Right, so unless I've missed something, here's the final summary on how cyberware (replacements for organic parts) and augmentations (cyberware that adds capabilities not normally part of the human experience) effect the mind:
-'Cyberpsychosis' is what happens when the mind cannot adapt to the changes cyberware makes to the body. The term is a misnomer; there's a whole spectrum of symptoms, from slight irritability/social alienation to full-on insanity, depending on the severity of the disconnect. There are also ways to minimize the disconnect, or decrease it after the fact.
-Generally speaking, a consenting individual who gets properly fitted, properly installed cyber designed to minimally change the human experience will come out of the surgery as sane as they went into it. Note all the qualifiers in that. For somebody getting chromed at a reputable, above-board private clinic (or a corporate doctor, if the patient is of value to the 'corp), that's what'll happen. In other situations, not so much.
-Used cyber, unless you really know what you're doing, is a bad idea. Cyber designed for one person will, more often than not, not physically fit somebody else. This typically hurts, anywhere from a dull ache to stabbing pains, and can also feel wrong (see the Global Frequency example above). Even if it does physically fit, you can't just rip it out of Corpse A and stick it in Schmuck B; it's 'learned' to read the neural patterns of its original user, and won't behave the way it should. You can 'zero' the interface, but it has to be done while the cyber is disconnected.
-Less reputable doctors might skip steps... like knocking you out before amputating your meat, or fitting/zeroing used cyber before sticking it in. Part of minimizing the disconnect is making sure the patient is never conscious mid-procedure; the trauma of being without parts of themselves makes it harder to adapt to having new, slightly different ones back. Some are also known to be... less than careful... with patients' remaining meat, leading to infection, brain damage, and other issues.
-Being chromed against your will tends to be a one-way ticket to Crazyville. It generally turns the new parts, no matter how useful they might be, into an imposition in the mind of the recipient. For most people, this means they'll resent having them, desire their old meat back, and actively oppose the thought of accepting them as parts of themselves.
-Augmentations are generally harder to accept than standard cyberware, which is harder to accept than typical prosthetics. It's easier for a human to accept a new arm that looks human than a chrome arm, unless they're already in the right frame of mind to desire significant changes to their body. When you add in features like retractable blades, 360-degree rotation, and integrated kinetic weaponry, the disconnect between the old arm and the new arm only gets bigger.
-Counseling can help patients accept and adjust to their new body parts. The problems are all mental, after all- good therapy can help you get past them. Its necessity depends on how much disconnect you're having- a transhumanist might need none at all, or maybe just a little coaching on how to use posthuman abilities.
Let me know if I missed any points- I'll add them to the concept. NOW, BACK TO SPACE!
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.
-'Cyberpsychosis' is what happens when the mind cannot adapt to the changes cyberware makes to the body. The term is a misnomer; there's a whole spectrum of symptoms, from slight irritability/social alienation to full-on insanity, depending on the severity of the disconnect. There are also ways to minimize the disconnect, or decrease it after the fact.
-Generally speaking, a consenting individual who gets properly fitted, properly installed cyber designed to minimally change the human experience will come out of the surgery as sane as they went into it. Note all the qualifiers in that. For somebody getting chromed at a reputable, above-board private clinic (or a corporate doctor, if the patient is of value to the 'corp), that's what'll happen. In other situations, not so much.
-Used cyber, unless you really know what you're doing, is a bad idea. Cyber designed for one person will, more often than not, not physically fit somebody else. This typically hurts, anywhere from a dull ache to stabbing pains, and can also feel wrong (see the Global Frequency example above). Even if it does physically fit, you can't just rip it out of Corpse A and stick it in Schmuck B; it's 'learned' to read the neural patterns of its original user, and won't behave the way it should. You can 'zero' the interface, but it has to be done while the cyber is disconnected.
-Less reputable doctors might skip steps... like knocking you out before amputating your meat, or fitting/zeroing used cyber before sticking it in. Part of minimizing the disconnect is making sure the patient is never conscious mid-procedure; the trauma of being without parts of themselves makes it harder to adapt to having new, slightly different ones back. Some are also known to be... less than careful... with patients' remaining meat, leading to infection, brain damage, and other issues.
-Being chromed against your will tends to be a one-way ticket to Crazyville. It generally turns the new parts, no matter how useful they might be, into an imposition in the mind of the recipient. For most people, this means they'll resent having them, desire their old meat back, and actively oppose the thought of accepting them as parts of themselves.
-Augmentations are generally harder to accept than standard cyberware, which is harder to accept than typical prosthetics. It's easier for a human to accept a new arm that looks human than a chrome arm, unless they're already in the right frame of mind to desire significant changes to their body. When you add in features like retractable blades, 360-degree rotation, and integrated kinetic weaponry, the disconnect between the old arm and the new arm only gets bigger.
-Counseling can help patients accept and adjust to their new body parts. The problems are all mental, after all- good therapy can help you get past them. Its necessity depends on how much disconnect you're having- a transhumanist might need none at all, or maybe just a little coaching on how to use posthuman abilities.
Let me know if I missed any points- I'll add them to the concept. NOW, BACK TO SPACE!
My Unitarian Jihad Name is: Brother Atom Bomb of Courteous Debate. Get yours.
I've been writing a bit.