by Lawrence Wilson, MD

THE GREAT SHIFT

by Dr. Lawrence Wilson

A profound shift is taking place on planet earth that is unlike anything that has ever occurred before. The shift is from scarcity to abundance, from widespread oppression to freedom for most people, and at a psychological level, from more fear to more love.

While totally positive, oddly enough this shift is also disruptive for many people. Many find themselves feeling anxious and even depressed. This article seeks to explain the causes and nature of the great shift, and how to cope with it successfully.

CAUSES OF THE GREAT SHIFT

1. An extremely high level of industrial capacity worldwide. Until the past 20 years or so, most people on earth lived in poverty, while a few had most of the money and the material goods. This created endless wars, envy, and hopelessness for many people.

This is no longer the case. Millions upon millions of people around the world now enjoy automobiles, television sets, computers, cell phones, refrigerators, and other symbols of the good life.

This is due in large measure to a far greater ability of companies to produce goods cheaply and efficiently. Methods such as assembly lines, automated factories, and excellent transportation and distribution methods by air, by land and by sea have made this possible.

2. Excellent worldwide satellite and cable communications. Just in the past 20 years has humanity been able to communicate anywhere on the planet via satellite and other means, inexpensively, accurately and with amazing speed. Inexpensive personal computers, cell phones and other new technologies are literally revolutionizing communication and information transfer, not to mention shopping, social networking, education and other areas. As a result, all people on earth are now literally connected electronically, or will be soon. All people can talk directly to anyone without going through “official channels”. All people can also buy and sell directly to each other. This is quite unique.

3. The birth of many mature, gentle and wise souls who are less interested in war and violence, and more interested in enjoying life and assisting others to do the same. This may be the most subtle, but most important shift on planet earth in recent years. Some people are aware of this change, and call these children the indigos. Others only notice that for some reason the school system and the medical care system just is not working as well for today’s children, but do not know why. Yet these wise souls are truly the hope for a brighter future.

These are among the main causes of the great shift. Others may include new religions, new interest in spirituality, and other things. However, I believe the items above are the basic driving forces for change. Now let us discuss the effects of the shift on our lives.

THE EFFECTS OF THE GREAT SHIFT

1. From Scarcity To Abundance. This is the major societal effect of greatly increased industrial production, coupled with modern communications, transportation, and the birth of wise and mature souls on planet earth. Each of us must adjust our thinking based on this change, or we will be left behind.

This is sometimes difficult, because much poverty, disease and famine still occur on earth, and the media broadcast this fact daily. Also, the Western nations are facing serious financial problems, so it can appear that lack is also occurring in the West, though this is not true. It is just that old ways of doing business such as large government bureaucracies and welfare states are going broke and need to be replaced with something better.

The old bureaucratic welfare states, which include the United States and most of Europe and Japan, create laziness, sloppiness, and plenty of anger and resentment among the people when the “benefits” must be cut.

Other older institutions such as labor unions are not working well because they, too, were a product of the scarcity era of the past when workers had to band together just to survive. This is no longer the case in most instances. Now the unions are standing in the way of progress in most nations, insisting on over-employment, ridiculous benefits for their members only, to the exclusion of everyone else. This simply will not work. Workers need to be free to live their lives, not give their substance to often corrupt union bosses who use violence and other older means to coerce governments and companies to do what they want. That was needed in the past, but is no longer acceptable or needed in most cases.

2. From Oppression And Corruption To Freedom And Equal Justice For All. Another consequence of the great shift is a much lower tolerance for government oppression and corruption. The internet, cell phones, fax machines, satellite television and other new technologies are making it harder and harder for corrupt leaders to maintain their power. People simply have access to too much truth.

3. From War To Peace On Earth. Though it is not taught enough in schools and colleges, the earth has just recently become a far more peaceful place. Only 25 years ago, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a horrible arms race to see who would win the battle of Armageddon. Thousands of nuclear missiles were being produced as fast as they could, and were stationed all over the globe.

Only 70 years ago, Adolf Hitler slaughtered 12 million innocent souls in Europe, while Mao Tse Tung slaughtered some 70 million Chinese. At the same time, Joseph Stalin murdered untold millions of innocent people in Russia, and Pol Pot murdered a few million in Cambodia and Laos.

By comparison with this horror, the “wars” in Bosnia, Iraq, Afghanistan and elsewhere are mere skirmishes. What is occurring is that our tolerance for genocide and mass murder is gone, hopefully forever. This is why, for example, the Arab Muslims will never succeed in killing all the Jews, which many still claim they want to do. It simply will not be tolerated, I hope. There must be better ways to solve problems. Mass murder is psychological projection at its worst, and little else.

4. From A More Static And Traditional Society To Very Rapid Social And Technological Change. Today, the pace of change is dizzyingly fast. New technologies, new products, and new ideas can be brought to the marketplace almost overnight, where before they required years to publicize and distribute.

5. From Almost Total Isolation Of Nations To Near Total Connectedness. This development is quite astonishing, and has never occurred before in recorded history. It means that someone thousands of miles away can be as easy to communicate with as one living down the street. It means you can join with those who think like you do, and want what you want, anywhere in the world with online communities, social networking sites, and video telephone connections. No longer do the old geographical, political, cultural and language barriers separate us, as they have in the past. Computers can translate languages, and satellites streak across all nations, ignoring political boundaries of all kinds.

6. From Old-Fashioned Top-Down Education To The Internet. Prosperity, along with computer technology and satellite communications, are revolutionizing education. They are literally creating a worldwide data base that anyone can use, at any hour, in any language, to learn anything they wish. It is all available in most nations without censorship, and without barriers to entry such as high cost, grading systems, or a need for “prerequisites” before one can take advantage of it.

Small children are using it and becoming much more knowledgeable than their parents or teachers. Students realize they don’t need the old structured institutions of learning, many of which are now more interested in money and prestige than they are in teaching the truth about life.

7. From Hierarchical Societal Structures To More Flexible And More Democratic Institutions. Here again, modern communication and other changes are causing the rapid downfall of hierarchical ways to organize society. Examples are the bankruptcy of government bureaucracies, older hierarchical educational methods, hierarchical medical care systems in America and elsewhere, and even changes in religious hierarchies, unions and other social groups.

8. From More Closed Societies To Transparency And Much Less Privacy. This is another important effect of new technologies such as computer cameras, space-based spy cameras, and more. Life in the new world is simply not as private, and we are like neighbors and friends who live on a much more connected and united planet.

Other effects are probably occurring as well, but these are some of the major ones. They are having many positive effects on people, but some are very upset. Let us examine why the great shift is causing disruption in people’s lives.

DISRUPTIVE EFFECTS OF THE GREAT SHIFT

Some of the following may sound odd and strange, but please read it carefully, as it is true in many instances, in my view.

1. Reduced fear and fewer problems is actually stressful for many people. Some people are not adapted or ready to just live peacefully, in perfect harmony with everyone on earth. Many actually thrive on conflict and wars, and this tendency is fed by the mass media and some websites that focus on horror and sensationalism.

2. Fear about the end of the welfare state. As the money runs out, many people are worried about their government and union entitlements, such as retirement funds, social security, and “free” medical care. Others are secretly or openly tied to businesses or governmental programs that will end soon.

3. Peace on earth is disruptive for those who believe in the inevitability of strife and conflict. This may sound strange, but many people, especially some religious people, feel that chaos and war is our lot, as predicted in certain texts. I am told the prophesies have been changed and war is not the fate of the earth. Instead, a new era of peace, creativity and love is beginning upon planet earth as we speak.

4. Rapid change is always extremely stressful for human beings. This is a psychological fact of life. It causes subtle or not so subtle anxiety, worry and depression. Some feel totally lost, as though they are living in a whirlwind or tornado that they cannot see, but they can feel. It is causing a lack confidence and trust about the future.

Most of the world’s older educational systems and mass media are not helpful, either. Instead of investigating and discussing the big shift on planet earth, the media often focus on a few big stories, and little else. Schools teach many subjects, but not enough about positive change in the world and how to cope with it.

5. Having to face your fears and prejudices. The total connectedness between all human beings of all races, colors and nationalities means that national and racial prejudice and bigotry are being exposed as just stupid and wrong. This is hard on many people because they are secretly prejudiced, and are having more trouble blaming their failings on “them”, whoever they may be.

Many are literally being forced to face their problems squarely. This does not feel good. Many simply do not know how to face their problems, and for many, their health is so poor they do not have the energy to do it, either. Old-fashioned coping methods such as counseling, talking to the priest, and others, are not working fast enough in many cases to undo traumas, correct fixed ideas, and undo years of flawed upbringing.

As a result, many, especially in America and Europe, are turning to recreational drugs, anti-anxiety medical drugs or anti-depressants as a way out. While this may sustain them for a while, it just worsens their health even more, and ultimately makes them more afraid and upset.

6. Confusion about the internet. While many people are excited about the internet as a university and universal data base, others are having difficulty adjusting to the new reality. They still believe that a school means a building and a person standing in front of a class. The shift in how we learn is thus very disruptive for some people, including many in power who set educational policy for the nations.

7. The end of traditional hierarchies in education, government, and some occupations is also hard on many. Some of these are people who have risen through the ranks to positions of authority and power. They cannot quite fathom why the system must be changed, so they are fighting to maintain the status quo. However, they are often fighting the tide of change and losing, which seems horrible to them.

New business models, new government models, a new medical model, new legal models and others are desperately needed. Until they are established, tested and found to work, some chaos will ensue in society. The new models will not be as hierarchical, which in itself is disruptive to many who “know their place in the pecking order”.

8. The end of secrecy and privacy is also threatening for some people. Interestingly, it is being welcomed by the young, who seem unafraid to display their photos and personal information for the entire world to view on social networking websites and other places. However, for those accustomed to a more private lifestyle, the ubiquitous nature of the internet, surveillance cameras, and more seems very intrusive.

HOW TO COPE WITH THE GREAT SHIFT

1. To enjoy the abundance that is the new earth, you need to be healthy and relaxed. For this reason, and others, focusing on your healing is wonderful for everyone. All the bodies are toxic and depleted today, and need a heavy dose of a very high quality diet, more rest and sleep, and safe, powerful detoxification procedures such as the use of a near infrared lamp sauna. This will help anyone handle all of the powerful changes taking place on planet earth.

2. Learn to be more honest with yourself and with others.

3. Learn to be at peace in your own life.

4. Learn to relax and let go amidst rapid change. This is actually a skill that most people must work at.

The pace of change is not going to slow down, and pretending it is not happening won’t work well, either. Drinking alcohol, smoking dope or gambling away your worries aren’t the best solutions either, although many believe they are.

5. Examine your prejudices from a neutral place. Meditating, for example, is an excellent practice for doing this.

6. Realize that you need to continue to learn. Many people have had bad experiences in school and become discouraged with learning. Realize this is a hindrance and it is time to let it go. Learning, especially via the internet, is nothing but a fun when approached correctly. It is like having the world at your fingertips. With experience, you will learn to navigate the web like a pro, and to begin to sort out the vast overload of information to obtain what you need and bypass the rest.

7. Open the mind to new structures. Realize that expertise, wisdom and knowledge can sometimes be found in very unusual places and persons. One must live with some chaos in this regard, as the lines or authority become somewhat blurred in some areas of society.

Be on the right side of the changes as much as possible. It is a lot more fun, safer, and brings more prosperity. However, it means becoming more informed, more positive, and being willing to be ridiculed and even rejected by some who favor the status quo.

You may need to learn not to depend as much on the old institutions and hierarchies that are crumbling. This can take time and planning, but it is well worth it.

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