There is a time to be silent and a time to speak. This is one of those times to speak.
Never before have we been so blatantly influenced by the media in our society. Are we being mentally contaminated? Below is an excerpt from my book Exposed! regarding the harmful effect of “Madam Media.”
Mental Contamination is defined as the process whereby a person has an unwanted judgment, emotion or behavior because of mental processing that is unconscious or uncontrollable.[i] “Mental pollution is widely prevalent, actively shaping our life energies into all sorts of chaotic, disturbing emotions...
One of the greatest influences of mental contamination is the voice of Madam Media. Media is the global means of communication that reaches or influences people around the world. It communicates through: radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the internet. Media is the plural form of medium. (Hum... ponder that for a moment). A medium is an intervening agency, means or instrument through which something else is transmitted, carried on or transferred. A medium also refers to a spiritual intermediary between the dead and the living; a channel of communication. In looking into the epistemology of the word media, I discovered in Greek grammar, media is defined as, “voiced plosive” β, δ, γ. or “a voiced explosion.”[ii] (Now, isn’t that the truth!)
“The media … are the principal means of connection (and disconnection), of symbolic inclusion (and exclusion), indeed of communication (and miscommunication) between human beings. They are constructing our moral universe.” (Silverstone, Media & Morality: On the Rise of Mediapolis)[iii] Media is a solicitation of information. With this mass influx of information we have become desensitized and confused. Our consciences have been tainted by her subtle influences. Have we become enslaved by propaganda? “With the advent of new technologies and their versatile products, people are directly or indirectly subject to mental pollution – contamination of mind by various forms affective visual stimuli mostly with sexual, violent, and scary content ranging from short internet clips to popular commercial advertisements widely prevalent in the digital and virtual world.”[iv]
The strategy for avoiding mental contamination is controlling one's exposure to biasing information. Today, this is easier said than done. We cannot allow ourselves to be lured in by the controlled systematic indoctrination (brainwashing) of the world...
What are we wrapping our minds around? What is enveloping our thoughts? What is incubating in our souls? What outside factors are influencing our behavior? ...
We need to be mindful of twisted and skewed words that cause confusion. Be wary of the fickle “fast-talking tricksters” who talk out of both sides of the mouth. One moment they are making strong, bold, and confident claims, but when discovered to be fraudulent, they whisper, muffled, excuse-filled retractions. It is hard to know what’s true with so many contradictory messages.
Truth must be tested to eliminate falsehood. Our fast paced society doesn’t allow for purification or the refining of truth. We take everything spoken and heard without testing it for validity, accuracy or assurance. We have safety codes issued by the USDA, FDA and UL proving quality assurance of products. Warning labels are posted, disclaimers are written and side effects are told. Unfortunately, we do not have safety codes for speech or media influences, for this would be a violation of freedom of speech. It is up to the hearer or the observer to filter and search for the truth. Do we discern what we see and hear? Or do we take things for face value, never stopping to consider what the truth is? “Our senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.”[v] Not too long ago, we would cover our ears and eyes, turn our heads in disgust, change the radio station and turn off the TV. Now, how often do we attempt to fast forward by remote control? Have we developed a benign attitude toward the media’s malignant influence?
“For a society to flourish, people must have some common moral beliefs. The beliefs determine many things – kindness of the culture, its work ethic, what punishes and what rewards. We’re a pluralistic culture struggling to find common beliefs.”[vi] Our hearts, emotions and thinking powers are being tried. “With the massive information explosion, young people are exposed to all kinds of challenges to traditions, and inevitably many do challenge traditional assumptions of society although usually the majorities do not. Still society changes and with it we are continually redefining what is a righteous man or woman or moral conduct.”[vii]
As human beings, we have the power to change our cultures by the choices we make. “Decent societies produce decent people just as indecent ones produce circumscribed, cruel people.”[viii] But, what is decent? What is proper? What is moral? Is contemporary society asking us to redefine morality?
Never before have we been so blatantly influenced by the media in our society. Are we being mentally contaminated? Below is an excerpt from my book Exposed! regarding the harmful effect of “Madam Media.”
Mental Contamination is defined as the process whereby a person has an unwanted judgment, emotion or behavior because of mental processing that is unconscious or uncontrollable.[i] “Mental pollution is widely prevalent, actively shaping our life energies into all sorts of chaotic, disturbing emotions...
One of the greatest influences of mental contamination is the voice of Madam Media. Media is the global means of communication that reaches or influences people around the world. It communicates through: radio, television, newspapers, magazines and the internet. Media is the plural form of medium. (Hum... ponder that for a moment). A medium is an intervening agency, means or instrument through which something else is transmitted, carried on or transferred. A medium also refers to a spiritual intermediary between the dead and the living; a channel of communication. In looking into the epistemology of the word media, I discovered in Greek grammar, media is defined as, “voiced plosive” β, δ, γ. or “a voiced explosion.”[ii] (Now, isn’t that the truth!)
“The media … are the principal means of connection (and disconnection), of symbolic inclusion (and exclusion), indeed of communication (and miscommunication) between human beings. They are constructing our moral universe.” (Silverstone, Media & Morality: On the Rise of Mediapolis)[iii] Media is a solicitation of information. With this mass influx of information we have become desensitized and confused. Our consciences have been tainted by her subtle influences. Have we become enslaved by propaganda? “With the advent of new technologies and their versatile products, people are directly or indirectly subject to mental pollution – contamination of mind by various forms affective visual stimuli mostly with sexual, violent, and scary content ranging from short internet clips to popular commercial advertisements widely prevalent in the digital and virtual world.”[iv]
The strategy for avoiding mental contamination is controlling one's exposure to biasing information. Today, this is easier said than done. We cannot allow ourselves to be lured in by the controlled systematic indoctrination (brainwashing) of the world...
What are we wrapping our minds around? What is enveloping our thoughts? What is incubating in our souls? What outside factors are influencing our behavior? ...
We need to be mindful of twisted and skewed words that cause confusion. Be wary of the fickle “fast-talking tricksters” who talk out of both sides of the mouth. One moment they are making strong, bold, and confident claims, but when discovered to be fraudulent, they whisper, muffled, excuse-filled retractions. It is hard to know what’s true with so many contradictory messages.
Truth must be tested to eliminate falsehood. Our fast paced society doesn’t allow for purification or the refining of truth. We take everything spoken and heard without testing it for validity, accuracy or assurance. We have safety codes issued by the USDA, FDA and UL proving quality assurance of products. Warning labels are posted, disclaimers are written and side effects are told. Unfortunately, we do not have safety codes for speech or media influences, for this would be a violation of freedom of speech. It is up to the hearer or the observer to filter and search for the truth. Do we discern what we see and hear? Or do we take things for face value, never stopping to consider what the truth is? “Our senses and mental faculties are trained by practice to discriminate and distinguish between what is morally good and noble and what is evil and contrary either to divine or human law.”[v] Not too long ago, we would cover our ears and eyes, turn our heads in disgust, change the radio station and turn off the TV. Now, how often do we attempt to fast forward by remote control? Have we developed a benign attitude toward the media’s malignant influence?
“For a society to flourish, people must have some common moral beliefs. The beliefs determine many things – kindness of the culture, its work ethic, what punishes and what rewards. We’re a pluralistic culture struggling to find common beliefs.”[vi] Our hearts, emotions and thinking powers are being tried. “With the massive information explosion, young people are exposed to all kinds of challenges to traditions, and inevitably many do challenge traditional assumptions of society although usually the majorities do not. Still society changes and with it we are continually redefining what is a righteous man or woman or moral conduct.”[vii]
As human beings, we have the power to change our cultures by the choices we make. “Decent societies produce decent people just as indecent ones produce circumscribed, cruel people.”[viii] But, what is decent? What is proper? What is moral? Is contemporary society asking us to redefine morality?
Want more? You can purchase a copy of Exposed! on Amazon.
http://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Cheryl-E-Rodriguez/dp/149425591X/
http://www.amazon.com/Exposed-Cheryl-E-Rodriguez/dp/149425591X/