So, I have more than a little experience with the metaphysics and logic of "simulation".
Plainly put, there is no real difference between that which exists "as a simulation" or something that exists "on its own".
It is possible that an intelligent force can intervene in a simulation. Something on its own is completely naturalistic....
Really, "simulation" only has meaning when presented with a context, a set of things "around" the subject.
The universe is what it is, regardless of what context drives those relationships. It is simultaneously a simulation, and not-a-simulation, BECAUSE IT IS THE PRODUCT OF ALL EVENTUALITIES THAT PRODUCE IT!
I'm not sure what you mean but do you agree that if it is a simulation that it had a creator?
You are not catching the meaning.
You are still talking in terms of a "contextualized universe" rather than a univers irrespective of it's context.
Imagine an instance (and I really do mean just an instance) of the multiverse "Super Mario Brothers".
Now, this multiverse is fairly simple. It has very few particle types, those particles have very few interactions, and they can occupy a fundamentally discrete number of positions in the fields that exists.
There are many universes that exist in this multiverse, infinite in fact (owing to the fact that "lives" are available within it's physics).
Now, to make this easier to "grok", imagine just ONE universe of all that multiverse, wherein the series of observable "interaction events" is "<event A> at 6 frames past <start event time> + delay, repeated three times".
This universe is not a simulation, specifically. It may be simulated on a nintendo platform. It may be simulated on a PC emulator.
I could create this universe.
You could create this universe.
"Which of us is the creator" of that universe is now exposed as a bad question, because it begs the question of whether this universe had to be "created" at all, or whether it is merely a point on which the SMB multiverse can fall. In fact, I can describe a universe with no instantiation within our own universe. Does that make it any less "of" the SMB multiverse?
Even if a god came down and did some magic, making a bunch of magical events, there is still only the text of "what happened". Let's say an entity appears in front of every human on earth and says "I'm god, I created you", there's still no actual proof that this entity IS god or that it did in fact create us. All it is proof of is that entities can appear in this way, and that they can make such utterances. There is still only the text of "what happened" with no reality of "why".
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