The whole thrust of the field of artificial intelligence (AI) is to make machines interact with us more like humans. In practical terms this involves building a computer or robotic device that can take over a human task and do it just as well or better. But how often do we ask the opposite question: Can AI make us more human?

This is an endlessly fascinating question once you go into it. The reason a machine isn’t human is that it has no interior life—it has no experience at all, while a person’s inner life is the source of everything human. Everything going on “in here” is overwhelming. We constantly think, feel, perceive, worry, dream, wish, remember, create, on and on. At this point, even the most optimistic AI proponent cannot foresee a computer or robot that does any of these things, so how can it make us more human?

Classical Physics, founded by Isaac Newton, was one of the most important contributions in the early days of the Scientific Revolution. Physics is the science that defines the mechanisms of how the Universe works. A fundamental principle in Newton’s version of physics is that the Universe is divided into two realms: Matter and Energy. While physical matter can affect matter, and invisible energy can affect energy, there are virtually no interactions wherein the energy and matter realms can affect one another. The difference between the two realms was so distinct that the study of physical matter was specifically identified as “physics,” a field of science, while studies on the invisible energy forces were deemed “metaphysics” and relegated to religious and spiritual “science.”

This year, I’ve shared a little bit of my mindful journey with you. I’ve written about how often this journey has been less blissful, more uncomfortable. I’ve shared how the process has felt inauthentic when I’ve slid back into old habits: getting into my head, giving in to melancholy, and hanging on to longing. Those are three things I must hold at arm’s length because they’re not good for me. Today, though, I don’t want to talk about these little bumps in this mindful trek. Instead, I want to talk about how others play a role in our mindfulness.

Wait. What? Isn’t mindful living about connecting with oneself and tapping into our own superpower?