We are all free-thinkers. We hold the ability to form our own opinions, daydream, overthink, critically think, and even conjure up tales of adventure and loss using our creative minds. Our minds are separate from the Self, so even though the mind is essentially an illusion, it can be thought to represent a portion of our individuality.

Have you ever thought about how much of your thoughts are truly and authentically your own? The fact of the matter is that we are subject to propaganda, false advertising, and other methods of manipulating our thoughts and perceptions every day. For a long time, the elite have used different tools to influence our thoughts and actions, a tactic often referred to as frequency control.

Here are 8 ways the elite manipulate our perception of reality:

1. Mass Marketing

It’s practically impossible to escape mass marketing advertisements in North America now. Even if you live in a rural area, you’re bound to come across a giant McDonald’s sign eventually. We’re told what to eat, what clothes to wear, and even what pharmaceutical drugs to take through advertisements!

Even though it’s illegal for Big Pharma to advertise drugs in other countries, it’s completely legal in North America. The advertisements are often misleading, overstating the benefits and completely omitting the risks or potential side effects (or simply putting them in tiny, illegible letters). The FDA has stepped in multiple times, sending pharmaceutical companies warning letters or even forcing them to take down their ads because they are false, misleading, and/or exaggerate the effects of their drugs (source). Whether it’s an ad for cancer drugs, over-the-counter meds, or even an ad targeted at parents for ADHD pills for their children, they’re often a form of false advertising.

Why do you think everyone seems to own the same things? Everyone wants the newest iPhone, the latest pair of Nikes, and more. We live in a consumeristic world, a fact that has become so blatantly obvious that North American teenagers are starting to look like clones of one another. This begs the question: How much of what you like to wear or eat is actually because you like it, and how much because you’re being told to like it?

2. Defining Social Norms

SNIP