For centuries humans have been using the mind as a weapon to target the minds of their adversaries or those from whom some work or benefit is to be extracted.
While the wise ones desisted from such use of the mind and focused inwards on higher truths, the others continued to experiment and build expertise in using the mind for varied external gains even when weapons and strength were the decisive factors in general.
For many decades now politicians and businessmen have been polishing this craft for the modern era to achieve various aims. The development of information technology and media coupled with the introduction of social media, have intensified this war being waged on the mental level though few realise this.
Basically, the technology and destructive potential of weapons has reached such a level that if nations depend solely on traditional warfare to subdue rivals, they might end up eradicating civilisations and suffer more from the consequences themselves.
Hence, while nations continue to maintain their weapons and armies, most have realised that the most effective weapon is the mind. Instead of killing the adversaries, influencing their minds and converting their beliefs is the more effective measure for securing control and long term gains. Look at any invasion or political campaign during this century and you will find that in most cases it all began with how the issue in question was perceived. Battles were waged, elections were contested and won- all on the basis of perception and some action. This is where the expertise of those using the mind to target minds comes into play.
A nation is perceived to have weapons of mass destruction or its people are believed to be suffering under a despotic regime, so it is invaded to restore world peace and democracy. It is another thing that the WMDs are not found after the invasion, destruction and trillions of dollars being exchanged in business deals.
Such armed invasions are not so easy to undertake now due to the enhanced flow of information across the globe and rising influence of public perception and outrage.
So, the powers that be have adapted to the changing times and focus more on deception than armed conflict. Recently, a group of ‘intellectuals’ wrote to the prime minister expressing concern about intolerance and lynchings of minorities. In a society, it is good to raise one’s voice against wrongdoings but the proclivity of certain elements for cherrypicking and viewing victims of crimes and injustice based on their religion and caste appears questionable to say the least.
In a democracy it is important for citizens to question and demand fair action but in this case it appears as if the focus is on projecting an incomplete picture to present a distorted image. Political fortunes, trade, international relations and beliefs of individuals who constitute communities are all affected to varied extents by such image projections- good or bad.
However, attempts at distorting the reality are often questioned. In this case, another group of noted personalities have come out with a statement against “selective outrage and false narratives”. It is difficult for any government to be perfect so spin doctors and counterspin doctors continue to thrive. But, the problem with such games is that those playing these often get carried away by the deception and ignore the more alarming issues.
The most serious challenge facing us is climate change because its effects will affect us all, not just a particular group. A recent study has ascertained that underwater melting of glaciers is occurring 100 times faster than previously believed.
While the generally cool parts of Europe and even Alaska in USA have been experiencing heat waves, here in Uttarakhand there has been a 39 per cent deficit in the rains so far this monsoon. The weather patterns have been erratic for some years now and we have also been experiencing the effects of these changes. However, the corrective actions have been limited largely to expressing concern and tree plantations more for show than actual effect. At the same time, our actions which are contributing to environmental degradation have continued largely unabated. Here again, most of us have been influenced into believing that environmental degradation and climate change are either non-issues or not as alarming as issues like ‘intolerance’ raised by certain segments.
It is another thing that whether we believe it or not, climate change is happening as concluded by various scientific studies and experienced by people across the world. Our refusal to acknowledge and act will not make the problem go away.
This is the time to focus and act on the most serious problem first and tackle other issues simultaneously or as and when required. We cannot afford to delay anymore because at this rate, life will be unimaginably different—not in a good way—in a few years if we do not act now.