Conflict and Rebirth in Human Transcendence and Future Technology: UK Author Martin Higgins' Newly Published "Human +" Proves Invigorating and Disturbing

LEDGEWOOD, NJ, September 12, 2012 (Press-News.org) Drawing from the disciplines of transhuman enhancement, future studies, the paranormal, and high technology, British author Martin Higgins explores the dichotomy of our natural paranormal powers versus those headed our way via future science in his evocative and thought-provoking science fiction work, "Human +", now available in ebook format on Amazon.com.

Higgins is a friend and colleague of UK author and binary mind theorist Anthony Peake, and many of Peake's themes of the duality of the human psyche and the innerent conflict of human endeavors versus human transcendence are echoed.

Higgins also probes the meaning of human existence and the alienation that those with natural psychic powers feel in the face of a coldly-ordered technocratic society. He poses a question: How to balance the yearnings of the human psyche with its potential manipulation by power and profit-driven techno-scientists?

The implications for the future are both disturbing and exhilarating:

In the novel, a New York City heroin addict named David discovers his own latent psychic powers - in this case, remote viewing. A psychiatrist who has worked with him on his substance abuse and addictions now taps into these powers and involves him in a future studies agency.

Funded by a billionaire venture capitalist, this agency named "Future Proof" is involved in trans-human enhancement involving life extension, brain networking, and future wealth. But its nature is dubious, and there is a hidden agenda of domination and control.

From a review by renowned science writer and technology expert Giulio Prisco:

"...Such advanced technology may be developed in a couple of decades, transforming us into a "telepathic" species. But what if we already have "natural" psychic abilities, emergent properties of quantum-entangled neurons, waiting to be unlocked by appropriate training?

Or both? Can transhumanist human enhancement and the paranormal abilities co-exist? Or are they on an inescapable collision course?

These are some of the questions that U.K.-based writer and journalist Martin Higgins sets out to explore in his novel Human+, a just-published science-fiction page-turner inspired by of futures studies, psychic spy research, and the transhumanist movement.

Adapted from a movie script, the novel combines reality-warping and edge-of-your seat action scenes reminiscent of Wild Palms, Vanilla Sky, and The Bourne spy series.

"Singularity or Spirituality?"

I am persuaded that advanced transhumanist technologies will bring very radical change, someday soon. For example, early technologies similar to Thetis' smartdust and brain-computer interfaces are already emerging from the research labs. I am less persuaded of naturally occurring psychic abilities and otherworldly realms. But I hope to be wrong, because these things would also be cool -- very cool.

If both the Singularity and transcendent psychic abilities are on the horizon, I would totally agree with Dr. Wharton's dictum: "Who's to say the two can't develop together -- technology and human potential -- perhaps should develop together?"

Human+ has KurzweilAI readers directly in its bullseye. I highly recommend it for its thought-provoking reading pleasure -- and I look forward to seeing Human+ the movie."

http://www.kurzweilai.net/book-review-human-smartdust-spooks-psychics ... rettyPhoto

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