Narrative Matrix

Since I returned from a two-week journey of contemplation, I've thinking about what I call now "narrative matrix" (and what I used to call "mind-made prison" and watching people who seem to be trapped in such a narrative matrix, or to be more precise, narrative matrices, and seem unaware of this very fact.

The most problematic kind of narrative matrix must be the self-narrative matrix, that is, what we think we are. Since our childhood we are tricked not only by our respective individual ego but also by the collective ego of the society where we live into believing what we think we are.

Another narrative matrix I've been giving much thought about is the political narrative matrix in general and its specific subtype in particular.

I started to realize that I had been trappped in this specific subtype of the political narrative last March when two broadcasting stations I had been recommended to follow were closed. Then I started to look for alternative massmedia outlets in the same language. First I tried what looked similar to these two, then just by chance I also checked those in the same language with the opposite view.

In parallel I started to follow investigative journalists on the following five alternative media outlets:

• Substack (Android)
• Locals (Android)
• Rumble (Android)
• Telegram (Android)
• Twitter (Android)

Having read and heard about analyses by about 20 such courageous investigative journalists, mainly from the US and other Western countries, I've realized to my great surprise that the narrative by two above mentioned two stations fundamentally contradicts these analyses and the one by other broadcasting stations in the same language with the opposite view match these analyses.

I have to make a special mention of one journalist in Australia named Caitlin Johnstone (website / Substack / Twitter). She is exceptionaly good even among all the amazing investigative journalists I've been following. I'd like to recommend the following four articles by her in particilar:

• Propaganda Isn't Something That Only Happens to Others (2022-12-22)
• Awakening from the Narrative Matrix (2022-12-30)
• Psychological Tyranny Is Still Tyranny (2023-01-07)
• A Prison Where the Prisoners Don't Know They're in Prison (2023-01-15)

I wish I were wrong, but it seems to me now that the above mentioned two broadcasting stations in the country I've come to love even more ended up, knowingly or unknowingly, serving as propaganda tools of one country and its allies that have been trying to demonize this country. I was tricked into their political narrative matrix.

Since I woke up from this narrative matrix, I've totally lost my trust in the mainstream media outlets of these countries as they are nothing but propaganda tools of their governments. Since then I've also been experiencing a serious problem with people who are trapped in this political narrative matrix. In the meanwhile I've found a sure sign for identifying such people, and if I see this sign in someone, I make a conscious effort not to be dragged into political arguments with them for my mental sanity.

Reasons for Continuing to Live in Jerusalem

I immigrated to Israel in August 2004 with my non-Israeli passport to assume a position as a lecturer in Hebrew linguistics at one Israeli university other than the one where I did my doctorate in the same discipline. Since then I received tenure and Israeli citizenship and lost my former citizenship. Since I left at the end of September 2020 what had seemed to be a "dream job" and started my own coaching business targeted for one country which I thought and still think can benefit from this coaching than many other countries I know, I've been asked the same question by a sufficiently large number of those living in this target country.

Their question is why I don't leave Israel and live in their country. Seemingly, this makes perfect sense. Actually, before I was exposed to Hasidism, I had been thinking of leaving Israel but for some other country I care about. Now it seems to me that continuing to live in Jerusalem makes more sense.

My Jewish life coaching is a means to an end, which is to help people wake up from the illusions of their ego. This coaching is based on the teachings of Chabad Hasidism.

In order to influence others we have to be able to protect ourselves from the negativity of our surroundings first. Unfortunately, I can't say yet that I've developed for myself a kind of inner spiritual recharger I can carry with myself everywhere to protect myself from any negative energy I may encounter. In the meanwhile Jerusalem seems to be an ideal place for continuing to develop my own portable inner spiritual recharger for two reasons.

The first reason is the presence of people who can serve as my role models, incorporating the noble teachings of Chabad Hasidism in their daily life in the physical body. We may be able to acquire knowledge solely from books, but we seem to need the physical contact with the wise in order to acquire and incorporate wisdom. Fortunately, Jerusalem seem to be more blessed with such Jewish sages than the above mentioned two countries.

The second reason is the presence of three Jewish bookstores in Jerusalem. The first is Pomeranz, which deals with Jewish books in general mostly in English, the second is Heichal Menachem, which specializes in Chabad books in Hebrew and English, and the third is Yahad, which specializes in Chabad books in Russian. Since I was exposed to Chabad Hasidism about five years ago, I've purchased about 400 Chabad books in Hebrew (about 55%), English (about 30%), Russian (about 10%), and Yiddish (about 5%). And my Chabad library is continuing to grow constantly. I don't think there is any other city in the world where one can buy Chabad books in Hebrew, English and Russian so easily.

In short, I'm grateful every day for the privilege of living in Jerusalem.

Journey of Contemplation

I returned yesterday from a two-week journey of contemplation. I've received several important insights I could not have been able to received without getting out of my routine.

During this trip I visited several places outside Israel and asked quite a few people in each of these places how they would answer the question "Who are you" and also observed people, including their verbal behaviors.

I'm more and more certain that the majority of human beings, wherever they live physically, are prisoned in one and the same place - the illusion of the ego, which is probably the most sophisticated prison. It's so sophisticated that its prisoners aren't even aware that they are prisoners.

This illusion manifests itself most prominently in their self-identification with their body and life story. They answer the question "Who are you" either explicitly or implicitly that they are their body and life story, that is, they are convinced that they are what they think they are.

What I've experienced has convinced me even more that the body and life story are not who I am. But I have to confess that my direct experience that I am pure presence hasn't fully gone beyond purely conceptual understanding, and I haven't fully disassociated myself from the body and life story.

Now I know what my next challenge is after disassociating myself from the body and life story - to reunite self-consciousness (of the ego) and divine consciousness (of the soul) into rectified self-consciousness.

This entry is rather short as I'm still trying to digest the insights I've received during this journey of contemplation.