From: Dave Hall (davehall@dbn.lia.net)
Date: Mon Jan 18 1999 - 14:33:22 MST
I'm new to this group but have read through most threads posted over the
past week and a number of the regular participant's personal websites to get
an idea of the kind of content required. Brief introduction: I'm 33-year old
partially burned-out South African software entrepreneur taking a semi-break
from the front lines of "Internet start-up" battlefield. My last project
can be found at http://www.ferretsoft.com.
As I'm still somewhat overawed by the high quality of writing in this list
and on the websites of the various "regular" contributors that I've checked
out, I feel it best to pose a few questions before diving in at the deep end
with my own view points.
Question to Extropian and Transhumanist thinkers and philosophers: A
manic-depressive with a decade long history of recurrent hypomania/mania and
mostly mild depressive episodes chooses after initial diagnosis and
voluntary hospitalisation to forego the "benefits" of modern medication, so
as to better learn to "use" the cycles to enhance thinking and ability.
Prior to diagnosis, coping mechanisms were learned by trial and error but
are felt to be sufficiently effective. This, of course, could just be
warped, grandiose thinking and poor judgement as per the symptoms.
Could this person considered to be a self-experimenting transhumanist OR
irresponsible and delusional, a danger to society and to herself/himself?
The reason I ask is that the subject of affective mental "illnesses" hardly
seems to appear in transhumanist discussions, "science fiction" scenarios
and essays. This despite the psychiatric notion that great minds like Newton
and Einstein "suffered" from forms of schizoid affective disorder, whilst
the list of possible manic-depressives amongst philosophers, entrepreneurs,
leaders etc. is too long to even start mentioning specific individuals.
Kind of like no one wants to talk about it, despite huge leaps in
neuroscience in recent years.
It would seem to me (and admittedly my research on enhanced intelligence and
so forth is still far too limited to say anything really sensible at this
point) that studying what it is that made minds like Einstein's tick is a
critical part of understanding true super-intelligence, and recreating it
artificially. Rather most biotech/medical research appears to be directed
at finding "cures" and treatments and better ways to ensure medication
compliance.
Insights, comments and questions always appreciated.
Dave
mailto:davehall@dbn.lia.net
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