Cyborg Buddha goes to Burning Man

For evolution-themed Burning Man 2009, my project of choice is the Cyborg Buddha. I don't claim that this was my original idea, but I have done a bit of thinking about it in the past few months. It's rather a hodge-podge of transhumanism, Buddhism and my friend's philosophy thesis. With the help of a transformers Optimus voice-changing mask,

and a robe, I hope to guide people along the path to immortality and enlightenment with the help of life-extending and cognitive-enhancing tonics, along with a little intro to what it's all about. Here goes:

The Fountain of Youth. The Elixir of Life. The Epic of Gilgamesh. The Alchemists. Human beings have forever searched for a way to extend their natural lifespan, increase their aptitude and intelligence, enhance their senses, control their emotions and memories and transcend ordinary consciousness. As spiritual beings, we continue to seek ways to better connect with each other and that elusive otherworldly realm of higher consciousness in order discover the true nature of reality. Only recently have we begun to see the emergence of technology that might help us achieve these quintessential human desires. In the coming decade, artificial intelligence, nanotechnology, genetic engineering, and cognitive science will allow human beings to transcend the limitations of the human body, pushing the boundaries of what it means to be human. We will have the potential to redesign ourselves in ways that we have only begun to imagine in recent science fiction. Synthetic organs and bionic implants. A mobile internet connection implanted in one's retina. The merging of our minds with computer technology that will allow us to instantly compute any math equation, process learning sequences and access encyclopedic knowledge without even touching a keyboard. As Charles Darwin once predicted and later transhumanist thinkers confirm, it is quite plausible that the human species is only now in a comparatively early phase of development and that its evolution will be radically and profoundly altered by the fusion of technology and biology.

What does this have to do with Buddhism?
Neurotechnologies will help dissipate our sense of ourselves as autonomous and isolated beings as pieces of our consciousness merge with the virtual world and allow us to exist outside of our own physical bodies. Every time we create art, write a blog, twitter, or send a text, we are putting pieces of our consciousness out into space where they will continue to exist as part of the endless stream of human thought and experience. We may some day reach the point of technological advancement where we can completely merge with and experience firsthand another person's thoughts, memories and dreams. This would help us better realize our interconnectedness and emphasize the psychological experience of the whole human race rather than the individual body.

By participating in the virtual world of the internet and other forms of virtual reality, we may also come to understand the nature of that other virtual reality—the one we spend our day-to-day lives in, which most people refer to as “the real world.” Buddhists believe this world exists merely as a sort of Matrix which we travel through on our way to spiritual advancement, primarily through the realization that nothing in this or that world is real or permanent.

Emerging technology in the medical fields and the creation of time-saving robotics will eventually allow us near immortality and an unprecedented amount leisure time, granting us more time to explore the spiritual realm rather than living day-to-day and paycheck-to-paycheck. Our enhanced cognition will help us to comprehend what lies beyond the surface of ordinary consciousness. We could potentially free ourselves from many of the physical and mental limitations that plague us today, as artificial intelligence will allow trans-humans to outperform “natural” humans in almost every area, from scientific understanding and artistic ability to social and emotional maturity. Robotic efficiency will help us to eliminate the endless piles of small tasks that serve to keep us distracted from the bigger picture—washing dishes, scrubbing floors, taking out the trash. This is not to say that we should lose the ability to do things for ourselves, but that we should appreciate the technology that helps to free up our time so we can spend it doing more worthwhile things: making music, meditating, learning, being with friends, digging in the garden, or drinking tea on the patio. On the flip side, we could also waste our improved healthcare and newly acquired leisure time holed up in dark basements, mindlessly consuming over-processed junk food and playing video games as a substitute for real human interaction. This is the dangerous side of technology, one that should not be ignored. We are now at the brink of discovering the many faucets of our new-found powers of technology, and it is now that we must brainstorm ways to avoid the worst pitfalls of hyper-modern living.

What is likely to emerge from this power and freedom is a new kind of being: the post- or trans-human, complete with prosthetic organs, loads of free time, lots of geeky robotic toys and possibly a few psycho-pharmaceuticals in his or her cabinet. This post-human may not even be a him or a her, as the lines between male and female become blurred. Disabilities such as deafness may become obsolete when people come to accept technologies such as Cochran implants. While some people may not see deafness as a disability, such technology will undoubtedly help to increase communication and remove any potential barriers to the realization of our interconnectedness. The body is a vessel for the journey of the mind, and bodily and cognitive enhancement will undoubtedly become more advanced and available as time marches on. It will be our decision whether to accept such progress and control it in a socially responsible manner.

But don't Buddhists believe in reincarnation? Isn't all this life-extending technology only putting off the inevitable and avoiding death as if it were some sort of absolute?

The better we take care of our bodies, the more time we have to ponder important questions without having to go through birth and adolescence yet again (sigh) before we even come close to understanding the nature of reality. But despite these efforts, we will likely continue to inhabit many bodies and construct and deconstruct many identities before we come to realize that there is no such thing as the self.

No such thing as the self? See, that's what I could never accept about Buddhist philosophy. I mean, I'm hot and I like my identity.

That's pretty natural. But look at it this way: you were a different person when you were a toddler and you have changed a lot since you were a young teenybopper. Maybe you were once loud and obnoxious and now you're all zen and patience. Even in one lifetime, your identity is constantly shifting. As a child, you were open to new ideas, change, spontaneity and inventiveness. You were constantly willing to take in new information and reevaluate your previous notions based on what you learned. As adults, we tend to think of our identities and opinions as set in stone, and we stop asking basic questions like why? and what is the point of all this? Your identity is made up of entirely changeable factors; don't be afraid to start from scratch. Most people haven't even begun an earnest search for truth outside their everyday experiences, other than the so-called Truths they are spoon-fed by this or that religion. Buddhism asks us to think for ourselves, take nothing for granted, and always be suspicious of anyone who claims to have any sort of monopoly on absolute Truth. There are many paths to enlightenment, and each of us must forge our own.

So if there is no self, then what is the self that passes on to the next life?

Here's a metaphor that helped me understand it best: your self is like a river. The water that makes up the river is constantly changing, but it's still the same river. It's the karma or essence that passes on from one stage of life to the next, and from lifetime to lifetime. As our “self” merges with the world of technology, we will be forced to ask ourselves more and more, “What is the self?” and “What is it that makes me human?” When part of what we are is artificial, these questions will become all the more pressing. Our self will appear to be made up of so many compounded phenomena that it can no longer be seen as existing independently within the physical body. As life begins to stretch far beyond what is deemed to be natural, we will begin to ask ourselves, “What is life?” That, for Buddhists and other spiritual seekers, is the essential question.

But back to the idea of trans-humans. Wouldn't this sort of human genetic engineering be sort of unethical? Wouldn't this only exasperate the inequality that already exists in the world?

Obviously some people might attempt to use this new technology for the wrong reasons, such as making sure their children don't become homosexuals or that they look like Cameron Diaz. Somehow we have to work at finding the right balance between personal freedom and regulation, and there's no simple solution. The hope is that these emerging technologies would extend human capacities for knowledge, understanding, communication, and wise decision-making.

And as for inequality, well, that's a valid point. Transhumanists see the potential for future technologies and innovative social systems to improve the quality of all life, while seeking to make legal and political equality possible through the elimination of mental and physical barriers. It's important for us to reach across ethnic, cultural and geographic lines by making use of technology that helps us to travel easily and communicate with people from other nations through whatever means possible. Internet access and translation technology has made it possible for you to play chess with someone from Iceland and another person from South Africa from the comfort of your own home. You can now walk into a beer shop is Japan and type something into your electronic translator that will ask the bartender, “What is your hoppiest beer?” These may seem like small things, but these are evidence of the amazing strides we have made in only the last few decades. If we use this new technology to build bridges between cultures, the exchange of information may help to remedy this ongoing inequality.

But wait...wouldn't we become mindless robots? Isn't the elimination of the individual a rather Communist notion? Haven't you read An Rand? What if my prosthetic liver explodes after I drink too much (again)? What if we stop interacting with each other face to face and spend all of our time geeking out with screens and buttons? What if we all become passive, materialistic, overdependent slobs?

The prospect of rapid change in the human condition understandably worries many people. A loose coalition of groups has emerged in an attempt to forbid human enhancement. This “bioconservative” coalition is diverse, including some bioethicists, religious conservatives, disability rights and environmental activists, and leftist critics of biotechnology. You may be among these.

In response to the polarization of the debate between technophobes and anti-regulatory technophiles, an emerging global network of technoprogressive thinkers are defending individuals’ rights to use human enhancement technologies, while taking seriously the need to regulate their safety and social consequences. Technoprogressives address questions such as peoples' right to use—and not use—cognitive enhancement technologies in an increasingly competitive society. They argue that we have to start thinking about these issues now, and figure out how far we want to go and what the limits should be so that we can create a future that is sustainable and beneficial to all, not just the rich and the powerful. Although we can't stop the future from coming, we can control the way in which it proceeds and be open-minded to all modes of human progress.