stewie griffin
28-01-2011, 04:23 AM
On the manipulation of subjective reality
“Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one.” – Albert Einstein
“Culture is not your friend.” – Terrence McKenna
It’s our perception of the world that shapes our reality and the absence of certain facts from our collective consciousness can only result in an incomplete perception of reality. History, politics, religion and philosophy are non-linear subjects, yet for some reason we are taught that they proceed in a straight line. We are told that event A leads directly to event B and that event D was caused directly by event C. This is usually not the case. Events and actions have multiple, interconnected, causes. The reality more closely resembles a web, or matrix, yet we don’t learn that. When we have an idea that strays from accepted norms we are told to “get with the program” and “think straight”. This way of thinking tends to support a false reality, thinking in all directions at once opens up a whole new world of information.
The first thing that will addressed here is what is meant by reality. There are at least two types of reality, objective and subjective. Objective reality is concrete, a set of facts outside of any one person’s perception, that encompasses all data. Subjective reality is an individuals interpretation, or perception, of this set of facts that exists outside the mind, and is filtered through the mind, senses and cultural conditioning. Objective reality is the absolute truth. Subjective reality is individual perception of what we believe to be true.
It is impossible to have a complete knowledge of objective reality. In order to do so we would have to know everything. This means we can only have a subjective view of reality, shaped by the bits and pieces of objective reality that we have gathered. What it is that shapes our subjective reality is our perception of all that is around us. If each person was isolated from other people for their entire life then each person would have a completely different subjective reality. This is why each culture is different from the others. They developed separately and so have a different interpretation of the data. It seems that culture works to shape a common perception or a common subjective interpretation of objective reality amongst its members. We will call that a common illusion of objective reality or a common set of myths. And this common illusion always changes, different eras, ages and regions have different accepted common subjective realities.
We’ve all been given this common subjective reality by our culture and by creators of culture. We share a common set of ideas, concepts, language, etc., that allows our society to function. This we generally accept as objective reality. Although we cannot completely know objective reality, we can be led to believe that we do by people who are in charge of what bits of information make their way into our perception. If we do not understand this concept, and if each individuals subjective reality matches that of most others, then most of us will think that it is objective reality, simply because most of us agree that it is.
By independent study of pieces of objective reality (replicable scientific experiments for example) or by independent study of a multitude of other people’s subjective reality (investigative reports, books, etc), and our own observations, we can piece together a picture of what may be a small portion of objective reality. But in the end we are always left with our perception of things, meaning our subjective reality. Since subjective reality is no more than our interpretation of the bits and pieces of objective reality that we have gathered, if someone can regulate which bits and pieces we receive, then this person, or group of people, can manipulate our subjective reality and we might believe it to be objective reality.
Observation and compilation of gathered data have led some to the understanding that there is a concerted effort to manipulate exactly which bits and pieces we all get. In this way the regulators of information are free to create whatever pseudo-objective reality they choose, this is the common illusion most of us share. This created common illusion tends to benefit its creators. By design it keeps us prisoners, physically and mentally.
Since there are trillions of bits of data and we are given only a small percentage of them, what reason do we have to believe that the common reality is indeed objective reality? So much is left out. The more facts we can gather, the easier it becomes to see that the common illusion is simply a mass, meshed, consensual subjective reality. A real life cave, a la Plato’s Republic.
How do we know what’s real and what’s fake or misrepresented? There isn’t a satisfactory answer for that question, ultimately it’s up to you to decide. But one thing is certain, the reality that has been created for us by our culture is not objective reality. It’s simply our perception, our interpretation, of the information that has been selectively presented to us. A good deal of information has intentionally been left out, or skewed towards one outlook or another, leaving us with a provably false perception of reality.
Since objective reality is ultimately unattainable and we are left only with subjective reality, why should we let someone else shape our subjective reality? We should shape it ourselves, gather our own bits of objective reality and piece them together in the way we think they fit. This doesn’t mean we fabricate a false reality, it means we do our own thinking, and create a common reality that allows us to be free and exercise our powers of critical thinking. This requires an open mind, curiosity, study, reflection, a strong desire to know and understand.
Which information is reliable and true and which is phony or incomplete? The only way to find out is to examine it all. We should compare our own research on a given topic to what we’ve been taught about it in school or by the television. See what fits. We should compare what we’ve read to our observations and see what matches. Reflect on it and think about it. The more we learn the more we will see that most “experts” on any given topic have differing opinions. Each person will have a different interpretation of the facts, and this is what makes us individuals. The facts themselves, although often malleable, are theoretically indisputable. Where the differences in understanding come into play is in the placement of the facts within the overall picture of reality.
The important thing to understand is that culture, the “system”, works to make sure our perception fits in with the common perception, it needs to make our reality mesh with its authorized reality. Culture is not our friend, everything that exists within the system exists to benefit it. If our understanding of the world around us does not match with the common illusion that may be a problem for the system. It may be an obstacle to its smooth operation. So, this system, and those who control it, inherently seek to manipulate our perception in order to better fit us in. The US Department of Defense and many public relations firms call this technique perception management.
Pink Floyd told us, “All in all you’re just another brick in the wall. We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control.” If we can understand this we can break from the reality that’s been created for us and shape one that benefits us.
* * * * *
Imagine that a human being is a computer. The various input and output devices, the video card, sound card, modem, etc., correlate to the senses, allowing us to interact with the outside world. The hard drive is the brain, where data is stored. Imagine culture as the operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.), installed on the hard drive. Each bit of information in the brain is a separate file, the operating system being what determines how files are to be combined and accessed, how each bit of data is to be interpreted.
An actual computer can only operate within the parameters set by the operating system and it is only possible for this system to work with the data that is given to it. Therefore, the programer, the one in charge of the available data and the operating system, has ultimate control of what the computer knows and what the computer “thinks.” The computer is programmed with a programming language, a set of rules which define how it interprets the data. The rules are built into the operating system, different operating systems use different rules. Given a set of facts, using its programmed rules this machine can reach conclusions. The programmer, knowing how his operating system’s programming language is designed, and knowing what data is available to the computer, knows what conclusion will be reached on any given topic. For instance, if the computer is programmed with the rule that 1 + 2 = 5, the computer will always calculate five as the sum of one plus two. True or false is irrelevant because the computer does not have the ability to operate outside of its program, it only knows what has been programmed into it.
If culture is the operating system, determining how each human interprets each bit of data, and the computer-human cannot operate outside of the operating system, then culture, and those with the ability to manipulate it, are ultimately in charge of what most people think and the conclusions they will reach on any given subject. If the culture is programmed with rules the programmer knows to be false, then the conclusion that will be reached by any computer-human programmed with that operating system will be false, but will be understood as truth to the computer-human. Any person reaching a different conclusion will be thought of as being incorrect, as having faulty logic, regardless of what the truth is.
Fortunately humans are not actually computers, so we do have the ability to break free of our operating system to create our own program. First, the operating system must be uninstalled, the hard drive wiped clean. In order to do this correctly we must understand how the operating system is constructed and how it functions. The purpose of this book is to allow us to learn some of the information that has been left out of our program and some of the tools necessary to de-program ourselves. This will allow us to understand how our perception of reality has been manipulated and how to begin to de-construct the false reality that has been built around us.
The reality that we have been programmed with is false, it is a collective myth, a shared program bound by a false programming language, necessary to the smooth functioning of our current operating system. If we de-program ourselves and remove the barriers placed to hold us back from exploring reality outside of the system, we can knock the bricks out of the wall and see what’s on the other side.
© April 2010.
“Reality is merely an illusion, although a very persistent one.” – Albert Einstein
“Culture is not your friend.” – Terrence McKenna
It’s our perception of the world that shapes our reality and the absence of certain facts from our collective consciousness can only result in an incomplete perception of reality. History, politics, religion and philosophy are non-linear subjects, yet for some reason we are taught that they proceed in a straight line. We are told that event A leads directly to event B and that event D was caused directly by event C. This is usually not the case. Events and actions have multiple, interconnected, causes. The reality more closely resembles a web, or matrix, yet we don’t learn that. When we have an idea that strays from accepted norms we are told to “get with the program” and “think straight”. This way of thinking tends to support a false reality, thinking in all directions at once opens up a whole new world of information.
The first thing that will addressed here is what is meant by reality. There are at least two types of reality, objective and subjective. Objective reality is concrete, a set of facts outside of any one person’s perception, that encompasses all data. Subjective reality is an individuals interpretation, or perception, of this set of facts that exists outside the mind, and is filtered through the mind, senses and cultural conditioning. Objective reality is the absolute truth. Subjective reality is individual perception of what we believe to be true.
It is impossible to have a complete knowledge of objective reality. In order to do so we would have to know everything. This means we can only have a subjective view of reality, shaped by the bits and pieces of objective reality that we have gathered. What it is that shapes our subjective reality is our perception of all that is around us. If each person was isolated from other people for their entire life then each person would have a completely different subjective reality. This is why each culture is different from the others. They developed separately and so have a different interpretation of the data. It seems that culture works to shape a common perception or a common subjective interpretation of objective reality amongst its members. We will call that a common illusion of objective reality or a common set of myths. And this common illusion always changes, different eras, ages and regions have different accepted common subjective realities.
We’ve all been given this common subjective reality by our culture and by creators of culture. We share a common set of ideas, concepts, language, etc., that allows our society to function. This we generally accept as objective reality. Although we cannot completely know objective reality, we can be led to believe that we do by people who are in charge of what bits of information make their way into our perception. If we do not understand this concept, and if each individuals subjective reality matches that of most others, then most of us will think that it is objective reality, simply because most of us agree that it is.
By independent study of pieces of objective reality (replicable scientific experiments for example) or by independent study of a multitude of other people’s subjective reality (investigative reports, books, etc), and our own observations, we can piece together a picture of what may be a small portion of objective reality. But in the end we are always left with our perception of things, meaning our subjective reality. Since subjective reality is no more than our interpretation of the bits and pieces of objective reality that we have gathered, if someone can regulate which bits and pieces we receive, then this person, or group of people, can manipulate our subjective reality and we might believe it to be objective reality.
Observation and compilation of gathered data have led some to the understanding that there is a concerted effort to manipulate exactly which bits and pieces we all get. In this way the regulators of information are free to create whatever pseudo-objective reality they choose, this is the common illusion most of us share. This created common illusion tends to benefit its creators. By design it keeps us prisoners, physically and mentally.
Since there are trillions of bits of data and we are given only a small percentage of them, what reason do we have to believe that the common reality is indeed objective reality? So much is left out. The more facts we can gather, the easier it becomes to see that the common illusion is simply a mass, meshed, consensual subjective reality. A real life cave, a la Plato’s Republic.
How do we know what’s real and what’s fake or misrepresented? There isn’t a satisfactory answer for that question, ultimately it’s up to you to decide. But one thing is certain, the reality that has been created for us by our culture is not objective reality. It’s simply our perception, our interpretation, of the information that has been selectively presented to us. A good deal of information has intentionally been left out, or skewed towards one outlook or another, leaving us with a provably false perception of reality.
Since objective reality is ultimately unattainable and we are left only with subjective reality, why should we let someone else shape our subjective reality? We should shape it ourselves, gather our own bits of objective reality and piece them together in the way we think they fit. This doesn’t mean we fabricate a false reality, it means we do our own thinking, and create a common reality that allows us to be free and exercise our powers of critical thinking. This requires an open mind, curiosity, study, reflection, a strong desire to know and understand.
Which information is reliable and true and which is phony or incomplete? The only way to find out is to examine it all. We should compare our own research on a given topic to what we’ve been taught about it in school or by the television. See what fits. We should compare what we’ve read to our observations and see what matches. Reflect on it and think about it. The more we learn the more we will see that most “experts” on any given topic have differing opinions. Each person will have a different interpretation of the facts, and this is what makes us individuals. The facts themselves, although often malleable, are theoretically indisputable. Where the differences in understanding come into play is in the placement of the facts within the overall picture of reality.
The important thing to understand is that culture, the “system”, works to make sure our perception fits in with the common perception, it needs to make our reality mesh with its authorized reality. Culture is not our friend, everything that exists within the system exists to benefit it. If our understanding of the world around us does not match with the common illusion that may be a problem for the system. It may be an obstacle to its smooth operation. So, this system, and those who control it, inherently seek to manipulate our perception in order to better fit us in. The US Department of Defense and many public relations firms call this technique perception management.
Pink Floyd told us, “All in all you’re just another brick in the wall. We don’t need no education, we don’t need no thought control.” If we can understand this we can break from the reality that’s been created for us and shape one that benefits us.
* * * * *
Imagine that a human being is a computer. The various input and output devices, the video card, sound card, modem, etc., correlate to the senses, allowing us to interact with the outside world. The hard drive is the brain, where data is stored. Imagine culture as the operating system (Windows, Linux, etc.), installed on the hard drive. Each bit of information in the brain is a separate file, the operating system being what determines how files are to be combined and accessed, how each bit of data is to be interpreted.
An actual computer can only operate within the parameters set by the operating system and it is only possible for this system to work with the data that is given to it. Therefore, the programer, the one in charge of the available data and the operating system, has ultimate control of what the computer knows and what the computer “thinks.” The computer is programmed with a programming language, a set of rules which define how it interprets the data. The rules are built into the operating system, different operating systems use different rules. Given a set of facts, using its programmed rules this machine can reach conclusions. The programmer, knowing how his operating system’s programming language is designed, and knowing what data is available to the computer, knows what conclusion will be reached on any given topic. For instance, if the computer is programmed with the rule that 1 + 2 = 5, the computer will always calculate five as the sum of one plus two. True or false is irrelevant because the computer does not have the ability to operate outside of its program, it only knows what has been programmed into it.
If culture is the operating system, determining how each human interprets each bit of data, and the computer-human cannot operate outside of the operating system, then culture, and those with the ability to manipulate it, are ultimately in charge of what most people think and the conclusions they will reach on any given subject. If the culture is programmed with rules the programmer knows to be false, then the conclusion that will be reached by any computer-human programmed with that operating system will be false, but will be understood as truth to the computer-human. Any person reaching a different conclusion will be thought of as being incorrect, as having faulty logic, regardless of what the truth is.
Fortunately humans are not actually computers, so we do have the ability to break free of our operating system to create our own program. First, the operating system must be uninstalled, the hard drive wiped clean. In order to do this correctly we must understand how the operating system is constructed and how it functions. The purpose of this book is to allow us to learn some of the information that has been left out of our program and some of the tools necessary to de-program ourselves. This will allow us to understand how our perception of reality has been manipulated and how to begin to de-construct the false reality that has been built around us.
The reality that we have been programmed with is false, it is a collective myth, a shared program bound by a false programming language, necessary to the smooth functioning of our current operating system. If we de-program ourselves and remove the barriers placed to hold us back from exploring reality outside of the system, we can knock the bricks out of the wall and see what’s on the other side.
© April 2010.