THE TRANSHUMANIST SCRAPBOOK: MIND-READING COMPUTER KNOWS WORDS BEFORE ...

Ms. M.W. shared this bit of technological news, and I find it so disturbing and rich with "high octane speculative implications" that I have to bring it to your attention; the U.K.'s Daily Mail is reporting a story about a new computer technology that can read the specific brain waves that appear before certain words are even spoken:

Could we soon 'speak' telepathically? Mind-reading computer deciphers words from brainwaves BEFORE they are spoken

Note the statements at the beginning of the article, for they form the basis of my high octane speculations today:

A 'mind-reading' device that can decipher words from brainwaves without them being spoken has been developed by Japanese scientists, raising the prospect of 'telepathic' communication.

Researchers have found the electrical activity in the brain is the same when words are spoken and when they are left unsaid.

By looking for the distinct wave forms produced before speaking, the team was able to identify words such as 'goo', 'scissors' and 'par' when spoken in Japanese.

The scientists behind the technology said they can identify brain waves associated with syllables or letters of the Japanese alphabet, meaning it may be possible to decode entire words and sentences without the need for any of them being physically spoken.
The first thing that intrigues me here is the fact that the article specifies that these patterns occur for certain words or concepts in the Japanese language. One therefore wonders: do the same brainwave patterns occur for the same words in different languages. In other words, if one wired up a speaker of English with the same technology, to the same patterns of brainwaves occur for the word "scissors" in English, as occur for the same word in Japanese? If so, it might be a huge confirmation of the basic Chomskian insight that there is some sort of universal "language competence" or "innate grammar." I suspect, however, that this correspondence and therefore the recognizable brainwave patterns might occur at a more fundamental conceptual and functional level. But in either case, it's a fascinating possibility to entertain.
It's when one contemplates such technological capabilities being used in conjunction with other computer-based technologies that the "transhumanist" possibilities multiply like rabbits. Indeed, the article hints at some of these possibilities, such as the ability to remotely control a robot via brainwave activity, or to "think" a communication and have it transmitted to someone else via whatever means. But imagine such a technology coupled to, say, high frequency trading algorithms: one would only have to "think" a buy or sell order, and it would be placed. Similar, imagine such a technology coupled to a remote brainwave scanning capability, and that in turn, networked with a computer network. It would be the ultimate in surveillance technology, giving its possessors the ability not merely to monitor the deeds, actions, decisions, and words of a target population or individual, but their very thoughts, perhaps even their dreams. Indeed, a little search on the internet will reveal various patents for precisely such scanning technologies.
The bottom line here is that the transhumanist possibilities of downloading and uploading one's "consciousness" are one step closer with the emergence of such technologies, whether we want to admit it or not. But far more importantly, it means that mind manipulation technologies are a reality. And like all technologies, in spite of the best efforts of various oligarchies to control and monopolize them, they eventually do make their way into the public domain. This means we need to have an extended discussion and debate about the ethics, and uses and misuses of such technologies. The law has already been short-circuited by the surveillance state in the wake of 9/11, and this bodes ill for as genuine consideration of these emerging capabilities. But the bottom line remains: if one of our fundamental freedoms in the West is the right to be secure in our homes and property, this to my mind means also the right to be secure, to have and to own, our own thoughts, and that before any technological "scan" of an individual be obtained, consent, or a warrant, is required.
See you on the flip side...

Joseph P. Farrell

Joseph P. Farrell has a doctorate in patristics from the University of Oxford, and pursues research in physics, alternative history and science, and "strange stuff". His book The Giza DeathStar, for which the Giza Community is named, was published in the spring of 2002, and was his first venture into "alternative history and science".

38 Comments

  1. Sandygirl on January 23, 2016 at 8:07 am

    The picture shows the woman hooked up to hundreds of wires the same as lie detectors which measure physiological indices. The computer can learn from mega algorithms it was programmed for. But if we’re not hooked up can it grab our thoughts from the air? They can send certain frequencies for crowd control that our brains receive and make a person feel sick. We read symbols all the time like stop when the light turns red. I’m betting they do have the ability to change that light to green while sitting in your car wishing it to change. They’ve done experiments where people prayed and the crime rates went down or the surgery had better outcomes. Can a computer gather all those frequencies or particles of energy and decipher them or package them up to a usable form.



    • Robert Barricklow on January 24, 2016 at 12:00 pm

      Sandygirl,
      And one wonder what then are the Outer Limits – of pulling those thoughts from the air?
      Perhaps, from here to there – instantaneously?[non locality]



  2. goshawks on January 21, 2016 at 7:04 pm

    The other thing that popped-up for me was the reverse or compliment of ‘read-outs’. Once you can find a certain part of the brain that is beginning to form the characters in, say, “Rebel”, can you forcibly-input and override the beginning-thought with, say, “Obey”?



    • Dan on January 21, 2016 at 7:17 pm

      Didn’t they pipe voices straight into David koresh’s head during the Waco siege? I think i read they used empathetic frequencies to hijack his head…
      I’ll post a link if I find it



  3. goshawks on January 21, 2016 at 3:15 pm

    Decades back, there was research that showed at least some part of Japanese brain processing was ‘wired’ differently than Western brain processing. Researchers noted that music ‘turned on’ different parts of the brain for the two cultures. Westerners stayed mostly in left brain, while Japanese moved to right brain.

    It was speculated that this resulted from the different ‘intent’ of instruments in the two cultures. Traditional Japanese instruments tend to try to imitate Nature sounds, while Western instruments are more ‘synthetic’, so to speak. Thus, music triggered ‘pattern matching’ areas in Japanese brains (right side), while triggering ‘logical deduction’ areas in Western brains (left side). (This may be slightly mis-remembered; it was read looong ago.)

    I am curious whether the above would translate into different ‘mind reading’ brainwave-correlates for the two cultures…



    • Robert Barricklow on January 21, 2016 at 5:19 pm

      Goshawks, In Tokyo Japan 199, Dr. Massau Emoto published findings that human thoughts, words and feelings have a direct effect on water molecules. He did this with experiments involving human subjects with Flash-Freezing/High-Speed photography technologies.
      Showing the thought of love/creation versus hate/destruction in markedly different water crystal structures between the two groups.



      • Robert Barricklow on January 21, 2016 at 5:21 pm

        1999



      • Nathan on January 22, 2016 at 6:12 pm


        • Robert Barricklow on January 22, 2016 at 6:44 pm

          As Spock would say/Fascinating.
          Loved It!

          However, I wouldn’t jump to the memory conclusion so quickly.
          The cause and effect could have a number of possible solutions.



          • Robert Barricklow on January 22, 2016 at 7:30 pm

            For example,
            optogentics?



        • Robert Barricklow on January 22, 2016 at 6:45 pm

          Nathan, thanks again for this video.



          • Nathan on January 22, 2016 at 10:01 pm

            Robert you could be right about the optogenics, and Dr.Emotos work is simply brilliant! Your welcome for the vid it is very cool



      • goshawks on January 22, 2016 at 8:02 pm

        RB and all, extend this to the general ESP concept of psychometry. This is where ‘circumstances’ imprint themselves upon inanimate objects, to be ‘read’ later by those sensitive to these ‘imprints’. I felt this myself when visiting the Roman Coliseum. Brrr. Death energy. (Scientifically, I had previously-known about the Coliseum’s usage. So, I could have been influenced. However, it felt VERY real…)



        • Nathan on January 22, 2016 at 10:06 pm

          I know what your talking about, it seems our physical dimension can be ‘imprinted’ to use your term from different dimensions or realitys, also it seems that it is a very traumatic or tragic situation which does the imprinting, I used to live in South Carolina and my neighbors house across the street gave me the heebie jeebies big time, turns out around 5 people passed there some were slaves from years before



          • goshawks on January 27, 2016 at 7:08 pm

            Nathan, yes! Also, in case it is misinterpreted that ‘imprinting’ is only negative, let me give you a positive example:

            A couple of decades back, I was visiting Bangkok, Thailand. Coincidentally, the area around the main ‘meditation room’ of the Buddhist monks in the Old City was closed for renovation/upkeep. So, it was open for tourists.

            When I stepped into that room/hall, I instantly went into deep-meditation mode. It was all I could do to keep walking. The ‘vibes’ were so deeply-imprinted into that area, the place itself had become ‘saturated’. It was deeply-affecting, even with the monks ‘gone’ for some time. Wow.

            So, ‘imprinting’ works with all things, Good as well as Evil…



          • Robert Barricklow on January 27, 2016 at 8:14 pm

            Nathan & Goshawks, I think your on to something. I think it has also something to do with a space grid, if you will, that has dimensional aspects that when couple with some means of communications opens an interface that enables what you have both spoken of.



  4. DownunderET on January 21, 2016 at 3:05 pm

    Seems like all this is centered around that grey mushee stuff inside your head. But, since your mind and memory isn’t inside your head, these scientists are barking up the wrong tree.
    What’s going on here with “US” and the universe, with the connection between our consciousness and the physical medium, I’m afraid that these scientists HAVEN’T A CLUE about what’s going on.



    • Roger on January 21, 2016 at 8:29 pm

      I agree. My own thought process to speech is often almost instantaneous. And then there are those intense detailed moments of profound inspiration and sudden knowledge to a random musing that can only best be explained as most likely a gift from something divine.



      • Nathan on January 22, 2016 at 10:13 pm

        I agree 100% , man has the capability of understanding things through his thought processes and reflections , this is from the great spirit , that’s why observance is key to gain discernment



    • Nathan on January 22, 2016 at 10:10 pm

      Good point ET , maybe these experiments are to find out where our memories and consciousness comes from?



  5. Leon on January 21, 2016 at 2:36 pm

    I read something way back – Jeez, I think it was in the early 70’s – of a guy who hooked people up to an oscilloscope and then played music and read poetry and did simple maths and told jokes and so on – a wide variety of activities, and he did these to people of different nationalities.

    He stated that even though, for e.g. the jokes would not translate as funny from one language to the next, yet the oscilloscope pattern was the same. He mentioned poetry too, the pattern produced while reading it was the same despite language and racial differences.

    So if we take this present report and combine it with this earlier story then perhaps the concept of something (word or idea) will produce the same pattern on eeg too no matter the language. Or perhaps even if there is no language yet – a baby who is hurting somewhere > we’ll recognise it on a scope and deal with it.



  6. moxie on January 21, 2016 at 1:24 pm

    The capability of intent is probably and fundamentally more significant than the language itself. And if one is aware of the field and the feedback, there’s a better chance of influence ..and of reception and transmission…….



  7. MxFusion on January 21, 2016 at 11:48 am

    It’s possible to learn to control our thoughts and to stop or at least slow down the constant “chattering mind” through various meditation and/or concentration practices. Though, it does takes years for most folks and it appears that some people are more talented at it than others. What would the PTB that would control such”brain wave reading” devices do with those people?

    Plus, there would be a thriving market, public or underground, for all manner of “brain wave cloaking” skullcaps, hats and other devices that would surely be developed in opposition to such privacy intrusions.



  8. Robert Barricklow on January 21, 2016 at 11:15 am

    Brings to mind the Orwellian/Nothing was your own except the few cubic centimeters inside your skull.



    • Robert Barricklow on January 21, 2016 at 11:27 am

      I will being doing this in bits and pieces…
      A modulated style, if you will.

      That presumes it’s your own.
      But what if, long ago, it was engineered through the very DNS of it’s foundation? What if[sounds like ancient aliens of tv fame] it is being manipulated, in some fashion?



    • Robert Barricklow on January 21, 2016 at 11:32 am

      If so, that presumes an ability to communicate. It may also presume putting your consciousness out of the whole picture.
      The engineering would separate parts of the brain from conscious awareness of the encrypted control[one would thin control being a primary purpose]. Thus the brains very own construction and communication itself, should leave some telltale signs.



    • Robert Barricklow on January 21, 2016 at 11:37 am

      These are now showing up.
      One: the known fact that the consciousness lags behind in awareness of what the unconscious know[proven in experiments].
      Two: Now these mind reading techniques are opening that twilight few cubic centimeters zone between your skull[background zone music]



      • moxie on January 21, 2016 at 9:48 pm

        Regarding the lag, there are instances when you catch fractions in motions (similar to watching a clip in slow motion), and also a sort of peripheral sense



        • Robert Barricklow on January 22, 2016 at 6:48 pm

          Moxie,
          Zeno’s paradox comes to mind;
          where motion is nothing but an illusion.



    • Robert Barricklow on January 21, 2016 at 11:46 am

      I have written about this in a language context before…[was typing for sometime before I noticed nothing was being transcripted/fixed it] only in a more complex concept. As the technologies being used are designed to be extremely deceptive/hard to detect. You see, the communication taking place is multilayered in both context AND meaning.
      I’ll leave it there…



      • charleswatkins on January 27, 2016 at 6:34 pm

        As I recall, Chomsky proposes that language has a deep structure and a surface structure. Deep structure contains the substance of a thought, while surface structure determines its expression. It is possible we share a hardwired universal deep structure.



        • Robert Barricklow on January 27, 2016 at 8:01 pm

          Yes, Charles Watkins
          There is Deep Time and Deep Language.
          It’s development IS pre-structured. If one looks at entropy versus highly organized – the border land is the true twilight zone of quantum fluctuations. The language/communication had to become developed extremely early in order to organize. The laws of the universe appear to have formed within circumstances that creates a goldilocks paradox. This tightness of organized structure speaks to a unseen grid of dimensions that produce order out od chaos.
          Thus, this pre-structure must have existed with space/time and the DNA that was created within this framework. Language is just one piece of the complete puzzle that has dimensional subtleties left to puzzle out.



  9. marcos toledo on January 21, 2016 at 10:57 am

    Donavan’s Brain anyone or as Josef Goebbels said if you have nothing to hide why should you worry. If the government-corporations are reading your mind what could ever go wrong slavery is freedom.



    • Roger on January 21, 2016 at 8:36 pm

      We could all purposefully start thinking increasingly bizarre scenarios and fake intents to really throw their scanners through some loops.



  10. DanaThomas on January 21, 2016 at 9:49 am

    This sounds like the other side of the coin with respect to communication TO another mind, i.e. mind control. Leaving aside the fact that Japanese is generally considered to be one of the most difficult languages in the world. tuning the device would seem feasibile. Does it actually work beyond a few basic words?
    Anyway, the looming threat of unmitigated, mindless monitoring just highlights the need for each person to investigate the various traditional meditative practics available, and with which he or she might feel an affinity.
    To learn, perhaps, to reverse the flow and bypass or shortcircuit the machine – or more importantly, even to effect a “change of heart” in the human operators of such devices.



  11. Bluenose on January 21, 2016 at 8:20 am

    I wonder what would happen if you changed your mind during a “buy or sell order” or in any other discourse of any nature.



  12. WalkingDead on January 21, 2016 at 8:16 am

    Isaac Asimov’s Second Foundation comes to mind, only his second foundation was a benevolent society meant to steer mankind toward a better future.



Help the Community Grow

Please understand a donation is a gift and does not confer membership or license to audiobooks. To become a paid member, visit member registration.

Upcoming Events