We are all faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as impossible situations.”
Charles Swindoll
“Crisis? What Crisis?” is the name of the famous Supertramp album released in 1975 and whose name comes in handy for what I wish to present in this article. In these modern times, in which the word “crisis” is ever present and the present time rushes crazily ahead on a roller coaster of rapidly moving events, it is necessary, in my view, to stop for a few minutes and to think about all that we are living and the daunting period of transformation we are facing. What is this crisis about, that the media bombards us with like a pandemic virus? Is it purely economic? What are its causes? Is it the same for everyone?
“Crisis”, translated from the Greek, means “change” and this is something we have to keep in mind, since change is necessary. All of us who work in therapy know and handle a universal and unquestionable truth: that which is alive grows and develops in cycles of crisis and balance. In fact, in order to walk it is necessary to fall down, since, between every step, there is an infinitesimal moment of destabilization. And this is not bad. It is necessary. Without this condition there would be no movement and that which does not move dies.
Therefore, crises are changes. And all changes can be experienced, depending upon the attitude of the person or the human collective, as an opportunity to evolve and to grow, or as an event that only brings catastrophe and meaningless suffering. Trust or fear, this is the fractal of the human being, the two eternal forces of the universe whose conflict is embodied in the figure of the human being. Fluidity or friction.
Einstein said that the biggest decision a person must make in life is to decide whether the cosmos is an ally or an enemy. This is precisely what we do every minute and every second of every day in our lives, when we act out of trust or fear.
And this is something that thrills me in this global moment in which we are living: it is our opportunity. Indeed, I dare say that this is our Great Opportunity. Never have so many people been so connected, never before have so many humans had such an opportunity to observe where we live, how this system is built, who its architects are and what their real intentions are. We are at a crossroads and one of its forks enables us to take hold of our lives and make of them whatever we want: to be masters and lords of our freedom, masters of our own energy.
That is why I asked what crisis we are talking about. In my opinion, we are talking about the crisis of Lies and Fear. The stage is falling and we can now see what lay behind the scenes: the major architects of the current economic collapse are its biggest beneficiaries. There is a clear sense that the economic and social convulsions respond to a symphony composed and designed in posh corporate offices, within modern steel and crystal fish tanks which are not but the watchtowers of those tireless potters eager to shape at their will what remains at their feet.
It is an open truth that large multinational corporations (real states and factual powers) are expanding more and more in a process of metastasis. For them, the crisis is not random or risky, nor the result of bad management. This is a lie. This crisis is a process designed to narrow even further the pyramid and increase the distance between its top and bottom. They want our energy and thus they stimulate fear, lies, division, and self-control.
And this is precisely what humans have the opportunity to bring to a head. We can demolish this system of relating to one another, this way of relating to the environment, nature, and other beings, in order to create one that is more respectful, open, and responsible, where thievery and competition is replaced with solidarity and cooperation. A system where we are given an opportunity to, and at the same time are required to, create something beautiful, harmonious, and constructive with our lives.
The secret of the pyramid:
“Love casts out fear; but conversely fear casts out love. And not only love. Fear also casts out intelligence, casts out goodness, casts out all thought of beauty and truth. What remains in the bum or studiedly jocular desperation; for in the end fear casts out even a man’s humanity.”
Aldous Huxley
Adolf Hitler, a man who knew a great deal about manipulating masses, said that a lie only needs to be repeated often enough to make it true. And, unfortunately, such a statement is, en effect, true.
Unlike the body, the mind can justify anything. We just have to convince it. An idea that, in most cases, is not too complicated. Once the mind is convinced, the human being will find his or herself unable to challenge the lie and will instead find his or herself supporting it, and the human being will also be willing to ruin his or her life in order to remain faithful to it.
And to know what this really means is advantageous, because every good arriviste with pretensions of power knows that to stay on top requires a great deal of energy, unless you know the magic formula to make people keep watch on one another, distrust their neighbours, and accept the existence of “well-intentioned” governing elites responsible for, even by their own accord, “people’s safety and well-being”. The subjected must be brought to adore their master and dream to be like him, thus promoting fear, paranoia, personal irresponsibility, stereotype, and homogeneity. It is obvious that there cannot be as many “watchers” as there are “watched”, as this would be an endeavour without much profit. The creation of pyramidal relationship structures is a good strategy to work out this problem: One person can control the masses without too much expense in energy, thus making this a very profitable venture.
We must also keep in mind that the human being is, above all, a symbolic being that interprets reality and simultaneously generates it. “To believe is to create”, said the master. Therefore, it is important to make this quantum universe that we live in crystallize and materialize into the option that best suits me, if I am to impose myself on everything and everyone else. It thus becomes essential to possess the ability to create a vision of human reality that benefits my state of being and that will, of course, establish a natural social state that confers legitimacy to the unilateral decision-making made by this small group of people whose desire is to hold onto such power. Let us observe an example of how this takes place.
You are probably familiar with the famous pyramid of life, so well described in “The Lion King” (Walt Disney, 1994) and which is called the circle of life. This pyramid informs us that reality is a hierarchical structure in which the “strongest” eat the “weakest” and is one where the best adaptive strategy ends up being competition for resources which, as part of another great lie, are deemed limited. Indeed, this pyramidal structure can easily be observed within the animal world. But not throughout the whole animal world, as I am sure you are not aware, that according to ethology, there are more species that cooperate with each other than species that compete with each other. And such results are more effective. Therefore, from a strictly natural point of view, it is more advantageous to have a good relationship with your neighbours than to steal their energy and resources. What has also been proved untrue is the fact that the strongest always wins. The lion does not always eat the wildebeest. Sometimes, it turns up beaten by the baby wildebeest’s parents, friends, neighbours, and even by its forgotten ancestors. It is true that, on the savannah and in the struggle for survival as recorded by the National Geographic, to be a lion is much better than to be a wildebeest. However, this is no certain or irrefutable guarantee. And to extrapolate this directly from the animal world onto the human world, as if there were no difference between them at all, sounds suspiciously like mental laziness, not to call it clear intended.
But what if we accept this situation as valid and assume that life has this kind of relationship? We can then immediately convince our minds that this natural order also exists in human beings, as we are just another species of animal. Simple, is it not? Eureka!! It all comes together now: this is the reason that there are the rich and the poor, that there are “developed” and “third-world” countries, powerful elites and marginalized, murderers and the murdered. Furthermore, since resources are limited and the strongest always win, it is my right to plunder what, admittedly, is not mine. It is my right, bestowed upon me by God or by chance. It is not that I decide to lend my energy to violent and destructive life patterns in every act and in every thought but, rather, it is the natural order of things. I have no obligations in this standard looting; I only assume the “rules” that are, by the way, the only ones that exist. And if you don’t like it, dump it. As a Brazilian friend of mine used to say, “Wake up, the line is moving!”
When millions of people accept a lie as the truth, it becomes reality. And it is both basic and essential to understand that which this really means, as the few families that rule the world cannot force seven billion minds to do whatever they want, unless they convince such minds that this order is unique and unquestionable and that it exists for their own good. It is of vital importance then, that these families establish a strong hierarchical and pyramidal way of living, wherever there is more than one human being cohabiting the same space-time, and where competition, irresponsibility, deceit, and social ambition shall be awarded and where fear shall be used as an educational tool, submission as a form of relationship, and violence as a basic mechanism used to resolve conflict. It does not make any difference if the brainwashing is done by imams, bishops, journalists, scientists, actors, or popular sports figures. The most important thing is that the message takes root, that the pyramid is seen as the only way possible to maintain a basic relationship, that it takes root on us, and that it leaves a genetic imprint to be passed from generation to generation.
Take a look at the world around you and contemplate this structure everywhere: at work, within family, with your friends, in sporting competitions. From everyday circumstances to global situations, the pyramid is always present, imposed or in a violent attempt to be imposed. Sometimes we are on the receiving end of such an imposition, but at other times we are its agents ―and it takes us our entire lifetime to eventually arrive at this realization―, unconscious automatons who operate secretly with the sole intention of reproducing the unjust world in which we have been brought up and in which we were taught was the only one valid. Unwittingly, we are monotheists. We are converted worshippers of this social, natural, familiar, industrial, educational, and parental pyramidal god. And this is so to such an extent that it is almost impossible to imagine a real alternative to this system. We are like prisoners who dream of being liberated from prison and who, once on the outside, do not know what to do with their freedom. Here lies the challenge: in this time of crisis, we have to choose either continuity or the creation of something new. Are we victims of fear or the architects of Utopia? Please, in this do not be short-sighted, because this is really what the crisis is about: Do people want to stay in hell or create their own paradise? The decision rests in our hands. Let us make it.
Creating The Matrix: the mind of the slave.
What is The Matrix? The Matrix is everywhere. It’s all around us. Here even in this room. You can see it out your window, or on your television. You feel it when you go to work, or go to church or pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled over your eyes to blind you from the truth. – Morpheus.
What truth? – Neo.
Matrix (Warner Bros, 1999).
Far from what you might believe, the most important thing in creating a good lie is not having a good argument. If we want to convince a person that donkeys fly, we will not talk to them about the physics of atoms and the law of gravity. First, that which is really going to determine whether a lie will be successful or not, is to generate an emotional state, from a very early age on, that will lead the person to assume that their normality is fear, anguish, and submission. This will allow for two essential things: one, that the subject will “vibrate” at a lower energy frequency, and two, that the subject will become naive, insecure, and therefore, easily malleable. After that, we can tell the subject whatever we like, because at that point he/she will have accepted this great lie of his/her life as true: that the subject is incapable and that there exist others more qualified under whose tutelage the subject must take cover at all costs. We simply have to look for a premise that does not rub too much against their vision and expectations in life. And if that is not possible, we shall have to shape their conception of life through a constant and progressive poisoning using information (mass media, for example) or through the generation of sudden, shocking, and traumatic events (the very well-known “culture shock”) that, in the manner of lightning, will create a state of anguish and mass terror that forces the human being to react from the reptilian brain and to choose to look for protection and fatherly care from their worshipped good leaders (there is nothing like a good economic crisis).
If we achieve this objective in a sufficient number of human beings, the reality of the group will progressively materialize in such a fashion, and as I said before, the pyramid will become the norm, though not harmonious or balanced. It will be a frequent thing because most people will live according to that reality in which dissidents or objectors are considered anomalous and marginal, strange individuals that it is best to keep away from, since they are guilty of having committed some kind of crime. We will simply have to determine the crime they are guilty of having committed. Every one of us should already know that that which is normal and is balanced does not necessarily have to coincide, as “the best is often the enemy of the good”.
And thus, with this collective movement of intentions, often unconsciously, we create a conception that engulfs us and in which we all take part: The Matrix. What is The Matrix? The Matrix is a set of symbols, ideas, acts, and decisions in which we all participate, actively or passively, either because we are in favour of The Matrix, or because we are against it. This is the Friction Culture that is generated by all of us and that surrounds us as an invisible blanket of energy, sifting from its particular features the stimulus of reality. In short, The Matrix is our ocean, which has been passed down from generation to generation; and we, the fishes of the ocean, amplify it every time we rub against reality rather than accept reality as it is.
Put this way, it sounds quite monolithic and unchanging, a kind of prehistoric monster against whom it is impossible to fight, for we are small individuals who do not possess the necessary capacity to overcome it. But there is a secret which we must come to know, because the battle is not lost. Far from it! This structure, this network that surrounds us, has a major weakness: it is entropic and, therefore, very weak energetically. This is the reason why we have to enhance our energy, which does away with our fear and irresponsible neglect of our health, care, and personal growth. It only exists because we voluntarily renew our commitment to it every time we act from fear, victimhood, and irresponsibility. It needs that we voluntary surrender to it in order to be able to continue to function and needs that we transform ourselves into a kind of zombie or automaton, disconnected from our inner emotional world and, therefore, a person that functions according to the criteria established by the Pensée Unique: egocentrism, victimization, and friction.
Animal farm: wake up and dream.
“The hell of the living is not something that will be: if there is one, it is what is already here, the hell we live in every day, that we make by being together. There are two ways to escape suffering it. The first is easy for many: accept the hell, and become such a part of it that you can no longer see it. The second is risky and demands constant vigilance and apprehension: seek and learn to recognize who and what, in the midst of hell, are not hell, then make them endure, give them space.”
Italo Calvino (Invisible cities)
At this stage, I think I could state a fact that you clearly are going to understand: there is no crisis, it is all a lie. What they are not telling us is that this movement of economic contraction and social upheaval we are experiencing is scheduled, predicted, and anticipated. The masters of The Matrix are simply picking up on the network and on the interests of previous investments. And we are the fish in danger of being eaten by such a movement.
However, fishes can do something unexpected: induce a real crisis, bring about change, and solve this global situation in an unexpected way. We have the right and the human duty to put in check this game of factual powers. We have the great opportunity, as never before, to break down the pyramid and transform it into something else: into a circular structure in which one point is not privileged over another. And we have to create this structure together, being aware that, never before, in the course of history, have there been so many humans awake and connected to each other. And, as evidenced by disciplines such as biology or physics, all you need is a critical mass of people to acquire a will and a clear direction in order to begin to notice the change and to spread it out like a breath of fresh air among the rest of people. We must wake up, and become aware of where and how we live. Why not start with the things we have closest and at hand? Why not begin at home, by ending the inner wars in which we are struggling, those that make us such slaves to fear, anger, and resentment? As Manu Chao said, “you won’t see this revolution on TV”. And as Ghandi said, “it won’t be violent”. Do not do anything against anyone or anything, let us do it for ourselves. Let us be light and cross paper buildings. Let us seek our well-being with responsibility, dignity, and energy.
Let us put the pyramid upside down. How? By waking up. By beginning to become masters of our own lives and energy. Here are some suggestions:
1.- Expand your awareness and discover your traps, those characteristic mechanisms that keep you paralyzed in destructive relationships and situations. See which experiences keep you bogged down and which make you suffer, and act on the only thing you can act on: yourself. How? Ask yourself what you are putting into this relationship that might be holding it back. It might be something internal, silent, but probably charged of energy. Change your intentions and look out for your own well-being, getting out of this fight. The only winners are those who do not war.
2.- Do not assume anything as true that you do not feel within. You are your only master, but until now you have been too absent. You have to reconnect, talk to yourself again. You have to know what your old, wise, and deep self (let us call it the unconscious) is telling you, as it exists in order to guide you at every turn. Make yourself your own best friend.
3.- Dedicate yourself to your own well-being and pleasure, and make yourself special. Do not create your wishes from a mental and stereotyped plan, but from experimentation. If something goes wrong, then it is not good for you. Try something else, even though nobody else does.
4.- The compass is always your emotions. The north represents your feelings: if something opens up your mind, calms you, and connects you with the world, this is, without a doubt, good for you. However, if it does not open up your mind, but instead agitates you, isolates you from the rest of the world, and locks you up in the cell of your chattering mind, then this is, indeed, toxic.
5.- Fear is our worst advisor. Every time we pay attention to fear it gets stronger and, lest we forget, fear is fed basically by three things: secrecy, isolation, and passivity. So share, express yourself, do not judge yourself, and do not judge others, and the most important thing, be the scriptwriter, director, and star of your own life.
6.- Do not let anyone steal your attention. In such a case, attention and energy are the same thing. If you do not use your energy to achieve your goals, then, even though you are not aware of it, you are wasting it in order to meet others’ objectives. Be smart and wake up.
7.- Question everything, yourself most of all. And what if I am wrong? What if I am not on the right side? This does not mean you do not have to commit to anything, but be alert and do not rest on your laurels. The more aware you become of your destructive inertias, the more you will be able to handle them. They will be with us forever.
8.- Learn the differences between well-being and euphoria, sadness and depression. Well-being and sadness calm us and bring us back to our center. Euphoria and depression agitate us, throw us off center, and rob us of our agency, changing us into childish, compulsive, and easily manipulated beings with unrealistic perceptions of everything that surrounds us.
9.- Commit yourself to living in the here and now. It is the only thing that exists. If your mind insists on agitating you, silence it by feeling, with your senses or with your breathing. Focus your attention on any one of these.
10.- Do as much as you can, but no more, and do not create any expectations. Do not make assumptions, as this increases your chances for frustration.
11.- Ask for help when you need it. Shed a tear if necessary and be vulnerable if you are weak. Strength is the ability to adapt, not resistance to change. That which is alive can be changed, that which is dead is the hard part.
12.- Escape from complex explanations of reality. The truth is always simple and straightforward, accessible to everyone. If you do not understand what is being said, it is because they do not want to reveal it to you.
13.- And, above all, know your Truth: Who are you? Where do you come from? Where are you going?
Finally, I would like to point out some insights about possible approaches we will have to take into account in order to design alternative forms of group relationships:
1.- New ways of relating must come alive. The structure or methodology of relationships can never come before the smooth functioning of the group or the group structure. Down with bureaucracy. We must be daring and only aim for those structures that contribute to and nourish our well-being. That is the reason why we have to accept that death comes before and after life at the same time. We can never put the organization before the function and purpose for which it was created, and for this reason it must end sooner or later, even though it can be put off.
2.- A group that succeeds is a structure in which all of its members are involved and that entails, at least, the following aspects:
Everyone has the right to express themselves and to be heard without being judged;
Commitments must be respected and the members of the structure must be respectful;
Obviously, all agreements can be reviewed and changed, but it must be explicitly proposed and decided on all members, and not in “secret meetings”. Clarity, transparency, horizontality, and democracy;
The group nourishes and sustains the individual;
The group promotes and respects the autonomy of all of its individual members;
The group requires its members to do something responsible and constructive with their lives, a task that is up to each subject to decide;
All group members must work together to prevent the existence of factions;
And, finally, all group members must go over all of the functions the group needs to implement.
3.- All forms of the following will be uprooted: fear as an educational tool, submission as a form of relationship, and violence and projection as the basic mechanism of conflict resolution. Human beings are, above all, imaginative beings and great creators. Let us be smart and seek new ways of solving problems that will share the intention of zero friction (zero suffering) and then achieve the desired goal.
4.- Mechanism is a symptom of mental laziness and energy backlog; it is antagonistic to the development of life and, therefore, must be expelled. It is the greatest exponent of the pyramid paradigm and is, therefore, contrary to the living.
Conclusion:
We are living in a magical moment, in the most radical sense of the term. Anything is possible these days, because everything is so unstable that we will have the opportunity to experience new ways of solving the same old problems. Let us be daring and optimistic, and look for a utopia: a better world for all, a respectful and welcoming world in which individuals will commit to be responsible human beings who must deal with reality and work through events until the heavy becomes light and drama becomes something to look forward to.
Let us be our mother and our father. Let us be our best friend. Let us be the world, wherever it is, be our home, be our tribe. Let the lie be the shame and the Truth the currency.
To be brave does not mean that we will not fear, but that we can conquer fear.
Have a good trip and a good 2012.
“Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain.”
Litany against fear by Bene Gesserit – Dune (Frank Herbert)