[travisjungroth]

I came to the same realization at about 12 years old. The mechanics were different than the Boltzmann brain. I saw it as that there are only two things that define the current universe: matter and energy. How could I know the universe wasn’t _just_ created? Every atom of my house, every atom of my body, created or placed in just the spot it is now, with just the energy it has now. My memories from five minutes ago are exactly what a brain that looks like mine would “remember” from five minutes ago.

Looking back, this realization became a feeling and this feeling became the backdrop for much of my growth as a person. Sometimes I was filled with fear. Sometimes I would shed all responsibility because it didn’t feel real.

At the best times, it fills me with a profound sense of agency, balanced with responsibility. It’s like teleporting into someone else’s body. Some things you choose to play along with, taking care of “his” mother. Other things you abandon, changing direction in your life as you need, despite what anyone might say.