The alpha level of mind

How many times have you purchased a new household item or electronic gadget that is a little too complicated for your basic abilities so you pull out the huge instruction manual…only to discover that the technical writer was severely lacking in an understanding of the English language? How does it make you feel about all the money the manufacturer saved by outsourcing the task of Technical Writing to an overseas company? Does it make you feel better to know that technical assistance is available over the phone at a nominal cost per minute? How about when you discover the person on the other end of the line has difficulty understanding your problem, and you have difficulty understanding what that person is saying?

It is undeniable that a language disconnect can be the most frustrating situation imaginable…especially when one party is in dire need and the other party professes the ability to solve the problem but is handcuffed by a lack of clear understanding about what the problem actually is.

Can you imagine a situation where this disconnect is intentionally contrived? If not, you probably haven’t spent enough time watching the cable news media regarding historical political events, the latest being the revealing of the identity of “Deep Throat”.
Each event seems to be addressed by producing the same faces spewing the same rhetorical explanation that were used to address the preceding event, and will undoubtedly be used to address any future events. The result of this process is to cultivate a culture of confusion, boredom and ultimate ignorance regarding these events and the truth about them. It is intentionally contrived, and it works.

Confusion is an invitation to the rational mind to take a short break, and escape into the area know as the alpha level of mind (daydream time). This is a natural level of mind that occurs many times during the normal day, most frequently during times of boredom or stress. It is at this level of mind that we remove natural inhibitions to healing and learning. During this level of mind, we are most susceptible to the impact of visual media…images accompanied by concepts.
Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) is a study, an explanation, and an application of techniques designed to utilize confusion to permanently alter patterns of behavior that are less than beneficial. Much has been written about NLP, but this Thom Hartmann review of a book and DVD by George Lakoff will bring you a long way toward understanding why ignorance is the only legal tender used by the Republican elite and their lackeys.