Alien lab experiment (theory)

The alien lab (alternately known as the 'alien lab experiment') theory is one of many proposed theories in order to explain the many inconsistencies of this universe, including iterations.

Theory
The theory proposes that technology has advanced to a point where realistic illusions capable of smell, sound, touch, taste and vision are possible to the extent that an entire sentient creature could be emerged from birth and not realise the true reality of their environment, and that earth was a product of that virtualised environment.

This theory is the 'alien' variant, in that aliens, either part of the mass production line theory, scientific experiment theory, parasitic theory or as part of some sort of suppression control of an 'inferior' species, have constructed a lab (either small or large scale) that presents an inescapeable environment for the subjects and prevents awareness by projecting a virtualised environment.

The subjects may not necessarily even be human (simply made to feel or experience the virtualised environment as a human).

Support for the theory
With ever advancing technology, such as sound from ultrasound (a way of wirelessly projecting sounds onto a specific individual without anyone else hearing ), microwave auditory effect (and the developed application of point-to-point induced hearing in a specific target ), false memory implantation, brain-computer interfaces , emotion sensing devices and Moore's law (dictating an exponential increase and improvement of technology over time). as well as the possible advances of quantum mechanics, such as the quantum computer (which has vastly superior processing power), and quantum entanglement which allows for even particle-level manipulation, it would not be too implusible to predict a system of total immersion of total recall-esque proportions (it's unclear if Quaid is free of the memory implant and outside or still inside the system).

Given technology's constant trend towards improvement (as noted by Moore's law), it would not be implausible to suggest that, even if the technology wasn't possible now, it would be possible in the future (especially with the study of neurocybernetics) and thus a virtualised lab scenario, assuming uninterrupted events, would be an inevitable outcome (even if ethical laws were implimented to ban this, it would fail to prevent unethical deployment).

Within research fields, the holographic universe theory is an idea that has been tested and seems to be gaining evidence, of which basically denotes the universe is one very large hologram. Aside from the software program experiment theory or government lab experiment theory (which is merely a variation on perpetrator and isn't fundamentally different), the alien lab experiment would be a plausible explanation for a virtualised universe.

Explaination for iterations
The alien lab experiment theory explains iterations in that new, or similar types of virtualised variants of the universe, are merely software reloads in updated, improved or altered iterations (possibly for scientific experiment or as part of security improvements, depending on intention).

It may even be possible different iterations are merely erased personas loaded as a type of false memory or similar.

Similar references in media
In Star Trek, Commander Riker in the episode Frame of Mind is captured and kept in an alien lab in a virtualised environment of which his body interfaced to whilst they attempt to extract information from him.

Similarly, in another episode, Future Imperfect, Commander Riker is kept in a large holodeck simulation by the Romulans, again, in order to extract information. Although in both episodes Riker foiled both plots by noting inconsistencies in the environment, it is curious to note what would have happened if the inconsistencies were far less noticeable or if Riker were to not notice the inconsistencies.