Media vs Me

Television? News? CNN? BBC? Internet news feeds?


I have been in Indonesia for over two months now. We have a television room in the palace here at Shankari's with cable TV and I hardly go there or ever turn it on.

Before this I was living in Australia and like the USA, TV is so part of the day to day culture there.

Most living rooms are designed with the sofas pointing to the television as the focal point. And we listen and watch. Sure it's great sometimes to sit with the family and enjoy a good show but every ten minutes, some news update will come on and tell us about suffering or a failing economy or tax rises or some disaster in a foreign place.

What feelings do these evoke? Helplessness, powerlessness, anger, jealousy, avarice, hopelessness or does it make you numb because you see it so often?

I watched the BBC the other night for twenty minutes and I had to turn it off. It felt like I was being bombarded by negativity, control, manipulation. I felt helpless as I watched thousands of bodies still alive under rubble from earthquakes in China, I felt mistrusting of the democrats fight to to the top to become the leader of USA, I felt anger at knowing that there are pedophiles roaming the earth exploiting innocent children, I felt injustice to see people starving and yet I saw celebrities that could do so much more with their wealth. So what did I do then with all these uncomfortable feelings? I switched to watch 'Friends' where the world is always rosy and nothing can ever go wrong! It's probably one of the contributing factors to why those shows are so popular! People just want to switch off.

Is it right to watch all this horror on the news and just sit there and say 'that's all happening somewhere else. I am not involved, I'm just watching the news honey..I'll be at the dinner table in a minute' or is it right for me to turn off the TV and ignore what's happening to my brothers on the planet and turn on 'Friends'? You tell me..

Next time you watch the news, use it as a meditation
and look at your feelings and see what each scene does in your body. What feelings does it evoke? Where in your body do you feel what you feel? What emotions have been evoked? What does your intuition tell you? Can you believe it? Are you mistrusting? Do you believe? Why don't you?
You'll probably have so many feelings that you might think again about watching the 6 o'clock news!

Television is a great medium to look at how the world thrives on drama and runs with it.
I think if we do watch it and feel helpless..go out and reach out to the person next to you and help them. If you do feel mistrust, go pick up the phone and call someone you do trust. If you feel anger, pray for the power to forgive. If you feel injustice, go to someone to tell them you care.

Or maybe we could just turn off the television and talk and get to know each other? Opening ourselves and listening to another. Or how about sitting in silence? Sometimes being completely still with a loved one says so much more than any words.
Wow..an alien concept in this world of striving and comparison.

I found a great game called 'The Art of Conversation'. If you are a bit rusty at starting a conversation, this game can really help. Inspired by an ex rockstar, the game was created by holding cards with intimate questions to ask the people joining the game. The object of the game is to have a meaningful connection with another human being through conversation.

Trying not to be manipulated by the media is a zen meditation. If you do watch the box, try to watch yourself at the same time!!

Blessings all xxoxo