Meditators seek spirituality via cutting influence of brain's default net. Yet many fear ems losing moral value via losing human features, & cutting default net is plausible path. So are ems w/ less default net spiritual ideals, or empty of moral value? https://www.overcomingbias.com/2018/02/how-human-are-meditators.html …
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Replying to @robinhanson
There are certainly conceptions of Buddhism in which the goal is to eliminate sentience, with the complicated meditation part being necessary because if you straightforward died you would just reincarnate. I agree this destroys moral value (cont)
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Replying to @slatestarcodex @robinhanson
I think there may be other conceptions of enlightenment that are different than this, although Buddhists have done a terrible job of explaining them. If they are different than this, I think they may be worthwhile and preserve moral value. See http://slatestarcodex.com/2017/09/18/book-review-mastering-the-core-teachings-of-the-buddha/ … for more
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Replying to @slatestarcodex @robinhanson
In general, I think you're probably operating on too coarse a level here. Hearing a beautiful symphony and taking heroin might both "activate the reward center", but maybe not in the exact same way, and maybe doing other things too. Not hypocritical to like one, hate other.
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Replying to @slatestarcodex
If it’s all complex & some cuts of default net good & others bad, I don’t see how u can confidently say em cuts will be bad. Only a generic fear that cuts might be bad. But all change MIGHT be bad.
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Replying to @robinhanson
I think I am much more confident about the moral value of specific human-comprehensible actions than changes to brain networks. When you describe the changes you think ems will have, I judge them more negatively than some vague alteration of default network.
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Replying to @slatestarcodex @robinhanson
Part of what I meant by the "coarseness" objection is that I am less convinced than you that the changes you are suggesting to ems perfectly match disabling brain's default network in some clear way.
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Replying to @slatestarcodex @robinhanson
I predict if you just disable the default network, with no other changes, the resulting person is completely dysfunctional, maybe comatose, and has various bizarre neurological symptoms.
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When you talk about goal-directed brain editing, then I think of it more in terms of the goal you're claiming than about any particular neurological correlates you think might happen. I am not sure why you think saying "default network" should change my intuitions about this goal
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Replying to @slatestarcodex @robinhanson
Sam knows more about both Buddhism and neuroscience than I do and probably has better-informed opinions on this.
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