23 Comments

I completely agree: much of the news is intentionally harmful. I stopped watching . . . can't remember how many years ago. I get all kinds of stuff in my inbox - things I've subscribed to. And even there, I do a lot of glancing. If I already know enough, I don't need another brilliant piece on the devastating impact of ongoing chemtrails. In my case, I care to stay informed - but not frightened. I'm also pro-action - so I'm putting together a course for people who need more strategies for a sense and reality of empowerment through effective actions. I've sent out surveys, will be sending out way more info.

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Yes, I agree it is possible to stay informed without being frightened [I will try to respond to your other message tomorrow].

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Thank you. Super. I see what we're dealing with as super important. Boots on the ground stuff - where it really helps to know what is going on on the ground.

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I agree with the gest of the article, but for someone such as myself who's profession now revolves around politics I believe it is just as critical to be discerning in what and who to listen to. (The most important decision a person will ever make is 'Who to Trust?' Off subject, though... I have a lifelong friend who recently confided in me that I handle stress better than anyone he knows. I'm not certain I agree with that, but I do believe the fact I have spent the majority of my life getting up in the morning when I'm done sleeping (rather than using an alarm clock) has greatly contributed to my good health.

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Yes I agree with this. Choosing which voices we listen to and who to trust is crucial too. The good thing with long form articles and long form podcasts is we can more rapidly assess when someone is being authentic as we have more to go on.

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Listening to a variety of sources is good. Don't "trust"... verify! Yes, we can't triple check every bit of information that is thrown at us, but in this age of "information overload" the first step is to discard most of it! Mainstream (Corporate) Media was the first on my cut list. I don't have time to waste on that trash.

Alarm clock? What's an alarm clock? I haven't used one in over a dozen years.

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In recent years people have been so disgusted with and disappointed in the public sphere that they have forgotten that inner reality is secondary to outer reality, and that we are *actually in* a fight or flight situation, so its appropriate to feel that way.

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The issue I see is that our nervous systems are only designed to be in flight or flight in acute situations when a threat is present and immediate, i.e. for short periods. When we are unable to relax even in the moment to moment existence of our lives where there is no imminent physical danger, this destroys our health. When it is a perceived threat that we can not run away from or fight, we then start freeze, which is really bad. This paralysis is playing in to what those behind the news agenda want. The best way to be resist, in my mind, is not to give in to the fear, so we can become more resilient,.

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"Shock and Awe"

Also think that so much exposure to 24/7 news feed thats always sponsored will trigger a self preserving survival instinct in you.

Never respond to obvious emotional trigger bait arguments online. It can mess with your mind.

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I quit The TV/MSM 4 years ago. Good move.

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This article struck a mighty blow on my heart. While I'd been culling my news exposure for the last 2 years, it was an incomplete job. I think this includes the 'alt-right' who are likewise clamouring to mind-control our souls. No more dilly-dallying an see what life as a 'no news absolutist' is like.

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I don't think you will regret it, if you value the inner peace :-)

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Thanks so much for this, Gary. It is very helpful.

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Glad to hear this.

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Well, it's not "news", it's propaganda.

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This is great. Although it's not just news, its any media or communication which gets skewed or 'nudged' until a tipping point manifests, causing divisions in groups and potentially reprogramming your decision-making synapses.

News feeds, social media, NLP and 'Social Science' laden communication combines into a fearsome, cutting edge military grade Cognitive Warfare weapon. We can barely comprehend what effect full spectrum dominance or global informational controls could do to us.

Great subject matter and article though. Have a nice day!

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Yes, I agree there is also a significant propaganda/nudge/psyop component to the news media which has either got worse or become more obvious these last couple of years.

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probably both. I was reading a paper earlier and got so mad!

How Vaccination Rumours Spread Online: Tracing the Dissemination of Information Regarding Adverse Events of COVID-19 Vaccines

School of Social Sciences, UWA, Perth, published 30 May 2022.

https://www.ssph-journal.org/articles/10.3389/ijph.2022.1604228/full#B9

And this is such bullshit:

Results: Traditional mass media reporting remains crucial in both promoting and moderating discussions around alleged adverse events. While some cases illustrate that social media networks can synthesise and amplify rumours about adverse events, traditional media coverage remains crucial as a forum for exploring and debunking spurious claims.

What about the TGA, family doctors and State Coroners do their bloody jobs and provide FACTS based on medical examination? I dont want social media or msm to tell me whether someone died from a clot shot...

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Yes, they would say that wouldn't they - the universities, especially the social "sciences", are colluding with the news media, the tech companies, and government to drive the narrative.

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https://swprs.org/the-propaganda-pandemic/

This is an exemplary article on the same

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I recently thought of it this way, news should ‘halt harm, help heal and hold hope’ as some underpinnings. Not sure if it’s that simple. Thank you for the thinking and insight for the stance of your work, Gary, we have realised that it is alarming how much time we get caught up in interactions with news and allowing the negative emotional responses distress us and impact upon who we are and how we interact, what we carry with us daily, that makes us more anxious and less of ourselves, and addicted to the news to feed our habits, we become the news broadcasters in our own way, dominating conversations, with ‘hey did you know, did you hear, how about’ statements, and in effect set ourselves up as armchair experts, ranting constantly, increasing the tension in those around us.

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Nov 15, 2023
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Thank you!

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Nov 7, 2022
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Interestingly, I was listening to yet another Iain McGilchrist podcast today where they are talking about just this in terms of sound/noise.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IsMmvuxfhiM

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