Sigmund Freud was a father of psychology and psychoanalysis, most people know this. What a lot of people don’t know is, his nephew, Edward Bernays, used this information to create what we now know as public relations. He understood human emotion and how to manipulate and control the mass through media, advertising, news, propaganda, commodities and idea pushing.

These tools were used to help sway the population’s votes, choices, beliefs and not so transparently, control the herd. When women were looked down upon for smoking cigarettes in the early 1900’s, he helped create an ad campaign that would change everything overnight. Poof, people began to accept women smoking, making the cigarette industry boom.

According to Wikipedia, “Bernays argued that the manipulation of public opinion was a necessary part of democracy”.

He used techniques like using third party testimonials to convince the public of new ideas. If someone with respect told the group to do it or buy it, the herd would most of the time agree and consent. For instance, Americans used to eat a super duper light breakfast (like a piece of fruit and juice) and he used physicians to inspire the nation to eat bigger breakfasts with a focus on eggs and bacon products.

The two of us had to figure out on our own that our bodies do not want to be stuffed to the brim three times a day. Breakfast, lunch and dinner was made up. We eat when we’re hungry, a little bit at a time, like most all animals on the planet. It’s so incredible to be born and fall in line, follow rules and eventually figure out what’s going on. We got rid of our phones, television, stopped watching movies and began using that time to really better our lives.

Today Americans are hit with advertisements left and right, urging people to keep spending, keep working, consume and die. Rather than waking up and working for the man, getting paid and giving it back to the man, we could be working on ourselves and working together to create a reality based on far better things, like saving the planet.

The future is in our hands. We can only hope that more people choose to use their power to be positive examples and spread the word to disconnect from the mayhem. We can then start connecting with ourselves, each other and regain our connection with nature. If everyone can wake up, be responsible, look around and make better personal choices, it will lead to wonderful change for all. We’re excited to shift directions and see other’s finally seeing through the ever-thinning veil.