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Hi there.

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Heading to work, huh?

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Gotta’ hurry!
Ever feel like you’re a little too rushed?

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Huh?

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Or that your skills aren’t being fully utilized?

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Well… we all have to make sacrifices!

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Sacrifices?

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Yes!.. to… the system.

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To… our leaders.

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Sir, do you know what a cult is?

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It’s a small group of people…

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Not necessarily, cults can be huge, there’s
no upper limit

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on their size.

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Um…I guess…
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You might even be in cult yourself.

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Me?

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No….no no

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But if you were, would you know it?

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Of course!

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At least, I think so…

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What about people who are born into a cult,
do they know?

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Well, that’s just sad.

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Someone should educate them!

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Just imagine, being born into a cult and nobody
to tell you.

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It’s terrible!

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And would they even want to know?

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Oh dear.

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Just think of it.
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When people are born into a cult, their identity
and worldview are hijacked by sophisticated
symbols and rituals.

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They are raised and trained to see the world
as the cult wants them to see it.
Their understanding of themselves and their
value in society is shaped continuously and

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exclusively by cult programming, which is
implemented using basic psychological techniques:

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They don’t make a full disclosure about
what they are and how they operate.

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They want you to think that they’re on your
side, and working for the forces of good.

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The truth of the cult must remain hidden,
because if you discovered it, you would leave them

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Any attempt to question the teachings of the
cult will result in punishment and being labeled
as an enemy.

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Anyone thinking for themselves will be threatened
with deprivation of privileges, and loss of

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support from the group.

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Relentless indoctrination drills beliefs into
the members.

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Lies are repeated until they’re accepted
without question, and members become willing

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to kill, or die, for the group.

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Cults isolate their members to prevent them
from forming a balanced worldview.

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This begins by persuading members to ignore
any views that conflict with theirs, and then

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becomes the outright banning of such information.

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Cults need outside demons and boogiemen to
create group cohesion.
This shifts focus away from rational decision-making.

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Members are kept frightened and focused on
external threats, preventing them from clearly

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thinking things through.

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All of this is done for the benefit of THE
LEADERS.

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Cults rely on the narrative that “What’s
good for the leaders is good for the group.”

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All cult members are expected to work, suffer,
sacrifice, and even die - for the leaders.

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Marge, when I join an underground cult

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I expect a little support from my family!
Dad, do you think you might have been brainwashed?

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I have not been brainwashed.

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Kill the girl.

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This film makes the argument that the modern
western dream is built on, and maintained

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by, the fraudulent concept of materialism;
a philosophy that has not only been discredited

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by science, but that also leads to a degradation
of the human experience - by eroding our relationships

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to each other, and to our environment.

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The argument is NOT that people who aspire
to the western dream are inherently bad, it

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is that they have been systematically deceived,
seduced and brainwashed into believing the

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lies of materialism, and coerced into complying
with its demands.

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Getting to this point has been a long, slow
process, taking thousands of years, resulting
in an unsustainable system of self-imposed
slavery in which individual identities are

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shaped by illusory notions of ownership and
control - stripping people of the happiness

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that comes from meaningful and cooperative
relationships with fellow humans, other living

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creatures, and the larger systems that make
life itself possible.

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So just how did we become snared into the
cult of materialism?

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How did we transform from a group built on
cooperation and partnership with nature, into

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a gang of violent, money-hungry individuals?

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How did running with the pack become dog-eat
dog?
"Say hello to my little friend!"

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(screams)

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From the beginning, people’s primary problem
has been scarcity.

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The experience of lack drives a desire to
harness and master natural systems, to make

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them work for us, to overcome scarcity, and
live in abundance.

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The urge to acquire necessary things beyond
our basic needs began as a natural survival

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instinct - we were planning for the future
and playing it safe.
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With the development of irrigation and the
rise of cities, the average person’s life

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got easier.

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Extended roads and trading networks made material
goods more available - but only in abundance

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for a privileged few - the leaders.

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From the beginning of human history, there
were only a handful of conspicuous consumers.

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Luxury always had a secondary purpose - to
distinguish the leaders from the followers.

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Social classes begin to take shape, and divide
the haves from the have-nots.

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The idea of “poverty” was born.
The poor were kept in line, forcibly at first
by the local authorities.

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"Come and see the violence inherent in the system!"

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"Help help! I'm being repressed!"

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Later, they were controlled psychologically
by emerging religions - which allowed for

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the maintenance of social order in an unjust
social system.

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All of the major faiths have historically
placed community above the individual, and

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emphasized spiritual virtue over material
possessions, which were seen as a temporary

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vanity of earthly life, as opposed to the
hereafter, believed to be superior and everlasting.

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When religion was the dominant social influence,
it reinforced the masses’ willingness to

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be satisfied with the bare necessities.

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Frugality, not self-indulgence, reflected
the wisdom of the ages.
Because after all, what really mattered for
them was life after death - not opulence and

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decadence here on earth.

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But, after millennia of wealth and material
abundance being either unattainable or forbidden,

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everything was about to change.

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No!! God!!

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No!! God!! Please no!! NO!!

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NO!!

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NOOOOOO!!!!!
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The creation of gunpowder revolutionized warfare
and land conquest.
The introduction of the printing press in
Europe exposed people to ideas other than

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those presented in the Bible.

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Innovations like the magnetic compass allowed
European ships to explore the world.

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When new trade routes opened up, a new class
of merchants and entrepreneurs discovered

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ways to exploit people’s desire for worldly
goods such as coffee, sugar, chocolate and

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silk.

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This booming business fueled the rise of banks
that financed and profited from these global

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journeys to exploit the world’s riches.

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The bankers and merchants became so wealthy
that they overtook the Kings, now lending

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them the money they needed to fight their
wars and maintain power.

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The bankers and merchants made it socially
acceptable to consume in excess, and began

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to flaunt their wealth.
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Improvements in the manufacture of lenses
for reading glasses led to the development

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of the telescope.

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Gravity was soon discovered by observing the
orbits of the planets around the sun, and

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this led to the formulation of scientific
theories describing the laws of motion.

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While discovery, invention, and economic growth
were generally welcomed, conservative thinkers

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didn’t trust the social changes that often
accompanied such advances.

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Organizations like the church and the aristocracy
claimed that any change to the traditional

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way of living might lead to disaster.

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Of course, they feared losing their privileged
positions of wealth and control.

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"I did not make myself King..."

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"God did."

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"King by divine right."

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But, church leaders and monarchs who claimed
that their authority was based on a divine

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right from God abused their power terribly.

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Eventually, these abuses prompted philosophers
to reject claims of religious authority as

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being based in myth, and fueled the rise of
the physical sciences in what is known as

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the age of enlightenment.

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In this period, reason, observation and the
experiments of scientists such as Copernicus,

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Kepler, Gallileo and Isaac Newton, merged
with the philosophy of empiricism.

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Thinkers such as John Locke and David Hume
began arguing against abstract notions of

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mind, and in favor of the primary properties
of objects.

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This all combined to usher in a purely mechanical
model of the universe.

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Belief in this overall worldview, or hypothesis
about the nature of reality, as purely physical,

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with random operations giving rise to increasingly
complex systems including life and consciousness,

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is called “Materialism”.

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This view freed the individual from moral
constraints, and allowed for an unlimited

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accumulation of wealth under the guise of
“legal ownership” - backed up by the authority

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of a court system, which itself favors the
wealthy, since the best lawyers cost the most money.

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Materialism promotes and justifies the pursuit
of selfish pleasure, since the universe is

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conceived as being nothing but a collection
of physical objects anyway, devoid of any

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higher ethical order - and this promotes an
attitude of “The one who dies with the most

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toys wins.”

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By 1776, the year that the United States was
born, one person would capture the spirit

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of self-interested individualism in his book
“The Wealth of Nations”.
Adam Smith argued that self-indulgence worked
as an economic driver that would make everyone

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wealthy.

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The best way to encourage economic growth,
Smith argued, is to unleash individuals to

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pursue their own selfish economic interests.

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Smith provided the model for an economic system,
based on false materialist assumptions, that

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would begin to take over the world.

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The fate of the modern era was then sealed
with the invention of the steam engine at

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the beginning of the industrial revolution.

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During the 19th century, it began to look
like scarcity may be overcome.

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Personal wealth and the trade it promoted
drove an unparalleled economic boom.

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Giant factories were built to provide the
goods that society now demanded.

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The industrial revolution powered a continuing
emphasis on materialism, and the cult became
our culture.

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Mountains of manufactured goods began to appear.

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Cheap stuff that more and more people could
afford.

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It was all very seductive.
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Everyone began to abandon sustainable relationships
with the natural world and sent their kids

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to work in factories.

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Young children were actually sold to mills
and became their property.

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Many died from malnutrition, fatigue, and
diseases such as brown lung.

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Abundance of consumer goods meant scarcity
of concern for each other.

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It wasn’t just the production of consumer
items that was revolutionized by factories

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and mechanization; the process of acquiring
goods was itself transformed.

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"You are a true believer"

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"Blessings of the state."

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"Please forgive me."

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"Blessings of the masses."

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Modern stores began to open in the 1800’s,
and shopping became both a necessity and a

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respectable leisure activity.
Department stores offered a wonder-world of
material luxuries, and presented shopping

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as a replacement for relationships with nature.

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Stores became the churches for a new religion,
the cult of materialism.
And there was one country in which this cult
would become a complete way of life.

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By the early 20th century Americans had the
highest personal wealth in the world, creating

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huge new markets.

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Enterprising business people realized that
they could make a fortune producing luxury
items that even the average working person
could afford.

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New factories based on the assembly line process
made cheap cars available to the masses.

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In the 1920s, ordinary Americans came to believe
that affluence was their birthright, thus
materialism became an integral part of the
western dream.

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It began stimulating and manipulating people's
desires through advertising, sowing the seeds

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of greed and envy.

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Creating temptation and seduction became just
as important as providing the consumer with
information.
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"Let us be thankful we have an occupation to fill."

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"Work hard, increase production, prevent accidents, and..."

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"Be Happy."

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The high priests of advertising turned to the
science of psychology.

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One of the pioneers was Edward Bernays, known
as the father of public relations.

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He was fascinated by the theories of his uncle,
Sigmund Freud, who believed that if you understood

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what motivated people at a subconscious level,
you could influence their behavior without

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them knowing, enticing them to purchase more
and more.

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Bernays said: “In almost every act of our
daily lives we are dominated by the relatively

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small number of persons who understand the
mental process of the masses.
It is they who control the public mind.”

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Over time, advertisers perfected methods to
hijack our subconscious emotional process.

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Pretty soon it wasn't what the product did
that mattered - it was the kind of person

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that it promised to make you.

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"This is a man who smokes Marlboro cigarettes, what kind of man is he?"

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"I'm a guy who likes to work on my car."

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Materialism was now deep inside our heads,
exploiting our emotions and instincts, shaping

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our identities.

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"Would you like to go shopping?"

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We were all being trained to desire manufactured
objects, and reject a relationship with nature.

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Hey, what’s for lunch?

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Something quick!

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Ever stop to wonder where that meat came from?

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Well….

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no.

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It used to be that a person working in the
field would use a plow being pulled by a horse
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or an ox.
The person was having a cooperative relationship
with the animal, and could smell the earth

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beneath their feet.

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They had an acquired knowledge of the seasons
that came from a relationship to the sun,

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moon and stars.
Until recently, it was completely normal for
a person to know the name of the animal they

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were eating, after all - they raised it.

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They may even know the names of the animal’s
parents.

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Compare the experience of our ancestors, engaged
in working relationships with animals and

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natural systems, to the modern western version
of working in the field - riding in the air-conditioned

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cab of a gasoline-powered industrial machine,
guided by GPS satellites, now cut off from

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contact with the soil and extended natural
systems, no more cooperative relationships.

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You’re not even really involved in the process
anymore - are you?

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Of course, materialism hasn’t always gone
completely unopposed.

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In the 1960s millions of people attempted
to drop out of the cult and return to a sustainable

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00:20:03,069 --> 00:20:05,688
relationship with nature.

225
00:20:06,309 --> 00:20:10,860
But most of these attempts were ill advised,
and soon, trashing the environment was again

226
00:20:10,086 --> 00:20:15,172
being accepted as a reasonable requirement
for membership in the cult of materialism.

227
00:20:23,008 --> 00:20:28,066
Then, in the late 70’s, messages from environmental
groups like Greenpeace and Friends of the

228
00:20:29,038 --> 00:20:32,116
Earth began to resonate with the public.

229
00:20:33,016 --> 00:20:39,021
This frightened the leaders, and in response,
a new breed of politicians rose up - financed

230
00:20:39,021 --> 00:20:47,063
by the corporate machine, and dismissed environmental
warnings, ushering in an age of runaway materialism.

231
00:20:48,034 --> 00:20:55,058
Hippies were replaced by yuppies, and their
philosophy was summed up in the movie “Wall Street".

232
00:20:55,088 --> 00:20:58,162
"The point is, ladies and gentlemen, that greed,

233
00:21:00,016 --> 00:21:02,100
for lack of a better word, is good."

234
00:21:03,000 --> 00:21:07,032
"Greed is right. Greed works."
235
00:21:07,094 --> 00:21:10,190
Through the 1980’s, success was defined
by how much stuff we had.

236
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And today, the monster we've unleashed has
grown and become so powerful, that even the

237
00:21:17,019 --> 00:21:21,115
authorities are simply slaves to it.

238
00:21:22,015 --> 00:21:25,109
Elected officials and their appointees are
merely selected from the pool of brainwashed
addicts that are dependent on the system.

239
00:21:28,005 --> 00:21:31,067
And the more they reinforce the system, the
greater their reward.

240
00:21:32,024 --> 00:21:35,088
We hear a continuous narrative from economists and politicians

241
00:21:35,088 --> 00:21:39,100
about the need for consumer spending and endless economic growth.

242
00:21:40,001 --> 00:21:44,063
Everyday we’re bombarded with messages suggesting
that the good life is only attainable by making

243
00:21:44,063 --> 00:21:49,071
lots of money and spending it on products
that promise to make us happy and respected.

244
00:21:51,046 --> 00:21:55,138
600 billion dollars a year is spent to embed
materialist propaganda in every visible space:

245
00:21:56,038 --> 00:22:02,127
On television, the internet, billboards, on
planes trains and taxis, in public bathrooms,
on neon signs and escalator handrails.

246
00:22:07,016 --> 00:22:12,065
But materialist culture also reaches deeper,
burrowing its way into people's psyches, hijacking
247
00:22:12,065 --> 00:22:17,110
their identity, and influencing them to organize
their entire lives around higher salaries,
and owning more stuff.

248
00:22:19,063 --> 00:22:25,126
Here in the United States, we have only 5%
of the world’s population, but use 25% of
the planet’s resources.

249
00:22:29,005 --> 00:22:35,044
And, instead of using this incredible position
of privilege to solve problems, we’re worshiping

250
00:22:35,089 --> 00:22:36,089
things.

251
00:22:36,089 --> 00:22:41,101
While the world burns down around us, we’re
window-shopping for another shiny item, another

252
00:22:42,001 --> 00:22:43,001
gadget.

253
00:22:43,001 --> 00:22:47,033
Trying to buy nicer stuff, to make our already
nice homes nicer and nicer.

254
00:22:47,033 --> 00:22:51,095
And in doing so, just making the problems
worse.

255
00:22:59,001 --> 00:23:02,053
Unfortunately, all this cheap stuff comes
at an enormous cost.

256
00:23:02,062 --> 00:23:05,147
We’re paying for all these trinkets with
the well-being of both the people and the

257
00:23:06,047 --> 00:23:07,047
planet.

258
00:23:07,047 --> 00:23:10,131
And we’re not gaining happiness from all
this stuff; it’s actually making us miserable.

259
00:23:11,007 --> 00:23:14,051
"Gotta make sure that the register totals match the

260
00:23:15,014 --> 00:23:18,058
cash and checks and the coupons...
"Then you've got the order forms to fill out for the next day...

261
00:23:22,026 --> 00:23:26,032
... check the stock. I mean, it's... there's a lot to do there.

262
00:23:30,005 --> 00:23:34,014
Researchers have discovered that as people
prioritize materialist goals, they report

263
00:23:34,014 --> 00:23:40,110
less happiness and life satisfaction, experiencing
fewer pleasant emotions in daily life.
Depression, anxiety, violence and substance
abuse also tend to be higher among people

264
00:23:45,072 --> 00:23:48,144
who aspire to materialist goals.

265
00:23:54,023 --> 00:23:58,046
These goals influence our family and social
relationships, thereby affecting other people's

266
00:23:58,046 --> 00:23:59,141
thinking and well-being.

267
00:24:00,041 --> 00:24:02,048
This is how the virus of materialism spreads.
If you want to be popular, you need the latest
item, fashion or fad.

268
00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:15,005
First the ads convince one consumer, who then
convinces someone else.

269
00:24:15,005 --> 00:24:21,056
Research also indicates that materialist values
and pro-social values are antagonistic.

270
00:24:21,056 --> 00:24:27,089
That is, as materialist values rise, pro-social
values decline.

271
00:24:27,089 --> 00:24:31,144
This helps explain why people act in less
empathic, generous and cooperative ways when

272
00:24:32,044 --> 00:24:37,120
money is on their minds.

273
00:24:38,002 --> 00:24:44,025
When people are under the sway of materialism,
they care less about the earth.

274
00:24:44,043 --> 00:24:49,069
Numerous studies reveal that people who prioritize
money, image and status are far less likely

275
00:24:49,069 --> 00:24:55,480
to engage in ecologically beneficial activities
such as recycling.

276
00:24:56,101 --> 00:25:01,720
As materialist values go up, concern for nature
goes down.

277
00:25:03,082 --> 00:25:07,140
So, if we want to live in a happier, more
peaceful, and ecologically sustainable world,

278
00:25:08,004 --> 00:25:12,058
we’ll need to reduce materialist values
in our personal lives, in our families, and

279
00:25:12,094 --> 00:25:13,106
our communities.

280
00:25:14,006 --> 00:25:15,018
Know what I mean?

281
00:25:15,052 --> 00:25:16,052
"I know exactly what you mean."

282
00:25:16,007 --> 00:25:18,065
"You want to take it all for yourself and cut me out!"
283
00:25:21,072 --> 00:25:26,073
Materialism has created extreme economic inequalities
that threaten to tear apart the very fabric

284
00:25:26,083 --> 00:25:27,084
of our society.

285
00:25:27,084 --> 00:25:31,553
We’ve been brainwashed into believing that
our role as a productive citizen is to consume

286
00:25:32,309 --> 00:25:36,358
more and more every year, even if we have
to go into debt to do it.

287
00:25:36,799 --> 00:25:39,980
We’ve structured our economy around the
cult of materialism.

288
00:25:39,098 --> 00:25:43,191
We’re all dependent on it, it has become
our master.

289
00:25:44,091 --> 00:25:47,153
If everyone doesn’t continue to feed the
monster and keep shopping for stuff we don’t

290
00:25:48,053 --> 00:25:52,145
need, then we’ll all start losing our jobs,
companies will shut down, Wall Street will

291
00:25:53,045 --> 00:25:55,089
panic, and the economy will crash.

292
00:25:55,089 --> 00:26:02,145
So, we are no longer free individuals; we
are slaves to the cult.

293
00:26:05,088 --> 00:26:09,267
Materialism strips a person of their natural
values and attempts to fill the resulting
hole in our lives with the simple idea of
consumption.

294
00:26:13,034 --> 00:26:14,037
Bored?
295
00:26:14,037 --> 00:26:15,052
Go shopping.

296
00:26:15,052 --> 00:26:16,052
Depressed?

297
00:26:16,052 --> 00:26:17,109
Go shopping.

298
00:26:18,009 --> 00:26:19,023
Feeling good?

299
00:26:19,023 --> 00:26:20,107
Celebrate by shopping.

300
00:26:21,007 --> 00:26:27,009
The entire advertising industry is pushing
you to consume ever-more material goods, to

301
00:26:27,009 --> 00:26:32,088
splurge, to make irrational, wasteful purchases,
to buy on impulse, to supersize it, to up-sell

302
00:26:32,088 --> 00:26:34,176
and upgrade yourself into a raging shopaholic.

303
00:26:41,056 --> 00:26:45,135
Your primary duty is to shop, regardless of
other concerns, regardless of the environmental

304
00:26:46,035 --> 00:26:50,097
consequences, whether or not you really need
any of the stuff you’re buying, or if you

305
00:26:50,097 --> 00:26:55,111
have any place to put these things - just
keep consuming, even if you have no money,
just use credit!

306
00:26:57,779 --> 00:27:04,785
Nothing can stop the mindless accumulation
of more and more stuff.

307
00:27:04,084 --> 00:27:08,136
"There was so much mayhem after she pepper sprayed - even children inside
the store

308
00:27:09,036 --> 00:27:13,042
trying to get to this X-Box 360, that they didn't know who did what

309
00:27:13,042 --> 00:27:16,116
and she was able to get to the register and check out."

310
00:27:17,078 --> 00:27:19,090
Not even terrorist attacks can stop the shopping.

311
00:27:20,007 --> 00:27:23,009
"We cannot let the terrorists achieve the objective

312
00:27:24,007 --> 00:27:28,039
of frightening our nation to the point where we don't...

313
00:27:29,062 --> 00:27:34,063
we don't conduct business. Where people don't shop."

314
00:27:35,027 --> 00:27:40,071
As the saying goes - “Shop ‘till you drop”.

315
00:27:40,071 --> 00:27:43,162
The cult tells you that the more you consume,
the better your life will be.
But this is a dangerous, even deadly myth.

316
00:27:47,006 --> 00:27:51,082
Each individual can be seduced and sucked
into extreme materialist behaviors, but imagine

317
00:27:52,036 --> 00:27:57,060
all these separate acts of irrational consumption
multiplied by over seven billion people, then

318
00:27:57,006 --> 00:28:02,008
sit back and watch the global catastrophe
happen.

319
00:28:05,008 --> 00:28:11,085
The viral mythology of materialism is so pervasive
that it has infected all areas of our culture.

320
00:28:12,057 --> 00:28:16,108
Many religious leaders now preach what is
known as the “prosperity gospel”, assuring

321
00:28:17,008 --> 00:28:19,056
their congregations that coveting money, and

322
00:28:19,056 --> 00:28:23,088
the insatiable hoarding of wealth are blessed behaviors.

323
00:28:23,088 --> 00:28:27,146
It should come as no surprise that these so-called
religious leaders live extravagant, lavish

324
00:28:28,046 --> 00:28:34,075
lifestyles - complete with huge mansions and
private jets.

325
00:28:34,075 --> 00:28:37,075
Our education system has also been hijacked
by materialism.

326
00:28:37,075 --> 00:28:40,088
"And who can tell me where thunder and lightning come from?"

327
00:28:41,022 --> 00:28:42,064
"Yes Bart?"

328
00:28:42,064 --> 00:28:43,150
"The Leader ma'am."

329
00:28:44,005 --> 00:28:47,087
"Very good Bart. And who invented Morse code?"

330
00:28:48,032 --> 00:28:52,090
"Oh, I should know this one. Ummm.. the Leader?"

331
00:28:52,009 --> 00:28:53,091
"Aaah, correct again."

332
00:28:55,056 --> 00:28:58,087
The primary purpose for learning is now seen
as making money.

333
00:28:58,087 --> 00:29:03,088
There’s no other reason to go to school
- right?

334
00:29:03,088 --> 00:29:07,151
This attitude has led to the elimination of
arts and literature programs in American schools,
resulting in citizens who lack an appreciation
for beauty, unable to express themselves in

335
00:29:13,035 --> 00:29:17,051
a positive, creative manner, and make contributions
to our culture.

336
00:29:17,051 --> 00:29:19,097
"Absolute rubbish laddie!"

337
00:29:21,011 --> 00:29:25,063
We are sacrificing well-rounded members of
society for mindless worker bees that will

338
00:29:25,063 --> 00:29:30,145
submit to the dictates of the cult and aspire
to shop ‘till they drop.

339
00:29:37,006 --> 00:29:41,100
It’s been almost 250 years since Adam Smith
told us that the selfish pursuit of wealth

340
00:29:42,549 --> 00:29:47,120
was good - not just for the individual, but
good for society too.

341
00:29:47,012 --> 00:29:52,014
Finally, we’re beginning to realize just
how expensive this experiment in greed and

342
00:29:52,014 --> 00:29:54,017
selfishness has been.

343
00:29:55,097 --> 00:29:59,103
We now find ourselves trapped in an unsustainable
lifestyle, commuting to the city for work

344
00:30:00,057 --> 00:30:04,124
just to afford the car payments, gas, and
rent in the suburbs - spraying our lawns with
345
00:30:05,024 --> 00:30:10,108
toxic chemicals, unable to avoid all the wasteful
packaging in supermarkets.

346
00:30:11,075 --> 00:30:16,140
With only 5% of the world’s population,
the US generates 30% of the world’s garbage.

347
00:30:17,004 --> 00:30:22,008
And the amount we throw away just keeps growing
- we now need thousands of landfill sites

348
00:30:22,044 --> 00:30:26,091
to deal with the billion tons of waste we
produce each year - and less than 2% of our

349
00:30:26,091 --> 00:30:29,137
waste is recycled.
Every 12 months we throw away one and a half
million computers,

350
00:30:34,047 --> 00:30:37,099
99% of them in perfect working order.

351
00:30:40,092 --> 00:30:44,128
3 million working refrigerators are discarded
annually.

352
00:30:45,028 --> 00:30:49,409
And we’re always buying more products - more
things we don’t really need, jamming more

353
00:30:49,661 --> 00:30:54,430
and more stuff into rented storage spaces
until it finally winds up being discarded.

354
00:30:54,043 --> 00:30:59,032
We’re using more energy, creating more junk,
and working longer hours for less money to

355
00:30:59,419 --> 00:31:01,460
buy all of it.

356
00:31:01,046 --> 00:31:06,053
Going further into debt, feeling miserable,
and taking ever more drugs to combat our depression
357
00:31:06,053 --> 00:31:10,062
and stress-related illnesses.

358
00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:19,007
Of course this system also creates poisonous
waste, which finds its way into our drinking

359
00:31:19,007 --> 00:31:22,059
water and food supply.

360
00:31:23,022 --> 00:31:26,115
This polluted process is now threatening the
future of life on Earth.

361
00:31:27,015 --> 00:31:30,113
Across the world, more and more countries
are following, and even overtaking us, in

362
00:31:31,013 --> 00:31:33,065
pursuit of the western dream.

363
00:31:33,065 --> 00:31:38,078
China's economy swelled at a phenomenal rate,
resulting in an explosion of consumption.
The creation of a world-class consumer economy
took centuries to develop in the west, but

364
00:31:43,073 --> 00:31:45,171
China’s transformation took only a few decades.

365
00:31:46,071 --> 00:31:50,452
They now have more cars on the road than the
United States,
and they’re adding 20 millionmore every year.

366
00:31:52,091 --> 00:31:57,910
But, they have 5 times more people than the
U.S. - so, when China achieves the same percentage

367
00:31:57,091 --> 00:32:02,108
of car ownership as the U.S. - roughly one
car per person, they will need to import more
oil every day than the entire world currently
produces in a day.

368
00:32:07,098 --> 00:32:12,103
Let’s not forget about India, which is poised
to overtake China as the world’s most populous

369
00:32:13,003 --> 00:32:15,026
country by 2022.

370
00:32:15,026 --> 00:32:20,109
And like anyone else, they’ll want smartphones,
cars, refrigerators and microwave ovens.

371
00:32:21,009 --> 00:32:25,085
It just isn't possible to provide the western
materialist dream to every country on earth,

372
00:32:25,085 --> 00:32:27,154
the math simply doesn’t work.

373
00:32:27,919 --> 00:32:33,390
If all 7 billion people on Earth consumed
at the same level as in the US, we’d need

374
00:32:33,039 --> 00:32:41,044
two extra planets to supply our food, energy,
water and raw materials.

375
00:32:41,089 --> 00:32:43,171
We have to stop traveling down this road.

376
00:32:44,071 --> 00:32:47,137
It's not just a problem of supply - the cult
of materialism
is destroying our very experience of life.

377
00:32:55,086 --> 00:32:59,121
The system demands that companies compete
to keep their consumers happy with ever-lower

378
00:33:00,021 --> 00:33:04,240
prices, and workers in developing countries
suffer as a result.

379
00:33:04,429 --> 00:33:10,620
Sweatshops, child labor, dangerous working
conditions, shamefully low wages.
Life has become a degrading experience for
hundreds of millions of people.
380
00:33:16,063 --> 00:33:19,107
This is the result of viewing living beings
as nothing more
than cogs in an industrial machine.

381
00:33:28,005 --> 00:33:31,059
(Gunfire)

382
00:33:36,053 --> 00:33:41,085
One of the worst effects of materialism is
armed conflict.

383
00:33:41,085 --> 00:33:46,098
Competition for industrial resources such
as oil, gold, minerals - and the control of

384
00:33:46,098 --> 00:33:52,155
strategic waterways to transport these resources,
leads to violence and combat.

385
00:33:53,055 --> 00:33:58,174
Warfare pays handsomely for those who sell
tanks, fighter jets, helicopters, bombs and

386
00:33:58,669 --> 00:34:01,400
machine guns.

387
00:34:01,004 --> 00:34:04,975
Bankers and merchants finance wars, and then
lay legal claim to the spoils taken by the

388
00:34:05,371 --> 00:34:08,030
victors.

389
00:34:08,003 --> 00:34:14,007
As long as the leaders can get rich from war,
they will find ways to create war.

390
00:34:17,086 --> 00:34:23,182
Wasteful inefficiency, broken social systems,
toxic pollution, drug addiction, perpetual

391
00:34:24,083 --> 00:34:31,097
violence, misery - all result from belief
in the false claims of materialism.
392
00:34:33,077 --> 00:34:37,115
The relentless struggle to acquire more money
and buy more stuff is ultimately self-defeating.

393
00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:43,054
What most of us naturally crave is to feel
loved, connected to others, and valued in

394
00:34:43,054 --> 00:34:44,100
our community.

395
00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:49,549
We want to feel good about our real selves,
not just about our image - and materialism

396
00:34:49,549 --> 00:34:51,625
can’t satisfy those needs.

397
00:34:54,006 --> 00:34:59,245
We are beginning to understand how negative
emotions make people susceptible to materialism.

398
00:34:59,839 --> 00:35:04,420
For instance, studies show that people focus
more on material possessions when they feel

399
00:35:04,042 --> 00:35:05,094
insecure.

400
00:35:05,094 --> 00:35:10,120
It’s natural for people to use possessions
as an extension of identity, sometimes to
compensate for perceived personal shortcomings.

401
00:35:17,064 --> 00:35:22,068
But the desire to indulge in high quality
items can also be used to support positive

402
00:35:22,069 --> 00:35:27,113
activity - like a creative hobby, or just
exploring your environment.

403
00:35:38,028 --> 00:35:42,032
Research has also found that the more people
are exposed to the media,
404
00:35:42,032 --> 00:35:45,511
the more they prioritize materialist goals.

405
00:35:45,799 --> 00:35:50,290
Consider using strategies to diminish the
onslaught of advertising by using an ad blocker

406
00:35:50,029 --> 00:35:54,102
while on the Internet, or hitting the mute
button when commercials play on TV.

407
00:35:55,002 --> 00:35:59,033
Another idea would be to remove advertising
from public spaces and schools, so that people

408
00:35:59,033 --> 00:36:04,121
aren't continuously exposed to materialist
propaganda.

409
00:36:05,021 --> 00:36:08,095
Raising your emotional awareness will help
make you less susceptible to manipulative

410
00:36:08,095 --> 00:36:14,130
advertising - and more sensitive to the emotional
states of those around you.

411
00:36:15,003 --> 00:36:19,050
We can’t allow the cult of materialism to
stunt our emotional growth.

412
00:36:19,077 --> 00:36:24,129
Understanding your emotions is the key to
letting go of fear, and connecting to compassion.

413
00:36:40,003 --> 00:36:43,080
Getting food from local farmers, and other
goods from local crafts-people strengthens

414
00:36:44,007 --> 00:36:49,056
the community, and creates employment opportunities
close to home.

415
00:36:49,056 --> 00:36:52,148
There are practical solutions, if we have
the courage to act on them,

416
00:36:53,048 --> 00:36:56,084
and the time is now.

417
00:36:56,085 --> 00:37:00,090
A better life can be found if we turn away
from today's emphasis on object ownership,

418
00:37:01,035 --> 00:37:04,118
and reassess the role of money as our primary
measure of success.

419
00:37:10,066 --> 00:37:13,118
The daily grind really wears you down, huh?

420
00:37:14,034 --> 00:37:15,092
Mmm-hmmm.

421
00:37:15,092 --> 00:37:19,103
Just remember - there are alternatives.

422
00:37:21,016 --> 00:37:22,078
Whoo-hoo!

423
00:37:22,078 --> 00:37:24,154
Yeah!
We should probably look for a new philosophy
to guide us.

424
00:37:29,043 --> 00:37:37,043
A new way of understanding the world to replace
the dangerous and destructive myth of materialism.

425
00:37:37,043 --> 00:37:44,120
It must be rational, supported by logic, and
promote a healthy social order.

426
00:37:45,002 --> 00:37:48,026
Is this even possible?

427
00:37:48,044 --> 00:37:52,049
Maybe what we’re looking for isn’t new
at all.
Maybe it’s been right here under our noses
the whole time.
428
00:38:01,056 --> 00:38:05,154
Idealism is the hypothesis that the world
we experience is emerging from a deeper order,

429
00:38:06,055 --> 00:38:07,091
beyond our perception.
So, our world is something like an illusion
that’s being projected for us as an audience.

430
00:38:12,008 --> 00:38:18,039
The Greek philosopher Plato told a story called
“The Allegory of the Cave” to express

431
00:38:18,039 --> 00:38:20,122
this idea.

432
00:38:21,022 --> 00:38:26,116
A group of prisoners have been confined in
a cave since birth with their backs to the

433
00:38:27,016 --> 00:38:34,018
entrance, unable to turn their heads, and
with no knowledge of the outside world.

434
00:38:34,018 --> 00:38:39,032
Occasionally however, people and other things
pass by the cave opening casting shadows and

435
00:38:39,032 --> 00:38:42,089
echoes onto the wall.
The prisoners name and classify these illusions,
believing that they are perceiving actual

436
00:38:47,035 --> 00:38:49,096
entities.

437
00:38:49,096 --> 00:38:53,167
One prisoner gets free, and leaves the cave
for the first time.

438
00:38:54,067 --> 00:38:58,161
The light hurts his eyes, and he finds the
new environment disorienting.

439
00:38:59,061 --> 00:39:03,064
When told that the things around him are real,
while the shadows are mere silhouettes, he
can’t believe it.

440
00:39:04,098 --> 00:39:06,737
The shadows appear much clearer to him.

441
00:39:07,619 --> 00:39:12,642
But, gradually his eyes adjust until he can
look at reflections in the water, then at

442
00:39:12,849 --> 00:39:18,460
objects directly, and finally at the sun - whose
light is the ultimate source of everything

443
00:39:18,046 --> 00:39:20,685
he has seen.

444
00:39:21,099 --> 00:39:25,550
The prisoner returns to the cave to share
his discoveries, but he is no longer used

445
00:39:25,055 --> 00:39:30,110
to the darkness, and has a hard time seeing
the shadows on the wall.
The other prisoners think his journey has
made him crazy, and they violently resist

446
00:39:34,085 --> 00:39:36,140
his attempts to free them.

447
00:39:37,004 --> 00:39:43,007
You can expect members of the cult of materialism
to respond in a similar way.
When people are confronted with information
that undermines their worldview, they’ll

448
00:39:47,062 --> 00:39:49,127
have a negative emotional response.

449
00:39:50,027 --> 00:39:55,104
Once you’ve seen the light, you’ll know
things that others can’t understand.

450
00:39:56,004 --> 00:40:02,042
The concept of idealism is also sometimes
expressed using the dream analogy.
451
00:40:02,042 --> 00:40:07,106
Every time you dream, your mind is simultaneously
creating a self, a space, a time, and the

452
00:40:08,006 --> 00:40:13,017
illusion of matter, in order to provide you
with an experience.

453
00:40:13,017 --> 00:40:18,021
This subconscious aspect of mind is so incredibly
powerful that it actually creates an entire

454
00:40:18,021 --> 00:40:23,028
dream universe for you to stroll through and
have the experience of being an individual.

455
00:40:23,028 --> 00:40:28,034
In waking reality, you identify with the object
that is your body, and the same is true when

456
00:40:28,034 --> 00:40:31,043
you’re dreaming, as it’s just an image
designed by your mind to allow the experience
you’re having.

457
00:40:35,037 --> 00:40:38,091
If you should realize that your body and the
objects around you are an illusion that your

458
00:40:38,091 --> 00:40:43,092
higher mind is supplying - the creative power
of this higher mind becomes available to you,

459
00:40:44,001 --> 00:40:46,030
allowing you to change the experience.

460
00:40:46,003 --> 00:40:51,031
This phenomenon is known as lucid dreaming.
So, if you drop a glass in a dream, it will
smash on the floor.

461
00:40:58,017 --> 00:41:02,466
But, if you then realize that you’re dreaming,
the pieces can come back together and be whole

462
00:41:02,619 --> 00:41:08,980
again - because the glass is simply an object
created by your mind.

463
00:41:08,098 --> 00:41:11,134
In this way you become the author of your
experience.

464
00:41:15,018 --> 00:41:19,116
Idealism asserts that the waking world is
also created by an organizing aspect of mind

465
00:41:20,016 --> 00:41:24,025
that is outside of our direct experience.

466
00:41:24,025 --> 00:41:28,069
Like a dream, since the external objects of
our experience appear to be separate from

467
00:41:28,069 --> 00:41:32,124
us, it is assumed that these objects have
an existence of their own, independent of
us as observers.

468
00:41:36,599 --> 00:41:42,160
But this belief may be explained by what German
Idealist Johann Fichte described as the "self-positing"
nature of identity.

469
00:41:46,006 --> 00:41:51,021
In order to understand ourselves as individuals,
we must first posit a "self" as an object

470
00:41:51,021 --> 00:41:56,044
- our body, and this necessitates the positing
of other objects that are "not self" - all

471
00:41:56,044 --> 00:42:03,203
the things that surround us that make up our
world, just as in a dream.

472
00:42:03,006 --> 00:42:06,078
Our higher mind creates a body and an environment

473
00:42:07,032 --> 00:42:11,068
because we need them to have an identity and experience.
So, in this way, matter may be seen as a necessary
consequence of the desire for experience.

474
00:42:18,005 --> 00:42:21,062
But matter is not seen as the cause of reality.

475
00:42:22,007 --> 00:42:27,020
After all, no one would say that the objects
in a dream are the cause of the dream.
Matter and the body are understood as a secondary
effect of the mind, as a framework that supports

476
00:42:32,092 --> 00:42:34,189
the possibility of experience.

477
00:42:35,089 --> 00:42:39,157
Just as a video game needs a simulated physical
environment for the action to take place in,

478
00:42:40,057 --> 00:42:43,150
“matter” is seen as a stage on which the
play of life is performed.

479
00:42:44,005 --> 00:42:47,007
In other words, you are not your body;

480
00:42:47,007 --> 00:42:50,031
you are the consciousness that is represented your body.

481
00:42:50,094 --> 00:42:54,181
The mind simply associates the body with your
identity.

482
00:42:55,081 --> 00:42:58,081
This is demonstrated by the “Fake Hand”
experiment:

483
00:42:59,008 --> 00:43:03,060
A subject places both hands on a table, with
one arm hidden behind a divider.

484
00:43:04,033 --> 00:43:07,108
A cloth helps create the illusion that the
fake hand is theirs.

485
00:43:08,008 --> 00:43:10,016
When both hands are brushed simultaneously,
486
00:43:10,088 --> 00:43:13,124
the subject assigns sensation to the fake hand.

487
00:43:15,082 --> 00:43:20,084
When a hammer is brought down on it, the subject
feels pain.

488
00:43:20,084 --> 00:43:23,150
This happens because the subject integrates
an illusory body into their identity.

489
00:43:30,062 --> 00:43:34,128
When we reduce ourselves to mere matter, we
reduce our fellow beings as well.

490
00:43:35,028 --> 00:43:39,112
And instead of developing relationships of
mutual trust and cooperation, we relate based
on ideas of ownership and control.

491
00:43:42,008 --> 00:43:46,013
This leads to animal abuse like the kind that
is seen in industrial meat supply.
It leads to human slavery and bondage as seen
in indentured servitude

492
00:43:51,005 --> 00:43:53,054
and prison for profit schemes.

493
00:43:53,054 --> 00:43:57,120
It diminishes others to sex objects, and a
host of other problems.

494
00:43:59,002 --> 00:44:03,068
Our identities may have gotten out of balance;
we seem to have forgotten our value as representatives

495
00:44:03,068 --> 00:44:04,090
of the mind.

496
00:44:04,009 --> 00:44:09,228
Fortunately, it’s not too late, and we can
still incorporate idealistic values back into

497
00:44:10,119 --> 00:44:16,207
our thought process to regain our footing.

498
00:44:19,043 --> 00:44:23,099
The way out of the cult is through a shift
in self-understanding: Away from that of being

499
00:44:23,099 --> 00:44:28,131
just a body, and toward that of being a complete
person.

500
00:44:29,031 --> 00:44:32,103
Making this shift can be difficult, because
the system depends on you NOT knowing your

501
00:44:33,003 --> 00:44:35,067
whole self, and your true authority.

502
00:44:35,067 --> 00:44:39,131
The Cult would have you believe that you are
nothing but an object - stamped, cataloged,

503
00:44:40,031 --> 00:44:41,114
owned and controlled by their system.

504
00:44:42,014 --> 00:44:47,016
But human identity cannot be reduced to DNA,
fingerprints and birthdates.

505
00:44:47,016 --> 00:44:49,033
You’re much more than that.

506
00:44:49,033 --> 00:44:53,101
And they know that once you discover this,
they can no longer control you.

507
00:44:54,001 --> 00:45:00,099
It may seem difficult at times, like you’re
surrounded on all sides by the forces of ownership
and control.

508
00:45:02,028 --> 00:45:08,037
But don’t be discouraged, you can escape.

509
00:45:27,008 --> 00:45:31,103
It was abuses of power by churches and monarchs
that created a need for materialism to refute
510
00:45:32,003 --> 00:45:35,049
their claims of divinely granted absolute
power.
This was justified, and necessary.

511
00:45:37,849 --> 00:45:40,854
But, we may have thrown out the baby with
the bathwater,

512
00:45:41,349 --> 00:45:44,363
and created an even bigger problem.

513
00:45:45,011 --> 00:45:48,052
Luckily, people are survivors.

514
00:45:48,052 --> 00:45:54,083
We’ve made it this far by being able to
recognize a need to adapt under changing conditions.

515
00:45:54,083 --> 00:45:59,119
And we will successfully adapt to these new
conditions as well.

516
00:46:03,067 --> 00:46:07,156
Every year more people are escaping the rat
race by lowering their overhead, working fewer

517
00:46:08,056 --> 00:46:12,060
hours, spending more time with family and
friends, choosing to live in smaller homes

518
00:46:12,096 --> 00:46:16,164
and using the savings to travel more - enhancing
their relationship with nature and the global

519
00:46:17,064 --> 00:46:22,130
village - sacrificing a higher income for
a higher quality of life, transforming relationships

520
00:46:23,003 --> 00:46:30,012
of power and control into partnership and
cooperation.
Ask yourself whether your desire for material
possessions determines your ideas and values,

521
00:46:35,025 --> 00:46:38,078
or if your ideas and values determine how
much you desire material possessions.

522
00:46:39,076 --> 00:46:43,110
"Luminous beings are we! Not this crude matter."

523
00:46:48,088 --> 00:46:54,112
What you believe makes a big difference - in
how you feel, and how you treat others.

524
00:46:58,038 --> 00:47:01,747
Once you see the light, you won’t be seduced
into buying things you don’t need.

525
00:47:02,089 --> 00:47:06,010
You’ll no longer be isolated, and won’t
submit to coercion.

526
00:47:06,001 --> 00:47:12,025
You’ll remember that there is no “Us against
Them”, because we’re all in this together.

527
00:47:14,048 --> 00:47:18,136
Recognizing a deeper fundamental identity
promotes emotional awareness, and a turning

528
00:47:19,036 --> 00:47:26,089
away from shortsighted distractions.
We can all embrace these new challenges, and
improve the experience of those around us.

529
00:47:32,093 --> 00:47:34,140
We can root for each other.

530
00:47:35,041 --> 00:47:38,123
And share in each other’s joy.

531
00:47:39,092 --> 00:47:41,164
Understanding that the mind is the source
of all things,

532
00:47:42,064 --> 00:47:44,148
means that the future is ours to create.

533
00:47:45,048 --> 00:47:49,080
And together, we will succeed.