Is ATS bad for you?

Amen! With just 4 years in the Navy, I got a life-time dose of office politics among the non-coms....I learned enough in just those short years to prepare me for the politics in real life with open eyes & the goal of finding ways to protect myself from it without actually joining in those dirty little games.

Originally posted by All-Natural
ATS is obviously good, it saves us from being manipulated by tyranny.

Well, at least it allows you to recognize tyranny for what it is, without the sugar-coated MSM version of it. It's easier to avoid a trap if you're at least aware of it & prepare yourself with well-researched knowledge. You still have to be careful to distinguish the difference between good research & bad research though...

Originally posted by wutone
are not to be trusted.

Actually, that's the entire reason it was created...The Constitution not only delegates what duties each branch of the government is obligated to perform, it's much more stringent & specific on what limitations the government must obey.

Be wary of any courtroom that displays a gold fringe around the American Flag...They'll find you in "contempt of court" if you press the Constitution angle too much. They don't abide by the Supreme Law of the Land too well.

sounds normal. A degree of paranoia from this site is natural

Hi FaxMachine,

At first, yes, I think it is normal to feel a bit paranoid; for me it was a bit of depression. I started researching a certain theory a little less than 2 years ago, and had a very hard time for a couple of months- couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. I think there is a certain fundamental breakdown that happens in your mind when you realize that what you grew up believing and what you had been taught abou tthe way the world works might not be true- in certain cases, completely untrue.

With that being said, having been researching theories for a long time, I have to say that no one really knows the truth about everything- I know we always joke that the truth is in here, but very few theories are ever proven. I look at this website as a place to discuss ideas, and find articles that the MSM doesn't always carry. I also find the survivalist pages interesting, and have gotten lots of great ideas for planting food and what to do in case of an emergency.

My only advice is this- take everything with a grain of salt- especially the doomsday scenario posts. I have seen countless "the sky is falling posts" come to pass in which nothing happened. And I also don't know that is wise to concern yourself with a possible terrorist attack that may or may not occur in your city. What are you gonna do, move? Where to? And then move again when it is prophesized in the city you just moved to?

Being prepared in the event of a disaster is good thing- being paranoid about things which are out of your control serves no purpose.

Actually, I take that back. I do have another piece of advice. I am a huge fan of "The Secret." I believe very much in good energy, and the power of attraction and positive thinking. If you feel you are reading too much about this stuff or that it is starting to bother you, take a break. Call a friend, go for a walk, concentrate on what you want for the world, and the good in the world. If you believe that there is always hope there always will be.

For me, ATS has changed my life.... i came on here for the ufo forum, but that led onto much more sinister conspiracies!.....my poor brain struggles to process all the information that comes through here!!... i think at first you believe every conspiracy going, i did! but then you do a little more research and eventually you can filter out the disinfo/hoaxes..... but it takes a while to calm down and realize not every thread is truthful...... i also spend some days watching docu after docu, i had to because id watch one docu, which would answer one question but leave me with 10 more!!!..... its still that way lol.... i think the truth is defintely on ATS, you just gotta learn to let some of the info go, id say always research yourself what you read or believe

Originally posted by GetOutOfMyRabbitHole
Hi FaxMachine,

At first, yes, I think it is normal to feel a bit paranoid; for me it was a bit of depression. I started researching a certain theory a little less than 2 years ago, and had a very hard time for a couple of months- couldn't sleep, couldn't eat. I think there is a certain fundamental breakdown that happens in your mind when you realize that what you grew up believing and what you had been taught abou tthe way the world works might not be true- in certain cases, completely untrue.

Yes i felt that way too, you put it in the exact right words.... i didnt wanna leave the house for a while, i changed all my future plans, and my outlook and ambitions severly altered, i questioned everything, and felt very distant from everything.... i dont get like that now, but my outlook and ambitions still changed dramatically

"You can't stop the birds from flying over your head, but you don't have
to let them build a nest in your hair."
Come to ATS and have all those birds pointed out to you. Then you must decide which ones are worth allowing your mind to be rewired over.
I think it is much better then the general public, that live with tunnel vision; focused on some, Disney land world view. They are the ones that
always miss the, "signs of the times", and become the victims of change.

reply to post by Jazzyguy


I hate to admit it but this is the best advice so far. Take a break. That's what I ended up doing. I had to. I wasn't buying into a lot of the conspiracies and such but I was looking. I found a lot of sketchy evidence and good theories that made sense. To put it plainly, it scared the crap out of me and made me sick to my stomach, scared for my family and just plain depressed.

I backed off for a while. However, once the BS that is going on with the mysterious 'pipeline' attacks and oil barge attacks started happening I had to come back. It was perfect timing to help push oil and gas up just a bit more.

Anyway, a break may be needed. Plain and simple.

Hello - This is my first post to ATS, i have been watching from a distance for several days now, and i can honestly say that the amount of information that i have absorbed has been extrordinary.

Just like the OP, i consider myself reasonably intelligent (IQ 130 - not that it means that much ), but have had my eyes opened to just how much i didn't know or wasn't aware of (whether some of these threads are true or just musings), the fact is that many of the discussions i agree with and many i think are far fetched. I have an open mind on all subjects, and appreciate everyones perspective (although huge satelite hologram projects does stretch it a bit for me).

Its easy to get wrapped up, but we should always remember that at least knowing of potential outcomes allows us to be somewhat prepared, or at least reduce the shock factor when we find it something was true.

To all members, please continue, i'm finding it stimulating.

PhantomMan

Well... it all depends on who you ask. Me personally, I work nights. I dunno what that has to do with it.... but I think questioning things in general is gunna put you out of sync with society... and that could be a bad thing, if you are so in love with mother kissy face society. Which... me... not so much a fan of society. So screw 'em all! Go crazy!

Hi, FaxMachine.

I understand where you are coming from. I had the same issue as you.

The advice to take a break is great advice, and that is exactly what I had to do. I took a few days off from the site to process what I was reading, and it helped a great deal. Give it a try.

Good luck!

I've been a member for only a few months, but I find that ATS has opened my mind to many possibilities. Now I'm not the paranoid type, but I believe (whether true or not) that by reading the forums here, I have become more cautious and ready to deal with many of the possible scenarios discussed. Not too mentioned it has opened my mind to many different ways of thinking.

For me I suppose the only BAD thing about being in the ATS community is the amount of time I seem to be spending here

Yeah, its not a bad idea to take a break and process things. If you overload your brain, its going to find connections for everything and you will think you really understand everything, but in actuality you don't.

One good thing to do is talk to someone open minded about some of the stuff you have read. See if you can even explain in words what your brain is processing. That whole "ignorance is bliss" areguement is true to a certain extent, but the only reason you want the bliss back is because everyone else you know still has it. It's not that they are choosing to ignore it though, there are a lot of systems in place to make sure people don't learn the truth, or at the very least open their minds.

The bottom line is to not be paranoid, to not be afraid.

I'd highly recommend a quick read on skepticism such as...

How to be a skeptic by Michael Shermer

findarticles.com...

I'm new to the site as well, however, I have not experienced any negative emotions or thoughts due to my time spent here. On that same note, my 23 year old daughter has had experiences close to your own and the advice I give to you is the same that I gave to her.

This being said, I must be honest and admit that I'm an extreme skeptic. In my daughters words - "You'll be the first one to die during a zombie invasion because you'll walk directly up to a zombie and ask him for his credentials mom!"

I'm not for a moment being disrespectful to this website or its contributors - I enjoy this site immensely! ATS is enlightening, edifying, extremely entertaining and eyebrow raising at times. Wow that was a lot of words that all begin with E in one sentence....I wonder if there's a secret message in there. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink!

You're getting a lot of good advice here from people more qualified than I am - I hope you follow it and feel mentally stronger soon.

i think most people out there that "don't want to hear about this crap", as i heard 1 family member put it, actually have some sort of uncomfortable feeling in the back of their head that they dismiss. and they simply think it's foolish to speculate on the subjects brought up here on ATS. it's not that they are stupid, it's just that what they are presently doing is "working" for them, and they see no motivation in actually delving into possibly a more negative outlook on life and/or questioning what they have been brought up to believe. and the other part i think that is partially true, is they simply want more "down" time...we use to have alot of that in the thousands of years of human history. i think it makes us more anxious when we are constantly kept "busy". if you notice how a vacation commercial looks, it shows the simple act of sitting on a beach and looking out at the water. there is something very powerful in this setting because it shows people will go to great lengths and spend alot of money just to sit out on a beach and have the time to stare out at the water. and being on ATS keeps your mind "busy", so they don't want another "time thief".

i know these are 2 narrow responses for the OP but you could probably write a book on the reasons people will not associate themselves with a site like this.

[edit on 15-5-2008 by jimmyx]

Hello. I'm a often a man of few words, and this time is one of them.

No its not bad for me. Why? I'll let other ATS members psychoanalize me. Okay!?

Have a nice chat.

As well as learning about all the bad stuff, it is also possible once you have broken out to learn how to empower yourself.

The current situation is based on the very few having the illusion power over the masses.

There are many different paths to take, mine is shamanic. Now that you have woken up, there are amazing things to discover as well, I can promise you that.

Just do what you can in a positive way to help the people and the planet.

Si

There is NO such thing as paranoia, There is only being totally aware of whats going on around you. - i think a wise man said this once .

I sympathise with you greatly , when i first started on ATS i to went through exactly the same situation.

At first their is a wealth of information to take and doom and gloom hangs out on every corner of ATS , but if you look close enough for as many doomsayers ATS contains, there are an equal number of people fighting the side of goodness and light.

Remember posts should be accurate, backed up with evidence (whever possible)

I suppose the single most helpful(to me) piece of advice i can give is..................

when i started at ATS i said ' I am gonna have an open mind ' I am gonna take each individual post as possible ,no matter how absurd or lacking in facts . This soon sent me spiralling to the place you currently reside after all the world is gonna end every day here at sunny ATS.

The thing that turned it round for me and now allows me to contribute without losing my sanity is what my title says under my name over there

I think you are feeling completely normal. Now if you were not paranoid and depressed by what you read on here, then I would start to worry.

I am new here, and when I first joined and read through alot of the threads, it felt like my whole world was blown open. Now I feel more confident, and stronger than I have ever felt in my whole life, all while being paranoid and depressed at the same time. I realize that if I did not find this site and alot of the truths that I have discovered on my own, I would be just a part of the herd. Now I am educating myself, and the more knowledge and truth I seek, the more prepared and confident I feel.

The people that always walk around with a huge grin on their face, and always wagging their proverbial tails and arguing over spilled milk are the ones I feel bad for. Unless of course, you believe ignorance is bliss, but if you believed that, than Denying Ingnorance would'nt do you much good.


Seeking truth should be every human's responsibility here on earth. For those who think ignorance is bliss, is just plain ignorant to the human agenda. (write that down)


In conclusion, don't jump off a bridge, or quit your job and become a wild man because all the stuff you read here, just know that its normal to feel this way, and it will soon pass if you let it. Just keep seeking the truth and things will become clearer. My best advice would be to not take my advice. Truth is different for every individual. Good luck


[edit on 15-5-2008 by schism85]

reply to post by FaxMachine


Is it bad for you? No, but you have to be careful what you believe.

There's a lot of good information and a lot of good posters on ATS, but on the other hand, there are also a lot of posters know how to wrap complete and total bias and stupidity into a neat, convincing little package as well. In other words, always independently verify and try to seek out and understand BOTH sides of the story. I emphasize the last part, because if there's a problem on ATS, its that too many posters are unwilling to consider anything that doesn't match up to their worldview. Take that into consideration when you read things that seem troubling and how they may be wrapping the facts to fit their agenda.

As someone else said, you have to take it all with a grain of salt.

There are times when I have over processed too much information. It gets me in a depressed or fearful state. When this happens, I stay away a few days . Let my brain sort it out.

I found this place when looking on the internet for alternative news. I am so sick of party lines on tv.

Don't bash me, but I do not believe the aliens are real etc. but I do believe chemtrails are real and have noticed them before reading about them.

I also have a very high IQ, and can really think outside the box.

I now look at life this way. I was born in this time and era. I feel like a watcher.

I am here and I am witnessing todays events. There is so much information out there today, that if you over absorb yourself in it , you can drive yourself mad.

No one human was meant to know it all, or worry about everything under the sun. Pick one or two battles , stick with them. If you take to much on your not helping anyone anyway.

I agree, I like being prepared for possibilities. I am not going to bed worrying about the end of the world. If it is going to happen, it will. What I will do is read on how to survive. Then I sleep a little better because I am prepared.

I do what I need to do for my own development. I love interesting factual information. I also know not all is what it seems to be.

Trust no one but yourself. Some can not even do that.

Ama





[edit on 15-5-2008 by amatrine]