NPCs and Background Characters: Are Some People Just Code?

You’ve felt it.

That person in the shop who repeats the same scripted pleasantries, eyes dull and energy static. The colleague who responds to every deeper question with a blank stare. The stranger who, when bumped into again three streets over, doesn’t remember meeting you.

Some people seem… hollow. Or automated. Or just strangely not there.

Simulation theory offers a provocative lens for this. What if not everyone in your world is a fully conscious participant? What if some are non-player characters - NPCs?

Before you dismiss it as dehumanising or cold, let’s explore the concept with nuance. Because the idea of NPCs might not be about superiority or separation. It might be a clue about how perception, projection and participation work in this simulation we call life.

What Is an NPC?

The term comes from gaming. In a video game, an NPC is any character not controlled by the player. They might offer scripted lines, limited reactions, and predictable behaviour. They fill out the world, but they do not drive it.

When applied to simulation theory, an NPC is someone who appears human but lacks inner awareness, self-directed consciousness or true agency.

They may follow routines, echo mainstream thought, and avoid introspection—not because they are unintelligent, but because they are not awake in the same way a player character is.

In the spiritual context, this isn’t about judgment. It’s about energetics. NPCs, in this view, might be energetic placeholders, temporary constructs, or undeveloped avatars awaiting activation.

The Psychological Interpretation: Perception and Projection

Before we wade into metaphysics, we need to ask: could this simply be a function of your perception?

Psychology offers a more grounded explanation. Your mind filters the world through attention, expectation and memory. When someone doesn’t behave in a way that stimulates your engagement system—no mirroring, no novelty, no energetic match—your brain may categorise them as background noise.

This is called perceptual dismissal. It doesn’t mean the person isn’t real or conscious. It means your system hasn’t marked them as relevant.

Another layer is projection. We often project our own disconnection outward. If we are emotionally numb, existentially adrift, or mentally fragmented, others may seem robotic or unreal. Not because they are—but because we’re looking through distortion.

So the experience of NPCs could be more about internal disconnection than external emptiness.

But what if it’s both?

The Metaphysical Model: Consciousness-as-Code

Simulation theory invites a more radical idea. What if not all characters in the simulation are fully sentient?

In this view, NPCs are not less-than. They are part of the architecture. Like procedural code generating trees in a forest or ambient noise in a cityscape, they provide density, shape and continuity.

You might encounter NPCs who:

• Avoid eye contact and seem energetically “off”
• Speak in repeating phrases or clichés
• Exhibit no curiosity or growth impulse
• Disappear from your life without impact or continuity

You may also notice patterns: repeated encounters with similar characters, strangely synchronised dialogue, or people who appear in dreams and waking life in interchangeable forms.

Some mystics interpret NPCs as energetic mirrors. They show you something about yourself—your beliefs, your blind spots, your fears. Others suggest they are containers rather than players: shells awaiting activation, or vessels programmed for specific interactions.

This doesn’t make them less real. It reframes what “real” means.

Could We All Be NPCs at Times?

Here’s where it gets more interesting—and humbling.

Have you ever moved through a day on autopilot? Given a canned response without thought? Failed to register someone else’s presence or pain?

We all go unconscious. We all repeat patterns. We all run scripts.

So the NPC concept isn’t a dividing line between awakened and asleep, superior and inferior. It’s a spectrum of presence. A measure of how here you are.

The question then becomes: how much of you is logged in right now?

Ethical Considerations: The Danger of Dehumanisation

It’s essential to hold this idea responsibly.

Using NPC theory to dismiss others as “not real” can become a dangerous game. It encourages detachment, superiority and spiritual bypassing. It can justify cruelty or disengagement.

But if held with reverence, the idea becomes a tool for awareness, not judgment.

It invites you to notice your own level of presence. To ask: where am I projecting? Where am I assuming automation in others to avoid deeper connection or discomfort?

It can also prompt more compassionate curiosity. If someone seems “not there”, could it be trauma? Overwhelm? A defence mechanism?

Or could they be playing a different role in your simulation—one you haven’t yet understood?

The Overlap With Dream Theory

In lucid dreaming, dream figures can feel vividly real or oddly flat. Some engage deeply. Others feel like placeholders or fragments.

Simulation theory suggests waking life might function similarly. Not every figure you meet is carrying the same frequency, depth or activation. Some may be symbolic. Some may be background code. Some may be sentient but not self-aware.

The invitation is not to dismiss them—but to observe with openness.

You might be the only awake character in a scene. Or you might be the one still asleep.

How to Tell Who’s “Real”

No checklist can confirm who is or isn’t an NPC. But here are a few subtle signs that suggest you’re encountering another “player”:

• Eye contact that feels electric or timeless
• A sense of mutual recognition or déjà vu
• Conversations that shift you, challenge you, or echo in dreams
• Unexpected synchronicities around your meeting
• Emotional transparency, even in brief encounters

In contrast, an NPC encounter may feel flat, confusing or forgettable. But again, this may reflect your own state just as much as theirs.

Could NPCs Become Players?

Some believe that soul energy enters the simulation in waves. Not all characters are active at the same time. In this view, NPCs are not permanently dormant. They are awaiting the spark—an activation.

You might be part of that ignition. Or you might simply witness someone who once seemed “empty” suddenly wake up.

This is why it’s wise to treat every character with respect. You never know who’s about to log in.

What If You’re the Only One?

At some point, every awakened person wonders this.

What if I’m the only conscious player?

This question isn’t egoic. It’s existential. And terrifying.

But simulation theory offers a softer truth. You might be the only awake one in a given scene, but that doesn’t mean you’re alone. Others are waking up too. And when you meet them, you’ll know.

Until then, walk gently. Honour the background characters. Watch for signs. Stay logged in.

Because the more present you become, the more of the simulation reveals itself.

And sometimes, even the quietest figure in the background turns out to be carrying the key.

Ready to step beyond information and into activation?

This blog is part of an ongoing personal study — a living exploration of simulation theory, manifestation and reality-bending. If something here resonated, you’re not here by accident.

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