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>if you believe that e.g. the machine elves some people see on DMT are real, there are all sorts of experiments you could do to test that

Well you can't even proof that any human you encounter in a sober state is "real". Scienctific theories are predictions and don't tell you anything about metaphysical truth. For all you know you could be plugged into the matrix, right?

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If that’s your concern, try ranking realities.

As Phillip K. Dick put it, “Reality is that which, when you stop believing it, doesn't go away.”

> Scientific theories are predictions

No. If you’re not familiar with philosophy of science at all, Kuhn’s Structure of Scientific Revolutions is a good starting point, although keep in mind it’s only a starting point.

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