101 Essays That Will Change The Way You Think

the world is
EXPERIENCING 
a shift in
CONSCIOUSNESS
There’s a social theory that mankind’s development is not a linear
progression, but rather, it occurs in cycles. Civilizations rise and then
fall; collective intelligence peaks higher each time it does. A brief
mental sweep of history and a general understanding of nature
would make this seem logical enough—we evolve spectacularly, and
then catastrophe strikes.
It didn’t come from nowhere. It’s an ancient belief that Earth is
subject to its position on its procession of the equinox. Each time it
reaches the closest point to the center of the universe—where the
concentration of energy is highest—we inch closer to awakening. We
are currently on the upswing.
Regardless of the mythology, there’s something interesting
happening in the world today. Our collective consciousness is
expanding. We’re more aware of what’s going on (for better and for
worse), we’re striving to understand ourselves, we’re learning to
work with our emotions and build lives that represent what we value,
not what we’re obligated to. Whatever the cause, here are some of
the everyday effects:
01. People are beginning to recognize their power. Self-
empowerment, individuality, and autonomy are seen as
fundamental to living a whole and fulfilling life.
02. Positive psychology, emotional intelligence, personality
typing, and other concepts for self-understanding are
becoming increasingly popular. Positive psychology has been
having a media heyday over the past 15 years, and between
The Big Five, Myers-Briggs, astrology, Enneagrams, and the

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like, we are starving for self-awareness, and this is how it’s
presenting itself.
03. Social justice issues are making headlines like never before,
and “ignorance” is being defined as anyone who doesn’t
consider all beings to be equal. Certainly this is not the first
time in history we’ve wanted to liberate ourselves from
oppressive constructs, but with the help of technology, it is the
first time that we think of healthy social “norms” as being
those that are equal and accepting.
04. Yoga and meditation have become common practices in the
West. Whereas just a few decades ago they would have been
seen these things as strange, yoga classes are available
almost everywhere, and research is showing that meditation
actually changes the brain.
05. ”Common knowledge” is expanding at a rate untouched
before the Internet. Whereas we once only knew as much as
we could remember, now we can research virtually anything.
Mainstream media has us consuming articles and ideas at
record speeds. We’re learning in ways we never could before,
and faster than we ever could, either.
06. There’s a newfound interest in organic foods and
homeopathic remedies. People are suddenly concerned
about GMOs, antibiotics, and the other plethora of chemicals
our foods are being drenched in.
07. Everyone can have a voice. Whereas the only messages that
were communicated through media were once curated by a
select few gatekeepers, now everybody can speak and share
their perspective. For better and for worse, everybody can
share what they think, and while it may seem frustrating at
times, it is crucial in recognizing where we are collectively.
08. People are questioning the system and learning to think for
themselves. While some conversations are more constructive
than others, we’re theorizing more than we’re accepting
things as “truth.” We are becoming evermore skeptical of
major social structures, and with good reason.

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09. We’re basing relationships on compatibility, not obligation.
Gone are the days of marrying and parenting because you’re
“supposed to.” Now, we want compatible life-partners,
deliberate childbearing, and happy (non-nuclear) family
structures.
10. We’re talking about issues that have otherwise gone ignored
—depression, sexual abuse, etc.—publicly and honestly.
We’re slowly removing the shame and stigma around mental
illness and abuse and becoming more understanding of those
who need help by sharing, relating, teaching, and healing with
them.
11. We’ve just about had it with the employment model as it
stands. We recognize that working ourselves to death does
not make for a good life, yet we also realize that we are
essentially enslaved to capitalism for our survival. While part-
time work and freelancing and work-life balance are
becoming more popular topics of conversation, the
overarching structure still stands.
12. People are becoming more intuitive. As well as empathetic,
and curious, and informed, and tolerant of those who are
different from them.
13. We’re recognizing the imbalance of feminine energy. We’re
seeing how deliberately femininity has been oppressed in
society, and the crucial importance the lost balance serves us
in every aspect of life (and society).
14. We’re breaking out of the gender binary. We’re no longer
defining ourselves simply by what we appear to be—it’s
becoming increasingly more acceptable to discover who you
identify as being rather than just accepting who you seem to
be on the outside.
15. We’re becoming more concerned with the effect we’re having
on natural climates. We treat the Earth as a thing, not an
actual, living entity.

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16. We’re dealing with the effects of long-suppressed emotions.
Over the past five or so years, you’ve likely been a friend or
family member of someone who has gone through radical,
intense changes in their life and in their person—if you didn’t
do so yourself! It wasn’t that we came upon hard times and
got through it—we came upon hard times and awakened to
something deeper.

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WHY