Jondroid revisited

I have been reflecting upon my previous post about the “Jondroid.”  I realize that it might come off with more than a soupcon of wide-eyed optimism regarding the convergence of humanity and technology.  It is a familiar refrain: “the future will be brighter and technology will make it so.”

I’m aware of the troubles that are leeched onto that statement like suckerfish holding on to a whale.  First of all, technology has its limitations.  We are indeed quite a ways off from constructing the virtual, online paradises I alluded to and I know that.  Secondly, it does not preclude all problems.  In fact, such a virtual environment will bring on complications that we haven’t even thought of.

While walking the dogs this morning, I tried to envision what these issues might entail.  Consider what I call the “Heaven on Earth” scenario.  What if a blissful state could truly be constructed online, one tailored to the needs of the user?  True Heaven.  The kind that humans could establish right here, right now in the real world if we only wanted to live as one, or more to the point, were able to fully evolve past our survivalist instincts.  Who would control access to such a world?  Could this give rise to entirely new religions and dogmas?  Could our gods become composed of zeroes and ones?  Face it. Religions have cropped up over far more dubious premises.  Can you imagine the new wave of evangelism? “Follow the way, do as I say, and gain entry into the digital kingdom where your troubles will be no more.  Follow the way not…and you are damned.”  Scary.  I need to re-evaluate transhumanism and to try to see the other possibilities, both positive and negative.  Not giving up.  Not by any stretch.  Just trying to be realistic.

This goes for the concepts of UFOs and extraterrestrials as well.  Throughout my reading on the topic (32+ years as I said in my debut post), I’ve always presumed that genuine, unresolved UFO encounters were instances of alien contact.  Need they be alien?  Why not extradimensional? Time travelers?  Perhaps even complex psychological manifestations, or even concepts far more “out there” than those.  I’m now willing to let go of my preconceived notions and take a more “postmodern” approach to paranormal phenomena than I ever have before, even if it seems bizarre and alien (pardon the pun) to me.

Also, I did not mean to bash Luddites.  If you are a Luddite or a Luddite enthusiast, you are well within your right to be so…although if you’re opposed to the Internet, you probably didn’t read the post anyway...or this one.  My targeting in the previous post was one certain individual whom I do not wish to name but has made hypercritical and quite honestly, woefully formulated allegations against our current age of technology.  There is such a thing as throwing the baby out with the bathwater.  I for one do not recommend it.

In postscript, Whitley Streiber will be on Coast-to-Coast AM tonight.  Even if you disagree with him, you should still find him interesting to listen to.
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