The Artificial Womb

I suppose from the first moment of existence the primary will of man is to avoid pain and find pleasure. This can be looked at as a constant dynamic, which is hardwired into our psyches, by nature itself. From this, I shall conclude that throughout the life span of the human species Natural Selection favored those who maximized pleasure and minimized pain, hence the term “Artificial Womb”. This can be taken in a literal and figurative sense. This is literal in the sense that actual pleasures can be derived from comfort and safety. This term also can be figurative in the sense that our minds ultimately are designed to propagate the genes which created it; this can give a sense of security in many realms of thought. The womb itself insulates us to a degree, creating a buffer zone to reduce the awesome shock of any random reality, and inevitable fate.

Aspects of the artificial womb cross both ends of the psychological spectrum, from the casually superficial to the outright essence of who a person is. Spirituality, religion, beliefs in deities all stem from the desired warmth and protection of the womb. These “safety nets” bring reassurance that everything will be “ok” in the end, that life and your existence is important in the grand scheme of things. These socio-psychological devices, which men have designed to substitute for the lack of actual meaning and relevance.? From the moment of conception we have striven as human beings to recreate a particular sensation, which does not exist; the chasing of artificiality is the ultimate practice in futility. Fictional accounts of characters (The Bible and all other religious text) all served and continue to serve the purpose of containment, let say of ignorance against enlightenment.

Security stems from ignorance. The less conscientious you are, the more secure you feel. Tragedy and pain are created from exposure to an alternate perception of your reality, in other words, the pain of exposure outside of the womb, which was false in the first place. Civilization’s structural foundation is founded on maintaining the collective artificiality of the womb for the masses. Sometimes this is not enough, other modes of maintenance are explored. Drugs, for example, keep those moments of pain away momentarily; this is a literal symbol of how artificial it all really is. As I’ve stated before religion and conventionality are the biggest methods to insure the masses feel secure in their false sense of relevance.

From the first breath at birth to the last at death we search for the warmth, the security, the content obliviousness, which can only be found in the womb. Outside of this, is a harsh, bitterly chilled visceral reality. We forsake logic, lucid thought processes, and honest reflection for disillusionment, conformity and abstractions that keeps us in a daze which seems more pleasurable than the former. Throughout our brief and ultimately irrelevant existences we trap ourselves in the artificial womb, never truly comprehending that it does not exist. I would gather from this, that maybe the unrelenting appeal comes from the artificiality itself. If ignorance is bliss, then enlightenment must be torture.

Contributed by: ~Kenneth Thomas