The Rise of Spirituality in the Age of Automation

The growth of new technologies is getting faster and faster every year. Within a century I envisage most of the mundane jobs will be fully automated. Factory workers, garbage collectors, taxi drivers, checkout personnel etc; all these jobs I see being fully taken over by machines by 2100. By 2200 I envisage even many complex tasks to be largely automated as well. Medicine, IT, and most other career paths will largely disappear with maybe just a few experts left to oversee the process and ensure all runs smoothly.

Essentially I am an optimist. Food, shelter and anything else you may want will be free or relatively cheap (assuming money even still exists). But people will have a lot of time on their hands to do with exactly as they please. This will obviously put a lot of folk out of work, and I envisage quite a few teething pains as society re-adjusts to the economic and social implications of having a large world population with very little to do. But finally we will be free to do what we want, travel as we may, and generally pursue any interest that takes our hearts fancy.

And this I think will have huge implications on the spiritual growth of the world, as subjects such as philosophy, metaphysics, sociology theology etc will no longer be seen by the majority as just bum past times where the future of those who study them only lies in academia or flipping burgers at McDonalds. Finally I believe they will come into their own as legitimate ways to keep the mind occupied in a world where every material need we have is met.

I essentially believe the world is exactly where it’s meant to be at this point on the timeline. The rise in consciousness that many espouse seems to coincide with this quickening of technological advancement. And I believe this rise in consciousness will arrive just in time for the planet to be saved from its own self destruction at the hands of us humans. It has only been since the 60’s 70’s and 80’s that humans have even realised how their actions can affect the planet. There has been quite an obvious lag between this realisation and any worthwhile action. But it is slowly happening as the children, such as myself, who grew up in the 80’s and 90’s in a world of recycling and attempts to find renewable resources finally begin to hold positions of influence in the world.

But essentially I want to know what you believe the implications are for spirituality are in a world where everything you want is yours, but there is very little you need to do (assuming of course you believe as I do)

Love and light

1littlewolf

I have a hard time believing that with technology, essentially the sky is the limit. While some people may believe with God anything is possible, a great deal of other people replace the word "god" with man or technology. I am one of those whom believe eventually, we will hit a wall. It will be a huge slap to the face. In it's own quirky way, the universe has it's way of keeping it's inhabitants in check. For this very reason, I find your post to be a non-issue, although it does make for an exciting sci-fi story.

Yeah there is no doubt about it you are an optimist, the balance between earth and technology is fine. I have heard a saying that says " humans are at their best when things are at their worst" lets hope so. It would be handy if ancient history would reveal itself to us and show us where technology leads when its not based on the heart. I feel that would help us shift in to the right place. I suppose we will see either way.
may the force be with you.reply to post by 1littlewolf

You guys can doom and gloom all you want about the state of the world now and in the future. But assuming we're not all annihilated by some massive nuclear fall out then you have to admit that most of todays jobs will one day be automated.

As stated above this will have enormous economic and social implications. But as this is the metaphysics forum I want to know what implications you think this will have on the growth of spirituality, philosophy and other mind-related pursuits. For one day the population of the Earth (you know, the ones that survived WWIII) will have very little to do but grow organic vegetables and think about stuff

reply to post by 1littlewolf


who's dooming and glooming? well let's see if we can imagine a world in which no one works what then is there left to do? Play.

Originally posted by The Endtime Warrior
reply to post by 1littlewolf

 

who's dooming and glooming? well let's see if we can imagine a world in which no one works what then is there left to do? Play.

This is kinda the point of this whole thread.

reply to post by 1littlewolf


Well I also think of it this way. If you can incorporate technology in some sort of virtual reality stimulation, why would one have the need to actually sense or feel reality anymore? If humans fully immersed themselves, there would be no need to leave the space you occupy. You could stimulate the brain to feel all the spectrum of senses that comes along with sex, eating, etc.

So we'd have a world full of people that "tune out and drop out" of reality. I believe this would start out in small doses, but like with any drug, people would indulge more and more, like a drug and this could in fact be the start of the "matrix." The human race totally dependent on technology because it made life way too easy.

I'm probably not addressing your OP in the right way, but I see this as a logical progression of what technology combined with the pursuit of happiness brings.

reply to post by 1littlewolf


I'm not going to lie, I didn't read the whole thing.

BUT, I did recently buy a Roomba! It's a robot that vacuums!!! Cool, huh?

That way I don't have to concern myself with as many mundane chores, while my spiritual awareness continues to grow and ego seemingly implodes. The acceleration in perception of time, as we near the end of this cycle, is something I have found especially difficult to manage.

Originally posted by The Endtime Warrior
reply to post by 1littlewolf

 

Well I also think of it this way. If you can incorporate technology in some sort of virtual reality stimulation, why would one have the need to actually sense or feel reality anymore? If humans fully immersed themselves, there would be no need to leave the space you occupy. You could stimulate the brain to feel all the spectrum of senses that comes along with sex, eating, etc.

So we'd have a world full of people that "tune out and drop out" of reality. I believe this would start out in small doses, but like with any drug, people would indulge more and more, like a drug and this could in fact be the start of the "matrix." The human race totally dependent on technology because it made life way too easy.

I'm probably not addressing your OP in the right way, but I see this as a logical progression of what technology combined with the pursuit of happiness brings.

That's exactly what I'm talking about. And interesting point. The impact of virtual reality is something I never even considered. But having said that, if you choose to equate it with some sort of drug, then I feel most people may try it (they may even inhale ), but only a few will get addicted. This is how it is with most recreational drugs nowadays, which anyone can get there hands on if they want to.

reply to post by 1littlewolf


Then you have to wonder if the separation of those whom try it and love it, vs those who don't/didn't and if there is friction between the 2 groups. Maybe the resistance to the matrix?

reply to post by AnotherAccount


My mom has one of those. I had to laugh
So long as your floor is clean, you can now sleep soundly at night.

Originally posted by The Endtime Warrior
reply to post by 1littlewolf

 

Then you have to wonder if the separation of those whom try it and love it, vs those who don't/didn't and if there is friction between the 2 groups. Maybe the resistance to the matrix?

I would assume as well though that for us to use many pieces of technology and software it will be required to go VR, at least to a certain degree. So who knows how that one will pan out.....

I'm guessing will create a whole new range of computer viruses which will not only screw up your PC, but quite possibly you. Not to mention what will happen if one of them gets into your automated limbs or brain implant.

reply to post by The Endtime Warrior


Word, man...

Word.

This experience is not for anyone else, no one else has to wake up. It is all for you. This is all for you to wake up, there is no one else here.
And it does not matter if you never wake up, it is still only for you, drawn by you and seen by you.
It is all you.
There are not two things.

You are not what you 'think' you are. The thought of you can never be what you are. What you 'think' you are is no more than a thought.
You are presence itself. Seeing, hearing and always present.

Might it be possible that having technology and machines do most of the "grunt work" that we have been forced to do since the dawn of time, instead frees our mind to consider other things, such as factors of spirituality and cosmology? Hard to do that when your digging ditches dawn to dusk and pass out exhausted at the end of the day. (Extreme example)

Maybe I'm wrong. The amount of automation that has occurred since the industrial revolution is immense but everyone still seems busier than ever. But then again we’re more obsessed with having more than ever and possibly this is the problem.

But I cannot but help sense there is a gradual shift of consciousness occurring. And this shift coincides with a number of other events. The rise of the internet (we now have more access to other’s information and ideas than ever before), the rise of a generation of people who for the first time have been raised to care for the planet, the fact that our now planet is on the brink of collapse due to the activities of our forebears, an increase in violence everywhere ideas and freedom of expression are still (openly) oppressed.

It is it as if both the progression of technology and thought has just been slowly rising and now everything has taken off exponentially. It is make or break time for the world today but it is my thought that everything in this world is unfolding exactly how it is meant to. This which gives me hope that everything will turn out okay. I don't buy into this negativity which seems to pervade society today and to tell you the truth I suspect this is part of the problem

I feel very lucky to be born into this time period so that I may to bear witness to it all.

You are very astute. I too believe we are evolving as humans. Our consciousness is expanding, therefore we will be seeing, thinking and creating more and more wonderous things.

You are absolutely right in thinking with increased automation, people will spend more time on spirituality, philosophy, astronomy, artistic endevears, creativity. It is going to be awesome!

Your vision and comments remind me of the Venus Project.

reply to post by blazenresearcher


Thank you for your insights, and I dig your new avatar btw. I've never heard of the Venus Project but I'm in the middle of the desert again so I'll have to wait until I'm somewhere slightly more 'civilised' before my computer will let me watch it.

Originally posted by blazenresearcher
You are very astute. I too believe we are evolving as humans. Our consciousness is expanding, therefore we will be seeing, thinking and creating more and more wonderous things.

You are absolutely right in thinking with increased automation, people will spend more time on spirituality, philosophy, astronomy, artistic endevears, creativity. It is going to be awesome!

Your vision and comments remind me of the Venus Project.

AMAZING!!!

I can't believe i've never heard of this before. This sounds like something I'd love to be involved with some day in the future. A practical realistic project designed to take mankind into a utopian sort of future. A project where a group of people believe that there is the possiblility for an amazing path ahead for mankind and seeks to map that future out; so that the coming socio-ecnomic-politcal paradigms are impacted as gently as possible

Thanks again for the share