Mindful Cyborg
A mindful cyborg is someone who uses technology as an extension of their values and as a means to enhance their physical and mental capacity while also maintaining a deep sense of self-awareness and mindfulness.
Mindful
Growing up nonbinary and neurodivergent, I developed an unrequested mindfulness at an early age due to hypersensitivity to my body, thoughts, and environment.
Through books, music, and my environment, I learned to slow down the world. In the early 2010s, technology reshaped my body and life, leading me deeper into myself and the machines.
Time spent at silent retreats, Shambhala Buddhism meetings, and escaping painful relationships allowed me to find a new meaning of mindfulness. Today my mindfulness has spilled over into esoterism and only deepened with time.
Cyborg
Technology was an escape for me from the video games of the 70s to CD players and computers in the 80s. Learning to embed myself deep into technology, from my first initials on a Ms. PacMan screen to my first spreadsheet documenting my Michael Jackson collection in 1984.
Even through the darkest parts of my 20s and 30s, technology was always there to remind me who I was and what I valued.
By the time I turned 40 in 2008 and leaned completely into wearable technology and home sensors, I fully understood that I had been and will always be Cyborg.
Mindful Cyborg
Being a mindful cyborg has helped me extend my humanity beyond my physical and mental capacity by embracing technology as an extension of my values.
OVERVIEW
Mindful Cyborg
The combination of people becoming cybernetic and the heavy focus on mindfulness to deal with the acceleration of life is creating a new mixture of hybrids. Welcome to the age of the Mindful Cyborg.
The Mindfulness Revolution
For nearly forty years, the mindfulness revolution has slowly taken over humankind. As technology is intertwined with this revolution, we are starting to see a lack of division between the two worlds, where our machines take "power naps" while our bodies continue to burn out.
Cyborg Revolution
Since the early 70s, our technology has slowly evolved around and unto us. We are entering the last decade of people who will be able to transition between roles.
CHRISTORY
🕊️ FINDING MINDFULNESS
Growing up with a father who was violent and abusive made finding peace in the 1980s really hard for me as a young teen. But I found refuge in the little professor bookstore at Carrolltown Mall in Eldersburg, Maryland. I would sneak down to the self-help section and read books about everything people did to quiet their lives.
Before I was even in high school, I was devouring books like "Creative Visualization" by Shakti Gawain, "The Road Less Traveled" by Scott Peck, and "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance." Michael Jackson filled my room during the day, and on weekends, when no one was home, I would binge on "New Age" Japanese artist Kitaro. At night, I would tune into classical tunes on AM radio and listen quietly to fall asleep. By the end of the decade, I would visit Sam Goody to find CDs of nature sounds like rain and thunderstorms to fill my room with ambient nature sounds.
I learned to burn incense and candles to lower the sensitivity to a home filled with noise, light, and violence. It was a tough journey, but it brought me to mindfulness and the practice of using technology and tools as an extension of my values to extend my humanity beyond my physical and mental capacity.In the late 80s, I had the opportunity to take a solo trip to Japan. From the bustling city of Tokyo to the serene beauty of Mount Fuji, I immersed myself in the culture and found a sense of peace that had eluded me for so long.
In the 90s and 00s, I found myself becoming increasingly isolated, relying on alcohol and drugs as a means of escaping from my own racing thoughts. I was on a spiritual journey, seeking peace within my own mind, and sometimes found solace in 12-step groups or simply by spending time in quiet churches.
By turning 40 in 2008, I had discovered a new way to integrate technology into my spiritual practices. Through keeping detailed journals and tracking my data, I began to see patterns in my behavior that were reflecting my inner turmoil back to me.
As the 2010s arrived, I returned to Japan for further integration and balance in my life. I attended conferences like "Buddhist Geeks," went on silent retreats at "Spirit Rock," and attended weekly meetings with the Shambhala Buddhism community.
These experiences strengthened my resolve to find calm in the midst of the storm that was my mind, my traumas, and my life.
1970s CHILD - 2010s ADULT
🧘🏼 Finding Zen
From an introspective child seeking answers in a 1970s bookstore to a rebellious teenager traveling to Tokyo to climb Mount Fuji, through my turbulent 20s and 30s filled with 12-step meetings and therapy, and into my 40s and 50s with technology, my quest for mindfulness has been aided by my relentless pursuit of self-knowledge.
Simple Acts
I often found myself in the self-help section of bookstores as a child. However, to maintain my inner peace, I would perform small acts of service such as dusting and cleaning random stores. There was a driving force within me, urging me to make things safer, cleaner, and more organized.
Japan
By the end of my teens in the late 80s, I would travel to Japan to live for a summer. Alone in Japan, I would discover my body and mind, and explore contemplative practices and the deep connections between history and people, earth and culture.
Buddist Geek
The journey to becoming a mindful cyborg began in my late thirties, after a decade of attending 12-step meetings. I started using technology to gain a deeper understanding and purpose in my life. Every digital tool became an opportunity to find meaning and peace, from journaling apps to tracking my browsing history.
Mindful Cyborg
By the time the 2010s came, I launched a podcast called The Mindful Cyborg and started sharing my tips on integrating technology and mindfulness. While apps were great, the nonjudgemental, moment-to-moment parts of mindfulness hooked me. From there, I hosted in-person meetups for other mindful cyborgs, where we learned to meditate with our phones blaring.
CHRISTORY
🦾 Teenage Terminator To Real-Life Cyborg
By the time 1980 rolled around, I was already living in the future with more tech than most adults! I had my own Apple computer in my room for schoolwork and a sweet stereo system that I'd saved up for by doing a paper route.
Fast forward to 1984, and I was basically a teenage Terminator with all the gadgets. I had the first calculator watch, a portable TV for school trips, and I was the first in my friend group to have my very own TV, VCR, phone, and multiple computers. Yep, I was living the dream!
I even had a Honda scooter to zip around town, complete with a portable "boom box" on the back so I could blare tunes on the go. And all of this was thanks to my hard work and determination. The computers helped me plan my paper route more efficiently, the Walkman kept me jamming while I delivered papers, and that Honda scooter let me cover miles of territory before the first bell of school. All in all, I was a self-made cyborg from a young age!
In the 1990s, my life became inundated with gadgets. From cordless phones to pagers to cell phones, I was constantly adding to my collection. My personal computer transformed into a server, and I began to focus more on the client side. My BBS for HIV and AIDS support evolved into an AOL chat room and an ICQ channel.
By the mid-90s, I was running a back office for a medical software company that would eventually become WebMD. In the 2000s, I built databases for companies ranging from the Waffle House to the White House. Technology had become my career, and my career had become my technology.
As the 2010s arrived, I had attained a leadership role at ServiceNow, a new SaaS tool, and had created my first mobile app for BMC before becoming the Chief Digital Officer for Healthways/ShareCare.
During this time, I eagerly adopted new technology into my life, from early wearables to Google Glass, AR/VR, and AI.
BECOMING CYBORG
🎟️ One Way Ticket To Cyborg
I've been a tech enthusiast all my life! As a kid in the late 70s, I had a Tandy computer - and by the 90s, I was already rocking pagers, cell phones, and computers like a boss. In my thirties and forties, I ran multiple servers and created BBSs and websites before it was even cool. And by the late 2000s, I was fully decked out in wearable tech and sensors - I mean, they were practically a part of my body!
That's 70s Cyborg
Some kids played little league, I collected remote-controlled cars, and I had a stereo and a Tandy computer by 1980 at 11.
Gadgets, PCs and Spreadsheets
By the time the 90s came, I had augmented my tech use to more portable technology. Gone was the walkman, replaced by a portable CD player. The cordless phone became mobile, and a pager went everywhere with me.
Hosting the World
By the late 90s and early 2000s, I was living my tech-obsessed dream running multiple Unix and NT-based servers like a boss! I had my own website and FTP engine up and running, even when I was away from home. It was like having a little slice of the internet all to myself, and it felt awesome!
Wearing the World
As the late 2000s rolled around and we entered the 2010s, my gadgets and tech began to migrate from my desk and into my very being! With all this integration, it wasn't long before my personal data started living in all sorts of places, from private servers to various apps and services like Google Calendar.
CAROUSEL OF IDENTITY
About me
My identity has formed in layers throughout my life, starting with my gender identity, moving through my neurotype into my relationship with technology, and finally landing in the realm of the spiritual as a practicing technopagan.
Nonbinary
Nonbinary is the foundation of my identity. It represents the lack of duality and the continual quest for integration into everything.
Neurodivergent
Neurodiversity is an integral part of my identity and journey in how I learned to adapt to and use technology as an accommodation.
Mindful Cyborg
Being a mindful cyborg has helped me extend my humanity beyond my physical and mental capacity by embracing technology as an extension of my values.
