Some would say that it's our technology that enslaves us. It may be more accurate to argue that it's our technology which gives us the best chance at attaining freedom. Not just any form of freedom, but the transcendent sort of freedom which is the object of many spiritual and religious teachings. The sort of transcendence which we hope will come with death.
Technology can neither be inherently good nor inherently bad. There are plenty examples of the application of our knowledge for both 'evil' and 'good'. It's up to us to choose how we use our gifts. It's necessary to take a step back and ponder a solid 'WTF??'. There are many people, many forms of life, and they each do certain things. Yes, it sounds vague, but it must be vague to capture the essence of what is being approached.
You, individually, have a set of goals, hopes and dreams. A set of convictions, beliefs, and desires. These may, at heart, work well with the set which others hold, and not so well with the set yet another holds. As these concepts are mentioned, you create representations of them in your mind. It may be a picture evoked by what is said, or a voice in your head which is giving agreement or disagreement, or even a visceral feeling (i.e. a 'gut reaction'). Whatever the case, this communication begins as an idea in a mind, is converted to an intermediate medium (this text), and is interpreted by you. A little bit odd, no?
So what is really going on? Like two computers we convey meaning through passing information along a medium using defined protocols. This also occurs for many processes which occur locally to you. Your brain continuously receives and marshals electro-chemical signals (from sensory organs to appendages and internal organs). These signals regulate and control the physical body. Much of this goes on without conscious awareness. Were you aware of your breathing before you read this sentence? Now you can't help but be aware ;-)
So what do we do? What do so many people do? They labor away, hoping to increase their security and certainty of continued survival. This takes the form of physical protection (the most basic level, concerning food, water, shelter, etc), economic protection (that which can be exchanged to meet needs) and social protection (those with whom value is exchanged to fulfill needs). Maybe there are other forms, but that isn't the point here. The point is survival and comfort.
The more people that exist around us, the less 'free' we can actually be. The more of an impact each and every action has on the world around us. Unfortunately, it's a bit hard to make new space. Yes, we can move to a remote location, but eventually all space will become crowded. That's simply the fact of increasing populations. This is true of space and existence as we have currently defined it.
What if there existed multiple layers of space? These layers would never intersect and could serve as individual universes. Communication and interaction could still exist between these 'worlds', but it wouldn't be a necessity. Each world would be complete unto itself and completely personal. Sounds odd, doesn't it?
This is the promise of technology. A way to virtualize existence and allow for complete freedom without fear of negative impact on others. It would be, in essence, a fully immersive MMORPG. Something like the Matrix, but without the dehumanization. It's possible to make it liberating versus enslaving so that human potential is more fully realized than is currently possible. With this sort of technology, we would, in essence, become pure spirit. This has been the promise of transcendence. 'How' has always been the problem.
The right interface and the right engineering could create an entire existence in which biological limitations were no longer a consideration. Life could be exactly as wished. Interaction could be with real avatars or AI. The human would be freed from the bindings of a body to exist as pure consciousness in an inter-connected web of existence. Maybe early models would require exiting from the system periodically. Eventually, it could be made self-sustaining. Tiny ecosystems could be engineered and monitored to prolong the user's life and health indefinitely.
This is just the beginning of what is possible, but the promise is great. The promise is liberation and freedom. No more toiling or doing that which is uninteresting. No more waste of life or laboring under the false notion that 'it's part of life to suffer as such'. Or that there's some greater purpose that this pathetic, small life is serving. Ultimately, the goal of human life is transcendence... the separation of consciousness from the physical constraints of the host body. Just as people dreamed for years of flying, people have dreamed for years of this goal. Just as many have died before seeing flight, all have died without seeing the goal of human fulfillment realized. Death is the end. There is no life after it. It's time to free us from the need for death. From the need for population control and competing for scarce resources.
It's time to become consciousness.
