Essay on Health, Technology, and Spirituality
Growth, Health, and Death from a Transhumanistic Perspective
Why do transhumanists see technology and science as a panacea to longevity, and what keeps us from living heroic lives?
The most common concerns of humans are health and death. Therefore, there has been a significant focus on expanding our life span and health span, aiming to live as long as possible for centuries.
Thus, longevity became a popular topic in science and technology. However, we have made very little progress so far.
Lifestyle became the main topic of health and longevity domains. As I pointed out before, what we know so far is a drop in the ocean. We still cannot define consciousness.
Humans can look towards and plan for the future. This capacity for future orientation distinguishes us from other creatures.
In addition, our brain has evolved and developed a unique part — the neocortex. This structure, also known as the prefrontal lobe, enables us to think about life, visualize the future, make plans, and analyze mistakes from the past.
The only way we genuinely learn is from an awareness of our mistakes. We can design our future by learning from the past and leveraging the moment. Then, we can dream about the future, make progressive plans, and create our reality. We have proven this over the centuries.
Some of us desire to live a heroic life, like existentialists adjusting our lifestyles. We witnessed examples in history. However, only a minority achieve living an extraordinary life.
Most of us have the capacity and potential to experience and enjoy a wonderful life. We also deserve it. Ideally, none of us must be exempted from natural and universal rights. However, in reality, some of us still operate under the rules of more powerful ones and suffer a lifetime.
If we look at the big picture, we have just one shot at making the best out of our existence on this planet. Then, of course, some of us believe we reincarnate, which also seems possible.
Thinking about karma, angels, and extraterrestrial life always broadens my mental horizons and helps me connect with others more meaningfully. I tackle mortality with optimism, as optimists seem to live longer.
Nevertheless, based on our current knowledge, biological life is too short, especially for busy people. Only idle people experience dull moments and try to kill time. We have a predetermined period to live as coded in our genes. Our telomeres shorten as each day passes, so we consume our life quota.
Even though living a heroic life in the form of expansion (e.g., sexual energy) is coded in our genes, our reptilian brain might curb it and prevent us from living it for the sake of survival.
The primitive brain creates fear and anxiety that hinders us from going out of our comfort zone. Change used to equal danger when we were evolving.
We have adapted the ability to create opportunity and advancement for the most fabulous existence instead of survival by stagnation. However, challenges in our daily life suppress our latent capabilities.
For example, the noise from daily chores hides our potential and authentic voice. As a result, some of us feel so desperate and give up living a meaningful life. We look for the solution in the wrong places and get disappointed when we find no correct answer.
Nature seems to design us to grow continuously. Nevertheless, we stop growing due to physical, mental, and emotional challenges, especially when transitioning from childhood to adulthood. Some transhumanists challenge this routine and encourage humanity to grow constantly using science and technology.
My readers on social media keep asking, “What does transhumanism mean?” as it becomes a popular buzz in the media. Of course, different people and groups define transhumanism differently.
In my understanding, the purpose of transhumanism is to transition from being ordinary and transform into an enhanced human being without eugenics. Transhumanism touches almost every discipline and topic. Anything related to human beings can be part of transhumanism.
One of the most common concerns of humanity is death. Thus, there has been a significant focus on expanding our lifespan and living as long as possible.
As a result, longevity has become a popular topic in science and technology research. Transhumanist thought leaders want to leverage this capability to extend our life and healthspan by modifying our lifestyles.
Longevity and high-quality living are the main goals of transhumanism. Transhumanists desire to live longer with a higher quality of life. In reality, no one wants to die younger.
Interestingly, some radical thoughts on transhumanism even touch on eradicating death. Some even want to upload their brains to computers.
Currently, these aspirations do not seem possible. These are, of course, aspirations, but with the speed of technology and scientific breakthroughs, we see some potential, as I explained in this story titled Can We Really Live 1,000 Years?
We also know from nature that some creatures and plants live incredibly long. Some scientific studies even claim that some plants don’t die.
These claims haven’t been validated empirically, though. However, they increase our hope for longevity. I enjoy observing and researching the lives of centenarians like Algor and Gisela.
We can broaden our horizons by considering what life was like a thousand years ago and how the next thousand years will be. With an open mind and a growth mindset, imagination and aspiration are critical for our growth.
Heroic people understand this, and they live with passion. For example, Elon Musk and Bill Gates have grand ambitions, fascinating many of us.
Technology and science make substantial progress. We are now capable of adding microchips and even nanochips to biological entities. We can collect data from these entities, analyze them, and produce actions with the help of these microchips and nanochips.
Transhumanists appear to strive to go above and beyond human capabilities. Possibilities endlessly abound, but challenges and setbacks realistically never leave us alone, as stoics pointed out in history and taught us lessons to deal with them.
According to transhumanistic enthusiasts focusing on possibilities, creating new options, and growing with them might create wonders.
Some of us believe in miracles. I am one of them after studying science and technology for decades. Miracles or magics are not spiritual or religious concepts anymore. We have already created them.
Our ancestors would find miraculous those ordinary things in our daily lives that we take for granted. In my opinion, comfortably traveling from one continent to another in a box is a miracle.
Imagine how our thousand-year-old ancestors would think about airplanes, electricity, telephony, television, and the Internet. Now more to come. For example, technological breakthroughs, like molecular nanotechnology, biotechnology, and quantum computing, open new doors and windows to our future.
By leveraging the capabilities of nanotechnology and quantum physics, we can build multi-dimensional structures at molecular, atomic, and subatomic levels.
Scientists now redefine and refine materials at the subatomic level. We are unlearning the old bodies of knowledge, creating new paradigms of thought and expertise.
I firmly believe that artificial intelligence can enhance human intelligence. We can aim for human superintelligence by reprogramming our neocortex by using the power of artificial intelligence principles.
Transhumanists aim for superintelligence for humans. When the power of human creativity is extended and supplemented (not replaced) with the power of artificial intelligence, we can create more miracles.
But we will not see them as miracles anymore as they will look like ordinary parts of our lives.
Research into genetic engineering, nanotechnology, artificial intelligence, augmented reality, and robotics is rapidly proceeding in many research institutions. Mass collaboration contributes to the speed of breakthrough outcomes.
Let’s take genetic studies as an example. Modifying genes is not a dream anymore. We are capable of creating genetically modified plants, animals, and even human parts. Gene therapy has become a reality.
We can change our genes and code them for new actions, good or bad. They are not common yet, but they happen on a smaller scale in controlled environments. Xenobots are emerging.
Change does not happen immediately. It will take time. While we focus on our dreams and aspirations, we also need to consider many aspects of humanity and society.
These technological and scientific breakthroughs have philosophical, spiritual, religious, political, economic, and ethical implications.
For example, working in the artificial intelligence field, I fear artificial superintelligence. I discussed it in his article titled Artificial Intelligence Does Not Concern Me, but Artificial Super-Intelligence Frightens Me.
I strive for a transformed life. Finding a better version of myself is a passion for me. I enjoy lifehacking and sensible biohacking.
Sensible biohacking means experimenting carefully, gradually, and meaningfully. In my opinion, sensible biohacking is a form of transhumanism.
I study transhumanism concepts aligned with stoicism as a hobby, using my skills in multiple science and technology domains. From my preliminary findings, I understand that we can form habits using the best practices accumulated in the body of knowledge.
Our habits determine our long-term success. For example, making each new life hack and bio-hack helps me find a better version of myself.
I also understand that scary words like transhumanism concerns many people. Most people prefer to enjoy a pleasant and comfortable life. There is nothing wrong with it if it makes them happy.
I have empathy and compassion for all human beings as part of my daily mindfulness practices. We all deal with myriad setbacks daily, mainly created by our old brains.
Quantum theories confuse and disturb our comfort zone. When I share my far-reaching ideas, some people in my circles strongly react against them. Some even try to ridicule my ideas. We are afraid of unknowns by nature. It is coded in our reptilian (old) brain.
Uncertainty and ambiguity cripple many of us. However, as Marie Currie put wisely, there is nothing to be feared but only things to be understood in life. As Roosevelt articulated, “the only thing we have to fear is fear itself — nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
We are paradoxical creatures. As humans, one part of us wants to grow and expand, and another forces us to shrink and die. Those who use the neocortex more efficiently usually shine and go above and beyond in their lifetimes. We call them prodigies, high achievers, or master thinkers.
In addition to the cognitive brain, those successful individuals leveraged another human power called intuition.
On the other hand, those who mainly operate under the influence of the old brain live with fear and anxiety ironically to protect their comfort. But, unfortunately, very comfortable situations kill more than uncomfortable ones. Obesity and smoking are prime examples of our health crisis globally.
No one has found a solution to undo the coding of death in our genes yet. However, we managed to increase the life span compared to previous centuries slightly.
Unless we solve the puzzle of the neo-cortex and make it dominant in the old brain, we will make very little progress in the longevity journey.
The problem, in my opinion, is that under the influence of genes, the old brain has the power to shut off the neo-cortex if it sees a tiny bit of survival risk in the body. Let alone real threats; the old brain even deceives the cognitive brain in perceptive situations. It paralyzes us for no good reason, as evident in mental institutes.
Even worse, the old brain collaborating with messages from genes force humanity to take irrational action like wars. We kill each other based on our emotions, such as pride in our nation or race.
In my opinion, the primitive brains of collective masses, if not controlled, might cause an existential risk for humanity. Therefore, I am afraid of artificial superintelligence. Because if it falls into the wrong hands, it might be the end of humanity.
Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
I plan to share more thoughts in another article on improving the neo-cortex to overcome the limitations of the primitive brain, which is a passion for me. I hope one day I will be able to answer when Watson will die.
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Thank you for reading my perspectives. I wish you a healthy and happy life.
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