Mysticism and the Simulation Hypothesis – A Talk with Rizwan Virk

Do we live inside a Matrix-like simulation? For Episode 17 of Pop Apocalypse, we welcome one of the leading theorists behind the simulation hypothesis, Rizwan Virk, to discuss that question. Virk is an entrepreneur, videogame pioneer, and academic author of two major works on simulation theory: The Simulation Hypothesis (Tarcher, 2025) and The Simulated Multiverse (Bayview Books, 2021). In the interview, we discuss the technologies necessary to make a Matrix-like simulation possible and how close we are to achieving them. Then we turn to the religious and mystical dimensions of simulation theory, exploring reincarnation, out-of-body experiences, UAPs, angels, and the anthropocentrism and ethical pitfalls of simulation theory.

RIZWAN KIRK
A graduate of MIT and Stanford University, Rizwan Virk, PhD, is a successful entrepreneur, video game pioneer, film producer, venture capitalist, professor, and bestselling author of The Simulation Hypothesis (Tarcher, 2025), Wisdom of a Yogi (Bayview Books, 2023), and The Simulated Multiverse (Bayview Books, 2021). Virk’s video games, including Tap Fish and Penny Dreadful: Demimonde, have been played by millions. He is the founder and executive director of Play Labs @ MIT, a video game accelerator at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and currently teaches at Arizona State University.

Link to the Center for the Study of World Religions at Harvard Divinity School:
https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu

Link to the Pop Apocalypse site:
https://cswr.hds.harvard.edu/research...

You can also listen to Pop Apocalypse here on these sites:

Spotify: https://tr.ee/HXY8PAFVlO

Apple: https://shorturl.at/vWDEd

Simplecast: https://pop-apocalypse.simplecast.com/

Link to Pop Apocalypse Linktree: https://linktr.ee/PopApocalypsePodcast