How Fear Mongering Effects Mental Health
Mental health professionals have voiced alarm over the COVID-19 pandemic’s obvious fear-mongering, saying that it can have major psychiatric implications. S.G. Cheah, in an essay published in Evie Magazine on December 22, 2020, discussed the emergence of widespread insanity due to the “delusional terror of COVID-19.
Instead of facing reality, the delusional person would rather live in their world of make-believe. But to keep faking reality, they’ll have to make sure that everyone else around them also pretends to live in their imaginary world. In simpler words, the delusional person rejects reality. And in this rejection of reality, others have to play along with how they view the world, otherwise, their world will not make sense to them.
It’s why the delusional person will get angry when they face someone who doesn’t conform to their worldview… It’s one of the reasons why you’re seeing so many people who’d happily approve the silencing of any medical expert whose views contradict the WHO or CDC guidelines. ‘Obey the rules!’ becomes more important than questioning if the rules were legitimate, to begin with.”
Globally, the prevalence of anxiety and depression has risen dramatically.
Global rates of anxiety and despair are predicted to rise significantly in 2020 by another study. An additional 76 million cases of anxiety and 53 million cases of major depressive disorder were attributed to the COVID epidemic over and beyond annual norms, with women and younger people being more vulnerable. “The Guardian” reports:
“… the team estimate there were 246m cases of major depressive disorder and 374m cases of anxiety disorders worldwide in 2020, with the figure for the former 28% higher, and for the latter 26% higher, than would have been expected had the crisis not happened.
About two-thirds of these extra cases of major depressive disorder and 68% of the extra cases of anxiety disorders were among women, while younger people were affected more than older adults, with extra cases greatest among people aged 20-24.”
It is characterized as a widespread epidemic of lunacy that occurs when the majority of society loses contact with reality and goes into delusions
In the 16th and 17th centuries, tens of thousands of individuals, mainly women, were burnt at the stake as a result of mass psychosis in the Americas and Europe. Another example is the emergence of totalitarianism in the twentieth century.
The consequences of society’s descent into madness are invariably catastrophic.
Society as a whole suffers from an inability to maintain moral and spiritual integrity as well as a lack of self-discipline and self-discipline in its members. The worst part is that a lunatic mob is capable of committing crimes that any solitary member of the group would never contemplate.
For those who have a history of mental illness, there are two stages of psychogenic progression: a panic phase in which the individual is terrified by events they can’t explain and an insight phase where the individual creates an imaginary but magical way of looking at the world that eases the panic and provides meaning to their experience.
“Killing of the mind” is a word that refers to “menticide.” To achieve mass control, it is necessary to eliminate the human spirit and free thought. It’s a way for the ruling class to impose their distorted perspective on the rest of us. Fear and social isolation are intentionally planted in society to encourage menticide.
“An epidemic of madness” develops when a “large segment of society loses contact with reality and descends into delusions,” according to the definition of mass psychosis provided above.
The witch hunts of the 16th and 17th centuries in Europe and the Americas, where tens of thousands of individuals, usually women, were tortured, drowned, and burnt alive at the stake, are a typical historical example of mass psychosis. One contemporary example of mass psychosis is the development of authoritarian regimes in the twentieth century.
Truth has never been sought after by the masses. They ignore data that doesn’t fit their preconceived notions of truth, preferring instead to worship the myth of error as a god. Illusions are easy for them to master; anyone who tries to dismantle their illusions is doomed to fail.
Psychic epidemics are more catastrophic than the worst natural disasters since there is no adequate protection against them. This is why starvation, earthquakes, bacteria, and cancer are not man’s biggest threat to man, but rather man himself.
It’s even worse when a crazed mob decides to carry out horrors that no single member of the group would ever contemplate. There are still those who have no idea what is wrong with them, even though they have been affected.
What Is the Impetus of a Massive Psychotic Outburst?
To appreciate how society may be swayed by a single person’s insanity, you must first understand what drives that person insane. Most cases of psychosis may be traced back to psychological reasons rather than to drug or alcohol addiction or a brain injury.
Psychosis is often triggered by a torrent of negative emotions, such as fear or worry, which can cause a person to become irrationally fearful or agitated. It’s normal to seek help when you’re in a panic. A psychologically strong person may be able to overcome their fear and adapt.
A psychotic break is another coping method. Rather than falling into chaos, those who suffer from psychotic breaks learn to combine reality and fiction, reality and illusion, and regain control of their lives. Listed below are the psychogenic steps that lead to madness.
- Individuals at this stage begin to view their surroundings in a new way and are terrified by them. It doesn’t matter if the threat is real or if it’s contrived; it’s there. As they can’t come up with a plausible explanation for the weird events happening around them, their confusion grows
- When an individual is in this “Phase of psychotic insight,” he or she creates an illogical but magical explanation for his or her abnormal experience of the universe. When magical thinking provides an escape from panic, the term “insight” is utilized. Because it is based on delusions, however, the insight is a form of mental illness.
Psychologically fragile individuals can be driven to madness and magical thinking, just as huge groups of weak and vulnerable people can.
Totalitarian societies are divided into “rulers” and “subjects,” and both groups experience pathological changes. The perception of the rulers as gods that allow for corruption and unethical behavior is quickly replaced by a view of the ruled as helpless subjects, which results in psychological regression.
According to Joost Meerloo, author of “Rape of the Mind,” residents in totalitarian nations react in a similar way to those who are psychotic.
The leaders and their subjects are both sick. A deluded cloud engulfs both of them, as the entire society and its norms are based on delusion.
People who are deluded will revert to the childlike stage of utter submission, and only a deluded ruling elite will feel that they have the knowledge and wisdom to rule society in a top-down way, according to the video. Deluded people will assume that the power-hungry elite who rule a mentally retarded society will not end in widespread pain and financial disaster.
Individuals in the ruling class are easily swayed by beliefs that enhance their authority, and this is where tyranny emerges. There is no greater folly in human history than the belief that they are meant to rule and rule over all others.
Regardless of whether the totalitarian mindset is communism, fascism, or technocracy, a ruling elite that has succumbed to its own delusions of grandeur then begins to indoctrinate the populace into their own distorted vision.
That reformation of society can be achieved by manipulating the collective feelings of the people. Death by apathy or indifference An old method of mass control, menticide is a phrase that refers to “the killing of the mind,” and it has been used for centuries.
It’s a way for the ruling class to impose their distorted perspective on the rest of us. The deliberate planting of dread in society sets the stage for menticide. It doesn’t matter if the “horror” in question is real or imagined, as long as it causes fear and panic, which culminates in psychosis.
One way to visualize this method is as an ascending wave pattern with successive waves representing increasing fear and then periods of peace.
Once the threat level drops, it rises again, with each wave of fear-mongering more intense than the last. Conspiracy theories and psychotic insights are utilized to control people through the employment of propaganda, which breaks down the psyche of the populace over time, making it easier for the government to exert its control.
Contradictory reports, illogical recommendations, and outright lies are used to create confusion. Anxiety rises as people become more disoriented, and this makes it more difficult for society as a whole to deal with the issue. Mass psychosis is more likely to occur when a person’s ability to cope diminishes.
Illusion cannot be confronted by illogic. It confounds people who can think logically. Big lies and rehearsed nonsense have more of an emotional appeal… than rationality and reasoning. The totalitarians can attack the people while they are still searching for a reasonable response to the first lie.
Technocracy’s rise
Technology is what distinguishes modern totalitarianism from prior totalitarian regimes. There has never been a better time to instill fear in the minds of the public and influence their behavior. It’s easier than ever to regulate the flow of information via television, the internet, smartphones, and social media.
The voices of reason and rationality are automatically filtered out by algorithms and replaced with fear narratives. Many people are willing to be brainwashed by modern technology since it has addictive features. On the subject of human dependence on technology, Meerloo notes:
“No rest, no meditation, no reflection, no conversation. The senses are continually overloaded with stimuli. Man doesn’t learn to question his world anymore. The screen offers him answers already made.”
Isolation — A Mass Psychosis-Inducing Tool Aside from the onslaught of fear-mongering and false propaganda, the ultimate tool to induce psychosis in isolation. When you are deprived of regular social interactions and discussions, you become more susceptible to delusions for many reasons:
- You lose contact with corrective forces of positive examples and role models of rational thinking and behavior. Not everyone is tricked by the brainwashing attempts of the ruling elite, and these people can help free others from their delusions. When you’re in isolation, the power of these individuals greatly diminishes.
- Like animals, human behavior is significantly easier to manipulate when the individual is kept in isolation. As animal research has discovered, conditioned reflexes are most easily developed in a quiet, secluded laboratory with a minimum of stimuli to detract from indoctrination.
When you want to tame a wild animal, you must isolate the animal and patiently repeat a particular stimulus until the desired response is obtained. Humans can be conditioned in the same manner. Alone, confused, and battered by waves of terror, a society kept in isolation from each other descends into madness as rational thought is obliterated and replaced with magical thinking.
Once a society is firmly in the grip of mass psychosis, totalitarians are free to take the last, decisive step: They can offer a way out; a return to order. The price is your freedom. You must cede control of all aspects of your life to the rulers because unless they are granted total control, they won’t be able to create the order everyone craves.
This order, however, is a pathological one, devoid of all humanity. It eliminates the spontaneity that brings joy and creativity to one’s life by demanding strict conformity and blind obedience.
And despite the promise of safety, totalitarian society is inherently fearful. It was built on fear and is maintained by it too. So, giving up your freedom for safety and a sense of order will only lead to more of the same fear and anxiety that allowed the totalitarians to gain control in the first place.
Isolation as a Mean of Inducing Mass Psychosis
Isolation is the ultimate technique to produce psychosis, in addition to the flood of fear-mongering and misinformation. A lot of factors contribute to the development of delusions in people who lack regular social connections and debates.
It’s easy to lose touch with the corrective forces of good examples and role models who demonstrate sensible thinking and behavior. The ruling elite’s efforts to brainwash people aren’t universally successful and some people can help others recover from their delusions. The influence of these people is substantially diminished when you are alone.
Keeping an individual in solitude makes it much easier to influence their behavior. Conditioning reflexes are easier to build in an isolated, silent environment, according to animal research. There are fewer stimuli to distract from indoctrination.
Isolating a wild animal and repeatedly repeating a certain stimulus until the desired response is achieved is the only way to tame it. It is possible to train humans in the same way as animals. In a world where rational thought is being replaced by magical thinking, a civilization that has been isolated from one another is left alone, disoriented, and pummeled by waves of horror.
Totalitarians are free to take the final, decisive step once a society has been completely gripped by mass psychosis: They can provide a way out; a return to order. Your freedom is on the line. The rulers will not be able to establish the order that everyone desires unless you hand over complete control of your life to them.
This order, on the other hand, is pathological and devoid of all sense of humanity. Strict rules and unwavering compliance stifle the spontaneity that lends joy and creativity to one’s daily existence.
A totalitarian society, despite its assurances of security, is a terrifying place to live. It is based on fear, and it continues to be sustained by it. When freedom is sacrificed for security and stability, it breeds the same kind of dread and anxiety that permitted totalitarians to take over in the first place.
What Is the Best Way to Reverse Mass Psychosis and Improve Mental Health?
Is it possible to avert totalitarianism? Is it possible to undo the effects of mass psychosis, or are they permanent? In other words, the answer must be as multifaceted as the menticidal approach. To help restore sanity to a mad world, you must first find your core and lead a life that inspires others to do the same.
Many people in today’s world are in desperate need of someone who can free themselves from the grip of collective psychosis and at least save their own soul. This person can serve as a beacon of hope for others, proclaiming that at least one person has managed to free themselves from the deadly identity of collective psychosis.
Afterward, you need to promote the counter-narrative – the truth — as much as you can. Propaganda’s success depends on the suppression of the truth since truth is always more powerful than lies. Humor and scorn can be used to undermine the legitimacy of the ruling class.
When Vaclav Havel, a political rebel, became the president of Czechoslovakia, he came up with a technique termed “parallel structures.” What we mean by “parallel structures” here is anything that exists within a totalitarian society but is ethically distinct from it.
In totalitarian societies, a sanity-preserving enclave is produced when enough parallel structures are built. In his book, “The Power of the Powerless,” Havel outlines this method. Finally, logical and rational action must be taken by as many people as possible to avoid totalitarian craziness.
When it comes to the authoritarian elite, they don’t sit around pining for more power and control. They are taking proactive measures to improve their status in the company. Their opponents must be just as energetic and determined in their counter-push for freedom to protect themselves. All of this can be difficult if you’re surrounded by folks who are in collective psychosis.
There’s Hope for Humanity in the Midst of COVID
Sources and References
Academy of Ideas
The Crowd: A Study of the Population (PDF)
