In the 60s, there were those of us who consumed very large amounts of hullucinogens. I’ll be one of the first to admit I had my share. They completely rocked my world!
Why on earth would I bring that up?
Because I think social media is going to have (is having) as expanding and powerful an impact on every last thing we do the same way hullucinogens and the ubiquitous peace sign did in the 60s. Here’s why:
When we dropped out of school, out of work, out of normalcy in the 60s, we did it because we were fed up with the norm. We hated The Establishment and feeling disenfranchised by it–we didn’t want to feel like insignificant numbers in an impersonal system.
We somehow discovered that (bless you, Timothy), with the expansion of our ability to think and to access the hidden realms heretofore locked up in our subconscious minds, there was a possibility for unheard of social change.
We experimented with a vast array of mind-altering substances, from pot to acid and everything in between. And with alcohol, of course, which has been a mind-bender since the ability to ferment anything has existed. But the amazing new substances we suddenly had at our disposal changed our life experiences radically, and as a result, the lives of everyone around us on every level.
We began to think, see, and act think differently. We became easy receptacles for ideas, information and impulses previously unknown. We became the propellant for a completely new society. Look at what happened to art and music, the way we all dressed, attitudes about everything from sex to religion.
I’m very definitely not espousing the use of drugs– or especially the abuse of same–don’t get me wrong. To escape into drugs is no answer, and nowadays with such vicious substances so cheaply available it’s scary as all hell. Life-and-death dangerous.
What I am saying is that the impact of these substances we took back then was such that our minds were opened to a level absolutely unprecedented before, and would never again be limited.
We became almost telepathic, our minds so open that we were able now to see, hear and feel distinctly in ranges of spectrums we hadn’t even known existed. Like Mind and Unlike became explicitly clear. We became really good at communicating easily with those of Like Mind, to the point of near-telepathic aspect. Our minds got whanged open, and stayed so.
I believe the internet has gotten us about as close to telepathic as we can get. “Huh?” you say? Think about it. We no longer think it necessary that a body be right there with us as we speak with it–we got that when the telephone came in. Now we don’t even needs wires! All we need is a wifi location–open up our laptop or other wireless device and we’re connected! No bodies needed. Like mind to like mind.
With websites and blogs came the ability to speak to Like Minds planet-wide. But you had to buy a product or service, send an email or fill in a comment box in order to respond.
With the advent of Twitter, the simplest of applications, suddenly we have 2-way connections almost as rapid as thought. Think, type, hit enter, your thought goes out to thousands–not just one, not just your own email list. How close to mass communication can you get? Thousands of Like Minds.
In the 60s, we wanted more freedom of speech, the feeling that we could speak out without censure. We wanted to see love prevail over hate. We wanted the end of a war that had no reason for being fought other than the outright greed of a few old men at the top who wanted to grab a bunch of oil to which they had no rights.
Sound like anything that’s still going on? But now we have grown up a bit more and understand that money has to come into the equation as well–we were naive enough back then that we didn’t look to see that we needed to participate in the money game–even change it to fit our models of how-things-should-be. I think the ‘bad’ economy is a profound opportunity for us to make very deep choices in that realm.
Not only are we beginning to grow up about money, but we are really seeing how essential it is to grow our lives, businesses and reputations immersed in and supported by our deepest values, and, as Lynn Twist would say (read the Soul of Money), using money as a vehicle for the manifesting our soul’s deepest desires.
As hallucinogenic substances cracked our minds wide open and helped us expand out narrow thinking; as they propelled us into new and wondrous universes inside our heads and opened our minds to incredible new possibilities, so, too, is social media expanding our minds with the creation of this unthinkably enormous, planet-wide avenue of communication and community.
What’s next? Do we really need machines to communicate across the globe or around the corner to the next room? I think we’re heading to mass telepathic abilities.
But in the kind-time, it’s essential to really understand that social media is a whole lot more than just a few quotes, spam or sales links speeding across cyber space.
With communication moving at lightning speed, we are also ultimately incredibly vulnerable to misinterpretation and backlash. It’s easy to see how the vessels of communication–twitter, FaceBook, etc.–only expand or exacerbate what you say and do. It’s like being out there naked.
On the one had, we need to understand that we need to hold to integrity and responsibility at even higher levels than before. We can probably all recall certain days of political splendor when this or that president, head of state or representative got busted for fooling around with The Other Woman, and their lives went down the tubes. Now, though, one leaked email can throw your entire life into hell. One post on MySpace, FaceBook or Twitter can blow your whole existence out of the water.
On the other hand, look at how someone with a solid commitment to living their dreams can suddenly be blasted up to the top of the attention heap–I’m thinking of Susan Boyle. What a ride she went on! And she’s back, too, after all that initial grueling exposure.
Social media is more than a bunch of silly apps that you can use to say, ‘hey I dyed my left 3 eyelashes purple today.’ So, how to use them?!?
Dream deeply. Take a stand for what you believe in. Drag all your dreams to the surface of your life and implement them as soon as you can. Use these simple yet powerful tools to get the word out about what you have of value to offer people, and radiate light and creativity as you go.
And at the same time, prepare your mind, body and emotions to be able to take the onslaught of energy that is coming to you through being more exposed. We all saw how Susan Boyle struggled with being so exposed so massively. I think that, in the next few years, the energy and the communication we will have at hand will be even more expanded, even more powerful.
Are you ready?
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© Angela Treat Lyon 2009. Live your Dreams! Become a VIP at LittleRedTappingBooks.com–get great freebies and all new products one whole week before the general public. Feel free to use this article on your blog or newsletter–please use the complete article and include this entire info. Thanks!
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