The effects of television on culture, relationships and perception:
Television is a huge cultural force with far-reaching effects. It influences and changes people and society. Since the 1960s television has become an everyday fixture throughout the world. This technology has revolutionised the way people see themselves and the world around them. For the first time people can experience things far beyond their usual possibilities, for example, they could see what it is like to be on the Moon. Television has also created fantastic connections between people. Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “The world is a village”, as television is able to “transform our planet by collective wiring into a single meta-society”.
Television has fundamentally changed human perception. Our perception—what we see, what we understand from it and how we feel—has all changed. Television has influenced our beliefs, our behaviours and even the chemical processes in our brains. Some medical studies suggest that television actually interferes with chemical processes in the brain and induces a hypnotic state. Researchers have linked various developmental disorders (ADHD, autism) to children’s television consumption. In particular obsessive behaviours such as repetitive compulsion and other behavioural disorders, Asperger’s syndrome, difficulties in social interaction and delayed speech development have been associated with television viewing in childhood.
Proving themes:
Influence of a force
Stories on television are told in images and the images are transmitted by a force that can intensely connect or alienate. One prover experienced this feeling throughout the entire proving: “Whatever they wanted to do to me, they would do it violently...”
Altered perception
Television makes it possible for us to see things that are far away or happened at other times and places. It can take us there and immerse us in situations we would otherwise never experience. It shows us things beyond our reach; it affects all our senses.
An altered perception can also bring about a change in our needs and desires. Sociologists have discussed how television has amplified people’s longing for things and experiences that are not normally available to them.
The need to open the eyes wide
Television is about seeing and perceiving. Cathode-ray tubes in a television set have a certain resemblance to the shape of the human eye. One prover said repeatedly: “I feel that I must open my eyes very wide. Not only physically must I open my eyes wide, I must also open my perception.”
Shared experiences / camaraderie / group dynamics
Some provers and supervisors raised the issue of group dynamics and camaraderie (or lack thereof) throughout the proving. Entire villages, groups, acquaintances, neighbours and friends played a large role in the provers’ dreams.
There was the contrast between engaging with the group—“feeling a connection to the rubbing group and the participants, as if we were a native tribe sitting in a circle around a fire”—while one prover had her own very individual, non-interactive experience: “I feel like I cannot speak. But I am paying close attention to you all.”
Entertainment, fame, being special
Sociologists and media critics have discussed the effects of television viewing on people’s perspective of things, places and time periods they would never experience in real life. Many viewers find it difficult to differentiate between their own lives and the experiences offered by television. One prover said: “I want to go down in history.” She wanted her name to be preserved for posterity. Another had a dream: “... like the circus and the beach, there is gymnastics, and naked young women stand like a totem pole with feet on the shoulders of those below.”
Expand, contract
The mass acceptance of television coincided with the period of US economic and political dominance after the First World War. Compared with the number of people affected by the effects of television, the number of “transmitters” of TV information was relatively small. One prover explained: “I am introverted, whereas before I was more extroverted.” Several provers experienced this tendency toward inner withdrawal, and it also appeared in their dreams.
Boredom, restlessness / activity, calm
The provers wanted to be engaged, but were unable to and felt frustrated: “I think this is a good remedy for someone who sits around like a lump, or someone who is restless inside, wants to move and cannot.” Another prover felt that “there is always something to do. I have to do the laundry, and at 8 pm I should sit in front of the television; but I don’t do that, because there is always something else to do.”
Unremarkableness / nothing happening / routine
All provers experienced a phase where they felt that nothing was happening. They expressed their frustration thus: “There is almost nothing to report. I went to work and I am doing pretty well.”
Sensitivity, irritability
These symptoms reflect the heightened sensory perception that the provers experienced during the proving (e.g. the desire to open the eyes wide). Everything worsened with movement, noise and light.
Disorientation
Problems with direction and a feeling of disorientation likewise reflect the provers’ increased sensory perception (such as sensitivity and the desire to open the eyes wide),
Numbers, number 8
In several cases there was reference to specific numbers mentioned by the provers, especially in dreams.
Physical symptoms and general symptoms
General
Tiredness / energy
Hunger / loss of appetite
Improvement in fresh air
Physical complaints
Head
Pressure improves, feeling of pressure (back of the head), feeling of pulsating energy, desire for pressure relief, the energy in his head wants to go outwards, too much energy in the head.
Headaches
Mild headaches, headaches made worse by light, wants to close the eyes and withdraw. Headache worse with movement. Pain above the left forehead. Migraine. Headaches around the third eye, improved by fresh air.
Eyes
Wants to open the eyes wide, as if the eyebrows are being raised. Pulsation in the eyes. The eyes feel relaxed. Watery eyes, heavy, tired eyes.
Vision
My peripheral focus is not the same anymore. Increased visual acuity. Shimmering vision.
Ears
Itchy
Nose
Runny nose, watery nasal discharge, tip of the nose itchy, nose itchy. Itching and tingling in the nose improved by fresh air.
Smell
Heightened sense of smell, as if the smell is inside the nose.
Face
Jaw pain, tremor of the facial muscles, desire to rest the facial muscles.
Mouth
Itching of the palate and throat. Lips tingling and metallic taste in the mouth. Lips feel cold, yawning relaxes.
Speech
Sensation of not being able to speak in the moment, as if speaking is physically impossible.
Teeth
No dental coating where there usually was something to scrape off.
Outer throat
Complaints in the area of the trachea, on the right.
Stomach
Nausea
Bowel movements
Constipation, stool volume larger than normal.
Urination
Wakes at night to urinate.
Breathing
Needs many deep breaths. Describes his breathing as incredibly shallow. Breathing becomes deeper, as in meditation. Breathing slow and deep. Deep breaths feel relaxing.
Chest
Feeling of something not only physical.
Back
Neck hurts, not properly aligned. Right shoulder tight. Itching in the neck and at the head. Neck muscles loosened, lacking tension.
Back pain
Lower back pain
Neck pain
Extremities
Bruising on the thigh, left groin swollen, tender to touch.
Sleep
Slept well, fabulous sleep, without interruption. Woke terribly, slept poorly. Sleepy.
Skin
Itching all over the head and legs. In the armpits, at the knee and in the neck; the face itches and is in constant motion.
Conclusion:
The most striking aspect of this remedy is its comprehensive alteration of perception. In the proving we saw perception expand from a small to a very large field. This was evident in almost all proving themes: in the desire to be famous and to belong to a larger group and mean something there, in altered communication ability, in visual ability and in the desire to open the eyes wide, in distortion of the sense of direction and in heightened sensory perception.
There were extreme experiences with this remedy that lay outside the provers’ normal life experience. This was particularly evident in the provers’ dreams. One prover described a sensation of something coming over her and preventing her from expressing herself. In another dream the prover was in a dangerous situation and witnessed superhuman feats of heroism.
The “overwhelming force” of television also emerged strongly when collecting and writing up the proving themes. I found it extremely difficult to finish this process. I had the sense that the theme kept expanding—as if by an invisible force. The information kept growing and there seemed no end in sight, as if it were too difficult to structure. This reminded us of the aspect of expansion and contraction in remedy provings and of the shape of the screen tube or the human eye.
The idea of a collective or group experience that came up in the proving was also present during the rubbing-in process: although the provers “sat like uncommunicative lumps”, they nonetheless expressed their need to communicate as a group. Time and again they mentioned the idea of a shared experience and a sense of responsibility for the group.
We recognised that this could be a remedy for lack of emotional attachment, for difficulty expressing oneself or connecting emotionally, or for communication problems and undifferentiated speech, for fixation on superficial or specific things or for autism. People who need television radiation are likely introverted, dull and bored, but have the great hope and desire to connect with others and to gain meaning. As one prover said during the rubbing: “I feel that this remedy is good for someone who just hangs limply around, or for someone who is restless inside and wants to move but cannot.”
Thanks to the provers and to Pat Maher and Sally Williams for their excellent support. Thanks also to Lou Klein, who first suggested testing this substance and recognised its possible effects. |
