Thoughts on a hive mind

[KraytKing]

Some questions related to Zor's recent topic:

A consciousness spread across multiple minds, multiple bodies, would doubtless experience the world very differently than an individual. How would it experience sensations? Ordinarily, it is difficult to shut off unwanted perceptions of the world, such as the pain of a burn; doing so requires years of training. How would this pain be perceived if it is experienced by one mind among dozens? Thousands? I would guess, as the number of shared minds grows, the sensations experienced dilute. But if this is true, then as a hive grows, it becomes useless. A one million strong mind may not be able to sense the world around it, simply because all perceptions are so individually tiny. Perhaps it works as we believe insects do: a hive would be able to detect sensations, but with detachment. A body being shot would not register pain, but damage. However, this leads to another question: how is pleasure perceived? A joke might soon become simply clinically recognized as funny, with no emotional reaction. An excellent steak might become simply sustenance.

What of friendships? Would friends become just as clinical, just the same means to an end?

I myself am a bit lazy. I dislike exercise, and so rarely partake. If I were to become a hive mind, would that laziness spread? Would the sensation of discomfort in exercise lessen if I had another body watching television at the time?

Lastly, what of worldly experience? Using Zor's scenario, each copy of you would be the smartest human alive within a few years, let alone a few centuries. I can easily see this being self-destructive. Too much pondering, and you decide there is no point in continued existence. With over a thousand copies pondering at once, I can't imagine that would take very long.


General thoughts?

[Ender]

You are a hive mind.

Each hemisphere of your brain can run it's own persona - can run multiple personas. Apply the right amount of anesthesia in the right way, slow down the latency between the portions doing the thinking, and "you" de-cohere into new people. Those personas can have their own radically different personality traits and quirks depending on how the chunk of brain they are running on is tied in to the whole - be more charming and gregarious, or aggressive and sullen, or even report sensory deprivation. Take those artificial barriers out and those people are subsumed into the aggregate "you" once again.

Brain's are weird

[KraytKing]

Brain's are weird

Agreed.


I had a discussion on this subject in person last night, came up with some new thoughts. Now, everyone has different types of person making up who they are. With a hive mind, its interesting to think if every facet of your personality manifested in a different body. For instance, a healthy portion of MY constituent bodies would be total assholes, a few would be wildly successful ladies' men, and one or two would be kind, empathetic individuals.

Another thought, somewhat related: would drugs fuck up every body, or just the one? The actual hallucinations, highs, etc, would only be felt by one, of course. But would one body becoming a junkie get every copy of you addicted? Would you be addicted, but only need to use one body at a time?


Finally, love. If you fall in love with someone, it would affect your mind across all bodies equally. Would it be cheating for you to be with someone else with another body? Would all of your bodies be so madly in need of contact, thus sending thousands of starry-eyed suitors after a single unlucky girl? Strange thoughts are these.