There is no complete discussion of mental health without also addressing “The Matrix” i.e. the system in which we live.  Previous discussions of mental health have typically circled around an individual’s susceptibilities —including genetics, brain chemistry, brain development, and trauma— without taking into account the external context of the issue.  

But —unfortunately— our external context has a significant impact on our individual mental health experiences.  And disregarding these external contexts is like taking a fish out of water and prescribing it medications for its “respiratory” issues.  

What is “The Matrix”?

As I’m sure you know, “The Matrix” first came into vogue with the movie of that name, where aliens were harvesting energy from humans while keeping our human minds entertained with a computer simulation.  Sadly, this is actually an apt metaphor for how our society currently works.  

I will loosely define “The Matrix” as the societal system that we live in.  This includes all aspects of our modern civilization, including our buildings and cities, technology, culture, art, laws, commonly held beliefs, etc. 

I think of The Matrix in terms of two parts:   the systemic Matrix and the psychological Matrix.  I will address both.

The Systemic Matrix

Let’s start with the systemic matrix.  By “The Systemic Matrix” I am referring to both the physical system of our civilization (buildings, tables, electricity, wifi, our phones, roads, etc.) as well as the institutional system (legal, political, & economic, our healthcare system, etc.).

The systemic matrix affects our mental health in four primary ways.  

1) TOXICITY.  With toxins or damaging physical effects that can impact our well-being (blue lights, toxic ingredients, pollution), 

2) BARRIERS.  It can create barriers to our growth and happiness (often through access to resources, including high-quality food, education, loans, etc.)

3) ENERGY HARVESTING.  The Matrix leverages our weaknesses to siphon our energy in the form of time, money, effort, and attention.  

4) PSYCHOLOGICAL CONTROL. the Matrix trains us to do as we are told, and to follow orders through a system of reward and punishment, thereby cutting us off from our inner power and source of true knowing.  

Here is a thorough overview of every aspect of how the physical matrix affects us in the context of mental health.  Please note that this list is fairly exhaustive and the overwhelm risk is high.  Take this at your own pace and understand that right now I’m creating awareness.  I will later demonstrate how to address the mental health consequences of the Matrix through action.  

How the Matrix Affects Us

PHYSICAL TOXINS:  Physical toxins are not limited to just chemical toxins such as chemicals, sprays, and additives (asbestos, fertilizer, lead, fluoride, microplastics) that are present in the physical environment.  Some other notable physical toxins include light pollution (including blue light, which has impacts on brain wave patterns, eyesight, sleep cycles, and even skin aging), water quality, sound pollution (construction noise, notification sounds, AC/refrigeration units), EMFs, electric charge buildup in the body, air pollution (and bad indoor air quality), and more.  Most of these have known and measurable impacts on both physical health and mental health. 

FOOD SYSTEM:  Food quality has a substantial impact on health, gut health, and mental health.  In our current food system, we are ingesting unprecedented levels of sugar, as well as other compounds that have an inflammatory effect on our systems and brain, such as pesticides, hormones, mycotoxins, aspartame, seed oils, vegetable oils, MSG, etc.  

LIFESTYLE:  The American lifestyle is largely sedentary.  Our cities require the use of vehicles, and are not even pleasant to walk around in.  This reduces walking, which is crucially beneficial to health, fitness, and mental health.  Our lifestyle focuses on convenience, quick-to-prepare meals, and engagement with screens, which impact our fitness, nutrition, social engagement, and blue light exposure. 

HEALTHCARE:  While modern medicine has been a breakthrough, there are still many ways our healthcare system falls short.  Due to its high expense, access is a major issue in the United States, with medical care being the number one cause of bankruptcy.  Healthcare focuses on disease-treatment rather than preventative care, taking a reactionary stance rather than focusing on a long-term and sustained health and well-being.  Our system encourages us to give up our role in our own health and creates dependency on experts and pharmaceutical drugs.  

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM:  Our educational system trains behavior through reward and punishment.  Because of this, learning is not intrinsically motivated, but rather externally imposed.  Moreover, the United States educational system is designed to train factory workers (rule followers) rather than autonomous and creative innovators.  Because of this, we are trained (as early as five or younger) to do as we are told, to be motivated by pleasure and pain, and to cede our authority and autonomy to an external source or expert (teachers, doctors, professionals, institutions).  In other words, we are taught to be followers rather than the powerful creators of our own stories and lives.  

Especially dangerous, we learn not to listen to our inner voice and instead externally reference for approval about our life choices and direction.  This disconnection from our inner voice is —in my view— a significant cause of purposelessness, confusion, and anxiety in young people.  

For more, stay tuned for my upcoming release.