I was fortunate enough to gain experience with expert systems in real-time production settings during the late 1980s and early 1990s. AI, or artificial intelligence, has always fascinated me. I even went so far as to create my own Windows-based expert system software, which I've dubbed WindExS. In spite of this, as I progressed in my career and delved deeper into information management and, finally, remote viewing, I came across some peculiar contradictions in the AI community and the aspirations to build "truly intelligent" and "thinking" robots. To know what it is Creative Intelligence, click here

Because of these thoughts and experiments, I penned a short film called "Sylvie," which told the narrative of a "emotionally intelligent" system. This was one of the things that people commonly argue is a requirement of actual intelligence. Even with that glimmer of inspiration, I was unable to go as deeply as I would have liked into the subject matter. The issue "what is a soul?" was raised, however.

How do you define artificial intelligence? ---

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is the study and practice of imparting intelligence upon machines. It's a lot like trying to use computers to figure out how the human brain works, except AI isn't limited to approaches that can be observed in the lab. Intelligence is the computational capacity for articulating a strategy and carrying it out successfully. The intelligence exhibited by humans, animals, and even some machines varies greatly. But the ultimate goal of building an intelligent machine is to have it think creatively, use abstract information to solve issues, and come up with its own answers.

The Parallel Biological Computer

Think about the massive amounts of data we take in and process daily. It's hard to believe that such a concentrated quantity of tissue and fluid can retain and process so much information and activity. Mind appears to be a way to pre-process data for storage and a way to analyze data for use while constantly maintaining a connection for data storage and acquisition with this knowledge base, which has led scientists to theorize that it is not so much a storage device as a communications device.

This body of information provides us with a sea of data and insight. Simply by asking, we have access to all the knowledge ever accumulated by any living entity in the universe. However, getting to it requires a link, a field that links us all in one big "bio-circuit," which might be thought of as a "biological parallel computing environment," and whose output is an inexhaustible and easily accessible Universal store of knowledge.

So what's the point of original thought? ---

When I was in school, I learned that spending too much time thinking and being too imaginative can be fatal. But what I've learnt along the road is more valuable than any material possession: without imagination, growth is impossible. One approach to broaden one's horizons is through the creative process, which involves giving form to previously intangible concepts. It's a means of expanding the bounds of certainty into the unknown. Every new limit you push past broadens your horizons and brings you closer to your goals.

Without imagination, you'd just be doing the same things over and over again, never improving or falling behind. It's like when you're "caught in a rut" and you just can't seem to find your way out. When you think creatively, you apply what you know to what you don't know, and then you come up with a way to get where you want to go.

The mind taps into the bio-circuit and pulls out tidbits of data that it can then use to generate novel, ingenious answers to problems. You can increase your intelligence, your perspective on the world, and your capacity for creativity by exercising your imagination.

The soul...what is it? ---

The subject of "what is the soul?" inevitably arises whenever the topic of creativity is broached, and after giving it some serious thought, I've come to the conclusion that it is the transceiver by which our material world communicates with the bio-circuit. It's the vital core of who we are as individuals.

We cut off our connection to the bio-circuit when we retreat into our own worlds and bury our souls in the muck and mire of difficulties. When our spirit departs, we become an autonomous computer guided only by our stored knowledge. You can learn about everything in the universe if you put your soul first and let your imagination guide you.

The Real Thing in AI

In an effort to understand the brain, scientists have attempted to simulate its operations. AI consists of memory, processing, brains, and the ability to learn on its own. But what if the fundamental assumption about how the brain works was --- wrong? Indeed, it allows us to direct our bodies and respond to external stimuli; however, what if the concepts of processing, intelligence, storing, and self-learning are actually founded on the link between our minds and the bio-circuit? To replicate the human brain, it will be necessary to study human social behavior, or bio-circuitry.

The next step is ---? ---

What an out-of-the-ordinary venture into unfamiliar waters. But this overarching idea has been bothering me for a long time. The practice of remote viewing opened my eyes to the possibilities of applying the principles of Universal intelligence to the field of artificial intelligence. I won't declare that machines can't have souls, because stranger things have happened. However, I will add that unless we comprehend and accept the soul's genuine purpose and function, we will not be able to fully appreciate the nature of intellect.