The image masks the absence of a profound reality. The sign pretends to be something real, but it is actually covering up the fact that there is nothing there (e.g., a theme park representing a mythical history that never existed).
In the second stage, the image masks and denatures a profound reality. This is an evil appearance where the sign hints at a reality but distorts it. Think of iconography that misrepresents a historical event to suit a specific narrative. 3. The Order of Sorcery simulacra and simulation epub
: We live in a world where the "map" (media, images, data) has replaced the "territory" (reality). This state is called Hyperreality Simulacrum The image masks the absence of a profound reality