By Link Daniel
Original Publication Date: January 21, 2021
Abstract
A decentralized brain computer network would allow anyone in the world to participate in exploring the frontier of the brain while creating a strong forcing function to accelerate the number of neurons we can currently interface with. A network of peer-to-peer brain computers would empower individuals to own the data that would flow between brains and computers. By creating a network of open, permissionless protocols for brain computers, a diverse set of stakeholders will govern and guide its future. Virtual dreams as a novel medium could become an alternative reality to explore the nature of reality and accelerate progress in the mind sciences. Other brain computer applications could be developed as tools for individuals to heal and liberate themselves and others.
Introduction
When Satoshi Nakamoto published the Bitcoin whitepaper in 2008, presenting a solution backed by code to an old computer science problem, he was able to create the foundation for an alternative system to the legacy financial system. Thanks to cryptographic breakthroughs that have been made over the last few decades, the leaders who built on Satoshi’s shoulders continue and expand upon her legacy by building an alternative, decentralized financial network. In a similar vein, there have been tremendous scientific breakthroughs in the world of neuroscience. We are witnessing the birth of brain computer interfaces and the beginnings of the brain as a frontier. The brain’s great frontier is itself. We can now take steps to catalyze this neuro revolution by creating an alternative system which will accelerate our understanding of the brain and allow us to answer long-standing questions about consciousness itself.
In order to ensure that the light of consciousness stays on and the journey of humanity continues with its sense of exploration, curiosity and wonder as it has for the past centuries, we must build tools that allow us to journey inward. We will not solve some of our most important existential problems until we are able to come together and coordinate more effectively. In order to prevent historical loops of self-destruction, we need to increase our collective levels of consciousness. We must explore the true nature of reality and create tools to liberate ourselves from the infinite loops that run our lives.
We will create virtual dreams as a novel medium through an open and permissionless network in order to guarantee that dreams as they become virtual will be in the hands of the individual. Virtual dreams represent a novel mental model and means of expression by connecting to the subconscious part of ourselves.
In order to create a new world, we need to empower individuals to see themselves and the world with new eyes. This starts with seeing ourselves and the world differently on an individual, local level. It starts with having awareness about the many loops that govern our reality. Only when an individual knows how to break the infinite loops that run their reality can we say that the individual has attained liberty. If we are not free from mental afflictions and continue to suffer in myriad ways, we are unable to enjoy the material wealth that we have created for ourselves. If we rely on dependencies to make us feel better temporarily, we only look out the window toward freedom but never open the door and go through it.
Since we began exploring the world, we have embarked on a journey of outward exploration. We have created material wealth for the ordinary person that kings and queens of past centuries could only dream of. For most of history we have been on a search for the expansion of matter and it has unleashed material progress that we have never seen in history. This journey continues as we yearn to continue our search amongst the stars and start civilizations on other planets. The dream to go to Mars is becoming reality.
Looking at the core of this exploration, the premise upon which this reality rests is that consciousness is a derivative of matter. And yet what if this is not true? If matter is merely a derivative of consciousness, then another journey awaits that will take us into into the opposite direction, the journey inward, of exploring the brain and beyond that the mind to ultimately discover the true nature of reality. There is already an alternative reality emerging and becoming visible if we pay attention and stay present to every moment. It has existed for a long time in plain sight and has eluded most of mankind throughout its history despite its search for answers to existential questions about life itself.
If we take a look at the progress of games over the last few decades, we can appreciate where we are heading. From the Gameboy to open world games to massively multiplayer online games, games have constantly improved over the last few decades resembling reality ever more. The day will come when games will surpass reality and we will improve upon them in ways we cannot imagine today. We already live in a world that offers virtual and augmented reality devices. Tomorrow we will have brain computer interfaces powerful enough to create virtual worlds in which we will experience reality through an avatar that will feel more real than reality.
If we take a look at dreams they could become the symbol of this virtual world. For centuries dreams have been important in religions and cultures around the world, yet we have arrived in a world today, where we think dreams impart no meaning. We think of them as unreal and we usually forget them the minute we wake up. We lose our awareness while asleep and forget what happens between falling asleep and waking up. We feel that dreams have no value. And yet what if dreams are our vehicle to this new world. We invented and evolved film, music and games into rich mediums of communication. They are part of our language and we could not imagine living without them. They help us to communicate our feelings and what we want to express to others. They have become part of our culture. It is only natural that as we build better technology we will evolve the media of today and build something that is even richer and more immersive than what came before.
Despite the vast progress we have made in history so far, this frontier is waiting to be explored. It asks us to look elsewhere, not outward, but inward. It is remarkable that despite the material progress we have made, we are at the beginning of exploring what still seems an invisible frontier. It may be counterintuitive but the brain’s next great frontier is itself. Just as there is no limit as we look out to the stars and onto other planets, there is no limit to human imagination. We are at the beginning of discovering the true nature of reality. We need to look inward to finally find the answers to understand ourselves and dreams will be our vehicle to explore this new reality.
The purpose of this paper is to create a map for virtual dreams and the decentralized brain computer protocol. We will release other papers in the future that will share implementations and frameworks of what this paper only outlines in theory. There are many pieces to this puzzle and as we progress we will provide more answers. Ultimately, we need to demonstrate that we can build the network not only in theory, but in reality.
Full paper originally hosted at: https://network.fund/network.pdf
Proof of publication on Arweave: https://app.ardrive.io/#/file/23d9e668-d48d-4a38-bce8-30b064001668/view
Alternative PDF of full whitepaper: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VgjS5VBagiwwvDOZZezC4sVYwJ0G2brP/view
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