Buddhism, H+ and the Myth of the Authentic Self

“The longer our lives, the more we’ll have a chance to see that there’s no self living them.” - James Hughes. What is Transhumanism and how is it related to Buddhist practice? Will technology enable us to radically extend our lifespans, help us control our thoughts and emotions, and bring about the potential to upload our consciousness into virtual reality spaces? And if so, what are the deeper implications for our contemplative traditions. Will these advances actually support the deepening of wisdom? According to professor James Hughes, a Buddhist practitioner and leading voice in the Transhumanist movement, these advances will enable us to deconstruct the notion and experience we have of an “authentic self” and will support the development of happiness, and the cessation of suffering.  (MP3)

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Posted by  on  07/05  at  01:23 PM

Hi, I'm a Born Again Christian and non-scientific. I think this idea is really fabulous! I can't believe that science could actually store our brain and personality on the computer so that we could "check in" with a loved one who has died. I also think it is wonderful to be able to have and receive the medical/technological assistance we need as we get older to stay young and continue to function. My grandma recently died - there was nothing wrong with her except her heart gave out and only functioned at 40%, otherwise she had no problems. I don't know what Buddhism teaches about eternity, but my religion teaches that man was originally created to live an immortal life before the "fall". In the early portions of the Bible people did live extreemly long lives (several hundred years), and I don't think that is a myth. So this technology would just bring us full-circle. I think that if we can live longer, we need to remember to always act with kindness toward others, and continue to learn and help others as much as possible. I also think that you science people need to begin to explore how we can populate other planets to accommodate new lives as well as continued lives. Because living such a long time should not detract from the enjoyment of someone much younger who wants to have children. Why not start with how to get an atmosphere on the moon? And also Mars. I think we could create that, I mean isnt an atmosphere just chemicals? I look forward to learning from you and what you all are doing, and glad to see that other religions are interested in this type of science as a faith-promoting ingenuity. Thanks! Cynthia

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