Bravo Mary! It's essential to keep some public attention on this! One thing I find at least somewhat encouraging is that there are far more people ready to recognise the gravity of this issue today than back when Mander was writing. You did a great job of homing in on some of Mander's wonderful quotes. For instance - "one major result of modern science has been to make people doubt what they would otherwise accept as true from their own observation and experience." Forty years later that may haave on of the most important messages of our times.
As you rightly say, the nonsense of the Vivek Murthys of the world is well countered by an abundance of evidence from Jonathan Haidt and others. I'll add to that 'The Shallows - how the internet is changing the way we think, read and remember' by Nicholas Carr. Published 2010, it is a brilliant update to Mander, and also has loads of references to other writers, researchers and neuroscientists who can bury 'the Murthys' in evidence. Essential reading! (Plenty of new insights even for those of us well-versed with the issues.
Then again, it could even be less essential when we have such biting and humourous remarks as you have made in reponse to the well known issue of poor health due to too much sitting:
"Hmm... what could be the big inducement to sit for so damn long? Reading Tolstoy? Too much meditation? An epidemic of knitting?"
Thanks, Michael, for the encouragement! And for bringing "The Shallows" to my attention... I think I came across that book a while back, but it got lost in the shuffle. I am so glad to be reminded of it! Makes me think of "The Real Anthony Fauci," which is stuffed with studies and fact-checked up one side and down the other but blacked out by the media. The studies are ALL OUT THERE; they're just not given any airtime, so people have to search for them, which they're too busy to do, or too afraid of what they'll find.
Thanks for the deep dive, Mary. I was one of those slow-to-embrace-computers/cellphones people, and I wish I'd held out. longer.. I'm lumping them all together with TV, etc., as you seem to be, too. I didn't watch much TV as a child - we were outside playing, even in the harsh Detroit winters. But, I do love a good movie and yes, there are a few series here and there that I indulge in. I love stories. I love reading. All of the above have been hard on my eyes. That's just one level of the damage you lay out so well. I don't have cable or watch the msm, but cutting it out altogether is a goal. I'm on high alert for the programming that is ever present. I went for several years with no TV. Not sure how or why I ended up with one again. At least it's old and not "Smart!"
And yet, here we are on Substack, right? I love to read and to write, and even type. I'm working on healing my eyes right now, so this was definitely timely. xo
I join you in your love of all things reading and stories, and obviously you love to write, too... it's hard to find a good balance on screen time as an adult -- in many ways I find a real sense of community with beautiful souls like you that I've found through Substack! And yet I also yearn for more in-person community, and am committing myself to making that happen.
What kind of work are you doing to heal your eyes, if I might ask? I just heard someone else say something similar, so I'm curious. No pressure to share, however... :-)
Yes, I agree, Mary. I have met so many amazing souls on this platform and also on Instagram (Yikes!!), during the PLandemic. Truly soul brothers and sisters. It's creepy over there, though, and I only dip in there now and then.
I will write about my "eye-healing journey" one of these days. I'm still in the thick of it. A few things I'm doing - not wearing glasses when I really don't need them. Palming, tapping, letting all the green surrounding me do its thing. I have a friend from my energy healing days who is a holistic vision coach. I did a session with her. Most important of all - I believe that my eyes are busy healing every moment. Trying to stop abusing them while they're doing the work. I tell them I love and appreciate them all day long. :) xo
Barbara, thank you for sharing a part of your healing quest! I'm excited for you. May the green around you do its thing perfectly, and I look forward to reading about it, if/when you decide to share more. Happy healing! :-)
Excellent article Mary! I had not come across the work of Jerry Mander and appreciate how you weave his arguments with other research and your own experiences. Thanks also for the shoutout to my recent article (I noted that the link seems to be down...).
Looking forward to more of your great writing on this curcial topic!
Thank you, Ruth! You are an inspiration, for sure -- I truly love your take on the world, and was happy to share it with my readers. (I fixed the link right after you commented. Thanks for letting me know it was inoperable.)
Mary, I can’t find enough superlatives to describe this critically important work! It is an eye opener as well as an astute observation of why everyone is on edge right now. Like you, I teach what I need to learn, and writing about the unconscious has inspired me to make more space in my life. One of my intentions is to reduce screen time, as well as eat and sleep better, so I’m with you on the digital detox. I’ll definitely need a device to keep up with your fabulous writing, though, unless you plan to send out your missives by carrier pigeon.😄
That's so lovely, Katie, thank you. I feel the same way about your writing, and others', too -- I sometimes wish all my faves could be collected and printed on one gorgeous REAL newspaper. I suppose I could print each one out and read it, but all that paper... sigh. Maybe carrier pigeons ARE the answer!! 😂
Jun 28, 2023·edited Jun 28, 2023Liked by Mary Poindexter McLaughlin
I happened upon your page this morning and have been reading for a couple of hours. Excellent stuff (that I need to go back through more carefully.)
Small question: I'm not sure I understand how the Winnie-the-Pooh example fits in. The TV version doesn't overwrite the book illustration but does overwrite the one conjured while reading. Does that mean that a drawn image overwrites a conjured one? Because if so, the problem started way before TV. (if that makes sense).
Again, you are a good writer. Thanks for sharing it. You gained a fan today.
Thanks for the question -- it's an excellent one! I'm no neuro expert, but I would say that you're correct; the "problem" DID start before TV. Images such as paintings, drawings, etc. DO overwrite our own conjured ones... to a degree. If we've seen a real, live elephant for example, a drawing won't replace the image we hold in our heads of "elephant." But book illustrations, I think, supersede our imagined pictures. When I remember the greek myths I read as a child, it's the illustrations that I recall when I'm trying to visualize Zeus, etc. Whether it's permanent or not, I don't know...
Another aspect that comes to mind is that a two-dimensional picture is clearly not reality -- our senses KNOW it's a facsimile. But a video bypasses that knowledge, tricking our subconscious into believing it's real (even though consciously we know it's not.) That's why scary movies can elevate our heart rate. I wonder if that's part of the reason why video images supersede all else... because they replace the reality we imagine with another, more "real" reality... if that makes sense. 😂
Thanks for the comment, flipshod! Glad you're here.
Yeah with something visceral, the TV image may supercede a drawing. I think the witch in Wizard of Oz (the movie) overwrote any drawings of witches I had seen up to then in my young mind.
It all makes me feel like language is getting knocked down a peg. Maybe it's different with pictogrammatic languages?
Of course there are deeper feelings from getting lost in a novel that can't be put into pictures. And wordplay and poetry often can't be recreated visually.
Yes! So agree. I do think language is losing ground, along with the development of the brain that comes with attempting to put words to experiences. I feel like video watching is the equivalent of an entirely liquid diet -- there's no chewing necessary, so your jaw muscles go slack. 😂
"Those images control us in ways we rarely consider. What was suggested early in the field of psychology is clear and accepted now: images have tremendous power to shape us, affecting our bodies and our emotional states. Athletes “mentally rehearse” to improve performance; patients use visualization techniques to improve health outcomes, both physical and mental."
Jacqueline Hobbs of oraclegirl.org talks about the science of images, that is part of the technology of the slave system - this is so Key to understanding control. Thank you for highlight it. I believe it's a subject that needs a lot of attention.
I'll check out Hobbs -- thanks for the suggestion -- and yes! I keep trying to pull back the curtain of these self-designated Oz-types, saying "See? See?" but not everyone wants to look. Sigh.
Another excellent, important installment in this series. Thank you!
It's almost funny - the lack of clarity among "studies". Because of course, intuitively we KNOW. And your report on how you're feeling, sleeping better... all that is of course, evidence.
What a massive control mechanism. TPTWB will never allow the obvious truth out. We need to simply claim it for ourselves. (And this applies to pretty much, everything.)
Thank YOU, Kathleen. What would I do without your wisdom and clear-eyed courage? Seriously, I feel so lucky you're in my world -- even if it IS only virtually. Best to you, too.
I didn't see this mentioned, sorry if I missed it. Have you done any research on the emf mind control radiation patents of the government through screens? I just reposted a video on this on my Facebook. Let me know if you would like the link.
Bravo Mary! It's essential to keep some public attention on this! One thing I find at least somewhat encouraging is that there are far more people ready to recognise the gravity of this issue today than back when Mander was writing. You did a great job of homing in on some of Mander's wonderful quotes. For instance - "one major result of modern science has been to make people doubt what they would otherwise accept as true from their own observation and experience." Forty years later that may haave on of the most important messages of our times.
As you rightly say, the nonsense of the Vivek Murthys of the world is well countered by an abundance of evidence from Jonathan Haidt and others. I'll add to that 'The Shallows - how the internet is changing the way we think, read and remember' by Nicholas Carr. Published 2010, it is a brilliant update to Mander, and also has loads of references to other writers, researchers and neuroscientists who can bury 'the Murthys' in evidence. Essential reading! (Plenty of new insights even for those of us well-versed with the issues.
Then again, it could even be less essential when we have such biting and humourous remarks as you have made in reponse to the well known issue of poor health due to too much sitting:
"Hmm... what could be the big inducement to sit for so damn long? Reading Tolstoy? Too much meditation? An epidemic of knitting?"
Wonderful! Would that it were true!
Thanks, Michael, for the encouragement! And for bringing "The Shallows" to my attention... I think I came across that book a while back, but it got lost in the shuffle. I am so glad to be reminded of it! Makes me think of "The Real Anthony Fauci," which is stuffed with studies and fact-checked up one side and down the other but blacked out by the media. The studies are ALL OUT THERE; they're just not given any airtime, so people have to search for them, which they're too busy to do, or too afraid of what they'll find.
Would that it were true, indeed!
Now I'm off to read your latest... :-)
Thanks for the deep dive, Mary. I was one of those slow-to-embrace-computers/cellphones people, and I wish I'd held out. longer.. I'm lumping them all together with TV, etc., as you seem to be, too. I didn't watch much TV as a child - we were outside playing, even in the harsh Detroit winters. But, I do love a good movie and yes, there are a few series here and there that I indulge in. I love stories. I love reading. All of the above have been hard on my eyes. That's just one level of the damage you lay out so well. I don't have cable or watch the msm, but cutting it out altogether is a goal. I'm on high alert for the programming that is ever present. I went for several years with no TV. Not sure how or why I ended up with one again. At least it's old and not "Smart!"
And yet, here we are on Substack, right? I love to read and to write, and even type. I'm working on healing my eyes right now, so this was definitely timely. xo
I join you in your love of all things reading and stories, and obviously you love to write, too... it's hard to find a good balance on screen time as an adult -- in many ways I find a real sense of community with beautiful souls like you that I've found through Substack! And yet I also yearn for more in-person community, and am committing myself to making that happen.
What kind of work are you doing to heal your eyes, if I might ask? I just heard someone else say something similar, so I'm curious. No pressure to share, however... :-)
Yes, I agree, Mary. I have met so many amazing souls on this platform and also on Instagram (Yikes!!), during the PLandemic. Truly soul brothers and sisters. It's creepy over there, though, and I only dip in there now and then.
I will write about my "eye-healing journey" one of these days. I'm still in the thick of it. A few things I'm doing - not wearing glasses when I really don't need them. Palming, tapping, letting all the green surrounding me do its thing. I have a friend from my energy healing days who is a holistic vision coach. I did a session with her. Most important of all - I believe that my eyes are busy healing every moment. Trying to stop abusing them while they're doing the work. I tell them I love and appreciate them all day long. :) xo
Barbara, thank you for sharing a part of your healing quest! I'm excited for you. May the green around you do its thing perfectly, and I look forward to reading about it, if/when you decide to share more. Happy healing! :-)
Thank you, dear Mary! xo
Excellent article Mary! I had not come across the work of Jerry Mander and appreciate how you weave his arguments with other research and your own experiences. Thanks also for the shoutout to my recent article (I noted that the link seems to be down...).
Looking forward to more of your great writing on this curcial topic!
Thank you, Ruth! You are an inspiration, for sure -- I truly love your take on the world, and was happy to share it with my readers. (I fixed the link right after you commented. Thanks for letting me know it was inoperable.)
Mary, I can’t find enough superlatives to describe this critically important work! It is an eye opener as well as an astute observation of why everyone is on edge right now. Like you, I teach what I need to learn, and writing about the unconscious has inspired me to make more space in my life. One of my intentions is to reduce screen time, as well as eat and sleep better, so I’m with you on the digital detox. I’ll definitely need a device to keep up with your fabulous writing, though, unless you plan to send out your missives by carrier pigeon.😄
That's so lovely, Katie, thank you. I feel the same way about your writing, and others', too -- I sometimes wish all my faves could be collected and printed on one gorgeous REAL newspaper. I suppose I could print each one out and read it, but all that paper... sigh. Maybe carrier pigeons ARE the answer!! 😂
I happened upon your page this morning and have been reading for a couple of hours. Excellent stuff (that I need to go back through more carefully.)
Small question: I'm not sure I understand how the Winnie-the-Pooh example fits in. The TV version doesn't overwrite the book illustration but does overwrite the one conjured while reading. Does that mean that a drawn image overwrites a conjured one? Because if so, the problem started way before TV. (if that makes sense).
Again, you are a good writer. Thanks for sharing it. You gained a fan today.
Thanks for the question -- it's an excellent one! I'm no neuro expert, but I would say that you're correct; the "problem" DID start before TV. Images such as paintings, drawings, etc. DO overwrite our own conjured ones... to a degree. If we've seen a real, live elephant for example, a drawing won't replace the image we hold in our heads of "elephant." But book illustrations, I think, supersede our imagined pictures. When I remember the greek myths I read as a child, it's the illustrations that I recall when I'm trying to visualize Zeus, etc. Whether it's permanent or not, I don't know...
Another aspect that comes to mind is that a two-dimensional picture is clearly not reality -- our senses KNOW it's a facsimile. But a video bypasses that knowledge, tricking our subconscious into believing it's real (even though consciously we know it's not.) That's why scary movies can elevate our heart rate. I wonder if that's part of the reason why video images supersede all else... because they replace the reality we imagine with another, more "real" reality... if that makes sense. 😂
Thanks for the comment, flipshod! Glad you're here.
Yeah with something visceral, the TV image may supercede a drawing. I think the witch in Wizard of Oz (the movie) overwrote any drawings of witches I had seen up to then in my young mind.
It all makes me feel like language is getting knocked down a peg. Maybe it's different with pictogrammatic languages?
Of course there are deeper feelings from getting lost in a novel that can't be put into pictures. And wordplay and poetry often can't be recreated visually.
Yes! So agree. I do think language is losing ground, along with the development of the brain that comes with attempting to put words to experiences. I feel like video watching is the equivalent of an entirely liquid diet -- there's no chewing necessary, so your jaw muscles go slack. 😂
Oh, and re images;
"Those images control us in ways we rarely consider. What was suggested early in the field of psychology is clear and accepted now: images have tremendous power to shape us, affecting our bodies and our emotional states. Athletes “mentally rehearse” to improve performance; patients use visualization techniques to improve health outcomes, both physical and mental."
Jacqueline Hobbs of oraclegirl.org talks about the science of images, that is part of the technology of the slave system - this is so Key to understanding control. Thank you for highlight it. I believe it's a subject that needs a lot of attention.
I'll check out Hobbs -- thanks for the suggestion -- and yes! I keep trying to pull back the curtain of these self-designated Oz-types, saying "See? See?" but not everyone wants to look. Sigh.
Another excellent, important installment in this series. Thank you!
It's almost funny - the lack of clarity among "studies". Because of course, intuitively we KNOW. And your report on how you're feeling, sleeping better... all that is of course, evidence.
What a massive control mechanism. TPTWB will never allow the obvious truth out. We need to simply claim it for ourselves. (And this applies to pretty much, everything.)
Well done, as always. Best.
Thank YOU, Kathleen. What would I do without your wisdom and clear-eyed courage? Seriously, I feel so lucky you're in my world -- even if it IS only virtually. Best to you, too.
You're very sweet, Mary. And the feeling is fully mutual.💝
I didn't see this mentioned, sorry if I missed it. Have you done any research on the emf mind control radiation patents of the government through screens? I just reposted a video on this on my Facebook. Let me know if you would like the link.