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Can any of the "free humans" tell if they are in the Matrix or not? Does it feel different? Or is it only context (like if they remembered being put in there, or see familiar Matrix cities, etc.)?

Brian S
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ike
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  • Well, to the audience, the Matrix looks green-ish while the "real" world looks blue-ish. Maybe the people inside pick it up, too. Also they could test what abilities they have. – bitmask Mar 28 '14 at 15:18
  • So then what abilities differ between Matrix and "real"? – ike Mar 28 '14 at 15:19
  • Aside from being able to be suddenly imprinted with skills like knowing kung fu or how to fly a helicopter? – phantom42 Mar 28 '14 at 15:21
  • But that requires outside contact. If they cut off that off, what independent confirmation can you get? – ike Mar 28 '14 at 15:22
  • @ike: Jumping over a chasm of 10m is a nice pointer, don't you think? – bitmask Mar 28 '14 at 15:26
  • @bitmask Is that done with willpower, or with a "contact" outside that arranges it? – ike Mar 28 '14 at 15:30
  • It does require outside contact, but if a person is speaking to someone on a phone, how would they know if the person on the other end is inside/outside the Matrix? – phantom42 Mar 28 '14 at 15:31
  • I do not recall, but do they have that port in their neck used to plug in while in the matrix? – Colin D Mar 28 '14 at 15:32
  • (FWIW, I think this is a great question. Just having a little fun) – phantom42 Mar 28 '14 at 15:32
  • @ColinD it's only a profile shot, but morpheus does not appear to have a port on the back of his head here – phantom42 Mar 28 '14 at 15:33
  • The Construct is the loading program containing the lady in red and "guns, lots of guns", among other things. When Morpheus first connects Neo to the Construct, he tells him straight out, "The plugs in your head and arms are gone." The Construct is not the same as the Matrix, but I think the same principle applies. – Royal Canadian Bandit Mar 28 '14 at 16:27
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    You have to spin a top and see if it stops. – o0'. Aug 01 '14 at 19:27
  • Follow-up question: is the fortress of Zion in the real world, or is it too, a construct of the matrix? "It's turtles all the way down." The Architect himself seems to imply that that is just another level of the matrix, one that is fundamental to providing for 100% compatibility. "We've destroyed and rebuilt Zion five times." – Draco18s no longer trusts SE Jan 25 '16 at 20:39

2 Answers2

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Yes, they can tell;

The "Splinter in your Mind"

Morpheus describes the experience of being inside the Matrix as

"something wrong with the world. You don't know what it is, but it's there, like a splinter in your mind".

This is down to the tension between (subconsciously) knowing that something is odd about the world but being unable to actually pin in down. It follows that someone who knows what the Matrix is, would instantly spot the unreality of the situation.

Physics Schmysics

When Neo learns Kung Fu, it becomes very apparent that the physical model used inside the Matrix (and the sparring construct) doesn't operate in the same way that it works in the real world. Skilled fighters are able to move at speeds that simply defy common sense, slow down time and sense attacks before they occur. Neo and the other specials are also able to consciously bend the rules by simply thinking about them.

It follows that you could tell that you were inside the Matrix if you were able to use these special abilities.

Free humans instinctively reject the Matrix

The very essense of Zion is that free humanity is comprised of those who've rejected the Matrix. The architect describes how the the Oracle

"stumbled upon a solution whereby nearly 99.9% of all test subjects accepted the program, as long as they were given a choice, even if they were only aware of the choice at a near unconscious level."

Again, it follows that unfree humans need to subconsciously accept the Matrix in order to be fooled by it. Free humans, when offered the same choice simply reject the Matrix as unreal. We also learn that older versions of the Matrix (which were alternately heavenly and hellish) suffered even worse levels of rejection. Smith points out that people kept "trying to wake up from it".

Sometimes you can see the code

On several occasions, people in the Matrix (both free and unfree) see the base code. Neo in the Matrix, Dan in the Animatrix short film "World Record" and Dez in the Matrix comic "Sweating the Small Stuff" all see the matrix without the filter of the 'image translators'.

Although it seems to be a relatively rare occurrence, it would be immediately obvious that you were inside the Matrix if you saw code.

enter image description here

Residual self-image.

When you enter the Matrix, your appearance seems to be created by something called a "Residual Self Image", something that Morpheus describes as the

"mental projection of your digital self"

For many people (like Mouse and Trinity) this change is relatively small, such as removing bioports but for others far more dramatic. Reportedly, in the original Matrix script Switch was intended to be portrayed by two characters, one male and one female and in the Matrix Comic "Burning Hope", the titular character is able to change her appearance seemingly at will (from that of a little girl to a large muscular man).

Valorum
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  • If they need to accept it, then why couldn't some of them escape whenever they wanted to (e.g. in the first film when their guy betrayed them)? – ike Mar 31 '14 at 11:21
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    @ike - the rule is that you can't (normally) leave the Matrix without reaching an "exit" – Valorum Mar 31 '14 at 11:58
  • But if you are offered a "choice", why not? Free humans, when offered the same choice simply reject the Matrix as unreal. – ike Mar 31 '14 at 14:14
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    @ike - you may see the world as unreal but that doesn't mean you immediately wake up and die. Clearly the Zionians have measures in place to prevent that. – Valorum Mar 31 '14 at 14:22
  • If by Zionians you mean free humans, why would they deliberately handicap themselves by depending on their contacts to get them out instead of controlling it themselves? And if it was possible for them to do it, why didn't the machines just not offer everyone the choice? We would all know, but it wouldn't matter if we couldn't escape. – ike Mar 31 '14 at 15:24
  • @ike The machines want to preserve humanity, so the agents try to stop anyone from rocking the boat. If the humans try to wake up by committing suicide in the Matrix, they still die in their pods. – Cees Timmerman Jan 25 '16 at 17:13
  • For the most part a great answer, but I would disagree with the "residual self-image" part, which was only mentioned as explaining why one's appearance in a Zion construct looked the same as one's appearance in the Matrix, not as explaining why one's appearance in the Matrix looked like one's real-world appearance (and in fact the Matrix/real-world match wasn't perfect), see my answer here. – Hypnosifl Jan 25 '16 at 19:09
  • @Hypnosifl - That's my point. If you found yourself in the Matrix, the fact that your RSI doesn't match your 'real' self, you'd instantly know that you were inside the Matrix. – Valorum Jan 25 '16 at 19:13
  • OK, I see. But I disagree that there's any clear evidence that one's appearance in the Matrix, as opposed to in a construct, has anything to do with "residual self image", since as I said that phrase was specifically used to explain why appearance in a construct resembled appearance in the Matrix. We don't really know how appearance works in the Matrix, so it may be that if the Machines wanted you to appear just like you do in the real world, they could arrange that (though maybe their level of control would depend if you were hacking in like the Zionites or if they had you in a pod). – Hypnosifl Jan 25 '16 at 19:19
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Check for the port in your neck.

I am assuming that when you are in the matrix, your 'avatar' does not have the neck port used when outside of the matrix to jack-in.

phantom42 found this image of Morpheus in the matrix, that does not show the port

Colin D
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    But the machines could put one in to trick you, right? – ike Mar 28 '14 at 15:42
  • @ike maybe, it would require the machines to also program a reason for other people to have them and have other human minds attached to the matrix accept them. – Colin D Mar 28 '14 at 15:47
  • They are trying to convince you that you aren't in the Matrix, they wouldn't care about other people. (Non-free humans). They would also program a fake Zion or whatever surroundings you're used to (Inception style). – ike Mar 28 '14 at 15:49