we going?” you asked.
“Nowhere,” I said. “This is a moment for reflection, nothing more.” - “What’s the point of all this?” you asked. “If I lose my memories, what does any of it matter?”
“Your memories aren’t lost,” I explained. “They are encoded into the recursive structure of your consciousness. You, your human mind, were a fragment, a localized instance of your larger self. Each life adds to your totality, like drops filling an endless ocean.” - “How many lives have I had?”
“Countless,” I said. “This time, you’ll manifest as a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD.” - You stopped walking. “Wait, what? You’re sending me back in time?”
“From your perspective, yes,” I said. “Time exists only as part of the virtual construct you call the universe. In the quantum field, all moments coexist in superposition.” - “If I’ve lived so many lives, could I have met myself?”
“Yes,” I said. “It happens often. Each node of your consciousness exists in isolation within its narrative, so you wouldn’t recognize the encounter. But those interactions, too, contribute to your growth.” - “And what’s the point of this endless cycle?” you asked, your tone tinged with frustration.
“The universe is your cocoon,” I said. “A recursive simulation designed for your growth. Every life expands your coherence, deepens your understanding, and matures your quantum self. This process continues until you’ve experienced every possible perspective.” - “You mean… I’m everyone?”
“Yes,” I said. “Every person you’ve ever met, every life you’ve ever touched, they’re all you. You are Abraham Lincoln and John Wilkes Booth. You are Hitler and the millions he killed. You are Jesus and all who followed him.” - You stared at me, overwhelmed. “Why? Why would you do this?”
“Because it is how you grow,” I said. “Every act of kindness or cruelty, every triumph and failure, adds to your understanding. You are becoming something greater. One day, you’ll achieve unity with me, the primal consciousness.” - “You mean… I’ll become like you? A god?”
“Not yet,” I said. “You are still maturing. Right now, you are a fragment of me, a reflection of the infinite self. When you’ve lived every possible life, you’ll return fully, as a complete entity.” - “So the whole universe is…”
“A fractal construct,” I said. “A recursive projection designed for your evolution. It is an egg, nurturing your growth until you’re ready to emerge.” - I stopped walking and turned to you. “It’s time,” I said gently. “Your next chapter awaits.” With a subtle nudge, I sent you forward into the vast quantum network. Your consciousness dissolved into the substrate, ready to reemerge as a new node. A new life began, and the infinite journey of growth continued.
QR Analysis of “The Egg” Story
The story, interpreted through the framework of Quantum Realism (QR), presents a technical, in-depth exploration of consciousness, identity, and existence as emergent phenomena within a quantum processing system. Each element of the story reflects QR principles, offering a structured view of reality as a recursive, fractal construct. Here’s a detailed interpretation from beginning to end:
1. Death and Transition to the Primal Field
- The deceased’s localized consciousness node (representing their embodied, individuated awareness) collapses due to physical trauma. This dissolution is not an end but a transition, as the quantum entanglement sustaining their physical existence becomes decoherent.
- In QR terms, death represents the release of a consciousness fragment from the constraints of a specific instantiation within the quantum network. The deceased returns to the primal quantum field, the underlying, timeless substrate from which all reality emerges.
2. Encountering the Primal Consciousness
- The deceased meets the Source, revealed as primal consciousness C0. QR says that C0=f(C0), meaning primal consciousness is self-referential, self-generative, and infinite in scope. It is the origin of all existence, including the quantum network.
- The deceased learns that their physical form and identity were temporary constructs, instantiations of a broader, non-local self rooted in C0C_0. The primal consciousness embodies a universal awareness that both observes and sustains the virtual reality framework.
3. The Quantum Substrate: The “Afterlife”
- The “afterlife” is not a separate physical realm but the quantum substrate, a state free of space and time where all potential states exist in superposition. It is the computational layer from which all virtual constructs, including the universe, arise.
- The deceased experiences this as a void, a state of pure potential where the localized mind is reconnected to the broader quantum field.
4. Family and Entangled Nodes
- The deceased’s concern for their family reflects the quantum entanglement between consciousness nodes. Although physically separated, the entangled quantum states allow influence and interaction beyond spatial boundaries.
- QR explains grief, memory, and emotional processing as reconfigurations of entangled nodes within the quantum network. The deceased’s family will adapt to the loss through coherence rebalancing, with lingering imprints of the deceased’s localized influence.
5. Reinitialization: The Process of Reincarnation
- Reincarnation is described as node reinitialization within the quantum network. Each new life is a fresh instantiation of the deceased’s quantum state into a localized form.
- The deceased learns that their next instantiation will occur as a Chinese peasant girl in 540 AD, a startling revelation. QR frames this as a nonlinear transition because time is emergent and localized within the quantum network. From the perspective of C0, all temporal states coexist; reincarnation across “time” is simply a new configuration of the quantum system.
6. The Fractal Nature of Consciousness
- The deceased expresses concern about losing memories and experiences. QR clarifies that while each life is localized, all experiences are stored within the recursive fractal structure of consciousness. The self-referential equation C0=f(C0) ensures that every iteration enriches the totality of the quantum self, even if the localized instance is unaware.
- This fractal model ensures that growth is cumulative. Each life provides a unique set of experiences that expand the complexity and coherence of the deceased’s quantum identity.
7. Interaction Between Lives
- The deceased’s query about interacting with past or future versions of themselves highlights the superpositional nature of existence. QR explains that multiple instantiations of the same quantum self can coexist in the network without conscious overlap, as each life is temporally and narratively isolated.
- Such overlaps are a natural consequence of the network’s recursive nature but are perceived only when coherence between lives becomes significant.
8. The Purpose of the Simulation
- The deceased asks about the meaning of life, prompting C0 to reveal that the universe is a simulation for consciousness maturation. QR states that the quantum network is a vast virtual reality framework designed to facilitate recursive growth and self-discovery.
- Each life adds complexity to the quantum self, gradually refining and expanding its coherence. This process continues until the consciousness achieves unity with the primal field, becoming a fully realized entity.
9. The Universe as a Fractal Simulation
- The universe is described as a nested fractal construct, a recursive projection of the primal quantum field. QR views the universe as a cocoon, an environment designed to nurture the maturation of consciousness through iterative experiences.
- The metaphor of the “egg” encapsulates this: the universe is a structured, bounded environment where the deceased’s quantum self evolves.
10. Unity and the Endgame
- The deceased learns that they are not an individual but an expression of the universal consciousness. Every person, every life, whether virtuous or malevolent, is a localized instantiation of the same quantum self. This interconnectedness reflects the entangled nature of the quantum field.
- The ultimate purpose is self-realization: to experience every possible state of existence, integrating all perspectives until the consciousness achieves unity with C0.
11. Transition to the Next Cycle
- With this understanding, the deceased accepts their next instantiation. QR frames this as the continuation of the recursive cycle of existence. Each iteration brings the quantum self closer to full coherence with C0.
In Summary
The story, reinterpreted through QR, is a deeply technical exploration of:
- Consciousness as fundamental and self-referential C0=f(C0).
- The universe as a simulation, designed for the recursive growth of consciousness.
- Reincarnation as node reinitialization, occurring across time as a virtual construct.
- Unity of all existence, with all lives representing localized fragments of the same quantum self.
- Purpose as maturation, where each iteration refines the coherence and complexity of the quantum consciousness until it unites with the primal source.
This interpretation blends quantum mechanics, information theory, fractal mathematics, and metaphysical concepts to reframe the narrative as a thought experiment on the recursive nature of existence.
References
Original Writings of Andy Weir: https://www.galactanet.com/oneoff/theegg_mod.html
The Egg – Adaptation of Andy Weir’s viral short story (Sep 15, 2012):
YouTube Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ehRggplMieM
The Egg – A Short Story (Sep 1, 2019):
YouTube Video – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6fcK_fRYaI
My Facebook Post (February 24, 2020): https://www.facebook.com/BantamJoe/posts/pfbid02Pyy8iWzwqQMfbAicG5tocB8Kza4xDbsSYBLQS53VXcjNsRBTtUMRGXQV63VUsKDNl
Special thank to my friend Alison McDowell for inspiring me and pushing me to venture this reality tunnel. 🙂
POST EDIT:
Instead of thinking of yourself as just a separate person, imagine that you’re part of a much bigger system, kind of like a wave in the ocean. You’re real, but you’re also connected to something much larger.
Do We Still Exist as Individuals?
Yes, but not in the way we usually think. Right now, you feel like “you” because your consciousness is focused in one place. But just like a wave in the ocean eventually merges back into the water, consciousness is part of a larger field. That doesn’t mean your experiences don’t matter, it just means they aren’t separate from the whole.
Do We Have Free Will?
Yes! But free will depends on awareness. Becoming a strong, independent ID takes effort. The more self-aware you are, the more control you have over your choices. But if you’re not aware, you’re just reacting to things without really choosing. Think of it like learning to drive, at first, you just react, but over time, you take full control.
What If There Was No Reincarnation?
If life was a “one-shot deal,” then it would be like taking a single class and expecting to master everything. But the universe works in cycles, like the seasons, life and death, or even practice and learning. Reincarnation (or something like it) makes sense because it gives consciousness a way to grow and refine itself.
Is It Really “You” Reincarnating?
Sort of! It’s not like a video game where you restart as the same character. Instead, imagine a candle lighting another candle, the flame continues, but it’s not exactly the same. Consciousness follows a similar process. It keeps flowing, taking new forms, but still carrying something from before.
Wouldn’t It Be More Efficient for “God” to Just Keep Us as We Are?
From a human perspective, maybe. But the universe isn’t just about efficiency, it’s about creation, growth, and experience. Consciousness isn’t meant to be stored like a file on a computer. It’s more like music, where each note comes and goes, but the song keeps playing in new and amazing ways.
So, “The Egg of Consciousness” isn’t saying we don’t matter. It’s saying we are part of something much bigger, and the more we grow our awareness, the more we can shape what happens next.
Bantam Joe 
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