Re: Extropianism & Theology & dopamine

den Otter (neosapient@geocities.com)
Sun, 28 Feb 1999 14:56:51 +0100



> From: Spike Jones <spike66@ibm.net>

> Anders Sandberg wrote
> > As I see it, we need to find ways of making extropianism or
> > transhumanism as emotionally fulfilling as it is intellectually
> > fulfilling. I think it can be done, but it is an unusual (i.e. new)
> > use for psychology and critical thinking to come up with it.

I for one get great "emotional" satisfaction from the immortalist/ transhumanist/atheist complex, and I bet that some others here do too. It is logical after all, as transhumanism has many of the components of religion, only based on reason. What we need is a flashier image, and some genuine >H pride to replace the impotent relativism that is often seen on this list. Say it loud:
>H and proud! ;-) Being sure of your thing and letting everyone
know is the key to succes.

> Dopamine. If we master ways to create the right dopamines, one
> should be able to control ones religious beliefs, and sexual orientation
> for that matter. Consider: there is a special kind of dopamine that
> is associated with religion. I once could literally make myself high
> without ingesting chemicals, but by... well never mind how. But if
> we could make a pill that releases those feel-good chemicals without
> resorting to religion, well, there you have it. Seems like we should
> be able to figure out which dopamines go with which activities, and
> arrange for them to be released whenever it is appropriate. Then
> perhaps Extropianism can be made as fulfilling as religiona and love.
> spike

Another path to control over (religious) emotions (and many other things) is the mindhelmet concept. Tests have shown that stimulation of the brain, either directly or via electromagnetic fields, can trigger a whole range of sensations, involuntary movements and emotions, time and time again. The interesting thing is that the subject rationalizes his involuntary actions, thus thinking that he has "free will" while in reality he is manipulated like a puppet. If people could experiment with an eletromagnetic mind device themselves, pushing buttons and feeling "god" or whatever, they *might* gain some new psychological insights and get more rational. In any case it would be great fun, and a useful tool for all sorts of things (see the archive for more details under "mind control" and "mind machines")