Caitlin, I agree with almost everything you write, because I myself have experienced that shift in consciousness. After living in China for a few years, I realized everything I grew up with was a lie, It took a process of years of deconstructing my entire conception of the world and replacing it with a more accurate one. I have since made it part of my life's mission to share with the world what I've experienced, similar to what you are doing here.

However, I think one thing we should keep in mind (the only point where we differ), is that everything on this Earth is as it should be. In the infiniteness of the universe, there is no good and bad, there are only cycles of consciousness and unconsciousness (or delusion). The Western world is in a state of extreme unconsciousness at this point in history, and no doubt it will create much more suffering in the near future, but even that will be corrected by the natural laws of the universe, with time.

That being said, while reading your essays, I am hoping you're logical analysis of the world does not come with fear, or an imperative thereof. We, as individuals, are all connected, and just as you said, all a part of the same "mess". Therefore, adding fear and paranoia to the mess does not improve it; it just makes it a fearful, paranoid mess.

My understanding of the best thing we can do in our lives to counteract this trend of unconsciousness is to pursue our passions, express ourselves creatively, and have gratitude for what we do have in live. This will serve to elevate the state of consciousness of human beings, to the extent that we elevate our own consciousness on an individual level.

Thanks for your amazing work.

Nick