Last week I visited a friend who allows only me, exclusively, to touch her computer. We had planned to talk about what to do about her computer situation – which was dramatic – as it had given up its life. So I was to sign the death certificate and at the same time the adoption papers for the replacement.

But when she attempted to show me the corpse, there was no corpse – the computer was alive and kicking.

That made me think and at the same time reminded me of this one item on my todo list to write a piece about the soul in a computer.

I experience it often – and from what I hear am not the only one – that technology and particularly computers behave properly when I’m there and not when I’m absent. Coming to a client “IT DOES NOT WORK!!!” – Could you show me please what’s not working or how it’s not working? – “Ohh, but it did not work when I did it this morning…”

Sure, we can explain these things easily within the confines of our accepted science, but then again, what fun is that?

I prefer the idea that I love these computers, I give them my time and I play with them – just like now, as we, my computer and I, write this blog, instead of me sleeping and getting ready for an early start. Love is usually returned, so there must be somebody who is the source of  this returned love.

Many old philosophies and some newer ones accept the idea of spirits in objects, and that could well be true – I actually am pretty sure about this because cars for example do the same thing with and for me.

But with computers there is another element that might be easier to accept for a western scientist – although maybe not by much.

Here is my idea: computer are reaching a complexity that might make them look attractive to a spirit, soul or thetan (whatever your word for it might be). Looking at a human body, it is still more complex than a computer and has the added advantage of being much more mobile. And this thermo-dynamic machine is inhabited by a spirit, which can clearly be seen when that spirit leaves – notice the difference in quality before and after the last breath.

Spirits get attracted by the weirdest things, by the way. I can vividly remember a mannequin (a dummy, not a real one) in a display window of a clothing store – occupied by a spirit – trying to get out but being stuck. The attraction had been this beautiful, perfect body, great seductive smile and the attention of all the passer-byes. And then – darn – stuck!

In the same way a computer can be very attractive to a person/spirit for whom logic – Hello Mr. Spock – is very important. Where the ability of fast thinking is really appreciated. And then all the attention of the computer user!

Very intriguing! And once the computer becomes mobile – I mean by itself, not in the form of a laptop – it will get even more seductive to a free floating spirit that nobody notices.

There are many attempts of attaining artificial intelligence and the question – mostly in science fiction – if there ever will be a machine that will develop self-consciousness but I think that is a non-sensible question. Just as a human body did not become conscious, but instead became so complex and capable that a spirit could use it to express itself, so will we have robots at one point – not because a machine became aware of itself, but because that machine offered something to somebody who already knew that he existed.

By the way, my friends computer died within 15 minutes for good. It had just wanted to say good-bye to his  – – – what am I to him …