Heaven Can Wait:Transhuman Evolution and its Alternatives in Anime

What a piece of work is man, how noble in reason, how infinite in faculties, in form and moving how express and admirable, in action how like an angel, in apprehension how like a god, the beauty of the world, the paragon of animals. And yet, to me, what is this quintessence of dust? Man delights not me; no, nor woman neither.

~ Hamlet, Act II, Scene 2, 115-117

What is a man? A miserable little pile of secrets. But enough talk, have at you.

~ Dracula, from the prologue to Castlevania: Symphony of the Night

Since the dawn of their existence, human beings have striven to improve

their position, both in regard to one another and also with respect to the universe at large.

However, it was only with the advent of the theory of evolution not even two centuries

past that humans struck upon the idea of evolution beyond the human and only much

more recently that they have considered the real possibility of turning this dream into a

reality. Precisely because it is such a recent development, many questions exist at the

moment concerning the feasibility, desirability, and the specific details of a transhuman

evolution. And since animation constitutes perhaps the single best way to graphically

depict the future and all its possibilities, many creators of anime have taken it upon

themselves to explore the questions, speculations, hopes, and fears surrounding the issue

of transhuman evolution. Three series in particular—Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial

Experiments Lain, and Vandread—stand out in their introspective and enlightening

treatment of this subject matter and, consequently, my discussion of transhuman

evolution will center around the stories they tell. However, one of the most important

aspects of all three anime lies in the protagonist's eventual rejection of the dominate form

of evolution presented in each of the series. As such, since these rejections are likely to

offer as much insight into the subject as the presentation of the various forms of

transcendental evolution proffered in these series do themselves, the reasoning behind the

rejections will be examined alongside the qualities that define these evolutions. Thus, it

is my contention that while these anime leave open the possibility of a future transhuman

evolution, they clearly state that humanity as it exists now remains woefully unprepared

for such a progressive leap.

The Limits of Human Understanding

The first question with respect to transhuman evolution, then, regards what

the phrase 'transhuman evolution' even means. The obvious solution to this inquiry lies

in breaking the phrase into its constituent parts—'transcend' or 'transcendental' and

'human.' Defining 'transcend' remains easy enough. The American Heritage Dictionary

of the English Language defines 'transcend' as “to pass beyond the limits of” or “to exist

above and independent of” (Dictionary.com). However, the question concerning what

makes a human human is a much more difficult one. The only honest answer is that no

one really knows.

The human faculty of perception constitutes an inexact science. While

explicating all of the assumptions and logical connections involved in proving this

contention lie beyond the scope of this essay, a brief outline of the argument delineating

the limitations of perception will prove beneficial. Basically, the premise follows

Immanuel Kant's line of reasoning in the Critique of Pure Reason. To summarize, Kant

differentiates in between subjects and objects, which in turn plan an important role in his

division of reality into two substrates: the noumenal and the phenomenal. A subject

exists only as a conscious entity (i.e., a human being), aware of itself and able to perceive

objects. An object, on the other hand, denotes anything that possesses some degree of

actual existence and is thereby capable of being perceived. Correspondingly, the

noumenal is the world as it actually exists—the world in itself as it were—and is

effectively unfathomable to the human mind and the phenomenal is the world as it is

perceived by the mind. Thus, one desires a noumenal understanding of the human when

one wonders what truly makes a human human. However, to put it as simply as possible,

understanding requires reflection, reflection requires an object upon which to reflect, the

only access subjects have to objects lies through perception, and therefore any

understanding of anything, including what it means to be human, can only be

phenomenal. And the only path by which one can move from a subjective (phenomenal)

understanding to an objective (noumenal) one lies through the possession of omniscience.

Thus, a true human understanding of what it is to be human is impossible.

Ironically, the preceding argument highlights perhaps the greatest failing of

humanity that people wish to overcome through transhuman evolution and several anime

reflect this belief. Arguably, Masami Eiri's attempt in Serial Experiments Lain to link all

people and information through an organic and more complete version of the World

Wide Web represents a desire to achieve omniscience. Similarly,

Kusanagi/Puppetmaster's comment that “The Net is wide and infinite” suggests that

he/she/it sees his/her/its reason for existence tied up in the acquisition of more and more

knowledge, until—one would assume—he/she/it knows all there is to know (Oshii).

However, not only are human beings inherently incapable of figuring out exactly what it

is that makes them human, they also cannot discern what it might be like not to be

human. Human experience intrinsically limits knowledge to a wholly human

perspective. Thus, it is not even possible to know with any certainty the form that a

transcendental evolution might take. Despite this fact, the imagination allows people to

hypothesize at least some of the characteristics a transcendent being might possess.

The Problem of Representation

At least with respect to the three anime series mentioned above, the

limitations of the human appear to be completely wrapped up with the necessity of

reliance on imperfect bodies. While some of the qualities attributed to the body are

possibly more appropriately attached to the mind, it still does not solve the problem of

how to pictorially represent a transcendental being. Both endings of Neon Genesis

Evangelion especially exemplify this problem, but Serial Experiments Lain also shows

the difficulty of conceptualizing beings without bodies.

Regardless of the form of transhuman evolution that takes place during the

original episodes 25 and 26 of Evangelion, Shinji and the others still appear in bodies

after Shinji's 'breakthrough' at the end of episode 26. If we borrow the idea that AT fields

are what hold bodies together—demonstrated by Rei literally falling to pieces as Gendo

remarks that her AT field is weakening in the End of Evangelion—then we conclude that

the Instrumentality Project did not, as has been suggested, combine the entirety of

humanity into one collective consciousness,as the bodies (i.e., egos) of Shinji and the

others are still distinguishable from one another. Alternately, in the feature film End of

Evangelion, bodies do end up dissolving as individuals are presumably assimilated into

the unified multiplicity that is Rei. If we take this representation literally, transhumans

look like orange Tang. However, the honesty of these portrayals (as opposed to depicting

the transhumans as beings of pure light or some other such cheesy stereotype) serves to

highlight the lack of knowledge and understanding surrounding what will happen after

this type of evolution occurs. Therefore, the viewer is, in effect, left wondering whether

the Instrumentality Project succeeded and the people who turned to goo still retain some

manifestation, albeit invisible, in physical reality. Interestingly, the same ambiguity

surrounds the questions of life after death. In this regard, the lack of clarity with respect

to something so vital as the success or failure of the Instrumentality Project in the End of

Evangelion holds true to human limitations. Thus, the choice of the producers of Neon

Genesis Evangelion to leave the fate of Instrumentality undecided represents an

acceptance of their own limitations and an adherence to the truth that is admirable.

The transhuman evolution in Serial Experiments Lain, on the other hand, is

never fully implemented, so it would be difficult to make any legitimate claims about

how the new post-human entities would appear. However, it is certain that the next

evolution in Lain involves a complete synthesis with the already-existing Wired, so one

can make some inferences about the unfinished transcendence. It is interesting to note

that during one of her quests for information in the Wired, Lain—the very catalyst for the

series' transhuman evolution—is praised by a bodiless mouth for her ability to manifest a

reproduction of her body (I believe they called it 'residual self-image' in the Matrix) so

completely (Layer:06). Also, in spite of his desire to play “God” and exist everywhere at

once, Eiri himself chooses to manifest himself in the form of the body that was once his

to the point of him even having bandages where his body was presumably cut into pieces

by a train. So, even though the depiction of bodies in Lain might just constitute a

sacrifice to appease the viewers who wish for something to attach voices to, the

impression that humans are incapable of conceiving that which is beyond the human still

remains.

The Role of Bodies

The difficulties with representing a transhuman evolution only highlight the

importance of the body to our collective conception of what it is to be human. Bodies at

least appear to serve many purposes. They act as containers for the ego—in other words,

bodies allow a person to differentiate and distinguish one person from another. In this

way bodies separate the human race into a collection of individuals and keep these

individuals distinct from one another. They also provide a proof of one's attachment to

physical reality—one can look at one's body and know that one exists. Bodies limit what

a person can and cannot do. Moreover, the physiological composition of the body affects

one's conception of one's self; the way in which one perceives one's surroundings is

determined by the physical makeup of bodily components (eyes, ears, et cetera) and the

body's chemical reactions to these perceptions inform people how they should feel in

response to changes in their environment.

The differentiation and separation of the human species into distinct selfs

plays a major role in Neon Genesis Evangelion. The masterminds behind the

Instrumentality Project, especially Gendo Ikari, capitalize on the observation that people

are inherently drawn to one another and that people wish for nothing more than to feel

completely connected with others (the desire for which is documented so thoroughly

throughout the series that listing every incidence would fill an entire book). They are

also aware of the pain that comes from the impossibility of connecting fully with others

and from people's attempts to do so anyway. This imperfection provides the impetus

behind the conception of the Instrumentality Project. However, while Instrumentality

arguably gives people what they desire, it also requires an enormous sacrifice on the part

of the individual, shown most notably through Shinji's rejection of the transformation in

the End of Evangelion. While individuals might be happier once all the differences

between them are reconciled, they would also no longer exist as individuals. And since

everyone, in this version of transhuman evolution, would exist in a uniform unity, the

differences that cause conflict and, hence, change would disappear. But if nothing

changes inside this new being, then there would be nothing to differentiate one moment

from the next, so time would effectively stop for this transhuman entity as well. In this

respect the End of Evangelion might be more aptly titled 'The End of Evolution.'

Therefore, since human beings remain as unable of conceiving a happiness outside of

time as they are capable of conceptualizing what a perfect God must be like, an endeavor

such as the Instrumentality Project hardly promotes any certainty for the belief in a better

existence after the evolution. For this reason, I believe, Shinji chooses an imperfect

existence with Asuka, but one he knows possesses the potential for improvement, and the

previous assertion about the uncertainty surrounding the success or failure of

Instrumentality holds true. Shinji's decision might condemn him as 'only human,' but it

provides a troubling take on the topic of transcendence nevertheless.

Vandread's conception of evolution is particularly interesting because it

does not represent a transhuman evolution so much as it does a perfection of the human

body. The overarching plot of the series, as revealed in the second season, revolves

around the fact that humans have reached their physical evolutionary potential on Earth.

Therefore, in order to continue to better themselves, the Earthlings sent out a number of

colonizing ships to discover and inhabit planets that would each further evolve different

parts of the human body. After this evolution had been achieved (the point at which the

series begins), the Earthlings will send out 'harvesting' ships to collect the various

mutated body parts which will then be grafted to the Earthlings, perfecting their bodies

and effectively killing off the colonists in the process. Thus, the colonists' developments

merely serve as tools which aid the Earthlings' growth. However, the perplexing result of

this perfection of bodies belies the ultimate insignificance of bodies in the perfection of

the human itself, evidenced by the characterization of the Earthling controlling the

mechanized harvesting fleet. The commander of Earth's forces is depicted as a child—an

underdeveloped member of the human species. However, it is revealed that the Earth's

representative appears as a child not because he is young, but because he is ageless. The

choice of representing a child as possessing immortality, telepathy, and some form of

telekinesis merely serves to underline the debased value of and lack of necessity for the

body once its limitations have been overcome.

Serial Experiments Lain, then, approaches the subject of bodies with respect

to their limitations and weaknesses. Bodies deteriorate over time, even while the human

organism still persists, and, consequently, the mental processes and memories which

define the individual personality grow weaker and are slowly lost as death looms ever

closer. In order to counteract this inevitable degradation of our humanity, the deceased,

albeit still functional, creator of Protocol Seven Masami Eiri offers up translation of each

individual's personality into an eternal and somehow biological computerized network as

an alternative to imperfect bodily existence. However, this technological existence

proves to be as flawed, if not more, than one in bodies, as it becomes evident that

memories can be deleted (by Lain and, if one extrapolates a bit, by any other entity

skilled and knowledgeable enough to do so) just like they can be lost from the

deterioration of the brain. Moreover, Lain suggests that an important capacity for

expression exists in direct physical contact—for example, Alice demonstrating fear to

Lain through holding Lain's hand to her pounding heart and their subsequent expression

of love through an embrace in Layer 12—that could not translate to the more non-

corporeal existence in the Wired. Thus, even though Serial Experiments Lain

acknowledges the problematic nature of the human body, it still perseveres in

maintaining that something worth holding onto is intrinsically tied up in bodies.

The Importance of Free Will

The question of fate has always lain heavily on the shoulders of those with

even the slightest philosophical bent. However, in spite of uncertainty, one must

necessarily assume that one's actions result out of one's own free will if those actions are

to possess any value and/or meaning in one's life. As such, any time a person feels that

someone or something is trying to encroach upon his free will and thereby take away that

feeling of value and meaning, then that person feels obligated to take arms against this

opponent on behalf of his free will. This particular sentiment pops up again and again in

these three anime to combat the imposition that the transhuman evolution represents.

Vandread explicates the necessity of free will in affecting positive changes.

During the final confrontation in the last episode of the series, Hibiki's adversary

questions why the colonists are unwilling to sacrifice themselves for the good and the

furtherance of the human beings on Earth since they are more than willing to do so to

protect their friends and family. After all, their sacrifice to the Earthlings represents a

much greater accomplishment for the continuance of humanity than their deaths for the

sake of their loved ones does. However, as demonstrated earlier, human beings cannot

access objects in themselves and, hence, do not find meaning in actual objects, but rather

through their relation to an object, which is determined by their particular perspective.

The peculiar effect of this limitation lies in that while it constricts what human beings can

truly know, it also allows them to determine the value of an object by how it relates to

them. Thus, the colonists' sacrifices only gains a positive meaning through their belief in

the greater value of what they save (their loved ones) over what they lose (their own

lives). Love presents them with such a value; progress simply for the sake of progress

does not. In light of this distinction, Hibiki and his cohorts are able to maintain that if the

Earthlings have truly reached their evolutionary potential on Earth, then it is their duty to

seek out new ways to evolve by themselves rather than imposing that responsibility on

others. Thus, free will determines the difference in between sacrificing one's self—a

positive, if tragic, action—and murder—an inherently negative action.

Serial Experiments Lain takes a completely different perspective in the

contemplation of free will by considering it in terms of its validity in the fact of possible

manipulation by a transcendent being. In this respect, Lain also presents us with the only

example of an actually successful transhuman evolution—Lain herself. Imbued with a

seeming omniscience and the ability to manipulate thought as well as manifest herself

anywhere and even in multiple places at the same time, Lain, the “Goddess of the

Wired,” comes closest to the ideal of a god as one might find anywhere. However, since

she is by nature a caring individual that desire to help others, Lain realizes that her

superhuman powers represent a threat to free will. Through her interactions with Alice,

Lain begins to understand that although she possesses the ability to erase negative

emotions and memories—as Eiri puts it, “If it isn't remembered, then it never

happened”—and thereby ensure people's happiness, because that happiness constitutes a

contrived happiness rather than one engendered by one's own actions, it is not true

happiness. In other words, a good deal of one's enjoyment of the 'good times' in life

arises from one's belief that it was one's own efforts and choices that put one in this state

of being. Thus, in order to resist the temptation to use her godlike abilities to alter a

sometimes unbelievably cruel reality, Lain removes herself from physical existence. As

such, despite sharing a connection to all people in all places, Lain simultaneously paints a

picture of a perfect transcendent being as a very lonely and ultimately tragic figure and

supports the contention that the greatest sacrifice a truly benevolent Creator/God can

make is to relinquish her ability to influence her creation.

Free will thus necessitates the ability to choose in between a variety of

options. However, the need to make choices only arises through the provision of an

impetus to change. In the case of normal, progressive-minded human beings, this

impetus comes through the recognition of the possibility to improve one's self and/or the

environment in which one lives. In the case of the transhuman being created via

Instrumentality, the impetus to change does not exist, since the new entity exists non-

corporeally—demonstrated by the dissolution of bodies in the End of Evangelion—and

perfect harmony reigns in between its now indistinguishable constituents. However, as

Neon Genesis creator Anno Hideaki states in a letter discussing the show, “It is said that

“to live is to change.” I started this production with the desire that [the characters] and

the world change by the time the story reaches its conclusion” (Drazen 302). Therefore,

the end of evolution—i.e., the end of positive change—constitutes the end of the

existence of human beings as human beings. And while it remains inhumane for one to

desire the continuance of human suffering, it is inhuman to desire the cessation of change

and free will. So Matt Leporati possesses a valid point when he maintains that “Yet, this

manifestation through division, wrought with pain though it may be, is preferable to the

non-existence that Shinji finds himself immersed in during episode 26 and in End of

Evangelion (in the world of no AT Fields)” (website). Thus, although the end of

evolution altogether might represent humanity's final goal, it will only become desirable

once all other alternatives except extinction, have been exhausted.

Irrationality and Emotion

Emotions play a central role in the lives of human beings. They act as both

humanity's greatest asset and its most disturbing weakness. Since all three of these anime

series postulate that a transhuman evolution involves the sacrifice of the highs and lows

of emotional stimulation for a more stable but unchanging middle ground, we must ask if

what is given up is worth what is gained.

Since all three anime ultimately reject the possibility of transhuman

evolution presented to them, we must assume the answer to this question is a resounding

“No.” Serial Experiments Lain provides the most thorough defense of the irrationality of

emotions. The word 'irrationality' itself has come to possess a very negative connotation

in its usage. As such, it inherently implies that a logical existence through the use of

reason is preferable to an irrational one that depends upon emotions and feelings for the

motivation of action. While this contention maintains a degree of validity, it ignores the

positive benefits emotions reap for logical causes. Human civilization justifies its

existence because it attempts to protect the human race from extinction through self-

annihilation and also fosters growth. However, communal existence only comes about

through the repression of perfectly natural, albeit intrinsically anti-social, desires. And

the need for the repression of these desires finds its most powerful justification not in the

desire for a greater assurance of the likelihood of survival (although it does factor into the

equation), but in the emotive expression of love and feelings of concern for one's fellow

human beings.

However, as previously mentioned, love seems to possess an intangible

connection to direct physical interaction. And if one remembers, it is Alice's touch and

tears that first cause Lain to question whether these emotions, as fleeting and inexplicable

as they are and which she knows to be irrational, do not represent something higher and

better than the 'perfect,' entirely logical world Eiri is trying to create. Her moment of

indecision, then, brings us back to the discussion of the limitations of the human body.

Love, it is true, can exist over great distances and without the lovers ever actually seeing

each other, but this separation causes a fair amount of pain as well—a pain expressed in

every “I miss you” that passes between lover's lips. So, while advances in technology

allow for the increased communication despite physical separation, the sensation that

something is missing from interactions where all parties are not physically present still

persists. Thus, Lain's rejection of Eiri's transhuman evolution clearly states that these

questions must be conclusively answered before the next step is taken.

Both Evangelion and Vandread, on the other hand, highlight the negative

irrational emotions that exist not simply in imperfect human beings, but also in the

foundation of the push towards transhuman evolution itself. As Hibiki, the incorrigible

protagonist of the Vandread series, points out in the episode entitled “Trust,” “You guys

[the Earthlings] are scared too. That's why you list stupid reasons to convince yourself.”

Essentially, what he is suggesting is that the Earthlings' drive for evolution exists out of

fear and, perhaps even more importantly, logical justification acts, to a large degree,

merely as a facade covering up emotions one does not wish to face. In episodes 25 and

26 of Evangelion, the mysterious Instrumentality Project is brought to fruition. The

Instrumentality Project, insofar as it can be discerned, appears to delineate a process

through which a person is placed in a liminal, dream-like state and forced to confront his

or her fears, doubts, and reservations about life until he or she discovers his or her own

reason to live. So, in other words, one's emotions provide the raw material that reason

subsequently shapes into a positive or negative outlook on life. As such, both series

seem to suggest that emotion and logic share an inseparable bond and the motivation to

continue living could not exist with one or the other.

Alternative Evolution

Gendo Ikari maintains that humans must evolve in order to survive. One

wonders, however, if evolution on the scale of the Instrumentality Project remains truly

necessary after the destruction of the seventeenth and final Angel Kaoru. After all, even

though the possibility of a future threat to humankind exists (the most immediate one

supposedly having just been taken care of), one would assume that humanity, even

merely in its current form, can rise to the challenge and defeat this new foe like they did

with the last. Admittedly, the human were relying on the advanced and not-quite-

understood biotechnology that were the EVAs, but that hardly differs from our current

age, where our understanding of modern technology and even our own human bodies is

incomplete, to say the least. The End of Evangelion, produced as an alternate ending to

the series provides a different perspective to this dilemma, posing that humankind itself

represents the greatest threat to humankind. The action of the Earthlings against their

colonies in Vandread also appears to support this conclusion. However, in spite of the

need of humanity to protect itself from itself, these anime still contend that a transhuman

evolution consists of the wrong way to go about doing so. Thus, to address this issue,

each offers up alternative ideas for the continuation of evolution instead.

In all of these series, technology plays a significant role in their conceptions

of evolution. Technology—the manufacture and use of tools—remains an almost

exclusively human endeavor and plays a unique part in the progression of human history.

Arguably, technology has “evolved” alongside, or perhaps even in place of, humanity for

at least the past five thousand years. The difference we find ourselves facing in modern

times exists in the changing role of technology from an outside aid to something that may

possibly constitute a part, or the whole, of ourselves. Now, while it has been

demonstrated in Lain that human beings do not desire to lose their humanity if some form

of fusion with technology were to occur, people cannot deny that further melding of

technology with the human body possesses innumerable benefits. Moreover, the

development of new technologies opens up the possibility of new evolutions not directly

embedded in the meshing of humans and technology. Vandread, especially, illustrates

this idea through the use of complex spaceships for intergalactic travel and colonization.

And since new planets mean new potential for human adaptation and evolution,

technology enables human beings to grow in other ways as well.

At the outset of this essay, I contended that, perhaps for the first time in

their history, human beings are on the verge of being capable to enact their own evolution

rather than waiting for the processes of nature to take their course. Moreover, since

human beings are alone in their capacity to alter their surroundings and have done so

with the aid of technology, it stands to reason that not only can humans bring about their

own evolution, they have come to a point where they must do so. The utilization of

technology has tamed many of the natural forces that formerly provided the impetus for

adaptation and evolution. As such, people are less likely to evolve in response to harsh

environments because they can alter the environment to accommodate them better rather

than adapt themselves to the rigors of their environment. So, because the possibility of

evolving unconsciously as a result of exposure to one's environment has diminished, the

next evolution must constitute a conscious evolution.

However, as Masami Eiri maintains in Layer 12 of Lain, while “Humans

can evolve by themselves. In order to do so, they have to know their actual structure.”

This statement, in essence, sums up the entirety of the difficulties in representing and

approving a transhuman evolution that Neon Genesis Evangelion, Serial Experiments

Lain, and Vandread illustrate. To know what a transhuman evolution is, to know

whether it constitutes an improvement to be desired or a degradation to be avoided, a true

understanding of what it is to be human is necessary. Human beings remain far from

understanding themselves—psychologically, physiologically, and philosophically.

However, the inherent human desire to improve one's situation often leads people to press

forward and attempt to advance without first gaining a complete comprehension of their

current situation or questioning how they know their supposed advance truly represents a

positive change. It is likely that once human beings realize the destructive irrationality of

this impulse and learn to allow time for their understanding to catch up with their

development, evolution will occur at a much faster pace. Moreover, it will only be at a

point where human beings have truly reached their evolutionary potential and thus can be

certain in their knowledge that they undeniably know what it means to be a human being

that they can judge the desirability of a transhuman evolution. This idea belies the true

meaning contained in these three anime series: Slow down, attempt first to understand

yourself, then when you are sure about where you want to go, take the first step.

However, more importantly, do not forget to enjoy yourself and those around you along

the way. After all, human beings have existed for a long time and it will most likely be

even longer until they reach perfection. In the meantime, heaven can wait.