Originally posted at Collective Evolution. Posted here with their permission.
Morpheus: “You take the blue pill,
the story ends, you wake up in your bed and believe whatever you want to
believe. You take the red pill, you stay in Wonderland, and I show you
how deep the rabbit hole goes.” –The Matrix
Whether you are aware of it or not, many
in the West are born, grow, and die a slave to the Matrix. The 1999
movie of the same name starring Keanu Reeves questions what is real and
what is simulated reality. While purely a fictitious work by the
Wachowskis brothers, the movie touches on themes which challenge the
current model of society and points to the problem of indoctrination and
a lack of awareness amongst the populace. In search of answers, the
mild-mannered Neo, a computer programmer, meets Morpheus, who tries to
explain the Matrix. On entering the room Morpheus asks Neo, “Do you want
to know what it is?” He explains…
The Matrix is everywhere. It is all
around us. You can see it when you look out your window, or when you
turn on your television. You can feel it when you go to work. or you go
to church, when you pay your taxes. It is the world that has been pulled
over your eyes to blind you from the truth. – The Matrix
Having tried to extract myself from the
rat race and city living many years ago, I found myself experiencing my
own version of the Matrix on a recent trip to Sydney
(coincidentally where they filmed much of the movie). I decided to
document some of the more obvious things that stood out to me after
having been somewhat unplugged from the Matrix.
To clarify, I personally define the
Matrix as a set of beliefs, cultural norms, attitudes, and conditioned
states which are pervasive throughout society. These are
initially created under an economic rationale which offer products and
services to citizens. To promote these goods and services various
themes, ideas, and ideologies are promoted to establish compliance and
persuade individuals to partake in consumptive patterns.
Along the way, this information becomes
embedded within a society, creating cultural norms and distracting
individuals and society from the truth. As individuals living in a
society, we become subservient to authority and start conforming to
certain illogical cultural constructs. Eventually, like a fish swimming
in the ocean, we are unaware of the water that surrounds us, we become
unaware of the Matrix…
Twenty indicators that signal you may be living in the Matrix:
1. You spend most of your time devoted to paying off a mortgage rather than enjoying life.
2. You can’t wait for the weekend to come.
3. You judge your success by the car you drive, the suburb you live in, and the size of the house you own.
4. The wealthy are rewarded for plundering the earth while those trying to save it are ridiculed.
5. You work in a job you
don’t enjoy, thinking the money you earn will offset the misery of
working in a job or career you are not passionate about.
6. You think that by a taking a pill your illnesses will be cured.
7. You think that someone
focused on eating healthy, organic fresh foods is weird, while eating
highly processed, nutrient devoid foods is normal.
9. You watch the news on television and think this is the truth.8. You think buying stuff will make you happy.
10. You’re more focused on your
favourite sports team than concerned about the natural world and
environment on which you depend for survival.
11. You believe growth and the development of the economy is a good thing and that globalization creates jobs.
12. You conform with the status quo and never question why things are done.
13. You think traffic congestion, pollution, and sensory overload are part of normal everyday life.
14. You think there is a difference between political parties and that they will enact real change.
15. You think there are
terrorists around every corner and they are a threat to you and your
community, despite the fact that you have 150 times more chances of
being hit by lightning than being involved in a terrorist attack.
16. You think eating genetically modified food and eating fruit and vegetables sprayed with pesticides is OK.
17. You think the mainstream media is independent and unbiased.
18. You think constant distraction through the media such as sport, trivial affairs, and celebrity gossip is news.
19. You think living next to a cell tower is okay because you get better reception.
20. You wait in line for the next release of the latest technological gadget.
Source: http://thespiritscience.net/2015/09/05/20-signs-youre-caught-up-in-the-matrix/
