Page 150 - The Truth of the Life of This World

"real" world.
It may, therefore, be very different from what we perceive. There may
be a great many dimensions and other beings of which we remain
unaware. Even if we reach the furthermost extremities of the universe, our
knowledge will always remain limited.
Almighty Allah, the Creator of all, has complete and flawless knowledge
of all beings who, having been created by Allah, can possess only the
knowledge that He allows them. This reality is explained in the Qur'an as
follows:

Allah, there is no deity but Him, the Living, the Self-Sustaining. He is not sub-
ject to drowsiness or sleep. Everything in the heavens and the earth belongs
to Him. Who can intercede with Him except by His permission? He knows
what is before them and what is behind them but they cannot grasp any of
His knowledge save what He wills. His Footstool encompasses the heavens
and the Earth and their preservation does not tire Him. He is the Most High,
the Magnificent. (Surat al-Baqara: 255)

The Artificially Constituted “External World”

The only world we know is the one that is designed, recorded, and
made vivid there - in short, the one created and existing within our minds.
Perceptions we observe in our brain may sometimes be coming from an
artificial source.
We can illustrate this with an example:
First, imagine that by artificial means, your brain can survive apart from
your body. And suppose a computer able to produce all kinds of electri-
cal signals. Let us artificially produce electrical signals of the data relating
to a given environment - including its sights, sounds and aromas. Finally,
let's have electrical cables connect this computer to your brain's sensory
centres and transmit the recorded signals. Perceiving these signals, your
brain (in other words, "you") will see and experience the environment they
represent.
This computer can also send to your brain electrical signals related to
your own image. For example, if we send the electrical correlates of all
senses such as hearing, sight and touch that you experience while sitting

148 The Secret Beyond Matter