Ep 325: Through a Laser Darkly

“Perception is not a window on objective reality. It is an interface that hides objective reality behind a veil of helpful icons.”

— Donald D. Hoffman from his book, "The Case Against Reality: Why Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes," published by W. W. Norton & Company in 2019

Description:

This episode dives into one of the strangest modern consciousness experiments ever proposed. Starting with cognitive scientist Donald Hoffman’s provocative idea that reality may function like a computer desktop interface — an evolutionary illusion designed for survival rather than truth. Then we’ll explore a mind-bending phenomenon discovered by Danny Goler, leading to an experiment in which many participants under the influence of DMT are able to observe a stable grid of angular symbols resembling Japanese Kanji text, obscured inside a refracted laser beam — as if making the hidden code behind reality visible. Are these visions simply the brain’s hyper-connected visual cortex generating patterns, or could they represent the possibility that our everyday reality may be a carefully rendered illusion?

Reference Links:

• “‘It's A Simulation!’ New Laser Experiment Finds Code Behind Reality” from the Jack Neel and Dan Go Thoughts YouTube channel

• From the Jack Neel podcast on Apple Podcasts: “‘It's A Simulation!’ New Laser Experiment Finds Code Behind Reality | Danny Goler Podcast.”

• Danny Goler’s website, www.codeofreality.com, and his “Project Veilbreak.”

• Shane Mauss, comedian and “psychonaut,” talks about a connected DMT trip with a friend, from Comedy Central’s “Tales From the Trip.”

• Andrew Gallimore’s post on X, about “resonant modes” with laser interference patterns when projected onto the retina.

• Donald Hoffman’s “Case Against Reality” article from The Atlantic.

• Dimethyltryptamine (DMT)

• Japanese Kanji text characters

• From Wired magazine: “Some People See Aliens While on DMT. Researchers Want to Find Out What They Can Teach Us”

Related Books:

AL325: Bibliography

Books

Gallimore, Andrew R. Alien Information Theory: Psychedelic Drug Technologies and the Cosmic Game. London: Strange Attractor Press, 2019. Available at: Bookshop.org

Gallimore, Andrew R. Death by Astonishment: Confronting the Mystery of the World's Strangest Drug. [n.p.], 2024. Available at: Bookshop.org

Hoffman, Donald D. The Case Against Reality: How Evolution Hid the Truth from Our Eyes. [n.p.]: Allen Lane, 2019. Available at: Bookshop.org

Huxley, Aldous. The Doors of Perception. London: Chatto & Windus, 1954. Available at: Bookshop.org

Strassman, Rick. DMT: The Spirit Molecule: A Doctor's Revolutionary Research into the Biology of Near-Death and Mystical Experiences. Rochester, VT: Park Street Press, 2001. Available at: Bookshop.org

Wiener, Norbert. Cybernetics: or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine. 2nd ed. Cambridge, MA: The MIT Press, 2019. Available at: Bookshop.org

Academic Journal Articles

Goler, Danny. "Detailing a Pilot Study: The 'Code of Reality' Protocol, A Phenomenon of N,N-DMT Induced States of Consciousness." IPI Letters 3, no. 1 (2024): N1-N5. Available at: IPI Publishing

Mauser, Michael W. "Exploring the Anatomy of Your Own Eye." The American Biology Teacher 73, no. 1 (2011): 28–33. Available at the University of California Press

Timmermann, Christopher, Leor Roseman, Sharad Haridas, Fernando E. Rosas, Lisa Luan, Hannes Kettner, Jonny Martell, et al. "Human Brain Effects of DMT Assessed via EEG-fMRI." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 120, no. 13 (2023): e2218949120. Available at: PNAS.org

Web Articles / Periodicals

Galiher, Stephen Andrew. "The Man Who Can ‘Prove’ Life Is a Simulation—With Just a DMT Vape and a Laser." VICE, 2026.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. "Famous Double-Slit Experiment Holds Up When Stripped to Its Quantum Essentials." MIT News, July 2025. Available at: MIT News

Wright, Webb. "Some People See Aliens While on DMT. Researchers Want to Find Out What They Can Teach Us." WIRED, March 4, 2026.

Podcasts and Videos1

Fleay, Lindsay. "Lindsay Fleay on Creating The Matrix (1999) Green Code." 

Available at: YouTube

Gallimore, Andrew, and Danny Jones. "Neuroscientist Describes Laser Experiment That Found an Alien Code." Danny Jones Podcast.

Available at: YouTube

Goler, Danny. "🚀 Let's Talk About DMT 🌌." Dango Thoughts. 

Available at: YouTube

Goler, Danny, and Jack Neel. "It's A Simulation! New Laser Experiment Finds Code Behind Reality" (Listed in NLM as danny-goler-podcast (1)) The Jack Neel Podcast.

Available at: YouTube

Goler, Danny, and Tyler Ramsey. "Danny Goler on DMT God Codes Consciousness." The Painful Lessons Podcast. 

Available at: YouTube

Morris, Hamilton, and Danny Jones. "The DMT Laser Experiment Has 1 Huge Flaw Everyone is Missing." Danny Jones Podcast.

Available at: YouTube

Unknown Host. "Episode 8 1000 People See ALIEN CODE on DMT — The Matrix Was Right." Lightseed Radio. 

Available at: YouTube

Suggested Listening:

From the Astonishing Legends Network:

Find us on YouTube!

Click this text to find all Astonishing Legends episodes and more on our Youtube Channel https://www.youtube.com/c/Astonishinglegends

Join us on Patreon!

Click HERE or go to patreon.com/astonishinglegends to become one of our Patreon members and receive exclusive offerings, like our bonus Astonishing Junk Drawer episodes (posted every weekend the main show is dark) commercial-free episodes, and more!

SPECIAL OFFERS FROM OUR SPECIAL SPONSORS:

FIND OTHER GREAT DEALS FROM OUR SHOW’S SPONSORS BY CLICKING HERE!

CREDITS:

Episode 325: Through a Laser Darkly. Produced by Scott Philbrook & Forrest Burgess. Audio Editing by Sarah Vorhees Wendel of VW Sound. Music and Sound Design by Allen Carrescia. Tess Pfeifle, Producer and Lead Researcher. Ed Voccola, Technical Producer. Research Support from The Astonishing Research Corps, or "A.R.C." for short. Copyright 2026 Astonishing Legends Productions, LLC. All Rights Reserved.