LONGEVITY EXPERIMENTS: IMPROVING ON
CREATION OR MADNESS?
Do you really want to live forever?
All
writers use common tricks to catch a reader’s attention. You either rope them in with an intriguing
title or with a few suspenseful paragraphs.
Writers know; lose them on the first page and you will have lost them
forever. Where is he going with this? Is
this a religious tome? A tale filled
with suspense? Have I caught your
attention?
Where is he going with this?
What
provided the germ for this article? What
inspired it? Besides writing, I do read
a lot and I must admit that I am always intrigued by books that hint at some
kind of revelation, a secret revealed, stories packed with ancient history that
fuel our endless fascination with things that are supposedly lost; ancient
mysteries that beg to be found and revealed.
And…each time I get suckered into yet another tale that promises a lot
but delivers very little in the end.
After whatever is lost, and then found after an epic struggle with
nefarious factions hell-bent on keeping the secret for themselves, it usually
turns out that an important detail is still missing—hence the need for a
sequel—or, as the elusive subject is tantalizingly close and within
reach—a last minute disaster destroys
the much coveted object forever.
Beware of all writers!
“Oops,
I guess I am one of them!”
And
where can some of these secrets be found?
It usually starts with a book, written in a lost ancient language, left
behind by obscure societies that once upon a time purportedly possessed magical
powers and potions. Usually, the one and
only remaining copy, is either secreted away in the Vatican archives or
protected by an elusive cabal in a monastery that is housed on top of a
mountain in an area out of bounds to foreigners. The protagonists are usually white males with
incredible sexual appetites and stamina and impervious to bullets and
attacks. There is usually a female to
counterbalance the male testosterone that oozes from the pages. As a reader I sometimes experience near real
physical exhaustion after ten or more harrowing pages filled with wild escapes
and much leaping and dodging. The only
thing that usually disappoints is the ending.
Most are rather slippery, anticlimactic and disappointing. But there is a reason why those books
continue to stir our imagination. Let’s
face it, wouldn’t it be neat if something of real value was actually discovered
and shared with the world?
Do we really know what we really want?
And…what
is the most coveted secret that most of these authors are after in their
novels? Most of their books deal with
immortality. The secret to eternal life,
or at least, living a heck of a lot longer than we presently do. And not only living longer, but a better kind
of life, a life free from disease and debilitating ailments. The Elixir of Life. The Holy Grail. The Philosopher’s Stone. The writers of these magical and adventurous
thrillers love to delve into ancient lore, magical potions and spells,
mysterious and rare medicinal plants or a well containing a chemical that
restores and rejuvenates human cells.
The possibilities are virtually endless.
We
are so enamored by the potential, or is it fooled, by the lure of buried and
lost treasure, especially those that hold so much promise. This is my narrative about our fascination, our
obsession, with living longer and better lives. On our planet there are animals and plants
that can reach a lifespan of two hundred years or more. There are trees that can live thousands of
years. And not all of these creatures
are tiny. The Bowhead whale can live
more than two hundred years and the Giant sequoia tree, barring natural
disaster and a sharp axe, can survive well beyond three thousand years. But…would you like to trade places with
either to live a bit longer? If a sense
of awareness is present in all living species, no matter how limited, would a
Giant sequoia be tickled pink about being firmly rooted to the same spot for
let’s say four thousand years? Would you
like to trade places with the Galapagos Giant tortoise that can live up to two
hundred years? You’re not stuck like a
tree and instead you trudge around the islands for a very long time, nibbling
on a steady diet of greens and even mating on occasion.
We cannot undo what we have turned
into.
Whether
we call it creation, evolution or creation by design, all of it has been rather
even handed in regards to life in general.
All lifeforms follow the same predictable pattern. Life starts out small, either as a seed or an
egg. Nearly all lifeforms show a huge
initial burst of growth, until maturity is reached and then the inevitable
decline sets in. Cells no longer divide,
or divide less rapidly, and an ageing process takes over.
Perhaps
the secret of life lies in its imperfection, limited in lifespan and rife with
obstacles and disappointment, but perhaps the best way to preserve the
integrity of species? Perfection might render a species obsolete. The struggle has been ongoing for billions of
years and all life on earth follows a similar pattern. Therefore it begs the question, is there
order in all that chaos? A purpose? Why do we bother with improving on something
that is perhaps best left alone?
Intelligence has given us an edge over
all others.
There
is however one species that would like to alter the natural flow of things…and
now we’re talking about selective design and manipulation…with only one
particular species in mind. Humans. You and I.
Would this actually be a desirable endeavor? A worthwhile pursuit? It is a question I would like to put to all
of you who are reading this. I have no
personal bias. No preference. I am not hung up on any theories. However, we rarely talk about the concept of
either an eternal physical life or a spiritual one. What does it really mean? What would it entail? Have we ever honestly sat down and pondered
the consequences. Is this one of
those—beware what you wish for—issues?
There
is not a single other species on our planet involved in this elusive chase for
the elixir of life—reversing, slowing down or even stopping the ageing
process. And not only ageing, but the
removal of all diseases and ailments that currently affect so many.
Is
there merit in these experiments? Is the
current process not only natural, but something to be desired in the overall
grand scheme of life? Because of a
consciousness and awareness that we can readily share with each other, we seem
to think that we are not only far superior than other species: We have also evolved with a sense of
entitlement, a perception, that we are not only better, but more deserving and
therefore we can act differently and at the expense of other species and the
planet all of us depend upon for survival.
In
this narrative I will put forward some persnickety questions and observations
that will hopefully pique your interest as well. Once the germ of this tale took hold in my
mind I couldn’t stop thinking about it and contemplating the ramifications if
we seriously pursued immortality.
Because let’s face it—if your goal is three to four hundred years, why
not even longer! Whether we like it or
not, we will never stop exploring and pushing the boundaries. Our natural sense of curiosity will never
limit itself unless we’re done in by its consequences. And that is not so farfetched either. I am reminded of one great line I came across
a few decades ago: All superior
intelligence is inherently self-destructive and therefore any attempt to alter
its course is futile. By the time we
actually uncover the key to longevity we may have exhausted and depleted the
natural bounty and resources of planet Earth.
Even ‘eternal’ bodies need nourishment.
There
are a host of questions that simply leap from every page and there is no doubt
in my mind that you will have many of your own.
Why live longer? Why eternal
life, in physical or spiritual form?
What is the lure? Why even
consider it? In my humble opinion,
eternity in whatever form, is a nightmare.
Can boredom be genetically erased?
Feel
free to comment or share. wbes6646@gmail.com
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