From the start, Jesuits understood the power of psychology as a tool for control

 The Jesuit order, founded by Ignatius Loyola in 1534, has a complex and secretive structure that exerts significant influence over global policy, with some critics viewing it as a force of geopolitical warfare.

The order’s spiritual exercises, as outlined in Loyola’s Meditations, aimed to break down an individual’s sense of internal sovereignty and personal responsibility, promoting a “corpse-like obedience” to the hierarchy. How? Using psychological conditioning, a tactic others subsequently adopted.

Historically, the Jesuits have been involved in various controversies, including subversive activities, terror operations and counter-revolutionary efforts, with notable figures such as Friedrich Schiller, Antoine Arnauld, Marquis de Lafayette and Fyodor Dostoyevsky warning about the dangers of the order....<<<Read More>>>...

What Happened to Systemic Common Sense?

 There was a time when discretion was considered a virtue in public service. When a policeman could resolve a dispute with a quiet word, when a nurse or care worker could rely on professional instinct, and when judgment wasn’t a liability but an expectation. Today, that era feels as distant as the gas lamp and the village bobby. We live now in a Britain where common sense has been systematically replaced with policy. And in the case of Donald Burgess, it ended in tragedy.

Burgess was 93 years old, frail, had one leg and was wheelchair-bound, suffering from advanced dementia. On top of this, he had a severe urinary tract infection, and anyone with elderly relatives knows that infection can significantly impact mental functionality in the elderly. It is literally akin to being under the influence of a heavy depressant like alcohol or morphine.

He was in a care home, confused, possibly frightened and holding a butter knife, flicking food but not threatening anyone. Once, this would have been met with kindness, patience or a gentle redirection. Today, in the age of “zero tolerance”, that butter knife became “a weapon”, and the police were summoned....<<<Read More>>>...

Venting Makes Anger Worse — To Quell Anger, Do This Instead

 You’ve probably heard that letting off steam by hitting a punching bag or going for a run helps you cool down when you’re angry. But recent evidence says otherwise. A review published in Clinical Psychology Review found that these approaches don’t just fail to reduce anger — they might make it worse.

That’s a problem, because anger isn’t just uncomfortable. It’s dangerous. While anger is a normal emotion, it becomes a serious threat to your health and relationships when you don’t have the tools to calm it down. Instead of “blowing off steam,” you need to cool the system down. Let’s look at the science behind what really works to settle down when you’re overwhelmed by anger....<<<Read More>>>...

Handwriting Lights Up Your Brain - Here's How

 Pick up a pen to activate neural pathways that might otherwise remain dormant.

Picture two brains: one buzzing with activity, connections firing across regions in a synchronized neural ballet. The other shows only scattered flickers of engagement — isolated islands of electrical activation.

Both belong to university students sitting in the same lecture trying to capture the same ideas. The difference between them isn't intelligence, attention span, or interest in the subject — but the tools in their hands.

One holds a trusty pen poised over lined paper, while the other's fingers hover over a laptop keyboard.

This neural contrast, shown in a study in Frontiers in Psychology, is just one piece of mounting evidence suggesting that our rush toward digital convenience may be coupled with significant cognitive costs. From neuroscience labs to classrooms, research comparing traditional and digital learning tools finds that pens are not quite yet old school...<<<Read More>>>...

Do You Think You’ll Ever Know, Now That You Have Handed Your Mind to the Machine?

 We live in a 24/7 media society of the spectacle where brainwashing is cunning and relentless, and the consuming public is consumed with thoughts and perceptions filtered through electronic media according to the needs and lies of corporate state power.

This propaganda comes in two forms: covert and overt. The latter, and most effective form, comes with a large dose of truth offered rapid-fire by celebrated, authoritative voices via prominent media. The truth is sprinkled with subtle messages that render it sterile.

This has long been the case, but it is even more so in the age of images on screens and digital media where words and images flow away like water in a rapidly moving stream. The late sociologist, Zygmunt Bauman, updating Marx’s famous quote “all that is solid melts into thin air,” called this “liquid modernity.” 

Welcome to Operation Pandemonium

See, these experts purport to say: What we tell you is true, but it is impossible to draw definitive conclusions. You must drink the waters of uncertainty forever lest you become a conspiracy nut. But if you don’t want to be so labelled, accept the simplest explanation for matters that disturb you – Occam’s razor, that the truest answer is the simplest – which is always the official explanation. If this sounds contradictory, that is because it is. It is meant to be. We induce schizophrenia....<<<Read More>>>..

The three styles of curiosity

 Curiosity is a strong desire to learn or know something. But according to researcher Perry Zurn, curiosity is not a singular thing. In fact, there may be at least three styles of curiosity that could have different benefits for our well-being and for the societies we live in.

In 2019, Zurn analyzed classical texts from the history of philosophy to study the nature of curiosity. Searching for mentions of curiosity in writings by philosophers from Saint Augustine to Friedrich Nietzsche to Jacques Derrida, he uncovered three different models of curiosity: 

The busybody: The archetypal gossiper, busybodies like to pick up bits of information about a wide range of topics. They aren't necessarily driven by a particular goal, but just by interest. 

The hunter: Hunters seek out specific answers, so they follow a targeted path and try to avoid distractions.

The dancer: Dancers leap to new ideas, put existing ideas together in new ways, or find new ways of framing information. They don't follow a traditional path. According to Zurn, these three styles aren't mutually exclusive; someone exhibiting curiosity might fall into more than one category....<<<Read More>>>...

New Study Shows That Language Influences Reality

 The power of words and communication has been celebrated in proverbs and wisdom throughout history, reflecting their profound significance. Now, scientists have uncovered just how deeply our speech influences the world around us—from individuals to the planet itself.

A new study reveals the immense power embedded in everyday language, demonstrating how even subtle shifts in word choice can significantly alter perceptions, shape reality, and influence behavior.

The findings underscore that words wield far more influence than previously understood. Yet, as a famous Marvel superhero once said, “With great power comes great responsibility.”

A study published in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest examined a phenomenon known as the framing effect — how the way information is phrased changes how the outside world interprets it....<<<Read More>>>...

The Art of Deception

 The man sitting across the table from you is known for trickery. He is a stage magician. You know he employs trickery, so he tells you he is going to do a card trick in which he can't possibly manipulate the cards. In this trick, you will do all of the card handling. He won't touch the cards at all.

He instructs you to cut the deck into four piles. You do so. He then tells you that you are going to randomize the order of the cards by shuffling them around and moving cards from one pile to another. Pointing to a pile of cards, he instructs you to take the top three cards and place them at the bottom of that pile. Then, take the next three cards and place them, one each, on top of the three piles remaining on the table. You repeat the procedure with all four piles of cards. The cards should now be very well mixed.

The man then begins his patter in earnest. He asks you to confirm the fact that he has not touched the cards. You agree. In no way could he have manipulated how you would cut the cards or handle them. Again, you agree. With a smile, he asks you to turn over the top card from each pile. You are amazed. The four aces sit at the top of each of the four piles of cards. For a moment, your mind might actually entertain the possibility that real magic has been performed, though you "know" you've been duped.

The fact is, this trick can be taught in a couple of minutes to any child capable of understanding the instructions. It requires no fine motor skills for clever card handling since the performer does not even handle the deck. The only thing required is setting up the deck before the trick is performed and being able to do a little sales patter in which you get the audience to agree to a statement that is blatantly false.

Take a moment and see if you can identify the lie that makes the trick believable. Everything the magician says is true with one exception. The trick is based completely on a facet of human psychology that most people--stage magicians, salesmen and politicians aside--don't understand. When a person is given a number of facts that are demonstrably true, they will tend to group all statements in that group together, agreeing to everything said, including an embedded lie....<<<Read More>>>...

Like venomous reptiles, they warn us

 Some of the most amazingly colored reptiles and snakes have the most intriguing shapes and complex patterns on their skin that truly sets them apart from other reptiles. But such eye-popping colors and bright patterns serve a purpose - namely, to keep predators away from them. They are warnings to not attack or eat them. Failure to do so will result in a quick and painful death, and many animals know this instinctively and thus avoid them.

There is a parallel to this in the human-social realm. It can be seen in the modern western woman, primarily among young and middle-aged American women. This is the kind of woman (of which there are plenty!) who is excessively tatted and pierced, who covers her arms, shoulders, chest area, neck, and hands with a seemingly endless number of tattoos. Many of them will even tattoo their face and foreheads. Few of them are embarrassed by it all.

But that's only the beginning of their self-disfigurement. They will color their hair in the brightest and most god-awful neon colors. Piercings through the nose, lips, and out of almost every orifice are displayed for all to admire or become repelled by.

These kinds of women are not only proverbial "attention whores," but there is something deeply obscene and disturbing about them. Whether it stems from self-hate or 'daddy issues' as some have claimed, it's a clear sign that something is psychologically wrong and problematic about them. Like brightly colored venomous reptiles, something is not right about these women and the visual mess they present should likewise serve as a warning to us - especially to young males who might be romantically or sexually attracted to them....<<<Read More>>>...

Magical Child Archetype

 The Magical Child archetype is representative of the part of each of us which is enchanting to other people, as well as enchanted in of itself. The Magical Child is able to see the sacred beauty in the world and those within in, as well as the potential for such beauty where others would never be able to imagine it could exist.

They are the type of child that believes in fairies at the bottom of the garden or that animals can really speak to them.

They spend much time slightly detached from the realities of the world in which they live, daydreaming and engaged in imaginative play in their own fantasy world.

The Magical Child finds the literary world and fairy tales compelling, enjoying losing themselves in the fantastical stories within. They may also enjoy writing such stories as well as reading them, using their vivid imagination to create their own characters and worlds....<<<Read More>>>...

The New World Order is real: The battle is for our minds

 At a recent Heritage Party conference, Brian Gerrish explained the forces trying to bring in a totalitarian one world government and how the people can resist.

“You can’t fight what you cannot see and do not understand,” he said.

The battle is for our minds,. Gerrish explained, “Because by capturing our minds they can capture everything. Everything about our life is gone. So, this is psychological warfare on your mind.”

The New World Order is also referred to as the “rules-based international order” or “one world governance,” and understanding what it is and how it works is crucial in fighting against it.

Research and observation are necessary to understand the New World Order and its mechanisms, as it is a complex issue that cannot be fully grasped in a short amount of time. The effects of the New World Order, such as stress, depression, anxiety, and uncertainty, are deliberate and part of the psychological warfare being waged...<<<Read More>>>....

Food for Thought #525

 

The Psychology Behind Inspiration

 You can learn about the science of inspiration and how it affects your creative process. Understanding creativity is essential for anyone seeking to tap into their creative potential. It involves exploring the various factors that contribute to the generation of new ideas and the development of novel solutions.

One key aspect of understanding creativity is examining the neurobiology of inspiration. Research has shown that inspiration is a complex phenomenon that involves a combination of cognitive and emotional processes. When we experience inspiration, certain areas of our brain become highly activated. For example, the prefrontal cortex, which is responsible for higher cognitive functions, shows increased activity during moments of inspiration. This suggests that inspiration involves the generation of new connections and the integration of different ideas.

Furthermore, studies have revealed that dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and reward, plays a crucial role in the experience of inspiration. Dopamine release in the brain has been linked to heightened creativity and the ability to think outside the box. It is believed that dopamine enhances the brain’s ability to make novel connections and facilitates the generation of innovative ideas....<<<Read More>>>...

Transcending our left-brain limitations

With respect to any speculative endeavor, our decisions stem from our conscious thinking about our situation, weighing the risks, the pros, the cons and the desired consequences of our actions. It's important to note that our internal monologues, the thoughts we think only to ourselves, are always formed in language. Thinking a thought without language is almost inconceivable.

That's where things get slippery. Our internal monologues largely define our relationship to the outside world. Because they are expressed in language, they are predominantly formed by our brain's language-heavy left hemisphere, which comes with certain important handicaps. But before we go there, a word about the brain's hemispheres: the discovery of the differences between the left hemisphere (LH) and the right hemisphere (RH) of the brain has been the single greatest advance in neuropsychology in over 50 years....<<<Read More>>>...

Psychological warfare is used to make us submissive to their agenda

 It’s becoming increasingly clear that we are at the centre of a deliberate campaign designed to instil fear, not by chance, but through careful manipulation, with the aim of not only alarming us but rendering us powerless through various artificial means.

At the core of this deliberate disorder is the elite’s chosen tool: psychological warfare. This tactic goes beyond physical conflict, aiming to penetrate the psyche and systematically degrade the human spirit.

The battle is not over land or resources, but over the essence of what makes us human: our ability to think, feel and act freely. The elite’s goal is disturbingly straightforward: to hollow out the individual, leaving an empty shell while stripping away the soul.

They employ an array of techniques to influence our thoughts and choices, making us unknowingly conform to their dark agenda.

Conventional warfare serves merely as a diversion, a secondary concern compared to the widespread psychological onslaught designed to make us submissive, not by force, but by surrendering our inner strength.

The proliferation of new technologies and smart devices, including games, movies, and various gadgets, leads to an addiction to these products. This addiction replaces or diminishes the users’ mental faculties such as memory, attention, concentration and creativity.

Children, for instance, are opting for videos over reading, often consuming content that may not be appropriate or educational.

Over time, this does not only dumb down the population, making them more ignorant and dependent on the system they are unwittingly a part of, but it also turns them into addicts of this very system.

Social media platforms are designed with a primary goal: to control and influence what people say and think, especially those with dissenting opinions....<<<Read More>>>....

Psychopathic behaviour on the rise as society descends into freefall collapse

The United States has entered what one media source describes as "the middle stages" of a full-scale economic and social collapse, as evidenced by the increasing prevalence of psychopathic behavior in public.

Over the past 10 years, there has been a dramatic uptick in mass violence and theft across the country. The advent of social media is fueling these types of incidents, which can now be organized quickly and efficiently online with large numbers of people.

Riots, looting and other uncivil behavior are fast-becoming a hallmark of the New America, which is basically a third-world country where the gap between the haves and the have-nots is growing exponentially, due in part to inflation and other forms of financial terrorism.

As such, many disenfranchised people are organizing with one another online to stage demonstrations and protests, which in some cases turn violent. Psychopathic agitators, often from three-letter agencies in D.C., will infiltrate protest groups and steer them off a cliff, as is now speculated to have occurred at the January 6 "insurrection."

In other cases, actual psychopaths who simply want to commit violence are exploiting the chaos of all the political and financial turmoil to harm innocent people, which is how a social breakdown really starts to pick up speed.

"If no one acts to eliminate the first wave of criminal actions during a social breakdown, then thousands of other criminals will also move to take advantage," Zero Hedge reports. "The first wave becomes an avalanche, all because the system no longer provides sufficient incentives to behave." ...<<<Read More>>>...

How to Recognise a Spiritual Ego

 [Wake Up World]: Nice people often want to help others and spiritual people are no different, but as we begin to seek our own enlightenment, we find out very quickly from those that have gone before us that we can not and must not try to “help” others spiritually, until we have attained our own enlightenment, lest we hinder them.

We describe the process of self-realization and enlightenment as “waking up” because we have learnt that everything we may not have previously realised is already there.

We all function normally with our own perspective, born out of our own needs and cultivated by our actions and beliefs throughout our lives. If at some juncture, we begin considering our spiritual side, we soon realise that the boundaries around the ideas we have of ourselves are nothing more than imaginary fences that we have constructed in our psyche, to protect and maintain the idea of who we are in the eyes of others. We encapsulate ourselves as something and someone to present to and function within the world and usually end up making the mistake of believing that we are the act.

With attention these misconceptions are dismantled and ignited by the fires of our own awareness, resulting in our perspectives widening....<<<Read The Full Article Here>>>>...

Anima and Animus: How to Balance Divine Feminine/Masculine

 [Wake Up World]: As poet Walt Whitman once wrote: “I am large, I contain multitudes.”

There is a reason why this simple yet beautiful verse has reverberated across history: it contains immense truth. We all contain multitudes. We are all a divine amalgamation of water and fire, soul and spirit, yin and yang.

Ultimately, when we narrow everything down within us, we see that we contain two energies: that of the feminine and masculine.

In psychology, these two polar opposite forces are known as the Anima and Animus. And learning to connect with, explore, and balance each of these inner forces is crucial for our well-being. In this article, we’ll explore why.

First coined by famous psychiatrist Carl Jung, the terms “Anima” and “Animus” refer to the indwelling masculine and feminine energies that we all possess. Specifically, the anima is thought to be the feminine part of a man’s soul, and the animus refers to the masculine part of a female’s soul. Both the anima and animus are ancient archetypes (or raw forms of energy) that every being contains.

Let’s explore these parts of us more in depth …<<<Read The Full Article Here>>>...

The Magic of Underthinking

I saw this in the New Yorker:

“On a long walk during the first pandemic winter, Kyle Chayka was struck by a thought: Did a medieval European peasant know that he was living through the Dark Ages?”

He goes on to speculate on possible names for our unique Age and shares three: “The Age of Unhingement? The Omnishambles? The Assholocene?”

I started to imagine this going viral.

The debate begins. CNN picks up the winning name and people chime in with their opinions. It goes viral and advertisers are elated. Experts point out that the “Kali Yuga” has been known since ancient times.

And so it goes. A mental trip with a life of its own.

I don’t think the naming and labelling thing is helpful.

We don’t have to name our Age to know we’re up against it. As Joe Martino asked in his piece, “If No Wants This Why Are We Doing It?” or Gabor Mate suggests in “The Myth of Normal” we are ensconced in a world that seems to work against us – or at least a society that is trying to wring out our last dime.

But a lot depends on your circumstances – if you’re in Gaza, Ukraine or living under a bridge these are certainly the Dark Ages. If you own a yacht and a personal jet, not so much.

But even the billionaires eventually get sick and eventually die....<<<Read More>>>...

A Look at The Shadow Self

 Streams Of Light: The shadow self is what sabotages our relationships, jobs, it denies our spirit, keeps us from realizing our destiny and dreams. It is what we sweep under the rug. It gets buried and repressed into our deep unconscious self. The shadow is what we don't want to be. It seems so horrible and grotesque feeding into our greatest fear that someone might discover our dark shameful secret --- further repressing it. Hiding what's inside gives it power, because we don't have the power to chose --- we just react. It is the voice that says we are unloved, undeserving, unworthy, keeping us from what we want or desire. It shows itself through our projection of judgements on others. What we don't own about ourselves we project onto other people. It is the only way to get our attention. terrified of discover the ego disowns it and uses the tool of judgement to protect itself --- but only prevents self realization. When you don't own an aspect of your life --- it runs your life.

Imagine that your body has electrical outlets all through it. Each outlet represents a different quality. The qualities we acknowledge and embrace have childproof covers over them. They are safe because there is no way to plug into them. But the qualities we don't own have an electrical charge. So when someone comes along with the qualities of that outlet --- they just plug right on into us. The jolt in voltage is a signal to arm for confrontation. So what we deny, resent, reject, or project ---we magnetize right to us. We are pathological liars when it comes to looking at our internal feelings. Since we can't find the offending quality within then the only way we can see that qualities is in others. So if you feel uncomfortable to express your anger, you are going to attract a whole lot of angry people in your life, to do it for you!

Other people mirror back our hidden emotions and feelings. Owning to manifest your full potential you have to claim the parts of yourself that you denied, hidden or given away to others to act out for you. If you keep attracting people with similar qualities or traits in your life it is to show you what aspects you are disowning in yourself. This gives us an opportunity to recognize them and reclaim them.

The pain of our perceived flaws compels us to cover them up. We often over compensate by being the opposite. What we don't want to face often is the drive and motivation to do something different...read more>>>...