Is the universe really a physical place?
The universe is energy.
Energy in its' physical representation, the portions that we are most accustomed to perceiving. The vast majority of people never even ask the question 'Is there more?'. To escape, to rise above, to transcend the limitations of the 'physical spectrum' one must first become fully one with it. I believe that one cannot do this while trapped in a vapid existence. You will never rise above the physical when you rely on a physical system.
One simple way to describe this theory would be comparison with the idea of virtual reality.
In The Matrix, one could bend or break the system's rules by understanding the limits of those rules, and expanding them. There is no spoon.
By comparison I believe this world to be an equivalent, on a larger scale. There is a spoon, it's just as real as you are. You are not real. You are not a physical object, you are energy operating a 'physical object'. You are a mind, not a body. You don't have a soul, you are a soul.
In SAO, the system governs itself, and allows the players to experience the resulting 'virtual physicality'. This system maintained strict controls to ensure that even though the players knew they were in a game, they could not break the limitations. This was of course defeated in the end by the realization that the limitations were just as real as the game world itself, or rather just as fake.
In Accel World, the Accelerated World was a virtual dimension, taking place immediately within the real world, parallel to reality. The 'incarnate system' is essentially the manifestation of human will overriding the constants maintained by the core system. As such, the limitations of the system were only maintained by the ignorance of those who believed in them. Those who realized the limitations of the limitations were able to override them.
Using these examples I would like to propose the following:
We are all NPCs.
We are independent entities given a structure, parameters, a perceptual spectrum with which to interact, and the ability to learn. As such, we have the ability to live and grow and experience the world we are placed in. What we do not have is the inherent knowledge to overcome the world we are placed in. This does not mean it is impossible to do so, it simply means it's not a designated function. It is an ability that goes beyond the limitations of our own forms, and as such, the system that maintains our forms. We have this ability because our forms are not what we are, they are our perceptions of what we are.
