Can someone explain the ending of Serial Experiments Lain to me?*spoilers*

[Relentless]

I just seen it for the first time, and I don't quite get the ending and what Lain is and which world is actually real and whatnot.

[Taleweaver]

I have a theory which I think is pretty good.

Spoiler, highlight to read:

The entire world of "Serial Experiments Lain" is a computer simulation. Everybody in the series is a more or less sophisticated AI. Thus can hacking computers directly affect the world, thus can kids playing computer games accidentally kill people in the "real world". It's all computer data. All you need is the "protocol 7" that translates your computer data to reality, which is possible because you're already inside a computer. The whole world of Lain oozes electronic weirdness anyway. There are the steadily humming telephone wires, the unreal, moving shadows, the organic-looking high-tech - quite a lot of clues hinting at an artificial world. It's almost a surprise that of all the people, only Iwakura Lain eventually understands what it all means. And what does it mean? The entire message of Lain is that, as soon as you understand, truly understand that you're nothing but data inside a computer simulation, you are able to transcend your own existence and become much more than a mere part of the simulation you used to live in. You actually gain the ability to directly rewrite the simulation - you cannot leave the computer you live in, obviously, but you are no longer restricted to what your original programming made of you. You become a god of the computer world you live in. The philosophical and religious implications of this, of course, are very interesting. The idea of the human spirit transcending the boundaries of the human world are very Buddhist by nature, and no matter whether you call a person with that kind of clarity "enlightened", bosatsu or bodhisattva, I think this is what Iwakura Lain becomes in the end. Masami Eiri, the other "God" of the Wired, essentially tries to become the Christian god and fails because this is not what the world he lives in is about. Religion aside, "Lain" has probably another message to its viewers: Don't confuse your cyber-life with your real life. Don't we all need this reminder at times? ^_^

[laborpilot86]

I have seen the series, but I'm not even going to try explaining it.

[C0MPL3X]

I have a view that differs from one particular aspect mentioned by Taleweaver,

Spoiler, highlight to read:

First of all, the world of Lain is NOT a computer simulation. It is a physical world, and as real as you can get. There's another world outside this real world, and that is the Wired. It's the world of people's thoughts, world of the people's consciousness. What the protocol 7 does is connect your thoughts directly into the world where people can interact with others through thoughts. Think about it this way: the real world is the Wired (world of our thoughts) and our physical world is just a 'hologram' to represent our thoughts. Things like people dying in virtual games, Lain's sister seeing signs, men in black seeing things are all warnings that people's thoughts are being forcefully connected to the wired regardless of their choice by Eiri (the fake god you see at the end). As for why Eiri did this, he believed that people didn't need body, we have reached an evolutionary end and only way we can become superior is to abandon our bodies that is making us inferior, and exist as beings that are able to be everywhere by able to interact with everyone with thoughts at any give time. Lain, having control over people's memories, reset the world as it was before because she didn't believe in Eiri's ideals. As for why Lain is so special and has this sort of power, it is implied strongly at the end by Eiri that there really is a god in this world who created Lain (who is represented by lain's 'father' at the end where they have tea) and gave her the powers. As for why god gave her these powers er I have no idea.

[Milkymagic]

I think Taleweaver's theory is pretty close to what I think too, and I feel the commentary on the growing popularity of the internet is undeniable, along with the personalities beyond it are certainly overwhelming at times. I also feel there's much to be said about those who wish to take on greater roles in the internet, which involve such traits as hacking into the already established systems thereof and trying to reach a sort of "god-like" status inside.

Lain is definitely one of my all-time favorites, and it definitely ranks as Ryutaro Nakamura's best work with all the different ideas that series brings to the board.

[laborpilot86]

Serial Experiments Lain does have some very interesting things to say about technology and the nature of information. You defenitly have to watch it a few times in order to get it.