In
“Technology's Promise” by William Halal, one of his predictions is related to an
“Age of Consciousness” about 2020 similar to the information age of today.
Halal expects that the spiritual projections of consciousness will be accepted
over the current trend to prove that there are physical roots of human consciousness.
Halal presents arguments for both sides. The physical side has ever growing
number of technologies in information processing, plus biological and psychological
research about the brain and behavior. This research suggests the brain is no
more than a computer model. As the technology for processing data continues to
evolve, the physical model side predicts that computer processing will catch up
to the capability of human processing, and contain a level of awareness likened
to a human. These scientists equate the consciousness of the human mind to a
creature with the data at high levels of intelligence where data is processed
into decisions. These decisions form the basis for behaviors equating to human ‘free
will’ and value/belief systems. The spiritual model recognizes a higher form of
intelligence beyond the human brain, which transcends the physical, providing
discernment capability, ‘free will’ leading behavior selection where values and
choice are concerned.
Curiously,
the ‘Computer Model’ camp prediction focuses on measured versus subjective
analyses. From their perspective, everything can be measured. Their argument
for quantification parallels the debate in natural sciences on the use of
quantitative and qualitative analyses. Experimental research and problem areas
where numbers are prevalent fall nicely into quantitative measures. However, current
researchers in social sciences found human behavior and experience are more
fitted to qualitative studies. The subject of choice is not so easily defined
by genetic inheritance of values and beliefs. While non-human selection on
instinct can be measured in this way, due to their predictability, human
behavior in choices can have an infinite number of possibilities that no
computer can store in a database.
Everyday
people can predict on human behavior pattern.
Some of us are very predictable rarely changing how we go about our
daily tasks. In down-the-road predictions, Sci-Fi writers offer their insights
through their story lines. They use their knowledge of their today and imagine
the ‘What if’s’ of the future and alternate environments. Perhaps, not so
different from the recognized leading scientist of today, who predict five,
10, 20 years or more into the future. Of
course these leading figures typically base their futures on current trends in
technologies. Yet, how far are they from writers such as Gene Rodenberry, Star Trek series and movies, describing
star travel, and food replicators, or Jules Verne, with undersea stories and
around the world adventures before anyone thought they were possible. If one
were to look at background of an Asimov or Clarke or Heinlein, their stories
are sprinkled with their knowledge and experience of their time. Surprisingly,
their images found future reality by the same ratios of our leading scientists
and thinkers. The point is that, as discovered with chaos theory, the chances
of a prediction about nature, man included, coming true are predicated on many
forces, and events, changing the potential outcomes.
Factors that can effect Halal’s prediction of the
Spirit Model accepted over the Computer Model of consciousness social,
religious, and educational. The social and educational are interwoven. Sherden
in “Future Sellers” notes that any
prediction should be evaluated by knowledge. In this case Halal provides
argument of both sides. To say that beliefs are genetically inherited and that the
cells of body created the beliefs plus free will ignores the reality of a
simple belief. For example, in the reality of Catholicism, a miracle is not
just a body healing itself. Before a miracle is recognized by the Catholic
Church a group of lawyers, doctors and other members of a team investigate.
Their finds must determine that there is no way physically possible for an
illness to be healed by man. Their investigations are very detailed, looking
into every possibility, taking a year or more. The social forces in a cultural
environment that believes the individual is the center of all things can narrow
the scope of investigations. Seems that that man was the center of the universe
thought came up once before?
Human behavior in choices is not the same as animal
instinct. Where instinct determines a path, and is predictable, the human can
make choices in an instant that were never made before – all based on the circumstances
and the environment of the moment. In the educational arena the traditional
approach to classroom learning limits the creativity due to the emphasis on
measured outcome as opposed to the ability to apply an accumulation of
knowledge in a brand new situation. And, finally, data in a computer is
mathematical. Fuzzy logic is close enough, but not perfect. Spiritual is
recognized as higher order intelligence. Simply put in mathematical terms the spiritual
nature encompasses the physical nature. In everyday math the Real number system
is subset of complex numbers; in nature, which includes human behavior, the
theory of chaos exists. The order seemingly on the surface belies the
randomness at different levels.
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