The power of the mind to influence our health and well-being was an often overlooked aspect of a "pandemic" which effectively used our emotions as a weapon against us.
A great article. Fear makes individuals unable to reason, and it seems to do the same to societies.
My only caveat is that some studies on how fear induces symptoms seem to be just Pharma propaganda. An example is the study described in the _Independent_ article: "In 2018, a study found that people living in countries with more Google search results about statin adverse events were more likely to report statin intolerance. Authors of the study concluded that exposure to online information contributed to these adverse effects."
No doubt the study authors came to, or at least wrote down, that conclusion. Statins are, next to "vaccines," the holy water of medicine. No ill can be spoken of them in medical journals. And, like vaccines, they are poisons.
Thus, another interpretation of that 2018 study is that when the medical system gaslights patients about statins ("no, that can't be due to the statins,"), which they do a lot, patients start to live in that reality. But when there is more freedom of thought, patients notice the harms from statins.
What would fear of truth generate in a mind tricked or seduced to protect self-illusion in its place?– if not a world set in conflict, fragmentation, loss and reversal?
The idea of divine retribution, and of the vengeance or curse of others you have wronged or who come to represent payback for 'sins' of the past, is within fear of contagion.
Giving a true measure is the basis for acceptance of true results.
But giving or thinking and acting on the basis of a false sense of self and world will persist the 'Garbage in; garbage out' experience of conflicted predicates bringing conflicted results. The attempt to make sense of such results in their own terms will operate in and by the predicates or core beliefs and definition that are framing our perception and response as our experience - real or imagined.
Thanks a lot Mike for another great and thoughtful article. I fully agree with your views of the 12 characteristics. Here are my (non-exhaustive) additions: At least 2 of them, trust and awareness, are of the kind where the opposite is true too: A lot of trust in entities which spread false or inflated information or outright anxiety, can of course increase fear. And I'd say that was (and still) is part of the C19 crisis. A lack of awareness can lead to surprise or even shock. I have no good specific example but at least I wouldn't want to exclude this factor. (BTW, over-simplification in explanations can have a similar effect.)
Speaking of the point "awareness": I'd like to add virology and germ theory in general which since decades is used to explain illnesses and hence raises awareness for germs, including viruses of course.
One "characteristic" I'd like to add to the list is: Abuse, propaganda and misconduct. There were parties with deliberate interest in raising risk perception, anxiety and fear. Like the (often government supported) nudging units, parties who benefit economically from risk perception (journalism and (social) media being 2 disgusting examples), and those with military interests.
As insane as the featured people in the article have become (been driven by the most successful psyop in humanity's history), they seem almost sane compared to the collective insanity displayed in the 3000+ comments. Don't read them, if you have value your sanity or faith in humanity.
A great article. Fear makes individuals unable to reason, and it seems to do the same to societies.
My only caveat is that some studies on how fear induces symptoms seem to be just Pharma propaganda. An example is the study described in the _Independent_ article: "In 2018, a study found that people living in countries with more Google search results about statin adverse events were more likely to report statin intolerance. Authors of the study concluded that exposure to online information contributed to these adverse effects."
No doubt the study authors came to, or at least wrote down, that conclusion. Statins are, next to "vaccines," the holy water of medicine. No ill can be spoken of them in medical journals. And, like vaccines, they are poisons.
Thus, another interpretation of that 2018 study is that when the medical system gaslights patients about statins ("no, that can't be due to the statins,"), which they do a lot, patients start to live in that reality. But when there is more freedom of thought, patients notice the harms from statins.
What would fear of truth generate in a mind tricked or seduced to protect self-illusion in its place?– if not a world set in conflict, fragmentation, loss and reversal?
The idea of divine retribution, and of the vengeance or curse of others you have wronged or who come to represent payback for 'sins' of the past, is within fear of contagion.
Giving a true measure is the basis for acceptance of true results.
But giving or thinking and acting on the basis of a false sense of self and world will persist the 'Garbage in; garbage out' experience of conflicted predicates bringing conflicted results. The attempt to make sense of such results in their own terms will operate in and by the predicates or core beliefs and definition that are framing our perception and response as our experience - real or imagined.
Thanks a lot Mike for another great and thoughtful article. I fully agree with your views of the 12 characteristics. Here are my (non-exhaustive) additions: At least 2 of them, trust and awareness, are of the kind where the opposite is true too: A lot of trust in entities which spread false or inflated information or outright anxiety, can of course increase fear. And I'd say that was (and still) is part of the C19 crisis. A lack of awareness can lead to surprise or even shock. I have no good specific example but at least I wouldn't want to exclude this factor. (BTW, over-simplification in explanations can have a similar effect.)
Speaking of the point "awareness": I'd like to add virology and germ theory in general which since decades is used to explain illnesses and hence raises awareness for germs, including viruses of course.
One "characteristic" I'd like to add to the list is: Abuse, propaganda and misconduct. There were parties with deliberate interest in raising risk perception, anxiety and fear. Like the (often government supported) nudging units, parties who benefit economically from risk perception (journalism and (social) media being 2 disgusting examples), and those with military interests.
To see empirical proof of how much psychological damage sustained fear can do, see
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2022/10/26/covid-pandemic-still-isolating/
As insane as the featured people in the article have become (been driven by the most successful psyop in humanity's history), they seem almost sane compared to the collective insanity displayed in the 3000+ comments. Don't read them, if you have value your sanity or faith in humanity.
Thanks very much for this, Mike. This will be very helpful in one FB "discussion" i'm engaged in.
So glad you did this article Mike, best one yet IMHO :)