How to raise society's level of consciousness?

[Oscar Frye]

Hi everybody,
This video discusses our society's obsession with violence and crime, what its omnipresence does to our mind, and how it sets the wrong example.

https://youtu.be/kTLRYf2iqDo

Blessings to all.

[iamthat]

I tend not to watch video links as life is too short. And a video about society's obsession with crime and violence does not appeal to me.

As for how to raise society's level of consciousness, I suggest we each start with raising our own level of consciousness, letting go of all that is violent within. If we do not change, how can we expect society to change?

Peace

Yup. The first and best thing we can do for the world is what we can do for ourselves. Lead by example because actions speak much louder than words. Ripples in the pond...

[lemex]

Originally Posted by JustASimpleGuy

Ripples in the pond...

Are the ripples group karma and can we see that, it happens this quickly (immediately and direct). There is little doubt many feel change is what must happen yet change has always been and is always resisted. I mean I remember this being said so many years ago which is interesting. So we can't say it is something new. Yet society is changing and where we think it is slow it is happening so quickly. I can't keep up with them. This is just an observation, we already have leaders (and we already listen). Are leaders (like) teachers and does cause effect apply? Do we need new ones?

I think part of the answer is understanding when it is said about letting go of all that is violent within, it is not violence perse but better to say, let go of all the attachment within. It is attachment that lead to negativity. For instance, the desire for wealth or power leads to violent within. Anger also lead to violence. The desire for money is like the desire for anger if it leads to violence and is as bad as violence. Which one is the mirror. It isn't one thing imo. Much of what is done is allowed and this means taking personal responsibility.

Those not wanting others things will not change.

Change has happened, think back years ago, and today is different from the past. Social awareness is growing with each generation and becomes more prominent with each one and we can predict this and is a sign of change even today. I've noticed change is generational and consciousness changes with each generation. I notice conflict today being seen past based, the past being the ripples. There is a tremendous amount of confusion and negativity, I never thought there would be such negativity and this is what needs to change. People within themselves will need to become more enlightened and what it brings.

I'm not even sure anyone could raise society's level of consciousness.
Think of it: although a fairly simplistic view, society is defined by its shared orientations and values: things that emerge as norms through upbringing, education, marketing, religions and so on.

An individual owns their consciousness which is unique which will lead them to unravel themselves from social conditioning if they actively contemplate.

I suspect the levels of violence (in fact anarchy generally) is down to the mistaken belief that new values/orientations can be taught or imposed by law on people. They tend to suppress self-expression, freedom of speech, economics; to produce a new normal. "Family" is falling apart; duty and responsibility have been scrapped in favour of privilege and entitlement. Among other things it's led to indebtedness which can be stressful. Those succumbing to it rarely understand what's going on and just let it abrade against traditional values.

(You can exclude the usual teenage take against authority which seems to be the old normal out of which the young eventually grow as they take on responsibility).

But it's more complex by miles than my simple points here. I likewise didn't watch the video as I doubted it would come up with a solution.
.

[FallingLeaves]

from the tao te ching, ch 57:

When the world has an abundance of prohibitions and taboos
People seem increasingly inadequate
When men have an abundance of beneficial tools
Confusion multiplies in the families of the nation
When men have an abundance of skills and cleverness
Surprising things arise and multiply
When laws and decrees multiply conspicuously
Men get labeled as robbers and thieves.
-------------------------------------------------------

all this because we compare to what is promoted as the norm... and the more explicit the leaders are about what the norm is the harder it is to keep up with them...

"You have to be the changes you wish to see."
Gandhi

"We are the Ones we have been waiting for."

[ajay00]

The vicinity or region around an enlightened sage is said to be filled with positive vibrations or energies, which is potent on its own to change negativity into positivity within a human or sentient being to a certain degree.

There are many stories in this regard of how a passerby visiting a certain place where a sage lived, noted with surprise how even the violent reptiles or animals are nonviolent and peaceful and does not harm each other, even the natural predators.

The Buddha is said to have converted Angulimala, a serial killer, into a harmless monk.

There are also credible stories of rabid dogs, rampaging elephants, agitated animals calming down before the presence of enlightened sages.

The Buddha nature is there within all human beings, waiting to be manifested.

Even if we all cannot be sages, regular practice of meditation, mindfulness, unconditional love and compassion and spiritual practices can release positive energies which can improve the regions where we live in for the better.I know many cases in this regard.

The Maharishi Effect states that a certain number of people (1% of the people in a given area) practicing transcendental meditation in a certain region can bring beneficial effects to the place.

There is a lot of truth in this in that it is the positive energies resulted from such meditation practice that brings about the beneficial changes.


Amit Ray, an enlightened sage had stated the purpose of life itself is the emission of positive vibrations in every direction and in every way possible.

“It does not matter how long you are spending on the earth, how much money you have gathered or how much attention you have received. It is the amount of positive vibration you have radiated in life that matters,”― Amit Ray,

[snowyowl]

According to Spiral Dynamics (SD), individuals and societies progress through a predictable series of stages and if you try to develop yourself, another person, or a whole group too fast, will result in backlashes and spiritual shadows.
Societies as a whole progress very slowly, and the strategy for improvements needs tailoring to where most people are to begin with. This may be why politics, and most 'consciousness-raising' movements meet with such a lot of argument.

Here in the UK, I'd say we're mostly at SD stages blue & orange, so I'm not surprised all the stage green folks campaigning for zero carbon, veganism, tolerance and open borders etc trigger those at earlier stages.

[HITESH SHAH]

Originally Posted by Oscar Frye

Hi everybody,
This video discusses our society's obsession with violence and crime, what its omnipresence does to our mind, and how it sets the wrong example.

It's pretty interesting thread . Changing the consciousness of society is very big thing . It does not happen in a day . It takes tremendous time and effort on society's part and finally the Grace of God . It involves co-operation of every part of the society rich&poor , ruled and ruler , learned and unlearned , famous n ordinary . But most important is it begins first with self because that alone reflects true self and that alone delights God . Mere preaching without reciprocal actions does not succeed. It never succeeds by trying to get things done through others while not working on self.