Authors

James Wigginton is an Of Counsel attorney at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP in Sacramento, California, where he advises entrepreneurs and investors as they pioneer new, more inclusive operating models in professional sports, finance, social media, gaming, agriculture, and other industries. Wigginton has demonstrated a keen interest in emerging technologies, notably diving into Web3 in 2021 by working on projects involving DAO-governed buyouts of professional sports teams and the creation of DAO-friendly business entities in collaboration with a Northern California Native American tribe. Prior to joining Orrick, Wigginton was an attorney at Downey Brand LLP and gained earlier experience at Sullivan and Cromwell LLP. After law school, he clerked for the United States Court of International Trade in New York City. His academic background includes a BA in International Relations from Brigham Young University (2009), a Master’s in Philosophy in International Studies from the University of Cambridge (2011), and a JD from Stanford Law School (2013). At the MTAConf 2022, Wigginton presented on the topic of digital communities and their potential to learn from ancestral wisdom in the context of Web3 development. His talk, “The Things We Forgot, or How Digital Communities Can Unload the Baggage of Modernity and Keep the Good Stuff,” emphasized the importance of historical context and human connection in building a better, decentralized future.

Jared Anderson is a scholar of religion with a particular focus on the intersection of human limitations, religious power, and the potential of religious humanism. His work emphasizes the importance of understanding and harnessing religion’s enduring influence in the face of human cognitive biases and the need for societal evolution. Anderson’s intellectual journey involved a re-evaluation of Mormonism through graduate studies and the subsequent exploration of world religions. This experience led him to recognize the pervasive impact of humanity on religion, a puzzle he continues to engage with. His research examines religion as a cultural technology, exploring its origins in managing belief in evil spirits and its subsequent evolution through tribal, agricultural, and Axial Age developments. He frames the present state of religion as an outdated cultural technology, advocating for a proactive approach to redirecting its influence in a rapidly changing world. His current focus is on facilitating the continuation of civilization infrastructure until the Singularity, a race against the death between innovation and cataclysm. His presentation given at the Mormon Transhumanist Association Annual Conference highlights his efforts to challenge and correct the limitations humans are so prone to.

Jason Anthony is a religion journalist and games designer based in New York City. He brings a unique perspective to discussions of next-generation religion, shaped by his diverse experiences and intellectual curiosity. Anthony’s career has spanned various aspects of the media landscape. He has served as the editor of America’s oldest religious magazine and written extensively about the national faith landscape. His observations and reflections following the events of September 11th at the World Trade Center—where he witnessed the intense religious reactions and motivations—led him to delve deeper into the study of religion. Driven by both personal experience and the evolving media landscape, Anthony’s work now extends to the realm of game design. This exploration is epitomized by his project, “The Ten Year Game,” an initiative through which he explores future religious frameworks. Anthony’s involvement in business writing and familiarity with both legal and illegal gambling traditions further enrich his understanding of complex systems and human behavior, lending a multifaceted perspective to his projects.

Jason Crawford is the founder of The Roots of Progress , where he writes and speaks about the history of technology and the philosophy of progress. He is also the creator of Progress Studies for Young Scholars , an online learning program for high schoolers; and a part-time adviser and technical consultant to Our World in Data, an Oxford-based non-profit for research and data on global development. Previously, he spent 18 years as a software engineer, engineering manager, and startup founder. From 2013–2018, he was co-founder & CEO of Fieldbook, a hybrid spreadsheet-database. He has also been an engineering manager at Flexport, Amazon, and Groupon, and a co-founder or early employee at other startups. Before that, he was a research engineer at D. E. Shaw Research, working on a new supercomputing architecture for computational biochemistry.

Jason Xu is a transhumanist with a deep interest in the intersection of technology, religion, and culture. Driven by a desire to find meaning and purpose in a world increasingly dominated by what he perceives as morally bankrupt cultural trends, Xu seeks to create art and rituals that celebrate and reinforce transhumanist values. He is passionate about the potential of technology to advance humanity towards a teleological end goal. Frustrated by the lack of established transhumanist communities and artistic expressions, Xu embarked on a unique spiritual journey. He explored various religious practices, including Christianity, Islam, and Hare Krishna, interpreting their rituals and beliefs through a transhumanist lens—specifically focusing on concepts such as mind uploading and ancestor simulation. This quest ultimately led him to Terasem, an organization whose principles resonated deeply with his own. Xu’s intellectual journey began in high school with an exploration of transhumanist ideas online. His desire for a deeper connection to these concepts and a community of like-minded individuals eventually led him to seek out organizations and practices that could foster a sense of shared belief and purpose. He has lived in the Bay Area for over 15 years and moved to Florida to join Terasem.

Jaxon Washburn is a Ph.D. student in Near Eastern Languages and Cultures with a focus on Armenian Studies at UCLA. He holds a Master of Theological Studies in History of Christianity from Harvard Divinity School (2023) and dual bachelor’s degrees in Religious Studies and History from Arizona State University (2021), both earned summa cum laude. Raised in an interfaith household, Jaxon has long been passionate about religious studies and interfaith activism, with early speaking engagements at venues including the Parliament of the World’s Religions and the United Nations. He formerly served as youth advisor for the Arizona Interfaith Movement and as a member of the Mormon Transhumanist Association. He went on to serve a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Armenia—an experience that profoundly shaped the trajectory of his academic career. At Harvard Divinity School, Jaxon deepened his commitment to both scholarship and faith. He worked as a Research Associate with the Harvard Pluralism Project, contributing to efforts promoting religious literacy and interreligious engagement. His studies there also led to a published essay, “Mormonism: The Most American ‘Religious Other,’” in the Harvard Divinity Bulletin (Fall/Winter 2022). During his time at HDS, he developed a strong interest in Armenian religious history, studying Classical Armenian and working with Dr. Christina Maranci following the reestablishment of Harvard’s Mashtots Chair for Armenian Studies. Jaxon’s current research interests encompass the history of Christianity, Eastern and Armenian Christianity, mediums of interreligious exchange, and religious pluralisms in the South Caucasus. His earlier work on intersections between Hindu and Latter-day Saint traditions around themes of transfiguration and divine embodiment has broadened into a wider exploration of how religious communities interact, exchange, and develop across cultural boundaries.

Jeff Beck is a farmer and independent researcher with a deep interest in consciousness and its underlying mechanisms. His exploration of these topics has led him to consider questions surrounding how meaning is encoded in the brain and the nature of reality beyond linguistic abstraction. Beck’s interest in transhumanism stems from a fascination with solving seemingly impossible problems. Prior to his current pursuits, Beck worked as a research engineer for Conoco, where he specialized in tackling challenging engineering problems related to coal slurry, horizontal drilling, and other complex industrial processes. He gained extensive experience in designing and building pilot plants with feedback loops and control systems, often working with air and hydraulics for safety in explosive environments. This work sparked an interest in self-regulating systems and their potential applications. Beck holds a master’s degree in system dynamics and controls, which provided him with a foundation for understanding complex systems and their behavior. He is particularly interested in exploring the connections between dual aspect monism, high-level construction, and the nature of consciousness, seeking to bridge the gap between linguistic representations and the underlying continuum of experience.

Jeremy Hadfield currently works in Applied AI at Anthropic. He completed his undergraduate studies in philosophy, neuroscience, and computer science, as well as a Master of Engineering Management, at Dartmouth College. His academic interests have long been intertwined with the exploration of consciousness, happiness, and suffering, themes he addresses with a rigorous, multidisciplinary approach. Previously, as an intern at the Qualia Research Institute (QRI), Jeremy contributed to groundbreaking research focused on quantifying consciousness and developing a consistent, meaningful understanding of valence—the spectrum of experience from happiness to suffering. His work at QRI involved exploring the “symmetry theory of valence,” an innovative framework for understanding these fundamental aspects of human experience. Jeremy’s past presentation at the MTAConf 2020 demonstrated his unique ability to bridge scientific inquiry with theological considerations. He explored how scriptures address happiness and suffering within the wider context of neuroscience, computer science, and philosophical inquiry.

Jessica Finnigan is a scholar and project consultant operating at the intersection of social systems, technological innovation, and organizational health. Originally recognized for her academic work at the University of Cambridge and King’s College London, Jessica’s research explored how religious frameworks and technological access impact human progress in the developing world. Today, she translates those high-level insights into high-impact results as a Fractional Project Manager and the founder of Project Startup LLC. Jessica’s research highlights the critical, yet often overlooked, role of technology in alleviating suffering and fostering sustainable development in the developing world. Drawing upon her experience working with international databases focused on women’s issues, she emphasizes the need for culturally sensitive and nuanced approaches to technological implementation, advocating for solutions that acknowledge the complexities and tensions inherent in diverse cultural contexts. Jessica bridges the gap between technological innovation and the realities of the developing world, seeking to understand and address the “Great Divide” between technological access and implementation in developed and developing nations. Her work emphasizes the importance of considering sustainable food security and other fundamental needs when introducing technology into communities facing significant challenges.

John Niman is a legal scholar and writer with a particular interest in the intersection of law, religion, and emerging technologies. He is currently pursuing legal research on the Free Exercise Clause of the US Constitution, particularly as it relates to the regulation of genetic engineering and other scientific advancements. Niman’s work explores the potential for religious exemptions to accelerate scientific discovery, arguing that the constitutional protections afforded to religious practices could provide a unique pathway for innovation in areas that might otherwise be constrained by secular regulations. His analysis considers how Mormon transhumanist beliefs might qualify for such legal protections. Niman is a frequent contributor to online publications focused on transhumanism and emerging technologies, including the Institute for Ethics at Emerging Technologies (IEET), Transhumanity.net, and H Plus Magazine . His writings delve into the ethical and legal implications of rapidly advancing technologies and their impact on society.