Dr. Sam Vaknin examines the concept and manifestations of reality from the context of The Matrix, including how choice, and the interaction between a system and its participants influence, affect, and ultimately determine its destiny.

It is easy to confuse the concepts of "virtual reality" and a "computerized model of reality (simulation)". The former is a self-contained Universe, replete with its "laws of physics" and "logic". It can bear resemblance to the real world or not. It can be consistent or not. It can interact with the real world or not. In short, it is an arbitrary environment. In contrast, a model of reality must have a direct and strong relationship to the world. It must obey the rules of physics and of logic. The absence of such a relationship renders it meaningless. A flight simulator is not much good in a world without airplanes or if it ignores the laws of nature. A technical analysis program is useless without a stock exchange or if its mathematically erroneous...

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Over the months we've tried to answer the requests for this site running on the optional (and concurrent) domain name (matrixessays.com), both to match the site's redesign, but also as a special service to visitors, a few of whom have asked that it would be nice to have the option for the shorter but still straightforward domain.

The idea was to point, redirect or mirror this site so that whichever domain you choose to use, you'll have the same site.

At the time, MovableType was emergent with powerful new features and core functionality (multiple blogs, unlimited categories, etc.). This was also the time when Blogger, beloved as it is to us, seemed to stagnate. Thus we mulled it over and made a point that, since the site's redesign was underway, why not go all the way as well and port our blogging platform to MT, from which our prototype design was already skinned for.

But alas, as if Deus Ex Machina were listening, not long after this and just as we were finalizing the port, Blogger (Google) rolled out its much-improved redesign as well, which, while not perfect, was far better than its past, stagnant version. At the very least it gave us all the excuses we needed to stay. Secondly, and at the same time, MT came out with its fuzzy and much-maligned licensing changes which put a cap on our desire to transfer. (They've since modified that too.)

So now, between all that and very recent work-related constraints we've been unable to find the time just yet to port the MT redesign into a Blogger template, and complete the move back. (You can say it's the kind of recursion worthy of a site like this.)

Thus, for now, we reckoned it best to continue posting updates here as they come, regardless of the redesign completion (for now) and to continue with our goal of highlighting the essays and writings that further the ideas and concepts that make The Matrix such an enduring phenomenon.