Transferring human Consciousness into Digital Entities for Immortality
Creators: name: CA, RYN
Publisher: name: figshare
Year: 2025
Subjects: classificationCode: 469999
subject: Other information and computing sciences not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 319999
subject: Other biological sciences not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 329999
subject: Other biomedical and clinical sciences not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 509999
subject: Other philosophy and religious studies not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 489999
subject: Other law and legal studies not elsewhere classified
classificationCode: 500311
subject: Philosophical psychology (incl. moral psychology and philosophy of action)
classificationCode: 449999
subject: Other human society not elsewhere classified

description: The project <i>"Synthetic Eternity: Transferring Human Consciousness into Digital Entities for Immortality"</i> by Ryn-Al, an independent researcher, is a speculative yet scientifically informed thesis exploring the feasibility, mechanisms, and implications of mind uploading—transferring human consciousness into digital platforms to achieve digital immortality. Published in April 2025, it integrates neuroscience, AI, robotics, philosophy, ethics, and law to provide a structured framework for this transhumanist pursuit.Key Objectives and ScopeThe project aims to assess the plausibility of mind uploading through two primary methods: <b>scan-and-copy</b> (destructive high-resolution brain scanning and digital reconstruction) and <b>gradual neural replacement</b> (replacing biological neurons with synthetic ones over time). It examines the technological, philosophical, and ethical challenges while proposing practical tools, ethical frameworks, and a roadmap for implementation.Major Contributions<b>Technological Innovations</b>:<b>Digital Consciousness Fidelity Index (DCFI)</b>: A novel metric to evaluate the success of consciousness transfer, combining structural fidelity (40%), cognitive-emotional continuity (35%), and information recall accuracy (25%). A DCFI score ≥0.85 indicates strong continuity.<b>Error-Correction Algorithm</b>: A deep learning-based algorithm for high-resolution brain image stitching, reducing connectome reconstruction errors by up to 20%.<b>Adaptive Synthetic Neurons</b>: Neuromorphic units mimicking biological neurons with real-time plasticity, designed for gradual replacement to maintain consciousness continuity.<b>Mechanisms Explored</b>:<b>Scan-and-Copy</b>: Involves scanning the brain at a sub-neuronal level, reconstructing it digitally, but raises concerns about identity continuity as it creates a replica rather than a continuation.<b>Gradual Replacement</b>: Replaces neurons incrementally with synthetic analogues, aiming to preserve subjective experience, though challenges include biocompatibility and potential functional mismatches.<b>Philosophical Analysis</b>:Engages with theories like Locke’s Memory Theory and Parfit’s Psychological Continuity to debate whether a digital mind retains the original identity.Addresses the "hard problem of consciousness" (qualia) and proposes a hybrid test combining behavioral equivalence and connectome fidelity to assess digital consciousness.<b>Ethical and Legal Frameworks</b>:Proposes a <b>Digital Personhood Charter</b> granting digital entities rights like autonomy, data privacy, and digital euthanasia.Suggests a <b>Neurological Data Protection Act (NDPA)</b> and blockchain-based consent registries to ensure ethical handling of neural data.Highlights risks like social inequality (e.g., only the wealthy accessing immortality) and digital suffering, advocating for equitable access and ethical oversight.<b>Case Study (Arun)</b>:A fictional scenario of Arun, a 39-year-old with a neurodegenerative disorder, undergoing gradual neural replacement over five years.Post-transfer, Arun achieves a DCFI score of 0.83 (strong continuity) but experiences emotional latency, memory drift, and social alienation, illustrating the gap between technical success and experiential parity.<b>Implementation Roadmap</b>:<b>2025-2030</b>: Foundational research (e.g., mouse connectomes, BCI advancements), draft ethical charters.<b>2030-2040</b>: Partial human emulation trials, legal recognition of emulated entities.<b>2040-2050</b>: Full-brain simulation prototypes, validation of DCFI.<b>2050-2065</b>: Non-destructive uploads, integration of digital citizens into society with voting and labor rights.Challenges and Insights<b>Technological Hurdles</b>: Massive computational requirements, sub-synaptic imaging limitations, and data storage (e.g., 1 exabyte per brain) remain barriers.<b>Philosophical Uncertainty</b>: Whether qualia can exist in digital substrates is unresolved, with embodied cognition theories questioning the separation of mind from body.<b>Ethical Concerns</b>: Risks of digital suffering, identity duplication, and societal divides necessitate robust legal and ethical frameworks.<b>Key Insight</b>: Mind uploading is not just a technical challenge but a profound redefinition of human identity, requiring interdisciplinary collaboration and ethical foresight.ConclusionThe project underscores that while digital immortality is a distant goal, its exploration pushes the boundaries of science, technology, and human identity. It calls for empirical validation of tools like the DCFI, ethical governance, and public engagement to ensure that the pursuit of synthetic eternity uplifts humanity rather than divides it.