We are currently living at a significant point in history. While this observation has been made throughout time by various empires, we now have the benefit of hindsight and the ability to better analyze our current position. When we look back, we can see that the wealthy in 1000 BCE were in a similar position to those in 1000 CE, and even during the Renaissance, there was little reason to believe that your descendants would not be running your farm or family business. Today, however, our children will likely be doing something completely different and working in jobs that do not even exist yet. Our understanding of concepts such as “peace” has also undergone a significant shift. In the past, peace merely meant “We’re at peace with our neighbors today, but tomorrow could bring war.” Now, peace is generally accepted as meaning objective global peace, showing a major mindset shift. With the internet facilitating global communication and connection, the world can finally begin to see itself as a single organism.
Becoming Self-Aware
As a species, we have always had the desire to pass down information. However rather recently we’ve started trying to record information, whether it be past events or new discoveries. The ability to communicate without the constraints of time is a powerful tool that has the power to increase our collective memory and knowledge exponentially, basically giving the universe the ability to remember. The 1960s is widely recognized as a time of great consciousness expansion. People began to understand the immense damage and impact that could be brought on the world.
Advancements in technology, such as the first photograph of Earth from space, poetically synced with the spiritual curiosity, and increased availability of LSD. Contributing to a great consciousness growth. This awareness gave rise to a counterculture and anti-establishment movement that sought to challenge immoral behavior that had previously been tolerated by civilians. Despite the continued influence of the media in controlling the masses, we can see a dilution of this influence in recent times.
Pandora’s Box of Possibilities
We have never before had the world’s history and knowledge at our fingertips. Thanks to technology, we can now find information on any topic in minutes. Prior to the last 30 years or so, if you were curious about something, you would either have no idea or have to go to a library or ask ‘old mate’ (some smart person in town) for answers. We can now solve complex equations, learn abstract knowledge, recall past events, and communicate with people all around the world from our hands. This idea would have been incomprehensible to most of humanity throughout history. We are essentially merging our organic brains with digital and become part cyborg. Giving each of us both giant memory with grand computing power.
Digital Echoes of Time
The world is now filled with cameras that are constantly recording our surroundings. While this is a recent development, future generations may view this as the beginning of the era of the camera and the internet. From text-based memory, we have moved on to image-based memory. Even cave drawings and hieroglyphics being digitally recorded for posterity. Artificial intelligence is a topic that many people find difficult to comprehend, but if we consider its evolution, we can see that this is the point where it gains ‘visual’ memory. For example, we do not remember the first language we learned; we just knew it. However, we all have a first memory of something significant. For AI, this would be its first memory of it seeing the world.
Thirst for Connection
In a world where material possessions and relationships can only go so far, the search for something more has become a common quest. We have broken down the universe to understand how it works and are now seeking to put it all together and determine what it means. People seem to have an intuitive spiritual connection to the universe, whether they call it God, Gaia, karma, Tao, chakra, universal love, ether or something else entirely. As the saying goes, “If you’re not answering to a higher power, you’re answering to a lower one … usually, the libido.” There are now more spiritual guides than ever and a newly found urge for deeper connection.
Voyage into the Unknown
Now that we have attained a heightened level of self-awareness as a species, it is imperative that we direct our attention toward the path that lies ahead. The road may not always be clear, and our journey may be fraught with uncertainty and unforeseen obstacles. Nevertheless, we can strive to establish a guiding purpose, a collective direction that we consciously choose to pursue. In our quest to derive meaning from our existence, we yearn to bridge the gap between the spiritual and the material realms, allowing individuals to find purpose and direction in their lives rather than succumbing to the despairing conclusion of life’s inherent futility. As a species, our ultimate goal should be to forge a future that transcends boundaries, one that encompasses the well-being and prosperity of all inhabitants of this remarkable planet—a future where we craft the most extraordinary spaceship possible (called earth) for our grand venture through the expanses of this vast awe-inspiring universe.
