CHAPTER   FOURTEEN

ILLUSION: A PRECARIOUS PARADIGM

The wild and mysteriously beautiful marshlands of Sumer, which is now known as southern Iraq, is where two great rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates, meet and flow together to form the Shatt al Arab, at the place where the Bible tells us the Garden of Eden was located.

Science and religion seem to agree on this fact, at least: it is here that we find the birthplace of civilization. It is as if the first primal stirrings of cultural and social interplay metaphorically flowed, in their simple archetypal diversity, down the current of these two mighty rivers until "thesis" and "anti-thesis" became blended, rendered into a "synthesis" of qualities by the compelling cut of the earth, and, eventually, became recognized as the beginnings of civilization.

It is interesting how this process, which has been symbolically and philosophically repeated throughout history until it was finally recognized and identified by Messier Hegel in the last century, presents its metaphor in nature as well. There is compelling evidence, historically and in modern events and experience, to confirm the validity of this recurring phenomena. We might wonder whether such "theses", be that as they may, when introduced to our field of activity from time to time, are simply blind, ignorant or accidental occurrences which take hold of our lives and move us along toward some random, chaotic and sometimes catastrophic destiny. Or, whether they are deliberately planned and intentionally introduced by some "intelligence" which has its own purpose that is unknown to us.

For the purposes of our study let us, for the moment at least, concede that the latter circumstance is a realistic feasibility. If this be so, it would seem that this latter possibility would be the more desirable, given, that is, the fact that we could "trust" the motives and intentions of that "intelligence" who initiates, administrates and officiates the actual apparatus of the "thesis" to which we are subjected and then governed by. It is they who are "responsible" for handling the reins of legislation and rule that limit our actions and personal freedoms within society and also control the direction and quality of human destiny.

If the members of society wished to evaluate or qualify the trustworthiness of such an "intelligence", this could be accomplished simply by scrutinizing and bearing witness to the caliber and character of conditions actually manifesting around them in society. There are, perhaps, other criteria we could use as a "measuring stick" or "quality test", but this would certainly be the most obvious and readily discernable. If all that we perceive around us is benign and good, then we might praise or simply ignore our invisible benefactors. However, if we see too much that is maligned and discordant, we may wring our hands, we may weep and gnash our teeth, but there is no one there to direct our chagrin toward or to relieve the conditions which are disturbing us.

By our priests and politicians, who are quick to claim responsibility for the good that occurs, but deny responsibility for the bad, we may be told: "Things happen...! It is simply an act of God...! Fate has brought us to this...! Life is cruel...!" All well known diversions in the "Land of Oz". Some of us, however, have been down the "yellow brick road" and have discovered what really goes on in the "Emerald Palace", and, like Dorothy and Toto, no longer fear or are fooled by the "wizard" hiding behind the "curtains", pulling the levers and pressing the buttons that prompt us to want more, to work harder, to run faster, to spend more and enjoy less. Dorothy, Toto, and "I" have discovered the wizard's secret. It was our own lack of discernment and gullible stupidity. No greater weapon could have been placed in the hands of an enemy.

Yes, my fellow countrymen, it is sad but true. Our own ignorance, lack of awareness, may yet become the noose around our necks with which we will hang ourselves.

On a memorable day, over thirty years ago, Russian Premier Nikita Krushchev stood up during a United Nations conference and directed an emotional outburst toward the United States. His comments are the more interesting, in view of the time and events which have since transpired to bring our nation to its present state. He did not imply that they would destroy us, but rather, that we would destroy ourselves and that they would simply "bury us".

The "burial crew", it seems, is already poised and ready. They are simply awaiting the order to begin from our own Commander in Chief.

Let us now attempt to create a metaphor which, with regard to our perceptions of the world we live in, might serve to explain what has become a discrepancy between truth and rational perception, or what we call reality.

For example: the truth is that the pre-existing, natural, God-created world is, in and of itself, a complex living organism, a biosphere of interfaced and inter-related "kingdoms" of life forms which complement each other’s necessities in a cooperative symbiosis. Reality, or the world we call reality, is the world which we perceive, or "believe" we perceive, that is projected onto the screen of our mind, but is, in fact, an artificial world; it is man’s attempt to copy and improve upon nature by superimposing his own "mechanistic" design upon it. It is, for the most part robotic, detached and insensitive to the natural world....God’s world, if you will. It has become what might be called a "bionic" world, in that it compares to the electro-mechanical outer garments or "uniform" of the infamous Darth Vader of "Star Wars" fame. Within the shrouds of these evilly imbued raiments resides a central being of benign disposition who has forgotten his own true nature. He (symbolically representing humanity) has somehow become hypnotised and entrapped in this evil mission and purpose which has been inspired, undertaken and perpetuated by violent competitiveness, avarice and treachery, while on the surface of this drama which remains hidden to the innocent perceptions of the majority of its victims, all "appears" to be well.

This mythological drama suggests that such a possibility may exist in our world today. It is a "codified" message that things are not as they appear to be. Most of us, of course, only see what is on the surface, what is "projected onto the screen"; ie.,the radio, television, newspaper media "projections". These are the "illusions". What goes on behind the "screen", which is held up to our perceptions by nefarious "projectionists", "directors", "film makers" and "actors", is the "reality" to which our perceptions are never subjected, unless we dare to sneak backstage in our search for truth. A film such as "THE TRUMAN STORY" can serve to clarify my point here.

It would appear that truth must be approached in stages. First, we must train our perceptions to penetrate the "illusions". Then, we must acknowledge and subdue "reality". Only then are we ready to discover that which resides at its core, the naturally eternal, benignly innocent, pre-existing, God-created, "undiscovered country" wherein "truth" may be found. It is only non-existent for those who have not the perception to "see" it. For those who have the "eyes to see", it is ever-present, and if you have the capacity to absorb the meaning of the words appearing on this page, you also have the capacity to undertake the three-stage process described above, embark upon this journey to the "undiscovered country", and find your way to "truth" under your own volition.

The major hurdle for those who have become complacently resigned to life "as it is", is to formulate the necessary question in their minds and then cultivate a sincere desire to answer it. For those emerging from this resigned condition, finding such questions insistently haunting the awakening "front-roads" of their minds, it can be terrifying. To ask a simple questions such as: "What is this illusion?" or "What is real?" or "What is truth?"...without the awareness of any urgent need to know"...is blandly unthreatening, almost silly to ask.

However, when the very foundation of all you have been taught to believe suddenly begins to falter and fade away, such simple questions have the power to induce catatonic paranoia or panic.

Perhaps the wisest endeavor, in view of the obvious insecurity of our times, might be to simply cultivate a common sense attitude of curiosity with regard to the issues of illusion, reality and truth. If our endeavors lead us to the discovery that we "have", in fact, become the victims of a great "illusion", we will then be closer to developing a firmer grip on "reality". And, if that "reality" displeases us because its deception subordinates and disadvantages us to those who have created it, then "truth" becomes a bit more attractive to us, since it is the essential ingredient we require to extricate ourselves from the "illusion", which we are now aware has been our perceived "reality".

If we have unwittingly accepted that everything which presents itself to our perceptions in life is "reality", then we should also, perhaps, accept that everything which is created by the very talented special effects artists in Hollywood is "reality" as well. Some inner sense, however, seems to tell us that, although what we are seeing with our eyes looks real, it is, in fact, an illusion created by clever minds using clever technology with the intent of beguiling our perceptions.

Yet, when we behold the conditions, circumstances and events which present themselves to our perceptions in daily life, this we discern as reality, and, as such, cannot be modified, changed or otherwise improved by examining it more judiciously and influencing it more vigorously.

The obvious and astonishing truth which is revealed in this ambiguous contradiction between human intelligence and human ignorance points directly at mankinds refusal to accept responsibility for his role in helping to shape his own destiny. It will also be found in the "soil" of this ambiguous contradiction, "fertilized" by deception and confusion, that the "crops" of illusion and treachery take root, and thus is born the "harvest" of tyranny and despotism.

When we, the people, do not responsibly sew the seeds which will assure the perpetuity of freedom upon our own land, it inevitably falls prey to opportunists and vultures whose purpose and intent is to assure that you and I shall lose the memory and the desire to maintain our responsibility for shaping our own destiny. It is their preference, instead, that we should be "privileged" to remain enslaved to the task of producing their wealth while they very "generously" go on shaping our destiny on their behalf.

Let us stop for a moment and take note of what it is we are attempting to clarify, conclude or concur in this rambling and unorthodox exploration of a somewhat abstract syndrome which seems to have our society in its grip. To summarize briefly, then: if one has no interest, concern or desire to responsibly participate in the shaping of one’s own destiny, it is quite a simple matter to just "go with the flow". One may be inclined to integrate unquestioningly with the "great silent majority", examine the options which are offered and simply conform with the context of this obedient "juggernaut". One might even successfully excel in some prescribed form of mediocrity, becoming convinced that one has achieved the most idyllic life that is humanly attainable, never venturing to question what might lie beyond that which is projected upon the "screen" of their perceptions.

Such are the limits of their choosing, and man has not yet imposed any laws demanding that one must extend the limits of his perceptions. To the contrary, nearly all of man’s laws are designed to discourage doing just that. Anyone daring to peer beyond the veils of conventional reality is generally considered to be, at the very least, eccentric or a heretic. All that has really changed in the attitudes of "normal" society is that we have become more tolerant of such eccentricities and heresies.

However, it must be remembered that such "nonsensical" pursuits will not put bread and meat on the table and there is the chance that too many "willing" victims might begin to notice the "curtain" behind which the "wizard" attends to his chicanery. It would be undesirable for this to happen, for the "big question" it might engender in the minds of the people could lead to restlessness and discontent on too broad a scale. This simply would not do, for to come up with an answer that would truly satisfy such a discomfited citizenry would be very difficult to conjure and this could lead to the eventual discomfort and possible failure of the "wizardry".

To illustrate what illusion is, let us "play" with our minds for just a moment. The author would like to point out that the reader is not expected to either believe or adopt any of the concepts presented here as building blocks for a paradigm in developing a "world view" or a "new reality" or any such "cult" orientation. The "idea" is simply an example, or an exercise, if you will, that "may" allow the reader the opportunity to flex an otherwise relatively unused muscle generally found to be located between the ears.

To begin, a hypothesis or an axiom generally starts with a presumed statement of fact, perhaps a new idea which has not yet been disproven and its truth appears quite obvious. If such a new idea can be interpreted differently, depending upon the perspective from which it is viewed, and still retain its apparent truth, it could be said to be paradoxical. This should not imply that it is necessarily untrue in either case, it simply means that one must be familiar with the premise from which its interpretation is determined, or one could fall prey to an "illusion" someone has created.

An example of such a double-edged truism would be: "Nothing" ever changes... or, "Nothing" is ever changing! (Emphasis is added to show differing perspectives.)

Our hypothesis is that change is inevitable even in the realm of "nothingness" and/or, that "change" does not occur at all in the realm of nothingness. Is one statement true and the other false or are both statements true depending on ones perspective?

If one gives but a moment to ponder this, it will become apparent to the human mind that change is the one ever present condition in the universe. Without change, the universe would not - could not - be. It would simply have no existence. The fact that life in the universe goes on is a statement of change. Mere continuance is change. Even resistance to change causes more change. Change is inescapable. It is imminent. It is ever-present. The only thing that never changes is change itself. Change is energy in motion. It is "matter" in motion.

It is also what creates the "illusion" of time. Change requires duration and duration is, in itself, evidence of change. Time is simply a perceptual "tool" which allows us to acknowledge, define and measure change. That which manifests out of the unmanifest is evidence of change. Manifestation is a form of change. It is "nothingness" assuming the form of "somethingness" and is thus involved in the process of change. "Becoming" is a process of change. In this fashion the universe is continuingly being born, is in a perpetual state of birth. What we see before us at present was not there a moment before and it will no longer be there in the moment yet "becoming". It is a continuum of "becoming". It cannot stop "becoming" nor can it "not" change. There is not such a thing as a static condition in reality. Each moment is dynamic in and of itself, yet neither are they disconnected from all other moments. Moments do not stack themselves upon each other nor do they align themselves with each other. To be truthful, there is no such thing as "each" moment, in fact there is only "a" moment, "this" moment, ever "becoming".

What is our purpose in this diatribe? It is simply an exercise to gently "loosen" our mental fabric to relax our mind’s "grip" on some previously conceived or conditioned notions regarding the concept of time, with a view toward becoming more receptive to some optional possibilities at some later stage, even a new paradigm. Mental fixity, sometimes referred to as a "mind-set" can be compared to a high-powered automobile which is hopelessly stuck in the mud.

Let us assume then, that it is acceptable, even desirable, to allow the mind to break free from its moorings occasionally, and so allow it to exercise its untrained, unconditioned and undisciplined aspects without the influence of external orthodoxy or dogma. Think of it as similar to allowing your dog off its leash in the park from time to time or allowing a pet bird out of its cage to test its wings in the great beyond. The mind can be made obedient and conforming, but it also needs to exercise its natural capabilities beyond the "normal" constraints imposed upon it and expected of it within the "rules" of conventional academia, theologia and society at large.

The mind in its natural, "uninhibited" state has its own kind of "hunger" just as the body does. It is possible, though not necessarily natural, to habituate it to a repetitive, familiar "diet" which, as with a pet, seems to assuage its appetite for a greater diversity of input and nourishment, but then curiosity seems to gradually "die out" and the mind becomes relegated to a very constrained, resigned and predictable existence. It is a rather easy matter to control and enslave a mind in such a condition.

The "real world", as it is called by those who are thus resigned to reside in it, can be seen as an "illusion", relative to the world inhabited by those who created it for their own advantage. For those whose minds do not explore beyond the visible "projections" in the world they are resigned to reside in, the "illusion" becomes their "reality". No matter how convincingly real it appears to their perceptions, it is still an "illusion" relative to the possibilities which are yet invisible to their perceptions. I shall fabricate a simple parable to explain my meaning.

Imagine yourself in a hypothetical situation where you are strolling along a quiet, but unfamiliar, road and you come upon a massive hemispherical dome structure. Behind an open gate there is an arching staircase leading up to its apex. On the gate is an official looking sign which informs you that this is a research extension facility of a correctional institution and its inmates are engaged in a birth to death, life-long "experiential deprivation experiment" being conducted by the government. The gate is open and there appears to be no one about, so, out of curiosity, you enter and climb the staircase which ends near the edge of a sizable round aperture in the roof and allows you to peer down into this cavernous dome. Inside, on its expansive floor of rich looking turf, you witness a group of people engaged in various activities or resting. Being unable to discern what they are doing, but intrigued by this spectacle, you call down to them and ask what they are doing. The response you get astounds you.

"O' Great Voice of the Portal, we are preparing the "Sacrificing of the Seed" ceremony in gratitude for the great abundance of food, drink, clothing and shelter which you provide us with each day."

Even more amazed, you ask: "You mean you have good seed and you have plenty of fertile soil in the space around you to cultivate and garden, yet you choose not to grow your own food?"

A timid voice echoes up from below: "Oh No, Great Voice...! As you have warned us many times, if we attempt to provide for ourselves you will seal off the portal and leave us in eternal darkness. Your reminder and proof to us that you have this power is shown us each day as you close the portal, plunging us in darkness for a time, yet returning us to light each following day if we are obedient to your commands."

"Incredible", you think to yourself, but you ask: "Are you afraid at all?

The answer comes back: "We have no fear! What is there to fear? You are our protector! We are quite secure within our Sphere of Life."

You call back down: "If I send down a rope to you will you come up here and join me?"

The voice that answers is aghast: "Oh No, Great Voice! The fires of your portal which give us light would consume us if we did not obey the warnings you have given us."

So you call down once again: "What is it like for you in there?"

A chorus of voices arise: "O' Great Voice...Master of All That We Are And Ever Will Be, life is without compare in the "Truth and Reality" in which you have embraced us. All that we could possibly want, O' Giver Of All Things, is for you to protect us always from the sealing of the portal which would consume us in its evil darkness forever."

In stunned disbelief you answer, with halting compassion, that you will do your best to honor their wish.

As you turn to depart, you are mystified to hear a rising chant of gratitude for the promise you have made them and whether it will be honored by the invisible keepers of this strange facility, you have no way of knowing. You shudder and think to yourself: "Oh mortal man, is there anything you cannot be made to believe?"

Suddenly you are gripped by an overwhelming urge to return to actual "Truth and Reality" from whence you've come. Your pace quickens as you ponder with pride and assurance the "Truth and Reality" of your own familiar sphere of life and all the promise of reward it offers. There is Social Security, Socialized medicine, State-provided education, the omnibus crime bill, U.N. "peace- keeping forces", credit, NAFTA, GATT, the World Trade Organization, the Federal Reserve System, even a New World Order pending and.....(somewhere in the recesses of your mind it seems that a portal has quietly closed, but a haunting question echoes out of the dark: "I wonder how long....?)

Let us move on, but remembering our previous parable as a means of suggesting the possibility that foreign and ulterior influences may tinge the reality in which we now live. We are considering the possibility that a small but ambitious, "Power Elite", may have somehow created a "mystery" for mankind to become preoccupied with for the purpose of serving an agenda of their own. The "mystery" of a God who is alluded to but cannot be perceived in any tangible sense. The "mystery" of a God whose blessing and reward cannot be realized tangibly in the here and now, but must be patiently awaited in some vague future realm after a lifetime of unquestioning submission to some obscure priestly interpretation of Divine Law. Yet, with equal "mystery", it seems to allow its modern progenitors to live in unbounded material opulence, and strangely, in their case, the rewards do seem to manifest in the here and now, at the expense, of course, of their doting flocks.

Mankind is a peculiar admixture of genuine curiosity and lazy irresponsibility (spiritually, that is). Thus he is especially susceptible to suggestion of the most bizarre character as long as it appeals to his subjective needs, is consistently applied and its source shrouded in mystery.

This propensity did not go unnoticed by the Priests of Baal, at least as far back in time as the evils of Babylon have been historically noted. It was these priests, as far as our present studies indicate, who first recognized that these ambiguous qualities in the nature of man could quite easily and unsuspectingly be manipulated and exploited so as to victimize himself to the guiding hand of this unscrupulously ambitious priesthood.

Thus, it was "their" influence that shaped the sociological syndrome or "social paradigm" of that period which can only be described as a condition of "double-think". It was this condition that eventually brought Babylon to its destruction, and, upon examination, would seem to be responsible for the rapid degeneration and impending demise of our modern civilization.

The insidiously negative incorporation and influence of "paradox" upon our mental conditioning is described by the term "double-think", which was coined by George Orwell, the author of the book, 1984. Such influence is a form of dialectical materialism, is a principle incorporated in the Communist Manifesto, and is a familiar strategy to anyone versed in the secret ploys of political or military "psy-ops" (Psychological Operations). Concerning this strategy, Orwell wrote the following: "Double-think means the power of holding two contradictory beliefs in one's mind simultaneously and accepting both of them. The party intellectual knows in which direction his memories must be altered, therefore he knows that he is playing tricks with reality; but, by the exercise of double-think, he also satisfies himself that reality is not violated."

The bane of American society in recent years has been the degree to which we have been subjected and fallen prey to the double-mindedness employed in media propaganda and which is revealed in the Bible as a spiritual dilemma: "...a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways." (James 1:8)

Americans are daily being subjected to such double-think propagandizing influences through our own media. For an example of the Hegelian Principle at work, as a thesis, imagine being advised: Invest billions of taxpayers dollars through the military/industrial complex to fight against the communist scourge, whom, we are told, we shall never to able to trust because they are thoroughly dedicated to our destruction and "burial".

We are then fed the "anti-thesis" which encourages us to carry-on trade with the communists, offer them foreign aid to the tune of billions of dollars, make peace treaties, disarm ourselves and allow them to inspect our military installations.

The "synthesis" resulting from the above example is a people who are neutralized to inaction by the supposed "sensibility" of both arguments. Such is the aim of psychological warfare, "brainwashing" and in most instances "de-briefing" exercises for "whenever a person or people can be seduced into accepting, simultaneously, two opposing beliefs as true, they are by that very act rendered docile, passive and indifferent to the advances of their enemy." (See Addendum.)

At present the minds of the American people are subjected on a daily basis to thousands of misleading and morally debilitating influences. If the public were aware of the actual effects of such insidious efforts of "mind-control" on the part of the "molders of our society", a hue and cry of such intensity would go out that would bring an abrupt halt to such abuse of the American people’s "good will".

However, since the people of our society are "not" aware of it, or choose instead to cower behind a "feigned" lack of awareness, we remain the "grid-locked" victims of an "illusion" which has been persistently "suggested" by an invisible and insidious, "Power Elite", and is supported and maintained by our own stupidity and/or cowardice as a people who are selling our birthright, our freedom, for a "farthing". Our freedom is, most assuredly, an exceedingly expensive price to pay for the "privilege" of maintaining the "illusion" resulting from our adolescent irresponsibility, when the "truth" is that we are quite responsible for the shaping of our own destiny, regardless of how many and how clever the human "wizards" make themselves "appear" to be, and how convincingly and compelling their fallacious promises inspire our hopes that they will do it for us.

It is a fool’s dream to think that we might enjoy the flavor of fruits which we have appointed someone else to taste for us, yet such is the illogical expectation we have been conditioned to anticipate. Somewhere there is a gap in the credibility of how we perceive things. This gap has been created by an illusion to which we are daily subjected and which nurtures certain "beliefs" that gradually, but steadily, erode our natural affinity with "truth" and the qualities which would accompany the "reality" born of this "truth". The inter-relationships are subtle and psychological, but directly influence how we perceive the world in which we live, move about and have our being. We must somehow invite our own awakening to the recognition of this illusion, allow it to fall away along with the pseudo-reality with which our minds have surely become indoctrinated and thus to submit and re-connect with "reality" rooted in "truth" from which mankind has been long estranged. The pilgrim must return to his homeland. Yes....the "land" from which his journey began, the "land" from which he embarked so long ago....the "undiscovered country".

-END-

*ADDENDUM

A small booklet entitled A DOUBLE-MINDED PEOPLE, authored by Pastor Pete Peters and published by Scriptures for America, P.O. Box 766, LaPorte, CO. 80535, offers a clear, concise and informative explanation of the principle of "dialectical materialism", its purpose and its phenomenal effect upon our contemporary society. This writer recommends that anyone harboring concerns about the future freedom of our nation and its people read this booklet.