Worldview

The Shamanic Perspective on AI and Transhumanism

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by Sergey Baranov

In my recent book, The Mescaline Confessions, I wrote a chapter about a stark vision I one day received from the Huachuma cactus, warning of a future in which our own technology will devour us. Huachuma, also known as San Pedro, is a sacred cactus native to the Andes which is shamanically used in Peru and has been for thousands of years. Its active ingredient is the alkaloid mescaline, which was made known to the world by The Doors of Perception.

Technology, the cactus told me, is not our God – it is our servant. Technology itself is a tool that is neither inherently good nor bad, but technology without wisdom is weaponized stupidity. Recently, I stumbled upon a profound essay that echoed these revelations quite closely, Why the Future Doesn’t Need Us, published by Bill Joy in Wired magazine way back in April, 2000. Primarily about the potential dangers of giving artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and nanotechnology greater autonomy and control over their given roles, it also critiqued the rabid transhumanist movement, a giddy group, hell-bent on merging our bodies and minds with computer technology in a quest for god-like, never-ending life. What these people fail to realize is that our short time here already can and does lead to immortality of much greater value, that living and dying cannot be easily separated, and that ancient technologies for understanding the absolutely essential nature of life and death have existed for millennia, upon the very ground on which we stand.

Then quite rudimentary, transhumanism has come a long way in 19 years, attracting growing numbers of devotees seeking to “improve humanity” (but really just their own) by embedding and/or replacing their bodies more and more significantly with tech, making us “better” and even – their primary goal – “immortal”. Joy’s piece has only become more relevant as we stampede toward the unknown consequences of bio-technological integration.

An eminent computer scientist and co-founder of Sun Microsystems, where he served as chief scientist for over 20 years, Joy is no Luddite and states this very carefully. Indeed, he has contributed over many years to marked increases in the power of software, but this only gives him a more personal sense of responsibility for the darker turns it might take. While expressing deep concern over the development of modern technologies, he raises important ethical questions which we’d be wise to consider today, similar in theme to those the sacred cactus revealed to me that difficult afternoon in The Sacred Valley.

I was far from this subject until that one Huachuma ceremony four years ago, during which a disturbing, dystopian future was shown to me. I was taken by a vision of the future in which humanity was no longer in charge. It was on the verge of collapse. A species which made it through millions of years of evolution, growing and learning, now faced extinction. It was such a dire, seemingly inescapable fate, that all my being yielded to sadness. What can be done? I was silently asking. What was the solution to a big problem we ourselves are inexorably creating? The answer didn’t come that day, but later I came to understand that the answer was already in my hands, body and spirit.

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16 Comments

  1. may the Lord Jesus Christ displace you and all your work with Himself, and His Song.

    The Lord is going to raise up Kingdom Inventors and Theorists who will displace and destroy the "Kurzweil Effect" within the next 20-30 years.

  2. His counterpart is a very high ranking angel, just a level below the top at this moment.

    Not for very much longer…

    To the Hell’s Resource Angel of Destruction who has influence in and through the life of Ray Kurzweil, we say this by the Lord Holy Spirit:

    1. The Word of Jesus rebuke you;

    and,

    2. we offer you our forgiveness,

    and,

    3. may the Lord Jesus Christ displace you and all your work with Himself, and His Song.

    Amen.

    –j9

  3. how were you able to zero in on Kurzweil?

    Marten, the Lord Holy Spirit highlighted your use of the word "power", after which He gave me the "go-ahead" to begin the resistance against, and subsequent overthrow of, this "power".

    Wikipedia says this about Ray Kurzweil: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Kurzweil.

    "Kurzweil believes evolution provides evidence that humans will one day create machines more intelligent than they are. He presents his law of accelerating returns to explain why "key events" happen more frequently as time marches on. It also explains why the computational capacity of computers is increasing exponentially. Kurzweil writes that this increase is one ingredient in the creation of artificial intelligence; the others are automatic knowledge acquisition and algorithms like recursion, neural networks, and genetic algorithms.

    Kurzweil predicts machines with human-level intelligence will be available from affordable computing devices within a couple of decades, revolutionizing most aspects of life. He says nanotechnology will augment our bodies and cure cancer even as humans connect to computers via direct neural interfaces or live full-time in virtual reality. Kurzweil predicts the machines "will appear to have their own free will" and even "spiritual experiences".[1] He says humans will essentially live forever as humanity and its machinery become one and the same. He predicts that intelligence will expand outward from earth until it grows powerful enough to influence the fate of the universe."

    –j9

  4. My question is: how were you able to zero in on Kurzweil? Are
    you using your gifts of discernment or were there other indicators (that I may use to zero-in on others?)

    Like to be as much true as possible, maybe because I am a bit autistic.

    In the past I have had some encounters with Ray’s spiritual counterpart in the heavenly realms. His counterpart is a very high ranking angel, just a level below the top at this moment.

    He is too strong for me and I cannot overpower him. But he cannot destroy me. At this very moment it’s not the time for me to do something about it. I have different tasks.

    So Ray and I respect each other and leave each other alone, for the time being.

  5. Of course, j9. But Ray really is the main human and leading power on this planet. The power behind very much that is going on. It’s a pity he is no Christian. But you never know.

    Marten, with all the articles and quotes I’ve read over the years by Kurzweil I have no doubts that
    what you’re saying about him is true. My question is: how were you able to zero in on Kurzweil? Are
    you using your gifts of discernment or were there other indicators (that I may use to zero-in on others?)

    I like to put people like this on a reading list as they often serve as leading indicators
    of bad policies for planet earth.

    Prior to his death, one could use quotes from David Rockefeller, for example. But such
    characters seem to be getting more wise in not showing themselves, nowadays.

  6. But it does put him in his proper place. Subordinate to King Jesus.

    Of course, j9. But Ray really is the main human and leading power on this planet. The power behind very much that is going on. It’s a pity he is no Christian. But you never know.

  7. Ok, Ray Kurzweil is a genius. He invented a lot more than this nice keyboard. His predictions about the (technical) future are very precise and much better than any Christian or non-Christian "prophet" I know about.

    In my opinion Ray is the one with the most power on earth! Really. He is not very prominent in the media, but behind the scenes he has got a tremendous power.

    I enjoyed a touch-sensitive kurzweil piano and loved it.

    Fascinating take on Kurzweil’s power, Marten. I’ll make a note to read more than just
    the occasional quote from him in the media as perhaps he’s a leading indicator of
    what secular powers are aiming at.

  8. "… but technology without wisdom is weaponized stupidity."
    The same hammer and nail (Technology) that fixed Jesus to the Cross, also built the house my wife and I live in.
  9. In my opinion Ray is the one with the most power on earth!

    Many apologies Marten, but I must disagree.

    The Lord Holy Spirit is on the Earth these days, and He is Omnipotent.
    This does not detract from Kurzweil’s giftings. But it does put him in his proper place. Subordinate to King Jesus.

    I am putting this here not so much for you, (I am confident that you already know this detail) but for others that may read this exchange and not know Who is really in charge.
    -j9

  10. In the article Raymond Kurzweil is mentioned. He is a very creative and intelligent person. He invented the nice Kurzweil digital keyboards. Made a business with it together with Stevie Wonder and Bruce Cichowlas (programmer.) Great sounds and in the beginning very expensive. They were not available in my youth. I had to play on a honky-tonk piano. Very well suited for ragtime music from Janis Joplin. But not too wel for studying the classics: Beethoven, Bach, Bartoc, Mozart, Chopin etcetera. You can imagine I played jazz, blues, ragtime and boogie-woogie as much as my classics… Of course my parents were not amused, they preferred me to go to the conservatory.

    But decades later on I could afford some nice acoustical and digital piano’s.

    Ok, Ray Kurzweil is a genius. He invented a lot more than this nice keyboard. His predictions about the (technical) future are very precise and much better than any Christian or non-Christian "prophet" I know about.

    In my opinion Ray is the one with the most power on earth! Really. He is not very prominent in the media, but behind the scenes he has got a tremendous power.

    But this most probable future is not "fixed". There are other and more hopeful possibilities.

    So, if you want another future than described in this article, change Ray’s worldview…

    Good luck!

  11. Yes, and it seems those things are well underway, already. I don’t envy these lost people in the least; roaming the planet grasping at straws.

    Don’t like it either. But this most probable future is not "fixed". There are other and more hopeful possibilities.

  12. The future described in this article with A.I. and Transhumanism is the most probable. People living hundreds and hundreds of years. There are more possible futures, but this one is the one I see, the others I am only aware of, but do not see…

    Yes, and it seems those things are well underway, already. I don’t envy these lost people in the least; roaming
    the planet grasping at straws.

  13. The future described in this article with A.I. and Transhumanism is the most probable. People living hundreds and hundreds of years. There are more possible futures, but this one is the one I see, the others I am only aware of, but do not see…

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