This discussion moves us a little off our main topic in this blog, namely technologies to live longer and better. It concerns some ideas that are closely related to our well being. I believe that part of the perspective of healthy life has to do with overall life orientation. An optimistic, far reaching, purposeful, and constructive human life contributes to long and healthy living.
It is also my belief that for most normal individuals, mental health is a prerequisite for physical health. Mental health is a collection of individual and sociological technologies that guide us to perform in an optimal and meaningful way. Physical health will be there working for us with little emotional effort to achieve our desired physical outcomes within the bounds of our genetic makeup. Physical health will fail us if we force ourselves to overfeed, abuse the body or compromise the integrity of our body through destructive behavior, all of which are dependent upon our emotional health.
If human society will not self-destruct in the near future, a new societal age will begin to develop. This “Golden Age” will be possible by the coming together of a number of different technologies. All these technologies will coalesce to create a brand new foundation for a new society on a planetary scale. It will propel the individual to adopt a new outlook for life and claim their place in a renewed society.
The Golden Age will be the culmination of the information revolution that took place at the beginning of the 20th century. It will combine with the Biological and Genetic technologies of the 21st century. Its outcome will be a conjunction of body and mind technologies that will enhance humanity, and increase the individual’s capabilities. It will consist of a series of enhancements into the biological and mental makeup of the human individual. Technology will be added externally as instrumentation (smartphones or other devices), and internal bodily crafting and alterations of the physiology of individual humans (artificial organs or embedded technological additions).
Although, there is a general disagreement as to when the first humans appear in our planet, It is believed that the evolution of the human species and its transition to body/mind technology followed these steps:
Prehuman Worldview:
(Last Ice Age, 2.2 million years ago to about 11000 BC)
The perceived world and the individual are one and the same. The World consists of a series of recurring looping events. The individual or group has to manage the environment through behavioral and ritual technologies to ensure survival. Body maintenance is achieved through hunting and gathering. The Environment sustains a small population of humans.
Primal World view:
(11000 BC to 500 BC)
There is an external world and some porous individual/collective existence plane. The external world proceeds in cycles. We are helpless, subject to the forces of the external world. Ritual technologies are used to appease or manipulate the external world. Body maintenance is achieved through agriculture. Environment sustains larger populations of humans. Cities and States are created.
Axial Age:
(500 BC to 1500 AD)
We live on a certain imperfect external world masking the Ideal perfect world on some other plane of existence. The world is stratified on different levels of existence. We live on space and time constraints. Our will can transform ourselves. We can rise up or descend down these planes of existence. Platonism and Neo-Platonism are the technological paradigms for survival. Polytheism to Monotheism developed. The concept of the One is perfected by Plotinus. Body maintenance is achieved through agriculture. Environment sustains large populations of humans. Collection of States join together to create Empires. Writing, instrumentation, and commerce developed.
Industrial Revolution:
(1500 AD to 2000 AD)
There is an objective external world out there and we are manifestations of this world. The individual and society are following the same material structure and rules outlined by the physical world. We live in space and there is a linear time moving in one direction only (Past to future). Atheism and reduction of spirituality develop. A loss of meaning in life. Body maintenance is achieved through industrial farming. Environment sustains very large populations of humans. Steam and combustion engine, electricity, science/technology advances. Empire building continues. Increased mobility of the human species. Migration to new landmasses and redistribution of the population on a global scale. Total warfare is practiced.
Modern Worldview:
2000 AD to 2050 AD)
The world out there is relative to your own inner world and perceptions. There is no common standard to value and rate anything that happens out there. We live in limited space and limited time which flows only in one direction. New spiritualism develops. Rediscovery of the spiritual realm. Body maintenance is achieved through industrial farming. Environment sustains huge populations of humans. De-industrialization trends are developed. Concepts of Global Government explored. Cyberwar proliferates. Internet and general information overflow within the global population. Rediscovery of religion and spirituality. Financial systems are questioned. Cryptology and cryptocurrency explored.
Note: This time period has a higher possibility of self destruction than any other period before or after. We kind of live through a very difficult bifurcation point right now, where we are going to choose between use technology (Spiritual beings) or been technology (Just another cog into the machine).
New Renaissance:
2050 AD to 2075 AD)
Both the inner "personal" and outer "world" existence is interconnected. Changes in either one reality cause changes in the other. We define space and time. The world exists on different levels of potentiality. There is full chaos with infinite potentiality on one end. The other end is full form/structure with zero potentiality. Neo-Platonism and the merge of spiritual technologies re-develop. Development of space exploration and space colonization. Multi planetary species concepts developed. Megacorporations are more powerful than Nations. Energy challenges are addressed. Virtual worlds and remote work is the norm than the exception.
The Great bifurcation: (2075 AD to ?)
Most of the humanity move to greater levels of existence. Some humanity stays back and redefines life on Earth. The decentralized States and communities develop based on common beliefs and values. Maximum population movement. The new migration with a focus on the virtual and physical space is at its maximum. Individuals and society involve and adapt to the new frontier... "Ad Astra per Aspera"
I will welcome your ideas when it comes to these concepts. Feel free to email me or comment below. These general ideas set the spiritual stage for further discussion on the most important issue of our times. The loss of meaning in our current individual and social cohesion is the number one reason for the emotional imbalance we currently experience in our life. In our next communication, I will write about dealing with depression and anxiety, and how to use our involved body functions to improve ourselves.
Links
Hedgeye: The Fourth Turning: Why American 'Crisis' May Last Until 2030 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Yfb2zQjKWE
Books
One of the contributions to decline of mental health is the lack of ability to store labor. If one works 5 days and puts the fifth day of labor into saving account of some sort, when needed that labor is now diminished or lost to the unnatural decay of inflation. Humans should be able to store their labor for retirement without the necessary to gamble it for enough yield to survive the effect of currency debasement.
Making the future less uncertain will 100x mental health.