I shared this article because I was just having a conversation with a family member regarding how they spoke to me during the Covid Experience. They were angry to the point of insanity, shouting at me to "just take the shot" to save my Chiropractic practice and not "loose everything I worked for". They (and others in my family) were content having their holiday meals without my wife and I because we were considered lepers for not taking the shot. We were called 'murderers' for not taking the shot because somehow someone who had natural immunity from infection was somehow still going to get our relatives who were vaccinated sick and kill them if we visited them without having the shot.
And they asked me just this week if I was still upset with them. Honestly, that caught me off guard. Was I still upset with them? Honestly, I thought I had forgiven them until they asked. The honest answer was YES, I was still upset with them... but... I told them I had forgiven them and that was not the answer to their question. I was still VERY upset with them even though it was also true that I had forgiven them for the Nazi like treatment I received from my own family and friends.
Your article and talk were about about a new story. About rebuilding and restoring relationships and reconnecting with the disconnected. I desperately want to join you in doing this good work, however, I'm not ready to do that just yet. I agree with you that though the Plandemic may be over, the social and political landscapes remain unchanged. I think the Plandemic was a great tool for those who were able to stand our ground and stick to the Truth while those around us were fooled into believing a Story, an evil false narrative. I think that the greatest thing that came out of the Plandemic is that I now know who will turn on me like a viper when the next evil story is fed to them and who I can trust to defend the truth with me.
Typically I'm a pretty optimistic person. In fact, before the Plandemic I was an incurable optimist. Now, I'm an incurable realist who believes that a Sanity Project is an awesome idea for those that would choose to be sane however I spent the last 3 or 4 years watching people choose Insanity over sanity both willingly and when coerced by a free donut, a hamburger or a lottery ticket.
We just got done watching people first overlook evil. Then they permitted evil. Then they legalized evil, Then they promoted evil. Then they celebrated evil. Then they persecuted those who still called it evil. Then they threatened people like me with Prosecution for calling it evil. I'm not sure they're ready for a Sanity project. I think they're ready to usher in the next evil story like CBDC or a Digital Passport. Again, although that's not optimistic, it's realistic at this point. Do I forgive them? Yes. Am I still upset? Yes.
My dumb @ss vax to the max family called the cops on me when our vax to the max Mother got covid and said she couldn't breathe, and I tried to bring her a nebulizer. Am I still angry. I think so. They say I got to forgive them, for my own sake.
Forgiveness or not, there is no trust anymore with them. Not only are they stupid, they are dangerous to me. Once cops were called,
any thing could have happened to me. My family is a whole another level of stupid.
Strange, how when they all started getting sick with covid, they never apologized for being wrong or the name calling either.
Wow. So many horror stories I have heard like this. For me it illustrates the incredible fragility of the human psyche and how we use all these pretend props to keep us from the abyss. I did not frame it as stupidity; I framed it as a real lack of moral courage and integrity. All these folks giving lip service to kindness, inclusivity, taking care of each other, yada yada yada and at the first sign of potential danger they completely renigged on their highly vaunted beliefs and abandoned their supposedly valued community members and family. Pretty disgusting. I have had a hard time dealing with the waves of contempt I feel towards them. I no longer take folks at their word. They have to prove they are trustworthy now.
In all honesty, I don't expect any of them will ever learn, and will react the same way to the CBDC, etc. etc. or whatever they have planned for us next.
I understand and I lived what you are all describing as well, with my in-laws when my own family were in another continent. I had so much anger and then I had a healing session which took a few weeks to work through me and when it had, I didn't forget what had happened but some how the emotions attached were gone. I think I can trust my being to recognize if a similar situation arises and the need to distance and protect myself without needing to relive those situations and hold onto the hurt and anger. And I think the physical and energy session I had with the healer helped me with this.
We see words like "fear" and "insane" or "insanity" used over and over to explain...when the heart of the matter -- the real heart of the matter -- was the contemptible lack of courage.
So many -- they seemed to be everywhere -- covered up this moral failing with vanity and sanctimony -- both vices dredged up and redecorated as virtue.
Courage and sanity are very nearly the same thing. It takes courage to resist a belief system that everyone around you embraces. Standing up to social pressure, standing up to the mob, is one of the bravest things a human being can do.
When I felt alone with the pressure of my peers, oppressive government coercion tactics and dehumanizing name calling bearing down on me from all angles, I prayed to God for guidance... I prayed for clarity and the courage to act upon the truth I was guided to perceive, no matter the cost.
Part of the answer to those prayers was being guided to come across your essay titled "A Path Will Rise To Meet Us" Charles. God also guided me to see that our Great Mother offered (and offers) her open hand to me (and all other humans willing to reciprocate her love for us). I took her hand (and I strive to continue to do so each day) as she gives me courage, hope and a lens through which I can see and understand what truly matters in life. Now I allow her to guide me on my path forward. I was also guided to find little gems such as this song.
Well done for standing your ground under extreme circumstances. Individuals like you are Humanities future. SIMPLE AS THAT. Be gentle with your family, be kind, they will wonder what on earth is going on, and miracles can happen . We must stop this separation in its tracks, and weapon of choice is love. It will knock their little cotton socks off. Blessings.
I hear ya but they prevented me from seeing our dying Mother. Of course there were other issues going on, that they should have apologized for. I can't get that time back with my Mom. Then when poisoned our Mother with those shots, and denied her meds when she got covid, called the cops on me for trying to get our Mother the meds, they were like lets be friends after she died.
I think maybe I could forgive them, even though they never asked for forgiveness, but I will never trust them again.
That is so sad Dorothy. It is vital you truly forgive them , for your own health. I have Been through a lot in this existence . Do it for yourself. The truth of their mistakes is all around them now . And absolutely correct about the trust. Many systems and individuals have lost any trust we may have put in them.
Thank you Dr Jay for sharing your truth! I too am an incurable realist and I agree with you. There is no denying that massive denial, accompanied by the inevitable erosion of sanity, is escalating. I personally don't follow the path of 'forgiveness'. (Whatever the hell that word means anyway!) I strive to integrate and accept reality as it appears to me to be; making space inside myself for as many painful pieces as I can. The goal is to become clear with my own boundaries and actions and eventually release the 'charge' from my negative experiences. Those feelings and experiences remain, but if I am successful, then they no longer unconsciously control me. I don't have to like those parts of me reflected by my 'enemies', but still I can embrace them and use them as part of my own walk in life. On my own terms. Put in marial arts parlance, when someone attacks us, they have just given away their own energy and power to us. It is now up to us to figure out how to use that to our advantage. I have enormous compassion for those who lash out. How can I not, since we are all so very very broken. However I do not forget and I do not 'forgive' and I certainly do not trust the perpetrators again unless they make clear and responsible amends. I just move on, hopefully in a more whole and empowered way. And personally I don't think we do others any favors by forgetting and forgiving and pretending it all did not happen when they are taking no responsibility for their own actions and the harm they directly caused to so many others. And as you say, the reality is they are quite likely to do it all over again. So I sincerely wish godspeed to those who want to sign on to a Sanity Project, but I feel I have already signed up in blood for the 'How the hell do we actually Survive the Escalating Insanity of Humanity Project!"
I got a chuckle from the 'How the hell do we actually Survive the Escalating Insanity of Humanity Project!" The Sanity Project isn't just to stay sane ourselves, although that is important. It is also to establish islands of sanity to welcome others into. During the pandemic I saw a lot of people in the dissident community kind of lose their marbles too and enter some really dark places.
That is so true Charles. Just let someone approach me with a needle and I will probably respond like a wild animal, kicking and biting. I can't say for sure. I think there is a dark and a light side in all of us. What the islands of sanity do is bring out the light side. Sanity or insanity is contagious.
First, I honor your journey. I'd like to offer a potential topic for you to meditate on. The topic would be who forgiveness is for.
In my meditation on that topic, I came to the realization that forgiveness can be given without reconciliation and more importantly, life becomes easier when we learn to accept the apology that we never got.
We can’t control the decisions someone else makes or their thoughts or actions BUT we can choose to forgive those who are unrepentant in order to be more Christ-like. Holding on to the toxic anger, resentment and pain that’s caused by being wronged or offended by someone that’s unrepentant is like holding on to a burning lump of coal; it does you no good and only brings on more pain. Lay the anger, resentment and pain at the foot of the cross and offer forgiveness regardless of whether or not it was asked for. We need to become better at freeing ourselves of the prison that unforgiveness can put us in.
I honor your good intentions Dr Jay and I think we may be talking at cross purposes here. I am actually a bit confused tho by your response. Semantics can be tricky and 'forgiveness' has many definitions. My elders would call it a wounded word, as it is been co-opted and wielded like a wea;on to supress uncomfortable feelings and used for millenia by the powers that be to control and bludgeon people into submission. I don't think that is your intention at all; but that is why I personally do not invest in the 'path' of 'forgiveness'. A friend defines forgiveness as coming to a place where either one realizes there is nothing to forgive or one no longer has a need to forgive or be forgiven. In other words; there is no longer an intense emotional charge involved. That definition aligns more with my own personal experience. I grok you are not saying that to forgive is to tolerate unacceptable behavior. So perhaps we are just getting to a similar place via different pathways. However I personally do not follow the path of 'surrender' either as I believe in individual sovereignty. Of course I do bow to the inevitable as necessary. But for those who have been badly wounded and betrayed, especially at a young age, embracing the common use of the terms 'forgiveness' and 'surrender' can be a self destructive path. So while I do grok the concept; no, I do not believe that in all cases one should practice 'forgiveness' of others for the sake of one's own self or 'surrender' to a 'higher power' either. For some people that pathway is incredibly toxic, because they are denying themselves and their own truth in that process and it leaves the vulnerable incredibly open to abuse by those spouting 'forgiveness' and 'surrender'. For other people the pathway of forgiveness and surrender does seem to work quite well. Highly subjective imo. Sort of like the argument between 'peace' and 'justice', both also very wounded words co-opted for various agendas and turned into radical ideologies; which at the end of the day just succeed in buffering denial. And well perhaps here is the crux of the matter; I DO NOT CONSIDER ANGER A BAD THING. Anger is part of our inherited survival package and it has saved my life and that of others many many times. It is a terrific acitivator and motivator. The denial of anger can cause it to be twisted into damaging avenues, but anger itself is simply a life enhancing fire in the belly that fuels action; either 'good' or 'bad' depending entirely upon. again, one's own highly subjective worldview.
Appreciate you sharing your personal account here. There's value in realistic stories... And yes, it also resonates for me that you (anyone) can forgive and still feel upset. If that is an emotion you're feeling, honor it.
98% of my blood family fell for the propaganda and/or capitulated to the fascistic injection coercion campaign. Since I refused to be injected, I was publicly disowned, excluded from family gatherings and just generally ‘excommunicated’ from their lives in general.
Here is one example of a family member writing me in an attempt to shame, gaslight, bully and nudge me into line with her delusional Stockholm syndrome relationship with government and big pharma.
It started when I posted this quote (in image format):
“If you’ve wondered what you would’ve done during slavery, the Holocaust, or Civil Rights movement…you’re doing it right now”
So my Australian cousin decides she is gonna put me in my place and she commented and started by saying:
“Hey Gavin,
I don’t see any point engaging with you further about this because it’s clear that it won’t be received and I won’t be reading a linked pseudoscience article but I feel that I cannot not say- it’s highly offensive to compare being asked to get a vaccine to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society (the immune compromised, the elderly, and particular vulnerable communities who are most affected by covid) to genocide and slavery.. by not getting the vaccine I personally think that you’re letting down the masses and not critically thinking, not the other way around. Anyhow. It might be time to check your privilege..
..I couldn’t sit by and not say anything, to me that would put me on the wrong side of history.”
(she now appears to want “amnesty” and to pretend like her pathetic attempts to bully and gaslight me never happened.)
Knowing she would go back and alter or delete the comments when the absurdity, cowardice and appalling nature of her behavior became more obvious to others I saved the resulting set of comments that were exchanged and (for anyone interested in seeing how it all went down) I have now documented the exchange in the description section of a post you can find here:
Earlier in 2022 (back when only synthetic mRNA injected people were allowed to get on planes in Canada) my cousin's parents (working closely with my parents) decided to organize a rare family reunion and Christmas gathering (where they would use what was left of the inheritance they got from my Grandma’s estate) to pay for everyone to go to Nicaragua to spend Christmas on the beach.
So, not only did they organize that trip knowing that my wife and I wouldn’t be able to attend (due to the fascistic government rules that showed no sign of changing at the time) they additionally stated (in a group email) that they would not pay for my wife and I to fly there, but stated if we were willing to take the necessary steps to get there ourselves, we would be welcome to join. (talk about cult coercion tactics right!)
Additionally a few months back my father decided to remove me as being designated as a family member on his facebook page (he is a facebook addict and that is the only place I ever hear from him).
Since we (my wife and I) are a tiny minority in our social/family group, (as aside from my little brother, who stays quiet, doesn’t like to rock the boat and had/has access to fake vaccine passports, everyone in my immediate and extended family except myself and my wife chose to get the synthetic mRNA injections) it is challenging at times to embody "Project Sanity" (when we are being hammered with oppression and ostracism from many angles) however, I find strength and inspiration in reading stories like you shared and knowing others are persevering and staying true to their moral compass despite overwhelming odds.
I have been meditating on releasing the pain in my heart after I was called a crazy conspiracy theorist (for pointing out Pfizer's criminal history and expressing concern regarding experimental genetic "therapy" treatments), being called a "danger to my community", intentionally excluded from rare family events, but it is not easy, I have faith I will get there in time, but for now I am also still upset.
Thanks for sharing that. I believe that we will land on the correct side of history though going through these times is one of the most difficult things that I've had to endure. That's saying a lot having been through a tornado that destroyed my home while my wife and kids and I were in it and a 5 year federal lawsuit with Blue Cross (which we won).
Regardless of what ever the dominant institutions decide to write in the history books and regardless of what future generations decide to accept as fact, I am content in the knowing that I chose to be true to myself, to treat my body as a temple and to call out corruption, lies, tyrants and mob mentality (emboldened) bullies when they crossed my path. I will go into the realm beyond this one knowing I did my best to honor the truth, to respect the free will of others and to do so non-violently.
It sounds like you have been through a very arduous journey indeed. There is a saying that says something about how the same hammer than shatters glass can also forge steel. It appears your choice to persevere and walk a path with integrity determined you would be forged into steel by the hammer than is the experiences you have faced. Thank you for being you.
Do you garden? I have been working to preserve rare heirloom veggie, fruit and herb varieties in recent years and have extra seeds to share if you have fertile soils that they could call home :)
Stay strong and may 2023 be a year that brings you resolution, healing, inspiration, abundance, hope and peace.
Thank you Gavin. That's an incredible offer on the seeds that I value more than you know. Unfortunately, after we sold our home in RI, we decided to wait for the market to shift more in the buyer's favor before we rebuy a home so we're renting an apartment right now and don't have a place to grow our garden and since we're on the first floor, a tower garden on the back porch would be unprotected so we're part of a Farm Share here in NH. Actually, since the only tax in the state of NH is real estate tax and I have someone to shovel in the winter, rake in the fall and mow in the summer outside the apartment, I may be content being a renter or a condo owner going forward. And, yes, I'm glad we stood our ground but I'm also a little disappointed in myself for not doing so in the USSRI (RI). In retrospect, I should have been willing to go to jail for not following the mandate about the shot or masking in my Chiropractic office but at the time a $300 a day fine, 30-90 days in jail and a felony charge (confirmed by the constitutional attorney I hired to fight the board charges alleged against me for not having a shot and masking) were just more than I desired to tackle. I've fought Blue Cross for 5 years in Federal court before I beat them, I've been through a tornado in Cincinnati barely getting away with our lives, I've suffered a near career ending disc injury and I was just too tired to fight another fight. BUT, I should have stayed and fought and I regret it. Our new apartment home in Bedford, our new practice in Hooksett and our new Live Free or Die state are all facilitating our resolution, healing, hope and peace with abundance soon to follow. Much love, Jay
Well if you find yourself in a position to set down some roots in the rich Earth in the future let me know and i`ll send ya some ancient heirloom seeds :)
Thanks for fighting the good fight and sharing your story.
Also, interestingly, I was just told that the USSRI governor, Dan McKee just extended the "Covid Emergency" through May 6th 2023 which is confirmation that we made the right move over a year and a half ago to get out of there... but still... staying to fight would have been the nobler thing to do...
There is, in any "battle", a time for retreat. I say good move...and the community that you have chosen to move into and offer your talents will be enriched for it. I think we are going to bear witness to the divergence of parallel realities in our near future. I know which one I prefer to live in...
"We have learned a lot over the past few years," you wrote. No kidding! The primary lesson we've taken to heart, I hope - beyond the life saving priority of community relationships - is to speak up. This recent debacle featured millions of us (including me) going along sheep-like, following insane declarations from those in power. Perhaps we got this lesson good now, that in the very moment we are ordered to do something stupid without question, that we speak up and resist. However we might word it or do it, I believe the sentiment would be something like: "No fucking way dude!"
My husband refused to mask from the beginning and I'm embarrassed to say I shamed him a bit for a hot minute...not because I thought masks were helpful, quite the opposite (I can read research), but more about "helping others feel safe." He walked badass into any establishment, got yelled at, insulted, etc...always staying calm. I instead avoided, stayed home, slunk around to more "red" counties that would let me enter their grocery stores with smile intact for a month or so. Eventually, I found my courage. It became easy after I weighed self contempt with deference to poor critical thinking and mob mentality. I'm just so proud of my hubby for having the backbone that seems fairly vestigial in the majority of our population from the get go.
I suspect you've hit the zeitgeist with the "Sanity Project" Charles. Especially as society starts to become inundated with artificially generated AI content. We will all soon be crying out for healing, wholesome, restoring human relationships, from family to friends and even more genuine contact with colleagues and online connections.
I also think that spending time in Nature is vital for our sanity. As we start to learn that humanity's greatest role may just be to regenerate and fix what we have degenerated, we desperately need to first observe, understand and relearn the ways of Nature.
Spending time in Nature is absolutely vital for our sanity. Relearning the ways of Nature is important. Thanks for the share, Bevan. It is one of the solutions in my 2022 240-page book The Campground, Pandemic, Plandemic, or The Great Reset?, One American's Journey through a Topsy-Turvy World Amid the Struggle between Freedom and Tyranny. Charles is one of the 38 heroes I list in the book. https://www.blurb.com/b/11086425-the-campground-pandemic-plandemic-or-the-great-re
I'm not kidding when I say living in the woods a bit off the beaten path saved me. I felt/feel extreme sympathy for those "locked" in urban centers with no access to green space (or green spaced "closed" for their "protection.")
You've identified the solution precisely. Building connections - real, personal, embodied, emotional connections, not the bloodless para social connectivity of the electronic network - is absolutely central to navigating our way through these hard times. More, many are lost in madness, still hypnotized by the hologram projected by the legacy media; they can't be reached, in general, via logic or argument. But they can be brought back to human sanity by relationship.
A very insightful and timely message! The zeitgeist is sick and tired and dying of despair; the old order is crumbling and collapsing before our eyes; but as John Carter wrote in an encouraging piece today (https://barsoom.substack.com/p/determined-to-die), this is the natural life-cycle of our culture, and a new renaissance will arise like a Phoenix from the ashes. You nailed the other important theme, which is staying connected and grounded via real-life relationships. Together, we will get through this, and we will flourish on the other side.
If we’re going to be going thru Hell... “Don’t STOP,” but move Slowly, Awake, Intuitively, with Eyes Wide open, and Questioning it All...Cautiously Optimistic.
Yes it is going to get VERY tough , and like over the last 50 odd years [I am 61] the insanity will vary from country to country. We keep sane [thats relative] by write musical pieces that directly address where we are right now. Heres our little music channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9yImXXaDjRpbTG7V_0NBA , we are of course nobodies , but having fun.
Trizville, hi. Liked 3 of your Youtube channel songs that I was able to listen to this am. Congrats. I felt your Visual and Audio combination on those songs were ‘Spot On’; Specially when One considers that persons of a certain Generation, like Us have lived through the ‘Times’ we Humans have witnesses the slow, methodical, and btw (by design) created the overall erosions that ‘Mankind’ in its thirst to serve “his” vices has and some continue to do damage to all that is this Planet, even though, it clearly does not belong to any of Us, yet, as a Collective it’s ours to Thrive.
If Only, “Wisdom” was at the forefront and in Abundance (as is the case, of what is provided for all of Us) within each and every Human Being, instead of Intelligence, a Hi IQ.
Appreciate the connection. yea I am 61 and other members late 50s. We have witnessed a real acceleration in so many areas , but alas, not in the area of wisdom, and contentment with what we have. A few things that I personally noticed over the years , were little things like, over complicating everything [I am a simple man lol] , and a big rush, to make everything bigger , faster. Perhaps the key to this speeding up process has been the placement of many into places of power and influence, who seem to suffer from severe psychosis .
Absolutely spot on. You may enjoy our little music channel as we [mostly] write about the here and now , and what is important. We get bored so we write in various contemporary styles , but with a thread running through the stuff. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9yImXXaDjRpbTG7V_0NBA
Thank you Charles. You’ve been a shining beacon of hope amidst the madness of the last few years. Another “pandemic”? I too doubt this. But they will try something, anything, to instill fear again, and make us more pliable. We absolutely need to stay ungovernable!!
Riff, don’t forget that a certain swath of “the people” specially the ones that do know what they’re ‘doing’ don’t really care to see or ‘change’ to become more ‘aware’ because of the entitlement they truly believe they deserve. That said, one thing is a possibility (I could be wrong) and that is that in the end, they truly ‘FEAR’ we the People and the possibilities of our Connection.
At the end of the day, People like these (in my humble opinion) are so POOR, that the only thing they have is money and net worth, without Real Values!
I agree with you RC. Sadly, I also think that a lot of “average” people are also conditioned by years of “grooming” to equate wealth, material possessions and a plethora of other stuff as being needed for “happiness”. So they’re held hostage by the system.
Riff, I concur with you on this, (almost😂)💯%. Sorry, trying to stay ‘Humble’
I know that at one time, this that you brought up is (very important to keep in mind) exactly where I was, as well.
It’s amazing to me, that ‘practicing’ Awareness, Letting Go and changing Non-well Functioning & destructive Habits, little by little into much better Ones, are Essential.
Thank you RC! We are on the same page! I was lucky - like you - to have snapped out of the spell woven around what our lifestyle “should be” as defined by those who profit from it. It continues to be a work in progress… but at least my “material” desires have shifted away from nonsense like status symbols and moved to things like generators & ammo 😂😂😂
Thank you Charles! I watched the livestream, and I'm glad that the video link can be shared. The call for sanity seems vital right now. Appreciate you expanding upon this. Readiness for the maelstrom, some movement from the calamities of recent responses to covid, etc. I agree, the social or political conditions that fostered it haven't changed. Let's continue to generate projects that foster the needed changes. I for one desire to put my focus and energy there!
This is so helpful and relevant. I wonder sometimes if people will wake up and realize that a virtual relationship is not the same as a real in-person relationship. It is not at all uncommon to see folks sitting at a table together, sometimes in a large group, and not one person is actually engaging with the person right next to them or across the table from them. They are all on their "smart" phones. It would be laughable if it weren't so sad.
the smartphone (plus social media and constant internet) may just be the most destructive invention since the atom bomb.
i have friends visit who i havent seen for years yet they can't tear their eyes from the phone; i have an entire generation of young cousins nieces nephews who know nothing about me, nothing about our family and its roots, because i have rarely gotten a glimpse of their faces, they are always glued to their phones. and don't get me started on what these machines have done to conversation, to human connection, to music shows and sporting events, to the ability to sit still and think.
the most advanced technology has mostly succeeded in turning humans back into apemen.
Maybe they should ban smartphones, for young kids? And maybe they should start telling kids that there are women and men and not 98 genders? And maybe kids should go somewhere to play and learn to recognize the world in reality and not only on internet via Zoom? Who knows, it might help...but I am not expert.
I hear you on this! Ironically, the internet both connects and disconnects us. And I guess, like with all things, the intent of the user makes the difference. Somehow the real needs of people for intimacy, trust, relationship, love and beauty must be met, and so maybe the first step is for us to model the joys of relating by being the best friend, wife, lover, husband, neighbor, son, daughter, mother, father we can be and vibrate so much love and joy that they will be bored with their phones and engage with us! I find that the more real I am, whether happy or sad, the more some people are happy to match me. Of course there are always those who are put off by that, but that's fine. The are doing us a favor by eliminating themselves from an activity for which they have no interest.
My niece told me about a boy she liked and when I asked her how they met she said she had only texted with him, not even met in person or talked on the phone once. I felt like I wanted to cry, she was 17 years old. Remember when you used to talk to the person you sat next to on the plane, how you hoped you got someone pleasant to talk to LOL, it can still happen but it's now unusual, you sit next to someone and it's like they don't even see you or say hello, even if they are not on a phone, that used to happen too sometimes (it's ok to want to be left on your own sometimes) but now this is the norm, like people are in bubbles that separate each other.
i know a bunch of teens through family, friends' kids, neighbors' kids etc, and they all seem more than happy to spend most of their lives inside staring into their screens, with interruptions only for some parent-approved extra-curricular.
17! what a great age! she needs to get out there and make some memories ;)
(god, my mom barely knew where i was for days at a time when i was 17.)
i consider it a blessing to have grown up in the 70s-90s, in retrospect it's starting to look like a golden age of freedom.
I have to agree with you on the 70s-90s we must be the same age! My niece was pretty outgoing with girlfriends though that she saw in person fortunately. Still the boy and only texting, it's like being stunted socially and they don't realize it because they grew up with the phones.
You’re so, absolutely Correct Susan, for me, when I see scenarios like you just described, it really is Sad, but not for the sake of the Sadness itself, it’s because they haven’t an iota of a Clue how they are so Disconnected internally. I believe they actually live “Lives” from Without!
Yeah, our whole society supports an outward focus and many people have no internal life at all. I think that's why the eastern religions appeal to so many westerners. Sadly, many folks have abandoned Christianity because it has not been representative of the person it was built around, who truly was a mystic and probably spent time in India perfecting meditation practices, among other things. Because in my opinion, anyway, what people are trying to fill up with their outward distractions is the place in humans made for a direct relationship with the Divine, which can never be filled by anything in the outside world and only leaves them wanting more, more, more of what will never satisfy.
Apr 17, 2023·edited Apr 17, 2023Liked by Charles Eisenstein
Thank you for your words and work towards keeping us sane. During the pandemic, I worked for a major publisher of wellness content. It was an interesting place to watch the insanity unfold from. I remember working on a major book for one of our authors, a woman I'd long admired, all about miraculous healing. When the book proposal came in, it focused on the importance of asking questions and trusting your intuition. By the time the book was published mid-pandemic, it had turned on a volatile mess of trusting science and avoiding cultural appropriation. Publicly, she was attacking anyone who spoke up for reason -- with much of vitriol aimed at you, Charles.
I then watched as the company I worked for removed publications from anyone who simply questioned popular narratives of the time -- not just cancelling new products, but actively removing listings from our back catalogue. At one point, I got a notification that I must be vaccinated to continue to hold my job, even though I worked from home in another state (which to be fair, was later rescinded, though I still quit).
Yet during this time of insanity, I found myself personally surrounded with the sane and compassionate. My friends and family were a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated. And we continued to love and respect each other. We had long and layered conversations. While sometimes emotions arose, overall we honored each others' processes and our relationships withstood the trials of the times.
This collective of thoughtful, mixed voices existed largely in the background of public discourse. We weren't the ones posting online shame memes daily (though in my Scorpionic ways I regularly posted ponderings and questions that I hoped would subtly elicit self-reflection and a bit more sanity). I'm encouraged that there are pockets of the compassionate and sane who can continue to anchor these values moving forward. I suppose we might want to look at being a bit more publicly compassionate in the future.
The weather manipulation has never been at its highest now. We all see it. Climate or any other tool they decide to use is at their disposal but it really will not work as they thought and they've already been warned of that. But psychopaths are like cornered animals. Their strength diminishing. Their last desperate efforts will be short lived but fight every moment against them we must.
Charles Eisenstein is arguably one of the most soulful, enlightened, deep thinkers and philosophers of our time. Having met him over 10 years ago in person and studied his work since then, I can hoestly state that there are few if any others who can see the 'big picture' of species' evolution - both good and evil - and still create a clear vision of how we can find our way back to our humanity.
What generous words, thank you. Honestly though, it is people like you who hold the field for me to speak the words bubbling nonverbally through you and many like you.
Charles, I can relate to your description of going into states of despair and then having allies lift you up and hold the vision of the more beautiful world so you could remember why we are even here during the 'covid' days. However in my case, (for the most part) the allies that arrived in my life, repeatedly coming to remind me that there is much beauty, kindness, love and hope that exists on this planet Earth were not human, but rather were photosynthetic and winged beings that offered me glimpses of a more beautiful world and how I might lay down the stepping stones on the path to experience it.
I really appreciated your anecdote about the birds "singing more than they needed to in order to attract a mate" on your walk. I wrote about the exuberant and uplifting revelry of birdsong that washes over the planet at the break of dawn in this post: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/symphony-of-the-sunrise
On my path, very few humans could be described as reliable allies in the past few years, though I felt like you were an ally in spirit as I read your heartfelt and inspired essays, so thank you for that.
I found tangible allies in the garden, the forest and in the realm beyond what the human eyes can see, in the place where our heart and mind's eye can see glimpses of... in that place I was offered communion with my true family. It is from that eternal connection that I draw strength now, with my bare feet touching the body of our Mother Earth, a column of light pouring through me, from my family and my eternal Self, grounding and fortifying me in my own version of "Project Sanity".
In time I hope to be honored to walk along this path with other people that resonate, other members of my "tribe" that are also on this Earth now, close to me in the physical. For now, I am grateful to have been guided to connect with allies in spirit such as yourself and I am grateful for the non-human allies and teachers that walk this path with me.
Thank you for offering your own gifts so that you might help others to remember how to fan the spark within to become a flame and illuminate the path forward.
I shared this article because I was just having a conversation with a family member regarding how they spoke to me during the Covid Experience. They were angry to the point of insanity, shouting at me to "just take the shot" to save my Chiropractic practice and not "loose everything I worked for". They (and others in my family) were content having their holiday meals without my wife and I because we were considered lepers for not taking the shot. We were called 'murderers' for not taking the shot because somehow someone who had natural immunity from infection was somehow still going to get our relatives who were vaccinated sick and kill them if we visited them without having the shot.
And they asked me just this week if I was still upset with them. Honestly, that caught me off guard. Was I still upset with them? Honestly, I thought I had forgiven them until they asked. The honest answer was YES, I was still upset with them... but... I told them I had forgiven them and that was not the answer to their question. I was still VERY upset with them even though it was also true that I had forgiven them for the Nazi like treatment I received from my own family and friends.
Your article and talk were about about a new story. About rebuilding and restoring relationships and reconnecting with the disconnected. I desperately want to join you in doing this good work, however, I'm not ready to do that just yet. I agree with you that though the Plandemic may be over, the social and political landscapes remain unchanged. I think the Plandemic was a great tool for those who were able to stand our ground and stick to the Truth while those around us were fooled into believing a Story, an evil false narrative. I think that the greatest thing that came out of the Plandemic is that I now know who will turn on me like a viper when the next evil story is fed to them and who I can trust to defend the truth with me.
Typically I'm a pretty optimistic person. In fact, before the Plandemic I was an incurable optimist. Now, I'm an incurable realist who believes that a Sanity Project is an awesome idea for those that would choose to be sane however I spent the last 3 or 4 years watching people choose Insanity over sanity both willingly and when coerced by a free donut, a hamburger or a lottery ticket.
We just got done watching people first overlook evil. Then they permitted evil. Then they legalized evil, Then they promoted evil. Then they celebrated evil. Then they persecuted those who still called it evil. Then they threatened people like me with Prosecution for calling it evil. I'm not sure they're ready for a Sanity project. I think they're ready to usher in the next evil story like CBDC or a Digital Passport. Again, although that's not optimistic, it's realistic at this point. Do I forgive them? Yes. Am I still upset? Yes.
My dumb @ss vax to the max family called the cops on me when our vax to the max Mother got covid and said she couldn't breathe, and I tried to bring her a nebulizer. Am I still angry. I think so. They say I got to forgive them, for my own sake.
Forgiveness or not, there is no trust anymore with them. Not only are they stupid, they are dangerous to me. Once cops were called,
any thing could have happened to me. My family is a whole another level of stupid.
Strange, how when they all started getting sick with covid, they never apologized for being wrong or the name calling either.
Wow. So many horror stories I have heard like this. For me it illustrates the incredible fragility of the human psyche and how we use all these pretend props to keep us from the abyss. I did not frame it as stupidity; I framed it as a real lack of moral courage and integrity. All these folks giving lip service to kindness, inclusivity, taking care of each other, yada yada yada and at the first sign of potential danger they completely renigged on their highly vaunted beliefs and abandoned their supposedly valued community members and family. Pretty disgusting. I have had a hard time dealing with the waves of contempt I feel towards them. I no longer take folks at their word. They have to prove they are trustworthy now.
In all honesty, I don't expect any of them will ever learn, and will react the same way to the CBDC, etc. etc. or whatever they have planned for us next.
It scares me to bits thinking what you say might be true, yet I have been thinking the same thing myself.
I understand and I lived what you are all describing as well, with my in-laws when my own family were in another continent. I had so much anger and then I had a healing session which took a few weeks to work through me and when it had, I didn't forget what had happened but some how the emotions attached were gone. I think I can trust my being to recognize if a similar situation arises and the need to distance and protect myself without needing to relive those situations and hold onto the hurt and anger. And I think the physical and energy session I had with the healer helped me with this.
Beautiful , simply beautiful
100%, RMW.
We see words like "fear" and "insane" or "insanity" used over and over to explain...when the heart of the matter -- the real heart of the matter -- was the contemptible lack of courage.
So many -- they seemed to be everywhere -- covered up this moral failing with vanity and sanctimony -- both vices dredged up and redecorated as virtue.
All over a respiratory infection.
Courage and sanity are very nearly the same thing. It takes courage to resist a belief system that everyone around you embraces. Standing up to social pressure, standing up to the mob, is one of the bravest things a human being can do.
Hmmm...that's interesting. Thank you for the comment, Charles. I'm going to "percolate" on that. :)
and this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un07--y3Bh4 called "Wash It Away" by Nahko Bear from Medicine for the People
Okay i`m done sharing songs for today, enjoy :)
I was also guided to a few other songs, such as this one
"𝗜 𝗔𝗺" by 𝗦𝗮𝘁𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗴 : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tX5GpicCZLE
"Well, I no longer fear the unknown
'Cause I know what I am here for
I keep on troddin' on my own path
Keep on learnin' from my present and past, yeah
Well, I no longer need validation
'Cause my story is long and I'm patient
I know that I have lessons to learn
Keep my eyes open, each step I earn, yeah
No need for me to feel alone
'Cause I got a place that I call home
Every single road traveled, every single new place
I come back home, they accept me with grace, yeah
Well, I know that I was meant to be here
And I know that I was born into fear
But I will stand tall in the lion's den
'Cause I know in my heart I am one of them
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲
𝗜'𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲
'𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱,
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂
Said, "I deserve to be here"
But I'm in a constant transition, constantly changing vision
Story never certain, there is always a revision to be made
Well, I think about the demons I have slayed
I am not afraid of confrontation in vain
To the people that seek evil, not as peaceful as they look
Well a warrior at heart, so precaution must be took
Well I'm trying to give in to the lessons that will soften
My ways and means are changing, 'cause I talk to spirit often
Tell me to stay sharp, tell me to stay present
Tell me to ignore the fools and focus on ascent
Well, I said, "I will starve my ego, and I will remain strong
I will make mistakes, and I will often be wrong"
Well, I'm perfectly imperfect, and I'm only here to learn
And all the evil on the path gets burned
I said, "I'm perfectly imperfect, and I'm only here to learn
And all the evil on the path gets burned"
There are lies in the facets of everything that we see
That are telling us to be scared, when all we ever are is free
I'm letting go of the things that don't serve me no more
'Cause I am holy, and sacred,
And righteous, and true, and I deserve to be here
And so do you
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲
𝗧𝗿𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁, 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗲,
𝗠𝘆 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵, 𝗺𝘆 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗵
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗜 𝗳𝗲𝗲𝗹 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺 𝗶𝗻 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗲𝘅𝘁
𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗹, 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗯𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝗜 𝘀𝗲𝗲, 𝗵𝗲𝘆
𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲
𝗧𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗲𝗲
𝗜'𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗼 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝗺𝗲 𝗻𝗼 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲
'𝗖𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗮𝗺 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝘆, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱,
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘀, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗲, 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗜 𝗱𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘀𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂"
When I felt alone with the pressure of my peers, oppressive government coercion tactics and dehumanizing name calling bearing down on me from all angles, I prayed to God for guidance... I prayed for clarity and the courage to act upon the truth I was guided to perceive, no matter the cost.
Part of the answer to those prayers was being guided to come across your essay titled "A Path Will Rise To Meet Us" Charles. God also guided me to see that our Great Mother offered (and offers) her open hand to me (and all other humans willing to reciprocate her love for us). I took her hand (and I strive to continue to do so each day) as she gives me courage, hope and a lens through which I can see and understand what truly matters in life. Now I allow her to guide me on my path forward. I was also guided to find little gems such as this song.
"A Prayer Of My Own" by Nick Mulvey : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gc56vFrssjY
"Keep me an open heart in hell
Give me the courage to feel it all
The beauty of the fall
When I want to run away
When I wish run away
Oh, Lord, help me stay
I look around, I look away
Hey, hey
It's too much to take
I fool my heart each day
Fool my heart each time I say
That it don't know how to break
And that I'm better off this way
Come on, Lord, help me stay
Somehow my love
Somehow my love
Can we bear the unbearable?
How to bear the unbearable?
How to bear the unbearable?
Finding the color of my rage
Giving that rage a place
Oh, the beast has a face
With a grimace and such grace
With an open heart in hell
Well, well
Courage to feel it all
Hold us, keep us still
When we want to run away
Come on, Lord, help us stay
And I do it for my own
My little boy, my little girl
And we do it for our home, hey, hey
If we do it for the world
So let it out and let it in
Get to know that beast within
Give him love and bring him in
No, not an enemy, but a friend
And in the fury of the fire
In that timeless fire
I find my ancient friend
Oh, come to help me once again, yeah"
Yes STL, I would call it a global pandemic of the dreaded VSV or Virture Signalling Virus!
Well done for standing your ground under extreme circumstances. Individuals like you are Humanities future. SIMPLE AS THAT. Be gentle with your family, be kind, they will wonder what on earth is going on, and miracles can happen . We must stop this separation in its tracks, and weapon of choice is love. It will knock their little cotton socks off. Blessings.
I hear ya but they prevented me from seeing our dying Mother. Of course there were other issues going on, that they should have apologized for. I can't get that time back with my Mom. Then when poisoned our Mother with those shots, and denied her meds when she got covid, called the cops on me for trying to get our Mother the meds, they were like lets be friends after she died.
I think maybe I could forgive them, even though they never asked for forgiveness, but I will never trust them again.
That is so sad Dorothy. It is vital you truly forgive them , for your own health. I have Been through a lot in this existence . Do it for yourself. The truth of their mistakes is all around them now . And absolutely correct about the trust. Many systems and individuals have lost any trust we may have put in them.
Thank you Dr Jay for sharing your truth! I too am an incurable realist and I agree with you. There is no denying that massive denial, accompanied by the inevitable erosion of sanity, is escalating. I personally don't follow the path of 'forgiveness'. (Whatever the hell that word means anyway!) I strive to integrate and accept reality as it appears to me to be; making space inside myself for as many painful pieces as I can. The goal is to become clear with my own boundaries and actions and eventually release the 'charge' from my negative experiences. Those feelings and experiences remain, but if I am successful, then they no longer unconsciously control me. I don't have to like those parts of me reflected by my 'enemies', but still I can embrace them and use them as part of my own walk in life. On my own terms. Put in marial arts parlance, when someone attacks us, they have just given away their own energy and power to us. It is now up to us to figure out how to use that to our advantage. I have enormous compassion for those who lash out. How can I not, since we are all so very very broken. However I do not forget and I do not 'forgive' and I certainly do not trust the perpetrators again unless they make clear and responsible amends. I just move on, hopefully in a more whole and empowered way. And personally I don't think we do others any favors by forgetting and forgiving and pretending it all did not happen when they are taking no responsibility for their own actions and the harm they directly caused to so many others. And as you say, the reality is they are quite likely to do it all over again. So I sincerely wish godspeed to those who want to sign on to a Sanity Project, but I feel I have already signed up in blood for the 'How the hell do we actually Survive the Escalating Insanity of Humanity Project!"
I got a chuckle from the 'How the hell do we actually Survive the Escalating Insanity of Humanity Project!" The Sanity Project isn't just to stay sane ourselves, although that is important. It is also to establish islands of sanity to welcome others into. During the pandemic I saw a lot of people in the dissident community kind of lose their marbles too and enter some really dark places.
That is so true Charles. Just let someone approach me with a needle and I will probably respond like a wild animal, kicking and biting. I can't say for sure. I think there is a dark and a light side in all of us. What the islands of sanity do is bring out the light side. Sanity or insanity is contagious.
First, I honor your journey. I'd like to offer a potential topic for you to meditate on. The topic would be who forgiveness is for.
In my meditation on that topic, I came to the realization that forgiveness can be given without reconciliation and more importantly, life becomes easier when we learn to accept the apology that we never got.
We can’t control the decisions someone else makes or their thoughts or actions BUT we can choose to forgive those who are unrepentant in order to be more Christ-like. Holding on to the toxic anger, resentment and pain that’s caused by being wronged or offended by someone that’s unrepentant is like holding on to a burning lump of coal; it does you no good and only brings on more pain. Lay the anger, resentment and pain at the foot of the cross and offer forgiveness regardless of whether or not it was asked for. We need to become better at freeing ourselves of the prison that unforgiveness can put us in.
I honor your good intentions Dr Jay and I think we may be talking at cross purposes here. I am actually a bit confused tho by your response. Semantics can be tricky and 'forgiveness' has many definitions. My elders would call it a wounded word, as it is been co-opted and wielded like a wea;on to supress uncomfortable feelings and used for millenia by the powers that be to control and bludgeon people into submission. I don't think that is your intention at all; but that is why I personally do not invest in the 'path' of 'forgiveness'. A friend defines forgiveness as coming to a place where either one realizes there is nothing to forgive or one no longer has a need to forgive or be forgiven. In other words; there is no longer an intense emotional charge involved. That definition aligns more with my own personal experience. I grok you are not saying that to forgive is to tolerate unacceptable behavior. So perhaps we are just getting to a similar place via different pathways. However I personally do not follow the path of 'surrender' either as I believe in individual sovereignty. Of course I do bow to the inevitable as necessary. But for those who have been badly wounded and betrayed, especially at a young age, embracing the common use of the terms 'forgiveness' and 'surrender' can be a self destructive path. So while I do grok the concept; no, I do not believe that in all cases one should practice 'forgiveness' of others for the sake of one's own self or 'surrender' to a 'higher power' either. For some people that pathway is incredibly toxic, because they are denying themselves and their own truth in that process and it leaves the vulnerable incredibly open to abuse by those spouting 'forgiveness' and 'surrender'. For other people the pathway of forgiveness and surrender does seem to work quite well. Highly subjective imo. Sort of like the argument between 'peace' and 'justice', both also very wounded words co-opted for various agendas and turned into radical ideologies; which at the end of the day just succeed in buffering denial. And well perhaps here is the crux of the matter; I DO NOT CONSIDER ANGER A BAD THING. Anger is part of our inherited survival package and it has saved my life and that of others many many times. It is a terrific acitivator and motivator. The denial of anger can cause it to be twisted into damaging avenues, but anger itself is simply a life enhancing fire in the belly that fuels action; either 'good' or 'bad' depending entirely upon. again, one's own highly subjective worldview.
Your words bring this short video from Rabbi Twerski to mind: https://youtu.be/hdj9MBZBLGU
Thank you Helen. I found that helpful.
Appreciate you sharing your personal account here. There's value in realistic stories... And yes, it also resonates for me that you (anyone) can forgive and still feel upset. If that is an emotion you're feeling, honor it.
I can relate.
98% of my blood family fell for the propaganda and/or capitulated to the fascistic injection coercion campaign. Since I refused to be injected, I was publicly disowned, excluded from family gatherings and just generally ‘excommunicated’ from their lives in general.
Here is one example of a family member writing me in an attempt to shame, gaslight, bully and nudge me into line with her delusional Stockholm syndrome relationship with government and big pharma.
It started when I posted this quote (in image format):
“If you’ve wondered what you would’ve done during slavery, the Holocaust, or Civil Rights movement…you’re doing it right now”
So my Australian cousin decides she is gonna put me in my place and she commented and started by saying:
“Hey Gavin,
I don’t see any point engaging with you further about this because it’s clear that it won’t be received and I won’t be reading a linked pseudoscience article but I feel that I cannot not say- it’s highly offensive to compare being asked to get a vaccine to protect some of the most vulnerable people in society (the immune compromised, the elderly, and particular vulnerable communities who are most affected by covid) to genocide and slavery.. by not getting the vaccine I personally think that you’re letting down the masses and not critically thinking, not the other way around. Anyhow. It might be time to check your privilege..
..I couldn’t sit by and not say anything, to me that would put me on the wrong side of history.”
(she now appears to want “amnesty” and to pretend like her pathetic attempts to bully and gaslight me never happened.)
Knowing she would go back and alter or delete the comments when the absurdity, cowardice and appalling nature of her behavior became more obvious to others I saved the resulting set of comments that were exchanged and (for anyone interested in seeing how it all went down) I have now documented the exchange in the description section of a post you can find here:
https://archive.org/details/260062106-1015522475962827-5453651884986300412-n/260062106_1015522475962827_5453651884986300412_n.jpg
Earlier in 2022 (back when only synthetic mRNA injected people were allowed to get on planes in Canada) my cousin's parents (working closely with my parents) decided to organize a rare family reunion and Christmas gathering (where they would use what was left of the inheritance they got from my Grandma’s estate) to pay for everyone to go to Nicaragua to spend Christmas on the beach.
So, not only did they organize that trip knowing that my wife and I wouldn’t be able to attend (due to the fascistic government rules that showed no sign of changing at the time) they additionally stated (in a group email) that they would not pay for my wife and I to fly there, but stated if we were willing to take the necessary steps to get there ourselves, we would be welcome to join. (talk about cult coercion tactics right!)
Additionally a few months back my father decided to remove me as being designated as a family member on his facebook page (he is a facebook addict and that is the only place I ever hear from him).
Since we (my wife and I) are a tiny minority in our social/family group, (as aside from my little brother, who stays quiet, doesn’t like to rock the boat and had/has access to fake vaccine passports, everyone in my immediate and extended family except myself and my wife chose to get the synthetic mRNA injections) it is challenging at times to embody "Project Sanity" (when we are being hammered with oppression and ostracism from many angles) however, I find strength and inspiration in reading stories like you shared and knowing others are persevering and staying true to their moral compass despite overwhelming odds.
I have been meditating on releasing the pain in my heart after I was called a crazy conspiracy theorist (for pointing out Pfizer's criminal history and expressing concern regarding experimental genetic "therapy" treatments), being called a "danger to my community", intentionally excluded from rare family events, but it is not easy, I have faith I will get there in time, but for now I am also still upset.
Thanks for sharing your story.
Thanks for sharing that. I believe that we will land on the correct side of history though going through these times is one of the most difficult things that I've had to endure. That's saying a lot having been through a tornado that destroyed my home while my wife and kids and I were in it and a 5 year federal lawsuit with Blue Cross (which we won).
Regardless of what ever the dominant institutions decide to write in the history books and regardless of what future generations decide to accept as fact, I am content in the knowing that I chose to be true to myself, to treat my body as a temple and to call out corruption, lies, tyrants and mob mentality (emboldened) bullies when they crossed my path. I will go into the realm beyond this one knowing I did my best to honor the truth, to respect the free will of others and to do so non-violently.
It sounds like you have been through a very arduous journey indeed. There is a saying that says something about how the same hammer than shatters glass can also forge steel. It appears your choice to persevere and walk a path with integrity determined you would be forged into steel by the hammer than is the experiences you have faced. Thank you for being you.
Do you garden? I have been working to preserve rare heirloom veggie, fruit and herb varieties in recent years and have extra seeds to share if you have fertile soils that they could call home :)
Stay strong and may 2023 be a year that brings you resolution, healing, inspiration, abundance, hope and peace.
Thank you Gavin. That's an incredible offer on the seeds that I value more than you know. Unfortunately, after we sold our home in RI, we decided to wait for the market to shift more in the buyer's favor before we rebuy a home so we're renting an apartment right now and don't have a place to grow our garden and since we're on the first floor, a tower garden on the back porch would be unprotected so we're part of a Farm Share here in NH. Actually, since the only tax in the state of NH is real estate tax and I have someone to shovel in the winter, rake in the fall and mow in the summer outside the apartment, I may be content being a renter or a condo owner going forward. And, yes, I'm glad we stood our ground but I'm also a little disappointed in myself for not doing so in the USSRI (RI). In retrospect, I should have been willing to go to jail for not following the mandate about the shot or masking in my Chiropractic office but at the time a $300 a day fine, 30-90 days in jail and a felony charge (confirmed by the constitutional attorney I hired to fight the board charges alleged against me for not having a shot and masking) were just more than I desired to tackle. I've fought Blue Cross for 5 years in Federal court before I beat them, I've been through a tornado in Cincinnati barely getting away with our lives, I've suffered a near career ending disc injury and I was just too tired to fight another fight. BUT, I should have stayed and fought and I regret it. Our new apartment home in Bedford, our new practice in Hooksett and our new Live Free or Die state are all facilitating our resolution, healing, hope and peace with abundance soon to follow. Much love, Jay
Well if you find yourself in a position to set down some roots in the rich Earth in the future let me know and i`ll send ya some ancient heirloom seeds :)
Thanks for fighting the good fight and sharing your story.
Also, interestingly, I was just told that the USSRI governor, Dan McKee just extended the "Covid Emergency" through May 6th 2023 which is confirmation that we made the right move over a year and a half ago to get out of there... but still... staying to fight would have been the nobler thing to do...
There is, in any "battle", a time for retreat. I say good move...and the community that you have chosen to move into and offer your talents will be enriched for it. I think we are going to bear witness to the divergence of parallel realities in our near future. I know which one I prefer to live in...
Thank you for capturing what I imagine so many of us are feeling. Forgiveness is necessary but somehow, sometimes, not enough. Here is my story:
https://open.substack.com/pub/thecriticalmiddle/p/the-smoldering-rage-of-the-unvaccinated-ba1
Thanks for sharing. I too am still upset (I'm still angry to tell the truth). Not sure when it will ever go away.
"We have learned a lot over the past few years," you wrote. No kidding! The primary lesson we've taken to heart, I hope - beyond the life saving priority of community relationships - is to speak up. This recent debacle featured millions of us (including me) going along sheep-like, following insane declarations from those in power. Perhaps we got this lesson good now, that in the very moment we are ordered to do something stupid without question, that we speak up and resist. However we might word it or do it, I believe the sentiment would be something like: "No fucking way dude!"
I feel the same! Wrote about it below.. We all need to bring questioning back into everyday life.
https://open.substack.com/pub/thecriticalmiddle/p/oh-yeah-says-who
My husband refused to mask from the beginning and I'm embarrassed to say I shamed him a bit for a hot minute...not because I thought masks were helpful, quite the opposite (I can read research), but more about "helping others feel safe." He walked badass into any establishment, got yelled at, insulted, etc...always staying calm. I instead avoided, stayed home, slunk around to more "red" counties that would let me enter their grocery stores with smile intact for a month or so. Eventually, I found my courage. It became easy after I weighed self contempt with deference to poor critical thinking and mob mentality. I'm just so proud of my hubby for having the backbone that seems fairly vestigial in the majority of our population from the get go.
I suspect you've hit the zeitgeist with the "Sanity Project" Charles. Especially as society starts to become inundated with artificially generated AI content. We will all soon be crying out for healing, wholesome, restoring human relationships, from family to friends and even more genuine contact with colleagues and online connections.
I also think that spending time in Nature is vital for our sanity. As we start to learn that humanity's greatest role may just be to regenerate and fix what we have degenerated, we desperately need to first observe, understand and relearn the ways of Nature.
Planting productive perennials, bushes, and trees for wildlife is important if we want nature to stay around.
Wanna do a seed swap some time? :)
Sure. Right now I have an excess of potato onions and skirret shoots.
Spending time in Nature is absolutely vital for our sanity. Relearning the ways of Nature is important. Thanks for the share, Bevan. It is one of the solutions in my 2022 240-page book The Campground, Pandemic, Plandemic, or The Great Reset?, One American's Journey through a Topsy-Turvy World Amid the Struggle between Freedom and Tyranny. Charles is one of the 38 heroes I list in the book. https://www.blurb.com/b/11086425-the-campground-pandemic-plandemic-or-the-great-re
I'm not kidding when I say living in the woods a bit off the beaten path saved me. I felt/feel extreme sympathy for those "locked" in urban centers with no access to green space (or green spaced "closed" for their "protection.")
Well said.
You've identified the solution precisely. Building connections - real, personal, embodied, emotional connections, not the bloodless para social connectivity of the electronic network - is absolutely central to navigating our way through these hard times. More, many are lost in madness, still hypnotized by the hologram projected by the legacy media; they can't be reached, in general, via logic or argument. But they can be brought back to human sanity by relationship.
I really resonate with what you said “they can be brought back to human sanity by relationship”.
This. REAL. LIFE. RELATIONSHIP. With other humans. With our food. With our own bodies. With life, itself.
Lets start with food, its always nice to eat!
Diagnosis Completed Dr. Carter. Congratulations!
👏👏👏☮️❤️👽👀🙏
A very insightful and timely message! The zeitgeist is sick and tired and dying of despair; the old order is crumbling and collapsing before our eyes; but as John Carter wrote in an encouraging piece today (https://barsoom.substack.com/p/determined-to-die), this is the natural life-cycle of our culture, and a new renaissance will arise like a Phoenix from the ashes. You nailed the other important theme, which is staying connected and grounded via real-life relationships. Together, we will get through this, and we will flourish on the other side.
If we’re going to be going thru Hell... “Don’t STOP,” but move Slowly, Awake, Intuitively, with Eyes Wide open, and Questioning it All...Cautiously Optimistic.
👍👏🙏☮️❤️
Yes it is going to get VERY tough , and like over the last 50 odd years [I am 61] the insanity will vary from country to country. We keep sane [thats relative] by write musical pieces that directly address where we are right now. Heres our little music channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9yImXXaDjRpbTG7V_0NBA , we are of course nobodies , but having fun.
Trizville, hi. Liked 3 of your Youtube channel songs that I was able to listen to this am. Congrats. I felt your Visual and Audio combination on those songs were ‘Spot On’; Specially when One considers that persons of a certain Generation, like Us have lived through the ‘Times’ we Humans have witnesses the slow, methodical, and btw (by design) created the overall erosions that ‘Mankind’ in its thirst to serve “his” vices has and some continue to do damage to all that is this Planet, even though, it clearly does not belong to any of Us, yet, as a Collective it’s ours to Thrive.
If Only, “Wisdom” was at the forefront and in Abundance (as is the case, of what is provided for all of Us) within each and every Human Being, instead of Intelligence, a Hi IQ.
Hello R.C.
Appreciate the connection. yea I am 61 and other members late 50s. We have witnessed a real acceleration in so many areas , but alas, not in the area of wisdom, and contentment with what we have. A few things that I personally noticed over the years , were little things like, over complicating everything [I am a simple man lol] , and a big rush, to make everything bigger , faster. Perhaps the key to this speeding up process has been the placement of many into places of power and influence, who seem to suffer from severe psychosis .
Thanks for the optimism. I rarely have it nowadays.
Absolutely spot on. You may enjoy our little music channel as we [mostly] write about the here and now , and what is important. We get bored so we write in various contemporary styles , but with a thread running through the stuff. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZ9yImXXaDjRpbTG7V_0NBA
Thank you Charles. You’ve been a shining beacon of hope amidst the madness of the last few years. Another “pandemic”? I too doubt this. But they will try something, anything, to instill fear again, and make us more pliable. We absolutely need to stay ungovernable!!
Exactly, like the brave French and Dutch people who are saying 'We see you, We will not comply'
Riff, don’t forget that a certain swath of “the people” specially the ones that do know what they’re ‘doing’ don’t really care to see or ‘change’ to become more ‘aware’ because of the entitlement they truly believe they deserve. That said, one thing is a possibility (I could be wrong) and that is that in the end, they truly ‘FEAR’ we the People and the possibilities of our Connection.
At the end of the day, People like these (in my humble opinion) are so POOR, that the only thing they have is money and net worth, without Real Values!
I agree with you RC. Sadly, I also think that a lot of “average” people are also conditioned by years of “grooming” to equate wealth, material possessions and a plethora of other stuff as being needed for “happiness”. So they’re held hostage by the system.
Riff, I concur with you on this, (almost😂)💯%. Sorry, trying to stay ‘Humble’
I know that at one time, this that you brought up is (very important to keep in mind) exactly where I was, as well.
It’s amazing to me, that ‘practicing’ Awareness, Letting Go and changing Non-well Functioning & destructive Habits, little by little into much better Ones, are Essential.
👏👏👏☮️❤️🙏
So, thanks for adding this.
Thank you RC! We are on the same page! I was lucky - like you - to have snapped out of the spell woven around what our lifestyle “should be” as defined by those who profit from it. It continues to be a work in progress… but at least my “material” desires have shifted away from nonsense like status symbols and moved to things like generators & ammo 😂😂😂
Thank you Charles! I watched the livestream, and I'm glad that the video link can be shared. The call for sanity seems vital right now. Appreciate you expanding upon this. Readiness for the maelstrom, some movement from the calamities of recent responses to covid, etc. I agree, the social or political conditions that fostered it haven't changed. Let's continue to generate projects that foster the needed changes. I for one desire to put my focus and energy there!
This is so helpful and relevant. I wonder sometimes if people will wake up and realize that a virtual relationship is not the same as a real in-person relationship. It is not at all uncommon to see folks sitting at a table together, sometimes in a large group, and not one person is actually engaging with the person right next to them or across the table from them. They are all on their "smart" phones. It would be laughable if it weren't so sad.
the smartphone (plus social media and constant internet) may just be the most destructive invention since the atom bomb.
i have friends visit who i havent seen for years yet they can't tear their eyes from the phone; i have an entire generation of young cousins nieces nephews who know nothing about me, nothing about our family and its roots, because i have rarely gotten a glimpse of their faces, they are always glued to their phones. and don't get me started on what these machines have done to conversation, to human connection, to music shows and sporting events, to the ability to sit still and think.
the most advanced technology has mostly succeeded in turning humans back into apemen.
Maybe they should ban smartphones, for young kids? And maybe they should start telling kids that there are women and men and not 98 genders? And maybe kids should go somewhere to play and learn to recognize the world in reality and not only on internet via Zoom? Who knows, it might help...but I am not expert.
Yes! Kids must get out in Nature. Not the AstroTurf, real wild nature. There's a book about it : "last child in the woods"
I hear you on this! Ironically, the internet both connects and disconnects us. And I guess, like with all things, the intent of the user makes the difference. Somehow the real needs of people for intimacy, trust, relationship, love and beauty must be met, and so maybe the first step is for us to model the joys of relating by being the best friend, wife, lover, husband, neighbor, son, daughter, mother, father we can be and vibrate so much love and joy that they will be bored with their phones and engage with us! I find that the more real I am, whether happy or sad, the more some people are happy to match me. Of course there are always those who are put off by that, but that's fine. The are doing us a favor by eliminating themselves from an activity for which they have no interest.
I asked an acquaintance just yesterday if she wanted to hear a story and she says, "I like stories! But not right now".
My niece told me about a boy she liked and when I asked her how they met she said she had only texted with him, not even met in person or talked on the phone once. I felt like I wanted to cry, she was 17 years old. Remember when you used to talk to the person you sat next to on the plane, how you hoped you got someone pleasant to talk to LOL, it can still happen but it's now unusual, you sit next to someone and it's like they don't even see you or say hello, even if they are not on a phone, that used to happen too sometimes (it's ok to want to be left on your own sometimes) but now this is the norm, like people are in bubbles that separate each other.
i know a bunch of teens through family, friends' kids, neighbors' kids etc, and they all seem more than happy to spend most of their lives inside staring into their screens, with interruptions only for some parent-approved extra-curricular.
17! what a great age! she needs to get out there and make some memories ;)
(god, my mom barely knew where i was for days at a time when i was 17.)
i consider it a blessing to have grown up in the 70s-90s, in retrospect it's starting to look like a golden age of freedom.
I have to agree with you on the 70s-90s we must be the same age! My niece was pretty outgoing with girlfriends though that she saw in person fortunately. Still the boy and only texting, it's like being stunted socially and they don't realize it because they grew up with the phones.
class of 86! we had no idea how good we had it ;)
i guess if they're all stunted socially, it all seems normal to them.
there's always a generation gap (which is for the best), but in this case (us free-range humans vs the children of the phone) this gap is a chasm.
cheers
You’re so, absolutely Correct Susan, for me, when I see scenarios like you just described, it really is Sad, but not for the sake of the Sadness itself, it’s because they haven’t an iota of a Clue how they are so Disconnected internally. I believe they actually live “Lives” from Without!
Yeah, our whole society supports an outward focus and many people have no internal life at all. I think that's why the eastern religions appeal to so many westerners. Sadly, many folks have abandoned Christianity because it has not been representative of the person it was built around, who truly was a mystic and probably spent time in India perfecting meditation practices, among other things. Because in my opinion, anyway, what people are trying to fill up with their outward distractions is the place in humans made for a direct relationship with the Divine, which can never be filled by anything in the outside world and only leaves them wanting more, more, more of what will never satisfy.
Thank you for your words and work towards keeping us sane. During the pandemic, I worked for a major publisher of wellness content. It was an interesting place to watch the insanity unfold from. I remember working on a major book for one of our authors, a woman I'd long admired, all about miraculous healing. When the book proposal came in, it focused on the importance of asking questions and trusting your intuition. By the time the book was published mid-pandemic, it had turned on a volatile mess of trusting science and avoiding cultural appropriation. Publicly, she was attacking anyone who spoke up for reason -- with much of vitriol aimed at you, Charles.
I then watched as the company I worked for removed publications from anyone who simply questioned popular narratives of the time -- not just cancelling new products, but actively removing listings from our back catalogue. At one point, I got a notification that I must be vaccinated to continue to hold my job, even though I worked from home in another state (which to be fair, was later rescinded, though I still quit).
Yet during this time of insanity, I found myself personally surrounded with the sane and compassionate. My friends and family were a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated. And we continued to love and respect each other. We had long and layered conversations. While sometimes emotions arose, overall we honored each others' processes and our relationships withstood the trials of the times.
This collective of thoughtful, mixed voices existed largely in the background of public discourse. We weren't the ones posting online shame memes daily (though in my Scorpionic ways I regularly posted ponderings and questions that I hoped would subtly elicit self-reflection and a bit more sanity). I'm encouraged that there are pockets of the compassionate and sane who can continue to anchor these values moving forward. I suppose we might want to look at being a bit more publicly compassionate in the future.
The weather manipulation has never been at its highest now. We all see it. Climate or any other tool they decide to use is at their disposal but it really will not work as they thought and they've already been warned of that. But psychopaths are like cornered animals. Their strength diminishing. Their last desperate efforts will be short lived but fight every moment against them we must.
I hope I will see my heroes in Boston soon. A new day is commencing indeed.
Charles Eisenstein is arguably one of the most soulful, enlightened, deep thinkers and philosophers of our time. Having met him over 10 years ago in person and studied his work since then, I can hoestly state that there are few if any others who can see the 'big picture' of species' evolution - both good and evil - and still create a clear vision of how we can find our way back to our humanity.
What generous words, thank you. Honestly though, it is people like you who hold the field for me to speak the words bubbling nonverbally through you and many like you.
Can I join this project?! Sorely needed :)
I love that, couldnt agree more, and I'd to see the t-shirt- "Sanity is a group project."
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I Finger Painted With Picasso.
And All We Did Was Laugh
And Make Monkey Noises.
But This Isn’t Funny.
I Am No Longer Six.
I Am Sixty.
Fauci And His Flying Monkeys
Are Destroying A Masterpiece.
They Are Destroying The Human Form.
The Vaccines Saved
Millions Of Lives
Of Those Smart Enough
Not To Take Them
And To Have Learned
Never
To Trust These Idiots Again.
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Charles, I can relate to your description of going into states of despair and then having allies lift you up and hold the vision of the more beautiful world so you could remember why we are even here during the 'covid' days. However in my case, (for the most part) the allies that arrived in my life, repeatedly coming to remind me that there is much beauty, kindness, love and hope that exists on this planet Earth were not human, but rather were photosynthetic and winged beings that offered me glimpses of a more beautiful world and how I might lay down the stepping stones on the path to experience it.
I really appreciated your anecdote about the birds "singing more than they needed to in order to attract a mate" on your walk. I wrote about the exuberant and uplifting revelry of birdsong that washes over the planet at the break of dawn in this post: https://gavinmounsey.substack.com/p/symphony-of-the-sunrise
On my path, very few humans could be described as reliable allies in the past few years, though I felt like you were an ally in spirit as I read your heartfelt and inspired essays, so thank you for that.
I found tangible allies in the garden, the forest and in the realm beyond what the human eyes can see, in the place where our heart and mind's eye can see glimpses of... in that place I was offered communion with my true family. It is from that eternal connection that I draw strength now, with my bare feet touching the body of our Mother Earth, a column of light pouring through me, from my family and my eternal Self, grounding and fortifying me in my own version of "Project Sanity".
In time I hope to be honored to walk along this path with other people that resonate, other members of my "tribe" that are also on this Earth now, close to me in the physical. For now, I am grateful to have been guided to connect with allies in spirit such as yourself and I am grateful for the non-human allies and teachers that walk this path with me.
Thank you for offering your own gifts so that you might help others to remember how to fan the spark within to become a flame and illuminate the path forward.