Aaron Franz
Transalchemy.com

This brief article focuses on television as a tool. We must understand that the television is far more than a modern luxury created simply to entertain us. It is indeed a tool, which is being used by highly astute technicians. These technicians use the veil of entertainment to get us to lower our guard. This is an old trick. We would be wise to question that which we label harmless entertainment.

To say that television affects the mind is an understatement. That rabbit eared magician has more than one trick up its sleeve. One of the most important being the ability to hypnotize. At this point it is important to note that hypnotism in and of itself is more than just a cheap trick. It is absolutely legitimate and scientific in nature. I’ve found that people tend to lump stage hypnotism in with stage magic. This is understandable given their similar presentation. However, hypnotism is no illusion. It works by putting the subject’s mind into a hypnotic trance state. And how does a hypnotist achieve this? By giving the subject something to focus their attention on i.e. the classic swinging watch of cartoon fame. Any repetitive visual effect works perfectly to induce the trance state of consciousness. In fact, other sensory stimuli can work just as effectively as visuals, given that they are repetitive in nature. Ever hear of trance music? It got its name for a reason. It is the most repetitive music ever developed, and thus works perfectly to put people into a trance state of consciousness. In this state the subconscious mind is highly open to suggestion and manipulation. Combine this altered state with the use of mind-altering chemicals and you have yourself quite the experiment in mind control. This is another topic, which deserves an article of its own, but for now let’s return to our regularly scheduled program…

Television hypnotizes visually because of its flicker rate. Imagine a TV with a flat blue screen, and no moving pictures. It appears to be completely still, however there is actually constant motion due to the refreshing of the screen. Each picture only lasts a fraction of a second. In between each individual picture is a gap. The gap is the flicker. This flicker is of course repetitive and works perfectly to induce the hypnotic trance state.
The trance state is easily observed in those watching television. We’ve all seen that glassy-eyed blank stare before. This is the face of someone who is in a trance. Once the trance is induced the subject is highly open to suggestion. This is when the hypnotist gets to have some fun and make people act like fools on stage. In the case of television one has to take a moment to understand whom the hypnotist is, and what suggestions they have in mind. It goes without saying that those in control of the major networks are the ones who are also in control of the programming. This is a power, which no one should underestimate. The television has the ability to hypnotize people on a massive scale. It’s programming literally programs our minds!
We are indeed being scientifically manipulated, not just by television, but also by mass media in general. To think that the owners of these powerful tools of mass influence don’t use their power to its fullest extent is extremely naïve. Through sheer repetition of catch phrases, slogans, and ideas we are being influenced at a subconscious level. Repetition works. Just think of how many times you hear the exact same thing over and over again while watching television. Commercials are the most obvious example of this point. Those things play at a near constant loop. I’ll say it again, repetition works. Now let me say that fifty more times over the course of three hours and I guarantee you will be telling someone that “repetition works” in a conversation very soon. (Repetition works).
Is it any surprise that we are walking around on stage (our lives) and acting like fools (playing out our hypnotic programming)? Have you ever had a serious conversation and the person you are talking to gives “opinions” that sound extremely familiar? Perhaps they are using highly charged buzzwords, or catch phrases that you already know. What they are doing is repeating the words, ideas, and slogans, which are repeated on television over and over again. Have you ever caught yourself doing this? Don’t be ashamed, we all do this. I know I have. This is mass hypnotism, and the joke is on us! Can you guess who is in the audience laughing at us?

Television does indeed place us in a hypnotic trance totally capturing our attention. In this vulnerable state it never ceases to bombard us with values, mores, and judgments. It plays to our base instincts and manipulates our subconscious fears and frustrations. For example: We have all seen a show in which a particular character is portrayed as being a loser for one reason or another. When we see that character’s flaw is due to a behavior that we ourselves actually do in real life, we instantly feel ashamed. This is the desired response. It makes us feel inadequate, small, and helpless. No doubt the answer on how to remedy this situation will soon follow through continued dialogue. It may not be a very good answer, but that doesn’t matter because we are in a trance and ready to soak it up anyway. You may want to brush this off, and play down the importance of this effect, but realize what years of this does to one’s psyche. It has a tremendous effect, especially given the rapidity at which television assaults us with these mind bullets. Your brain has become a war zone, and you have to be ready to defend what is rightfully yours. The best defense is surprisingly easy: don’t show up for battle in the first place. Make the conscious decision to not watch television. By making this conscious choice you will be bypassing subconscious manipulation.

Most people lead very busy and frustrating lives. At the end of the day watching TV is a way to relax. It may feel soothing, but in reality your mind is being assaulted at a fantastic rate. After watching TV there isn’t much time to do anything else, where did the day go? Most of it was spent working and the remainder was spent in a trance. This leaves no time of your own for actual thinking. In this modern world most people have totally ignored the necessity of having the time to quietly sit and think. More than this, the very idea of simply having some quiet hours to think would sound like absolute torture to many people. Where is the entertainment in that? There is now engrained in us the need for constant stimulation. Could this be due in part to the addictive quality of television? Have we become entertainment junkies? I would say, absolutely, yes. Constant entertainment has usurped our very consciousness. We willingly participate in giving our minds away because we are frightened of what we might find if we chose to actually use them. Probing the mind brings us face to face with everything that we don’t want to deal with. We fear our own psyche; we fear the darkness within. I understand this completely, because I’m just like everyone else. There once was a time when I feared my own mind, and in all honesty the struggle for consciousness continues for me. It takes hard work, but there is no way to describe the feeling of liberation you’ll feel when you choose to live up to your unlimited potential, to throw off the meaningless distractions and actually think. You have been given the gift of choice.

Your mind is the most powerful thing in this world. That Is why so much effort has gone into making sure that you are constantly entertained. Any sort of distraction that keeps you from thinking, learning, and questioning is a good thing to those in power. Make no mistake; television was scientifically produced to keep you dumbed-down and manageable. The technicians who use this weapon against you know what they are doing. Don’t believe their smiling front men, those artificial, white toothed grinning, combed hair having, designer suit wearing carnival barkers. Their polished image has been created to hide something sinister from you. We have all been artificially handicapped with scientific precision, and I for one am totally disgusted by this. Now is the time for all of us to turn this around. Robots are programmed, but humans have the ability to think for themselves. Engage your spirit, know your humanity.