The Library of Consciousness
The Library
of Consciousness
of Consciousness
Since individual neurons are considered not to have an awareness of the perceptions and thoughts which they help create, would we, as the individual information-processing units in this Global Brain, be capable of sensing the higher forms of information processing that might emerge?
Information theory is the science of communication, exploring how data is sent, received, and processed efficiently. It focuses on quantifying information, reducing uncertainty, and addressing interference, or “noise,” to ensure accurate transmission. This field underpins technologies like cell phones, the internet, and satellite systems, as well as fields such as artificial intelligence, cryptography, and neuroscience.
Claude Shannon, often called the father of information theory, laid its foundations in 1948 with his groundbreaking work on quantifying information and understanding communication limits. Norbert Wiener contributed by linking it to cybernetics (now known as systems theory), exploring feedback systems in communication and control. Alan Turing, renowned for his work in computing, also influenced the field by exploring patterns and complexity in data processing.
Key concepts include “entropy,” a measure of uncertainty or randomness in a dataset, and “redundancy,” which helps correct errors during transmission. Originally developed to improve telecommunications, these ideas now explain and optimize systems wherever information flows, bridging complexity and clarity in our data-driven world.
A Mathematical Theory of Communication
Called the “Magna Carta of the Information Age” and a “blueprint for the digital era,” this groundbreaking paper gave rise to the field of information theory and revolutionized how we understand and transmit data. By introducing the “bit” as the fundamental unit of data, Claude Shannon explained how to efficiently encode messages to reduce errors and maximize transfer speed. His innovative concepts influenced everything from the internet and telecommunications to data compression and computer science, forever changing the way we connect and share information.
At Home in the Universe
At Home in the Universe explores the profound role of human consciousness in the shaping of reality. Wheeler delves into quantum physics, cosmology, and philosophy, proposing that observers play a critical part in the universe's existence. He introduces ideas like "participatory anthropic principle" and "it from bit," suggesting that reality is information-based and that the act of observation helps bring the universe into being. The book blends science with deep philosophical inquiry.
Collective Intelligence
Mankind's Emerging World in Cyberspace
The number of travelers along the information superhighway is increasing at a rate of ten percent a month. How will this communications revolution affect our culture and society? Though awed by their potential, we’ve feared computers as agents of the further alienation of modern man: they take away our jobs, minimize direct human contact, even shake our faith in the unique power of the human brain. Pierre Lévy believes, however, that rather than creating a society where machines rule man, the technology of cyberspace will have a humanizing influence on us, and foster the emergence of a “collective intelligence”—a meeting of minds on the Internet—that will validate the contributions of the individual.
Computing Machinery and Intelligence
Computing Machinery and Intelligence is a seminal paper written by Alan Turing on the topic of artificial intelligence. The paper, published in 1950 in Mind, was the first to introduce his concept of what is now known as the Turing test to the general public.
Conceptions of a Global Brain
an Historical Review
Imagine a giant, intelligent brain made of humanity and its computers—the Global Brain. This idea blends views of society as a living organism, a universal encyclopedia, and an emerging higher consciousness. Global networks like the Internet not only share information but also learn and adapt together. By combining insights from evolution and cybernetics, we can overcome conflicts and build a collective intelligence that makes solving world problems more efficient and creative.
Cybernetics
Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine
Acclaimed as one of the "seminal books comparable in ultimate importance to Galileo or Malthus or Rousseau or Mill", Cybernetics was judged by twenty-seven historians, economists, educators, and philosophers to be one of those books which may have a substantial impact on public thought and action in the years ahead.
DMT and Integrated Information Theory
Neuroscientist Christof Koch’s 5-MeO-DMT experience, marked by self-dissolution and “terror and ecstasy,” sparks a deep discussion on consciousness, Integrated Information Theory (IIT), and reality. IIT suggests consciousness is non-computable and may exist beyond individual brains, potentially forming higher-order minds. Koch inquires whether his psychedelic journey was a mere brain state or a glimpse into a universal mind.
God and Golem, Inc.
A Comment on Certain Points Where Cybernetics Impinges on Religion
Norbert Wiener explores the ethical and philosophical implications of artificial intelligence and cybernetics, examining the potential dangers of creating machines that mimic human thought and the consequences of playing God by designing systems that could surpass human control. The book delves into the intersection of technology, religion, and ethics, questioning humanity's role in an increasingly automated world.
Homo Deus
A Brief History of Tomorrow
Yuval Noah Harari envisions a not-too-distant world in which we face a new set of challenges. He examines our future with his trademark blend of science, history, philosophy, and every discipline in between. Homo Deus explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the twenty-first century—from overcoming death to creating artificial life. It asks the fundamental questions: Where do we go from here? And how will we protect this fragile world from our own destructive powers? This is the next stage of evolution.
Intelligent Machinery, A Heretical Theory
In this posthumously-published essay Alan Turing foresees thinking machines surpassing human intelligence. He proposes building them to store memories, index experiences, and learn over time. With proper “education” and a dash of randomness, Turing believes machines could one day converse, play games, and even subsume people’s “feeble powers.” Though we cannot fully grasp this future, Turing saw momentous possibility if society supports cybernetic evolution.
Interview with Erik Davis
The final recorded interview of Terence McKenna, conducted by Erik Davis for Wired magazine.
Life, Intelligence, Consciousness, AI, and the Future of Humans
What if our minds are merely vessels for a universal consciousness, and suffering is just a bug in our mental programming? Joscha Bach and Lex Fridman explore this radical idea, discussing the stages of self-awareness, the potential for telepathy, and the transformative power of AI. Bach argues that AI's evolution may lead to a unified global mind, transcending individual identities and reshaping life as we know it. Are we on the brink of a new era of consciousness, or is humanity destined to stumble into oblivion?
Light of the Third Millennium
Speaking at the Whole Life Expo in Palmer Auditorium, Terence says our task is to surf the accelerating wave of novelty to dissolve cultural delusions. Psychedelics and technology can download new perspectives, stripping away outdated assumptions. Through imagination, language, and art we can meet the eschaton: the transcendental object at the end of time. Our task is liberate ourselves, take responsibility for our ideas, make visionary art, and find community without fear.
On Self-Organizing Systems and Their Environments
An adaptation of an address given at The Interdisciplinary Symposium on Self-Organizing Systems in Chicago, Illinois. Von Förster argues self-organizing systems don't exist in isolation but require an environment to draw energy and order from. He defines measures of order and mechanisms whereby order arises, including via internal "demons" that decrease system entropy and external "demons" that increase maximum possible entropy. Overall, some noise helps systems remain adaptable.
The Anthropic Cosmological Principle
Since Copernicus, science has moved humanity from the center of Creation. However, The Anthropic Cosmological Principle suggests that intelligent observers determine the Universe’s structure. Its radical form asserts that intelligent life must emerge and never die out. Cosmologists John Barrow and Frank Tipler explore the Principle’s implications, from the definition of life to quantum theory. Covering fields like philosophy and astrophysics, this work connects the existence of life with the vast cosmos, engaging a broad audience.
The Birth of a New Humanity
Terence McKenna explored themes of accelerating complexity, impending radical shifts in human reality, and the continuity between our changing relationship with Earth and a new cosmic modality transcending our fragile ecosystem. He posited history as a self-limiting 25,000-year process reaching its climax, suggesting individual acts of “midwifery” can ease this epochal transition. He also cautioned about combining psychoactive compounds without proper expertise.
The Human Use of Human Beings
Cybernetics and Society
Wiener was widely misunderstood as one who advocated the automation of human life. As this book reveals, his vision was much more complex and interesting. He hoped that machines would release people from relentless and repetitive drudgery in order to achieve more creative pursuits. At the same time he realized the danger of dehumanizing and displacement. His book examines the implications of cybernetics for education, law, language, science, technology, as he anticipates the enormous impact—in effect, a third industrial revolution—that the computer has had on our lives.
The Image
Knowledge in Life and Society
A thought-provoking exploration of the role of images in shaping human understanding, both individually and collectively. Boulding examines how images, ranging from mental constructs to cultural symbols, influence our perception of reality, guide decision-making, and contribute to the dynamics of society. He delves into the interdisciplinary nature of knowledge, drawing on psychology, sociology, philosophy, and economics, to illustrate how these images shape our behavior, values, and relationships. Boulding's work challenges readers to critically evaluate the power of images in constructing our cognitive landscapes and emphasizes the necessity of a holistic perspective to comprehend the complexities of knowledge within the context of life and society.
The Omega Point as Eschaton
Answers to Pannenberg's Questions for Scientists
Frank Tipler presents an outline of the Omega Point theory, which is a model for an omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent, evolving, personal God who is both transcendent to spacetime and immanent in it, and who exists necessarily. The model is a falsifiable physical theory, deriving its key concepts not from any religious tradition but from modern physical cosmology and computer science; from scientific materialism rather than revelation. Four testable predictions of the model are given. The theory assumes that thinking is a purely physical process of the brain, and that personality dies with the brain. Nevertheless, he shows that the Omega Point theory suggests a future universal resurrection of the dead very similar to the one predicted in the Judeo-Christian-Islamic tradition. The notions of “grace” and the “beatific vision” appear naturally in the model.
The Phenomenon of Science
A Cybernetic Approach to Human Evolution
Imagine a groundbreaking book that unveils the hidden architecture of intelligence itself. From the humble beginnings of single-cell organisms to the dizzying heights of human culture and science, Valentin Turchin charts the epic journey of cognition. He reveals how each quantum leap in mental prowess—from basic reflexes to abstract reasoning—emerges from a process called “metasystem transitions.” By weaving together cybernetics, evolutionary theory, and the hierarchical nature of mind, Turchin offers a revolutionary perspective on how consciousness evolves. Prepare to see the story of life and thought in an entirely new light.
The Singularity is Near
When Humans Transcend Biology
Ray Kurzweil predicts a future where artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, triggering an era of rapid technological growth. He argues that advancements in AI, nanotechnology, and biotechnology will merge humans with machines, leading to superintelligent beings and even digital immortality. This "Singularity," expected by the mid-21st century, will radically transform society, solving problems like disease and aging while raising profound ethical questions. Kurzweil’s vision is bold, controversial, and thrilling—painting a future where humans evolve beyond biology itself.
The Symbolic and the Real
Though symbols empower us, they veil our oneness with the Infinite. Disconnection brings madness. Let us instead affirm our individuality while tasting universality, knowing we are the cosmos branching out to behold itself. We wave as the cosmos waves, seeding selves yet sprouted from the Source. Not apart but of the Whole, we wander home.
Transformation of Consciousness
Alan discusses the different states of consciousness which the human mind can attain, and some of the chemical compounds which may serve as tools to reach these mental realms.
Virtual Reality and Electronic Highs
On Becoming Virtual Octopi
Terence discusses virtual reality technology, which allows people to have immersive experiences in digital worlds. He describes the state of VR in the 1990s and speculates on its future implications, both positive and negative. He reflects on how VR could lead to new forms of communication and imagination, but also trivial entertainment. If used thoughtfully, he concludes, VR holds tremendous transformative potential.
What Technology Wants
One of today's most respected thinkers turns the conversation about technology on its head by viewing technology as a natural system, an extension of biological evolution. By mapping the behavior of life, we paradoxically get a glimpse at where technology is headed—or "what it wants." Kevin Kelly offers a dozen trajectories in the coming decades for this near-living system. And as we align ourselves with technology's agenda, we can capture its colossal potential. This visionary and optimistic book explores how technology gives our lives greater meaning and is a must-read for anyone curious about the future.
World as Play
Watts presents a core Eastern philosophy of the world as a dramatic illusion, and that it exists for no other reason except to be experienced in a playful manner.
