It would seem as if more and more these days, that more and more people have developed a herd-like mindset. It’s not clear to me if things have always been this way, grown slowly through time, or if I am simply part of an unfortunate generation born into this mess, just after everything began to crumble.

   I recall the Nazi mind-scientists played around with recorded messages; played-back 24 hours a day to subjects in order to destroy thinking patterns. I also recall that around the same time as the Nazis were shipped to America, that television made its debut in the minds of the public. When TV “programs” began playing 24-hours a day, I am uncertain.

   Those same scientists also played with mind-altering drugs… nowadays, 80% of children nationwide are on prescription psycho-actives for a variety “diseases” of the mind.

   Humans with herd-like mentalities show little to no individual thoughts of their own (despite how strongly they insist on their individuality). When the herd moves, they move. When the herd is idle, they too, are idle.

   In Judeo-Christian tradition, the messiah is denoted as the “shepherd” or even as a lamb… an animal which displays herd-like mindsets. Perhaps this Herd Meme has been around for a long time, perhaps from the beginnings of civilization.

   Thinking back on it, it seems that the peoples deemed “primitive” in our eyes (those whom display no forms of civilization) have more individual thinkers per capita. In fact, their societies lack herd-like mindsets entirely. True, each one will conform to each culture, but for each “primitive”, his/her own WILL is enacted. He/She has to in order to survive. In our “civilized” societies, one is not obligated to fulfill his/her own WILL (In some cases, it is even repressed!). With our luxuries and decadence, we have the gift of opting out on acting on one’s WILL. We can just “go with the flow”, as it were.

BECOME ONE

ALL IS ONE

   A repeating mantra blasted at you unceasingly through megaphone, stereo, cathode ray, hi-fi, wi-fi and this and that! This is what we civilized beings must hear and must do. All urged to get behind one thing – to become one thing -- one thing that is bigger than US! Unfortunately, there is nothing in this world bigger than the experience in US. Though we recognize this fact, we still press on to create something to stand in awe of. Something that will last god knows how long and be able to say, “Look at this! Look at what we have done!” As if it were the best we could ever do! Bah!

   One thing is clear, however such things do not last. In fact, nothing lasts. All is CHANGEing. So, whatever we build, will eventually be destroyed. And this little system that we have built under us, to support us, will too be destroyed. What will you do then? Could you live in a world where none of your precious luxuries exist? Will you survive whatever apocalyptic future is ahead of us?

   To the HERD, I give your answer to you; No. The herd was created along with this thing in order to feed it. If all did their own WILL, all cohesion would be lost, and the thing would disappear. Our power-hungry desires wouldn’t want that to happen. And so, the herd was made to break their backs in carrying the colossal structure by their shoulders. Underneath the weight they break, smiling all the way! And should that structure fail, they will be the first to be crushed by it. Others will inevitably be crushed as well, but, only those whom have a WILL of their own will be able to survive. They will live on to tell the tale of the Tower of Babel, of Atlantis, of Rama and of Shangri-la.

            The tales turn to legend and legends turn to myth. Then the cycle begins again…