1984
One of the most bone chilling books that was ever written was the novel, 1984, by English author, George Orwell. Written in 1949, the events of the book take place in a dystopian future Great Britain in the year 1984. In this suffocating totalitarian world, the societal controllers mercilessly control the population. Every facet of a person’s existence is under surveillance. This is done through a variety of methods.
One method of control is through a relentless system of closed circuit television (CCTV) surveillance. Every room of every building has a CCTV camera that is monitored by the controllers. Every word is monitored. All actions that a person takes is observed by cameras. Where I used to work we had cameras watching everybody. The joke was that one day as you finish with your business in a men’s room stall, you’ll hear a loudspeaker say, “Hey there, you’re using too much toilet paper!”
In the book 1984, all individuals must follow the prescribed ways of the controllers in every way. At home, at work, at play. Those individuals who are observed to rebel against the established order are “dealt with” by the controllers. And not in a good way. And don’t ever get sent to Room 101. Those who come out of Room 101 never, ever rebel again.
In the world of 1984, you are under surveillance twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, fifty two weeks a year, until you die. One could very well say that living a life like that is already death.
So why all the surveillance cameras in this nightmare world of 1984? One word answer – control. If the government controllers see something that they do not like, they take immediate action to change it. Through constant surveillance they control the population.
Surveillance Cameras Are Everywhere
What does the term surveillance actually mean? Wikipedia describes surveillance as “the monitoring of behavior, activities or information for the purpose of intelligence gathering, influencing, managing or directing”. Probably the most common method of surveillance is the use of CCTV cameras. Other methods include the use of satellite imagery, wiretapping, intercepting internet traffic, postal intercepts, drones and old fashioned observation by a human.
The latest figures on the proliferation of surveillance cameras reveal that an estimated one billion such cameras are in place in 2022. Fifty percent of those are employed in China. That is one camera for every eight people in the word. The numbers are exponentially increasing. By 2030, experts estimate an astounding thirteen billion surveillance cameras will be in place. That will be one and a half surveillance cameras for every human being on the planet!
What are the reasons for the exponential increase in the use of surveillance cameras? The number one reason provided by the installers of the cameras is: security. It may be to identify suspicious persons around sensitive government facilities. Cities and states place surveillance cameras in public places in an effort to reduce crime. Private businesses, such as banks, use surveillance cameras to deter would be robbers. The local liquor store even has surveillance cameras everywhere, both inside and outside the store. They even have one watching the dumpster out back (Sorry fella, no dumpster diving at our dumpster).
The basic reason for the placement of surveillance cameras anywhere is to watch. To watch for anything that is not right and then to respond to said situation promptly and effectively.
King Solomon Advocated Constant Surveillance
King Solomon was a king of ancient Israel. He ruled Israel some three thousand years ago. Solomon is primarily remembered for two things: wisdom and wealth. He wrote the book of Proverbs. Proverbs is a book in the third section (Ketuvim) of the Hebrew Bible. It is also included in the Christian Old Testament. Within the Book of Proverbs is the verse Proverbs 4:23. This verse highlights the urgency for a person to have constant surveillance of the thoughts of their mind.
There are many translations of Proverbs 4:23. The first reference is the translation from the Ketuvim. This comes from the website Sefaria. The verse is as follows: “More than all that you guard, guard your mind. For it is the source of life”.
Another translation of the verse comes from the translator, A Faithful Version. This is a translation that is faithful to the true meaning of the original Hebrew and Greek. It emphasizes word for word accuracy. This translation is as follows: “Above all, guard the door of your mind with diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”.
With Proverbs 4:23, Solomon was explaining that the Kingdom of God is within you. Everything in your life starts with the thoughts of your mind. Everything. The thoughts of your mind that you cling to, lead to how you feel inside. How you feel leads to your inner beliefs. Your inner beliefs then create the outer circumstances of your life.
Solomon knew. He is warning you to pay attention. Be aware of the thoughts that enter your mind. All day. Every day. Regret, fear, doubt, resentment. Every manner of self-harming thought must not be allowed to linger. If you allow them to take up residence, it will ultimately result in something nasty in outer circumstances of your life.
Thoughts Are Things
Thoughts are things. By themselves however, they manifest nothing. Thoughts require imaginative belief. The addition of imaginative belief allows thoughts to flower into reality. Thoughts. Feelings. Beliefs. Reality.
Take the example of you receiving a new car. A thought about a new car is simply that – a thought about a new car. For the thought to conceive, it must be married. There must be an accompanying spiritual sensation.
You have a thought about owning a new car. Or you have a thought that you are never going to be able to get a new car. The choice of which thought you nurture is yours.
If you choose the first thought, then begin the imaginative process. Actually feel the seat under your buttocks as you start the car. Smell the aroma of the new car. Feel the handling of the new car as you drive it. Admire the texture and color of the exterior. Marvel at all the features in the interior of the car. Listen to the dynamite sound system of the car. Hear the passenger in the car rave about how much they like the car.
Feel your gratitude that you now have a beautiful car to drive for many years. You have a car that meets all your needs. You have a car that in your old way of thinking you could not see any way that you would ever get it. And now it is yours. Damn, even I am getting excited and thankful just writing about it.
Do not concern yourself as to how it will come about. Just go to the end result. Stay in the end result. Things will happen to ultimately to bring about your desired reality, if you are faithful. Keep your thoughts and feelings and belief in the end result.
Over 6,000 A Day
A 2020 research study took place at The Center For Neuroscience Studies, Ontario, Canada. The study authors used brain imaging scans to track when a new thought began in each study participant.
The participants were asked to watch movies. Transitions between events in movies are known to trigger what’s called “thought worms”. These are patterns of brain activity identifying when thoughts come and go in your brain.
The researchers were able to distinguish that the average participant had over 6,000 thoughts per day. The study itself is available online. The title is: “Brain Meta-State Transitions Demarcating Thoughts Across Task Contexts Exposing The Mental Noise Of Trait Neuroticism”.
You think a lot of thoughts every day. Thoughts come. Thoughts go. Be careful which ones you let hang around. Practice Daily Surveillance. Whichever thoughts you allow to take root will subsequently create an accompanying feeling within you. Starve the thoughts that cause havoc. Feed the thoughts leading you unto success. Success is defined as “the achievement of desired results”. For example, “The Kingdom of God is within me. I am an expression of success in every aspect of my life”. Feels good, doesn’t it? When you irrevocably believe it, it feels ever so much better. Guard your thoughts.
A Fateful Chain Reaction
Look again at that last line from the Proverbs verse. The first translation is: “For it is the source of life”. The second translation has: “for out of it are the issues of life”.
Many translations interpose the word mind with the word heart (“guard your heart”). What the heart is, originates in the mind. An actual human heart just pumps blood. What is meant by heart is those thoughts of the mind that lead to feeling (loving thoughts, hateful thoughts, etc.). Feelings then lead to beliefs. Beliefs then lead to you living a life that reflects back to you your beliefs.
What Solomon is saying is that every facet, every aspect, every issuance of your life springs forth from your mind. Once you allow a thought to take hold, the fateful chain reaction begins. When an atom is split, there is a fateful chain reaction. The reaction culminates in either the creation of peaceful energy (nuclear power) or tsunami-like destruction (nuclear bomb). Thus it is with you, my friend. Thus it is with your life. Thought. Thought acceptance and retention (through your free will). Feeling and emotion brought forth as a result of your thought. Thought and feeling culminate in belief. Once the belief is fully rooted, it is ultimately manifested in your outer circumstances. A fateful chain reaction.
A Full Time Job With Zero Days Off
An employer offering a seven day a week full time job with zero days off. Sounds pretty lame, doesn’t it? In your job of guarding your thoughts however, the rewards to you will be beautiful. Well worth your effort. When you are relentless in ignoring detrimental thoughts, they will atrophy and die. If you can’t seem to ignore it, then substitute it with a thought that is beneficial to you. Think about God.
Just like the Chevy Corvette, there is just room for two in your mind – You as the driver and whatever thought you elect to sit next to you. You choose who you want to sit in the Corvette of your mind – empowering thought or disabling thought. It’s your choice. It always has been.
“Above all, guard the door of your mind with diligence, for out of it are the issues of life”.
“More than all that you guard, guard your mind. For it is the source of life”.
Every minute. Every hour. Every day. Every week. Every month. Every year. Every year of your life until your breathe your last breath. Live Proverbs 4: 23. If you choose to do this, you will be delighted with the events that take place in your life. As many times as you fall down along the way, just get up, and then keep on walking in the powerful wisdom of Proverbs 4:23.
Conceive. Believe. Receive.
