E127| Are We Human Yet? DMTx & the Future of Consciousness | Carl Hayden Smith in dialogue with Cameron Duffy
With influence from philosophy and psychonautic experience, this dialogue explores the forking path of humanity’s relation with technology. One way proposes hyperhumanism, which seeks to enhance humanity through the mindful use of technology. The other, transhumanism, promises 'transcendence' as an escape from the lack in humanity. Welcoming hyperhuman theorist Carl Hayden Smith and philosopher and Voicecraft member Cam Duffy.
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AI Gen & Edited Shownotes
04:40 - Exploring Hyperhumanism and Humanity
Tim Adalin introduces the central theme of the podcast, posing the provocative question, “Are we human yet?” This segment kicks off a deep dive into hyperhumanism, a concept championed by Carl Hayden Smith, which reframes technology as a tool to enhance innate human abilities rather than replace them. The discussion sets the stage for exploring what it means to be fully human in a tech-saturated world, questioning whether modern distractions have distanced us from our core humanity.07:20 - Technology’s Impact on Human Flourishing
Carl Hayden Smith critiques the dehumanizing effects of poorly designed technology, like smartphones, which he argues “zombify” users by monopolizing attention and reducing human connection. He highlights the rise of centers for human flourishing, suggesting a cultural recognition of our struggle to thrive. The conversation touches on transhumanism’s push to transcend the “messy meat space” versus hyperhumanism’s focus on embracing and enhancing our embodied existence.13:25 - Indigenous Wisdom and Spatial Awareness
Drawing from indigenous perspectives, Carl emphasizes the importance of spatial awareness and connection to the land, contrasting this with modern reliance on GPS and digital tools that atrophy our natural navigational skills. He shares insights from his recent trip to Cairo’s Biogeometry Institute, exploring how sound and shape influence our environment, and recounts a power outage in London that sparked community resilience, underscoring the value of presence and connection.21:59 - Connection and the Archaic Revival
Cam Duffy invokes Terrence McKenna’s concept of an “archaic revival,” suggesting hyperhumanism involves reconnecting with primal, communal roots rather than over-relying on technology. The discussion explores how hyperindividualism and extractive capitalism fuel disconnection, contrasting this with a call to embrace interdependence and face the transience of life, challenging the denial of death inherent in some transhumanist ideologies.29:21 - Technology Use and Consciousness
Carl shares practical strategies for mindful technology use, like limiting phone interactions to avoid “zombification.” He introduces the “Forest” app, which gamifies digital detox by growing a virtual tree (and planting real ones) when users abstain from their devices. The segment emphasizes balancing technology with practices like Vipassana meditation to cultivate altered traits over fleeting altered states, aligning with hyperhumanism’s focus on sustainable growth.42:41 - Transcendence and Psychedelic Experiences
The conversation shifts to transcendence, with Carl recounting his DMTX experiments at Imperial College, where he experienced profound ontological shifts under brain scans. He describes encounters with benevolent entities in hyperspace, reflecting on the balance between exploring these realms and grounding oneself in human experience. Cam connects this to David Bohm’s implicate order, exploring how such experiences expand our understanding of being.54:37 - Entities and Transcendent States
Delving deeper into psychedelic encounters, Carl discusses the ambiguous nature of entities met during DMT experiences—whether archetypes, higher selves, or independent beings. He reflects on their benevolence and occasional frustration with repeated human visits, emphasizing the need for respect and integration. The segment explores how these experiences inform hyperhumanism’s goal of expanding consciousness without escaping humanity.01:02:21 - Transjective Approach to Hyperhumanism
Carl proposes a “transjective” approach, moving beyond the binary of hyperhumanism versus transhumanism to find a synthesis that respects both human potential and technological innovation. Cam highlights the risk of disrupting transcendent realms through casual or extractive approaches, like DMTX, and the importance of maintaining balance to avoid “colonizing” these spaces, drawing parallels to Japan’s hikikomori phenomenon.01:13:46 - Stages of Consciousness and Holomorphism
Drawing on Jean Gebser’s stages of consciousness (archaic, magic, mythic, mental, integral), Carl and Cam explore how hyperhumanism aligns with an integrative, aperspectival worldview. Cam introduces holomorphism as a process of whole-making through transformation, connecting it to the interplay of love and strife in pre-Socratic philosophy. This segment ties the discussion to the broader evolution of human consciousness.01:23:27 - Creating Beautiful Contexts
Tim wraps up by reflecting on the podcast’s theme of crafting meaningful contexts for human connection and creativity. He ties hyperhumanism to the idea of shaping environments—internal and external—that foster beauty and participation. The segment concludes with gratitude for the dialogue and an invitation to continue exploring these ideas through future collaborations, emphasizing the multi-generational impact of hyperhuman practices.Keywords
hyperhumanism, consciousness, technology, community, human experience, indigenous wisdom, resilience, transcendence, self-discovery, connection, integration, reflection, travel, healing, transhumanism, legacy, community
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Carl Hayden Smith is Associate Professor of Media in the School of Arts & Creative Industries at UEL and is the former Head of Research and Director of the Learning Technology Research Centre (LTRC) at the Institute for Creativity & Technology, Ravensbourne University London.
Raising over £10 million in research funding, he has led numerous teams on large-scale international projects including Erasmus+, FP7, Horizon 2020, Innovate UK and the XPRIZE. His research focuses broadly on the relationship between technology and the human condition. Carl is developing ‘Hyperhumanism’ which reframes technology as a catalyst for developing our own innate human abilities. His other research interests include Embodied Cognition, Spatial Literacy, Context Engineering, Umwelt Hacking, Natural Media, Sensory Augmentation, Extended Senses and Embodiment. His additional projects include AR4EU (Code Reality), Hobs Academy, and Holotechnica. He is also co-founder of the Cyberdelic Society and founder of the Museum of Consciousness. He has given over 300 public lectures, conference presentations and keynotes across 60 countries and published more than 50 academic papers.
The Museum of Consciousness:
The Cyberdelic Society:
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Cameron has spent his adult lifetime exploring the nature of being, healing, and human possibility through the transformation of consciousness. He discovered the non-dual potential of conscious experience during his early adult development and has been focused on the scientific, alchemical, and embodied philosophies that bind the nature of consciousness with the meaning making journey. Cam is otherwise dedicated to re-vitalising modern psychiatric culture and psychedelic integration by synergizing an awareness of the sacred with harmonic modes of relationship and practice.
Cam is also a core member of the Voicecraft Network.
You can connect with Cam for transformative counselling work @ https://www.capsychointegration.health/
And discover his set to launch Apotheosis Academy @ https://www.apotheosis.academy/
Apotheosis Academy was developed with the aim of providing the most integrated and transformative education and training experience for the next generation of initiates dedicated to embodied wisdom and the highest practice standards in psychedelic spaces.
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Tim is the founder of Voicecraft and a philosopher with a focus on the relation between participation and transformation. You can connect with Tim individually @ https://www.timadalin.xyz
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Voicecraft conversations deepen how the world is known across themes of psyche, culture and nature.
The Voicecraft Project is comprised of a media & events platform, academy, and participatory membership network.
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