Chapter 10: The Nature of Hypnosis– Are We All Living in a Trance?
What if much of what we believe, feel, and do isn’t truly ours? Could it be that our sense of reality—our values, our fears, our aspirations—is shaped not by free will but by layers of subtle, hypnotic suggestions absorbed over our lifetime?
This isn’t a question from a science fiction plot, but rather a provocative reality worth exploring. Human consciousness operates largely under the spell of such hypnotic suggestions—endlessly repeating patterns and beliefs until someone awakens to question them. But how have trauma, cultural gaslighting, and media propaganda intensified this collective trance? More importantly, what steps can individuals and society take to rise above it?
The human mind enters the world as a blank canvas. From the moment we are born, it absorbs suggestions, adopting beliefs about love, fear, success, and worth passed down by parents, society, and culture. As children, we are particularly susceptible, with developmental psychology showing just how malleable young minds are during their formative years. This “magical thinking,” once vital for survival, also makes children fertile ground for external programming—whether positive or harmful.
But the influence doesn’t stop in childhood. Adults, too, operate under the power of suggestion in ways they often don’t realize. Consider a television commercial that promises success with the ownership of a sleek new car. Or a political leader who proclaims the “truth” with emphatic repetition, swaying opinions before evidence is examined. Or social norms that dictate an ideal lifestyle based on curated Instagram feeds.
These moments may seem disconnected, but they share a common mechanism—hypnosis on a societal scale. Studies in behavioral psychology have repeatedly demonstrated how authoritative language or repeated ideas can alter attitudes in seconds. When magnified by billionaire-backed media outlets, which shape narratives and curate information, the effect is profound. If this isn’t hypnosis, then what is?
Trauma amplifies suggestibility. On an individual level, trauma can disrupt critical thinking, leaving individuals vulnerable to adopting external narratives that provide a sense of safety or understanding. Collectively, shared traumas—such as economic downturns, global pandemics, or social unrest—can make entire societies more susceptible to manipulation.
Cultural gaslighting plays a similar role. When individuals are repeatedly told that their perceptions or values are invalid, their confidence to trust their instincts erodes. This form of societal gaslighting can lead to mass disorientation, consolidating power among those who control the narrative.
Billionaire-backed media, with its vested interests, leverages these vulnerabilities. By framing news and entertainment in specific ways, these outlets perpetuate narratives that maintain control and, often, division. They decide what stories are told, what emotions are evoked, and which ideas gain traction—all while shaping public opinion and social cohesion.
Here’s the good news—hypnosis only works as long as you remain unaware of it. The moment you recognize the patterns, you begin to break free. But this requires intentional steps toward awakening.
Develop Critical Awareness
Start questioning the beliefs and assumptions you carry.
Ask yourself,
Why do I believe this? or
Whose voice is behind this thought?
Identifying the origin of your ideas—whether they come from childhood, media, or cultural norms—can help make the subconscious conscious.
Practice Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is not about rejecting every belief but about discerning whether an idea aligns with truth or serves as manipulation. History is rife with societal norms—like the belief that women shouldn’t vote—that dissolved under the scrutiny of dissenting, critical minds.
Build Media Literacy
Learn to identify bias, framing, and persuasion techniques used by media. Seek diverse perspectives and fact-check information against credible, independent sources. Understanding how media shapes narratives is key to regaining agency over your worldview.
Strengthen Community Resilience
Breaking free from hypnosis is much harder alone. Seek out communities of truth-seekers—people committed to discussions grounded in respect, openness, and mutual support. Together, you can reinforce each other’s awareness while dismantling harmful norms.
When individuals begin to shed hypnotic suggestion, the results are transformational. On a personal level, breaking free allows for a more authentic life. Take the example of Jane, an entrepreneur who shared how she once measured success by societal programming—chasing material accolades that left her unfulfilled. Through introspection, she uncovered her true passions for creativity and community-building, reshaping her life with genuine purpose.
On a societal level, the impact could be revolutionary. Media industries profiting from fear, division, and consumerism would face unprecedented accountability. Politicians relying on hypnotic rhetoric to sow manipulation would encounter rigorous scrutiny. Communities could shift toward collaboration over competition, driven by authenticity rather than illusion.
But societal awakening starts with individual action. The more each person breaks their trance, the weaker the systems of control become.
This isn’t a philosophical exercise; it’s an invitation. The hypnotic spell cast by childhood programming, cultural gaslighting, and media propaganda can be broken, but the process begins—and ends—with you.
Start with conscious awareness in your daily life. Why do you feel compelled to buy something new? Is it truly needed, or have you been convinced it is? Why do certain people or groups evoke strong reactions in you? Is it due to lived experience, or is it a result of conditioned bias?
Cultivate resilience against external influences through media literacy training and by seeking out diverse, credible information. Build your capacity for critical thinking, and surround yourself with communities dedicated to truth and mutual growth.
The challenge is simple but profound: Begin noticing the water you’re swimming in. Once you start, you’ll uncover the immense power within you to shape your understanding of reality. Because in breaking the trance, the mind becomes free—and in freedom, lies true wisdom.
Take the next step and promote media literacy in your circles.
Share these insights,
Question the narratives, and
Equip others to think critically.
Change starts with us.
Facts vs. Beliefs: The Collapse of Rationality in the Collective Mind
What happens when facts become mere noise in a society governed by beliefs? When objective truths—pillars meant to guide our understanding of the world—are cast aside in favor of subjective whims, the mind becomes unmoored, lost in a sea of chaos and illusion. This is not just an individual crisis; it is one that shapes the collective consciousness, transforming it into something dangerously volatile, mob-like in its nature, and incapable of rationality.
We live in an age of paradox, a time when technology makes the expanse of human knowledge more accessible than ever before, yet disinformation and emotional fervor seem to reign supreme. Opinions are elevated to the status of truth, while truths are dismissed as irrelevant or inconvenient. The line separating belief from reality has blurred, giving rise to echo chambers where unverified ideas are repeated until they feel factual. This is the breeding ground of societal disorientation, where rational dialogue is drowned out by the ferocity of unfiltered sentiment.
Facts anchor us. They are the scaffolding upon which civilization constructs its laws, morals, and understanding. To follow facts is to orient oneself by a compass that points toward reality, no matter how challenging it may be to accept. But when facts are replaced by beliefs, the compass shatters, leaving individuals—and by extension, society—to wander aimlessly.
Imagine a ship lost at sea, its captain navigating not by map or stars, but by the shifting clouds or the glimmer of waves. This is the condition of the collective mind when facts are ignored. Without stable reference points, our thoughts and actions become untethered, dictated by impulses and whims rather than logic or reason. Mob mentalities form, led not by calculated understanding but by the loudest voices and most viral emotions. Fear, anger, and tribalism replace discourse, and reason is cast aside in favor of immediate gratification or the reinforcement of preexisting biases.
What emerged from this collective chaos can be described as a kind of intellectual entropy, where any structure of meaning disintegrates under the pressure of unchecked subjectivity. Self-hypnosis becomes nearly universal. Rationality and sanity—which depend on a shared agreement that some truths are universal—are eclipsed by the emotional tumult of the crowd. The mob does not reason; it reacts. It does not seek truth; it craves validation.
Welcome to the most dangerous manifestation of cultural hypnosis.
The entrapment of the mind in illusion is, in many ways, a seductive one. Beliefs require little verification. Unlike facts, which demand evidence and withstand scrutiny, beliefs offer comfort, tribal belonging, and a sense of purpose in a complex world. It is far easier to believe what feels true than to contend with the often-unforgiving nature of reality.
But herein lies the danger. When beliefs matter more than evidence, the collective mind becomes fragmented. Discourse falters as individuals retreat into ideological silos, engaging only with information that confirms their preconceptions. The social fabric begins to fray, and the capacity for collaborative problem-solving is compromised.
The psychological entrapment deepens over time. Illusions, unlike truths, are mutable—they grow, morph, and magnify according to the emotions of the moment. They draw us further from the grounding power of facts and closer to a distorted reality. This is how entire societies descend into chaos, abandoning reason for spectacle, trading understanding for assumption, and prioritizing reaction over thought.
How, then, do we rebuild from the fragments of a mob-like mind? How do we restore sanity and rationality on both individual and collective levels?
The answer, though profound in its implications, begins simply—with intentional awareness. To reclaim the power of facts in public consciousness requires a cultural shift in how we value knowledge. It begins by asking ourselves hard questions before accepting what is presented to us.
What support does this claim have?
Am I evaluating this objectively, or am I simply seeking reassurance for what I already believe?
Education is paramount—not schooling in the traditional sense, but a lifelong pursuit of critical thinking and intellectual humility. It is not enough to consume information; we must analyze it, measure it against the weight of evidence, and challenge even our most deeply held assumptions. The process of constructing an informed opinion requires effort—one often avoided in the age of instant gratification.
Perhaps more critically, we must recognize and resist the allure of emotional validation. Beliefs that comfort us or reinforce a sense of tribal loyalty can be dangerous when left unchecked by reason. True clarity arises not from listening to the echoes of opinions that mirror our own, but from confronting—and understanding—those perspectives we might initially reject.
When society chooses facts over beliefs, something profound happens. The clouds of chaos part, and the mob dissolves into a chorus of rational individuals, capable of discourse and equipped to face the challenges of life with clarity. Facts illuminate. They expose the shadows where illusion thrives and bring order to the disarray of collective confusion.
At its core, this is not a battle between facts and beliefs, but between chaos and understanding. We find ourselves at a crossroads, one defined by the decisions we make as individuals and as a collective. Do we chase after the transient satisfaction of opinion, or do we pursue the enduring strength of truth?
The choice is ours—and it’s a choice worth making consciously, not whimsically. For in choosing truth, we do more than preserve rationality; we preserve the very essence of what it means to live with understanding, compassion, and purpose.
