What is reality and what indeed is real? Are we actually here, or is everything an illusion—the matrix? Ok, this is where I admit that I’ve gone down a rabbit hole pondering the idea of simulation theory: the concept that we live in an experiment like the premise of the movie, The Truman Show. Stay with me, I’m not a wing nut. I’m drawn to these types of suggestions out of pure fascination, and to challenge conventional social constructs.
One need just look around to notice that things are NOT going particularly well. Traditional outlines for living, such as religion, political affiliation and consumerism, seem to have rendered us divided, angry and empty. Just recently, I began really hearing the term “consumers” in reference to human citizens, and that label really struck me as offensive. It suggests that our main usefulness is to buy things, eat things, and discard things. Even as I write this, Instagram is in the news as the social media website’s practices of showing users certain ads, stories and pictures has been exposed as dangerous, particularly to teens. It’s called an algorithm, which the Oxford Dictionary defines as: “a process or set of rules to be followed in calculations or other problem-solving operations, especially by a computer.” A computer is tracking our interests to determine how to hook our attention and show us stuff we will likely buy, or consume. There’s something quite disturbing about that, and yet the fear of missing out lures us onto Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to see what’s going on, what we should be outraged about, and what our friends are having for dinner. We’ve taken a wrong turn, folks.
In my therapy practice, I often utter the phrase, “Please, be unconventional!” In other words, don’t blindly follow traditional templates that suggest that we all go through a common educational process, get a job, get married and have the house with 2.5 kids and a dog. For one thing, student loan debt and a mortgages trap people in an endless cycle of working to pay debt, falling behind, and feeling a sense of being of a relentless treadmill. Unsubscribe!
Years ago, I was introduced to The Law of Attraction through a book and documentary called The Secret. The idea is that we have power through our minds to create, or attract the things in life that we desire. If you haven’t seen it, I highly recommend it. The basic idea is that through positive thinking we create our own experience. It’s called manifesting. For me, the most important aspect of positive thinking is practicing gratitude. If we are actively grateful for the things, people, health, etc. that we possess, and we focus our attention on those areas , we automatically attract more things for which to be grateful.
The Chakra System, which is a framework of energy throughout our bodies, each representing a different emotional and developmental phase, includes the Third Eye. This is where The Matrix concept comes in. The third eye is our evolved wisdom, which most of us don’t realize we have. The third eye sees deeper, more spiritual possibilities when we detach from the noise of the matrix that surrounds us. Meditation or sensory deprivation, (yes, a water tank like William Hurt floated in, in Altered States) are effective ways to engage our third eye and see ourselves and our experience from a deeper perspective. Unplug and go inward as a regular practice. Connect with your higher self or your higher power, create stillness and silence so that the noise is filtered out.
There are lots of ways to meditate that don’t involve sitting cross-legged on a pillow on the floor, although that’s a great one. Being out in nature, walking on the beach, lying down and listening to soothing music or guided meditation…these are all great doorways to engage your third eye and rise above the cacophony of overstimulation that has been normalized in this electronic era. Opt out of the machine! Be a individual—find YOU. You are important, you are unique, you can choose your own thoughts and life path.
The matrix, or conventional society, controls us through fear. Humans have the unique awareness of our mortality, and the fear of death is an extremely effective means of manipulation and control. This is not a conspiracy theory, it is simply an invitation to engage in a higher consciousness, one that is driven by love, not fear.
If you need help finding the path of love by processing and moving beyond fear, click on the “our team” tab on the Life Skills Resource Group website. Select a counselor whose skills and approach feels right for you, and call for a free consultation. Start living a fulfilling, elevated, conscious life where love, in all its forms, is a constant. Namaste.