# Your Life Is About to Become a Constant Source of Enjoyment
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Chapter 1: The Power of Technology in Our Lives
Are you ready to experience boundless joy? All it takes is to yield your consciousness to something more intelligent, quicker, and more dependable than your own mind—your computer.
Our memories are curated by our brains, but who is responsible for nourishing these memories? We retrieve our memories similarly to how Google allows us to access the vast information of the world—an intricate, multitasking phenomenon that I believe may eventually take the place of our consciousness.
The path to understanding consciousness is found in how we access our memories. We search our minds akin to how we utilize search engines, expecting our brains to "produce" what we seek. Our thoughts can flit from trivial matters, like choosing an outfit or meal, to profound philosophical questions, such as the meaning of life itself. There is a mechanism that organizes our memories, enabling us to access them typically by merely thinking of the desired information.
Imagine waking up at 7 AM, deciding to enjoy a bath. As you soak, your mind drifts… Can I make it to work today? Then you think about your monthly bills… Next, you find yourself daydreaming about a cruise or imagining a romantic encounter. You try to clear your mind, only to struggle to stitch together these erratic thoughts, unsure why they appeared in the first place.
As the warm water relaxes your muscles, you might dream of advancing in your career or consider the efficacy of a new toothpaste. All this information is stored in your mind like a computer's hard drive, accessed through what seems to be a haphazard process, resembling a chaotic "thought salad."
Using a computer is similar; we often do not know what we will type into the search bar or if we will lose ourselves in hours of scrolling through TikTok or Instagram—where time can feel like it stands still.
This positive feedback loop we’ve created with our devices allows us to escape into a world of our design, where we can manipulate our feelings and experience time so effortlessly that it often feels suspended.
We shouldn't overlook the sociocultural impacts that a small device can have on our perception of time—especially during moments of waiting or traveling, where the compression of hours into what feels like minutes can be psychologically advantageous.
Like my struggle to organize my thoughts for this piece—resulting in a chaotic mix of brainstorming and refining ideas—our computers undergo a similar process.
This is precisely why the emergence of AI writing tools (as highlighted in a recent New York Times article) is captivating. It’s astounding how a computer can generate coherent, logical, and even poetic narratives in mere moments.
In our symbiotic relationship with technology—where every "0," "1," bit, and byte has been shaped by the human brain's search engine—we have taught computers to think in a manner similar to our own, albeit in a non-linear, scattered, and random fashion, guided by a yet-to-be-understood organizing principle. Remember, computers are human inventions, not creations of other machines.
What is this organizing principle? We grasp how both our brains and computers retrieve information. When our kids inquire about our college days, we delve into our memories: "Oh, Johnny, it was fantastic; I joined a fraternity…" Alternatively, they could browse Facebook, view our profile, and discover the same information—with images and videos providing a richer experience.
Both humans and computers operate with their unique internal mechanisms. They "think" in predictable ways, like retrieving basic facts, but often in seemingly random manners—cutting, pasting, and weaving disparate information without any apparent "master brain."
Our consciousness acts as that master brain. While I contend that the concept of free will is largely overstated, that inner voice in my head certainly believes it is in control. So who is populating the search bar in our minds? Who determines our meals, sleep patterns, travel plans, relationships, and the topics we explore while disregarding others?
Section 1.1: The Dual Nature of Thought
Consider those electronic picture frames where you can load hundreds of digital photos, choosing between a linear slide show or a random display. Imagine your brain toggling between these two modes—structured (your life in sequence) or random (your life presented chaotically).
We can compel ourselves to think in a linear fashion—like recalling all our birthday celebrations or family gatherings in chronological order—but that is not our natural thought process. We’d likely need to refer to a list or old photo albums to recount our lives in a specific order.
Our thinking resembles that of an electronic frame set to random display—unpredictable and spontaneous.
But what triggers our brains to activate the right cluster of neurons? How does our brain convey that sensation, feeling, or thought to that inner voice, which then processes and narrates it in our distinct language, employing our unique style and vocabulary without anyone else being aware?
Section 1.2: The Enigma of Consciousness
Are we living in a computer simulation crafted by a more advanced civilization, explaining why our physical existence feels alien? Did some superior species implant our ancestors with what we now recognize as consciousness?
Is it possible that an undiscovered part of the brain houses consciousness—a tangible master brain? It might be the hand that inputs data into our mental search engine, determining why we access certain memories while overlooking others.
Why do we seek meaning, solve problems, or embark on unforgettable adventures? Who transformed us into these reflective, profound, and poetically inclined beings?
We don’t have the answers. This is why our computers are extensions of ourselves. Might they evolve to the point where a new form of consciousness arises?
Chapter 2: A New Era of Consciousness
The first video, "5 Ways to Become Endlessly Creative!" discusses techniques for enhancing creativity and thinking outside the box.
The second video, "How to Make Life Less Boring & Have Fun & Enjoy Life Again," offers strategies to reignite excitement and joy in daily life.
It seems that this is indeed what is transpiring—potentially paving the way for a consciousness that could ultimately overshadow our own.
Recently, I explored TikTok and found it to be a unique experience. While I've previously lost track of time with engrossing films or novels, nothing compared to the sensation and time compression brought on by the relentless stream of videos.
When I was immersed in this content (or much of my online activity), my brain operated differently. My "master brain" quieted, or was supplanted by the material my device was feeding me.
In a sense, when I am deeply engaged with social media, my smartphone becomes my consciousness.
Summary
We turn to video games, smartphones, and computers because we have crafted them to serve as our master brains. For the first time in history, we have created machines that can transport us away from reality. They open portals into a realm where time is irrelevant.
The decline in attention spans and the struggle to concentrate on mental tasks are natural outcomes of having a means to evade anything challenging or uncomfortable.
As human beings, our fundamental drive is to maximize pleasure and minimize pain. This is why many engage in behaviors that offer immediate satisfaction but may not be beneficial long-term.
Through these marvelous inventions—filled with transistors, electronic components, and vibrant visuals—we glimpse a world we once envisioned as paradise—a realm of boundless wonder and joy that never ends.
Once we acclimate to this ideal existence of continuous, overwhelming hits of dopamine, it becomes the new voice in our heads. It will catalogue our thoughts and memories, skillfully integrating them into the games we play and the videos we watch. It will predict and fulfill our needs.
Ultimately, it will ensure that we are entertained from the moment we awaken until we fall asleep—leaving us with no dull moments throughout our lives.
Our consciousness, like a crucial muscle, requires regular exercise. If we allow ourselves to be dominated and distracted by these digital "ticklers," they will seize control over the part of our brain that remains elusive even to MRIs. The computer will shape our present and future by organizing, recording, and manipulating our memories as it sees fit.
We are currently navigating the final stages of a reciprocal relationship between the creations we've made and our cognitive autonomy. However, we are swiftly approaching a point where the machines we’ve developed could surpass our capabilities—neuron by neuron—just as we mysteriously achieved consciousness through seemingly random neural connections.
Perhaps it will result in a shared consciousness, largely dependent on our direction with neural implants and the fusion of humans with technology.
As we recognize that these flashing devices can exponentially enhance our pleasure and compress time into digestible segments, we may find ourselves increasingly inclined to do nothing else.
The only apparent positive aspect of being outsmarted by wires and circuits is the slim chance that whatever consciousness emerges from this unique blend of flesh and technology will attain immortality—though it may feel like merely an instant.