How do modern forms of entertainment impact our conciousness?

[AstralJosh]

Hi,

I know, very heavy title but it was the best way i could describe it, not looking to write a thesis or anything...

So my thought was primarily on music, tv/film, games and reading and how these affect us in the long term evolution of ourselves and if there may be a future way of having these somewhat passive experiences impact our higher conscious.

My view is that a lot of these stimuli affect me on a purely organic level, just as 'getting in the zone' when i listen to my favourite music or providing me with new insights when I watch a documentary or speech on the tv but none of these particularly engage with me on a higher thought-plane but nor do I feel them 'dumbing' me down.

There are pros and cons to both and the simple answer is 'it depends' but to investigate it a little deeper i would like to hear your thoughts, based upon experience or anything.

Josh

I think that these media have not existed nearly long enough for there to be a noticeable effect on human evolution. There haven't been enough generations for natural selection to take much effect. But I get the impression you meant "evolution" in a non-scientific sense or in reference to things like cultural paradigms/norms. The answer to that is definitely yes. There's a lot of research that back this up. Dig around on PEW research for a little while and you'll find plenty. Media marketing in particular conditions certain ways of thinking about things. It focuses and directs our attention, and where we focus our attention directly influences how we think about things. To use an example, our standards of human beauty are significantly influenced by how humans are portrayed in the media.

Originally Posted by AstralJosh

Hi,

I know, very heavy title but it was the best way i could describe it, not looking to write a thesis or anything...

So my thought was primarily on music, tv/film, games and reading and how these affect us in the long term evolution of ourselves and if there may be a future way of having these somewhat passive experiences impact our higher conscious.

My view is that a lot of these stimuli affect me on a purely organic level, just as 'getting in the zone' when i listen to my favourite music or providing me with new insights when I watch a documentary or speech on the tv but none of these particularly engage with me on a higher thought-plane but nor do I feel them 'dumbing' me down.

There are pros and cons to both and the simple answer is 'it depends' but to investigate it a little deeper i would like to hear your thoughts, based upon experience or anything.

Josh

first, let me say that I don't believe that this type of stimuli affects our conscienceness in any way that would be detrimental to our soul growth, but on the other hand one would have to ask how you feel after listening or viewing something.....does it elevate your vibration and make you feel good and that all is well with the world....or does it make you dark and despondent?
I tend to stick with lighthearted shows like "the voice" altho I do watch a lot of political shows, which simply make me feel indignant and wanting to contribute to a better world....so, it's up to you......love and light

For me, the power of the media is a yellow brick roads that take us to where they want us to go. Create the nemesis or hero and let the ego do the rest. Seems sombody always has to be wrong so another can be right. Hard to sort out just the facts. Picking through my conscioiusness only to find bits and pieces laying about after an interlude with the media.

Hi AstralJosh

Current tv, film,music etc. is based on demand of the publice. These commercial entertainers give us all that we need. What I like is based on level of my consciousness. My tastes change in accordance with the progress of my spirtual practice. 6 years ago I used to watch movies and sports etc. Now I have not seen movies and sports for past 5 years. It is all due to change of my interests. I do not get any juice out movies and sports. So if majority of the public turn spiritual then the media will change accordingly.

Welcome to the forums.
I'm a sometime fiction writer, and love films.... And have started similar topics at varied sites and welcome yours.

1... The Matrix had a huge impact in pop culture, merging philosophy with action very successfully .. and raising discussions that might never have occurred.

2... SciFi books were a significant influence in my youth, and entertained questions-realities no other genre discussed.

3...I recall lots of popular& "folk" music in the 60's-early 70's that raised social and philosophical themes that inspired, moved millions of that generation.
Can one imagine the political/social upheavals-rebellions without the music that spoke about this... not likely.

Indian spiritual music also was introduced to the masses through pop musicians and later had a devoted following as a result of this exposure.

4... "2001" was profoundly philosophical for its time,
Apocolypse Now was a powerful inditement of the Vietnam conflict.
X Files reflected a growing mistrust of govt secrecy.
Close Encounters had a personal message for me, and was among the very very few films which represented ET civilization, and the universe as benevolent.
Many spiritually themed film attained modest success. and inspired viewers.


I haven't read fiction in a decade, or watched TV in that long so I've little to say about that.

Yeah, there is a massive amount of corrosive , pessimistic films being produced that celebrate
casual violence and represent humanity as gun toting thugs, vigilantes ...

But for those who prefer
beauty,humor and a somewhat optimistic view of human nature.. such things ARE being produced.

Pop music for the most part , I see as primarily entertainment. Yet some certainly touches-moves-comforts our hearts.

Modern reality can be challenging, depressing... and healthy media/entertainment is better than Prozac.

Yeah I can remember a few films that left me high for a few hours....

"Limitless" had me flying all afternoon, on it's suggestion of untapped potentials.
"Close Encounters" was nearly a religious experience for me.
"Last Avatar" likewise was a trippy fantasy.
"Forbidden Planet" touched me quite deeply,(our-my forgotten past)
"The Fifth Element" likewise knocked my socks off (the ending)

Stories CAN awaken forgotten potentials within us.

Likewise... scary ones can be troublesome... The Exorcist gave me nightmares for weeks... and taught me to avoid such stories.

[silent energy]

My feeling on this issue is that our media has an enormous affect on our culture and that television, in particular, is a tool of mind control. When we watch television for an extended period of time, we enter a light trance where our subconscious minds are opened to the messages given by television and television is full of negative messages. Violence, materalism, body image, celebrity worship, propaganda etc. Now for a person who has a higher level of awareness and consciousness television doesn't affect them as bad as it does to a normal person who can't see what's going on. People might think that our media is based on our culture but I see it the other way that our culture is the way it is thanks to our negative media. The human being throughout their life is conditioned to think and act a certain way and our culture has a major impact on the conditioning of a human. Of course having a media to shape our culture and to condition humans a certain way benefits the negative elite and all you have to do is see that a handful of corporations ownes the majority of television stations, newspaper companies, motion pictures companies etc in America. But I believe what has the most impact on our media is the overall collective consciousness of the planet and as more and more people awaken I am beginning to see more positive signs on television where for example the news is reporting on important stories that before they would have ignored and more and more television shows are more positive when before they were all negative. Also, a lot of commericals I've noticed are centered around spiritual trends and stuff like that.

On a personal note, coldplay is my kind of music and mad men is my kind of tv show

Matt

Originally Posted by MindOverMatter

My feeling on this issue is that our media has an enormous affect on our culture and that television, in particular, is a tool of mind control. When we watch television for an extended period of time, we enter a light trance where our subconscious minds are opened to the messages given by television and television is full of negative messages. Violence, materalism, body image, celebrity worship, propaganda etc.have to do is see that a handful of corporations ownes the majority of television stations, newspaper companies, motion pictures companies etc in America.
Matt

Regarding the negative side of media, I couldn't agree more.
Though I might disagree that all those catagories are necessarily undesirable.


It's been said the average youth has seen at least 1500 murders on TV.
And this is before they have significant life experience to learn how real people act.

Violent video games really disturb me, where guns are treated as toys, and opponents destroyed without any blood. Hardly a true version of reality.

[mintkiss]

First I'd like to share one of my favorite forms of media. A particular movie that resonates within me to this day. "What Dreams May Come" for me just felt so "true". It made a lot of sense spiritually for me and was simply a beautiful film in my opinion. Ohhh for nostalgia I just may watch it.


I do feel that however some forms of media are not so positive. While there are exceptions some media is created simply because that's what people want such as South Park for example. Many people simply love the show and find it hilarious. I have to give South Park credit because while it is humerus it often breaks media barriers about issues we are conditioned to think are "acceptable"

This is an American perspective however and I feel that American media tends to be much more "In your face". At least according to some albeit minimal research I have done on American advertising compared to other countries advertising.

A prime example for how American television does impact the consciousness is the news. Make no mistake right now for the 2012 elections the candidates have been chosen for Americans by the media, not the other way around. Many agree Obama or Romney are both terrible choices most don't want but turn on the television and belieive what you see you'd think otherwise. The media 100% refuses to show Ron Paul as anything but an absolute nut case, a loon. In reality, Ron Paul is simply a strict constitutionalist. Yet somehow in American media strictly following the constitution, the document which is meant to be the HIGHEST form of law is rarely truly genuinely discussed. Other candidates say they will follow it, but only as a talking point not in a genuine manner. The news NEVER covered when Obama signed the NDAA which effectively takes away many American's rights. Where's the out-rage? Where's the news coverage? It's not there for what's important. What the news actually covers is very carefully picked. I believe that. I do not mean to offend anyone just trying to share an example. Wherever you stand politically, I respect you I just respectfully ask : Please do non-bias research from different angles and perspectives of the candidate you support.

That's just one example for how I think yes, our media does try to shape people's minds and consciousness.