The Matrix Has You

Are you, we, living in the Matrix?

The idea that what we see, hear, feel and do is an illusion is not so far-fetched. But it's not an idea I care to entertain. I'm not entirely concerned with the inner workings of my mind and how it perceives and interprets my environment. I trust what my brain tells me. But here's what I don't trust.... YOU!

Part of the premise of the movie the Matrix is that we are puppets. We are harvested for our resources, and we are fed a steady diet of what we need. Our surroundings are an illusion but real enough to satisfy us. While I'm not suggesting that you are actually encapsulated in a jelly filled vat, I am putting forward a similar proposal.

There are forces, physical and other, that direct our lives and influence our decisions and opinions. One can argue there is no such thing as free will, when free will is but a list of choices put forth in front of you by the forces that be. I propose that free will is just a series of multiple choice questions, rather than an essay. You choose path A, B, or C. You don't get to write your own essay and make you own choice; because after all, you would not know what to choose. You have no original thoughts, and any semblance of original thought or idea is but a complement to a previous thought or idea. That's why someone else has to provide you with these choices.

So who's providing this multiple choice life guide? I can tell you, but you won't believe me.

The reality is that when it comes to matters spiritual, you need a guide. When it comes to the physical, a guide is forced upon you.

I'll give you just a small example of what I mean. What kind of television will you buy? What brand? What size? Will it be an LED, an LCD or the wretched Plasma? Are you going with Sony, Vizio, or Samsung? Notice you have multiple choices. Notice also that you probably never asked yourself, "who says I need a TV?"

If you did ask yourself that question then you are more hip to what's really going on, though still far away from figuring out that someone else is pulling the strings. If even for a moment you think that buying a TV was/is your choice, you are wrong. But that's OK. Figuring out who's pulling the strings, who's running the Matrix, can be fun. Being aware that you are not nearly in control as you think you are, and accepting that, can also be freeing.

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