Dr. Paul L Evans Stockholm Presentation May, 2011
Over the last twenty years acceleration of technology has been the central feature in most discussions of human enhancement. The future development of technological entities with greater than human intelligence has been called a 'Singularity', where old models of reality must be discarded for new ones.
Yet, beyond machine intelligence, other technical advancements are proceeding very naturally and in most cases are not even recognized by their developers for what they are. More specifically, as our ability to refine techniques of consciousness enhancement through brain entrainment progresses, we may achieve an amplification in human consciousness essential to human survival in the post-Singularity world.
In fact, as the gap between computing and human cognition continues to shrink, the gap between machine and human consciousness could indeed widen by application and development of emerging entrainment technologies. Ultimately, routine adoption of entrainment technologies could lead to greater human/computer symbiosis combining and amplifying the machine intelligence of computers and the aesthetic and emotional sensibility of humans.
In this presentation entrainment technologies and the role of machines in altered states of consciousness are explored. The unfolding of machine consciousness, from 18th century automata to modern nanotechnology, is examined. Similarly, the evolution of entrainment technology (from the drum beating shamans and the photonic stimulation of Ptolemy--- to hundreds of consumer electronics entrainment products today) is discussed. Suggestions are made as to how various technologies might be more fully integrated into daily use in decision making, creativity, relaxation and enlightenment in the post-Singularity world.
