Abstract

Philosophers and other thinkers have pondered tough questions about the nature of reality for thousands of years. Now, science seems to be discovering increasing support for this ancient concept, and Star Trek's holodeck technology offers great insights into understanding both old and new theories about what's real. The accumulation of data over the last twenty‐five years from a variety of scientific fields reveals that the reality seems to be holographic in nature. On the holodeck, there are two types of people: players, like Data pretending to be Henry V or Sherlock Holmes, and non‐player characters (NPCs), holographic people created to interact with the players. Traditional mystical approaches offer the examples of prophets, saints, and saviors as similar to these holocharacters, with some traditions even providing teachings and techniques for individuals who seek to overcome their own holoprogramming.