Psilocybin

How will I start I wonder? 'I stand here before you today to talk about a revolutionary and hitherto unknown way of communicating.' No, that sounds too much like an advert. Perhaps: 'This discovery is the very beginning of an unparalleled interconnectedness of human experiences via the worldwide web.' Or how about: 'We have developed a link to the very core of our beings, tapping into the neural networks that power our personal worlds and drive our behaviours.' Yikes, that sounds frightening.

Hmm, maybe I'll just wing it and see what flows. This thing really DOES mark a change in how humankind will interact with artificial intelligence and each other, though. We'll be able to hook up and then there'll be a free flow of ideas and perceptions, shared experiences and emotional bonds that go beyond just guessing at the thoughts of those we love, and, in time, the wider world. It's a gateway, a portal if you will, which holds the promise of redefining how we as humans interact with and understand each other, in every aspect of our lives.

I might leave the technical exploration of this biotechnology until last. That way anybody who only seeks that which is meaningful to perceptive, emotional humans can tune out or walk away after hearing the parts that awakens their senses to spiritual and kindred connection. I could mention how our senses, co-mingling with the senses of others, are through the concerted efforts of my studies and that of my colleagues sensitively converted to nothing more than strings and strings of 0's and 1's, bytes of information which miraculously convey the very essence of what it is to live, perceive and intuit.

I'll tell them how up until now we as humans have always needed to be attuned to the feelings and needs of others without in fact having a full understanding of what is going on in someone else's head. We've had to guess. Sure, some are better at guessing - or it's probably kinder and truer to say, perceiving - than others, and there are also signals that can be read, body language and eye contact for example. Still, deciphering the sometimes subtle and often complex language of emotions of others takes a special kind of person and not everybody can read the tacit signs and cues that emanate from another like a dimly pulsing halo, all colour-hued and ephemeral. People such as teachers and social workers, and (of course) psychologists are well suited and have developed these skills over many years, like an unknowable science, a black art.

Once connected to this system of biotechnological tapping and mapping, we will be able to directly access the feelings and experiences, outlooks and desires, knowledge and perceptions of others. We will be able to observe how others process stimuli that we ourselves most likely view another way, or perhaps don't notice at all. For example, if we were to map to an indigenous elder from the harsh inland areas, we could see these ancient lands through their eyes, hearts and minds, and its intricate and infinite connection to their souls. They would not need to explain how a dry riverbed may run with water once every eleven years and when it does, it tells the elder that the river spirits are getting restless and caution should be observed, offerings made, and due respect given.

For many people this would mark a permanent change in their empathetic responses; rather than imagining how somebody else views the world we could see it for real, first-hand. What an eye-opener that will be. I can foresee an appreciation developing for all kinds of people from all walks of life when they look through the eyes of others. Cultural gaps would be reduced, or at the very least, understood in a more considered and considerate light. Imagine being able to understand how an Inuit is able to discern between the multitudes of words that they use to describe snow and ice.

Having said that, I suspect that there will certainly be experiences which some may find beyond their comprehension. These aspects are unknowns and we may have to develop some kind of cautionary system to assist those who have looked at life through the eyes of somebody else and not understood a thing at all. For example, would the same aboriginal elder understand, or want to understand, the viewpoint of a scientist who is jubilant from having just made a remarkable discovery in the field of molecular biology? No, these things will not be overcome rapidly, but with developmental work and initially limiting the number of users, this biotechnology can be demonstrated to benefit society greatly.

I will talk about the huge advances that we can make in providing teaching, psychological and personal development services. In fact this innovation could drastically reduce the funds currently spent on administering these types of services in the present hit-or-miss fashion. The savings and benefits will both free up funds and produce a society that is emotionally and cognitively better off. Just thinking about a few examples that spring to mind shows how much this innovation has to offer. We could use it to directly access the minds of schoolchildren who are experiencing learning difficulties and develop a personalised system of mentoring which assists them where they need it the most. Or, we could use the technology with prisoners and glean an understanding of what incarceration means to them, how and by what means serving a prison sentence has changed them and if they are likely to offend again.

More generally though, just connecting to the senses of someone halfway around the world and learning to see and understand through their eyes will help us in understanding their perception of issues such as climate change, poverty and corporations, and small but important things, such as how much effort they need to exert just cover the cost of a simple meal. This world view should, I hope, bring about a far better mutual understanding of issues big and small. Now that we are literally a global village it is crucial that we appreciate and respect the rights and feelings of others when we negotiate our way through world-changing events and ask others to make compromises in this negotiation.

Finally, I will definitely need to touch on some of the difficult issues. Prickly things, such as child exploitation, those given to wanting to manipulate others, deceivers. These are themes that will need to be considered carefully by a team of wise heads. Far from considering myself suitable, I'll stick to the technical side and let others take those reins.

Could I have ever imagined myself up here, preparing to walk up to the cluster of microphones on the glittering dais and introduce myself? Thirteen years ago I was an auto-electrician working in the industrial backblocks of a shutter-doored factory, typically doing something like checking the alternator warning light on the dashboard of your Toyota Prius. I fell in with a hard crowd. I was still living at home and my mom told me to lift my game or get out. So I decided to try some psilocybin just to spite her. During my hallucinations I pondered how our brains could be wired to the internet, free to roam and meld with other brains similarly connected, a sharing of experiences and outlooks, perceptions and beliefs. Off my mushroom high I was still intrigued, I could not let go of that flight of fantasy. I enrolled in night school, studied, studied, studied. I combined subjects such as cyber security and neural networks, script programming and ethical science. It seems I was alright at this stuff. I got myself a scholarship.....

Oh! I'm on. Here to tell the world everything is about to change.