Psychology of Totalitarianism

[Nicholas Weeks]

Why do some see a global anti-human conspiracy and most do not see such? Desmet's new book says the latter group suffer from a form of mass hypnosis:

https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-psychology-of-totalitarianism/

From his Introduction:

Contemporary societies place their faith in science as the most reliable way of understanding the world. Furthermore, the foregoing problem is directly related to the phenomenon of totalitarianism. In fact, this is precisely what [Hannah] Arendt exposes: The undercurrent of totalitarianism consists of blind belief in a kind of statistical-numerical “scientific fiction” that shows “radical contempt for facts”: “The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist.”

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

Another snip from Desmet's Introduction to this clarifying book:

The coronavirus crisis did not come out of the blue. It fits into a series of
increasingly desperate and self-destructive societal responses to objects of
fear: terrorists, global warming, coronavirus. Whenever a new object of
fear arises in society, there is only one response and one defense in our
current way of thinking: increased control. The fact that the human being
can tolerate only a certain amount of control is completely overlooked.
Coercive control leads to fear and fear leads to more coercive control. Just
like that, society falls victim to a vicious circle that inevitably leads to
totalitarianism, which means to extreme government control, eventually
resulting in the radical destruction of both the psychological and physical
integrity of human beings.

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

Not finished it yet, but a very great thinker is Desmet! From chapter one:

As we will discuss in the latter part of this book, the faithful pursuit of
Reason attained the highest and most sublime achievement: mapping its
own boundaries. The human mind had accepted its own limitations and
once more relocated the ultimate knowledge beyond and outside itself. The
ultimate achievement of science is that it finally surrenders, that it comes
to the realization that it cannot be the guiding principle for man. It is not
human reason that is at the heart of the matter, but man as an individual
who makes ethical and moral choices, man in relation to fellow man, man
in relation to the unnameable, which, at the heart of things, speaks to him.

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

From chapter nine:

The following is broadly the causal reasoning we have presented in this
book: The mechanistic ideology has put more and more individuals into a
state of social isolation, unsettled by a lack of meaning, free-floating
anxiety and uneasiness, as well as latent frustration and aggression. These
conditions led to large-scale and long-lasting mass formation, and this
mass formation in turn led to the emergence of totalitarian state systems.

Therefore, mass formation and totalitarianism are in fact symptoms of
the mechanistic ideology. Just like an individual physical or psychological
symptom, these social symptoms signal an underlying problem: In this
case, that a large proportion of the population feels socially isolated and
suffers from intense experiences of anxiety and meaninglessness. And just
like individual symptoms, they generate a disease gain. For example, they
transform the experiences of social isolation and fear into an illusion of
connectedness. And as with individual symptoms, they generate this
disease gain while failing to solve the underlying problem itself.

For this reason, we need an analysis of the underlying problem—that
is, the cause of the symptom, namely the mechanistic ideology. Societies
are primarily besieged by ideas. The most fundamental change that we as a
society have to aim for is not a change in practical terms but a change in
consciousness.

 

[RJM]

Why do some see a global anti-human conspiracy and most do not see such? Desmet's new book says the latter group suffer from a form of mass hypnosis:

https://www.chelseagreen.com/product/the-psychology-of-totalitarianism/

From his Introduction:

Contemporary societies place their faith in science as the most reliable way of understanding the world. Furthermore, the foregoing problem is directly related to the phenomenon of totalitarianism. In fact, this is precisely what [Hannah] Arendt exposes: The undercurrent of totalitarianism consists of blind belief in a kind of statistical-numerical “scientific fiction” that shows “radical contempt for facts”: “The ideal subject of totalitarian rule is not the convinced Nazi or the convinced Communist, but people for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist.”

Others say it is the global anti-human conspiracy theorists who are the ones ‘suffering from a form of mass hypnosis’ and ‘for whom the distinction between fact and fiction and the distinction between true and false no longer exist.’

The bigger the lie, the more often it is repeated, the more people believe it -- especially if it is something they want to believe. That is is a main tool of the totalitarianism?

 

[RJM]

I believe the Corona pandemic was exaggerated and mismanaged, and that Pfizer and others grabbed the main chance to coin it. Leaders had to be seen to do the right thing. It's a heated topic, but I don't believe it was a deliberate New World Order conspiracy.

Nor do I believe Russian invasion of Ukraine was to defend the break-away states; the invasion was clearly aimed at Kiev, turned back, and now concentrated in the eastern region, but including looting all the grain and murder and torture. I do not believe the steel-plant was a cover for bio-weapon research.

The NWO conspiracy theory is a rabbit hole, imo

 

[Thomas]

Thinking about it, conspiracy theory is as old as religion, and operates along similar lines ... that someone is pulling the strings is a greater comfort than accepting that sh*t just ... happens.

Progress (like linear evolution), is a chimera, it's a narrative after the event. We are pretty much the same as we ever were, we just have better tech.

Conspiracy theory is a mythologising narrative.

 

[Thomas]

Talking of biolabs ...

We had a friend who was a plumber, and somehow ended up working for The National Institute for Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC) located on the Northern outskirts of London. He maintained the bio safety systems there. D'you deal with hazardous stuff, then? He nods. We deal with all of it ... so they would be dicking around with Covid strains, they would have had Novichok, they have all the best viruses, bacterias, etc. Serious, serious stuff. I thought all that stuff was at Porton Down but no, apparently they get to play with stuff, too.

What happens in the event of an escape? Well apart from the various safety skins that prevents anything getting into the atmosphere, they have a red button which douses everything with steam. Apparently nothing survives really hot steam ...

He oversaw the installation of a sort of enclosed sphere that was completely and absolutely airtight, from which they could suck every drop of air and render it a vacuum. That's where you play with deadly stuff. The atmosphere is scrubbed on extraction. He said the best way to test it is go inside, turn it on, and as the air is sucked out, if there's a leak you hear air whistling in. Which he could, so he got the installers back again to double-check, and eventually, leaks fixed, to prove the point the chief install engineer went in, shut the doors, vacuum on. No whistling, but just then the computer system crashed, so they couldn't release the door (vacuum) or pump air into the sphere ... cue scene of panic-struck man banging on the glass window, 'just like in the movies', no screaming cos there's no air, all very surreal ... system rebooted and they got air into the thing before the guy died...

However, if you wanna say that the NIBSC is a covert bioweapon facility, it's very difficult to disprove it, because of the level of bio-security they operate.

+++

In what world does it make sense to have a covert lab not only very close to Russia, but actually in a disputed territory? At least in a NATO country there's an plausible excuse for a US presence, but not Ukraine, and as Russia has never claimed there is a US presence there, and being nearby, they'd know if there was ... it seems a bit silly to site a top secret establishment over which you are unable to maintain physical security.

Thinking about it, Putin's been running a WMD scenario against the west from the get-go. A lot of Russians believe we are poised to invade at a moment's notice.

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

My book arrived today - here is more from the Introduction:

Much of the population is trapped in almost complete social isolation; we see a
remarkable increase in absenteeism due to mental suffering; an
unprecedented proliferation in the use of psychotropic drugs; a burnout
epidemic that paralyzes entire companies and government institutions.

In 2019, this predicament was clearly perceptible in my own
professional environment. I saw so many colleagues around me drop out
from work due to psychological problems, hindering the capacity to
perform even basic day-to-day work. ... During that period, all
social stress indicators rose exponentially. Anyone familiar with
systems theory knows what this means: The system is heading for a
tipping point. It is on the verge of reorganizing itself and seeking a new
equilibrium.

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

Background & interviews with author Desmet:

https://totalityofevidence.com/professor-mattias-desmet/

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

Before Desmet there was another Dutchman, Dr Joost Meerloo, who began studying "menticide" or thought control in 1930s. Here is how he begins his 1956 book Rape of the Mind:


FOREWORD

And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul.
—Matthew 10:28

This book attempts to depict the strange transformation of the free
human mind into an automatically responding machine—a transformation
which can be brought about by some of the cultural undercurrents in our
present-day society as well as by deliberate experiments in the service of a
political ideology.

The rape of the mind and stealthy mental coercion are among the oldest
crimes of mankind. They probably began back in prehistoric days when
man first discovered that he could exploit human qualities of empathy and
understanding in order to exert power over his fellow men. The word “rape”
is derived from the Latin word rapere, to snatch, but also is related to the
words to rave and raven. It means to overwhelm and to enrapture, to invade,
to usurp, to pillage and to steal.

The modern words “brainwashing,” “thought control,” and “menticide”
serve to provide a clearer conception of the actual methods by which man’s
integrity can be violated. When a concept is given its right name, it can be
more easily recognized—and it is with this recognition that the opportunity
for systematic correction begins.

In this book the reader will find a discussion of some of the imminent
dangers which threaten free cultural interplay. It emphasizes the tremendous
cultural implication of the subject of enforced mental intrusion. Not only
the artificial techniques of coercion are important but even more the
unobtrusive intrusion into our feeling and thinking. The danger of
destruction of the spirit may be compared to the threat of total physical
destruction through atomic warfare. Indeed, the two are related and intertwined.

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

A related lack of ahimsa from reliance on animal experimentation that "science" promotes:

The poor quality of medical research also raises pressing ethical
questions. For instance, it shines a harsh light on the merciless drive to
conduct experiments. Every year the number of laboratory animals used
for medical experiments increases. In 2005, about one hundred million
animals were sacrificed worldwide (!); by 2020, this nearly doubled to just
under two hundred million (!). The fate of these animals is horrific, often
too horrific for words. If we take into account that 85 percent of medical
studies are erroneous, biased, or even fraudulent (see chapter 1), we can
only conclude that, in the majority of cases, this inferno of suffering is
meaningless and unnecessary on top of that. Where exactly do we draw the
line between experimentation and torture? If such a practice reaches such
magnitude and such a degree of absurdity in a society, we cannot but
conclude that such a society is seriously ill.

From Desmet's book:

 

[wil]

Thinking about it, conspiracy theory is as old as religion, and operates along similar lines ... that someone is pulling the strings is a greater comfort than accepting that sh*t just ... happens

I was stuck in both religion and conspiracy theories...they do attract similar mindsets. The venn diagram of believers would be pretty interesting.

Contemporary societies place their faith in science as the most reliable way of understanding the world

Shocking! Heaven forbid!

Oh...I approve.

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

One of those who value Desmet's insights:

• The foundational thinkers on mass formation are joined by Mattias Desmet, who now stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Arendt, Jung and Freud. His understanding and analysis of contemporary group behavior in a destabilized society, presents a fascinating window into the minds of the most complex beings on the planet. Desmet’s seminal work underlines the increasingly dangerous behavior of humanity—and that it must be understood and reversed if we are to survive as a species.
  
  —David Marks, writer and documentary producer
  

 

[RJM]

One of those who value Desmet's insights:

• The foundational thinkers on mass formation are joined by Mattias Desmet, who now stands shoulder to shoulder with the likes of Arendt, Jung and Freud. His understanding and analysis of contemporary group behavior in a destabilized society, presents a fascinating window into the minds of the most complex beings on the planet. Desmet’s seminal work underlines the increasingly dangerous behavior of humanity—and that it must be understood and reversed if we are to survive as a species.
  
  —David Marks, writer and documentary producer

There are too many people. There's no global deep state conspiracy. Nature has to support too many people. Climate change and pandemics are a result of over population, imo

We will survive as a species.
We may be diminished, but we will survive. We will find equilibrium. Conspiracy theory is shadow boxing in the basement while the beast of the apocalypse walks in the front door, imo

Whether or not Mattias Desmet will stand shoulder to shoulder with Jung and Freud is highly debatable; only time will tell. It's far too early to make such a declaration. In the meantime, what is the best solution, do you suggest?

 

[RJM]

I so do not believe that conspiracy theory propaganda is capable of offering realistic solutions to Man's 21st century problems. It merely gives power to the idiot internet dumbing down and weakening of intelligent debate, imo

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

There are too many people.

... the beast of the apocalypse walks in the front door, imo

In the meantime, what is the best solution, do you suggest?

The numbers have little to do with it. It is the low, self-centered quality of most humans. And a radical reduction in population does not suggest, much less guarantee, that the survivors will be selfless sweethearts.

What is this "beast" you mention? Your solution of ignoring and sneering? at alternate causes is not profitable.

My solution is the ancient, very slow one, of more humans embracing our connection with or identity with Truth & Goodness and following the timeless guidelines of virtue, wisdom, compassion, self-discipline, harmlessness etc. toward all of living nature.

 

[RJM]

The numbers have little to do with it. It is the low, self-centered quality of most humans. And a radical reduction in population does not suggest, much less guarantee, that the survivors will be selfless sweethearts.

The advanced 'global north' nations are going to suffer a population collapse, while Africa and the 'global south' are going to expand exponentially in the latter half of the 21st century. Global north and south do not refer to global location above and below the equator, but as a reference to developed and undeveloped countries.

The global south is not much concerned with global north problems of sexual politics and cancel culture and deep state conspiracy theories. Imo

What is this "beast" you mention

It is the antithesis of human goodness and decency. It is the enemy of all that is holy -- of love and light and kindness. It is not a human agency. It can't be laid to human conspiracy

My solution is the ancient, very slow one, of more humans embracing our connection with or identity with Truth & Goodness and following the timeless guidelines of virtue, wisdom, compassion, self-discipline, harmlessness etc.. toward all of living nature.

But it's never going to happen. The world is what it is. It won't change. Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar's and to God what is God's.

Human nature isn't going to change. Meantime spouting Q-anon NWO conspiracy poison against Bill Gates and Anthony Fauchi etc, and trying to overturn legal elections only leads to hatred and killing, imo

It's very dangerous

(edited)

 

[RJM]

Continuing from above post:

It's said that power corrupts. It doesn't always. There are true leaders of men uncorrupted by power. I cite Nelson Mandela. Or Solomon. However when a man starts to gain power is when the devil starts to take an interest in him, as an agent

Most men do not have the moral strength to resist satan, once ascended to power, imo

 

[Nicholas Weeks]

It [the Beast] is not a human agency. It can't be laid to human conspiracy

Why presume human agency alone is what fosters human conspiracy, corruption & totalitarian drives? Did you not just write: "the devil starts to take an interest in him, as an agent..."

Eastern spiritual paths call the demonic beast, bhutas, maras, yakshas etc. Ordinary folks, whether in leadership or not, can and do, over lifetimes, develop moral strength to resist and overthrow our sub-human tendencies. There is no other solution for samsara or cyclic existence but individual struggle and triumph.

Read at least chapter 8 which begins as follows:

Conspiracy and Ideology
[EDIT OF OP -- APRIL 2024 - Reading chapter 8 again, where conspiracy & ideology are defined better. The latter mechanistic ideology is the main problem, not conspiracy.]

If only there were evil people somewhere insidiously committing evil deeds, it were necessary only to separate them from the rest of us and destroy them. But the line dividing good and evil cuts through the heart of every human being, and who is willing to destroy a piece of his own heart?

ALEXANDRE SOLZHENITSYN