Mind control has always been a pursuit of those seeking to gain power over people. Unlike what some might assume, most mind control does not necessarily involve directly hypnotizing an individual to make them blindly obey commands. Instead, mass mind control works in a much more covert way.
Controlling the mind
“Mind control is the process by which individual or collective freedom of choice and action is compromised by agents or agencies that modify or distort perception, motivation, affect, cognition, and/or behavioral outcomes. It is neither magical nor mystical, but a process that involves a set of basic social psychological principles,” says Dr. Philip G. Zimbardo (American Psychological Association).
A person who is being subjected to mind control will often be unaware that a third party is trying to influence him or her. Through small psychological triggers over a period of time, the person will start changing their thought processes in a way that aligns with the interests of the third party. Though the person might believe that all decisions taken are their own, the fact is that those decisions are simply the result of prolonged mind control strategies.
You can roughly group entities that use mind control tactics into three categories — Borderline, Dangerous, and Deadly. The Borderline category usually tries to influence your mind in order to take some sort of financial or material advantage. These include ads that focus on making you purchase a product or service, casinos that arrange their environment in a specific way so that you keep on spending money in a relatively dazed state, shopping malls that play music in fancy settings to encourage you to let down your guard and focus on buying more, video games that are addictive enough to make you pay for upgrades, and so on.
Casinos try to control your mind in a way that you keep playing and spending money on their premises. (Image: via Pixabay)
Dangerous categories exert influence with the aim of modifying your ideologies so that you support them. When you watch the news during the election term, you might be exposed to stories that only project one side of a candidate, thereby making you vote (or not vote) for the candidate. The communist indoctrination in schools and colleges in China, and the leftist indoctrination carried out on American campuses, are examples of groups seeking to brainwash impressionable people to follow their ideologies.
The “Deadly” category wants to make you addicted to what they provide so that you basically become their psychological slaves. These include drug dealers hooking you on narcotics so bad that you will end up doing anything they ask just to get your fix. Cults that demand complete and absolute obedience to their belief systems also come under this category.
Preventing mind control
Unfortunately, you cannot choose not to be subjected to mind control. From companies to political parties, there are always individuals and organizations with nefarious intent trying to manipulate your choices. However, what you can do is be aware of the various mind control strategies so that you identify them when subjected to it. This can empower you to block the attempts at controlling your mind.
When watching the news or reading articles, always investigate whether the content explains both sides of the subject matter. If only one side is being covered, you can almost be sure that the content has been created with a specific agenda. When you are introduced to some new ideology, political party, or activism, do a deep analysis of their intentions, means, and outcomes. Get the information, do your thinking, and come to conclusions by yourself.
Protect yourself from advertisements and other marketing efforts by being aware of how they are trying to manipulate you. (Image: Pixabay)
However, advancements in science are now heralding a new age of mind control tactics that people may not be able to block. For instance, technology now allows the use of sound waves to control a person’s mind. Though the tech is in its infancy, the time is not too far away when it will mature enough so that governments and corporations can use it to control the minds of people.
Spiritual cultivation
A weak mind, filled with various attachments, is always vulnerable to manipulation. When one undergoes a strenuous cultivation process of body and mind that roots out weak elements, then the strength of mind can be achieved. Spiritual cultivation practices like Tai Chi or Falun Gong help you focus on what really matters in life, and gain understanding to view society and everyday matters from a whole different perspective. Spiritual cultivation enables you to transcend mundane affairs and remain unaffected.
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