Monthly Logs

2019

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September

August

July

June

May

Log for July

Dreams Recalled

7/1 10 recalled; again considering each "dream" as a distinct scene

7/2 1 dream recalled

7/3 9 dreams recalled

7/4 24 dreams recalled: perhaps the most to date. The dream recall combined very well (it seems) with the deferred awakening practice today. I had two awakenings, though, in which I went to write the dreams down. I did not try to exit these times - is this a mistake?

7/5 0 dreams recalled; I had one I remembered at one of the sleep interruptions but did not write it down; what a difference from yesterday; I don't understand - so am I dreaming less on nights like this, am I not entering REM, are my dreams "lower" (closer to imagination), or am I just forgetting them?

7/6 1 dream recalled

7/7 9 recalled

7/8 15 recalled - excellent, excellent dream recall lately. Don't know if it can be maintained but it is a major change from before I started these logs.

7/9 2 recalled

7/10 20 recalled - excellent dream recall recently. I noticed I had a "pre-lucid" moment in one of these dreams (thoughts influenced the environment).

7/11 2 recalled; had some major ones I think - forgot them

7/12 7 recalled

7/13 0 recalled; remembered several but snoozed rather than write them down

7/14 7 recalled; not sure if I can maintain it but the overall recall has been extraordinary; this evening I did question the logic of one element in a dream but it did not produce lucidity

7/15 8 recalled - large recall again; I dreamed even more than this amount though. So far, no transfers to lucidity though.

7/16 2 recalled; could have recalled a similar number to yesterday but decided to "snooze" instead; no progress to lucidity

7/17 1 recalled

7/18 0 recalled

7/19 0 recalled; remembered several at the alarm but snoozed rather than write them

7/20 0 recalled; remembered several throughout the night but snoozed... getting a lot more stress / fatigue at the night awakenings... recalled that I did dream by the AM but lost memory of the specifics

7/21 0 recalled; have partial memories of some... need to adjust my sleeping pattern I think

7/22 7 recalled

7/23 8 recalled

7/24 4 recalled; can only remember them vaguely now but wrote them down

7/25 4 recalled; still no lucidity

7/26 0 recalled

7/27 1 recalled; there were 3 others but I forgot them by morning

7/28 4 recalled

7/29 0 recalled; remembered a few at the alarm but didn't feel it was worth waking fully to write them down

7/30 0 recalled; remembered some but did not write them

Indirect Method

7/1 0 deferred awakenings; no separation attempts... room was too cold. This has been an issue which arose before. It was necessary to use the AC to get to sleep but in the AM the room gets too cold. The temperature creates the impression I am too "there" in the physical to separate.

7/2 1 deferred awakening; attempted to exit with no results; failed to be disciplined and follow through with cycles of exit attempts afterward

7/3 3 deferred awakenings; first two I moved and opened the eyes; only one did I partially cycle some attempts; recalled a lot of dreams but need to train myself to always do Raduga's indirect method completely

7/4 1 deferred awakening, 1 solid exit attempt and 2 cycles of exit techniques - no results but very good here, need to make sure we do this every awakening with discipline. This was the second real time I followed all the steps properly since I began.

7/5 2-3 awakenings, 0 exit attempts; major disappointment compared to the apparent discipline of yesterday. These awakenings felt different - I felt like the body was moving, that perhaps I wasn't awakening from REM, and that awareness came very "late." Is there anything to these notes? That is how I felt at the time of these awakenings and that was the "excuse" not to exit. I feel I should train myself to ignore those impressions, and make the exit attempts regardless!

7/6 1? deferred awakening, 0 exit attempts - similar disappointment to yesterday. On these days it seems consciousness is coming "late." Or, perhaps I am not having the deferred awakenings. The goal should remain to train myself to exit and cycle every non-alarm awakening.

7/7 1? deferred awakening, 0 exit attempts - frustration again.

7/2 2? deferred awakenings; each time the body was moving as awareness came. No exit attempts - disappointing.

*Raduga writes: "Meanwhile, focus your attention on how you're going to try to wake up without moving your physical body. This isn't mandatory, but it will substantially increase the effectiveness of the indirect techniques." I should absolutely try even if I moved or if I feel awareness came late. Need to develop that discipline.

*Another important point. Raduga claims: "Success Rate: For 1-5 attempts (1-3 days) - 50%." Here I have really only followed his instructions (sad to say) over the past 3 months correctly twice. So, the goal should be to become disciplined in following them, and doing them every time and properly.

*It seems Bob Monroe stumbled across the indirect method once (he makes one brief reference to how he did it on waking and it came so easily) but never developed it as he was very successful with the direct method.

*I still quite like the idea of this method, as it is a method of knowledge. Because one has this knowledge, one is able to do it... nothing extraordinary beyond it!

7/9 0? deferred awakenings; on my alarm clock/dream log awakening I was lucid and made an exit attempt; I started to cycle then stopped - I had already been awake for some time. Perhaps I should try the "imagination" method on these awakenings, as it is usually not too far from hypnagogia.

7/10 No results

7/11 Caught an early awakening; was self-aware; tried to exit - nothing. Sat up instead.

7/12 3 awakenings, no separation attempts were made.

7/13 No results. I've noticed when I awaken my first thoughts are usually me rehearsing the dreams from the evening. I trained myself to do this over the years. Perhaps I'm doing this mental rehearsal during the "twilight" or "transition" window Raduga speaks about and need to retrain myself?

7/14 1 (late?) exit attempt; part of a cycle of techniques; stopped as it was doing nothing

*When I first started I had many "false awakenings" (when I imagined I was awake and went to write in the dream log) - is this the window Raduga is talking about? How do I train myself to do this?

*If this is it - the issue I had was I was unconscious (not aware) during those awakenings.

7/15 No exit attempts. Despite three months of failure, remaining dispassionate here. Perhaps I may need to take an extended to time to "train" myself to "exit on awakening" just as I trained myself to mentally rehearse the dreams? Not sure how to do both (if that is the issue).

7/16 No noticeable awakenings or exit attempts...

7/17 I think the alarm may be set too early. Will try a later time (6 hours) tonight.

7/18 No results

7/19 No deferred awakenings?

7/20 Don't seem to be getting deferred awakenings

7/21 No deferred awakenings... need to adjust my sleep pattern and try again

7/22 No deferred awakenings

*Disappointing it has been months and had no results at all. Even partial success could clarify which direction to take it in. Perhaps it is a lack of deferred awakenings, being trained to rehearse dreams on awakening rather than separate, or another problem.

*I have only followed Raduga's instructions twice since I began the indirect method log.

*Just keep the intent to separate on every awakening and keep at it.

7/23 No deferred awakenings? Not being conscious in first moments?

7/27 Haven't had any deferred awakenings and haven't been aware on my first moments of waking. :/

Direct Method

7/1

13 mins lying down - modest vibrations in hands and feet

35 mins lying down - bordered very close to falling sleep

16 mins lying down - modest vibrations

18 mins lying down - very close to falling asleep

6 mins lying down - questioning "what is happening during meditation? is the body entering sleep paralysis (mundane)? is the key element the exercise of silencing the mind? does motionlessness help induce the vibrational state?"

11 mins lying down - modest vibrations

7/2

39 mins lying down - resting; self-enquiring; napping - still have never induced a strong vibrational state

15 mins lying down - experiment with relaxing all the muscles, then the mind

7 mins lying down - modest vibrations in hands and feet

10 mins lying down - modest vibrations

7/9

37 mins lying down - modest vibrations and some hypnagogia

7/10

*Extended period lying down before sleep - some vibrations

*Interesting moment - there was a short window in which my imagination was briefly "manifested" (like switching from the physical world to the imagination world). I had never experienced this before. I was not able to "deepen" the experience (it only lasted a few seconds) but maybe this is the "switch" Frank Kepple / Ryan Tasker are referring to?

*Having some reflections on: the nondual state; the need for the direct method; Jeff Brooks' jhana teaching; on why OOB writers don't refer to these jhanas; whether jhanas are just mundane steps to sleep paralysis or not; and if they are mundane why the Buddha correlates each jhana level to different levels of deva.

7/12

8 mins lying down - lost interest

7/13

*Meditation remains very dry and unsatisfying. But, reading the posts of Winston "Rougeleader" on how the practice is transforming him makes me rethink it. Perhaps I should meditate at least 1-2 hours a day following Jeff's model.

*OK, let's try it. Self-enquiry and the indirect method have produced no results.

*Let's do something intensive, but nothing too ridiculous: 1-2 hours a day for one month.

*If something "happens" after 2 hours I can continue if I wish, but otherwise I will stop at 2 hours.

40 mins sitting: was unable to keep sitting - got very bored and dry; rear end fell asleep; had some intrusive thoughts about urologist appointment; will resume later

29 mins corpse pose: some tingles (I have no interest in these) - got rather dry / boring; will resume later

*One of the things that makes me question the hours of meditation practice is that I can't imagine Teresa of Avila or John of the Cross doing this. Would they lie there, motionless, for hours on end? Would that concept even have existed in the Spain they lived in at the time? And yet they still made tremendous progress in the spirit. So how would their practice have been different?

*I'm not sure if this idea makes sense, but it's something I am trying to apply to the contemplative life: that it must have been "accessible" and "fair" throughout history. If one lived in a culture with no concept of Buddhist meditation, the heights of spiritual attainment must still have been attainable for the monastics or mystics of that time.

15 mins sitting - dry; some tingles (again I have no interest in these); same state of consciousness as waking state; need to finish

28 mins sitting

7 mins sitting - for the sake of completion

Day 1 Results: Overall I feel mostly the same as when I started. Maybe I felt a little "stirring" of energy and maybe as I walk around after the fact I feel my mind is more "consolidated" - but I could just as well attribute these to imagination. Overall I would say I feel mostly the same.

I noticed that (as I live with people) I was much more disagreeable this morning as I tried to have discipline in getting the 2 hrs in. There are constant interruptions, never mind one's own boredom and dryness. It reminds me of an anecdote of UG Krishnamurti - how his father would beat the children if they made noise while he meditated. UG felt this exposed the hypocrisy of meditators.

If meditation can indeed be "transformative" is raises the question of "how?" The answer to this is what I have been foundering with for years, I suppose. At first I thought my remaining habitual thoughts were the issue; those are resolved now, so no. Then, I thought spiritual development would happen holistically as I grew in wisdom and experience; it has been years now and this has not happened, so no. For years I inclined toward walking meditation and the "24/7" practices - self-enquiry, the Jesus Prayer, Aum Namah Shivaya, self-remembering, sati, nepsis, etc. - with no results.

If sitting meditation will eventually bring results perhaps it is due to the following. 1. As opposed to the "24/7" practices (maintained while doing other activities), when physically sitting still the mind does not have to engage with anything, thus saving energy. 2. When the body is motionless it is also conserving energy. 3. When the eyes are mostly closed, the lack of sense input also conserves energy. Thus: with this theory, meditation is facilitating the conservation and movement of "energy" which brings spiritual results.

This is the only narrative I can think of that would make the physical act of sitting there for 1-2 hrs in any way superior to the "24/7" practices I have been maintaining up until this point. I think one issue for me is I just find those 24/7 practices actually relaxing, and sitting not relaxing at all. But, we will test it. I will try to keep up this 1-2 hr practice for 30 days and record the results.

7/14

Sitting meditation

3 mins - distracted

15 mins - a bit of hypnagogia; started dozing off so changed position

Lying down

14 mins - came close to falling asleep so changed position; getting some intrusive thoughts - thinking about urologist appointment

5 mins - new position was uncomfortable so adjusted it

20 mins - again came close to falling asleep

Sitting

18 mins - rear end falling asleep; getting bored

15 mins

9 mins - this is not relaxing, and not enjoyable: stopping

Day 2 Results: Again I feel the same as when I began. I realize an issue may be the piecemeal method of these many small sessions - but it is the most relaxing way I can add up to 1-2 hrs without excessive distress, boredom, or falling asleep.

*As I reflect on how unpleasant this Day 2 of meditation was, I think I may have to try a different approach.

7/15

10 mins sitting

Walking meditation: extensive

7/16

Given the lack of results with the indirect method, I am considering giving Monroe's method another try. Perhaps each night go to bed an hour early or so, and meditate into sleep (or stay motionless as long as I can stand it). May give it a try tonight.

*Lying on back, corpse pose: Reached the stage when the strong urge to roll over came, and mentally was near to falling asleep. I should be savvy to this by now - but I changed position. The new position was uncomfortable though.

This I think is the brain's trick to see if you are awake. The rollover urge checks if you are awake (the same thing as the itches). I notice I can practice self-enquiry (keep the mind silent) till reaching this stage or let the mind wander / daydream and seemingly reach it sooner.

The challenge, I suppose, is to keep a thread of semi-consciousness there somehow as the mental lethargy emerges.

*Second attempt in corpse pose: same thing, reached rollover urge stage - moved again...

Attained some hypnagogia and vibrations but nothing special.

Third attempt (this is quite late in the evening by this stage): made the note that self-enquiry was keeping us conscious?

*Thinking about the Ben "bedeekin" recommendation of the afternoon nap (and then try the direct method). It would require consciously losing a few hours sleep (and cause some crankiness during the day) but I may have to give it a go.

7/18 Direct method into sleep: some modest vibrations and hypnagogia

Had a lot of trouble getting to sleep

*Note: Might try the "ramp timer" suggested by Phase Evolution without results with other methods.

7/19

No results from meditation-into-sleep: reached rollover stage and decided to roll over rather than fight the stress...

7/20

Alright, going to try to meditate-into-sleep again today. I want to hit the "rollover" stage and then stay with it as long as humanly possible. To war with the discomfort of it, if possible.

*Went to bed late (thought this might help but it didn't) and tried to meditate-into-sleep on the stomach. Feel asleep and never reached the rollover signal. Going to try again on 7/21 with the intent to fight the rollover signal, this time lying on the back and going to bed a bit earlier...

7/21

Another meditate-into-sleep on the back. Did hit the rollover signal. Fought with it for a bit, then rolled over and went to sleep. Was mentally "fatigued." Should try again, this time going to bed a bit earlier.

*The vanity of these attempts - if I have to be doing it near to REM as some of the OOB writers mentioned - is something I am still considering.

7/22

Meditation-into-sleep attempt in corpse pose. Mind started wandering ultimately from boredom. Came back and was still awake. Resisted rollover attempt. No results.

7/23

Meditated into sleep: no results

*20 mins lying down - some hypnagogia and began to doze off...

*All I can really think to do is 1. practice self-enquiry, 2. perhaps practice bodily motionlessness daily, 3. perhaps begin daily meditation (sitting), 4. meditate into sleep, 5. continue indirect method attempts, 6. cultivate lucidity checks... not sure what I'm missing.

7/24

Meditated into sleep in corpse pose: no results

7/28

2 attempts at direct method before going to sleep: no results

7/29

Will try again this evening with just the classic Monroe method. Going to listen to music for 60 minutes (gets so boring otherwise). Going to try somewhat early in the evening so I'm not actually tired when making the attempt.

*25 minutes in corpse pose before I rolled over from the stress / fatigue / rollover signal. Perhaps need to try it earlier?

Self-Enquiry

7/1

Long soul searching debate over whether there is anything to be attained beyond the present "still mind" state. Is it possible to lose a sense of individual I-hood and attain a sense of I in unity with all? If it is possible, will self-enquiry lead to that? Is it potent enough as a practice?

Whether it is possible or not, the experiment could not hurt. We will practice with the following rules: 1. to practice it persistently except 2. when the mind is necessary for whatever tasks are at hand (be practical).

7/2

More reflection on the idea of a "selfless" state. Rereading parts of Underhill's book - this seems to be what is called "contemplation" or "union" in Western mysticism.

7/11

Still continuing with self-enquiry when possible. It has never produced a "nondual" experience - only this generally silent state. I am thinking I may reread Teresa of Avila's Inner Castle critically. I think her "prayer of union" is this nondual state. I seem to recall her saying it just "happens" but want to see if I can get a better understanding of this.

*Compared to years ago, I can say there are no major problematic/compulsive thoughts that are getting in the way of self-enquiry.

*If I see any recurring thoughts I will try to recount them. Of course, the goal is to eliminate these and swap from the "rider" (the small conscious mind) to the "elephant" (the mega-processor behind it).

*Today/recently it has been: mental monologue of events from history - rehearsing events of the 19th century ("preparing for work"); rehearsing thoughts on bodily issues  - abdominal pain, hair, urology (complaining, fear, and creating narratives); and mentally rehearsing a conflict I have been having over work emails.

*So... the idea is practicing self-enquiry eventually leads to a state that is "given" rather than achieved and that is the nondual state or "prayer of union"... Teresa of Avila writes it just "happens." So apparently I should just keep up the effort and keep the faith...

7/14

Lots of walking meditation while practicing self-enquiry (has been my daily practice for many years): this is enjoyable unlike sitting meditation. Doesn't produce anything though.

7/18

I am not sure if this is the part I have neglected up till now, but on occasion with self-enquiry I am able to "let go" of the sense of "I" or self. Perhaps this is the way to contemplation. Part of the issue is I seem to need to "use" that "I" when I do serious activities. I will not worry about that. I will try to "let go" of the sense of "I" now and see what happens.

7/19

No results so far... experiment should go forward with the "letting go of self"

7/22

This AM started peeling away from the enquiry practice. Frustration of its lack of results I suppose. Rededicating myself to it and to the practice of inner quiet / silence.

7/23

Continuing with self-enquiry / cultivating silence

7/24

In the AM when very relaxed, I do seem to hit a short "window" of peacefulness for a bit... nothing to write home about though

7/26

Feel pretty peaceful at the moment. Trying to savor it...

7/27

Just keep practicing it, even if it seems we have "achieved" the maximum possible...

Affirmations

7/1 While going to sleep affirmed the intent to go OOB; for a time visualized walking around the kitchen; then transitioned to self-enquiry. No results.

7/2 Wrote 10 times the self-contradicting statement "I will lose the sense of 'I'"; wrote 10 times "tonight I will find myself out of body."

7/3 "Tonight I will find myself out of body" 10 times.

7/5 Same

7/26

My "impromptu" proto-OOBE I had months ago seemed to just come... I remember finding myself in the room.... instead of writing I will try to fill the mind with the intent to separate in the minutes prior to sleep, whether by reading or affirming. Will give it a try. May combined this with a simple WBTB tonight.

*No results

Lucidity Checks

7/8 "Am I dreaming?" It has been hard to keep this one as a practice. I should try to habituate myself to conduct them at intervals throughout the day (while also continuing with self-enquiry). I should do them for at least 2 weeks then see if they carry over into sleep. I have been remembering more dreams recently so if only I could use that to become lucid more. The dream consciousness is something totally different however. I do notice I will often question the logic of something in a dream, however this never results in self-awareness. I think I had perhaps 1-2 lucid dreams over the years but they were both at a very low level of clarity (not much higher than imagination). Now that I've learned the "deepening method" I am fascinated if I can get it to a state that is hyperreal.

Deep Relaxation

7/14

Given how miserable it was to sit for meditation today, perhaps I will try a different strategy. As opposed to a formal sit, I will just focus on relaxing deeply: if possible, in combination with continual self-enquiry, walking meditation, or (if I feel like it) sitting or lying down. I will do this without time limits or constraints.

One issue with this is when I have done it in the past I have felt it turns into "autosuggestion." As though I were just hypnotizing myself like a fool. Let's try to put that reservation to one side for now and try it anyway.

*As I work on this for a bit the thoughts arise... "how is this any different from my ordinary practice?"... "there are no additional practices for me to pursue that I haven't already"... "what does it mean to 'relax'? I am 'relaxed.'"

*The Inner Director seems firm in its instruction that I should not worry about Jhanananda, Bodhimind, or Rougeleader... that I am on the path and I am going to attain the goal... that I should separate myself from them. Well, it is what it is.

Bodily Motionlessness

7/16

The only practice I am notably lacking in (other than the 24/7 "self-enquiry") is bodily motionlessness. This was a question I posed to Jeff several months ago but did not get a good answer on. Is motionlessness required for spiritual development? I do not know the answer to this and it is the only thing I can think of as an impediment. Perhaps walking meditation is insufficient for this reason. This seems so arbitrary however; and throughout history would have impeded many great spirits from attaining the heights.

I did attain the vibratory state (not strong, but mild) a couple months ago when I practiced this so it may be something to try again. That is, incline toward not moving to see if it facilitates anything.

Pre-Sleep / Nap Method

I'm off work still so let's try the Benjamin "bedeekin" method. None of the other methods have worked so far. Tonight I will intentionally get up short of a full night's sleep and then stay awake. I will nap in the afternoon tomorrow for ~2 hours. Then I will stay awake for ~2-3 hours. Finally I will go to bed with the direct method technique (in theory I will be "primed" to enter REM) and see what happens!

7/25

Initial thoughts: this would be quite disruptive of ordinary habits as the mind is a bit confused / disoriented and restless. Certainly I would not want to be driving or operating heavy machinery while doing this. I also question the extent to which this method differs from the simple alarm method I have been using in the middle of the night? Although perhaps the disrupted mentally state is the whole point of it. I also note the special 2-3 hr delay bedeekin recommends that differs from a normal WBTB.

Bedeekin recommends to use a mantra (mentally "hear" a sound) when one relaxes bodily for the induction into REM. So, I will give this a go... I will use "Om" or "Om Namah Shivaya." He then says after doing this for about 10 mins max a "shift" occurs, one then does a separation technique... and you're out.

*No results. A few thoughts on the technique:

*Because it is dependent on having a nap there are a lot of ways this one will fail or run into issues following the steps 100%. I was not tired enough to sleep at 8. (I know myself, I was tired in the afternoon and if I had slept then I would have only had a ~20 min nap.) I stayed awake until 11:30, slept till 1:30, stayed awake till 3:30, then make the attempt.

*On reflection this seems to be just a simple WBTB (not much different from the alarm method I have been using) with the difference of 1. the sleep deprivation and 2. the two hour delay between the nap and attempt.

*I am not sure on the value of the sleep deprivation or the delay. They are also the biggest problems when making this attempt. The lack of sleep causes disorientation, stress, and confusion throughout the day while the 2 hour interval between the pre-sleep and attempt was extremely, extremely unpleasant to remain awake for.

Piecemeal Bodily Motionlessness

7/26

One thing that was bringing partial results a couple months ago was this. I was practicing motionlessness in a piecemeal way (that is, sitting stock still for 10 mins, 10 mins, 10 mins... adding up to at least an hour) throughout the day. May give this one another go.

*Didn't do it 7/26 - been very restless. Been very sedentary lately so that's probably contributing to the restlessness (body wants to move to keep in good health). Also seem to just have an inner "push" not to sit in meditation endlessly...

7/28

Feeling dull vibrations (mostly in hands and feet) off and on. Practicing the motionlessness here and there while just sitting, on the computer, etc. When I was feeling the vibrations consistently was when I had a number of false awakenings and my one proto-OOBE. Coincidence? Worth investigating...

Visualizations

7/27

Rereading parts of William Buhlman's book. Might give his method another go. Perhaps try it for 30 days. Instead of the images I was using before, perhaps visualize something mundane instead, like walking around the living room? Don't necessarily feel an inner "push" to do this either...

7/28

Some limited visualizations of a young woman, "Shakti"...

Thoughts on the United States

I wanted to move away from my usual focus on religious questions and for this entry examine politics. I apologize for this in advance. But, I feel if we are living in this world it is important to understand it. Here I wanted to examine what has happened in the contemporary United States. This is important even if one is not an American, due to the influence the United States has in the world.

1. In brief, I feel the country has shifted from a de facto democracy to a de facto oligarchy. This shift has happened in a very subtle and sophisticated way. In one sense all the trappings of democracy have remained intact; but the actual influence of the average American on politics has declined dramatically.

2. The average American seems aware that "something" has happened but cannot quite formulate what is different. We see the manifestations of this in popular anger, extremely low congressional approval ratings (9-14%), and increased political polarization.

3. There is a troika of forces at work here: first, the corporate owned media; second, the influence of lobbyists on Congress; and third, the policies leading to increasing levels of wealth inequality.

Media

4. To understand more about the contemporary media, I recommend reading Edward Bernays' book Propaganda along with Noam Chomsky's book Manufacturing Consent. The basic narrative is that after WWI the "elites" realized how effective propaganda had been at mobilizing the populace during wartime - so, they developed the plan of how to use propaganda during peacetime.

5. This is the birth of "public relations" and marketing, along with what will eventually turn into "consumerism." The thought was that by cultivating artificial desires in the public through advertising, it would be possible to stimulate demand and keep the capitalist economy (and its GDP) constantly growing.

This of course is a good thing from one perspective, as it elevates the standard of living; but it is also a negative due to the materialism and superficiality it cultivates, along with the negative effect it has on personal savings.

6. Before Bernays, products were sold based on utility: "buy our raincoat so you don't get wet in the rain!" After him, products were sold based on an associated image or ideal: "high class gentlemen are the owners of this coat."

7. The new peacetime role of propaganda did not stop there, however. It was also realized that the "elite" had lost too much power in the face of mass democracy. So, it was realized propaganda could be used for (as Chomsky says) "manufacturing consent" - getting the public to support certain policies.

Let's go over how this functions today.

8. In regard to the present day media, there are five corporations that control a majority of the market. About 90% of the media consumed is produced by one of these companies: CNN, FOX, NBC, ABC, and CBS.

 

In each of these companies, the same process goes on.

*A reporter goes to his boss.

*He asks: Should we discuss an issue that challenges the "elite" (always an economic issue - for example, wealth inequality)?

*The boss answers: No, too "radical." (Goes unreported.)

*Then the reporter asks: Should we discuss an issue that is nonthreatening to the elite (always a noneconomic issue - for example, gun control)?

*The boss answers: Yes, run it. (And all the better if it is a divisive issue.)

There is a second process that goes on in each of these companies, and that is the manipulation of the "window" of debate.

*The reporter asks: In our debate, how should we maintain "objectivity" and show both sides of a topic?

*The boss answers: When you interview two people, interview one person with an extreme position (ex: someone who wants big tax cuts for business) and a weak, conciliatory opponent (ex: someone who still wants big tax cuts for business but who wants to include a token tax cut for the working class).

We can see how with the above processes these companies exert a tremendous influence on the public discourse. The appearance of free speech and an open forum of ideas is maintained, but in actuality a window is being created limiting discussion to a "safe" spectrum of ideas that do not challenge the "powers that be."

9. The latter is sometimes called the "Overton window." The public is given a choice of "benign" topics it is free to discuss while "radical" or "fringe" topics are kept from ever being seriously considered. Sometimes this is done through omission; other times through demonization or marginalization.

The elephant in the room here is of course the dreaded word "socialism." This is the word that has been demonized in the US for many decades, and naturally so as it represents a direct challenge to the power of the "elites." In its most basic sense, "socialism" means using state power to redistribute wealth or resources. This cannot be allowed to happen, thus it is placed outside the window of acceptability.

Lobbying

10. Lobbying has grown into an extremely powerful industry. While there is nothing wrong with lobbying per se, when it becomes the main determiner of policy we make the shift to oligarchy.

11. People often cite the Citizens United Supreme Court case as the turning point in lobbying, leading to the modern super PAC system, but the history is a bit longer and more complex than that. The idea of "corporate personhood" dates back to the 80s and before, and it is also not necessarily as nefarious as it sounds - as long as it is interpreted correctly in a legal setting.

12. Unfortunately I have come across some very disturbing statistics on lobbying. First, that 90% of congressional races are won by candidates who raise the most money. This cannot bode well for politicians following the public will - only the moneyed will.

13. The other disturbing statistic is the extreme efficiency of lobbying dollars. For every dollar a corporation spends on lobbying, it can receive up to $220 in tax breaks. This leads to a very dangerous slippery slope.

14. The last thing to mention here is the study conducted by Gilens and Page. These two researchers compiled the data on the country's legislative history, and came to some disturbing conclusions.

They found that public opinion had no influence on a particular policy being implemented. Any policy - with a popularity of 0% or a popularity of 100% - had the same likelihood of passing in Congress, 30%.

They found that the opinion of the "elite," however, did matter. If none of the elites supported a law, it would not be passed in Congress. If all of the elite supported a law, it had a relatively high likelihood of being passed.

The question here now becomes: who are the "elite"? In this context the term is defined by those with economic power; that is, the wealthy. It does not refer to those who are the most educated, virtuous, or well-informed - as some political philosophers throughout history have defined the term (like John Adams, Aristotle, and so on).

Wealth Inequality

15. The final element in this troika of forces is wealth inequality. The expansion of this in recent history is evidence of the short-term thinking and decadence that has consumed the elite. Often on this issue, images are better than words.

16. There are many sources on this topic for further reading; in particular Thomas Piketty's Capital in the 21st Century. There is also this famous video created by "Politizane" which has some excellent graphics in it.

17. One interesting point "Politizane" makes is the extent to which Americans are unaware of the problem. The huge amount of wealth the top figures possess is "invisible." We "think" things are much more egalitarian than they are.

18. A few of the common points mentioned are that 1% of the US population controls half of its wealth and 90% of its income; that productivity has increased since 1970 but all the wage increases have gone to the upper stratum; and that the ratio of CEO to average worker pay has expanded to egregious levels (1950s - 20:1, 2018 - 361:1).

19. A final point is that increasing numbers of the elite are not "self-made men." We are usually more accepting of extreme wealth if it is made by someone who has brought great change - like Bill Gates who developed the personal computer - but this is becoming less common. Today up to 60% of those on the "top 500" list were born into significant privilege. Thus, it is shifting into a permanent aristocracy.

Additional Thoughts

20. This post went on much longer than I intended, but I hope I have formulated my perspective for what is going on in this country. Should I have failed to succeed in the above, I can quote George Carlin to summarize it in a few words.

But there's a reason. There's a reason education sucks, and it's the same reason it will never, ever be fixed. Because the owners of this country don’t want that. I'm talking about the real owners now. The big wealthy business interests that control things and make all the important decisions. Forget the politicians. The politicians are put there to give you the idea that you have freedom of choice. You don’t. You have no choice. You have owners. They own you. They own everything. They own all the important land. They own and control the corporations. They’ve long since bought and paid for the Senate, the Congress, the state houses, the city halls. They've got the judges in their back pockets. And they own all the big media companies so they control just about all of the news and information you get to hear. They got you by the balls. They spend billions of dollars every year lobbying; lobbying to get what they want. Well, we know what they want. They want more for themselves and less for everybody else. But I’ll tell you what they don’t want. They don’t want a population of citizens capable of critical thinking. They don’t want well-informed, well-educated people capable of critical thinking. They’re not interested in that. That doesn’t help them. That’s against their interests. (...)

It's a big club. And you ain't in it. You and I are not in the big club. By the way it's the same big club they use to beat you over the head with all day long when they tell you what to believe. All day long beating you over the head in their media telling you what to believe, what to think, and what to buy. The table is tilted folks. The game is rigged. And nobody seems to notice. Nobody seems to care.

21. There is a very high interest among Americans in "conspiracy theories," and here I feel this is partly a manifestation of the above. As there is indeed a real "conspiracy" where media, lobbyist power, and policies promoting inequality work together. I do not think this "conspiracy" is necessarily a conscious or self-aware endeavor however. It is simply a natural result of power and power's desire to protect itself.

22. Unfortunately what is happening is a symptom of all late stage empires; for more on this you might read the book Fate of Empires by John Glubb. The United States has been too long in the "prosperity" stage, and this results in moral decay. The pursuit of money becomes the only end, until the process consumes itself.

Optimism

23. The reforms necessary to fix the above are relatively simple: and given the institutions of democracy remain intact, the remedy would require simply getting enough public understanding of the issue and agitating for change.

24. In regard to inequality, a wealth tax could be implemented; the estate tax could be strengthened; or the tax code's progressivism could be strengthened. In regard to lobbying, reforms could be passed regulating it further; Citizens United could be ruled unconstitutional; the public at large could create its own PAC; or campaigns could be made public financed only. Media is less easily to reform, but perhaps the media corporations could be broken up into smaller companies, or else alternative media could be supported more (this does seem to be happening more with the Internet).

25. The issue is of course the complexity of the above. It is not so easy to formulate all this intellectually. There is also a huge effort to keep the status quo as it is obviously benefiting those at the "top."

26. Unfortunately without reform we are unlikely to see progress on the climate issue, on improving Americans' access to healthcare, or reversing the trends of wealth inequality.