Movie Review: Matrix Resurrections

The Matrix is one of my favorite movie series, a mind-bending story fusing philosophy, technology, and exploration of the human condition. My wife & I recently asked my parents to babysit so we could take a rare trip to the movies while Matrix Resurrections was still playing. 

We had watched the original trilogy fairly recently, so the story was fresh in our minds. Nothing compares to the original Matrix, but we both really enjoyed this movie and thought it was a solid continuation of the story of Neo and Trinity. The trailer got me super-hyped to see it, and thankfully it lived up to my hype. It had a lot of cool, thought-provoking takes on the Matrix story, and didn't seem like a cheap cash grab.

 There are probably going to be spoilers below, but I'll try not to give too much away...

The story starts out with Neo once again living within the Matrix as Thomas Anderson, now a successful game designer. He created a game, The Matrix (a game within the movie - referencing the movie itself! Woooah..), but is haunted by the feeling that his memories and subconscious connections to the game have some deeper reality... or is he just mentally ill? He is seeing a therapist who is prescribing him blue pills (of course) to help with his seemingly delusional breaks from his current reality.

The fact that there is even a movie with Thomas/Neo after he clearly died in Matrix Revolutions is a mystery. Is this really Neo? Did he survive somehow? This is explained later on as the rabbit hole opens up once again, and we dive deep down into it.

One thing this movie does brilliantly is hold a mirror up to the absurdity and craziness of our "normal" world - the dependence on manufactured pharmaceuticals, ubiquitous technology, inauthentic social relationships, corporate fealty, and our own behaviors based on our limited grasp of reality.

There is also a lot of "meta" self-parody in this movie, exposing the bullshit aspects entertainment & mass media. This is mostly done through humorous situations & conversations involving Mr. Anderson's game company. There is a discussion how Warner Bros. is demanding a new Matrix game, even though Thomas doesn't want to make one. The production company & the money are in control, not the creator.

I thought it was interesting how the advances in real-world technology since the flip phones of the original movie were addressed. One scene I especially liked, that's shown in the trailer, is where he is in an elevator & looks up into the mirrored ceiling to see everyone staring into their mobile devices. We are becoming more "jacked-in" to our Matrix, the Internet, all the time. People's brains are addicted to this connection to virtual space in a way that is making it inseparable from our natural conscious experience.

Inevitably, Thomas Anderson finds out there is more to his reality, as he has suspected all along. After assimilating & neutralizing the threat of Agent Smith in Revolutions, it turns out the machines have kept him and Trinity alive. The machines have kept them in special pods, close to one another for decades after reviving and rebuilding their biological bodies. As the Anomaly, their presence and proximity to one another somehow stabilizes the Matrix for all other humans.

One thing I thought was a great continuation of the story was that after Revolutions and the peace Neo's actions ushered in, the machines began to integrate into human society. Zion was destroyed by continued warfare, but the machines were able to join & help humans in the new city of Io to greatly improve their quality of life. The original Matrix movies had a very "us vs. them" approach to the human relationship to machines, until Neo realized the only way to end the conflict was to merge into a more symbiotic existence.

Although the real Morpheus apparently died after leading the High Council of Zion, a "virtual Morpheus" was created by Neo. Although he was a program that appeared like Morpheus within the Matrix itself, thanks to nanobot-like tech he was also able to manifest in the physical world. Again, it was an interesting concept using advances in technology to come up with fresh approaches to the storytelling.

Eventually, Neo reconnects with Trinity, who is living a fake virtual life with a bot husband, (maybe unironically) named "Chad" & their bot children. The great human mysteries of "Love" & "Choice" once again play the ultimate role in the fate of the two protagonists... and the rest of humanity, as a result.

The ending of this movie is a callback to the end of the first Matrix, but this time Trinity saves the day, and makes me think there may be more to the Matrix story to come.

Although I really like the movie, there were some things that kind of bothered me. The relationship between man & machine was kind of confusing, because there was apparently a peace brokered but people are still in pods and there are still hostile machines and programs. 

 I was really thrown off by how easily both Neo and Trinity eventually got out of their V.I.P. pods in the middle of the machine city. Wouldn't the machines have robots monitoring & guarding these pods with an immense level of scrutiny? Yet, there were no machines to be seen as they were being extracted. The whole "rescue" attempt was probably the part of the movie that bothered me the most. 

I also didn't understand how Smith would still be able to exist, even if his form was altered... and if he was still around, wouldn't he still be able to cross over into the real world?

Anyway, these complaints didn't get in the way of my enjoyment of this visually and conceptually impressive movie. With so many reboots & expansions of fictional properties proving to be shallow or rushed, I was extremely happy to experience such an awesome return to one of the most intriguing fictional worlds in modern media.

I would definitely recommend this movie to anyone who was inspired by the original Matrix and the other movies & offshoots, such as the Animatrix. It was a deep, innovative journey into the mind and the real & virtual worlds it can inhabit. 

 

 

Matrix Baby

When I saw this picture of a baby hooked up to a machine, it reminded me of the Sentinel robots from The Matrix. 


I made this animation awhile ago, but I just uploaded it to Memebase. Give it an upvote, if it makes you fear for the future of humanity!

Matrix Baby

The robots are trying to latch onto newborn humans!!!! 

Nooooo!!!

"Sanctuary / Matrix Meditation" by Paul Micarelli

I've been adding images to my online album of 3D art.

3D Art by Paul Micarelli

This is a scene that is kind of my idealized tranquil space- a minimal, secluded area with a Zen feel to it & opening to nature:

"Sanctuary"

click images to enlarge

From 3D Art by Paul Micarelli

 After I made the original image, I decided that it was all an illusion- the "Sanctuary" exists only as computer code, pure information & light:

"Matrix Meditation"

From 3D Art by Paul Micarelli

I made these images many years ago, but I recently made a looping animated GIF with these scenes. I wanted to make it look like there is "a glitch in The Matrix".

From 3D Art by Paul Micarelli

Who is the hidden avatar, meditating in the virtual realm?...

Secrets of Da Vinci's Challenge

As a designer, I feel that all my work can be considered art - regardless of whether it's a package graphics, art for stationery products, or toy/game design. "Da Vinci's Challenge" is a special case for me, though, because it carries more of a classic sense of what art is; a creation that can evoke intellectual and emotional response, holds symbolic meaning, and has a unique aesthetic value.

The most amazing thing about "Da Vinci's Challenge" as a piece of functional art is its timeless heritage. The pattern of interlocking circles that defines the playing surface of the gameboard is an ancient symbol known throughout history by various names; The Flower of Life, the Language of Light, and the Language of Silence... all of which hint at the transcendental and mysterious essence of this beautiful design.

Flower of Life Carving at Osirian Temple in Egypt

The oldest known physical example of this symbol is in the 6,000 year old Osirian Temple in Abydos, Egypt. The temple was a subterranean complex dedicated to Osiris, the god symbolizing death and regeneration... the afterlife and resurrection. The once-underground chambers are the most ancient of all the ancient Egyptian ruins. "The Flower of Life" symbol is carved with laser-like accuracy on huge granite blocks in the temple walls.

In the context of ancient Egyptian mystery religions, "The Flower of Life" represented the infinite, yet structured matrix that subtly forms the reality we experience. This underlying order can be called God, the Universe, the Quantum Field, the Tao, or whatever you prefer to call it. It is the complete, all-encompassing flux of the world- from the smallest electron fields to the largest scales of the cosmos.



This symbol was used by ancient priests and spiritual initiates as a mandala, a geometric or symbolic pattern that is used to focus on a particular state of mind or experience. "The Flower of Life" was used as a meditation on Unity and Interconnectedness. This is not some metaphysical, abstract mumbo-jumbo, but reflects the basic nature of the world we live in.

Every aspect of the universe is connected and meshed at a base level. Science has firmly demonstrated the mystical concept that the cosmos is nothing but patterns of energy vibration interacting at different levels. The real Mystery is how this seemingly random quantum soup organizes itself into recognizable forms and a mind that can perceive these forms. It's easy to say, "God does it all." God IS the mystery, though, so in order to really understand this statement, one has to really investigate the Mystery!

When you look into ideas such as sacred geometry, divine proportion, fractals, physics, cosmology, and other such disciplines, you gain a greater appreciation for the beauty and unexplainable complexity of the universe. The greater your awareness of the structure and nature of reality, the better prepared you will be to utilize it to the benefit of yourself and others. Because of the connective neural structure of the human brain, our mental perceptions of the entire universe are based on our perceived patterns of causal or physical connection. "The Flower of Life" perfectly illustrates this ordered intricate web of scale, structure, and vibration that defines the world. "The Flower of Life" represents the face of God more ideally than any anthropomorphic painting by Michelangelo.

Besides the philosophical meaning that can be drawn from "The Flower of Life" symbol, there is also rich mathematical knowledge that can be found within the perfectly symmetrical form of interlocking circles. Leonardo da Vinci used his keen intellect and sense of observation to study the geometries found within the Flower of Life.

Flower of Life Studies 
by Leonardo da Vinci

  

The pattern is deceptively easy to create. It is begun by simply overlapping 2 identical circles, so the edge of each circle touches the midpoint of the other.



This symbol itself is one of the most ancient and universal symbols known to man. The intersecting circles form a central shape called the 'Vesica Pisces' which, in Christian art, is the basis for the 'Jesus fish' and also the symbol of the womb that the Virgin Mary is often portrayed within. This is a symbol more widely used and much older than Christianity, though. It is a symbol of life, creation, vision, and birth. Incidentally, the Vesica Pisces also defines the energy patterns that lead cells to organize into vital human forms such as the eye, the urethra, the womb, and the mouth. When you start to see such patterns in nature, it is almost as if you are looking into the programming code of reality and the mind.

The third circle is added by placing its midpoint on one of the places where the first two circles intersect. Now the pattern has been establish and it becomes a self-replicating pattern. This step in the pattern can be seen to symbolize the Trinity where a third-dimension of Spirit and Space define the Creation pattern so it becomes a self-regulating phenomenon. From now on, a circle can be placed with its midpoint centered anywhere that the edges of two other circles intersect. The pattern can continue to be repeated and extended endlessly.

A circle is considered rightly to be the perfect form. It represents 'oneness' and 'completeness' its edge has no beginning and no end, but a definite form. This is the fundamental shape that represents the planets, the stars, the moon, the eye, bubbles, water drops. It is the most efficient and sound way to structure matter.

A circle is also the most pleasing to the eye, because of the structural self-similarity. This is easy to prove through understanding human nature. When we are first born, our mind is programmed to search for circles!!! We are automatically drawn to the circular eyes of our mother for recognition, and the round nipples of our mother for nourishment.

This is truly the universal form, and has become the optimal natural shape to guide the survival instincts of human life. Even when we grow older, we are entranced by the circle and compelled to reproduce and continue our species through such mechanisms as our attraction to the 'round' parts of the anatomy. This is part of the wonder of the process of nature and how it is organized in such a fascinating, yet effective way.


The symbol made from the seven circles at the center of "The Flower of Life" is called "The Seed of Life". It can be seen as a metaphor for the 7 days of Genesis from which all Creation expands out of the One, the single center circle. From this basis, the pattern of Creation can expand indefinitely and can contain endless number and types of forms. "The Flower of Life" is a representation of the infinite, yet orderly, matrix that describes both the interconnected structure of the mind and of the Universe that it perceives.


The shapes and colors of the game pieces in "Da Vinci's Challenge" represent the duality that seems to be ingrained in our mental experiences and perceptions. The patterns that are made using these shapes on the game board can be seen as a representation of the infinite forms that can arise from the underlying matrix of order in the Universe and in our brains. The dual black and white colors, as well as the triangle and long oval shapes can be thought of as representations of yin and yang, male and female, active and passive, 0 and 1 binary characteristics that our duality-based consciousness is trained to experience.

By contemplating the overall, random pattern these shapes make when they are all placed on the the underlying matrix of the game board by the end of the game- you can draw comparisons to the structure and nature of the universe and the infinite forms that also arise from basic elements and principles.

All good art and symbolism packs the maximum amount of information in the minimum amount of space. "The Flower of Life" has been recognized throughout history as a symbol of prime importance because of the infinite amount of geometric, spiritual, and symbolic information that it can represent.


I encourage you to explore the concepts I've talked about here to help deepen your understanding of your own mind and the world we experience through the limiting filter of the mind. From the beginning of its conception, "Da Vinci's Challenge" has always been intended to be a source of insight, inspiration, and a connection to timeless wisdom for everyone who encounters it.

Most of all, I hope it continues to be a source of enjoyment and bonding for those who play it.

The Official Facebook Page: 

Da Vinci's Challenge 

Matrix Baby

While browsing Geekologie, I saw the above photo of a little baby hooked up to some kind of brain scanning machine that reminded me of something from The Matrix.

"Newborns Can Learn in Their Sleep"

I found the image so damn creepy I felt that I just had to make the animation- superimposing an invading Sentinel over his fragile biological form. It looks like The Machines are wrapping tentacles around the helpless baby's head, steadily working their way into it's curious little human mind....

Wake up, kid!!!!

Technical PS: Since Blogger & Google don't even support animated GIF files, that is about the only thing I use my Myspace account for. It took me an hour to remember how to upload an animated GIF to Myspace. I kept getting a 'format not supported" error. You have to cancel the Flash-based photo uploader, & then click the 'click here' link for the basic photo upload... multiple times.

It's weird that you still have to figure this kind of crap out just to upload an animated image. Yeah it makes some Myspace pages look like virtual versions of this, but it's convenient to be able to upload animated files if needed.

iThink Tech 2015

In my last post, I shared a project from my college years, called the Omega Computer.

"Omega Computer" Concept

The project assignment was to design a computer of the future. Years later, I revisited the challenge of imagining futuristic computer technology & took it a step farther.

Instead of the external, portable devices used in the Omega Computer concept, I designed a computer brain implant called the "Apple iThink". You can see the specs of the iThink in my original post:

Apple iThink- Upgraded

Since I made those graphics, I've closely followed developments in science and technology that are leading toward a brain-computer interface, like the iThink.

I see technology, like my iPhone or computer, as extensions of my mind. The mystic sentiment that "consciousness is in all things" seems more true, the more I look into Reality. The Universe is made up of something more fundamental than particles or atoms- The Universe is made of information.

Human consciousness is just one manifestation of the Universal Information Field (UIF), that can manifest in infinite varieties. There is no reason why the ordinary conscious experience of the biological brain cannot be modified or enhanced to create novel states of being.

Of course, every step of the way there will be problems and questions that have to be addressed. Certain choices and directions may have unintended or negative consequences. However, I think it is inevitable for humanity to continue to seek new abilities, information, & understanding. We have uniquely mastered technology for this end, and will continue to expand both the individual and collective consciousness through technological means. Perhaps suprisingly to some, this technological innovation will be continue to be simultaneous, and perhaps symbiotic, with deeper spiritual and philosophical understanding about the nature of ourselves and our world.

I've collected links which, individually, are amazing developments. However, when seen as precursors to technologically-augmented consciousness, these scientific breakthroughs signal new frontiers in the human experience.

Time:
• 2045: Kurzweil on When Humans, Machines Merge


New Scientist:
• Cyborg Tissue is Half Living Cells, Half Electronics

Extreme Tech:
• MIT Creates Glucose Fuel Cell to power Implanted Brain-Computer interfaces

Daily Mail:
• The Groundbreaking Microscopic Thread That Could Let Us Plug Our Brain Into a Computer

Waking Times
• Decoded Neurofeedback: Matrix-like Learning With No Conscious Effort
 
Extreme Tech:
• Brown University Creates First Wireless, Implanted Brain-computer Interface

The White House:
• BRAIN Initiative Challenges Researchers to Unlock Mysteries of Human Mind

Kurzweil AI
• Organic transistors for brain mapping

Popular Mechanics:
• Going Wireless and Restoring Memories: The Incredible Future of Brain Implants

CNet:
• What Google Glass Aspires to Be

Technooccult:
• DARPA Wants to Fit Soldiers with a Little Black Box Brain Implant

The Atlantic:
•  The Not-So-Distant Future When We Can All Upgrade Our Brains

DefenseOne:
• The Military Is Building Brain Chips to Treat PTSD

The Verge:
• Google Leads $542 Million Funding of Mysterious Augmented Reality Firm Magic Leap

Techcrunch:
• The Ongoing Quest For The ‘Brain’ Chip

H+
• Biology is Technology — DARPA is Back in the Game With A Big Vision

BBC Future:
• The Code That May Treat Blindness

Smithsonian:
• A Flexible Circuit Has Been Injected Into Living Brains

Aeon:
• Hive consciousness: Do We Really Want to Fuse Our Minds Together?

Free Energy

Recently I was thinking about the problems with energy we have- the costs of oil, the deadly potential of nuclear power, the price of heating and cooling homes, etc.

In the sky there is this huge ball of practically limitless energy, constantly streaming around us. The Sun produces more energy than we could ever use, if it could be more effectively collected.

NASA:
Amount of Energy
Earth Gets from the Sun

Anyway, observing the Sun in the sky while thinking about this stuff compelled me to quickly put this simple graphic together:

Originally, the graphic had the question, "Why can't energy be free?"
I understand why energy transmission might cost money, but it's important to ask the question & think about the process.

Eventually, I decided to use "Free Energy" because it was more direct.

It also gave me the slightly humorous impression of "Energy" being a political prisoner who needed to be freed.

In actuality, there is limitless energy everywhere around us.
Until we figure out how to tap the quantum field or whatever energy matrix we are moving around in, we'll have to focus on more obvious sources of renewable energy.

The Force Awakens & The Future of Star Wars

 Image Source

Recently I went to my second viewing of "Star Wars VII: The Force Awakens". This time I watched it in 3D, & I enjoyed it with more of an eye toward the details that I missed opening weekend.

Being a life-long Star Wars fan, I read forums and articles discussing the movies. There is a lot of speculation about the next two episodes in the series, concerning the story & all the different characters. That's the greatest thing about this story, or any powerful work of fiction- it can spur the imaginations of the masses.

Obviously, a lot of people are talking about the past and the future of Rey, the Force-sensitive protagonist of the new movies. Many (including me) think that Rey is related to Anakin & Luke somehow, since the movie saga has been focused on the Skywalker family. However, some have tried to argue that Rey could be just a youngling in Luke's new Jedi academy with a predisposition to The Force. I think there are too many signs pointing to her being part of the Skywalker bloodline. By the way,

I loved this take from a commenter on a Cinema Blend article about "The Force Awakens" ending:

Yes. I fully expect the 7-9 trilogy to be about finally uniting both sides of the Force.
My thoughts on the entire story so far:

• Eps. 1-3: The attempt of the Jedi to deny all elements of the dark side lead to their eventual destruction. 

• Eps. 4-6: The attempt by the Sith to eliminate the light side leads to their destruction. Interestingly, both Vader and Luke use both sides of the Force to different degrees to (probably?) destroy Palpatine.

• Eps. 7-9: As mentioned before, I think we'll see a final uniting of both sides of the Force.

I always find it interesting that the light side and dark side of the Force are interpreted as representing good and evil. The great realization that both sides can be used for good and both sides can be used for evil will be the ultimate fulfillment of the prophesy.

This would be in line with the resolution to the Matrix movies- in which Neo did not end up destroying the machines... but merging with them.

Unifying duality, not engaging in conflict, is the solution to the question of existence.

So, it will be interesting to know if Luke's experiences lead him to the conclusion that a higher conception of the Force is one beyond the concepts of Light & Dark.

Rey could be a catalyst for this merging of The Force. She has passion & emotional vitality, but is also able to connect to the stillness that allows the Force to flow through her. Perhaps she will be able to utilize the full spectrum of The Force's power, as opposed to a Jedi or a Dark Side user who only facilitates one particular aspect.

I think The Force Awakens movie poster hinted at the fact that Rey will be influenced or tempted by the Dark Side, with Kylo Ren's red blade directly aligned with her staff. Like Luke who was also directly confronted with evil, this will give her intimate insight into the darker aspect of The Force. Ultimately, though, Rey's soul is good at the core and will not be easily corrupted, similar to Luke's resistance to Vader & The Emperor. She will use even this knowledge out of compassion & a sense of right.

If they show it in depth, the contrast between Snoke's training of Kylo & Luke's training of Rey will be very interesting. I'm sure it will present two very different perspectives on both The Force and events in the Star Wars galaxy. I am looking forward to finding out more of the background of Luke & Snoke, as well as the origins of Rey, in the next movie.
  
"The Force Awakens" was a jumpoff point for this new series, and I'm hoping that the next episode goes deep & philosophical like Yoda's teachings in "The Empire Strikes Back". Those are the mystical elements of Star Wars that have always spoke to me. So far, it looks like this sense of mysticism & spiritual philosophy will remain as an integral element to the stories.

There are many movie & media spinoffs planned, but I hope that the central theme of the main movies remains an individual's connection to The Force.

On a related note, here is an article that points to the extraordinary abilites that we humans have in our reality. The potential of the mind is vast & limitless, and we may very well be capable of "Jedi-like" powers.

Waking Times:

Scientific Proof Of Jedi Powers 

and How To Develop Them

Elon Musk- "We Are Already Cyborgs"

This week I posted about the "Deus Ex: The Mechanical Apartheid" trailer & how it serves as a warning for the dangerous possibilities of cyber-human interfacing.

Raw Story posted this talk about A.I. & cybernetics with one of the greatest visionaries of our time, Elon Musk. He's also sounding the alarm about the difficulties that we will face as computer intelligence continues to outpace that of humans, on an individual & collective level.

We are already cyborgs | Elon Musk | Code Conference 2016

Like "The Matrix" movies, Musk's answer to the problem of emerging artificial intelligence is one of symbiosis. 

However, his concept of a "neural lace," to connect the biological nervous system with digital networks, seems like it could present as many problems as solutions. This is the complicated nature of all technology.

This approach sounds similar to my concept of an "Apple iThink" neural-computer interface.

Game Review: "Deus Ex- Human Revolution"

I recently finished "Deus Ex: Human Revolution". The concept & story was interesting enough to make it worthwhile for me, but in my opinion the actual game play could have been much better.

Deus Ex takes place in the near future, 2027, where humans are physically merging with machines to an unprecedented degree. People with cybernetic augmentations are called "Augs," and they have abilities that are unavailable to natural humans.

As a result of the inevitable socio-political tensions that arise from one group having an advantage over another, an anti-augmentation movement forms, called "Purity First".

Far from being a mindless waste of time, games like this can actually offer powerful commentary on ethical issues like human augmentation & the role of technology in our evolution. These are emerging problems that are already in the news, and we are going to have to deal with very soon.

NOVA:

Sensor-Laden Prosthetic Hand

Gives Wearer a Sense of Touch

Gizmodo:

World's First Fully Bionic, 

Mind-Controlled Leg Goes for a Walk

io9:

The First Person in the World 

to Become a Government-recognized Cyborg

New Scientist:

Cyborg tissue is half living cells, half electronics

Deus Ex is a 1st-person RPG shooter, so it has role-playing elements for the character interactions. Although I like the idea of influencing the story through the player's decisions, it was a little too much talking for my tastes. I've recently started the Mass Effect series, which also features alot of narrative and decision-making elements. It is much more seamless in that game experience, though. My main problem with that kind of interactivity is that I sit there trying to think of all the possible outcomes for any given choice of dialogue. Pondering these choices, combined with taking my time to look at all the visual elements, results in this kind of game taking me forever to play!

 
The setting of this game features futuristic locations such as Hengsha (Shanghai), where an upper metropolis level called "The Pangu" towers over the lower city. There is a predictable class division that results from this physical separation of the population.

Although the sci-fi look of the game is cool, the amber color that dominates most of the environments makes everything feel very bland & monotone overall. The city areas are much more open & engaging than the levels that are indoor corridors. The last level is an anti-climatic Arctic base that is mostly hallways. The enemies and firefights are pretty intense in those close quarters, though.

The main character is Adam Jensen, a security officer who got injured in a terrorist ambush. When he came out of his coma, he was augmented with military-grade cybernetic enhancements. He was given these implants & prosthetics by his employer, the biotech company Sarif Industries.

The character of Jensen is basically a clone of Neo from The Matrix- from his look to his voice. It's not too annoying, just not very original. He has all kinds of awesome powers to upgrade throughout the game resulting from his cyber-enhancements. He can increase his physical abilities, such as jumping over 9 ft. high, lifting heavy objects, and sprinting faster. There are also many sensory upgrades like being able to see through walls, targeting improvements, and stealth capabilities like cloaking.

My biggest criticism is one that applies to many games- even ones I really enjoy, like Assassin's Creed. By the time you have your character anywhere near to being fully leveled up... the game is over!!! Deus Ex has all these awesome augmented abilities for your character, but most of them aren't unlocked until the final chapters. Just as you are getting to enjoy these kick-ass superpowers, you realize there's not much game time left to use them.

Overall, it's a good game whose thought-provoking content & ideas about the future of humanity held my attention more than the mediocre game play or its spotty action.

• The Monkey Buddha's official rating: 7.5

Waking Up

I am not a morning person.

When I was in high school, I would start my homework around 10PM & be up past midnight. My room was on the 2nd floor, & after midnight my Mom would tap a baseball bat on the ceiling below me to signal me to go to sleep. Then, the next morning, I would hear her banging it on the ceiling to wake me up for school at an ungodly hour. I guess I've always been more of a night owl.

I'm trying to be more positive now about waking up in the morning, but I do love to sleep. I saw some funny pictures about the joy of awakening I'm posting below.

This great comparison, featuring Neo being jarred from The Matrix dreamworld, was on the Chive:

 

I also saw the funny poster below from a series featured on VisualNews.com:

Travel Posters for Lazy People

The Stoned Ape Theory

 

I came across this image titled "The Stoned Ape Theory" by Jim Figora, & thought it was pretty awesome.

 It's a great visual of the Stoned Ape idea, popularized by one of my favorite minds & voices, Terence McKenna. Regardless of how accurate his specific theory is, there is no denying that mind-altering substances had a role to play in the development of humanity & culture, as abundantly evident in the archaeological record.

The painting also conveys the future- of both the individual mind & the species as a whole. At the end of this life, the mental & spiritual essence of a person unfolds back into the infinite energy matrix (represented by The Flower of Life symbol), but the entire human race is on a path to continue connecting with, and perhaps traveling to, the larger Universe.

Dream Thoughts

Dream Yoga

"Life itself is only a vision, a dream."

People often try to look "into" dreams in order to find meaning or a subtle message of some sort.

It is a funny circular interaction... the 'mind' is trying to decipher the product of that same mind!

Any kind of applied dream interpretation is really nothing other than a fictional narrative of your own creation.

Dreams, like Life itself, exist only to exist.

Of course, it is impossible not to make connections or associations with certain dreams. I try to just see dreams as an interactive simulation, more than a cypher to be decoded. My dreams are vivid & I can often remember what I've dreamt about. Waking up slightly & dozing back off makes me remember more of them.

Just in the past week, I've dreamt on different occasions I was:
1. in jail w/ Snoop Dogg as my cellmate
2. driving & talking to one of my ex-girlfriends in my car
3. in a car fender-bender & had to fill out paperwork at a police station

Often, I'll be in a variation of a building from my past that often morphs into another familiar building as the setting or situation changes. For instance, I'll be in a building that's similar to my college library & I walk into another part where it becomes a nightclub. There I'll be talking to someone who seems extremely familiar with a real personality, even though when I wake up the person is apparently a total figment of my imagination!

One funny dream I remember very clearly was waiting in a subway station with my sister & one of my brothers. We couldn't find our train, so we were sitting with our luggage in the middle of a corridor. In the dream, my arm started becoming sore, so I put my suitcase down. It became more painful till it was searing, then I suddenly woke up- with my arm scrunched in an uncomfortable position!

Sometimes, my mouth being dry or an itch in my throat while I'm asleep will translate into a parallel dream discomfort, that I force myself to wake from.

Recently, I was dreaming of sitting on a bus, & these teenagers near me started saying things to each other that made absolutely no sense. At that point, I became aware that I was dreaming & actually thought to myself, "Ok, this is weird, I am definitely in a dream here..." The way I could think to get out of it was to start yelling out loud. It felt like I was beginning to be pulled apart. I was still yelling as my voice became metallic exactly like when Neo is absorbed by the liquid mirror in the Matrix. Then... Boom!, I was awake w/ my heart racing.

Travel & directions are not my strongest suite, so being lost or having to find my way out of being stuck somewhere is a situation that happens pretty regularly while I'm dreaming. Often I dream about driving around a city trying to find a bridge or a certain street, but all the street names are wrong & nothing makes sense. Forget trying to read maps or GPS or even use type on cellphone- because technology doesn't seem to work well in the dream realm. It all looks like babble/hieroglyphics & perhaps my mind just isn't focused enough to recreate it.

I've already written about my experiences with times where I experienced flying. These are probably the most fascinating because they are so lucid & outside normal human ability. These originate in the same organ that is forming your ordinary waking perceptions, so there can be a quite startling realism involved.

Anyway, the original reason I started this post was this theory I just came across- that dreams are basically a virtual reality simulation to play out situations in the subconscious. There is no ultimate purpose for it, but perhaps the function can be understood to be an experiential training program that allows your brain to play out random scenarios that can be sublimated into one's experience.

Nature.com:

"REM Sleep and Dreaming:
Towards a Theory of Protoconsciousness"

Neuralink Brain-Computer Interface

Well, it took only 10 years... but technology is finally catching up with my concept for the "iThink" Apple-branded brain/computer interface.

The Neuralink tech that is being developed by Elon Musk's company uses thread-like electrodes that are embedded into the brain using a device similar to a sewing maching. The threads are implanted directly into the brain, but not directly connected to neurons.

Engadget:

Elon Musk's Neuralink Hopes to Put Sensors 

in Human Brains Next Year

This concept is truly dystopian & frightening to many people, but I think it is the next logical step in the "meta-volution" of the human mind.

As much I love the natural world and feel like it is good to disconnect from the web & devices from time to time, the organic structure of the brain will soon need to be augmented beyond the external digital tools we are currently using. The rate of digital information flow and capabilities of A.I. are just advancing too quickly for biological evolution to keep up.

Some of the abilities that could result from tech like Neuralink are:

• "Telepathic" brain-to-brain communication

• Instantaneous mathematical and scientific calculation

• Access to an unlimited databank of multi-sensory media

• Virtual or augmented reality that is directly experienced in the mind

• Expanded multi-dimensional consciousness beyond our current "single point" awareness

• Real-time language translation

• GPS combined with Google Maps to facilitate information-rich navigation

• Etc., etc., etc.

Yes, this technology has the potential for negative uses (mind hacking, unwanted advertising, inability to disconnect)... but ALL tools have that risk. This is the danger that sci-fi classics such as Star Trek's "Borg" and The Matrix have tried to warn us about. However, the same tools that could be extremely dangerous also have the potential to create amazing beauty & benefit for humanity.

As the late, great Timothy Leary said:

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

"The level of intelligence has been tremendously increased, because people are thinking and communicating in terms of screens, and not in lettered books. Much of the real action is taking place in what is called cyberspace. People have learned how to boot up, activate, and transmit their brains.  

Essentially, there’s a universe inside your brain. The number of connections possible inside your brain is limitless. And as people have learned to have more managerial and direct creative access to their brains, they have also developed matrices or networks of people that communicate electronically. 

There are direct brain/computer link-ups. You can just jack yourself in and pilot your brain around in cyberspace-electronic space." 

-Timothy Leary (Chaos & Cyber Culture) 

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••

Below is the Apple iThink concept that I envision back in 2009:

The Monkey Buddha Achives:

Apple "iThink" - Upgraded

3D Virtual Spaces from Photos

This kind of virtual model-generating program is a teasing glimpse of visualization technologies soon to come.

PopSci
"Algorithm Generates
a Virtual Rome in 3D
from 150,000 Flickr Users' Photos"

Basically, a cloud of data generated from hundreds of photos of the same place is used to calculate the spacial relationships of that area. It's always amazing to me that people can figure out how to make computer codes to do this sort of digital alchemy.

Seeing the unfinished 3D settings on the black background gives the models a very surreal appearance- like I'm watching the Matrix taking shape.

The more people take extensive hi-res photography of an area, like that of the website 360º Cities, the more data there is to fill in the blanks & increase the resolution of the virtual re-creations.

Just the panoramas of Roman areas on 360º Cities are enough to keep me occupied for hours. The virtual panoramas of the Sistine Chapel or Raphael's School of Athens give a much better impression of the space than flat photos.

360º Cities

Pantheon Rome in Rome

"Womb" Poster

This is a really cool poster design I saw on OMG Posters, made to promote an art gallery in Oklahoma.

 It combines Buddhist iconography & a cosmic backdrop with a techno-futuristic theme reminiscent of the pods in The Matrix.
 

“Womb” Poster by Emek

 

Swarm Behavior

Human Swarm & Ant Swarm

I can sit on my back step for an hour just watching ants and other bugs crawl across the vast mini-landscape. Their ability to explore & survive as a collective intelligence is one of the wonders of life. Humans are just as immersed in their own 'hive minds' whether they be political rallies, evangelical mega-churches, or the Internet.

The idea of a collective mind has also spawned alot of fictional examples; Matrix Sentinels, The Borg, Buggers, Aliens, Geonosians, and probably many others that I'm not aware of.

This National Geographic article tries to tackle the mystifying complexity of life operating in networks-

"National Geographic: Swarm Behavior"

Here are some examples of mindless hive behavior, except it's in the human species...

Bill Kristol: "Why Bush Will Be a Winner"

"Neocons on a Cruise: What Conservatives Say
When They Think We Aren't Listening"

The Eastern Influences of Star Wars

 This morning I was reading this excellent article about "Visions," the new series of animated Star Wars stories. It went into fascinating detail about the influences of Japanese and Asian culture in general on the development of Star Wars.

The Ringer:
‘Visions’ Brings ‘Star Wars’ Full Circle

I haven't seen this series of anime adaptations yet. However, being a lifelong Star Wars fan, I am quite familiar with the cultural, artistic, & mythological references from around the world that make up this modern day classic. I was fascinated by the book "Star Wars: The Power of Myth", which only touched the surface of the cultural makeup of the story and characters.

George Lucas borrowed heavily from visual storytellers like Akira Kurosawa, religious philosophies like Buddhism, and countless sources of inspiration from all over the globe & all areas of human experience.

 

I'm not really into anime, but I did enjoy the anthology, "The Animatrix," similarly a collection of animated stories set in the world of The Matrix. If "Star Wars: Visions" displays the same level of creativity and love for the source material, I'm sure I'll be into it.

Star Wars has always been my favorite work of fiction because of the richness & depth (much of it subtle) that draws on so many other interesting aspects of cultures around the world. I still love the imaginary universe that Star Wars has built, although I think Episodes 7-9 of the Skywalker saga were a fucking trainwreck (so much so that I am considering making a profanity-laced video of a tirade directed toward these movies).

Star Wars will be a source of inspiration itself for a long time, to people in places far, far away. It has been awesome to grow up alongside these moves & media, and it will be interesting how they continue to affect people in the future.

Comedy Central's Lineup is Gold

Tonight Comedy Central has had a lineup of the hands-down funniest shows ever created. The multi-episode "Imagination Land" South Park story is the craziest TV possible, with appearances by the multitude of characters. The cast of Imagination Land's esteemed Council of Nine is hysterical by itself: The Narnia Lion, Morpheus from the Matrix, Popeye, Jesus, Wonder Woman, Zeus, Gandalf, ummm.. Luke Skywalker, hmmmm, c'mon memory... &... someone else. Anyway, Sarah Silverman's Program is living up to her stand-up & real-life sense of humor. Then there's the greatest show pairing ever, The Daily Show and Presidential Candidate Stephen Colbert. Comedy Central has put together an awesome night of programming.

The really revolutionary aspect of all these shows, though, is the unfettered creative freedom to express the craziest and most taboo human ideas and experiences. By revealing the absurdities of the human condition, great comedy frees the soul by breaking down the psychic confines of the thought structure known as the ego.

This is definitely a golden age of artistic expression. As a professional artist, the infinite sea of creative novelty engulfing the human race can be overwhelming to consider. I mean, how can you come up with something more original than a fat little asshole like Cartman freezing himself so he can awake when the Wii is released, but goes too far into the future & is captured by various science-worshiping factions including a race of intelligent otters?!?!

Come with us, Time-Child...

Fighting the Robot Revolution

ED-209
The Future of Law Enforcement
?

Humans at their worst are characterized by violence, greed, and a complete lack of empathy. It should be expected, then, that autonomous creations by humans such as robots and corporations can exhibit similar negative characteristics - if not designed to behave otherwise.

Just like humans have rules to follow, banks and corporate institutions should have regulatory oversight. We are currently witnessing the undeniable results of rotten leadership with no accountability allowing unchecked institutions to ransack the American economy.

Just like the world hasn't fully experienced the repercussions of this grand economic fraud, we haven't been able to truly foresee the consequences of creating military robotic systems. Ever-advancing technology is being used under the guise of military support or law enforcement.

The ideal control system to prevent extreme scenarios like in the Terminator or the Matrix would be Asimov's Three Laws of Robotics. Of course, I've written before about the rapid advancement of military robots & obviously these laws have been completely ignored by mankind.

Thankfully, some courageous visionaries are trying to head off the possible robocalypse. Millionaire Ben Way has created WAR (Weapons Against Robots) as an avenue to research counter-robot measures of all kinds.

"About Time: Company Aims To Fight Robots"

Although such efforts could one day prevent the elimination of humans by overwhelming forces of silicon-based destruction, I'm sure his work is seen as almost terrorist in nature by certain authorities. Who is the true terrorist, though? The one who seeks to prevent the destruction of human life by killing machines? or the ones who enable the destruction of human life by those same machines?

Perhaps, the robots won't even have to battle us to gain control... Once everyone has an iThink implanted in their head, the machines will simply override our nervous systems and make us zombie-like automatons, in an ironic reversal of roles.

Perhaps... it has already happened.


Needless to say, robots aren't ALL bad-