What is awareness? That seems a vague question because awareness isn't a tangible thing to reach out and grab-but at the same time, it's not magic. So what about the phrase "I think, therefore I am," as Rene Descartes said; is that the answer? I'm aware that it's happening, therefore awareness is something? Instead of explaining awareness just yet, let's try this approach: how long will it take the entire world, with its global Internet, media, and telecommunications system, to be as fast as the human brain? Twenty-five, fifty, maybe a hundred years? Given enough time and with absolute connectivity, would everything that is lucid in the world become part of a massive unified portal-a global intelligence? Could it be that the speed at which everything connects is all that it would take for this entire system to become a fully conscious superorganism? Well, it may not be that simple, considering the complexity of the brain. Many parts of the brain have yet to appear in our global collective, but there are similarities. The information retrieval or "Google" part of the brain is there. Through telephones, computers, and even TV ratings, we are like neurons responding to stimulus. Political news can send the political forums into a panic, or an earthquake can activate a plethora of healing entities oozing into the affected area. Add it all up and it's like a global brain responding to stimuli. Of course it's not in real time yet, but it's growing, connections are getting faster, and I'm sure there are many flavors of technology yet to be developed. At the core of human dignity is a thread of free will that is being threatened by the ever-developing, machine-based world briefly described above. As our interactions become more and more virtual it is important to remember that humanity's greatest achievement is awareness and the most integral and profound element of our awareness is free will. But in order to have free will there must first be choices, and choices do not exist if everyone is plugged into machinery that makes them for us. Presenting the messages of self-deception and self-reception, Michael Howell's philosophy on personal growth and the human condition demonstrates how our problems begin from within and can continue or cease based on a global level of accountability. Not to be mistaken for another human rights movement, this is an effort to preserve the freedom of being human in the face of ever increasing, dehumanizing factors brought on by technology. Using tenets of spirituality, philosophy, and empiricism, he examines three main premises: first, the testimony of his childhood development and how it relates to the concept of responsibility; second, a philosophical inquiry into the nature of our search for technological progress and how we use it to replace spirituality with something tangible; and third, he discusses choice, the possibility of free will, and how it relates to the core of humanity, our spirituality, and ultimately, human dignity. The last two premises are shown to be in direct conflict, because with the progression of the collective society there is a potential for a regression of the individual. To combat this we must take responsibility for who we are being, not only as individuals but on a global level. With each passing year the collective machine continues to develop and improve, degrading the human spirit. And so, one has to wonder: will there be any truly human experience left during the next two thousand years? Neither self-help manual nor how-to guide, Michael's debut is instead a battle cry to retain human dignity above technological progress, efficiently and clearly breaking down the danger of the current split in consciousness that is occurring. A thought provoking meditation on the nature of man the future of human society, In Search of an Army: Choosing a Reality That You Can Be Truly Proud Of demands that we battle the stupefying effect of technology to reclaim our spiritua
About the Author: At the age of 21 and after two years of college, author Michael Howell choose to find his purpose and drop out of college by isolating himself in the arid brush country of west Texas. In an old farm house located near a spring fed oasis that once served as a stagecoach stop, he began a philosophical journey towards the realizations expressed in a book written some twenty six years later. There, in peaceful isolation, the concepts of early academia began to digest into an abstract purpose. Thirsty for understanding, Michael returned to college and spent the remainder of his twenties drifting in and out of four different universities in search of something so profound that he would end up dedicating his life to it. The son of two scientists, Michael grew up in a world where everything was explainable. As such he has spent his life in search of understanding what it was he was being asked to participate in. What Michael discovered was the realization that the very thing we are being asked to compete for is something that has the potential to be a tangible replacement for God. At the core of the human spirit is a thread of free will that is being threatened by an ever-developing, machine-based world. Michael claims that it's not something to fear however, but it is time to ask a very important question; "Where are we going with all of this technology if not to replace God?" Michael holds two degrees from the University of North Texas in fine arts and psychology. He also attended East Texas State University in Commerce, Texas State University in San Marcus and the University of Texas at Arlington. Michael is a certified tower climber and currently climbs radio towers for a high speed internet company.