I love the idea of the Connectome. I am happy to see someone in the mainstream scientific world pointing out the neuronal connection-level of our identities. However, it is absurd to think that such an hypothesis as “I am my Connectome” could ever be proved true. Is the wiring of our brain an important aspect of understanding our unique identity? Emphatically, YES! However, the very structure of the sentence “I am my ____” precludes it from being a helpful model. So in this sense, it is ridiculous in a very similar way as the statement it was contrasted to: “I am my Genome.” It makes more sense to me to leave the viewpoints of neurology and genetics in the isolated academic fields they belong to. In conclusion, my Genome and my Connectome are two interesting modern scientific tunnel-realities of my identity. A more interesting question to me might be: how do my Genome and my Connectome interact? (I think you’re getting a taste of my bias. . .)

Seung summarizes his vision at the end of the talk, concluding:

“As we evolved from our apelike ancestors on the African savannah, what separated us was our larger brains. We used our brains to fashion ever more amazing technologies. Eventually, these technologies will become so powerful that we will use them to know ourselves by deconstructing and reconstructing our own brains. I believe that this voyage of self discovery is not just for scientists, but for all of us.”

Leaving aside my aforementioned problems with limiting identity to Connectomics, in what way are non-scientists able to participate in this voyage of self-discovery? I believe they have a much more important, much larger role to play than the scientists trying to map the Connectome. Those who wish to participate in this noble quest, this evolutionary leap, will have to take on the role of brain-change technician. This does not mean learning a whole ton of science terms, how to operate laboratory equipment, etc. Instead, this involves a modern application of the ancient maxim of enlightenment: Know thyself. These technologies were developed by such artists, scientists, and writers as Robert Anton Wilson, Christopher Hyatt, Timothy Leary, Antero Alli, John C. Lilly, etc. This process of brain-change will (if carried out fully and in each corner of human experience and endeavor) change the very structure of society, because it will change the structure and function of the human brain. It will change the atoms of society, the individual humans which comprise it. As Antero Alli and Christopher Hyatt write: “The Human Neural System is the most important and valuable instrument for transmutation and personal pleasure.” Note any connections you make between personal pleasure and the title of this article.

Switching subjects, (I hope not to insult you by making this article overly vanilla) a large part of this will occur when we update our educational system, and stop teaching our children to imitate our stupid, robotic, monkey-like behavior. We have populated the earth enough to fully ensure our survival, it is time to go for the gold. Let that pendulum swing back towards quality over quantity. Our antiquated cultural codes have restricted us from utilizing the technological prowess at our fingertips to solve major problems such as war, hunger, disease, thirst, etc. The temperature has increased to the point where a phase change is now inevitable. We keep gaining experience points, why haven’t we leveled up? If we ourselves are unable to do this, perhaps we can gather together enough courage and strength to create a future generation who can. This topic will probably be further expanded upon in a later article.

Switch sets again. Look at the specialization rampant in our academics. We have narrowed the focus and proceeded in lines, fearing the natural necessity of creative destruction, of letting the pinnacle of the past become fertilizer for the future. This has produced a WEALTH of specialized information, a Blessing! Praise Allah, Lord Baby Jesus, Adonai, Aristotle, Logos . . . However, trying to imagine our collected knowledge from a modern academic perspective may leave you feeling like you are staring out an insect eye. The pendulum is yearning to swing from the “separate” side to the “together.” Without specialized knowledge, we would not be where we are today. If we continue to idolize it, we will have stunted the potential intellectual growth of life on planet earth. For example, if we fail to graduate to an interactive view of the earth and human life (to keep it simple) instead of bickering over whether or not we are causing climate change, we may go extinct. Indeed, many species have! That is part of the natural process, isn’t it . . .

Is the Homo Sapien a finished product? A look back at the history of biological life on earth suggests this is an absurd hypothesis. I would rather work with this evolution. I feel it is time to begin  Nations come and go, but if the great U S of A wishes to continue being the leader of the free world, it will need to re-orient itself a bit. For instance, try on the perspective (like a pair of pants) that the constitution and bill of rights (each a leg) are bio-spiritual documents. This once-great nation has the hardware in place for further evolution. Perhaps we will need to update them, but we will definitely need to gain some fresh perspective in their interpretation, and soon.

As more industries are outsourced or automated, the jobs available to the everyday man and woman change. These technological processes we resolutely push forwards COULD free up time for more interesting, fun, and creative pursuits. Instead, we scramble to come up with more ridiculous, demoralizing, robotic, degrading jobs for people to waste their lives away at. While the older generations die off, the youth must decide if they want to update the models of their parents. For as Hyatt is often fond of saying: CULTURE IS NOTHING BUT THE INTERACTION OF BIOLOGY AND GEOGRAPHY. New technologies have changed the ways in which this interaction occurs. The biological need is primary, how this need is fulfilled is secondary, and open to creativity and adventure in its’ solution. We have already spearheaded this change with increased technological prowess. Our daily lives have already changed with the invention of refrigeration, electricity, personal transportation, etc. What could the world look like once the Internet has further realized its’ potential for changing the way we, for example, distribute resources?

This is shown blatantly in the medical system. The Cardiologist, knee surgeon, nutritionist, and personal trainer all have their own ideas about what you should do for your health. However, it is now up to the patient to review the side effects for the drugs doctors are trained to hand out for various conditions, as well as research to see if there are any negative side effects with their other medications. I think the health care industry is a great place for this leap of information integration to begin. With the coming retirement of the baby boomers, the health care industry needs to grow A LOT. Furthermore, the baby boomers are generally much more open to what is called Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). I recall statistics from school showing that spending on CAM in the USA has surpassed that of Allopathic medicine. While a statistic is just a statistic, this does indicate that baby boomers are getting fed up with allopathic, establishment medicine. Think back to when I discussed the possibility of educating and raising children to be more than we are. We know that, psychologically speaking, our general orientation and unconscious beliefs are set very early in life, and generally do not change much. Many advances in medicine and the New-Age are producing data which fit into many ancient, mystical concepts and theories on health. Look into the General Adaptation System or the Biology of Belief. What if many of the modern diseases of old age are largely made possible by the restrictive, antiquated cultural customs imprinted into our brains as children? These fictions were helpful guides for navigating the adventure of life in the past, but may be limiting us from our future potential as well. A movement towards training young brain-change technicians could be viewed through a different kaleidoscope as an investment in the future health of their children. Preventative medicine on steroids, acid, both, or whichever you prefer.

However, brain-change technicians (unlike their ancient eastern counterparts) have yet to connect to the realm of health. The New-Age sweetness-and-light bliss ninnies lack the integral vision and philosophical/scientific capabilities of a mind such as Timothy Leary. What the Bleep do we Know? seems to point to possibilities in the level of the quantum world and make outlandish propositions, thinking that these theories could possibly pass for science. The Secret does little to teach you how to make this wish-fulfillment fantasy a reality, and to me seems very akin to praying to the diety of ____ to give you what you want. While prayer can certainly be a helpful tool in the brain-change technicians’ arsenal, it does not help us re-wire the ensnaring patterns locked deep in our “reptilian” and “mammalian” brains. In my opinion, Christopher Hyatt does a great job integrating many lessons from diverse schools of brain change in his book Undoing Yourself with Energized Meditation and Other Devices. However, he was a psychologist, and did not spend his time studying the medical, bodily implication of the brain change techniques he developed. Contrary to what some new-agers might say, stress is a fact of life, while stress-management is the art of regulating the influx of information and activity one lives in.

Remember the title of this article: Twerking your Connectome. Your Connectome is the neural-wiring level of your identity, unique individuality. We must take it out of the laboratory to become real. Let go of pyramidal hierarchy, of Euclidean geometry. Try on a synergistic system of spherical coordinates. Thought, then word, then deed. Acting from the center requires a re-centering. We must mobilize our center (twerk) to re-discover it, before it is possible to form a new web interconnecting it with the rest of our functions and structures. Hyatt’s brain-change system was developed out of Reichian Therapy and ancient Tantric techniques, both of which interweave with sexual life. You practice it, and your sex life will change. Your workouts will change as well.

We must stick out our asses and twerk our neurological booty! Extricate the Connectome from the laboratory! Take control of the wiring of your brain! Balance the dry science with the sweaty juicy silly dance floor! You don’t know it unless you DO IT! I don’t think Seung will DO IT with 1000 automated robots. I love that Seungs’ work is being undertaken, and it is wonderful! It is also the wrong tool for the job of changing the way we experience the world, much less evolving society and the human species. The human brain is the most complex computer in the world, and the only one fit to understand itself. Undo Yourself! As Hyatt is fond of writing:

Become who you are, there are no guarantees!

This path I have schizophrenically painted a portrait of may smell like a Neitzschean dream. The new artists, doctors, politicians, etc. which could be born out of these categorical blendings and re-networkings may be unrecognizable, strange, and perhaps other-worldly to their precursors. I believe that we have enough to start on this path. I believe this path continues the direction began by the founding fathers of this once great nation. We must not forget the sacred art of leaving each other the fuck alone, but government is what we do together. I would rather live in a world where each would have the freedom to participate in a quest they choose. Si mis padres no quieren hacerlo, bien. How can we come up with some new, innovative ways to do this as parent? How do we teach our children the wisdom we have gained without weighing them down with the idiotic, hypocritical habits imparted by our behavior?

I believe we need to make the conscious choice to work towards evolving into a new species.

This will be made possible by increasing our cultural flexibility.

This is what I mean when I say CONSCIOUS EVOLUTION.

Throw the bliss ninnies to the dogs.

Pull your heads from the sand.

Fear is Failure. Tell that to our politicians.

In parting, a paragraph from Undoing Yourself:

Wake up! See the writing on the wall! Stretch your vision! OUCH! As a current TV commercial states, The Future Is Here Now. Get with it! Realize – THAT THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO CHANGE IT! No longer will mankind be permitted to perpetuate a troglodyte mentality. A super-race of super-WoMen is on the way. You can become a part of that race (if you have strong legs), or if not you can putter along in your accustomed nightmare until NATURE stamps you OBSOLETE and tosses you out among the Rejects. (If reason doesn’t work try scare tactics.)