Take the TV challenge

"Television is by nature the dominator drug par excellence. Control of content, uniformity of content, repeatability of content make it inevitably a tool of coercion, brainwashing, and manipulation. Television induces a trance state in the viewer that is the necessary precondition for brainwashing. As with all other drugs and technologies, television's basic character cannot be changed; television is no more reformable than is the technology that produces automatic assault rifles."
Terence McKenna


Life Matters is having a challenge to its audience to give up TV for two weeks, which is a good start. Congratulations oto the producers for heading in the right direction. I think I can safely guarantee that of the people who take up the challenge, many will be surprised at the withdrawal symptoms. If the challenge were made to cover a year, very many people would discover the improvement to the imagination and consciousness as the pathological effects of television start to subside. As with recovery from drug addiction, four seasons need to be gone through to know if one is addicted, and also to begin to feel really well.

AIDS, malaria and TV are the world's great epidemics, but the third is little recognised because it's the only one that extracts vast amounts of money from the wallets of the sufferers, through the consumerism it promotes. If you are an average Australian and live to 75, you will sit for nine whole years in front of the boob-tube. Many people can't imagine what they could do with that time, because TV atrophies the imagination. But there are ways to quit. Resources for the addict who still suffers: TV Turn-Off Week in the Book of Days has some links.