“The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.” – Philip K. Dick
Asleep at the wheel
The image featured in the heading was a wake-up call—literally. But who was it directed at? Did it happen in this reality? For me, it did.
The next time you binge-watch a show, consider this: there might be a subprogram running beneath the surface. I saw an image strikingly similar to the one recreated in the heading, with the background designed to resemble the screen display in the episode. It was a moment that left me stunned. This, I realized, is part of our reality—a clever way to stack the deck.
I firmly believe the word I saw exists in our reality and isn’t some imagined element. It appeared embedded within a show I’d watched multiple times but had never noticed before. I only caught it because I was in a half-waking state, primed for receptivity. It’s not something that can be easily detected otherwise. Intrigued, I decided to see if I could find another instance.
I let the series play through episodes and seasons without interruption, intentionally tuning in and out in a half-waking state. At one point, as I reached for the remote to shut off the show, I glanced at the screen and noticed the faint outline of another word. It was positioned above the actors, but before I could fully register it, the screen went dark.
This is mind programming. No telling how long and how many are running this game.
Subliminal cues
From the 2007 revised edition of The Hidden Persuaders: “A brisk, authoritative and frightening report on how manufacturers, fundraisers, and politicians are attempting to turn the American mind into a kind of catatonic dough that will buy, give, or vote at their command.” (The New Yorker). This classic critique of marketing mischief remains as relevant as ever, highlighting the covert strategies employed to shape public perception and behavior.
The vulnerability of individuals to media influence is profound. Through carefully engineered messaging and subliminal techniques, those in power craft narratives designed to bypass critical thought and appeal directly to subconscious drives. These methods, often intentionally indiscernible, pacify the public while maintaining the illusion of choice. The “sleeping giant” of collective consciousness is lulled into complacency, buying, giving, or voting in alignment with carefully orchestrated agendas.
This ongoing manipulation underscores the urgent need for awareness and discernment. Recognizing the subtle ways media influences our thoughts and decisions is the first step toward reclaiming agency. As Packard warned, understanding the hidden mechanisms behind persuasion is critical to resisting the forces that seek to mold minds into malleable “dough.”
Reality Bites
“How to Build a Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later, published in 1978 has achieved cult status for its exploration of manufactured realities and institutional power. In the book, Philip K. Dick examines how media systems can create “pseudo-worlds” delivered directly into people’s minds.” Perimeter Books, preview. Introduction by David C. Krackauer
How to Build a Universe That Doesn’t Fall Apart Two Days Later – The Marginalian.
We have a dangerous blur: Philip K. Dick’s cult essay about false realities is as relevant as ever. – Emily Temple at Lit Hub.
Excerpt: “Words and pictures are synchronized. The possibility of total control of the viewer exists, especially the young viewer. TV viewing is a kind of sleep-learning. An electroencephalogram (EEG) of a person watching TV shows that after about half an hour the brain decides that nothing is happening, and it goes into a hypnoidal twilight state, emitting alpha waves.“
Continued: “Recent experiments indicate that much of what we see on the TV screen is received on a subliminal basis. We only imagine that we consciously see what is there. The bulk of the messages elude our attention; literally, after a few hours of TV watching, we do not know what we have seen. Our memories are spurious, like our memories of dreams; the blanks are filled in retrospectively. And falsified. We have participated unknowingly in the creation of a spurious reality, and then we have obligingly fed it to ourselves. We have colluded in our own doom.” – Emily Temple, LitHub
This doesn’t begin to address the level of subliminal programing I discovered. But it underscores the personal power lost when one is caught up in the net.
“I’m trying to free your mind, Neo. But I can only show you the door. You’re the one that has to walk through it.” Morpheus, The Matrix
– Lana Wachowski, The Matrix: The Shooting Script
Removed from lock-step
PKD Website: An online community for followers of Philip K. Dick, old and new, along with the promotion of his work and the sharing of information, text, audio or visual that pertains to his life, his work and his legacy. Includes news, articles, criticism, interviews, biography, synopses of major works, reviews, links, and much more.
Mirror article Pdf. 1974 Rolling Stone: Philip K. Dick The Most Brilliant Sci-Fi Mind on Any Planet. Link.
YouTube PKD Bio
For better or for worse – no rules
Question posted on a legal advice message board. August 2, 2024: Is it illegal in the United States for televised political ads to contain subliminal messages?
“The FCC has no formal rules on the use of “subliminal perception” techniques. In fact, the Commission appears to have addressed the issue only twice. In 1974, the agency issued a policy statement that the use of “subliminal perception” is “contrary to the public interest.” But policy statements are not enforceable rules. Nor would it be appropriate for the Commission to fine a person for failure to comply with a policy statement.” Source.
Observations:
1. Coincidental timing for this question, prior to an election.
2. Coincidental discovery of a subliminal flash messages in a K-drama series, prior to Martial Law declaration.
Conscious Living & Wendy's Coffeehouse 