The Black Mirror's Reflection

A word on how smart devices can show us our Shadow...

If your social media feed sucks, I’ll be the one to tell you the harsh truth: You made it that way.

“The Algorithm” works like this:

It measures

• how long you stare at photos

• what kinds of videos you re-watch

• which posts compel you to comment

• what you re-share…

• …and so on.

Then it reduces all of your online activity to data points, and continues feeding you content in accordance with that data.

The algorithm does not make value judgments about what you should see. It just observes you observing. Like so:

“I see he spent 10 seconds watching this video, but only 3 seconds watching this other one… so I will show him more content similar to the video he watched for 10 seconds.”

That’s it. That’s the formula:

Attention + engagement = assumed desire for more.

Whether you were watching in enjoyment, or disgust, or confusion, or rage,

you were watching.

These black-screened smart devices are magickal black mirrors that reflect our own unconscious delegation of attention, back to us.

So basically, we each “live” on a different version of The Internet, because our algorithms tailor themselves to us individually.

This is on my mind because, last week, this reel I posted on instagram “blew up” (relative to my usual stats, anyway).

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A post shared by @alicen.grey

As of this writing, it’s at 150,000 views and counting. That’s far more views than I’ve gotten for any reel I’ve posted in the entire 5 years I've had the account.

It’s also, possibly, the most inflammatory video I’ve ever posted.

If you aren’t able to watch the video, here’s a summary:

• The guy at the beginning asked “Why do people in open relationships always look ‘like that’? I’m being very non-specific.”

• His original video went viral because polyamorous people kept replying to the video to defend themselves… but all of them ‘looked like that,’ unwittingly proving his point.

• So I stitched myself onto the video with a 2-minute explanation of why I think polyamorous people ‘look like that’:
  I described what they look like (using some very unflattering adjectives),
  tied it to politics,
  and then interpreted their appearance symbolically (because symbolism is kinda my thing), through the lens of physiognomy — a.k.a. face reading.

Wouldn’t you know it, my video blew up.

Then my follower count went from 600 to 2,800. Almost quintupled.

Suddenly, there are so many more eyes on me than I'm used to. Some watching in enjoyment, some watching in confusion, some watching in disgust, some watching in rage…

Watching.

Sidequest: I never thought about it until now, but watch-ing is a word spell about both attention AND time, isn't it? Considering all this is happening on Black Cube devices, which are symbolic of Saturn/Kronos the lord of Time, there's something worth considering here about how what we Watch determines Time-line we are cosmically sorted into.

And while part of me is excited because, well, I’m a content creator who wants my creations to get noticed,

I am simultaneously disappointed that — of allllllll the beautiful things I’ve shared over the past 5 years (about Free Energy, God’s Love, Human Spiritual Potential, True Power…)

— the one reel that “blew up” was the one that made people the angriest.

I have put so much work — genuine, heartfelt work — into inspiring, empowering, and encouraging people — with videos, essays, instagram posts, etc…

…only for The Collective to decide they’d rather be upset.

People are calling me everything from a genius to a eugenecist. Now that’s what I call polarization!

Now, hear me out: I wasn’t trying to be inflammatory — at least not on purpose. Sometimes, believe it or not, I can be completely oblivious to how “mean” I might sound when I pop off like this.
To me, I’m just describing my perception of reality.
But to my critics, I’m AN EVIL NAZI CALLING FOR THEIR EXTERMINATION.

And this leads me to my next point:

Some people are in the funny little habit

of trying to stop me from making the kind of content

that they subconsciously signaled to The Algorithm

that they wanted to see more of,

by making comments like this one:

It’s a curious thing!

We should all know by now that if you comment on an instagram post, instagram will determine that you want more content like whatever you commented on, and you’ll see more of it. Input, output.

So if you truly wish to stop being offended, the simple solution is to stop engaging with that which offends you.

Don’t you know, dear psion, that you have the power to pull your attention away from things you don’t wish see?
And you have the complementary power to put your attention, instead, on the things you do wish to see?

It’s the same in Real Life, beyond the internet. Thoughts create reality. Energy goes where attention flows. That’s why our government is a circus full of clowns. That’s why our mainstream media is so ridiculous. People are subconsciously entertained by the fear-mongering and crazy-making, whether they’ll consciously admit it or not.

And of course, the sensation-addict has no idea they’re the source of the chronic “offended” feeling that plagues their reality, so they have to try to stop others from speaking altogether.

“Cancel them!” “Deplatform them!” etc.

But I don’t believe these people truly wish to stop being offended.

There’s some sick thrill in the drama, isn’t there? In an Attention Economy, the more sensational, the more successful. (There’s a conversation to be had here about Existential Kink, but I think this post is inflammatory enough already.)

Live and let live: the immortalist creed.

I used to be someone who went around policing others’ posts, until I realized I could build my own platform and say whatever I want here, and leave other people’s platforms alone.

I recognize my Freedom to see the world the way I see it, and honor others’ Freedom to do the same. I no longer go out of my way to stop others from seeing what they see, or saying what they say.

Now, when I don’t like something, I quickly scroll past it, so The Algorithm doesn’t think my attention has been “captured.”
Worst case, I click “not interested” so instagram shows me even less shit like that.

And I certainly don’t boost content I dislike, by commenting on it.

What’s more powerful to you — paying for tickets to an artist's concert to protest them there, or not showing up at all and leaving their venue seats embarrassingly empty?

What’s more powerful to you — giving others the power to seduce and manipulate your attention, or taking back that True Power for yourself?

Whereas normal mirrors reflect your outward appearance, The Black Mirror reflects your Shadow back to you — the hidden world within, which you’ve occulted from even yourself.

So instead of railing against what you see in it, recognize yourself as the source.

Because the Truth is,

it’s all You,

always has been,

and always will be.

Thus, you will never know Freedom until you learn to control yourself instead of controlling others.

“And if your eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than with two eyes to be thrown into the hell of fire.”

Matthew 18:9 (ESV)

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Now that I’ve spoken my peace (piece?) on this matter, I am now shifting my focus to gratitude for all my new followers who feel resonant and inspired by my work.

It means so much to me, to hear Thank you for being here ♥️

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