THE TRANSHUMANIST SCRAPBOOK: UPLOADING NEURAL MAPS OF THE DEAD
As you can probably tell, I've been contemplating the materialist assumptions and the "omitted thoughts" of the transhumanist movement the past few days, and before we get to today's unusual offering shared by Ms. S.H., I want to prepare the ground a bit by reference to one of my favorite recent television series, the sci-fi series Fringe, a kind of X files exploration of the wild and wacky world of modern science run a mok, a theme which it explores through one of its main characters, Dr. Walter Bishop, a scientist who, with his one-time partner Dr. William Bell, explored all sorts of areas of "science" that were on the "fringe"(hence the name of the series), things like "soul magnets", wherein a person supposedly could so strongly imprint their soul or personality into some physical object, that its "activiation" - by technological means of course - could recall them into some sort of existence, or things like "singing corpses" and in several early episodes, the idea that people recently dead could actually be "interrogated" - again via technological means. At the center of all this bizarre activity is Dr. Walter Bishop, a quite literally mad scientist - in the series he spent 17 years in a mental institution - who invents things like windows that allow one to see parallel universes. Bishop is, in other words, the perfect foil for exploring the scientism madness that affects (or, depending on one's lights, infects) our age.W
With that in mind contemplate this video shared by Ms. S.H. While I don't normally comment on videos, particular videos of this sort which appear to come from such a small source, the philosophical issues raised are well in line with what I've been thinking about the past few days, namely, that the transhumanist movement seems to be effectively controlling the discussion to the extent that traditional responses or positions are simply ignored. Here's the video:
Uploading Brain Maps of the Dead
This is something very different than the types of uploading and downloading that my co-author Scott D deHart and I discussed in our book Transhumanism: A Grimoire of Alchemical Agendas. There the Frankenstein-like Shelleyeque goal of downloading and uploading entire personalities into computers was couched in terms of the near-death, as a life-extension technology. Here, the Shelleyesque meme is pursed to the logical conclusion: the technological ability to read, map, and download the brain of the dead. It is, so to speak, a grotesque charicature of resurrection, be it Christian, Jewish, or ultimately, Osirian. Such a development was, naturally, to be expected.
But nonetheless, it fits the disturbing pattern that I've been musing about this week, for it exhibits the pattern of "the omitted thought," and the omitted thought here, as elsewhere, seems to be ignoring the "traditional answer" that has been given by the vast majority of humanity. That answer could be boiled down to two assumptions: (1) this life is a preparation for a much longer one that occurs after death, and (2) that longer life fundamentally modifies our perceptions of time, of personhood, and of the body(if one is in view). With the transhumanist "resurrection" technology, all this is not only bypassed completely, but also completely chort-circuited, for if those "traditional views" are for the sake of argument assumed as a given, then what transhumanism is doing is locking one into - so to speak - a form of perpetual cosmic and personal childhood.
But now let's indulge in some really high octane speculation for a moment. I have, throughout various books, assumed that there was a Very High Civilization that existed in the mists of human pre-history, in the mists of High Antiquity, and that one of its possible cultural constructs was a science so high and so sophisticated that the sciences of consciousness, biology, and physics were all so intimately intertwined that it had come to certain conclusions about the implications of that alleged high science, and these were (1) that personal immortality was real, not as a proposition of faith, but, as it were, as a matter of formally explicit demonstration, and (2) that this proposition might have had some sort of empirical validation backing it. In other words, that behind the "traditional views" of later legacy cultures and religions, there might once have been a very sophisticated culture and science.
It is this, too, that worries me about the transhumanism movement, for it appears to be ignoring the spiritual implications of such ideas in its persistent and consistent materialist cosmological assumptions. And in this, it is short-circuiting human memory and personhood itself with its implicit denials that this life is, in some sense, a school for something else. It is, like Dr. Walter Bishop, like insane children playing in the kitchen, making taffy, and singing corpses, and ignoring the potential disaster that such tinkering might entail.
But there's an alternative view to this high octane speculation as well, and that is, that perhaps that ancient High Science itself came about by a similar Fringe-like transhumanist scientific impulse. Even there, however, the lessons are rather harsh ones, for those ancient texts that speak or hint of such possibilities, also warn us that that High Culture blew itself apart in wars and experiments run amok.
It's food for thought.
See you on the flip side...
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I must say the crazed power dogs are certainly pushing the transhumanism, it’s clear ethics is out the window , and they still think that the brain is where the answers are to bring someone back , when will they learn concsiousness comes from the ether we are all different yet all from the same ether. I don’t see how this is doable , it’s one thing to try to copy information to reuse it it’s quite another to draw an individual’s conciousness out of prana and transfer it to another body , and a robotic one to boot
This is one of those brilliant, eye-wandering, mind-bending articles like those that had me read all your books. Like an insane zen meditation; the mind goes on tour to the universe and eternity, then comes back ‘to’ with a thud and a sigh.
The mistake has been done.. today, most haven’t had the realization.. Some are willing to take the risk for self-preservation. Transcendence, to me personally, is a type of surrender and detachment from the ego. Once one has had The realization, one could even transcend the confines of time and other such things. Would like to comment further, but I have to run..
Thank you, Dr. Farrell. Your musings upon ‘thoughts omitted’ have encouraged me to consider the way in which the sciences have become closed systems in themselves admitting no knowledge, opinion, or experience that does not arise from within its own closed system.
Any discipline cut off from other human disciplines and enterprises becomes the fertile ground for the cultist, the puppeteer, and the terrorist.
Joseph, if ‘Fringe’ takes us down one pathway, ‘Stargate SG-1’ takes us down another. ‘Stargate’ had not only parasites like the Goa’uld and ‘greys’ like the Asgard (not to mention Replicators), but the Ancients. The Ancients are the nearly-human race that set-up the Gate system and many other high-technology devices before being extincted.
My favorite part of the series was the sub-set of Ancients who chose the Spiritual Path and eventually Ascended. A simple translation-upwards in frequency or vibration into the non-physical. (With additional ‘powers’ as a by-product.) Wow, and well done.
This whole ‘arc’ was dedicated to the idea that Ascension was possible for the ‘common man’, if enough dedication and practice was put into it. Needless to say, the concept was great for the fans, but the owned-media tried to dig it a deep hole…
Some people say that, for humans at least, this is a prison planet. We are here because we committed crimes “somewhere else.” That would explain some of the monumental nastiness that is to be found in human history.
If that is true (and there is no “proof” of that, of course), a corollary might be that the more dependent upon technology your existence becomes, the more entrapped you become in the “prison.” Some would say that the way to escape the prison is to develop the (psychic) strength to be able to leave. The more materialist you become, the less psychic you become, and thus, you spiral away from the only way out of the prison.
If I had guess, I’d say that Transhumanism is a one way ticket to a very unpleasant existence.
bdw000
Yes.
A hell on Earth or, wherever else Transhumanism leads them.
bdw
Yes.
A hades on Earth[moderation won’t tolerate a word that rhymes with yell]. or wherever else Transhumanism takes them.
Here is me trying to type a word that rhymes with yell: I went to hell
Joseph is absolutely correct on all this. But, I would disagree with the statement that it’s an “assumption” that ” this life is a preparation for a much longer one that occurs after death.” I’d say there is a plethora of evidence to back that statement up.
I could present a huge list of researchers and books to check out just for starters, but I’ll mention only a few: Dr. Ian Stevenson was mentioned. Also check out his student, Dr. Jim Tucker and his books documenting cases of reincarnation; Dr. Pim von Lommel’s “Consciousness Beyond Life”; Dr. Gary Schwartz on the Internet and his “Afterlife Experiments” with mediums; Dr. Sam Parnia, Dr.Peter Fenwick, Dr. Penny Sartori and Ms. P. M. H. Atwater on NDE research. There’s research and evidence on Electronic Voice Communication with the dead and verified OBEs.
That’s only scratching the surface on what’s out there on the Afterlife reality. Check your local library and Amazon for much, much more. And it’s accumulating every few months or so.
The problem is, as Joseph and others have pointed out, that the materialists paradigm controls most of the culture and 90% of the research funding. And it looks like the juggernaut of transhumanism is at the moment unstoppable. Too much money and greed for power is behind it.
Joseph is right, only some kind of “experiment run amok.” with disastrous consequences will enough people in charge wake up.
Love it! Love the website, good Doctor Farrell!
So… anyone familiar with the work of Dr. Ian Stevenson or Dr. Peter Ramster? I’ll let you guys look at up, maybe.
We have nothing to learn or prepare for, really. We just run this gauntlet of horrors and delights to amuse ourselves. We are fractions of the thing that set all things into motion piloting a vehicle to express and experience.
I’d say that transhumanism is just a silly little diversion for the cowardly. It’s ok, though! For some, it just may take an eternity of being alive to figure out the nature of spirit.
(IMHO)the fact that the PTB are not concerned with any Spiritual implications is the problem. This is potentially, Egyptian Priestcraft shenanigans at it’s worst. Viloating other persons and property is the business plan.. What floors me is how they’ve been able to postpone serious karmic repurcutions. My guess is, if you know the correct occult practices you put your karmic debt off.. I still smell an Off World influence.
Suppose this ancient civilization became split between the question we are asking here: the way forward. Transhumanism versus Spiritualism?
That the rift became so great, it evolved into hot warfare?
That one faction engineered the remaining fragment of humanity[best word] into the closet living biological prospect, to later develop to a point in time where?
Well Robert, you just described a book by Bruce Sterling called “Schismatrix Plus”. That is the exact premise! I liked that book.
Thanks Centauri.
I’ll definitely put it on my reading list.
Or, suppose those puppet masters wanted to genetically engineer a permanent solution to class warfare into the genome? Is this one of their goals? Ironically, putting the parasites at the top of a genetically engineered species; transforming mankind into an insect sect of technical classes identified by certain genetically engineered characteristics, both physical & biological. This would be started from cradle[amass Taylorized conveyer-belt producing various sub species subject to the royal-jellied elitist parasites?
A permanent solution for wiping out any question of equality.
To avoid these kind of present scenarios?
http://ellenbrown.com/
The Populist Revolution
Anyone for the Invasion Of The Body Snatchers the novel. There was a episode of TOS Star Trek that dealt with this idea it’s how you live life not how long you live. How would they know if they were still alive do they really know what living really is. Wasn’t there a Johnny Depp movie Transendence that was about this are our elites that afraid of death or is their greed for wealth and power that insatiable they’re the ultimate junkies.
I always thought “Fringe” took a lot from the Montauk Project books–well with better copy editing.
The issue that strikes me on this topic is that while we may be able to map the content of a brain, the subjective emotions would not transfer. What we see as “being human” be it an appreciation of beauty or a feeling of compassion (not to mention things like fear, hate, and greed) has been the hallmark of our individuality. Star Trek’s Data was a good example of superior computational ability without that hard to define “humanity”. The series tracked his attempts to be more human but I would submit it only resulted in better programming. I believe he was developing into a smarter Turing machine as opposed to becoming human. And Data was probably a best case scenario.
I am firmly and comfortably of the view that consciousness equals who we really are, the mind is an accumulation of experiential debris that serves us in some way or other (it is a substitute for consciousness in other words), and the body is a piece of meat with which we have completely mis-identified ourselves.
Hooray for necromancy.
Usually in traditional texts on such deeds, the necromancer is eventually controlled or killed by those he summons.