Hi Posthuman

It is very difficult to prove whether monks and people like that are transcending the human condition. As you only have their reported experience to go on. The only thing that can be done is to do what they do for long enough to sample the experience. Respecting people's right. But reverencing them is not justifiable because they are just humans like ourselves.

I am glad that meditation has improved functioning for you. However, if you had been in the Buddhist monastery meditating for a year or so, or even a little bit longer your brain patterns, might have changed sufficiently to give you a permanent experience of calm.

The track record of technology so far has been to improve things and hopefully it will continue on this path in the future with new changes.

I am not sure to what extent escaping the human condition will be possible. Perhaps doing what can be done to transform and improve our own human experience would be the best way to go. At least that is doable. Take care. I hope and pray your day will be really good. Blessings and best wishes from your friend Francis