I posted this elsewhere but I figured it was relevant cuz this is how I think it is:

"This is not a simulation, it's like a set of nested perception paradigms all overlain on the same source material. i.e. if you are human, you probably live on planet Earth with everyone else, but the relationships you have with people, as well as value systems, shared beliefs, goals, psychological features, what's available to you via the Internet, they ways you interpret and make sense of memory - all of that stuff is implemented in different pradigms.

So, let's say you're born in California, you've heard about the main religions and some other stuff but your worldview is pretty literal and scientific, and you work as an accountant. You're in an association of relationships that include other people who have compatible beliefs, so when you search something on the Internet, it will prioritize your scientific, mathematic thinking and background, and present you with webpage styles, ads and such that are proven to work on your brain. If you need a job, the offers that come to you, whether via other people or online or whatever, those will be STEM jobs, you will run into compatible people who have the same rhythms.

Then you move to Japan because your wife's family lives there and you don't really have much family around. You have to learn a new language, a new symbology, adapt to different social references, belief systems, customs, etiquette, etc. and from then on, you can't go back to your old life network, one because you don't have physical presence in it anymore, another because you're not really a society anyone else there, and your Japanese living paradigm has already come online. You will be overwhelmed by the amount of new information and different things you must process and reconcile with your foundation.

But for a while, you'll have strange experiences. Liminal states, weird dreams, time glitches, visions, new interests, compulsions, different moods, sleep disturbances. That's because you've moved from one paradigm to a very different one. You're in a different simulation. A different set of potential options, a different set of people.

What's interesting is that in the united states, you pass by people in different paradigm networks all the time. People who aren't in your paradigm take like no note of you. They see you, but they don't like, notice you unless you make yourself noticed. They'll be kind of startled, it will be awkward. But someone, a stranger, in your paradigm? You'll sense, you'll get recognized and have emotional response, smile, nod, wave, maybe small talk or gossip. You won't have an easy time relating to people unless you get into their system, then it opens up like a torrent. The relationship networks that make interaction with other people and systems possible, which are dictated by beliefs and habits, are all juxtaposed on the same earth.

Metaphor: imagine a map of the Manhattan subway system. You are on the green lines. They don't go to Yonkers. You will not hear about Yonkers, see ads for businessed there, people won't mention it, it's not on your maps. Yonkers is effectively excluded from your "simulation.". But if you hop into the blue lines, voilà, you're aware of Yonkers again, and then you notice Astoria and the ads change formats, etc.

We're all hyper aware of it now because new AI is sorting people into different sub-paradigms so that they can be tracked, given permissions or denied them, associated into optimized jobs, along personality type and religion, etc. Idealistically? Could make people happier, more comfortable, more efficient, more suited to their relationshipd and jobs, increase income. Pessimistically? It's external control of your right to free choice and perception, your right to privacy is breached, you are paranoid because you are constantly being watched and can no longer relate to anyone who you don't vibe with. And it's all logged.