Recently, a friend shared his concerns about what the future with AI might hold. He spoke about control, power, greed, and the possibility that technologies could be steered by ill intent. Beneath it was a fear that the world was moving in an unsafe direction.
In the past, my response to a conversation like this would have been somewhat different.
- I knew that focusing on negative outcomes draws negative outcomes.
- I viewed the world as a single, shared reality we are shaping together, and so it seemed vital to encourage a collective shift.
I would have said something like, “If we approach this with care, and enough people choose that direction, then things can turn out well. In the end, good prevails.”
However, this time, I did not say that.
I placed my hand on his arm and said, “Don’t worry. We’ll all be fine.”
He looked at me questioningly. I nodded and repeated, “I know we will be. We’ll all be fine.”
As simple as the response seems, the understanding behind it is not small.
Not One Track
Most people experience reality as one continuous, shared world. Within that understanding, if we want change, we must create it. If we want world change, we must create it together. That makes sense. It is how we generally think.
When reality is a single fixed track, then everything depends on steering it correctly. But what if reality is more like a field of available paths, many unfolding realities existing simultaneously?
In that case, we are not only shaping a single shared future. We are also aligning, moment by moment, with the version of reality that matches our state. Through sustained attention, we are constantly shifting.
Attention tunes you to a version of reality that matches that focus. It is directional. If someone continuously focuses on destructive outcomes, they align with a version of Earth in which those patterns become dominant in their lived experience. If someone focuses on constructive expectations, they align with a different version.
Two people can begin in what appears to be the exact same environment and gradually find themselves in very different experiential worlds. One encounters evidence of collapse. Another encounters evidence of innovation. Each feels justified by what they see because they align with a different reality.
Attention is not neutral. You are always being drawn towards what becomes dominant within you.
That is why reassurance matters. By interrupting my friend’s fear, he was invited into alignment with a different version of Earth, one in which technology serves rather than destroys.
What It’s Not
The concept of multiple realities does not cancel the need for action. Behaviour flows from belief, and belief determines alignment.
If we see rubbish scattered along a riverbank, we do not say, “It exists in another version of reality, so it doesn’t matter.” We pick it up. The version of Earth we align with is one where nature is nurtured and protected.
If someone is in an abusive situation, we do not say, “They can simply shift realities.” We offer whatever support is relevant for us to offer. The version of reality we align with is one in which dignity and safety are upheld.
Nor is the concept of multiple realities about blame.
If someone becomes ill, we do not say, “You must have aligned with the wrong reality.” We recognise that biology, environment, history and circumstance all play a part. We respond with compassion, not accusation.
If a community experiences loss or upheaval, we do not say, “You chose this.” We understand that collective forces, timing and complexity are involved. We meet what is happening with love and practical support.
Life is intricate. You are not responsible for every external event that comes your way. But you are responsible for your response to it, and that state determines the direction in which you move.
See For Yourself
The idea of many realities may seem unrealistic or absurd. It may feel too strange within the familiar model of how the world works. You are not required to believe it. You are in charge of your own beliefs. If this does not resonate, set it aside.
But if something in it strikes a chord, let it sit. Look for evidence in your own experience. Test it by its usefulness. If reorienting your attention improves the quality of your lived experience, then it has value.
The purpose of understanding reality is not to win arguments. It is to live well.
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