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Here's a book I have ordered. And/or watch the recent interview on UnHerd podcast, with this professor of psychology (and a psychoanalyst) in Belgium here.

As some of you may know, I have been also interested in collective psychological phenomenon (fear, anxiety, frustration, loneliness) as a social critic and as someone who does therapeuatic work--and, in fact, I have called myself a"cultural therapist" over the last few years. Desmet looks into research and theory explaining hyper-conformism and totalitarianism. 

Note: I have written on mass psychosis in an FM blogpost: go to: https://fearlessnessmovement.ning.com/blog/mass-psychosis-menticide-fear-as-primer

Terrorism & Counter-Terrorism: Two Sides of the Same Coin. The mass counter-terrorist hypnosis has begun. The latest gun violence is no surprise to me. 

You all may or may not know as of last night that a shooter hit the former U.S. pres. Donald Trump with a bullet in the right ear during a political rally and a day before the Republican Party gathering as they prepare for the last stretch of the campaign with Trump leading that Party into the 2024 election in Nov. of this year. 

Tensions are high and getting higher, political rhetoric and polarization are at a peak. Meaning anxiety and fear are peaking in that country and around the world, for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that Right wing fascist like leaders and outright fascists are winning over some governments around the world this year in unprecedented proportions. A terror run through the land, and Trump is situated in that Right conservative extremist agenda overall. No wonder all his incitements of violence against others in his years in politics since 2018 at least, he is finally overtly attacked by a single gun man on a roof with a number of bullets. Of course, the gun man was immediately killed by counter-snipers of the CIA etc. It was a suicide/assassination project by this person whom at this time we don't know any more of their identity or motivations but it is clear that a message of violence was met with a message of violence. Violence begets violence and under that is fear begets fear. This is how "terrorism" of all kinds (and its underbelly of fearism-t) work. 

The times of spectacles of violence and the massive replays by media outlets of Trump being shot in the ear live on camera, will continue, like 9/11... this induces a shock and awe trance in the people, and the rallying of the patriarchal authorities to show they are "strong" and "in charge" and just listen to them and what they tell you--because that is the truth and will bring you safety under their powers of control. This is a most dangerous time in the wake of shock and awe to hypnotize people with messages and mesmerization. Another form of terrorism (fearism). And, its all about "guns" and who gets to wield them. For more on "shock doctrine" (i.e., indoctrination as perpetrated in times of emergency) go to Naomi Klein's book for example, "Shock Doctrine" which looks at this phenomenon and links it to "disaster capitalism" and political manipulation.

I've been thinking about how everyone has to give up their guns at a rally like that to get into the perimeter. Only the law enforcement types are to carry. Yet, it is odd that people at the Pennsylvania event have to give up their constitutional right for the sake of that rally and safety of the political candidate. Why is that? It is because people are terrified that someone will shoot a political leader at any time. The ironic and paradoxical insanity is not that hard to see what is going on. It is even more bizzare when you think about how "law" operates so arbitrary at times, like at a rally. The government tells us you have a right to carry (arms)--and, yet, you have to give them up because we tell you and we only will carry arms. Look, I am no gun lobbyist. I think guns are symbols of fear gone excess and overboard and is toxic to any society--it makes crazy people and they do crazy things. So, I thought to let you know I am most concerned we avoid getting hooked in the shock and awe and turn to the path of fearlessness--read the various blogs over the six years herein this website, and/or other places. Otherwise, it is easy to get caught up in other people's agendas of weaponizing fear for use to control. You can empower yourselves, just by recognizing what is going on. We can talk about this more as a FM ning community as well. 

I looked up to see if Pennsylvania (where the rally and suicide/assassination was carried out) has gun laws of "carry" and they do. Here is an excerpt. 

The opening paragraph states "without a permit" just because you are a citizen of the US, and somehow deemed "law abiding" however that is monitored(?). The 2nd Amendment is clear about guns as part of society. And, that means, violence is part of society. No country with such gun laws is going to be violence free, and in fact gun laws were put in place to manage gun violence. It's like an insanity of trying to manage fear by more fear, manage violence by more violence. And, pretty much that is the definition of "war" as it is known for as long as human history. We live in war torn states and a world where war is constant as a way to manage violence with violence. So, again, I post this up on the FM nign to show you how 'normal' and crazy this has become in logic and reasonable understanding and law. When you step outside of the 'Fear' Matrix of it all for a few moments, or longer, you see much what I am seeing about exactly why the former President would be shot, sooner or later. I won't even go into all the number of statements he has made about using violence against people in his country. Of course, the other President (incumbent) is only not saying these things out loud like a Trump, but the actions of their presidency and violence against people in his country or abroad, are no less gruesome and inhumane. That's my point. Guns are inhumane, and yet, are legalized in the USA constitution. So, what should we expect from that sanctioning (of violence)--that policy on guns(?). 

Challenging the Tendency of Elitism and "Grandiosity" in Movements

It was with some grief I found out a few years ago that Mariana Salcido, a signed 'member' of Fearlessness Movement, a loose member of Fearism philosophy group and curious advocate for The Fearology Institute, passed away suddenly. I heard this through another colleague who was communicating with her, and a family member informed him of her passing. She was relatively young, a mother, and left behind a lot of people who will miss her. I came across her in 2018 or earlier, and she wanted to discuss her way of getting involved in this fearwork. She was a fiesty born and raised Latino woman (living in the USA at the time) with a strong bright mind and critical view of how things ought to work better in this world. 

Just today, I found a correspondence with her that I wish to document on this archive of the Fearlessness Movement. It represents a piece of her philosophical challenges on a few different things but she was always one to see the critical importance of "fear" study and philosophy. This correspondence is one sample of many conversations on email I had with her, but I also knew she was struggling with many things in life, as so many young people do. 

I pick up her writing as part of a conversation she had around challenging the tendency to elitism and exclusivity for "the movement" be it labeled as "fearology" or even the Fearlessness Movement itself. She was pushing in a good way for us not to try to become a cult-like group of thinkers who encircle and keep telling the world how great we are and how much the world needs us, while forgetting to see we have our own biases and egos too. I asked her to write about this problem of "grandiosity" in any new intellectual or social movement, from her point of view. 

Mariana wrote, (June 15, 2018) not long before she died c. 2020: 

"The Bible spoke about fear hahahhaaa before anyone else! What is unique about this [Fearlessness Movement, Fearology, Fearism] is the approach. Fear has been traditionally, either used as a manner of control, spoken as an instinct (pretty lousy instinct that can be smelled by your predator, I wonder if it is not intended as a 'warning,' but, as evolutionary weakness); fear has also been used by 'motivators.' That is the worst, really.

I know the [Fearology] Institute seeks to release people from fear through consciousness. I like that, we can't teach everyone because some people won't want to be taught. Motivation is, I believe you made  this analogy, as easy to use as sex in public. I'm trying to imagine [Viktor] Frankl yelling at the people [in the concentration camps of Auschwitz] "Wake up! This is your time! You are successful! You can find a purpose!" 

I don't know how do you feel about motivational materials, as soon as I smell 'motivational' I send it away as far as possible from me. In the same line, fear is a good subject for psychology. But, I haven't seen anything serious on Philosophy of fear. What? What's philosophy?, they ask. Philosophy is how we tell people they are being manipulated. We tell them that when you catch them they say 'conspiracy theory,' we tell them that it is horrifying to be 'equal' (someone whould explain the omitted part 'before the law.')

IF WE ARE "EQUAL" as they understand WE ARE THREATENED TO DISAPPEAR AS AN INDIVIDUAL. How about showing that with real research but a smart apporach (no intellectual, no dumbed down). Flat. I need to research the old philosophy and see who speaks seriously and detailed about fear. 

Oh my...I'm sorry, too long. 

I feel like writing....

Hugs to both [RMF and Barbara] and thank you for a great conversation. -Mariana 

********

NOTE: Mariana contributed as blog post (poster) once: https://fearlessnessmovement.ning.com/photos/fear-question

This latest video out on the "mass psychosis" of an entire population, what is also being called here "menticide" has an opening quite appropriate to concerns of the FM ning community and myself as a fearologist. The video image above has the narration of:  "Priming a population for the crime of menticide, begins with the sowing of fear."  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lctpOxSR-FE

See my own video talks (4 videos) on "mass psychosis" as well, beginning with https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBl735zqTco

 Note: this video is published by Academy of Ideas: Free Minds for a Free Society