Reality Hackers (also known as: 'Reality Coders' or 'Reality Crackers') is a subgroup of Virtual Adepts, computer-oriented magicians in Mage: the Ascension roleplaying game.
The Reality Hackers are a faction of the Virtual Adepts that focuses its efforts on the transformation of our current reality. They are one of the principal contributors to the project of Reality 2.0.
Definitions.
'Reality', according to philosophy, is 'everything that exists'. More than only physical objects, there are other things that exist as well. From a friendship between two humans, to existence of prejudices of certain people toward something.
'Hacking' is doing something that is 'not according to design'. Reality changes often defy and go beyond the initial designs of politicians, scientists, etc.
Reality Modelling & Vulnerability Analysis.
I think that similar to more mundane (non-magicians) computer hackers, the reality hackers analyze their target (reality in this case) for weak, vulnerable points then exploit these to gain access and read/create/modify/remove that target's parts. One of such 'weakness in reality' is that many human beings believe in power of magick that can change reality, and belief has great power. Thus, reality can be affected by the use of magick.
I think that reality hackers create 'reality models', using many approaches to modelling the whole reality and/or it's parts. Then, using computer sciences as tools, models are analyzed and 'weak points' can be found. Sometimes even a small change makes the big difference, and/or make other changes possible and/or easier to execute.
I think that supercomputers can be useful in skilled hands (supercomputers & data centers have uses in fields of artificial intelligence and in creating other large models), but knowledge of computer sciences, programming, hacking and magick are basics, are far more important tools in the reality hacker's arsenal.
I think that even the 'more mundane' computer hackers/programmers/related can significiantly change the reality, just by doing their work. It seems that reality is vulnerable to changes created by software services available in the internet.
I think that everyone - no matter their occupation - can change the reality, but some occupations have more power over reality than others. Sad as it is, one can say that some jobs are more meaningful than others.
Metaphors.
My friend once destribed Virtual Adepts as magicians who use computers to 'code programs for stealing apples'.
... is it about stealing fruit(s) from paradise-garden's tree, or is it about hacking macintosh computers to steal control over them?
... or both?
Stealing apples is against God's will - as any stealing is.
Many think that changing Reality is defying God's will as well.
... ;)
Buddhists often say that 'Space is Information''.
One can perceive that every atom, electron, ... , or lack of such at a given coordinates is information.
By changing this information, one can change state of Space at given coords.
Space is at least part of Reality, by changing Space one changes Reality as well.
In theory - if computer is connected to Space - programs written on such computer can transform that information, can transform Space.
...
However, Virtual Adepts usually do not use coords in spellcasting, they use symbols related with objects transformed by their code. Reality is more than physical objects after all. It's use of Correspondence, one of ideas in Mage: thue Ascension.
Virtual Adepts can change not only quantum objects (either individual quantum object or quantum objects in larger group(s)) with their Magick. Examples are: Manipulating Thoughts in Mind, Aligning perceptions to see Spirit World, etc. These uses can be perceived as high-abstraction-level instructions.
Anything can be an object, from physical objects to mind and it's state, to thoughts, to feelings, or even to objects used in statistical analysis. Symbols can represent ideas and objects as well.
Can everything be reduced to mind perceiving objects in space - trying to see itself? Buddhist Wisdom tries to explore these ideas since time that has no beginning nor end.
... coords can be perceived as a symbol as well.
How to connect Computer to Space?
Computers can be connected with Space by - for example - symbols on Virtual Adept's computer's desktop screen.
Symbols can be images, or whatever representing ideas that connect computer to the Space.
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