Howdy IlluminatiPirate, thank you for the interesting post- this topic is incredibly interesting and it's something that I've thought about since 2016 while I was dealing with some at the time unresolved mental health challenges.
I'm relatively young, so my philosophy on life might come off as naive or unhelpful in the slightest but it's kept me from falling into too much existential dread.
When posed with the questions of "what's the meaning of life", "who is right about god", and "are we living in a simulation" I've taken an approach that most folks around here may find lacking (this doesn't stop my interest in seeing how others answer these questions mind you).
My answer to these questions is "It's none of my business".
Really, It's none of my business!
The unfortunate reality is that to find out the answers to these questions is through something we will all have to experience at some point, whether we want to or not- and until we go/don't go gentle into that good night we are tasked with living lives we never asked for yet have the benefit of living.
Be it circumstances, fate, handcrafted programing, or anything else us humble creatures have yet/haven't to think about we know one thing for certain; that we're here.
So what are we to do with that fact, something we can know for sure because we're here? Well, it's none of my business.
If things are preordained by a divine force or coldly crafted by a programmer all I can do is hope that my destiny is worth seeing, and as I have no plans on clocking out early I guess I'll find out. Seemingly, the powers that be, whatever they could be, have been kind to me so far- so I'd like to believe that they'll keep up this nature until my free trial of this reality comes to a close. Either way, it's none of my business- as I'm here anyways.
Now here's a question that I try to ask myself every now and then to see how I'm sitting with life: What if there's nothing after death?
No heaven, no reincarnation, no awakening into the real world to find out that this was all a very cleverly disguised game.
Just true and unfeeling oblivion.
To some this is a concept that can keep them up at night or even severely damage their mental health- and to others this is just a fact, and a seemingly cold one at that.
To me, personally, if this is what is destined for me after I go into the gentle night I guess I'll have the kind of rest that some unfortunately seek much faster than I do. It'll be a fate I can't fight, and is something that comes naturally whether we want it to or not. So why bother worrying about it when you'll have to meet it anyways? There's nothing you can do about it, and it's none of your business right now anyways- it'll be your problem after you die and that you will have either everything to worry about or won't.
So, once again what do you do knowing that death is inevitable and can come at any point as premade or pure chaos can send it to you? It's none of my business, but I hope you won't stress out too much.
I'm here, I'm living the way I either have a choice on or have to live due to intervention of a force that's beyond me, and I'm happy. To me you're a person I'll likely never meet face to face and who I'll likely forget about one day. Despite this, I'm currently using some of my limited time here to hope that either the cold nature of a chaotic unpredictable universe or a predestined fate will be kind to you.
But most importantly, that you'll allow either to be kind to you by not worrying too much about something that is ultimately none of your business at this time.
Live well, live kind, and may truth treat you as both.
Thank you again for the interesting post and the opportunity to discuss these topics!