Since the computer revolution and the development of artificial intelligence, a popular theme in science fiction movies has been to ponder the possibility of artificially intelligent machines becoming so advanced that they develop a will of their own and try to dominate mankind. Popular films such as Terminator and The Matrix have toyed with these ideas and created frightening scenarios in the process.
But consider the possibility that this nightmare scenario has already happened. Consider the possibility that humans already have at their disposal an incredibly complex intelligent machine which is capable of independent will and which has already taken over control of many, if not most humans.
What is this machine to which I refer? I refer to the human mind. As we saw in the short experiment suggested by Pete Hughes in the article What Do You Think, mind exists as an entity on its own, independent of our will. It may be possible to control thought for short period of time, but when we are not using the considerable effort it takes to exert control, thoughts carry on of their own accord.
And there lies the danger. Because unless we realise that thoughts and mind are a separate entity from who we are, those thoughts which are not initiated by us will begin to exert control and run our lives. The beautiful and complex machine that was meant to serve our being has risen and taken control. Now we are a slave to thought, automatically acting and reacting according to its patterns. The servant has become the master
But fear not! It is so very easy to regain control once more. All that is necessary is to remember that the mind is a machine that we can use, but it is not who we are.
If we need to engage in an activity which requires the mind's logical, calculating, reasoning abilities, then we can go ahead and use them. But once that task is complete, we can put mind down. We can stop listening to thought and there will be no danger that all those many thoughts which are not initiated by us will be able to start directing our emotions, actions and reactions.
The rise of the machines will have been TERMINATED and will not BE BACK! :-)
"There are no problems apart from the mind." J. Krishnamurti
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