The Media and Mind Control:
A Strong Delusion
Chapter 9
And for this reason God will send them strong delusion,
that they should believe the lie,
“Then the face of Big Brother faded away again, and instead the three slogans of the Party stood out in bold capitals:
WAR IS PEACE
FREEDOM IS SLAVERY
IGNORANCE IS STRENGTH
But
the face of Big Brother seemed to persist for several seconds on the screen,
as though the impact that it had made on everyone's eyeballs was too vivid to
wear off immediately. The little sandy haired woman had flung herself forward
over the back of the chair in front of her. With a tremulous murmur that
sounded like 'My Saviour!' she extended her arms towards the screen. Then she
buried her face in her hands. It was apparent that she was uttering a
prayer...
Winston sank his arms to his sides and slowly refilled his lungs with air. His mind slid away into the labyrinthine world of doublethink. To know and not to know, to be conscious of complete truthfulness while telling carefully constructed lies, to hold simultaneously two opinions which cancelled out, knowing them to be contradictory and believing in both of them, to use logic against logic, to repudiate morality while laying claim to it, to believe that democracy was impossible and that the Party was the guardian of democracy, to forget whatever it was necessary to forget, then to draw it back into memory again at the moment when it was needed, and then promptly to forget it again: and above all, to apply the same process to the process itself. That was the ultimate subtlety: consciously to induce unconsciousness, and then, once again, to become unconscious of the act of hypnosis you had just performed. Even to understand the word 'doublethink' involved the use of doublethink...
But actually, he thought as he re-adjusted the Ministry of Plenty's figures, it was not even forgery. It was merely the substitution of one piece of nonsense for another. Most of the material that you were dealing with had no connexion with anything in the real world, not even the kind of connexion that is contained in a direct lie. Statistics were just as much a fantasy in their original version as in their rectified version. A great deal of the time you were expected to make them up out of your head…
'Don't you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thought crime literally impossible, because there will be no words in which to express it. Every concept that can ever be needed, will be expressed by exactly one word, with its meaning rigidly defined and all its subsidiary meanings rubbed out and forgotten…
But in among all this terrible poverty there were just a few great big beautiful houses that were lived in by rich men who had as many as thirty servants to look after them. These rich men were called capitalists. They were fat, ugly men with wicked faces, like the one in the picture on the opposite page. You can see that he is dressed in a long black coat which was called a frock coat, and a queer, shiny hat shaped like a stovepipe, which was called a top hat. This was the uniform of the capitalists, and no one else was allowed to wear it. The capitalists owned everything in the world, and everyone else was their slave. They owned all the land, all the houses, all the factories, and all the money. If anyone disobeyed them they could throw them into prison, or they could take his job away and starve him to death. When any ordinary person spoke to a capitalist he had to cringe and bow to him, and take off his cap and address him as 'Sir'. The chief of all the capitalists was called the King, and –…
How could you tell how much of it was lies? It might be true that the average human being was better off now than he had been before the Revolution. The only evidence to the contrary was the mute protest in your own bones, the instinctive feeling that the conditions you lived in were intolerable and that at some other time they must have been different…
The Party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was
their final, most essential command. His heart sank as he thought of the
enormous power arrayed against him, the ease with which any Party 
intellectual
would overthrow him in debate, the subtle arguments which he would not be able
to understand, much less answer…
'I hate purity, I hate goodness! I don't want any virtue to exist anywhere. I want everyone to be corrupt to the bones…'
He gazed up at the enormous face. Forty years it had taken him to learn what kind of smile was hidden beneath the dark moustache. O cruel, needless misunderstanding! O stubborn, self-willed exile from the loving breast! Two gin-scented tears trickled down the sides of his nose. But it was all right, everything was all right, the struggle was finished. He had won the victory over himself. He loved Big Brother. (excerpts from George Orwell’s “1984”)
As Simon and Garfunkle once said, “The signs of the prophets are written on the subway walls, the tenement halls, echoed by the sounds of silence…” Although “1984” is merely a story, the truth echoes and we will see what kind of progress “big brother” is making today. The Bible tells us people will be sent a “strong delusion” and that many will be deceived, all the while thinking they are doing God a favor, acting on His behalf.
Mind Control
Mind control has become a science practiced by the government, media and business. Without realizing it, people are manipulated and brain washed. The media and their masters (the government, the elites and their corporate owners) create slogans and repeat them over and over again. You have to understand the ownership structure of the media by General Electric, Disney, Westinghouse, Murdoch, etc. and how tightly controlled by the government they are.
One of the most recent examples was that the administration (and media) repeated over and over the same stories concerning Iraq – that they were the center of Al Qaeda and terror, were responsible for the World Trade Center bombings and had weapons of mass destruction. This was repeated often enough, that although untrue, three quarters of Americans prior to the election came to believe it.
On January 21, 2005, the famous commentator Daniel Shorr declared that Washington these days feels a little like Moscow in Soviet times. He goes on to say,
“For three years our leaders told us that Iraq for sure had weapons of mass destruction ... well, pretty sure ... well, maybe. One war later, after scouring the countryside, the government admits that there weren't any such weapons. If President Bush were to go on TV one of these days and say that Iran has developed a nuclear bomb, requiring American action, who would believe him?
On a less momentous scale, who can believe TV news reports when they may turn out to be government-financed videos?”
The Center for Media and Democracy say that “Thought control can be accomplished by "providing people with a vocabulary, a loaded language that constricts rather than broadens understanding." For example, The “Patriot Act” is probably the least patriotic law ever passed by Congress. The second Gulf War is called “Operation Iraqi freedom”. This is classic Orwell. Couch things in general terms: axis of evil, enemies of freedom or “we’re a compassionate nation, a freedom loving people.” The continual references to the “threat level”, the war on terrorism, etc. keeps the fear level pumped up.
A
chilling book titled “All
The Presidents Spin”
“documents all the president’s speeches, SOTU addresses, campaign debates and interviews with the media, then proceeds to show where and when the lies occur, which is pretty darned often. The authors do the same with John Kerry and other deceitful Dems, too, for you conservatives who are about to bash the book as liberal fodder. In fact, they show how spin has been used by a number of politicos and pundits to get a certain agenda pushed forward by manipulating public perception via the weak, spineless media.
From 9/11 to the war in Iraq to the upcoming elections to Bush’s brilliant (sarcasm here) tax cuts and everything in between, the authors explain how Bush and his team have used the willing media to lie, cheat and deceive the American public in ways that absolutely will have you gasping and wondering, “How could we all be so stupid?” The answer: spin control. He who controls the spin, controls the people. In fact, so blatant has the Bush pattern of media deception become that even some of his fellow Republicans in office are hiding their heads in shame (although not enough to make a difference).”
Deception in the Media
There is so much material. Books have been written on the subject. You need to check it out. Here is another one called “The Habits of Highly Deceptive Media: Decoding Spin and Lies in Mainstream News.” This is not a matter to take lightly. It is not easy to resist mind control and “group think”. In an article titled, “The Doors Of Perception: Why Americans Will Believe Almost Anything”, Dr Tim O’Shea says,
“We are the most conditioned, programmed beings the world has ever known. Not only are our thoughts and attitudes continually being shaped and molded; our very awareness of the whole design seems like it is being subtly and inexorably erased…
O’Shea
goes on to explain how experts “reframe an issue” in a more desirable light.
“These early mass persuaders postured themselves as performing a moral
service for hum nity in general - democracy was too good for people; they
needed to be told what to think,
because they were incapable of rational thought by themselves. Here's a
paragraph from Bernays' Propaganda:
"Those who manipulate the unseen mechanism of society constitute an invisible government which is the true ruling power of our country. We are governed, our minds molded, our tastes formed, our ideas suggested largely by men we have never heard of.
This is a logical result of the way in which our democratic society is organized. Vast numbers of human beings must cooperate in this manner if they are to live together as a smoothly functioning society.”
In almost every act of our lives whether in the sphere of politics or business in our social conduct or our ethical thinking, we are dominated by the relatively small number of persons who understand the mental processes and social patterns of the masses. It is they who pull the wires that control the public mind."
He goes on to explain that spin pioneers “began to formulate rules and guidelines for creating public opinion. They learned quickly that mob psychology must focus on emotion, not facts. Since the mob is incapable of rational thought, motivation must be based not on logic but on presentation. Here are some of the axioms of the new science of PR:
· technology is a religion unto itself
· if people are incapable of rational thought, real democracy is dangerous
· important decisions should be left to experts
· when reframing issues, stay away from substance; create images
· never state a clearly demonstrable lie
These techniques and the use of repetition of trigger words are used by the left and the right, the democrat and the republican. The art of spin is no respecter of persons. So do corporations, the American government and governments around the world – they all spin!
The Information Explosion
As Christians, we are not surprised because we understand the fallen nature of man (because we are one of them and it takes one to know one). The thing we are not aware of is how much it has influenced our lives. In the last Chapter of Daniel, he indicates that knowledge will increase. 4"But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase." Do you remember the days when we had three or four television channels and now there are hundreds? Our body of knowledge – the number of books, magazines, ezines, newspapers, newsletters as well as knowledge on every subject is growing geometrically. One example is computer capacity doubles every 18 months. So does the rest of our technology, science and literature. The internet itself is growing geometrically.
A
person receives more stimulus in a few weeks than they received in a lifetime
compared to our ancestors. Satan is the prince of this world. (John 14:30)
He is the prince of darkness and the angel of light. He is the great deceiver
and is control of the information apparatus of the world. If Christians do
not learn to spend time with the Lord and walk in the Spirit, they will be
deceived. If they spend their time listening to the voices of this world and
not to His voice, they will be deceived.
Deception in the Church
If a great delusion is coming, things are not going to be as they seem, even for Christians. The following are techniques used in mind control. I adapted this list and show how it is used in some churches today.
- HYPNOSIS - Inducing a high state of suggestibility, often thinly disguised as relaxation or meditation.
a. Repetitive music
b. Voice Roll – a patterned, paced style used by hypnotists when inducing a trance. It commonly used by many lawyers, hypnotists and preachers.
c. Room "Feel" - The way a room feels is essential to hypnotizing unknowing subjects. It needs special lighting, cool temperature and comfortable seats – like a church!
- PEER GROUP PRESSURE - Suppressing doubt and resistance to new ideas by exploiting the need to belong – common to “cell and accountability” groups.
- "LOVE BOMBING" - Creating a sense of family through physical touch, thought & feeling sharing and emotional bonding.
- REJECTION OF OLD VALUES - Accelerating acceptance of new lifestyle by constantly denouncing former beliefs and values. This is often seen in the “meta churches”.
- CONFUSING DOCTRINE - Encouraging blind acceptance and rejection of logic through complex lectures on hard to understand doctrine.
- METACOMMUNICATION - Implanting subliminal messages by stressing certain key words or phrases in long, confusing lectures. (again not uncommon in hyper charismatic churches)
- REMOVAL OF PRIVACY - Achieving loss of ability to evaluate logically by preventing private contemplation. This is seen in accountability groups and movements such as Promise Keepers and the discipleship movement.
- DISINHIBITION - Encouraging child-like obedience by orchestrating child-like behavior. This is common to the “signs and wonders” movement such as the “Toronto Blessing” or Pensacola Revival.
- UNCOMPROMISING RULES - Inducing regression and disorientation by soliciting agreement to seemingly simple rules which regulate mealtimes, bathroom breaks and use of medications. This is more common to cults where it is accompanied by verbal abuse, isolation and sleep deprivation.
- DRESS CODES - Removing individuality by demanding conformity to the group dress code. The more strict denominations and cults are known for informal norms of dress.
CHANTING
OR SINGING - Eliminating non-cult
ideas through group repetition of mind-narrowing chants or phrases. This is
so pervasive in many churches today where choruses are repeated ad nausea.
- CONFESSION - Encouraging the destruction of individual ego through confession of personal weaknesses and innermost feelings of doubt.
- FINANCIAL COMMITMENT - Achieving increased dependence on the group by 'burning bridges' to the past, through the donation of assets. Again, sadly this is all to common in the church today.
- FINGER POINTING - Creating a false sense of righteousness by pointing to the shortcomings of the outside world. Again, sorry to say, the self-righteous side of our being is alive and well in churches.
- CONTROLLED APPROVAL - Maintaining vulnerability and confusion by alternately rewarding and punishing similar actions.
- NO QUESTIONS - Accomplishing automatic acceptance of beliefs by discouraging questions. Some pastors and elders belittle questions as rebellion.
- GUILT - Reinforcing the need for 'salvation' by exaggerating the sins of the former or even present lifestyles. There are ministries that prey on the wealthy by creating guilt so they will give money.
- FEAR - Maintaining loyalty and obedience to the group by threatening soul, life or limb for the slightest 'negative' thought, word or deed or in the case of Christians, divine retribution if they don’t toe the line.
Beyond
all of this, false doctrines and slip shod Bible teaching are rampant in
today’s churches. Sheep are listening to self-serving shepherds who tell them
what they want to hear. Their knowledge of prophecy is faulty because they
have no new vision but only “hand me down” teachings that are just plain
wrong. If people aren’t open to the prophetic Word and listening to what the
Spirit is telling the churches, they will get caught up in false teaching.
Satan’s plan is for you to become distracted: apathetic (perhaps because you
think you will rapture before the tribulation), or you may be looking in the
wrong direction (the antichrist coming from
Europe, Russia, the Middle East) or you may
discount the role of the Jews in the last days. If you have a lazy mind, you
will succumb to the spin of the media and false prophets in the church. If
you desire success and goods, riches, time will dwindle and responsibilities
will increase and your love for the Lord and His body will grow cold. If you
believe America is chosen to be the savior nation of the world, you may
already be deceived. If you believe what you see and read and don’t filter it
through an open mind and a living spirit, you will be deceived.
No one said it would be easy. Deception is deception. I would encourage you to read the book on our website, “Recognizing Apostasy and Deception.” Very few Christians have any idea what may be in store for them in the last days, what the pitfalls are and just accepting at face value what their leaders are or are not telling them. I’m not taking a broad brush at all “pastors and teachers” but certainly most are living in denial when it comes to the prophetic scripture.
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