1. Definitions of immortality
The word „immortality” can be understood in many different ways. It is understood differently by regular people, it is presented diversely in all kinds of dictionaries, and it is also perceived in a variety of ways by scientists. This word can evoke numerous kinds of feelings and associations, both positive and negative. What is immortality really about? Well, let’s look at it from each and every angle.
1.1. Dictionary definition of immortality
The term „immortality” comes from such words as Latin „immortālitās”, Middle-English „immortalité”, „immortalite” or Old French „immortalité”. In literal translation, ,,immortality” means something that „never dies”. According to dictionary definitions, it also means „endless existence” and „lasting fame”. Besides, it can also mean „immortal condition or quality” or „endless life”.
1.2. Scientific definition of immortality
From a scientific point of view, immortality is understood in terms of using the achievements of science and advanced technologies in a manner that prevents a naturally occurring death from taking place as yet. Many scientists believe that such an idea is possible to achieve. For example, creatures such as planar and hydra worms are biologically immortal. It is encouraging to believe that a similar result can be accomplished in the near or far future in a human context. According to futurists, this can be realized through cryonics, the transfer of brain states from a human’s brain to another device or through life extension technology, among other things.
1.3. Commonly understood concept of immortality
Immortality is commonly seen by people as something like an existence even after death (an indefinite kind of afterlife), a life that has no end or simply the absence of death at all, eliminating it as one of the stages of life. The perception of immortality depends on many different factors, but the main influence on this strongly depends on faith. By far the majority of present-day beliefs assume some kind of immortality. Usually, it involves the immortality of the immaterial soul, survival after death of a certain type of astral body, or resurrection of the body. Significant differences between the assumptions of particular religions are a frequent subject of discussion.
There are also voices for which the image of immortality has nothing to do with religion, but rather is an achievement that will sooner or later be possible to accomplish through the work of scientists.
Of course, if this goal could be achieved, the biologically occurring death would no longer occur. The idea has many enthusiasts but also many sceptics. Looking at it from a short-term perspective, one thing is certain – efforts are already being made to lengthen human life, but whether it will be lengthened to such an extent that it will last infinitely, will remain unknown for now.
1.4. Symbolic immortality
Symbolic immortality means not that man as such will live forever. Rather, it concerns what a person will leave behind once he or she leaves this world. In this regard, not only material but also ephemeral things are being taken into account. What do we understand by that?Primarily the memory of other people about us, what they have remembered about us – various types of relationships, values and thoughts passed on, attitudes presented, help or mercy shown.
Biological symbolic immortality in other words means a heritage. It is some kind of continuation of a person’s life after death through the transmission of various memories and stories, but also ethical and cultural values and philosophy of life by successive descendants.
In this way, the heritage is shared from generation to generation and is still alive, even though the person who originally passed on the wisdom is no longer among the family.
Religious symbolic immortality is inherent in most beliefs. Some of them contain the promise of life after death, in exchange for following certain rules and leading a good life. Creative symbolic immortality occurs, as you can guess, when a person leaves behind a certain artistic or scientific achievement.
A person may die, but thanks to the accomplishments, discoveries, art and literature left behind, they remain in memory for many years or even centuries.
This is particularly evident in the example of many great painters from different eras, whose paintings are exhibited in the most famous galleries and admired by crowds of people. The same is true for musicians – the fact that a given singer or composer passes away does not mean that their music will not be listened to any more and will not gain any more fans. The last kind of symbolic immortality is the symbolic immortality of nature. The seasons, for example, show that nature is continuously dying and being reborn again and again. It goes through repetitive, endless cycles.
2. Immortality from the perspective of different religions
In each religion the phenomenon of immortality or life after death is presented in a variety of ways. Let’s take a look at the way this concept is portrayed for the most common beliefs.
2.1. Ancient civilizations
The earliest references to the ideas of people living in the Ancient Ages about eternal life were found in ancient Babylonia and Assyria.
According to historical sources, their inhabitants did not think about what would happen after their passing away.
They also did not consider whether the way they lived their human life could have any meaning afterwards. It was only in later periods that they came to the conclusion that there could be a punishment for particular actions and a reward for other ones. The only thing mentioned that was more or less related to the issue of immortality was the proclamation that men who die in battles or wars bravely fighting after death can get a reward and experience happiness. According to the beliefs of ancient Egypt, when a person died when their life on Earth ended, they faced the judges who evaluated their actions during their lifetime. In Persia such a person was supposed to go for a walk on the Demanding Bridge instead of standing before the judges. According to the reports for people who did good in their lifetime it was wide, while in the case of bad people the bridge narrowed, as a result of which they fell into the depths of hell.
2.2. Christianity
When it comes to religion such as Christianity, the concept of immortality is practically at the center of attention of its followers. It is its key element, and basically all the principles of faith are motivated by eternal life as a reward for living piously. The requirements for people who seek to be in Heaven are clear and unambiguous. If they are not obeyed, sins are committed and they live without forgiveness, they find themselves in Hell.
2.3. Hinduism
According to Hindu beliefs, the human soul itself is immortal. Death does not actually mean the end of existence, because it is followed by reincarnation.
The next incarnation of the soul depends on its temporal life. People who have good karma can have a higher position in the next incarnation, and those with bad karma can have a lower one. In Hinduism, it is sought to work continuously on one’s karma, so that the soul can be freed from the cycle and go into a state of eternal bliss.
2.4. Islam
The presentation of immortality in Islam is similar to the image presented by Christianity, because a person can also expect either Heaven or Hell.
Before that, however, after the death of a Muslim, his soul is carried by an angel in front of the gates of Heaven where he receives information whether he will be saved or not. He then returns to his body. The next time angels appear, they ask the soul what religion it professes, who is God, who is a prophet, and which way the prayers are carried to the world. Only after answering these questions and judging the course of life the soul goes accordingly to Heaven or is doomed to eternal damnation.
2.5. Buddhism
According to Buddhism, life is constant suffering, but there is an opportunity to be freed from it.
It is possible to achieve nirvana, which breaks the cycle of rebirth. In many moments Buddhism is similar to Hinduism.
If we do right and our karma is good, we can be reborn as a human being, and if we do wrong in the next incarnation we can even become an animal.
2.6. Judaism
Although, at the very beginning of Judaism, the subject of life after death was questionable and the approach to the issue was not clear, it was finally established that it does exist. It has always been discussed about some kind of rewards and punishments to be paid for living according to God’s will, but a person’s behavior is supposed to be judged also at the moment of their death. Believers who have led a dignified life will be able to find themselves in a better world.
2.7. Taoism
Taoism, like most beliefs and religions, considers eternal life to be a reward for good behaviour during one’ lifetime. Interestingly, all of a person’s actions are supposed to be written down on a list, on the basis of which they will be judged. According to the Tractate of Actionsand their Retributions, if a person turns out to be worthy, their soul will go to pure kingdoms in Taoist cosmology. In Taoism, a great emphasis is placed on simple, pure life. Immortality is somewhat in the focus of attention of believers, because they pursue it all their lives.
2.8. Zoroastrianism
Immortality is deeply rooted in Persian culture. The word itself corresponding to „immortality” is directly linked to the month called „Amurdad”. According to Zoroastrian beliefs, this is when the Angel of Immortality defeated the Angel of Death, so that people may experience immortality. This takes place on the fourth day after passing away, when the human soul separates itself from the human body. As in other examples, the soul can travel to Heaven or Hell.
3. Immortality according to the great philosophers and thinkers
3.1. Socrates
Socrates was convinced of the existence of life after death. Even before drinking the poison that was supposed to kill him, he did not change his mind and did not hesitate to consume it. His views were not unjustified, as he supported them with three very specific arguments.
3.1. Socrates
First of all, according to Socrates, the existence of life after death could be proved by the occurrence of cycles and opposites in nature. As he explained, everything that exists has its opposite.
Moreover, opposites are supposed to aim at each other. He explained it with the example of temperatures – if something is hot, it was probably cold once.
Besides, if it is hot at a given moment, it probably aims to be cold again. It is similar in human life. Life and death are opposites, so if we live we will die one day. But if the opposites are aimed at each other, then before our lives there was also death, and before that there was life, and after our present lives there will be death, and then there will be life.
His second argument would refer to the theory of reminiscence. Socrates claimed that learning is actually repeating the knowledge that we have already acquired in previous incarnations.
This claim was to be confirmed by the phenomenon of deja vu, i.e., the conviction that we know something we are experiencing for the first time.If we have the knowledge from the previous life, then after the present life there is surely another life waiting for us.
The third argument in favour of immortality was his reference to the understanding of forms. According to Socrates, the existing forms are perfect, eternal and immaterial.
Although they are understandable, they are not really reasonable. Only something that has the same nature is able to understand it. So the human soul is also immaterial and eternal.
3.2. René Descartes
René Descartes was one of those thinkers who were very strongly convinced of the immortality of the soul. In fact, he is even called the father of dualism, because of his extremely firm stance on the issue.
His most famous argument for proving that a human soul is separate from one’ s body was a thought experiment.
It is an attempt to imagine that we still exist, but do not have a body. According to Descartes, since it is possible to imagine such a scenario, the body is not identical to the mind, so these are two separate substances. If the body and mind were inseparable from each other, it would not even be possible to imagine a similar situation.
3.3. John Hick
John Hick is another person who invites us to a thought experiment. This time we are supposed to imagine a situation in which a man from London is declared missing. In New York, on the other hand, there suddenly appears a man who is identical to the person from London, both in appearance and character. It can be logically assumed that these two people are in fact the same man. Let’s assume, however, that a certain man in London is dead, and as in the previous case, someone exactly the same appears in New York. Although the body of the deceased man is in London, one could consider that the man currently residing in New York is actually the same person who passed away in London.
According to Hick, personal identity is not synonymous with body continuity, but with psychological continuity.
Thus, in the case of a person’s death and the appearance of someone else with identical characteristics and memories, it can be considered a resurrection of the deceased.
3.4. Plato
Plato believed that the human body and soul are completely separate, with the body being mortal and the soul immortal. According to him, the soul is a divine element, indestructible – unless one acts against the very nature of being. He also agreed with Socrates about learning being a reminder of events from previous incarnations and shared his views about the prevailing cycles and opposites.
3.5. Blaise Pascal
Blaise Pascal’s approach to the subject of life after death was quite specific and unusual.
If it turns out that the Christian God really exists, then by leading a pious life one can gain eternal life in Heaven. Yes, it may turn out that God does not exist and then it would make no sense to follow the principles and rules of faith, but since we can only gain certainty after death, we may as well find ourselves in Hell for disobedience. A believer actually has nothing to lose.
3.6. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz
Leibniz saw reality as a structure made up of spiritual monads. Man was also composed of them, but their monads were finished and unable to be created by composition.
According to him, the monads are the work of God, who is not only able to create them, but can also destroy them completely.
Since God has instilled in man the desire to achieve spiritual perfection, one can expect that by means of spiritual immortality he can enable them to achieve this state.
3.7. Immanuel Kant
Kant believed that although it is difficult to logically prove and provide hard evidence for the immortality of a human being or their soul, it undoubtedly has a major impact on human morality. If people would not believe that they will face consequences for their actions or that they will not be rewarded for all good deeds in the future, their behavior could violate all principles of morality due to lack of consequences. In addition, if there really is no such thing as Heaven or Hell, one could conclude that the universe is constructed in an extremely unfair way.
3.8. Moses Mendelssohn
Phaedon, the work of Moses Mendelssohn, is a series of three dialogues. Among other things, it refers to the Platonic dialogue and its three arguments supporting the existence of life after death.
Mendelssohn, like Descartes, Plotinus and Leibniz, believes that the human soul is simple.
In the name of its simplicity, the soul cannot suddenly disappear and is therefore immortal. Moreover, the soul must still retain its rational abilities throughout its existence.
3.9. Others
Many other prominent philosophers have also spoken about immortality, more or less extensively. In some cases, their opinions differed considerably.
Like the philosophers mentioned above, Plotinus believes that the soul is simple and therefore immortal. St. Augustine of Hippo, on the other hand, justified his faith in immortality on the basis ofneoplatonism, according to which human souls are eternal beings. According to St. Albertus Magnus, the soul itself is an independent reality. Averroës also considered the human soul to be immortal. Despite the prevalence of philosophers who believed in some sort of life after death or immortality, one can also find those who held different views. These included Aristotle, who, although he believed reason to be eternal, also claimed that the soul was unable to exist without a body. Benedict de Spinoza thought similarly, according to whom only God was actually immortal, but humans were not. Another sceptic was Marcus Aurelius, who did not delve too deeply into such topics and simply stated that some people are simply allotted a specific time in the drama of existence. Some thinkers did not define their position on the subject, or found the problem impossible to actually solve, such as John Scotus Eriugenaand William James.
4. Portrayal of immortality
Immortality is an issue that has had a powerful emotional impact on a person’s feelings and has been a source of reflection for centuries. For thousands of years there have been attempts to interpret it in various ways. Artists, writers and various kinds of creators have tried to present their visions of immortality in their works, often using characters they created for this purpose. So let’s look at how immortality was presented in literature and art, how it is now presented in the pop culture that surrounds us, and what kind of immortality can be seen in fiction.
4.1. Literature and art
4.1.1. Iliad
Iliad, which was written by Homer, is one of the first masterpieces that have survived and are well-known nowadays. Although the main theme of the Iliad is war, there are references to the nature of death or the existence of the soul. It is enough to study the 18th Book of the Iliad. According to it, when the head and arms of Achilles were covered by the goddess Athena with golden light, the Trojan paralyzes fear. They are terrified even though Achilles is completely unarmed and they not only have the right equipment and are winning the battle, they feel fearful of him. A similar situation can be observed when a room full of people is visited by a new stranger. The moment he crosses the door, the atmosphere in the room changes completely. This is because a person is not just a body, behavior, character traits or a collection of events and memories.
4.1.1. Iliad
A human being has a physical form, but what has a much greater impact is the spiritual aura he carries with him.
It is largely responsible for what feelings a sudden appearance of a stranger can evoke and how they can be perceived – in a negative or positive way. It also affects the mood of those around him or her. Each of us can probably recall an example of a situation when we have experienced a so-called psychic contagion, when the very presence of a person made us feel calmer or more nervous, for example. For the same reason, the corpse is a source of concern for us. Even though the physical form of the human being is still present, it is no longer possible to sense his or her spiritual aura, which has either disappeared or escaped somewhere.
4.1.2. If This is a Man
In the book If This is a Manby Primo Leviwe can also find a case of people who, even though they are still alive, have lost their will to live and their spiritual aura has completely disappeared. This was due to their traumatic experience in Auschwitz. The people were described as Muselmänner.
Levi referred to them as follows: ,,an anonymous mass, continually renewed and always identical, of non-men who march and labour in silence, the divine spark dead within them, already too empty to really suffer. One hesitates to call them living: one hesitates to call their death death, in the face of which they have no fear, as they are too tired to understand.”
4.1.3. Last Supper
Nicolas Poussin’spainting, Last Supper, painted in 1647, superficially presents the theme of one of the most important evangelical scenes, but also in this case you can find a trail that refers to immortality. The figure of Jesus is presented in a characteristic way. His appearance is somewhat foggy. At the same time it is impossible to overlook his presence, but he gives the impression of being absent. As you can notice, the room where Jesus and His apostles are located is rather dark.Jesus, creating what can be called a magnetic field, illuminated the whole place. One can say that it is his soul that shows its power. Its manifestation may be related to what is about to come soon. This power contrasts with the figure of Jesus, which is faded, but the magnetic field seems very vivid.
4.1.4. Epic of Gilgamesh
In Epic of Gilgamesh it is not difficult to find a hidden plot about immortality or potential symbols that could refer to it, as it is constantly in the focus of the main character. According to one of the oldest stories of humanity, Gilgamesh wants to achieve eternal life. For this purpose, he decides to embark on an epic journey.
He learns about a flower that grows at the bottom of the ocean, which has the ability to restore youth.
Many try to dissuade him from this idea, people who have become immortal thanks to the gods warn Gilgamesh that it can take the joy of life away from him completely. Nevertheless, the hero decides to get it and finally achieves his goal. Soon afterwards, however, he loses his prey, as a result of which he eventually dies.
This epic was intended to show man’s eternal desire for immortality and the nonsense of such efforts.
4.1.5. Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilization
If we really want to explore the concept of immortality, the philosophy behind it, and the history of mankind in pursuit of it, it may be a good idea to reach for the book Immortality: The Quest to Live Forever and How It Drives Civilization 1st Edition by Stephen Cave.
According to the author, it is the constant search by humanity for a way to immortality that is the driving force behind civilization.
While reading, we may come across a number of questions that force us to reflect, for example, not only on whether eternal life is possible at all, but also whether man should strive for it. If it is possible, what is the right way to achieve it? The book forces us to think, for example, about how much man could actually live if he could fight all sorts of diseases, or how the resurrection of the dead by God could really look like. Stephen Cavealso contemplates what effect this would have on humanity if, in theory, earthly life were the only one we have. This item not only provides historical facts and makes you wonder, but also provides a lot of entertainment.
4.2. Pop Culture
4.2.1. Gone with the Wind
Gone with the wind contrasts Scarlett O’Harawith Melanie Hamilton. Scarlett is a person with extraordinary life force. She is extremely lively and unbreakable. She has a very strong character, a big ego, and there is nothing that could stop or frighten her. In addition, she is insensitive and selfish, but also cannot be denied cleverness. Even though it may seem that Scarlett has a great deal of vitality, her life force is suddenly completely lost. This is probably due to the fact that although she had a lot of energy and enthusiasm, she lacked a soul. Her opposite is Melanie, a girl who can be considered as an example of someone surrounding others with unselfish love and kindness. But she could not take control of her life, and compared to Scarlett her ego was really small. In addition, she was quite morbid and naive. But unlike Scarlett, her spirit was enormous, decisive and firm. Melanie was very spiritual, and her virtue and goodness was an inspiration for others.
4.2.1. Gone with the Wind
4.2.2. Harry Potter
Also in Harry Potter, which seems to be just a book or a film created and adapted for children, there are topics such as immortality, or more precisely the immortality of the soul. We can see it for ourselves in the scenes in which the Dementors appear. These are disturbing, sinister characters who appear in a place where they sense the presence of a person who currently experiences such feelings as misfortune or depression. The aim of Dementors is to kiss such a person so they can suck his or her soul out.
This experience was best described by Professor Remus Lupin: ,,You can exist without your soul, you know, as long as your brain and heart are still working. But you’ll have no sense of self anymore, no memory, no…anything. There’s no chance at all of recovery. You’ll just—exist. As an empty shell. And your soul is gone forever…lost.”
4.2.3. Altered Carbon
Altered Carbon is a series that can be watched on the Netflix streaming platform. We can see how humanity can actually exploit one of the possible ways to achieve immortality – connecting the mind to the computer. This is achieved through the use of certain types of modules, in which the consciousness of the person is located. The series not only deals with the subject of immortality superficially, but it also raises ethical issues. Although the action of this production takes place in the distant future of at least several hundred years, we can see some similarities with the presence. For example, Elon Muskis already working on a process of „sending thoughts”.Cybernetics may actually prove to be the key to immortality, not only in the series but also in real life.
4.3. Types of immortality in fiction
In fantasy many characters can be found who are, in their own way, immortal or strive for immortality. Pretty often you can come across a quote from many heroes that sounds more or less „I intend to live forever, or die trying.” Immortality does not always just mean life in which death naturally does not occur. In addition, a character can be absolutely immortal, semi-mortal, possess dependent immortality, selective immortality or an unrestrained body.
Interestingly, immortality can also be presented in fiction as a curse or a swear. Immortal characters often suffer because they watch as people close to them, who do not have the gift of immortality, pass away.
5. Immortality & parapsychology
Parapsychology was founded by JBS Rhinein the 1950s. The main purpose of this discipline is to show that afterlife exists on the basis of collected scientific evidence. It also tries to prove that the mind is not a material substance. To support this theory, it also seeks further proof, usually in the form of various paranormal phenomena. Although the popularity of this field has declined slightly in recent times, we can still come across various colleges and universities that deal with the subject of parapsychology or even have departments specifically dedicated to it.
5.1. Reincarnation
Let us focus on the first one at the beginning. Regressions from a previous life often manifest themselves when a person is hypnotized. However, the problem may be that instead of memories, the so-called cryptomnesia may occur – the revealed memories are actually memories from the present life.
People possess huge amounts of memories, but often do not remember part of them. Hypnosis can help to recall such a memory, but it can be misinterpreted as a memory from a previous incarnation.
Moreover, the hypnotizing person is also able to suggest and evoke false memories in the hypnotized person, which additionally makes the phenomenon lose its credibility. There is also the question of children who allegedly remember things from previous incarnations. Interestingly, some of them supposedly have knowledge which cannot be explained in any other way. Attempts have been made to investigate this anomaly, but everything is still not clear enough. The matter is also complicated by the fact that parents of children often contact the family of the deceased earlier than the researcher has the opportunity to investigate the case. This means that the child acquires new informationand it is difficult to distinguish which he or she knew before and which information was learned through the family of the person.
5.2. Presence of spirits
Spiritism is a religious movement that focuses on establishing contact with the souls of people who have already passed away from this world. The media through which it is said to have been able to communicate with the deceased are divided into two groups – physical and mental media.Physical media proved the presence of souls, as they were said to be the cause of various types of physical phenomena, such as raising the table or extinguishing lights. Over time, however, it has been proven that a significant percentage of physical media are simply scammers who have skillfully used various types of tricks.
This is different with mental media. Their communication with the souls of the deceased consisted in the temporary possession of their bodies by the soul of the person they wanted to contact, so they passed on information known only to the deceased.
Some people try to explain this by using the „cold reading” technique, which consists in quickly asking questions of people who are waiting for a reaction and information from the spirit, and on the basis of that person’s behaviour and his or her body language, mental media adjust the messages transmitted.
5.3. Electronic voice
According to some, the messages transmitted by souls could be received not only through the medium. Many parapsychologists were interested in the white noise that came from free radio stations and places where there was no one’s presence. In order to clarify the matter it was decided to register it. As it turned out, on some of the collected recordings, one could hear something that resembled human voices. Moreover, it seemed that some of them were constructing statements and wanted to tell something. One of the theories was that it is the souls of the dead who try to communicate with us in this way.Of course, not everyone considered similar assumptions seriously. According to skeptics this type of recording is not proof of life after death, but only of a strong desire to find something that would confirm it.
5.4. Clinical death
Occasionally we can hear about people who have experienced clinical death. This means that they have lost certain life parameters for some time, but after a while they returned again. People who have experienced a similar phenomenon declare that while they were theoretically dead, they have experienced extraordinary occurrences. First of all, most of them describe feeling a blissful peace at that moment. Some mention, for example, that they came out of their bodies and saw them from above, others talk about following the dark tunnel towards the light. You may also come across stories about meeting friends and family who had already passed away, and religious figures, or ones in which the person was once again watching the memories of his life. Of course, scientists have presented arguments as to why such feelings can be most probable from a scientific point of view.
The floating sensation may refer to being in amniotic acid as a fetus in the womb, while the tunnel and light at its end is supposed to resemble a birth canal.
Any kind of viewing of the characters can probably only be hallucinations caused by anoxia (lack of oxygen), while viewing memories of life can be caused by stimulation of neurons in the temporal lobes. In contrast to purely scientific explanations, parapsychologists believe that the experience of clinical death may be evidence of a certain type of life after death. This may explain the fact that some of the patients who experienced clinical death acquired information that could not be explained in any other way than that their soul or consciousness left the body and was conscious at that time.
5.5. Extrasensory perception
One of the best formulated experiments to prove the assumption of parapsychologists that individual people have extrasensory perception or ESP is the Ganzfeld experiment. It consists of selecting two people, person A and person B. Both people are placed in two separate booths. Person’ s A ears are covered with half a ping-pong ball and they listen for fifteen minutes to white noise, while person’ B receives one picture. After 15 minutes, person A gets three images and their task is to choose the one that person B had before.
Critics are of the opinion that the experiment is too imprecise and uncertain to be taken seriously. Moreover, they believe that the choice of the image is a matter of pure chance. For parapsychologists, however, these results are at least interesting. If some people would actually have a kind of extrasensory perception, this could serve as evidence that the mind is not synonymous with the brain, so dualism exists.
6. Potential solutions for achieving immortality
The fact that people are pursuing immortality is already obvious. But the question is, how will it be achieved? There are several ways that logically seem to have the greatest chance of success. At the moment, it is very difficult to determine exactly which one is worth focusing on more and which one will help us achieve this goal most quickly. The methods that are distinguished are very different, so each of them has its pros and cons, supporters and opponents. One can say that none of them is perfect. Nevertheless, it is very possible that one of them will revolutionize our life and prolong it infinitely.
6.1. Biohacking
Biohacking sounds like something related to computer piracy or online crime, but in practice it has nothing to do with it. In fact, it is a kind of philosophy and a set of recommendations according to which you can significantly delay the aging process and enjoy good health even in very old age. People using this type of practice are called biohackers. Biohackers are very optimistic, because in their opinion the only thing you need to do in order to achieve longevity is to introduce proper habits to your daily routine and eat healthy food.
For example, one of the most common, and at the same time one of the easiest recommendations for the average person is to take cold showers.
It sounds trivial, but even something seemingly so simple has a salutary effect, for example, on our immune system, helps us burn fat, properly train blood vessels to react or reduce inflammation. Of course, you can also come across much more extreme advice. Extreme biohackers can regularly consume prescription drugs only to delay aging. Others are convinced to try MDMA, a psychotic drug, to strengthen cognitive functions. Biohacking has developed to such an extent that in California we can even find cafes dedicated to this lifestyle. These are called Bulletproof and are located in Los Angeles and Santa Monica. The decoration of their interiors is impressive because inside we can find, among other things, special electromagnetic chairs that increase the blood flow for those who sit on them or light that changes during the day. The specialty of these places is coffee soaked in oil and served with butter, a biohacking elixir invented by a guru of biohacking, Dave Asprey. This man is famous for his many bold statements. Among other things, he claims that biohacking practices will allow him to reach the age of 180. Whether he will manage to live to such an old age will be revealed in the future.
6.2. Biological immortality
Ageing is a process that almost every living organism has to deal with. As ageing progresses, various types of unpleasant diseases, illnesses or health problems often appear. There may be a decrease in strength, the senses become less acute, fertility decreases, or an increase in the risk of mortality proportional to age. At least this is what old age looks like for the human species. However, there are species that do not have to worry about it because of the so-called negligible aging (NS).
Although these types of creatures age at a very slow pace or do not age at all, it does not mean that they are not immortal. They are still not immune to predation, disease, environmental threats or random events, so even in their case the number of individuals who have reached really old age is small. The very issue of determining age can also be problematic. It is very difficult to calculate the exact age of this type of organism, so it is very probable that they live even much longer than is currently believed.
The mere fact that there are animals that live for a significant amount of time can be a source of optimism that a human being may also manage to live up to the age of 200 years.
However, when this will be achieved, it is difficult to estimate. Whether this would be possible due to evolution is not known, but a number of actions are currently being taken to help it a little. One of them is, for example, the SENS project, thanks to which human aging would be negligible. It has also recently been discovered that a coenzyme called nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) helps to fight many diseases and helps to live longer in good health. NAD occurs in the human body, but its amount gradually decreases with age. The total absence of NAD means immediate death for a person. Scientists have therefore found a way to make up for the lack of this coenzyme in the future. Thanks to another molecule, NMN, we can stimulate the production of NAD in the body. A test was carried out on mice giving them NMN along with water.
After consuming it, the level of NAD in their bodies increased by up to 50%, their health results were much better, they could run up to twice as long and were resistant to radiation.
In addition, numerous works are being carried out on the regeneration of human tissue or manipulation of genetics. One of the most interesting cases is the construction of mini robots that could be introduced into the human body to kill germs or even rebuild bones. Such visions sound very futuristic, but can be closer than we realize.
6.3. Cryonics
Cryonics is a rather controversial topic. It is based on storing organisms at cryogenic temperatures to inhibit decay and metabolism. You can store entire human bodies as well as only the brains. The aim of this practice is to later „revive” the stored organisms, for example in a few decades, untouched. Cryonics can be chosen by people who doubt that the science of life extension is developing fast enough and do not believe that they will live long enough to see this moment. For this reason they make the decision to “stop time” for themselves and wake up in a probably more developed future that will find a way to deal with aging.
The methods used in the cryonics procedure are constantly being improved. One of the most modern processes is vitrification, which makes the body much less exposed to negative side effects such as damage to the cell structure by ice crystals.
6.4. Technological immortality
Technological immortality takes into account many ways to achieve an infinitely long life. Moreover, it seeks a solution in many different, sometimes completely different fields – microbiology, nanotechnology, regenerative medicine, genetics, or biological engineering, for example. There are many expert predictions about which of them will win the race to find a way to endless life.
6.5. Awareness interconnected with a computer
Combining the mind with the computer is quite a bold theory, certainly much more complicated than most of the presented ways to achieve immortality. It is supposed to work in such a way that the human consciousness, together with his memories and habits, is transferred to the computer. If there is such a desire, it will be possible to place it again in the human body, but this time new and manufactured. Hence, although the human body could still be mortal and as susceptible to any kind of illness or injury as it is now, consciousness would be immortal. It is assumed that for this purpose, it would be necessary to initially install appropriate equipment in the brain of the person in the body that originally belongs to that person. This would allow all necessary information to be downloaded.
If the transfer of consciousness to the computer would be successful, the person would no longer need the body for further existence.
A less optimistic variant of this idea is something like copying a person’s brain and simulating its thought processes and functioning on a computer. However, a copy would still be just a copy, and that would not solve the problem of mortality.
6.6. Cybernetics
Another proposed variant concerning immortal awareness and its transfer to devices is the use of robots. According to Dr. Pearson, in about 50 years’ time human consciousness will be in the cloud, but it can also be connected to any android in any corner of the world. This way we won’t have to worry about the condition of our original body, which will be damaged and decayed anyway, but we will have countless others at our disposal. We will be able to decide whether we want to take on the body of a young or old person, a woman or a man, and what characteristics of appearance will it have. Each person will be able to own no more than 2 or 3 models in order to prevent overpopulation and to protect the environment. Although at the beginning only the most rich of the rich will be able to afford such a solution, over time it will be a common option available even for the poorest.
7. The pursuit of immortality
The pursuit of immortality is not something that was invented by people living today. Since the dawn of time there have been attempts to find a way to prevent death. Looking back, some of the methods practiced may be questionable, but maybe the reaction will be the same for those that are now considered promising? So let’s look at the ideas our ancestors came up with and compare it with the actions taken today.
7.1. Attempts to achieve immortality in the past
One of the first attempts to prevent mortality was made by the first emperor of the united China, Qin Shi Huang. He wanted to rule his country forever, so he commissioned his subjects to make “the elixir of life”. Since their efforts were unsuccessful, he started looking for alternatives and began experimenting. He also started to consume various substances and potions, including those containing mercury sulfide. This highly toxic chemical compound eventually led to his premature death.
Elixirs of Life were indeed created, but not until the 19th century. They were widely available not only in pharmacies but also in bars. There was no single fixed recipe for them.
Usually they were concoctions, which today we would call a herbal preparation. In the 1930s there was a breakthrough discovery, as scientists demonstrated with the help of research on rats that limiting the number of calories consumed can significantly lengthen life. In the 1940s, interest in the notion of extending life on a wider scale began, which is why the Gerontological Societywas founded in 1945, issuing a magazine on the subject. All kinds of research on stopping the aging process reached its peak in the 80’s. This is when, among other things, the process of intercellular communication by means of signaling was discovered and the role of insulin in the context of aging was proven. The next discovery took place in 1990, when Daniel Rudmannoticed the influence of growth hormone on the ability to break down fat cells and the growth of new bone and muscle cells. The Human Genome Project, created in 2003, was supposed to be a response to the ailments and diseases directly related to aging, but it also failed to meet expectations.
7.2. Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence (SENS) project
Strategies for Engineered Negligible Senescence(SENS) is a project that identifies seven main causes of ageing. Its purpose is to discover solutions to overcome those issues. According to Aubrey de Gray, a researcher at the University of Cambridge and founder of the project, this goal will be achieved within 25 years. Thus, by 2045, we will have rid ourselves of all the burdens of old age. Other scientists are quite sceptical about his idea, but the man has a positive mind. Moreover, he claims quite bold theories, among other things, that innovations introduced within SENS will make it possible to prolong human life indefinitely. On the other hand, in order to keep the body in good condition and still enjoy impeccable health, it will be necessary to „refresh yourself” every about 10 years. You will have to undergo a number of tests and treatments which may last from one day to one month, but after such a visit in the hospital our body will be as healthy as a 20-year-old again.
7.3. Alcor
Alcor is one of the most famous cryonics organizations in the world. So far, its headquarters in Scottsdale, Arizona, contains 147 brains and bodies. All of them are to be revived in the future, but before that moment comes they are frozen in liquid nitrogen. However, the list does not end with 147 brains and bodies because many thousands of people from all over the world have already decided to give themselves up to Alcor after their death. Most of them are guided by the hope that this way they will survive until, thanks to the achievements of medicine and science, they will be turned back to life. To bring a person to Alcor, the doctor must be able to determine the patient’s death. Once the ice bath has been properly prepared, 16 medications are given to the deceased to prevent him from freezing, and then his temperature is reduced to zero. The patient’s head is then removed and the rest of the body is stored. This type of service is not cheap, as it is an expense of between $80000 to $200,000. In addition, according to the law, Alcor’s patients are bodies and organs passed on to science, so theoretically the company has no obligation to revive them. Despite this, Max More, the company’s CEO, takes the matter very seriously and declares that they will do everything they can to keep their patients’ promise.
8. The perspective of an infinitely long life
As we have found out, immortality can mean many things and can be understood in a variety of ways. We can remain immortal in someone’s memories, we can leave behind works of art that will also make us immortal in some way. These solutions, however, will not ensure that our consciousness lasts forever. Examples of methods to provide real immortality can be to send our consciousness to a computer or to the cloud.
But let’s put these dilemmas aside. Let’s assume that our life may not be infinitely long, but the average life expectancy is no longer about 70 years, but 200. Won’t even those 200 years spent on the Earth simply be boring? To prevent this, a person would have to change jobs many times, constantly acquire new skills, constantly gain new experience, and would also have a chance to wait for his great-great-great-great-grandchildren. If people lived longer, logically speaking, fewer people would die, so the population would grow. The question may arise, will there be enough jobs? Will the state economies be able to support these people, provide them with proper care, high living standards? If we look at it from the perspective that older people are likely to enjoy great health, a lot of money will be saved, and it can be further transferred to research, education or environmental protection. Anyway, people who are currently children will find that out. As predicted, most of them will live to the age of over 100 years.