Huxley's foresight
Came across a fascinating talk by Aldous Huxley in which he discusses mind control, both by hypnosis and chemicals. He talks about how 20% of people are easily hypnotised, using techniques such as Hitler used in his speeches, also that Hitler spoke most often at night, when people are tired and more susceptible. I think this was recorded before television was very popular, as he only mentions radio as a powerful tool for any demagogue, who if they persuade 20% of the population of their point of view can gain political control. He also describes 1984 as a novel about control by terrorism. Brave New World was Huxley's novel where drugs were used to achieve similar ends, mainly that people can be made to conform and not cause a problem by thinking for themselves too much.
I think that the possibilities for both these methods have increased tenfold in the 50 years (approx) since this was recorded - it's becoming clear that a large part of our society is held in a form of hypnosis by the various media, and the political messages are being embedded in our brains without us realising it. It is in the mindset produced by the media's unreal view of the world that we can believe that our governments have our best interests at heart because this is what they tell us. The reality is that they are inveterate liars, and we know this really, but we won't act on it until it impacts directly on our day to day lives, by which time it will be too late. Since 9/11 this has increased to the extent that I think we are controlled by terror (or more accurately the threat of it - how many have actually died in terror attacks? Many many fewer than those innocents killed by the wars terror has triggered), and in that sense we have arrived in 1984, only 24 years late.
I feel increasingly that in this climate the message of Jesus increases in its urgency as realistically it is (and always has been) the only real solution and only real hope. And only the Holy Spirit can break the hypnosis; ironically for those who condemn christianity, the only way to be free to think for yourself is to follow Jesus.
I think that the possibilities for both these methods have increased tenfold in the 50 years (approx) since this was recorded - it's becoming clear that a large part of our society is held in a form of hypnosis by the various media, and the political messages are being embedded in our brains without us realising it. It is in the mindset produced by the media's unreal view of the world that we can believe that our governments have our best interests at heart because this is what they tell us. The reality is that they are inveterate liars, and we know this really, but we won't act on it until it impacts directly on our day to day lives, by which time it will be too late. Since 9/11 this has increased to the extent that I think we are controlled by terror (or more accurately the threat of it - how many have actually died in terror attacks? Many many fewer than those innocents killed by the wars terror has triggered), and in that sense we have arrived in 1984, only 24 years late.
I feel increasingly that in this climate the message of Jesus increases in its urgency as realistically it is (and always has been) the only real solution and only real hope. And only the Holy Spirit can break the hypnosis; ironically for those who condemn christianity, the only way to be free to think for yourself is to follow Jesus.
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home