Hegemonic Power Structures Abusing Their Power

Psychological states are types of reality tunnels, a reality tunnel being a type of philosophical and political agenda people get caught into, like tunnel vision. The significance to philosophical reality tunnels, at least in regards to modern philosophy, is the hegemonic structure understands them to an extent, and the majority, in a modern day population being disconnected from this hegemonic power, does not. First, let's unpack a couple of definitions. First, the hegemony is a group of individuals who withhold power over other groups, typically referred to as the subalterns. These terms are typically utilized in regards to colonialized countries- for example, as America was colonialized, England was the hegemonic power who essentially controlled the subaltern. It was a rare case where the subalterns retaliated and gained power, creating a new hegemony. This term may also be utilized with respect to single nations. In a Democracy, for example, the hegemony ought to be the majority- for who else is supposed to hold power? The majority are supposed to determine laws, elect officials, and guide the nation. Thus, in a true democracy, the hegemony is the majority, and the majority withholds power over all of the other smaller groups, who are the subalterns. America, however, does not follow this. It is more of a capitalistic republic than it is a democracy. The individuals who withhold the most power in our country are not the middle class, suburban families, but the top 5% of the socio-economic ladder. These individuals hold power over politicians (they're the ones who control lobbyist's, they're the ones who give money to the political parties, they're the ones who control the media, etc..). This 5% hegemony learns how to control people because they're the ones who control every single level to these huge corporations- the CEO's down to the factory workers. It is their job to control people. Then, they take it a step further, learning how to control the markets, the stocks, the consumers, and the average American who fulfills the role of the majority. As a result, all of their decisions become reality. They are the hegemony, controlling all of these subaltern groups which compose the rest of America.

There are individuals who have begun to understand how this hegemony functions, and through which techniques they control people. They control them through reality tunnels, purchasing power, food, drugs (illegal and legal), products, advertisements, etc.. One of the least known techniques, and most affective, is reality tunnels. Learning about reality tunnels provides individuals with a way to escape. Modern day philosophers, such as Robert Anton Wilson, claim that the concept of reality tunnels are utilized by groups such as the illuminati. I, however, believe it is not merely utilized by them, but more so by this hegemonic and over-ruling group. The fundamental concept is this- each individual finds themselves in a little bubble through which they view the outside world. Imagine it this way, everyone walks around with these glasses on which filters their perception of the outside world. A typical politician filters everything they hear to form-fit into their political agenda. A drug addict, for example, walks around and filters out every conversation and relates everything back to drugs. A vegetarian filters every conversation to be based around meat-eaters and non-meat eaters. Each individual is inside of one of these, and very few realize there are ways in and out and even in-between them. Several philosophers, being stuck inside of their own philosophical reality tunnel, recommend the best way to transgress through varying tunnels is through different philsophical approaches. One day, an individual might understand everything they hear through the eyes of a nihilist. The next day, through the eyes of a humanist. Religious folk do the very same thing, they understand their reality purely and solely through their own religious discourse, yet what if their religion changed day to day? The key idea is the majority falls into the same tunnel, and this is established, created, and controlled by the hegemony who rules. This hegemony wishes to control people to keep them in their specific socio-economic class, to keep them afraid of challenging power structures, to keep power for them without spreading it too evenly throughout the figurative pyramid of power. It is not pure democracy, where people, where majorities, decide. It is where majorities are controlled, and decide afterwards.

Further than this, people try to force people into psychological frameworks, including disorders, in order to either eliminate their competition, or to utilize them for their own political purposes. Think of it this way, in order for those who have power now to remain in power. You may not remain there for long, but you definitely test drive them. As you test drive them, your reality is altered. Awareness allows for you to conscientiously control these. Yet, who is the group who decides which of these is psychologically unstable? My answer is the hegemony.

Reality tunnels, and jumping back and forth into new ones, requires a somewhat open mind. Mostly because what the majority thinks of as a miracle, magic, or impossibilities, are complete possibilities in other reality tunnels. Also, the majority of humans find themselves believing something they innately wish they did not believe. There are ways in and out of any belief, you simply must open your mind, craft dig new tunnels, and learn from those who have crafted ones before your own.

Furthermore, the same applies to psychological groups who the majority deem crazy. The majority deems them crazy simply because they fail to recognize their own reality tunnel. Vice versa, a genius is typically one who begins a conversation inside of someone else's, then guides them to one which is completely unique.I'd argue the hegemony simply declares people crazy when they cannot per-say disprove nor support the agenda being promoted. It clashes with them, and so, they attack. Yet, who would win this debate in contemporary society? Insane asylums speak loudly enough.
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There is a thesis proposed by Anton, in which he states, “what the thinker thinks, the prover proves.”
This phrase is monumental. Linking back to classical literature, and even the origins of texts, we think of things such as Odysseus, an adventure between magicians, Gods, monsters, etc.. The key to this is, it happened, at least on certain levels, and probably more literally than we realize. Now, to take this idea further, an author, or an auctor (the origin to our word actor, because they act in and out of divergent realities), are also originators.
An originator writes reality. They think, the outside world proves. This occurs within contemporary society with novelists, certainly, but also philosophers and scientists. No single group is solely equipped with this power- it's instead spread throughout various groups, but they are groups I believe you have the intellectual capacity to understand, interpret, and re-create.

However, to take this further, it also links back to our modern understanding of reality. The majority finds their realities based around science. Other societies have found their realities based upon poetry. Others based upon philosophy. The ancients diverged between philosophy and spoken word (typically in the form of epics and myths). However, there have been divergences away from these. For example, mid 18^th century with the rise of the gothic tale, ghosts were popularly believed to be as real as you and I, and I'd say this is due to the hegemony. Yet, were they? Thoughts become things, it is often said. It was what their reality was based off. Now, we find science our main guide, and not just science, but misunderstood science. Every reaction has an equal and opposite reaction. A fact. NOW. Before, things were different. It might be true, it may not, but the more people who believe, the stronger the belief becomes. Although there are individuals who are able to create a strong reality without groups.

We base our realities off of a scientific mind set, mostly because we have had a huge uprise in technology, which stems from science. We are driven by forces, such as electronics: televisions, laptops, ipods, which were crafted and based around scientific theories. Thus, the majority finds themselves stuck here, mostly because the hegemony gains, but also because it is reshaped to convince people it is what they desire, need, want, and believe.

With regards to philosophy, it began with poets creating and crafting a reality, then the philosophers sought to prove it. There are so many unexplainable things which happen around us, most just fail to recognize and explain them. Poets sought to translate these into words. New poetic theories arose and philosopher's sought ways to prove these "miracles." Furthermore, these things change. What has yet to be explained and proven has yet to be set in writing. This extends further. There have been several types of intellectual wars, where disagreements between varying art forms sought to prove inverse concepts. Painters, poets, and novelists utilized cubism, surrealism, and abstractionism. Philosophers found these concepts divergent from their path of philosophy, so it got pawned off to psychologists, which had a sudden raise in popularity. Thus, psychology found its first major uprise. However, this irritated artists, being that they realized these were not merely psychological, but actual altercations to their self-perceived reality (along with a counter known as subjectivism). There became a clash of realities, which caused a major complication. The intellectual reality became a type of chimera, a multi-headed monster, with several groups in several divergent areas in turmoil, all clashing with one another intellectually. This created intellectual warfare. Next, there was physical war. This intellectual chimera continued on into the 90's, recently turning away into a purely technological, digital, and scientific mindset.

 Every thought is energy. Thoughts compile, gaining momentum in a snowball affect, where one can create a snowman, or kick it to the ground.

The other tragic aspect to our modern day understanding of literary and scholarly works stem from people's mistrust of original thought; they only trust people who name drop and jump around announcing their knowledge of several discourses of schools of criticism. Individual thought, being unique, goes around grabbing individuals, 1 by 1. Group mentality goes around grabbing groups, hundreds by hundreds. For example, mentioning a deconstructionist mindset, a structuralist set, a new historicism set, a post colonial set, tends to bring more people on board with the scholarly discourse. However, if these weren’t mentioned, each of these groups would almost definitely cast aside each thought. The problem is it makes it to where the knowledge is limited- the only individuals who understand terms within this discourse are people who have studied it, not the majority. It makes texts lack accessibility, yet gives rise to a hegemonic mind-set. Still, without such discourse, art is viewed as immature, unscholarly, as if they lack insight.

We live in an era and generation which does not promote original thinking.

The point is someone is trying to drive your reality and they are trying to drive mine. The extent of this is hard to explain, for truly, how much power does this top few percent hold over us? The products you buy, the essays you write, which statuses you like, the arrangement of words on a page. A nation of the free, as if. Someone is abusing their power to an absurd degree.

Knowledge is power, and someone’s not only holding me back, but they’re holding you back, too.