Indoctrination is a process of teaching a person or group of people to accept a set of beliefs uncritically. We can very obviously see this process take place when we observe the phenomenon from the outside, like the way we've been told to look down upon other oppressive counties, like Iran for example. We identify and criticize all the ways in which the masses are deluded into accepting a certain way of being or viewing the world. We’re very good at that. What’s even more interesting is to observe how blind those people are to this whole dynamic. It’s not always the case, but often the people will insist that they are living in a relative state of freedom, when in fact the opposite is true.
So there’s that, but what about us? The most interesting thing to me is how the greatest example of a free society in today’s world, the United States, is actually one of the most indoctrinated societies that exists. Now, before you protest by telling me all the freedoms the U.S. has that other countries do not, hold on for a minute. I’m not saying all of those things aren’t true. Yes other countries have it far worse in many ways. And it's true we are able to express ourselves and say/do/be whatever we choose (technically), whereas many other countries cannot. I agree 100%: the U.S. and other modern Western countries are uniquely free in this sense; and that's a wonderful blessing.
Your Identity Is Not Yours
However what I’m suggesting is that our entire sense of self, which includes our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and opinions, is not actually our own. They are the mere culmination of every single moment (data input) that led up to this present iteration of what we consider our unique individual identity. These data inputs can be obvious, in the case of our education or family upbringing, or they can be extremely subtle/unconscious. These more subtle programmings include the music we listen to, TV, movies, books, the majority of the Internet, advertising and everything in between.
I would even go as far as to say it’s in the air. You almost can’t avoid it if you live in a certain geographical location. That is of course until you raise your consciousness and become more aware of yourself. What’s even more crazy is because all of us are subjected to similar programming, we walk around reinforcing and recycling the same messaging to each other; all the while believing we are free people with our own unique individuality. The only difference is which predetermined subset of society we've subscribed to.
Things are set up this way on purpose. The old way of control by force, direct brainwashing and suppression was not sustainable. What we have going on today is a very subtle, imperceivable game of subversion where the people believe they are free, when in fact they are coerced into actually choosing their own enslavement. It’s now a total act of free will, so we never realize what is happening to us because we believe we are choosing it.
Now I should say this isn’t the case for everyone. To those that believe that the world is doomed to failure, I urge you to reconsider this. I see evidence that a growing number of people are waking up to this charade. There is an unveiling of truth that is occurring in our society and this is a very positive balancing force to the darkness that has taken control for so long. It doesn’t even have to be so sinister a concept. Whether it is deliberate or not, our entire sense of self (our “personality"), is the result of an unconscious programming.
So what does all of this mean for you? Well as an individual who is struggling to understand the source of his/her own suffering, or even the collective suffering of the world around them, this is a place to start. This is not intended to dis-empower or perpetuate a mentality of victimhood (“this is not my fault", "this is all their fault", "there is nothing I can do”). In fact, in the very same way that you were programmed over time, you can just as readily re-program yourself to achieve the desired level of well-being in your life. With consistent work, the un-doing of the program can occur and be replaced with a healthier, more functional version of yourself (call it You v2.0).
Choose Better Inputs
There are specific techniques to do this, but basically you want to choose your set of data inputs much more consciously going forward. In living life this way, everything counts: the food you eat, the music/tv you watch (or don’t watch), the people you hang out with, how you spend your free time, how you allow your existing programmed patterns (habits) to dominate your freewill, and most importantly.. how you allow your identity to be tied to your own thoughts.
Your automatic thoughts, the ones being expressed 99% of your waking life, are the voice of your programmed self. They are not you, but you think they are. The more you create a separation from these thoughts, the less you will be controlled by them. It’s only from this space that you can begin to shift into a more conscious, re-programmed version that is more in line with your true nature. You are in control, and your thoughts are now in the highest service of your soul’s desires.
Patience is key here, but this is what the process looks like. The more you stick with it, the more you will experience new possibilities that exist beyond your current paradigm. That’s when magic begins to occur. Once you get a taste, you will not want to stop. You will realize that the more and more new things you experience and come to know, the more you appreciate the vastness of all that which you don’t know. That infinite field of not knowing, is quite literally your limitless potential as a God walking the Earth. Now to me, that’s a life worth living.
About the Author
Firoze Mehta is a Nutrition Therapist Master and Certified Hippocrates Health Educator® specializing in helping people with cancer. Whatever the health condition, Firoze helps others to learn the truth about health and disease, while providing the guidance and support of a personal coach. If you're interested in learning more, click here.