Okay, it seems people got really frustrated at my removing my previous thread. I had hoped that deleting the posts (since I am not able to delete the thread) would just make it disappear as no one would want to participate. I should have guessed more accurately at the reactive nature of the members here that this would not turn out well. Anyway, it wasn't meant to be a big deal.
So, I proposed two options for people to choose from. Before I propose the two options let me first qualify this topic a bit. First of all, these are not real scenarios so if something seems to be missing you're free to use your imagination. Second, if you are familiar with Arthur C. Clarke's The City and The Stars, recalling the story may be helpful here, for it is an inspiration to my question.
The first option. You are born into a world in which you live forever. There may be intermittent deaths, but your (genetic) information and memory is stored such that it is as though no time has passed since you last lived. The world is closed off to the outside real world. Machines control the physical and social structure of the world. Anything is possible through virtual simulations which can last indefinitely. Certain aspects on the human's physical nature may no longer exist, and other aspects which are new may exist; this may be so much so that you can no longer be classified as human in your current sense of the idea.
The second option. You are born into a world which is isolated do to oppressive outside forces (which may be only mythological). This world is on a desolated version of earth. The people in this world have been isolated here for eons and have developed themselves to the point of being very physically capable, possessing telepathic ability, and still preserving a very capable grasp of science (far beyond anything we know today). These people do not live forever, nor do they want to.
Would you have a preference if you were given the choice to chose between these two worlds?
Are these reasonable choices?
--P.S.--
: : : : Maybe now the previous participants in this thread can see why I deleted the previous one. The emphasis was wrong, and incomplete. My fault.
: : : : Also, and this is only relevant to those who read the previous thread, I tend to use the word spiritual to carry the meaning of having some set of personal practices intended to develop the self. This definition is based on the conclusions drawn from several threads on the topic (one of which was in this forum long ago). I forget that the word still provokes distaste to many (specifically the technologically minded).