Biotranshumanism as a cultural identity

Chasing forever lasting life, one must research if there had been movements trough history regarding this aspiration. After many occult tradition of eternal life, after the age of Enlightment, firsty russian cosmism of Nikolai Fyodorov wanted to use technology to revive the dead and to perfect the human race. In the 20th century transhumanism emerged to the same role. Nowadays at the rise of AI, transhumanism really took a digital turn, mostly speaking about mind uploads into the cyber space.

I think we reached a point to distinct digital- and biotranshumanism as a philosophical idea. By bio, I mean we stay an organic, biochemical structure, but perfected: by adding unlimited life extension, probably new senses and organs, improve cognition, all by genetic engineering and other medical procedures. I feel it necessary firstly to keep as much autonomy of the self as possible (which is impossible when existing in a cyberspace owned by a corporation), secondly to not fall too far from being human. Without our organic senses, and biochemically regulated life, our goals and feelings would only be an algorythmic mimic of the real world, which could be modified to something very distant from a human.

Three of my films are dealing with this topic. Feast of the Condor (2020) shows in an experimental narrative, how the genetic code of a living organism implanted to a machine would be corrupted by transforming it in the digital world. Also the film tells about the importance of our environment in longevity, how the protagonist gets extended lifespan by living by the giant salamander which lives for 400 years in the story.

Zazongpari (2021) has an ending where the human protagonist talks with the machine-man controlled by artificial intelligance, and the robot tells him, that if he has to he will have no mercy or empathy for the human, which he acknowledges.

In Age of Empty Cemeteries (2026) I discuss the possibilities of organic continuation of life after cryonic preservation with the help of nonotechnology/a small repairing robot. These all require technology but also support organic life.