Transcendental Metaphysics: The Preface
I promised to make available the contents of my book Transcendental Metaphysics on Steemit. Here is the preface:
Preface
The present book Transcendental Metaphysics (long title: “Technovedanta 2.0, Transcendental Metaphysics of Pancomputational Panpsychism”) is the sequel to my first book “Technovedanta, Internet Architecture of a quasiconscious Vedantic Webmind, A Panpsychic Theory of Everything” (hereinafter referred to as TV 1.0 and hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety).
Audience and Topic
This book is written for people with a scientific or philosophical orientation and with an interest in eastern spirituality. The book aims to explore the concept of consciousness as the foundation of being and to provide a complete theoretical and technological framework to integrate all possible knowledge of matter, mind, information and mysticism without contradictions. The book also aims to show the limits of logic and science and furthermore aims to rid you of self-inflicted belief systems. Its purpose is to show you how technology and meditation can help us transcend every limitation and to prepare us for an experiential dimension beyond anything we are currently familiar with.
Background
In my first book I explored technological ways to integrate a kind of conscious self-monitoring in the Internet. For this purpose I used the stratification of the Vedic notions of Manas, Buddhi and Ahamkara or Mind, Intellect and Ego.
In this process I started to realise that consciousness (as a feedback process involving input->throughput->output-> and feedback of part of the output as new input) might actually be the most foundational dimension of being, of which existence is merely the manifestation.
Strengthened by convincing arguments from Vedanta (“the conclusion of the Indian scriptures called the Vedas”) and from the “Cognitive Theoretic Model of the Universe” by Chris Langan I started to develop a “Theory of Everything” (T.O.E.) based on consciousness as most fundamental dimension, in which matter and free energy are embedded as informational pattern expressions. Patterns, which reductively are all the same, since they cannot be reduced further than the most fundamental dimension of consciousness.
The book also explored how the advent of a quasiconscious Webmind (the internet endowed with technology that mimics the presence of a mind and consciousness) could aid in the intelligence acceleration (IA) of Artificial Intelligence (AI). The IA of AI is believed by visionaries to ultimately result in the “Technological Singularity”: A point in human history beyond which our future predictions and speculations become pointless as this Technology explosion will transcend our way of living completely and dramatically beyond compare. Some suggest it may grant us immortality and other Godlike properties if we succeed in uploading ourselves to the singular Webmind, in which we can shape a simulated virtual reality (or a plurality thereof) as our “new reality”.
Near the end of TV1.0 I devoted a chapter to some peculiar numerical and pattern coincidences in the orbits, sizes and revolution times of the planets and the Sun, which could be pointers to the fact that we might actually already be living inside a virtual reality i.e. a computer simulation like in the film the Matrix, without being aware of it.
This notion kept ruminating in my mind and for three years I gathered more “evidence” and I tried to come up with a philosophy, which could harbour a pancomputational notion without being in conflict with my T.O.E based on Panpsychism. (In my definition Panpsychism is the notion that every self-sustaining holistic system from atoms to organisms has a kind of awareness. This is not stating that a thermostat has consciousness as a whole: Artificially compounded objects are not considered to have an overall consciousness in this definition. It is not micropsychism either, in which our consciousness is considered to be the sum of the lower consciousness of our cells and atoms).
Reading the book “Unified Reality Theory” by Steven Kaufman opened the way to unify these apparent opposites. In the autumn of 2015 I started having a lot of ideas as to how I could put all the material I had gathered together. I started writing a blog in April 2016, in which I posted most of the essays I had written in the past three years. They are included in the first part of this book as “Prolegomena” in imitation of Kant. Although preparing for the philosophy of the present book, their notions had not matured yet.
Rapidly my philosophy evolved to a more complete framework, in which I could fit the above-mentioned notions of Panpsychism and Pancomputationalism. The framework brings science and mysticism –especially from Hindu and Buddhist orientations- closer together.
The result is a more detailed version of TV1.0, which answers some of the questions that were left unanswered after TV1.0. It opens up an area for developing these concepts in yet even greater detail, so that a series of sequels is not excluded.
Technovedanta philosophy
Technovedanta is a philosophy inspired by Vedic sources, which has become a “Vedanta” or “conclusion of the Vedas” for modern times. A philosophy which has Technology at its heart in order to come to more reliable forms of knowledge beyond mere speculation.
Not that Technovedanta demonises speculation –on the contrary. Technovedanta encourages speculation as a way to bring forward a plurality of parallel hypotheses, which can be screened and pruned to arrive at the most reliable hypothesis and its technological application as proof of a correct understanding within the possibilities of what can be considered.
I do condemn however the certainty with which scientists and self-proclaimed mystics, sell their findings respectively as “scientific proof” or “the truth”. Most scientific results and mystic experiences are multi-interpretable and fit more than one hypothesis.
Technovedanta strongly questions traditional ways of conducting science, philosophy and epistemology (the philosophy about what is ultimately knowable) and will challenge your beliefs, prejudices and preconceptions.
If you are not comfortable in possibly having your belief system shattered, throw the book away, burn it, it is not for you.
This is my gift to you –if I can convince you- to free you from any belief system, to free you from the chains of your self-inflicted prison of mind. Fear not, I won’t leave you in a complete agnostic Limbo, even if I can’t lead you to your Gods; instead I will show you how Technology may one day make us Gods.
As a creative writer I feel neither obliged to conform to the standards of science nor to those of philosophy. This frees me from all kinds of burdensome boundaries and allows me to freely explore areas of thought and experience beyond thought, which areas cannot be entered by the professional, who might lose his or her credibility in the field.
My philosophy is a unique blend of eastern mysticism, science, technology –and believe it or not - patent evaluation and drafting, for which I have coined the terminology “Patentology”. Patentology involves a peculiar way of looking at ontologies and classification systems, which can have a great potential for developing “strong AI”.
As a professional patent examiner it is my daily duty to question the technical validity of the inventions and claims of the applicants for patents. This scrutinising, questioning attitude has made me question each and every belief system I had. Whether it concerned science, technology, religion or mysticism, I have always put forward my reasonable doubts on the subject in question. I even went so far as to question the very validity of reason, logic and the reality of what we experience in our daily lives. Nevertheless –after having unveiled the boundaries of reason and logic- I still value their applicability within these boundaries.
As the Buddha would say: “Doubt everything, then doubt the doubt”.
This book preaches no certainties. Therefore wherever I make assertions, construe these as “maybe”. Wherever I use the word “is”, read “might be” instead. The assertions and the word “is” are just written for the sake of readability.
I should be clear that I do not have any beliefs. Whenever a statement would appear to invoke the opposite thereof, remind yourself, that what I posit is just a hypothesis.
In this book I present the Technovedantic meta-philosophy. If it appears that I would consider somebody else’s theories as a higher truth, rest assured that this is not the case.
In this book often the term “incorporated by reference” is used. Whenever the referenced material contains statements or assertions, which would contradict the teachings of Technovedanta, Technovedanta prevails.
Prolegomena
In the first section I have added some older material (part 1, chapters 3-13), which inspired me to write Technovedanta 2.0. In this preparatory material, called Prolegomena in imitation of Kant, I may have used a more assertive tone. However, my present stance is more humble: I do not know anything for certain and wherever in this section I claim or assert something, it should be read as a hypothesis and not a conviction or belief.
Core
If you are only interested in the core of the philosophy I wish to present, you can skip part one and jump immediately to part two: “Pancomputational Panpsychism”. However, if you are interested in the considerations that preceded that philosophy, I suggest you read part one as well. Part one is much less coherent, as it is a set of separately written articles. Part two is a coherent building of a philosophy culminating in my musings on the Highest Transcendence.
I wrote that book such that you can read the parts separately and that you can even read each chapter separately, so that every subdivision is in fact a “holon” reflecting the whole. The disadvantage thereof is that I do repeat certain explanations and definitions in detail.
Conclusion
I hope you will enjoy this further descent into the kaleidoscopic quagmire of epistemology.
To enliven the book I have added a few poetic introductions, which sometimes may shed a different light on the matter and which can be more explanatory than the dry chapters.
Welcome to a Transcendental Meta-philosophy beyond science and religion.
If you liked this post please upvote or resteem. If you can't wait to read the rest, you can find my book here in paperback and here as an ebook.
Can't wait to read more! I studied in philosophy and have always had a very strong scientific background, yet, the most definite point characterizing me, if I am to believe my friends and family, relates to the spiritual/mystic experiences I have been graced with, place myself in and shared with many.
All for one and one for all! Namaste :)
Glad you like it! I'm like you with similar background and perplexed by a mystic experience which turned upside down all I could possibly believe in. Reality is not only stranger than we think, it is stranger than we can possibly think. The inner experience is beyond thought and beyond compare. Namaste.
More often than otherwise, the depth of any experience comes from the beyond and renders a many scampering under proper investigation. The nature of so-called mystic experiences seems by definition start from the beyond right away and leaves one in a mixture of awe and perplexity. Over the course of this lifetime, so many of these experiences have paved my path toward oneness as I follow synchronicity and, by now, educated guesses which, by the force of things, seem to have more in common with spiritual instinctual acumen than actual guesses.
Life is far greater than one is always lead to believe and its limitlessness brings about the awe of ultimate beauty, truth, and justice in a nameless formlessness. finding words to share the nature of such experiences can only be done with someone who has had such experiences, but one must first finds theses people who are apparently not hanging out on every street corner... ;) Glad to have found another soul brother and the tribe keeps on growing. All for one and one for all! Thanks for your humble and heartfelt reply, it is greatly appreciated.
Namaste :)
Super. Totally resonate with the synchronicity vibe, I actually keep a kind of trail of such astonishing happenings, I am always perplexed. I have a thing with numerical and colourwise synchronicities. But I remain inquisitive, for I don't know/understand what it means, whereas it is without doubt for me that this is code. Namaste :)
There are well documented knowledge about the number codes and, of course, if you have done lots of meditations and paid attention the geometry and numerology accompanying the happenings, the correlations and teachings are founds within. Remaining inquisitive will bring about a personal span of understanding that will hit home and ring with you forever even if you understand, these codes build onto each other as time goes by, just like coding for computers, they are building blocks of moving synergies found within the realms of your beings and around you.
The colour coding is something I haven't spent much time on, as I am more incline toward soundscapes, but the correlation of both parallel the same nature of energies. I love reading your comment in relation to that. We are all so different and are all expression of such a monumental stream of energy. The Australian aboriginals, as well as many other people of this planet, would refer to this spectrum as the Rainbow Serpent and, thus, humans find themselves accessing different potentialities of consciousness emancipation. This rainbow goes beyond the colours of light or sound. It includes all the forms of energies, therefore a limitless spectrum of frequencies to tap into and delve from. It is up to oneself to open one's mind to it, experience the correlations and link the parallels.
Keeping track of synchronicities, and/or dreams on that matter, allows you to build up a compendium of data to build with. as time goes by, the library becomes gigantic and volumes referring to other build up and a sort of historicity of your soul builds slowly but surely.
Thanks for sharing with me on this passion of mine. I would love to hear more about your story that rocked your world to the foundation and moved you back toward oneness too... Namaste :)
Hello @technovedanta,
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~RHW~
Thanks RHW. I will have to investigate this in more detail, as I read something about a risk associated with an investment in this framework. I have already subscribed to streemian.