Psychology

Paradigm Shift

Psychological dynamics are essential to the Truth Movement. It is imperative to examine the psychology of our culture and of ourselves in order to gain a wider scope on the political and social issues that we are studying.

There is some mystique around psychology—that it is obscure or even dangerous. It is an often overlooked aspect to social movements and political discourse. Actually, much psychological discourse can be intuitive, commonly understood and extremely enlightening.

Ignoring psychological aspects not only keeps us from a fuller understanding of ourselves and our world, it also leaves us open to be manipulated by those who do understand psychology and seek to use it against us.

The basic psychology of the Truth Movement is a process of awakening in which we come to question forces (external and internal) which have shaped our reality, largely without our conscious knowledge or consent. Through this awakening, we can take control of our own minds and encourage others to do the same.

The Psychology section addresses ways in which our minds can be kept from the truth (social control, cognitive dissonance, denial, avoidance) and the challenges and opportunities of overcoming these barriers.

Questions of psychology: How do people rationalize or avoid their own complicity in a corrupt system? Is it laziness, conditioning, fear? How does a small group maintain control over a much larger one? What keeps people from recognizing deception or questioning authority? What are the psychological principles that tie society together?

A few terms that are central to the psychology of the Truth Movement:

  • Credulity - readiness or willingness to believe especially on slight or uncertain evidence.
  • Incredulous - unwilling to admit or accept what is offered as true, skeptical.
  • Epistemology - the study of knowledge, of how we “know things.”

Think about these concepts for a second. Think about how you “know” the things you think you “know.” How confident are you that you know them? Do you have first hand knowledge of them? Can you point to evidence? Do you understand that evidence or are you just reciting it? How do you even know there is a war in Iraq? Have you been there? Who told that there was a war?

Another question one might ask oneself is, “What happened on 9/11?” Such a question might seem silly, because it is “common knowledge” what happened. The mainstream story of al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden and 19 Islamic hijackers is the automatic response.

But where did this story come from, who constructed it? Why does this story have such an air of officiality to it, a stamp of approval? Because it is on TV, in the newspapers and in every other common outlet of information? Why do these sources get to decide what “reality” is? Is it true because “everyone” believes it? Does “everyone” really believe it? Can “everyone” be wrong?

Our patterns of thinking are highly influenced by the media we observe and the culture surrounding us. The result is a cohesive society consisting of common conventions, knowledge, language, and values. This is a necessary and generally positive aspect to society. However, it also leaves the populace open to influence and manipulation if certain groups or interests have unequal control over media, culture, law, etc.

This is certainly the case across the US and much of the world—in which corporations, the rich and powerful, and the government have most of the control over what we see and hear, what is allowed and what is not. Truth movers deconstruct the ways in which our reality has been shaped for us by these questionable forces.