It’s probably the circles I move in but when I usualy hear about the rapture, an event where us lowly mortals get uplifted into an indescribably wonderful higher state, its not in reference to the christian rapture but the geek one. The Geek Rapture refers to a utopian Singularity scenario. In this scenario superhuman intelligences uplift us all into a higher state of being. What that higher state of being entails is unclear but in the Geek Rapture scenario its assumed to be really, really cool.

I’ve always found the concept of the Singularity fascinating myself. I don’t necessarily think its about to happen and I don’t know how anyone can say with certainty that it will. There’s plenty of assumptions built into the scneario, we’ll create superintellgiences that will do X, Y and Z and it will be great, we’re all going to love it and its inevitable. That all sounds wonderful (and I like Kurzweil’s graphs) but how can anyone claim to know such an outcome as a dead certainty?

We don’t even have a proper science of conciousness yet. If and when we do its almost certain to suprise us. It isn’t unreasonable to assume that this is a problem that we’re going to crack. But I think it is unreasonable to assume scenario X is going to happen once we do. I suspect the first thing to happen is that most of our preconcieved notions and scenarios get rubbished. Future predictions on science we understand have proved sketchy enough. Predictions based on the mastering of a science that doesn’t even exsist yet is as they say here in the UK “way dodgy”.

But there is no shortage of people willing to take that leap of faith. I’m not really interested in tearing apart the Singularitians assumptions because that’s been done before. What I’m interested in is why people are so willing to make those assumptions. Is this an honest error in judgement or the beginnings of a science fiction religion?

Hugo De Garis describes a future singulartarian religion in Building Gods and in his book The Artillect War. To a lesser extent I suspect the religion he’s talking about, the Cosmists as he calls them, already exsists albiet in a primordial form.

I don’t see anything wrong with this myself. But I’d take people following such a religious impulse more seriously if they were upfront and honest about that religious impulse.

In a way I see the Singularity a bit like like Intelligent Design. They’re both religious beliefs cross dressing as science. ID dons the labcoat to fool others. But most Geek Rapture types seem to be donning the labcoat to fool themselves. A science fiction religion for people who pride themselves for being otherwise non religious.

However some of them are quite upfront and open about the religious dimensions to their thinking. There is an active pscychedelic, mystical tent in the transhumanist/singulartarian camp. You might find these guys a bit whacky but at least they’re not pretending to be hardcore rationalists. And they probably throw great parties, anybody with a manifesto of “Tune in, Turn On, Blast Off!” probably has a lot of fun on weekends.

So where is this all going? I suspect new religious movements that riff off science fiction are going to continue emerging and grow in sophistication. Joseph Campbell (the comparative religion guru not the Science Fiction editor) stated in an interview just before he died that mankind would in the future construct new mythologies. I don’t think prophecies of AI Messiah’s would have suprised him at all.

These new religious movements may not involve good science or even good religion but quite possibly they may mature into something interesting. And even if they don’t these types usualy have a knack for obtaining and using the best recreational drugs available so you may want to go to their parties anyway even if you aren’t interested in singing from their hymn book.

Related

Future Hi, transcendent science, technology and spirituality
A Singular Rapture
Singularity! A tough guide to the Rapture of the Nerds

The Meme Therapy science fiction podcast lives! We’ve got two episodes done in raw audio form. Sorry but we’re going to continue being crap until we’re properly relocated into our new house with broadband. In episode 06 of the podcast we do a bit Science Fiction beercasting. In episode 07 we interview Science Fiction author Jeff Duntemann.

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