Credits: Social Media
Fear of dying alone and death anxiety behind rise in biohacking trends, experts say
Many of our more popular articles from 2024 are about longevity research: biohacking, life expectancy, healthspan extension, and anti-aging supplements. You name it, you’re interested in it.
In many ways, wanting to live better and longer is easily explained. It seems natural that living organisms would seek to extend their lifespans. But humans are alone in their single-minded pursuit of longevity, and the kind of leveling up weve come to associate with the practice of biohacking isn’t seen among, say, dogs. Or hamsters. Some say were entering a new age of aging research. Others argue living longer than 100 years will forever be beyond the reach of most humans. We wanted to get our heads around humanitys obsession with biohacking and healthspan extension. Heres what we turned up.
Being aware of our own mortality drives behaviors that provide meaning and security
Therapist Jeanne Cross says humanitys growing interest in biohacking and longevity is partly down to an underlying death anxiety.
To explain this, she turns to the research of cultural anthropologist Ernest Becker, who argues, in Jeannes words, that awareness of mortality drives individuals to adopt behaviors that provide meaning and security.
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Examples include making investments in personal health and finding ways to boost longevity. Cultural practices and beliefs, Jeanne adds, emerge as coping mechanisms for existential fears.
Existential anxiety is a form of anxiety that comes from thinking about existence and the self. Its often accompanied by feelings of emptiness or pointlessness and may be more common in an increasingly irreligious and secular world. Sound familiar?
Jeanne argues that, if we’re struggling to find meaning in life as it is, we might look for new avenues of meaning generation. If we can “complete” life by beating everyone else at living the longest, that imbues life with some kind of meaning.
The goal isnt just to add years
Counselor Sandra Kushnir agrees that existential concerns are uniquely human. You might catch your dog looking mournfully into the distance, but its unlikely shes contemplating the meaning of life or the death of God.
One reason longevity is especially compelling in 2024, she suggests, is our growing awareness of (and appreciation for) mental health and quality of life.
In a world where were increasingly aware of the mental, emotional, and social dimensions of health, the goal isnt just to add years but to ensure those years are rich with purpose, community, and fulfillment, she says.
Biohacking methods reveal competitiveness and hunger for control over destiny
With the advent of numerous cutting-edge technologies come newfound abilities to push the boundaries. But more than simple experimentation, Sandra suggests that the drive behind some of the more high-stakes biohacking methods is a deep-seated desire to regain control over destiny.
Anthropocentrism is the belief that humans are the most important entity on Earth. Its the ethical belief that humans alone possess intrinsic value that all other beings are secondary.
The Abrahamic religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam are all deeply anthropocentric. Their holy books all claim that God created Earth for humans.
A country like the United States, where deeply rooted anthropocentrism combines with individualism in which mold-breaking is culturally celebrated is fertile ground for biohacking. Americas economy is set up to celebrate profits, allow freedom of choice, and encourage competition, all of which contribute to an atmosphere where the drive to live longer and outlive everyone else can thrive.
The US also happens to be the biggest market for biohacking innovations.
Social media is another factor fuelling this competitive wellness culture, Sandra adds. Self-optimization and hacking one’s body become markers of success. In a way, she continues, the cultural push for longevity can tap into insecurities about worth, creating pressure to avoid aging visibly or to delay vulnerability and dependence.
Could it be as simple as a fear of dying alone?
Joe Vercellino is a school speaker on the subject of mental health.
His explanation for why so many people obsess over biohacking their bodies and reading articles about how to live longer is that a need for belonging is built into our very existence.
No human wants to end up alone, he says, whether theyre rich or poor, privileged or under-resourced.
The push to hack our bodies and live longer sends a strong message, he says: I must belong a little longer or I must find belonging.
But this only makes sense if we feel this sense of belonging less now than we did before. Is belonging “a little longer” necessary because we can’t find belonging? Has social media left us feeling unloved? Has the long slow wane of religion left us in need of something?
Joe Vercellino develops strategies in cognitive behavioral therapy to help young people with their mental health, as part of The Lion Heart Experience. Sandra Kushnir is the founder and chief executive of Meridian Counselling. Jeanne Cross is a licensed therapist at the EMDR Center of Denver. She specializes in therapy for trauma, depression, addiction, and grief.
If you are affected by any issues raised in the article or would like someone to speak to, please call or text 988 to reach out and speak to a counselor. You can reach the Crisis Text Line by sending the letters MHA to 741741 or call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you’re struggling or in crisis.
You can also contact the SAMHSA Disaster Distress Helpline at 1-800-985-5990 or text Talk With Us to 66746.
In the UK, you can contact the Samaritans for free on 116 123. You can also email them at [email protected] or visit http://samaritans.org to find your nearest branch in the UK. You can text SHOUT to 85258 for help, or text YM if you’re under the age of 19. If you’re under 19 you can also call Childline on 0800 1111, and this number won’t appear on your phone bill.
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