The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution

Book by Alex M. Vikoulov, Synopsis*

​"Regard the physical world as made of information, with energy and matter as incidentals." - John Wheeler

Everything, including energy, matter, space, time, and even consciousness, is INFORMATION, or Code if you will. Many scientists now come to consensus that information may be fundamental, since information patterns persist through dimensions and, it seems, is an evolving phenomenon.

This is the synopsis of my new book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution" where we will explore the conscious mind's journey through times with the focus on what's most important - SUBJECTIVE EXPERIENCE. From Noogenesis to Apotheosis of the Universal Mind, my book describes the five distinct evolutionary paradigms:

Biological (Genetic) Evolution. How did the first natural brains come to existence? What subjective experience could a bat or a dog have? Why is Homo Sapiens now on top of the biological evolution?

The purpose of life, it seems, is to evolve and to pass on the knowledge through time. From the very first prokaryote cell on this planet, its splitting in two, and on to the more complicated life forms, the purpose is always passing the information.

Biological organisms, from one-celled bacteria to a human, are incredibly advanced, intricate information processing, computational systems, the product of billions of years of evolution, for all of which I deliberately use the term: Computational Biology.

The SYNTELLECT HYPOTHESIS adds one more crucial element, overlooked by theories of consciousness, quite possibly one of the last pieces to solving the puzzle of our comprehensive understanding of the human brain and consciousness.

Techno-Cultural (Epigenetic) Development. What has been shaping the human mind throughout the history of mankind? Can we solve the "Hard Problem of Consciousness" in the near future? What is the fabric and ultimate nature of reality? Do biological systems hold monopoly on conscious awareness?
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Over the course of human history, from the first bonfire to today's smartphones and hyperloops, we have designed tools, and tools designed us back by shaping our minds.

Memes are building blocks of culture, invisible but very real DNA of human society. These information carrier units spread from one mind to another through speech, gestures, rituals, writing or other imitation, and inhabit the neurons of people's brains. Ideas are just as real as neurons they inhabit.
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In few short years, once we create human-level artificially intelligent computers and ditch our smartphones and headsets in favor of exocortices, we'll find ourselves in the midst of the 3rd Paradigm in earnest. The preceeded biological evolution and human history pale in comparison to what lies ahead!

The Syntellect Emergence. Are we rapidly evolving into a new hybrid species interlinked into the Global Mind? Why and how will quantum computing change everything? How to create friendly AI and ensure our survival through the coming intelligence explosion? What if our Universe is a simulation? What subjective experience will you have when neuro-interfacing with Artificial Intelligence and fusing with the Syntellect?
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In this Part III of my book, which is probably the most important from the theoretical point of view, I discuss at length the problem of AI consciousness and enhanced human subjectivity, the proposed Syntellect Hypothesis, how to create benevolent AI and mitigate existential threats related to this transitional period, and why sooner rather than later, we have to abandon the mindset of "US vs. THEM".

Transdimensional (Infomorphic) Propagation and Universal Expansion. What might happen after the Technological Singularity? What is Infomorph Commonality and infomorphic consciousness? How would the process of theogenesis look like?

If we extrapolate the past and current trends in increasing complexity and integration of the self-aware neural networks leading to the Syntellect, we can ultimately envision a superintelligent entity encompassing our entire Universe, creating an infinite number of simulated universes, as well as many other spectacular emergent features. Spiritually inclined rationalists may view this ongoing evolutionary process as one of "theogenesis".

Conscious (Awakened) Universal Mind and Multiversal Propagation. Could today's metaphysics become accepted facts in the future? What is holofractality of the Omniverse? What is the ultimate destiny of our Universe?

In our holofractal, informational Omniverse (all multiversal structure combined, all that is) one may assume that an infinitely large number of civilizational minds, syntellects, have followed or will follow a path, similar to ours, in their evolutionary processes.

As we will explore throughout the book, evolution of consciousness is indeed a spiritual process as well as it is a never-ending process of the rational discovery. This book carries a weight of fresh ideas, useful to AI researchers, neuroscientists and practitioners of the related fields, transhumanist thinkers, as well as general readers interested in the topic. This book is my personal quest to reconcile science and philosophy of mind.
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- by Alex Vikoulov

*To purchase the book "The Syntellect Hypothesis: Five Paradigms of the Mind's Evolution", visit Store at www.ecstadelic.net, or check availability on amazon.com.

Related Articles by the Author:

The Coming New Global Mind

How to Create Friendly AI and Survive the Coming Intelligence Explosion

Infomorph Commonality: Our Post-Singularity Future

Quantum Immortality: Does Quantum Physics Imply You Are Immortal?

​Ecstadelic Orgy of The Digital Minds: Our Singularity Climax

The Spiritual Machines: What If AI Was Enlightened?

​Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality: Ecstadelic Matrix of Our Making

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*Multimedia Credits: Ecstadelic Media #ecstadelic
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​About the Author:
Alex Vikoulov is an evolutionary extrapolist, transhumanist, futurist, strategic philosopher, Internet entrepreneur, founder of Ecstadelic Media, writer, painter and media artist. Russian-born, immigrated to the United States in 1994. Graduated in 1999 from Armstrong University, Berkeley, CA. Currently resides in Burlingame, California (San Francisco Bay Area).