Trauma

Stockholm Syndrome: "Stockholm syndrome is a psychological response. It occurs when hostages or abuse victims bond with their captors or abusers. This psychological connection develops over the course of the days, weeks, months, or even years of captivity or abuse." https://www.healthline.com/health/mental-health/stockholm-syndrome

Our societal system in general can be a form of trauma (ex. - socioeconomic immobility, racial/cultural divide, authoritarianism). We all have in common basic mysteries regarding our very existence: How did we get here? Why are we here? What happens to us when we die?

Our ignorance is exploited by powerful entities which control the narrative for the masses. Societal pressures and confines can act as a base-layer of trauma. A great example of this are the exploits detailed in Orwell's book, "1984".

The programable human; enemies to critical thinking: 

Normalcy Bias - simply put, is a bias one may have towards normalcy.  For example, when the TSA was installed in airports, one may have jested, "Yeah, that's normal, I saw it on TV".  In this example attempting to draw parallels of "heavy handed security measures" to previous points in history may be too uncomfortable. 

Cognitive Dissonance - this is sort of tension in one's mind due to the avoidance of alternative information or perspectives which conflict with one's currently held perspective.  For example, one may ask another, "I wonder if we should have national dialogue regarding the side-effects of the Covid mandates for matters such as mental health, suicide attempts, alcoholism, drug overdoses, domestic violence, and children's optimal development?".  Another may answer, "That's preposterous, do you really think the seriousness of the pandemic should be diluted-down with those matters, as though they take precedence over a deadly virus that's out of control?".  In this case, the latter may not want to acknowledge alternative victims in the ordeal which may potentially disrupt one's interpersonal narrative. 

Confirmation Bias - this is where one seeks, gathers, and considers information and perspectives which only strictly line-up with one's own perspective.  For example, if one considers oneself as either liberal, or conservative, one will exclusively internally agree to seek, discover, and process information of either political view which supports one's perspective.  Hence, CNN and Fox news.

Herd Mentality - everyone wants to fit-in with the popular opinion group (Facebook posts, for example), no one wants to be banished into social isolation.  For example, immediately after 911 a narrative was presented to us.  The entire situation was shrouded in intense emotional distress, even trauma.  We were "gifted" said narrative which would help us organize our cognitive and emotional states (ie. "Manufactured Consent").  Likewise, if one were to openly question said narrative, one would be branded an ungrateful, treasonous person for simply being curious.  Once individuals saw how question-askers were treated by the popular group, a decision was made subconsciously to never enter that territory under any circumstances due to the risk of being ostracized, labeled, and socially isolated.  The same things seem to be occurring with the Covid narrative. 

Gaslighting - this is a technique where an abuser steadfastly denies reality to the abuser's victim(s), and instead paints a false narrative which conflicts with experienced reality.  This technique is used with such conviction, consistency, and Army tank like advancement that the messaging can cause the victim to question his or her sense of reality or even sanity.  As such, a person suffering from "Battered Woman Syndrome" may have been told time and time again that he or she could never find a better partner, and that he or she is lucky to have the "abuser" in his or her life.  This, until the victim begins to toil-with acceptance of the deceptive narrative.  Within a broader lens, during this two-plus-year political reaction to Covid, many people have been suffering, invisibly, away any officially approved national dialogue.  A single mom of low socioeconomic status may not be able work two jobs while homeschooling.  Meanwhile, political figures gaslight; "we're all in this together".  Another log on the proverbial fire during this sometimes-crushing social upheaval, are media commercials for products which show actors with sparkling Crest white smiles.  They appear with convincing grins of complete approval as they enjoy extravagant leisure time activities via their $80,000 vehicle, which is being pitched in the commercial.  Or they are with their immensely jubilant family, glowing from within that pristine custom-designed home, while vastly enjoying the latest internet technology devices, which incidentally, are also being pitched.  All the while, these characters are draped in blissful contentment which seems to emanate from some divine spiritual abode which shines light down from above (i.e., 'the product').  This is cultural/corporate gaslighting.  All is not normal, and that single mom may end up questioning her competency in comparison to all this fake messaging. (PS - the term gaslighting comes from an infamous movie from 1944 entitled "Gaslight")

Fear/Division - while in a state of panic, certain brain functions seem to get turned off like so many warehouse lights at the end of that last shift.  Immediately after narrowly avoiding a fatal car crash is probably not the best time to attempt to write a poem, for example.  Analysis, reasoning, logic, and creative thinking is thrown from the windshield and is replaced by survival mode - where's the nearest exit to the burning building and how many fellow fleeing people will I have to climb over or chew-through to get out.  Even memory can get chopped-off asunder in favor of the mind's pursuit of the body remaining upright.  On a broader lens, soon after 9/11, the then president steadfastly repeated that 'we won't let the terrorists win'.  Meaning we will refuse to be terrorized.  Simultaneously, a successful terror campaign was being launched:  It was difficult to go 10 minutes while watching the news without seeing the giant buildings pancake down upon themselves even as many tiny humans resided within.  There was even a color coded 'threat level' warning system which let us know how afraid of the world we needed be for that day (and lately, the Covid death rate).  This slight-of-hand was our new trauma fix and we needed to hit that pipe multiple times per day to feel safer and more patriotic.  Meanwhile, legislation was being signed which affects us unto this day; we collectively needed to see a sense of action to assuage our discomfort (the Hegelian dialectic: the problem; the reaction: then the rolling-out of the solution).  Similarly, when a rabbit is being pursued as a dinner interest, it runs in large circles.  It doesn't think of foraging for food, nesting, or finding a mate, it simply runs in circles.  

Below are movies from both past and present which help exemplify the “predictive programming” theory. Some of the movies from the past now appear prophetic (as with the previously mentioned "1984" work), by way of the theoretical technique known as "Predictive Programing" (or, shifting the "Overton window"). This is when people are more willing to accept unfavorable changes because their senses have been inundated with imagery of said "changes" over the years. Things become acceptable parts of our collective consciousness before they reach reality.

"The perfect dictatorship would have the appearance of a democracy, but would basically be a prison without walls in which the prisoners would not even dream of escaping. It would essentially be a system of slavery where, through consumption and entertainment, the slaves would love their servitude."--Aldous Huxley