#joost meerloo

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Poetic Outlaws :: @OutlawsPoetic

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“Totalitarianism is man’s escape from the fearful realities of life into the virtual womb of the leaders. The individual’s actions are directed from this womb – from the inner sanctum. . . man need no longer assume responsibility for his own life. The order and logic of the prenatal world reign. There is peace and silence, the peace of utter submission.”

—Joost Meerloo

[1five1two]

Puzzlement and doubt are, however, already crimes in the totalitarian state. The mind that is open for questions is open for dissent. In the totalitarian regime the doubting, inquisitive, and imaginative mind has to be suppressed. The totalitarian slave is only allowed to memorize, to salivate when the bell rings.

Joost Meerloo

[lioninsunheart]

“Totalitarianism is man’s escape from the fearful realities of life into the virtual womb of the leaders. The individual’s actions are directed from this womb – from the inner sanctum. . . man need no longer assume responsibility for his own life. The order and logic of the prenatal world reign. There is peace and silence, the peace of utter submission.”

—Joost Meerloo -

[theascendedpath]

"There is another important weapon the totalitarians use in their campaign to frighten the world into submission. This is the weapon of psychological shock. Hitler kept his enemies in a state of constant confusion and diplomatic upheaval. They never knew what this unpredictable madman was going to do next. Hitler was never logical, because he knew that that was what he was expected to be. Logic can be met with logic, while illogic cannot—it confuses those who think straight. The Big Lie and monotonously repeated nonsense have more emotional appeal in a cold war than logic and reason. While the enemy is still searching for a reasonable counter-argument to the first lie, the totalitarians can assault him with another."

- Joost Meerloo, The Rape Of The Mind

[lisystrata]

«14 juillet. — Fête de la République. Je me suis promené par les rues. Les pétards et les drapeaux m’amusaient comme un enfant. C’est pourtant fort bête d’être joyeux, à date fixe, par décret du gouvernement. Le peuple est un troupeau imbécile, tantôt stupidement patient et tantôt férocement révolté. On lui dit: «Amuse-toi.» Il s’amuse. On lui dit: «Va te battre avec le voisin.» Il va se battre. On lui dit : «Vote pour l’Empereur.» Il vote pour l’Empereur. Puis, on lui dit : «Vote pour la République.» Et il vote pour la République. Ceux qui le dirigent sont aussi sots; mais au lieu d’obéir à des hommes, ils obéissent à des principes, lesquels ne peuvent être que niais, stériles et faux, par cela même qu’ils sont des principes, c’est-à-dire des idées réputées certaines et immuables, en ce monde où l’on n’est sûr de rien, puisque la lumière est une illusion, puisque le bruit est une illusion»...

Guy de Maupassant "Le Horla"

[a-letheia2020]

Mass delusion

“The greatest enemy of learning in man, is the conviction of knowing already. There is no greater hindrance to teaching someone than his conceit about knowing already and the delusion that he is already able to do all the things he wants to do. Prejudice is the enemy of adequate ideas, and those acquired in early youth from environment and tradition are so dangerous because of their tenacity and overvaluation. The historical pattern of action and the inborn knowledge which resides in a group or in masses form such a tenacious prejudice. (...) Such rudiments of collective archaic feeling still exist in every human being. They are always ready to vibrate when certain political sounds come through the air. When these obscure ideas move the human being they destroy all logic. Under the impact of such suggestions man may throw overboard all he has learned.”

“Totalitarian or dictatorial thinking is a remnant of archaic times. Objective verification of ideas is rejected since no reality beyond the dictatorial opinion exists. The deviant point of view is considered dangerous for the weak. Free thought is experienced as a thwarting, hostile force. The critical word, the deviating attitude, the non-conformism of one man threatens the clan. The individual is only permitted to think with the tribe. Archaic thinking follows what we might call an imperialistic strategy. It lulls people to sleep, it resists their consciousness and critical confrontation, it suppresses all individual creativity. Totalitarian thinking is identifying thinking; it takes account only of totalities and never of parts. Specific and particular forms have no value. Only the recurrent and expected is accepted. (...) Every man is mass. Delusion and archaic thinking can therefore take possession of his mind. Human thinking is never completed. It must always reformulate its conception of reality; it must always expand. Man must grow together with changing reality. In this evolutionary process, he must offer resistance to the archaic remnants in his soul. He must become aware of the creative unconscious forces which form his thought patterns. Objectivity toward the world can only come about through a certain degree of inward objectivity. Man is the mediator between two spheres - between the objective world and the subjective inner experiences. When any one of these spheres acquires too firm a hold over his mind, man becomes prey to error and delusion. He is no longer himself and his hands act apart from his real individual being.”

Dr. Joost A.M. Meerloo, “Delusion and mass delusion”

[the-original-b]

It is extremely difficult to escape the mechanically repeated suggestions of everyday life. Even when our critical mind rejects them, they seduce us into doing what our intellect tell us is stupid.

The Rape of the Mind (1956)