September 10, 2006

Behind the Scenes of History

There are numerous commentators, almost all of them on the internet or authors of books, who can accurately analyze and recite the endless depredations of the American industrial-political machine over the last century or so. (Examples range from the academics like Noam Chomsky, to watchdogs like Ralph Nader, to film-makers like Michael Moore.) These pundits have dissected the atrocious policies and covert activities of successive American regimes, painting a picture that is sickening but undeniable. They describe how a handful of rich, powerful, influential actors pull strings, manufacture public opinion, and exercise every manner of dirty tricks to achieve their self-serving ends. Often, they uncover or highlight links between and among these power-brokers and their accomplices in the corporate sector and the banking world.

Reading these accounts, though, the reader is allowed to retain a particular intellectual conceit of western society-- namely, that all the documented relationships among people and events are somehow the product of happenstance. In other words,

we are expected to regard history as purely, or largely, a kind of random unfolding of the universe. This view is the dominant paradigm by which history is taught, books are written, and society understands itself.
In this optic, we can discover the 'causes' of, for example, the two world wars, by examining the details of economics, international relations, national psychology, opportunistic politicians, and so on. It all has a satisfying ring of reason to it, and we all feel secure that we understand the general evolution of human society despite the chaotic mix of factors that bear on our collective behavior.

Indeed, we are culturally indoctrinated from childhood to see the world thru that optic. Our parents taught us, explicitly or implicitly, that the world is basically well-ordered, with occasional slips into chaos as one or another excuse crops up for yet another war somewhere. Societies strive mightily to maintain a sense of 'normalcy' throughout all kinds of disruptions, be they natural calamities or human conflicts. So we reach adulthood with a hard-wired program that expects a rational world wherein people behave rationally most of the time, and history is the cumulative product of stochastic processes and improvised decisions contingent on proximate circumstances. This consensus view of reality is comforting to us, and therefore any attempt to persuade the masses that there is another, very dark reality meets with classic denial tactics-- anger, ridicule, appeals to 'reason,' and so on.

As with all paradigms that are subsumed into the realm of unconscious knowledge, it doesn't occur to people that this IS a paradigm-- ie. a filter on our perceptions. And like any perceptual filter, it is by no means guaranteed to provide an accurate description of reality. What the above-described paradigm (the stochastic view of history, to give it a brief label) does is to disempower us, for two reasons. First, any viewpoint that is unconscious, and thus that we are unaware of, can and will supply distortions of reality that are not only inconvenient but potentially hazardous. Second, it is indicative of an underlying, inherent weakness of the 'Western cultural view' that desires to 'analyze' everything-- that is, to disintegrate every phenomenon into a set of increasingly minute components... and to assume that thereby we understand it. This is the reductio ad absurdum trap, for in decomposing the phenomenon, we in fact lose sight of the whole. Almost every aspect of society suffers as a result of this inherent, yet unchallenged insistence on decomposing things. For example, the medical system is a notable offender. You are prescribed a drug to control a certain abnormal condition... but that drug creates other undesirable effects that must then be treated in the same, disconnected manner.

Ironically, our technologists have invented a recent technique called 'pattern recognition' which is essentially the application of so-called 'artificial intelligence' software to discern coherent patterns in supplied data. The data could be handwritten text, for example, and the system attempts to decode it, that is, to convert it into ASCII characters. The same techniques can be used to sift through huge databases of information on, say, credit card customers, to determine their spending habits (on a demographic basis, ostensibly). Humans are actually rather good at pattern recognition... provided they have not been trained to suppress this faculty and replace it with 'group think.' Unfortunately, it has been a hallmark of Western society for centuries that analysis is preferred to synthesis, and our school system does nothing to attempt to free students from this mental straightjacket.

All of this being a prelude to my modest proposal-- that history, certainly the history of the last few centuries, is not stumbling along haphazardly, but is really being purposefully propelled. That's right; if you take an overview of the patterns presented by all those analytic commentators-- connect the dots, in the current argot-- you start to discern some amazing pictures. Sure, you may claim; that's exactly what many skeptics are doing with the story of '9-11', 2001... they are digging and finding the connections that all point to a conspiracy by the highest gov't authorities to create a domestic crisis for their own ends. True; but I'm saying you have to pull the telescope back even further and look for the pattern behind the story we call 911. Unless we get to the root of the evils in our midst, they will, like noxious weeds, continually regenerate to choke out any hope of building a society of justice and true democracy.

For those who refuse to simply buy into the acceptable, common understanding of events, there is a structure, a direction to the events that shape our lives on a collective basis. And if a direction, then there are directors. So, while Chomsky can catalog the egregious sins of several generations of US gov't administrations, even he seems to treat each case as the sad result of individual human foibles and avarice. What I am stating unequivocally is that the catalog of 'errors in judgment' represents the deliberate efforts of a secret cabal whose ultimate goal is nothing less than world domination. This shadowy group has been diligently directing political and economic decisions in mainly the 'industrialized world' for at least a couple of centuries. They thrive on chaos, having learned early on how to reap huge fortunes by playing both sides in every conflict they foment. So behind the apparent chaos exists a conscious order secretly imposed by a largely unknown band of manipulators.

In this essay, I don't want to attempt to distill the vast amounts of information available on the 'ultimate conspiracy' that now threatens mankind as never before. It's vital to make a point, though: it's far too easy to dismiss all such talk about an ultimate conspiracy as 'wild-eyed conspiracy theories.' Of course. That's precisely what they want us to believe! 'That's what conspiracy theorists always say,' retort those determined to remain in denial. It's a stand-off that has allowed the cabal to carry on their grisly, self-serving plans with impunity for all these years. The great majority of decent, peaceful citizens can never imagine the existence of a small group dedicated to controlling the world-- and therefore, they make the workings of those conspirators all the more easy. And it is a matter of imagination, for the system of education, both formal and implicit, basically homogenizes the thinking of the masses, and blunts our ability to imagine things outside the boxes of group-think. By implicit education I refer to the constant conditioning of our impressions that is an on-going process of indoctrination conducted by the mass media and entertainment industries. These outlets will actually portray conspiracies of the insidious kind I'm talking about; but they do so precisely because they can create the impression that such ideas are purely fictional. Hence, when anyone attempts to wake the populace from their slumber, the 'powers that be' start the ridicule with taunts of 'conspiracy theory,' as if all such notions are ridiculous. But consider the words of some commentators:

'Indisputably, all of these minor factoids involving world-shattering events are singularly insignificant; but when taken together, and contrasted to the increasingly provable prima facie evidence of a Bush regime inside job on September 11, 2001, an unmistakable pattern of a "War OF Terror" is surfacing to justify the continued wars of imperial conquest in the Middle East and the suspension of human rights here in America to usher in the New World Order via Bush's launching of the North American Union.'

Theodore Lang, 6/06.

"Contrary to widespread childish opinion, most of the important things that happen in the world, happen because powerful forces intend them to happen, not because of some so-called "sociological" or other statistical coincidence of the types reported for the popular edification of the easily deluded."

Sometime presidential 'hopeful'
Lyndon Larouche

Now to those who simply cannot bring themselves to seriously consider the prospect of a grand conspiracy, perhaps an alternative avenue is to present a set of questions that beg rational responses... responses that are sorely lacking. For example...

  • Why is Bush (ostensibly a 'conservative') deliberately driving the USA into an enormous debt crisis with his costly wars, tax cuts for the rich, and madcap spending? (The US dollar has already slid in value compared to other currencies.)
  • Why is Bush completely careless with regard to the Kyoto Accord and environmental protection? (Could he know that it's a futile exercise in any case?)
  • Why do the media give the Bush regime a free pass on virtually all the hard issues that would have torpedoed presidents in the past?
  • Why do government agencies (FBI, NSA, notably) refuse to release videotapes confiscated at the scene of the 911 attack on the Pentagon?
  • Why was there no SEC investigation into the obvious signs of insider trading of airline stocks prior to 911?
  • Why has there been no inquiry into explaining why four hijacked airliners could fly unchallenged for an hour and a half altogether in the busiest corridor in the Americas? (Like, where was the air force? Was NORAD on vacation?)
  • Why did it take the mighty US gov't many days to mount a rescue operation for New Orleans... when they had days of warning before the hurricane?
  • Why did Bush invade Iraq, really? And why is he so bent on invading Iran?

These are just a few of numerous questions that only get asked in the 'alternative media' mainly on the worldwide web. The mainstream media simply ignore the monsters staring us all in the face, as if hoping that that proves they don't exist. None of these questions has been given a rational answer by the White House authorities. Yet they all point to one underlying, unavoidable conclusion: there is a conspiracy that orchestrated the 911 events, and that has co-opted the complicity of the media in ignoring all evidence that would reveal the truth. As stated above, the 911 'false-flag' attacks, horrific in themselves, are merely the most obvious symptom of the disease of world domination politics. These viruses have been present in the body politic of the world for centuries, but finally, in the 21st century, they are 'presenting' (to use the medical analogy) in very overt, spectacular, and horrific ways. The top echelon of the conspiracy see that most of the pieces are now in place for the final realization of their ages-old dream. They have a virtual stranglehold on the most powerful nation on earth; and they can use it to leverage the co-operation, willing or otherwise, of every other nation on the planet.

In fact, the conspirators are getting so arrogantly sure of their hubris that they are blatantly leaving their 'trademarks' on all their dirty deeds, secure in the self-assurance that the masses are so mesmerized by the reality they have created that the conspiracy will never be unmasked... until it's a 'done deal.' Those trademarks are the occult, generally numerological symbols that are an inherent part of their evil culture. The kind of 'fingerprints' you will find, without need of magnifying glass, are generally coded in the dates of significant events. The notable example is '9-11' where 9+1+1=11 which is one of the favored satanic numbers. You have also the Madrid train bombings of '3-11' (2004), the London bombings of '7-7' (2005), and the Mumbai bombings of '7-11' (2006)... (3 and 7 are other favorite occult numbers). There are many other demonic practices and symbols that characterize the Illuminati sphere (e.g. see 'Skull and Bones Society' of Yale U.; Bohemian Grove; etc.) but I won't elaborate on them here.

These symbols are purely satanic, since (brace yourself) the secret society are sold out to their ultimate master and guru, Satan. Whether you believe in the Devil or not is immaterial to the substance of this essay; and immaterial to the plans of the conspirators. They would prefer that you continue to deny his existence, since it just makes things easier for them. The bottom line is that they are motivated by a self-serving, malicious spirit bent on exalting a select few over the many.

Some firm atheists may agree with much of my thesis... but simply can't go along with this 'Devil business.' Fine; don't get hung up on it. But, surely anyone of any creed can admit that mankind has, especially in recent years, taken some transparently idiotic, self-destructive directions. For illustration, we could cite US policies to protect big business at the expense of the environment, or at obvious peril to longer-term stability; unabated resource consumption in the face of ecological damage; continued reliance on hydrocarbon fuels in the knowledge of global warming; pollution of the land, sea, and air when we know the health damage; promotion of genetically modified crops when they offer no advantages and pose unknown risks; and you can think of others. When we are intelligent enough to create destructive technologies, and to then recognize their destructiveness... yet continue to create and employ them-- is that not a symptom of collective insanity? What do you suppose drives such patent idiocy? If you speak to any given individual, they would most likely grasp the futility of our actions, and propose saner actions. Yet we are led by 'elected' individuals who embark on self-destructive policies! Why? Well, I've just argued that it's because of the shadow governors behind the scenes. But what impels these manipulative geniuses towards apparent world catastrophe? What has been protecting their identities and schemes all these years? What gives them cohesion when their evil puppets self-destruct with regularity? It can only be a 'higher' force, which you may ascribe to group psychopathy, alien orchestration, or demonic influence. I think in view of the clear occult manifestations of this crew, there is only one sensible conclusion.

The reason it's important to squarely face up to the existence of the secret conspiracy is because none of the cogent, insightful analyses of evil events in the world will amount to anything, accomplish any meaningful or lasting benefits, as long as the true, underlying instigators remain undetected. The cogent commentators can continue to reveal piecemeal instances of collusion, but unless and until they put together those separate pieces into a coherent picture, it accomplishes very little. As with western physicians vainly pursuing the treatment of isolated symptoms, the disease just keeps manifesting in a new manner, often more maliciously. Well-meaning crusaders can tilt at specific windmills of evil; onlookers may wring their hands in dismay; but the Hydra just grows more horrible heads when individual appearances are neutralized. The only way this growing serpent of chaos could be extinguished is by, first, uncovering it from under the darkness in which it hides, unmasking the secret conspirators; and second, confiscating their every resource of vast wealth and influence. Most unfortunately, this is not going to happen-- destiny must be fulfilled. This world-- far from basically benign and stable-- is a cosmic madhouse, run by men of dead conscience bent on an insane dream to 'become as gods'... in a world reduced to rubble by their self-destructive sorcery.

September 8, 2006

Christianity Primer for Skeptics, Agnostics and Atheist

This essay is specifically directed to those who have consciously rejected the Christian religion (perhaps all religion), especially those who believe they have done so with 'full knowledge'-- that is, after having investigated the claims of Christianity. It is also intended for those who have dismissed Christianity on the basis of 'hearsay' or out of lack of interest or motivation to bother looking into the matter. Now, to the atheist I say 'Look, I'm not trying to change your mind-- what I'm saying is that if you are sincere in your beliefs-- and I know with certainty that many of you are sincere-- then you'll be willing to check into this article simply to see if, in fact, there might be something that you overlooked in establishing your position... which many atheists hold as firmly as any religionist!

Okay, to get right to the point, I'll disclose the core of my thesis: the 'Christianity' that has been presented to the world-- from shortly after the death of Christ until today-- is FALSE! That's right; we've all been reacting to a straw man, a chimera, a false religion. Don't hit that mouse button just yet! Stay with me a while longer, as we explore this assertion. After all, if I'm right, then you will have to re-examine your due-diligence and perhaps even arrive at a different conclusion.

What makes me, a lonely voice of dissent in a sea of religious leaders and followers, think I can support such outrageous claims? Well, I base my arguments on the only objective source available to us, the Bible. Virtually all Christian 'churches' (ie. denominations) and believers trace their faith, their dogma, to 'holy scriptures', almost always the Bible. (I will, for the moment, ignore the differences in versions and translations of the Bible, since I will deal with high level features that are beyond those mundane concerns.) Most people, believers and 'outsiders', apparently are under the impression that altho there are innumerable variations on the Christian theme, there is a core of beliefs that somehow define the Christian faith, and that are shared by the 'mainstream' churches (those whose membership numbers in the millions). In fact, I agree that there is indeed such a small set of foundational beliefs that are put forth as 'Christian' by virtually all the mainstream churches. And it is those very beliefs that I challenge as false; that is, as gross violations of scriptural truth. This is a very serious charge. If you purport to be Christian, then it would mean you are subscribing to a false doctrine. For a sincere atheist, you have probably rejected a false notion of Christianity, which means your position is, therefore, lacking integrity.

After two millennia of existence, what makes the core Christian message false? First, let's see what it is that the big churches proclaim as the heart of Christ's faith. If you ask any seasoned Christian or plow thru a typical book of apologetics, you are informed that the heart of Christianity is 'the gospel.' Okay; what is the gospel? It's a word meaning 'good news,' we are told. Well then, what is this 'good news?' What we are then told is something along these lines: Jesus, the son of God, came to live as a man, died for our sins so that we humans could be saved from eternal death. So far, it sounds pretty good, no? 'Is that all there is to it?,' we enquire cautiously. No, comes the reply. You have to believe in Jesus, have faith in his 'gift of salvation.' Okay-- it sounds easy enough... Is that all? Not quite, say the religionists, as if waiting to close the deal. And here's where it gets complicated... and gets off the rails of truth and into falsehood. After you accept Jesus as your 'Lord and Savior,' you have to live a Christian life. Oh; what does that mean? It means you have to obey the Ten Commandments, is the usual bottom line, if you press the point at all.

So, the 'gospel' proclaimed by mainstream churches can be capsulized something like this: Jesus took on our penalty for evil by dying in our place, and we can have eternal life if we (1) believe in him and his achievement, AND (2) live the rest of our lives in obedience to the Ten Commandments. That's essentially what they say, is it not? Of course, there are different ways of stating it, some differences in details, but in the main, I think that is a fair representation of what people understand about the Christian religion. BUT, is that really what the Bible teaches? To keep this essay brief, I challenge the reader to check into the scriptures for him/herself. Let me give just a few hints, since delving into that big book can be regrettably intimidating. First, if you're studying the Christian faith, go to the New Testament! If you start reading from Genesis, you'll get bogged down in thousands of years of ancient history. You may also get the wrong impression that Christianity is merely an off-shoot of Judaism, a common misconception. Pay special attention to the books of Romans, 2nd Corinthians 2, Galatians 3, and Hebrews. You can't just read these scriptures like stories. To study scripture means to follow cross-references (including to the Old Testament scriptures), to consider the words chosen to translate original concepts, and to seek guidance from 'the Higher Source' however you currently conceive of It.

The other important tack is that scripture itself tells us that the message will be corrupted and will deceive many. Jesus warned his listeners that 'wolves' would enter the 'flock' and lead many to perdition. He wasn't talking about 'outside attacks,' he clearly had in mind people who claim to be religious but are really satanically inspired. The 'gospel accounts' (written by the so-called evangelists) clearly reveal how the same thing had previously happened to the Jewish religion-- Jesus denounced the leaders of Judaism as liars and deceivers who misled the Jews and misused the temple. Paul and John (two scripture writers) warned in their letters that 'anti-Christs' would infiltrate the ranks of believers and present deception disguised as truth. They even stated that it was happening in their own time-- it was not some far-off, future event. (So this idea of one, so-called 'Anti-Christ' is itself not scriptural.) Finally, the terminal book of scripture, Revelation ('the Apocalypse') seems to portray a widespread false system of religion that deceives the masses and wreaks havoc by influencing governments. (Unlike so many pundits, I don't want to speak boldly from Revelation since that source is so obviously opaque, symbolic, and intended to make sense more in retrospect than prospect.)

Such is the power of consensus that people read the NT and completely miss the essential mission of Jesus-- which was to set humanity free from religion! That's right; he didn't come to set up a worldly and worldwide organization to proselytize and establish the domination of 'his religion'. He saw the abuses that became entrenched in the system given thru Moses to the Israelites. He deplored the virulent legalism that characterized the Pharisees of his day... and that persists to this day in most religions. Jesus told his hearers (paraphrasing) that God loves humanity as a father loves his children; that He is not out to condemn for every little infraction of the Law, but He extends forgiveness freely and expects us to behave in like manner with our fellow humans. Is that the message you get from the pulpits of the churches? Not very often! Instead you get uninspiring, anything-goes mush from those few who are reacting to the stifling legalism, or more often, 'fire and brimstone' tongue-lashings from defenders of 'traditional values' and 'Judeo-Christian' heritage. There are those who understand the existence of the Holy Spirit... but who assume that His role is limited to dispensing 'gifts' to true believers, mostly the gift of babbling in 'tongues.'

[I refer interested readers to essays I've written on the subject of Christianity and the Law, to be available on this website.]

Before closing this article, I should probably anticipate a question that may bother some readers-- namely, how did such a major 'error' get insinuated into the very heart of Christ's message, right from its early days, and persist right up to the present? It appears at face value as impossible, incredible. As you can infer from what I've stated, the correct information survives in the scriptures, thanks be to God (literally!)... it's the interpretation, the inference, that got messed up long ago, and stayed messed up. And the reasons that happened lie somewhere in the human psyche, as it functions under the masterful deceptive manipulation of the spirit of Evil (Satan, to Christian readers). Peering back thru the foggy mists of time, it appears that the 'pure gospel' was fully assimilated by the original 12 apostles, and even the original cadre of converts (the '120' mentioned in Acts, and later, the 'thousands' who first joined their ranks after the stirring speech by Peter). Yet, by the time the last apostle (John) died, alternative interpretations were already attracting followers. Some variations on Christ's message were sincere explorations; many were self-seeking and malicious. The defence of the fledgling 'church' against heresies was a preoccupation of the first several centuries AD; but the biggest one apparently just slipped in so innocuously that it was never recognized! That is the notion that Christians 'inherited' the Ten Commandments from the Jews, and are bound by its strictures. Indeed, many reading this will be baffled as to why I even question this idea. Yet, think about it for a brief moment. To whom were the Commandments given? Answer: to the children of Israel. When were the Commandments given? A: when the Israelites left Egypt and journeyed in the wilderness after 430 years of living under Egyptian law. What did Jesus say at 'the last supper?' A: 'This is the cup of my blood, the new covenant, which is poured out for (the) many.' What did Jesus mean? He meant that he was instituting a 'new covenant' that replaced the 'old (Sinai) covenant' of Moses. He also stated (3 times) that he was giving a 'new law,' namely, that 'you love one another.'

The point is that the Sinai Covenant was defined by the Ten Commandment Law, and was given solely and exclusively to the People of Israel... it was NEVER given to 'gentiles!' Moreover and more importantly, it was categorically REPLACED by Christ in his last act of ministry. In proclaiming a new covenant for 'the many', Jesus was saying this one was for everyone, not just Jews. Bottom line: those who buy in to the gospel of Christ have no obligations whatever to the Ten Commandments! Now, NOTE PLEASE: I am not saying that Christians are free to do whatever they want; they certainly are not. What I'm saying is that the 'Decalog' (Ten C's) are obviated as a measure of righteousness; the believer's righteousness is inherited or assumed from Christ, his personal savior. The Christian is called to emulate Christ, his model, in every aspect, but when he fails (as we all do) 'there is therefore no condemnation' (Rom 8:29) and the sinner can simply learn a worthwhile lesson and carry on in the certitude of God's abiding love. There is no neurotic self-flagellation for every stumble in the walk of life for 'those who walk according to the Spirit.'

[So, you diehard legalists who are enraged to read this, please don't rush to your keyboard to 'set me straight' from my heresy. This essay is not a proof of these assertions; I have biblical proof in other papers that you will have to read first before attacking with your unassailable logic.]

To the sincere skeptic who has stayed with me this far, I say 'bravo,' and I hope you 'see' that the common perception of Christianity is quite off-base with the biblical truth. My bet is that most atheists will see this reality more easily than ostensible Christian readers, because they will not have all the 'baggage' of believers, all the 'traditions of men' to defend. The agnostic may see how the Bible is 'purposefully' convoluted and arguable-- that is precisely how God has preserved the essential message from being expunged or perverted by malicious forces. There is so much redundancy and extraneous material in the scriptures that the dark forces didn't know what to tamper with, and couldn't have done so in a consistent manner thru-out all those verses. It's a brilliant strategy that could only have come from God! Let this new insight motivate all, skeptics and insiders alike, to look further into holy scripture, seeking with simple hearts to know 'the truth' that 'shall set you free.'

September 7, 2006

Conspiratorial Nausea, a 21st Century Syndrome

We've always had conspiracies and conspiracy theories, but even in these early years of the 'new millennium' it's apparent that the conspiracies and the theories are bigger and more pervasive and dangerous than ever before. Many people are investigating conspiracies and many more are reading about them. E.g. In 2006, in Canada, England, and the USA, groups of 'suspected Islamic radicals' were rounded up on suspicion of planning various acts of terrorism against their respective host countries. Those Arabs would constitute conspirators, but the behind the scenes stories of their arrests raises serious questions of whether they were, in fact, conspiring or were they 'set up' by government agencies in a deliberate 'sting' operation for political purposes. The public doesn't know any more what to believe, and that uncertainty in itself induces psychological and physical stresses in the populace at large.

However, what I'm talking about here is a kind of physical syndrome that often occurs when one has discovered for the first time that "Ohmigod, there is no Santa Claus-- it's all a fantastic hoax!" Of course, we probably cope with that revelation fairly well. But there are far more ominous hoaxes afoot in the world that can cause mild to severe withdrawal symptoms once we realize the awful truth. Let me give some examples from my own experience since I've been thru this process three(!) times now.

The first time 'it' happened to me was when I finally woke up and understood that the religion of my youth (the 'GM' of the religious world) was a completely artificial fabrication, with mere lip-service to the Bible, and a large amount of borrowing from pagan tradition. It was a shock to my personal world, my belief system, my paradigm. And yet, I didn't just get hit with this expose unawares. I had been reading a magazine (The Plain Truth, now defunct) that had given generous hints prior to my tipping point. But the pieces hadn't all come together for me until a moment when I put down a booklet by the same organization, and then it dawned on me, 'The Church you've grown up in and invested so much personal capital in, is a false, non-Christian organization, under the guidance of Satan himself for the purpose of leading millions of souls from Truth!' Let me tell you, for the next several weeks I was in a spiritual daze; still functioning on auto-pilot at work and at home, but feeling a strange, vague sense of disequilibrium and physical depression. I was fatigued, and slept a lot. Gradually, the symptoms decreased as the revelation became a more 'normal' part of my interior, mental landscape. Sort of a 500-lb gorilla that I was learning to ignore. Finally, I found a new Church, with a new paradigm, and I settled into another state of ostensible well-being and spiritual growth.

Did my description of those symptoms strike any responsive chords with you, gentle reader? If so, you know exactly what I'm talking about, and maybe you feel better to know that it is normal and happens to those whose mental rug has been yanked from under their once-firm underpinnings. If not, then you probably have never believed something as 'indubitably true' and the foundation of your life. In case you're curious, I hung in with this new, semi-cultish Church for about a decade before I had revelation no. 2, and went thru the same 'conspiratorial nausea' a second time! While this organization proudly proclaims itself to be firmly 'Bible-based,' its evangelists going so far as to challenge listeners to 'check it for yourself in your own Bible,' the fact is that they hold to some far-out views that they can only 'prove' by considerable twisting of scriptures... and quotes from their founding prophet. Again, I had plenty of warning phase-- ten years to be honest, because it was a doctrine concerning the foundation of Christianity-- the gospel-- that I had found troubling from the very start. Anyhow, when I finally allowed the truth to penetrate my thick skull, I again experienced those vague feelings of dread and depression. This time, I was able to recognize the symptoms and the cause. Altho that didn't stop the process, at least I knew it would eventually end.

And speaking of process, some of you astute readers will likely have noticed that what I'm describing is akin to the 'grieving process' because it is related. In this case, you are grieving the loss of cherished beliefs, of a once-solid platform that has suddenly crumbled under your feet. You can even experience some of the same emotions. For example, I actually recall feeling angry as my mind demanded to know why 'they' let this happen... why didn't someone (my parents, teachers, etc.) tell me the truth? Of course, I realized that they, too, had been brainwashed from childhood never to question the 'truth' as presented by their all-embracing Church. I mentioned the depression... how can this be?... How could it happen over the centuries? There's no 'bargaining' phase, but you will probably search for alternative theories, perhaps abandoning all religious faith and embracing atheism.

Perhaps incredibly, for me there was yet another cycle. This last time, it was not directly a religious awakening that pushed me into conspiratorial angst, but rather, a political one. It happened in the wake of Sept. 11, 2001, after I watched on live TV, the incredible events. I knew instinctively that I was witnessing some kind of global loss of innocence, a truly 'apocalyptic' event. That spectacle got me searching the Internet for rational explanations since the official ones were transparently irrational. The more I read, the more obvious it became that this was the most blatant example of secret manipulations of world affairs to propel history in a specific direction... that being the establishment of a 'new world order' wherein the very few elite rule absolutely over the vast majority. Given this massive conspiracy, there are conspirators behind it. So, gentle reader, pull yourself together, because it's true-- there is a world-wide conspiracy, orchestrated over centuries by ultra-wealthy individuals belonging to a few dynastic families who want to become the ruling class in a world under their total domination. If you're new to this 'theory,' then my apologies for bursting your illusions. Now you may have to deal with conspiratorial nausea... but you will have the great advantage of knowing what is happening to you.

My hope is that this article, altho relying on personal referents, will help all novice readers in the realm of conspiracy to deal with the physical/mental symptoms that so often are triggered by revelations that unsettle our foundational belief systems. Please feel free to share your own experiences of conspiratorial nausea with fellow seekers by writing to this site.