
released 7/1/1999
Erik Davis describes his research on how humans’ fascination with technology — and particularly information technology — is permeated with “mythic energy” and gnostic aspirations. Davis notes that throughout modern history, tech-enthusiasts have displayed an almost religious imagination in the language they use to describe technological possibilities and utopias. Along with these esoteric impulses, there is often a gnostic theme of escaping corporeal limits. Davis is concerned about the real-world effects of seeing increasing technological progress as our human destiny; he argues that we ignore the vast ecological and social consequences of pursuing a high-tech civilization to our peril. He is the author of TechGnosis: Myth, Magic, and Mysticism in the Age of Information (Harmony, 1998). This interview was originally featured on Volume 38 of the Journal.
11 minutes
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