Data was the name of a fascinating character on the popular audio-visual series Star Trek, The Next Generation. Data was not human. He was an Android, a robot which had the ability to think and reason and learn things beyond his basic programming. With Data it was not programming or data in, data out. It was data in, process and reason. Data could not feel emotions and often wondered how it would feel to be human. Data was a coveted member of the star ship crew because among other reasons Data could not be influenced by mind manipulation or false propaganda. Unfortunately, that is not true of humans.
One of the first movies to psychologically affect us through the means of audio-visual effects was The Wizard of Oz. The movie begins with farm scenes in Kansas and those scenes are all in black and white. A tornado hits the Kansas Farm and the main character, Dorothy, lay unconscious on her bed as her humble farmhouse is hurled through the air. It lands in a place called Oz and immediately the scenes turn full Technicolor. The reds and blues and other colors sparkled in our brains as the Land of Oz came into full focus. The effects upon the movie patrons were profound. Kansas was black and white, mundane and dreary in comparison to the bright and exciting Land of Oz. Dorothy was not inside a humble black and white farmhouse. She was now skipping down the yellow brick road, a metaphor for gold, on an exciting journey to see the Wizard of Oz. It was all very real and mystical. Kansas was plain, simple and less real than the mystical fantasy of Oz. The change from black and white to color made the fantasy land (Oz) reality and the real land (Kansas) fantasy.
This effect on the human mind was not lost on two very influential members of society, marketers and the CIA. Marketers took full advantage of the power of audio-visual effects upon the human brain and used their knowledge to build billion dollar industries. Marketers and bankers, for the purpose in making it easier for consumers to buy products and enrich businesses, invented the entire modern credit system. The opposite result also occurred, billions of dollars of societal consumer debt. Consumers were affectively manipulated by brilliant advertisements created from hours of research into the human psyche. The CIA, not to be outdone by the marketers, also entered the mind manipulation game by performing various experiments involving a combination of audio-visual theater, music, and drugs. Recently declassified documents highlight the CIA experiments. The data from the experiments was used for the purpose of enhancing the effectiveness of CIA propaganda and interrogation techniques.
The use of mind manipulation has not escaped the omnipotence of God. The use of propaganda for mental programming was exposed two thousand years ago in the Bible. “But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world has blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God should shine unto them. (II Corinthians 4:3-4) It is the mind that Satan “blinded”. By what means did Satan blind their minds? It was mainly by the use of deception. However, consider the contrast to Satan’s mind manipulation attacks against the human mind. “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of the darkness, has shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” (II Corinthians 4:6). “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” (Romans12:1-2).
Approximately two years ago my wife and I disconnected the satellite dish and turned off the television. The result has been a blessed season of mental renewal and increase of the knowledge of the light of God. It has become one of the greatest blessings of our lives. We have been free of the audio-visual mental manipulation of the audio-visual movies, sitcoms and news agencies that are so prominent on the mainstream media. In addition, I walked away from Twitter and Facebook and severely limited my time on YouTube. The result has been the renewal of my mind. My ability to discern good and evil has been enhanced. I also increased my ability to discern deception and mental manipulation. In essence, I mentally detoxed from mental programming through advertisements and agenda driven programming.
Given this knowledge, what will you do with it? Will you continue to be subject to the mental manipulations of the Devil? or will you be subject to the liberating light of God in Christ? Perhaps it is time to choose.
By Jeff “The Brain” Claiborne
Staff Writer
The Vortex Apologetic
The Vortex Apologetic 