Conspiracies of the Mind: How Disconnection from Pure Consciousness Distorts Human Perception
The circumference of life cannot be rightly drawn until the center is set. –Benjamin Elijah Mays, PhD
The circumference of life cannot be rightly drawn until the center is set.
–Benjamin Elijah Mays, PhD
It begins, often subtly, with a question. A flicker of doubt. A seed of suspicion. “What if they are hiding something?” “What if the truth is not what it seems?” These are not inherently dangerous thoughts — in fact, they are signs of a mind reaching, dare I say grasping, for understanding. But left unchecked, unanchored, and uninformed by deeper awareness and verifiable facts, these same questions can spiral into a worldview driven by fear, suspicion, and distortion.
This is the domain of conspiratorial thinking. And in an age of information overload and algorithmic-driven Social Media echo chambers, it is a domain that many inhabit without even realizing they are now denizens of a dangerous place.
As I have previously explored in my Seven Layers of Manifestation framework, human consciousness does not exist in a vacuum. It is nested within a larger system of reality that begins with Pure Consciousness — the silent, infinite field of awareness from which all arises. From there emerge Universal and Natural Laws, the Phenomenal World, and then Human Consciousness. It is only after these layers that we encounter the Human-Derived World, Constructs, and finally, Outcomes.
This progression matters greatly, because it reminds us that our beliefs and behaviors are not solely shaped by external factors — they are, at root, shaped by our inner relationship to Being.
When one becomes disconnected from Pure Consciousness — whether through overstimulation, trauma, or lack of conscious practice — human consciousness becomes increasingly reactive, unmoored, and vulnerable to illusion. Thought begins to operate not from clarity, but from chaos. In this space, conspiratorial thinking finds fertile ground and, sadly, flourishes. As I occasionally mention during talks, “When we have clarity of mind, we make great decisions; however, when we lack clarity of mind, our decisions may become a source of lasting frustration.”
Let us be clear: to question official narratives is not, in itself, a problem. In fact, critical inquiry is a vital function of a healthy mind and society. But when inquiry loses its grounding in coherence — when it becomes fueled by suspicion rather than curiosity, and emotion rather than discernment — it can quickly devolve into obsession.
We see this across cultures and political spectrums. Individuals, often acting with sincere intent, fall prey to half-truths, confirmation bias, and tribal reinforcement. Their thinking becomes binary. Us versus them. Light versus dark. Good versus evil. The world becomes a theater of shadows, and every ambiguity becomes proof of malevolence.
This is not a new phenomenon. History is littered with examples of societies unraveling under the weight of paranoia disguised as patriotism, purity movements cloaked as reform, and populist uprisings fueled more by myth than by fact for those willing to examine the research. But the current moment is uniquely dangerous — not because human nature has changed, but because the tools of amplification have.
What used to only be muttered during family holiday gatherings, in taverns, or published in obscure pamphlets is now broadcast instantly to millions. An ungrounded thought, shared with conviction, can ripple outward and shape decisions, elections, and even acts of violence. This is not mere rhetoric — it is observable consequence.
And yet, the antidote is not censorship or ridicule. It is reconnection.
When we regularly access Pure Consciousness — whether through meditation, prayer, stillness, or sacred practice — we begin to stabilize our perceptual system. We return to a center that is not reactive, but responsive. We remember that not every question demands an answer, and not every pattern implies a plot.
This inner grounding reorients our relationship to information. We become less concerned with being right, and more devoted to being real. We seek resonance over reaction. We inquire from wholeness, not from fragmentation.
In the Seven Layers framework, Human Consciousness is the pivot point. It is the layer where awareness becomes self-aware. It is also the layer most susceptible to distortion when disconnected from the deeper architecture of Being. This is why conspiratorial thinking thrives in societies that have severed their connection to meaning. When Pure Consciousness is ignored, and Universal Law forgotten, Human Consciousness flails — reaching not for wisdom, but for certainty.
And certainty is seductive. It offers the illusion of control in a chaotic world. It feeds the ego with the sense that “I alone see what others do not.” It binds individuals to communities of belief, even when those beliefs are harmful or patently false. But what it does not offer is peace.
Peace only arises from integration — from the alignment of all layers of manifestation. When thought, law, nature, and self are in harmony, the mind no longer hungers for conspiracy. It hungers for coherence.
This is not to dismiss those who fall into conspiratorial thinking. Many are driven by genuine pain, by alienation, or by unmet spiritual needs. In a world of economic precarity, institutional failure, and moral ambiguity, it is understandable to seek refuge in simple narratives.
But understanding does not mean endorsement. It means we must offer a better path. A path of depth over simplicity. Stillness over noise. Discernment over drama.
And perhaps most importantly, we must remember that our thinking is not private. It ripples far beyond our particular place in space and time. And thus shapes not only our own outcomes, but the mental environment of those around us — our children, students, clients, and communities. To think clearly is not only a personal act; it is a civic responsibility.
The mystics have always known this. The yogis, the sages, the philosophers — they all point to the same fundamental truth: that freedom of thought must be anchored in freedom of Being. That real discernment arises not from more information, but from deeper insight.
So let us commit — not just to thinking, but to thinking well. Let us question boldly, but also sit quietly. Let us challenge systems, yes — but let us also challenge our own assumptions. However closely held.
The world does not need more clever theories. It needs more coherent minds. Minds that have touched and live stillness. Minds that know how to listen — not just outward, but inward.
In the end, the path out of confusion is not found in the unraveling of ever more elaborate conspiracies, but in the remembering of our original wholeness. And from that remembering, we can begin — not just to see more clearly — but to build more wisely in both the present and for the future.
To learn more about Transcendental Meditation, visit: https://www.tm.org.
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Dr. Baruti KMT-Sisouvong, along with his wife, Mina, serves as Director of the Transcendental Meditation Program in Cambridge and the larger area of Metropolitan Boston. They are parents to four beautiful children. To learn more about him, visit his website: https://www.barutikmtsisouvong.com/.