Futurists have often talked about how the current era would be marked
by instability. Technological change being the only
constant. And that those able to evolve
would become kings, and those to stagnate would have no choice but to
perish. I wondered how much of this
toxic climate was created by the rhetoric of those in power, and how much of it
was true because of the genuine shift that was occurring beneath us at the
informational bases. True, the manner in which information consumption occurred
for most people had shifted as the oceans of published information became, in a sense,
radioactive and glowing, as the opportunity to publish anything became a force
encouraging people to publish EVERYTHING, and as the very nature of the lives of the “haves”
refocused toward integrating electronic equipment as a primary focus of our
very thought patterns. It is true that
many people became completely reliant on external devices for their daily
functioning, and having the right apps in life can make the difference between
professional success and failure. And
professional failure led to a perceived devolution in which individuals might
be forced to live like animals, growing their own food or residing in
over-priced, dimly lit cages, I mean apartments. And I somehow
had always known that the social state was predestined. Maybe it was all predicted in the book of Revelations,
which I had little interest in studying anymore, or that the circular nature of
time provided a knowing in the very fabric of the universe that this point
approaching a major cultural drop off had in fact occurred many times before,
and that we were just another layer of pigment smeared across a canvas. Same story.
Different eon. I felt certain
that these massive destabilizing changes were nothing new. And this understanding did absolutely nothing
to lessen the logistical challenges of each day.
It never failed to amaze me the degree to which subtle word choice wields
power. Small details in how things are presented created massive shifts in tone that lead to an entirely different
effect on the reader. That being said, I
claimed no expertise in presenting ideas, rather I was a deep seeker into depths of
meaning that words provided.
And the things I was drawn to read were mostly a complete waste of time. Facebook posts and book reviews dominated, probably because I found that I wanted the experience of existing on
the very pulse of the flow of information.
I wanted to be a part of that super highway of idea exchange. I wanted to be like a fiber optic cable, ready to efficiently move ideas where they needed to go.
That interest was so strong, it was far too easy to become lost in it. The human mind, simply a biological step away from that of a robot. A heartbeat, capable of existing beyond human death because most of the life essence had been funneled into the devices that directed the details creating existence. "I could
become the human mind of a robot, perhaps a beautiful young woman version of
Stephen Hawking, if that could even be a thing," I imagined. Astounding. Incredible. My mind reeled in search of the right words to describe the awesome, infinite power in this opportunity. And at the same time, I was disgusted by the thought. What a life it would be, living inside the Internet. Like perhaps it could be something different than sitting at a desk reading.
Was this, or was it not damaging to me and my children? It may have a had powerful enough energy drive to prevent us from experiencing
the physical lifeblood of being a biological human. It may have pulled us in to its intoxicating trance with a technological power I could only attribute to an other worldly intelligent design. We were removed from the land. We were removed from the slowly growing exposure to toxins that we had created to poison the land in an effort to force beautiful, sweet, nature to submit to our all powerful will. It stopped me
from venturing into the sunlight with wide eyes and enjoying the texture of soil.
It prevented my mind from focusing on my children, who mattered most, and even discouraged my eyes from
meeting those of another human being.
The Internet connected me and disconnected me at the same time. In infested society like a highly addictive drug.
*****
I had this research interest in… I guess I will call it meditation. Meditating is powerful because it creates the
opportunity to stop the flow of information into our minds from the physical
world around us, and rather shine a light on the flow of information within
us. We learn to see our thoughts, discover where they originate, and direct them to best create an internal world in which we may flourish. If done long enough, we learn a
great deal about our own ability to experience the power of intuition, read the
energy fields of various aspects of our environment, heal earthly problems,
communicate with spiritual beings, understand dream symbols, read the synchronicities
and bad luck streaks in our lives, communicate with non-human animals, and
access a powerful source of information that often reminds me the vast expanse
of the Internet without the necessity of a device. Because as creatures living on the planet Earth, these skills and more are readily available to us if we chose to cultivate our minds in that way.
Some people I know have made extensive comments about the
destruction of our planet through environmental degradation. We all find it so easy to deny, or perhaps
feel completely powerless to stop the problem.
It doesn’t really affect my life today, so why should I change? The Internet experience is flooded with
information about these things. However
we no longer live in the era of television.
In the era of television, viewers passively received information that in
a sense programmed people to employ certain beliefs and opinions imposed upon them
by the powerful leaders able to purchase broadcast time.
In this Internet era, we are offered the beautiful,
expansive opportunity, if we are willing to open enough to thinking critically,
to see things as they truly are and not how they are presented to us by
marketing experts.
It is psychologically very difficult to change fixed
worldviews and opinions. Those with
agile minds, willing to perceive issues from multiple angles will be the best
suited for the future. Big money has
shifted away from television marketing, attempted unsuccessfully to conquer the
Internet, but has found a nice comfortable bed in the field of education. Technology is the driving force for developments in the field of education, and these changes will be hugely
significant in the next century in terms of how people think, how able we are to get past environmental challenges, and how future generations will spend money. Young,
malleable minds are easy to shape, and very difficult to change once they have
formed certain thinking tracks. So we must carefully think about the use of technology. Do the innovations drive from the top of society down, or from the bottom up, as in people have a need and something is discovered to meet that need?
That’s a lot to digest.
Rather than overwhelm my readership, I will stop there for today.
