Contributing Writer for Wake Up World
“Most people gaze neither into the past nor the future; they explore neither truth nor lies. They gaze at the television.” ~ Radiohead
Though many won’t want to believe it, it appears that science is again confirming the innate wisdom of many parents around the world who say “Switch off the TV, it’ll turn your brain to mush”. A long term study conducted by Tina D. Hoang (M.S.P.H.) of the Northern California Institute for Research and Education at the Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center, San Francisco, Kristine Yaffe (M.D.) of the University of California, San Francisco, and coauthors, investigated the relationships between 25-year patterns of television viewing, physical activity and midlife cognition.
The study surveyed the viewing habits of 3,247 young adults between the ages of 18 and 30 using a questionnaire to assess levels of television viewing and physical activity over a 25 year period. ‘High levels of television viewing’ was defined as more than three hours of screen time a day, and exercise was measured as units based on time and intensity. Cognitive function was measured after a 25 year period, using three tests that evaluated processing speed, executive function and verbal memory.
The authors state, “In this biracial cohort followed for 25 years, we found that low levels of physical activity and high levels of television viewing during young to mid-adulthood were associated with worse cognitive performance in midlife. In particular, these behaviors were associated with slower processing speed and worse executive function but not with verbal memory. Participants with the least active patterns of behavior (i.e., both low physical activity and high television viewing time) were the most likely to have poor cognitive function… Individuals with both low physical activity and high sedentary behavior may represent a critical target group”.
While the authors acknowledge that there are limitations to the study, including possible selection bias and the fact that the data was self-reported, it is more likely than not that the findings are accurate, especially considering the way the powers-that-be are clearly pursuing an agenda aimed at ‘dumbing down’ the world population.
While many people would like to think that television is just a cheap form of harmless news and entertainment, social scientists have long been aware of the fact that the media, and in particular television, are used as tools not just to subtly influence mass consciousness, but to manufacture individual mindsets that are malleable and compliant with the mainstream paradigm. The content shared on television is carefully designed by some of the best scientists in the world, using cutting edge knowledge of our psychological make-up, to ensure that the values and agendas of the elite are normalised and accepted as natural by the wider population.
“It’s becoming obvious to most that mainstream media is nothing but a megaphone for the global elite to present biased news that’s designed to align the masses with their agenda.” ~ James Morcan
The practice of having ‘experts’, anchormen, and celebrities providing us with easily digestible content that doesn’t require us to think critically and independently, gets us into the disempowering, brain-numbing habit of accepting and conforming to the directives of external ‘higher’ authorities. This is one aspect of how social brainwashing and ‘dumbing down’ is achieved. There is also evidence that not only is the carefully devised content being used to manipulate and control the minds of the populace, but the technology is implicated as well.
“Man does not have the right to develop his own mind. This kind of liberal orientation has great appeal. We must electrically control the brain. Some day armies and generals will be controlled by electrical stimulation of the brain.” ~ Dr. Jose Delgado, MKULTRA
Take Back our Stories and our Power
Societies have always been defined by their stories. People learn about themselves, important past events, and the beliefs and meanings of their group through the narratives they tell. In today’s society our stories have been high-jacked. They are no longer a product of the group; instead they are imposed onto the group by those who understand that controlling the stories of a nation is a key to controlling the people.
“If it’s true that nothing is more potent than an idea, then those who control the media can direct minds en masse.” ~ Lance Morcan, author of The Orphan Conspiracies: 29 Conspiracy Theories from The Orphan Trilogy
Everyone is naturally capable of generating unique and original ideas, however, as we become increasingly accustomed to consuming pre-packed entertainment and information, our creative and imaginative abilities dwindle. Creativity comes from within. When we are creative we feel connected to our deeper aspects and to our innate inner power and wisdom. Television is the antithesis of creativity. When we sit in front of a television screen our brains becomes passive and instead of generating meaningful independent content, we become captivated by the spoon-fed subject matter (unlike reading a book where many parts of the brain are active and involved in creating internal visual content, and we can pause at will to ponder what we take in). In this TV induced state, our bodies and brains are largely inactive, absorbing and functioning in a slow, nearly hypnotised state.
“Either you think – or else others have to think for you and take power from you, pervert and discipline your natural tastes, civilize and sterilize you.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald
As I read the details of this study I was struck by the fact that both television viewing and physical exercise have a clear relationship to creativity. Higher levels of physical activity are associated with higher levels of creativity and higher levels of television viewing are associated with lower levels of creativity. Finally, imagination and creativity are closely associated with high levels of cognitive function as the more developed we are in terms of creativity and imagination the more neural connections are formed and strengthened in our brains. Therefore creativity may well be the missing link in this study. So in order to take back our health, intelligence and power, and cease allowing ourselves to be ‘dumbed down’, we need to turn off our centrally controlled televisions. We need to stop accepting an ‘entertaining substitute’ to living designed to subtly shape us into compliant consumers, and start actively creating our own lives, stories, and ultimately reality, in line with our deepest passions and dreams.
“So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall.” ~ Roald Dahl
Instead of watching TV tonight, why not try ‘Image Streaming’ a simple imaginative exercise invented by Win Wenger, Ph.D that has been shown to raise peoples IQs significantly with time. (Full details available in his book “The Einstein Factor”)
Resources:
- Study (TV &cognitive function) : http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2015-12/tjnj-hmt113015.php
- Physical activity and creativity: http://www.ric.edu/faculty/dblanchette/ExerciseArticle.htm
- TV and creativity: http://serendip.brynmawr.edu/bb/neuro/neuro05/web2/xlim.html
- Intelligence and creativity: http://www.freshconsulting.com/creativity-is-the-highest-form-of-intelligence/
- http://msutoday.msu.edu/news/2013/a-young-picasso-or-beethoven-could-be-the-next-edison/
Related reading by Christina Lavers:
Previous articles by Christina Lavers:
- New Study Shows Regular Contact with Nature Reduces Crime, Increases Social Cohesion
- Research Shows Just 7 Minutes of Meditation Can Reduce Racial Prejudice
- Groundbreaking Study Maps the Decline of Wild Bee Communities in the United States
- More Evidence That TV is Dumbing Us Down
- Taking Care of Our Inner Tribes – Microflora, Awakening and You
- Taking Responsibility For Our Energy
- Discernment – Navigating The Spiritual Minefield
- TV: Cutting the Cord
- Heart Aligned Eating: Beyond Dietary Absolutes
- The Art Of Failing Well
About the author:
Christina Lavers is a writer, an artist, a creative enthusiast, and an inner world explorer. Born in Montreal Quebec Canada, she now lives with her life partner and son in a rainforest pocket in the hills behind Coffs Harbour, NSW Australia. She spends her time playing, creating, growing and sharing.
“My journey has been about personal alchemy… exploring the mysteries of my soul and my environment, and learning to bring all aspects, the light and the dark, together with the transcending ingredient… love. The more I uncover and nurture the wounded aspects of my being, the more whole and grounded I feel and the more my outer world reflects the love, wonder and magic I have discovered inside”.
Christina is devoted to assisting people to find and connect with their own creative magical current that flows deep within. She is now offering a comprehensive e-course designed to help people light up their world with passion and creativity. You can access Section One here for free!
Christina has recently published her first full length book, a memoir about her wild awakening journey entitled Jump Into the Blue, and she is currently working on the next one.
You can follow Christina’s work at:
If you've ever found value in our articles, we'd greatly appreciate your support by purchasing Mindful Meditation Techniques for Kids - A Practical Guide for Adults to Empower Kids with the Gift of Inner Peace and Resilience for Life.
In the spirit of mindfulness, we encourage you to choose the paperback version. Delve into its pages away from screen glare and notifications, allowing yourself to fully immerse in the transformative practices within. The physical book enriches the learning process and serves as a tangible commitment to mindfulness, easily shared among family and friends.
Over the past few years, Wake Up World has faced significant online censorship, impacting our financial ability to stay online. Instead of soliciting donations, we're exploring win-win solutions with our readers to remain financially viable. Moving into book publishing, we hope to secure ongoing funds to continue our mission. With over 8,500 articles published in the past 13 years, we are committed to keeping our content free and accessible to everyone, without resorting to a paywall.
