Changing your perspective is the most important real effect. This allows you (and me and anyone who knows it) to interpret political information in a more rational sense. Changing your perception is changing your life.

What to believe is a much tougher question. You have to sort through pranky hoaxes, intentional disinformation and most of all, irresponsibly drawn conclusions in order to find good information. Just look for corroborating evidence and maintain skepticism of all viewpoints until the truth is obvious.

As far as being able to change anything, you're largely right; you can't. Still, it has allowed me to predict many political outcomes long before they are the popular consensus (for example picking Kerry as the nominee and loser immediately upon the announcements of the 6-7 major candidates in '03; picking the month of the beginning of the Iraq War 8 months ahead when there was still public debate about whether we would invade; picking the nominees and the winner in '08 before the primaries had started; etc.). Also, it allows one to better plan for future events. If I'd known this stuff in '92, I could have told you that NAFTA was a given, and that Perot had no chance. This is mainly important for investment, but otherwise, at least it makes you look prescient.

The perspective has been the biggest point for me. Learning history from different points of view, including conspiracy theories, provides a different perspective upon the events of today.

The biggest conspiracy of all is the claim that there are no conspiracies! ~ Michael Rivero

Whatever you do will be insignificant, but it is very important that you do it. ~ Mohandas Gandhi

You can ...

Start to get healthy food (avoid hfcs, sugar, flour). Avoid fluor (destroys teeth, dumbs down). Disbelieve and challenge your doctor (he is after your $$$ not your health). Avoid unnecesary vaccines (flu-shot).

Know you bank or investment broker are after your money. They will sell you deals where they gain 1$ on every 1000$ you loose. They are not helping you, they are scamming you.

Prepare for mass extinction. The bilderberg idea of getting rid of 80% of population is about right. We, as a species, would profit. Now, either they poison us to death (DU in irak), or some nasty bacteria/virus will do the job. Try to get as few poison as you can. Diversify your offspring genetically for better immune resistance.

When buying a house, look for enough land to grow some food, better rural (low population density) then inner city. Have enough weapons / ammo ready.

All sound advice but the one that stuck out the most was,

Prepare for mass extinction.

My dad has talked about this before too. There was an earlier post that talked about the New World Order being a good thing, here's the link which I thought was completely absurd...

Does any one know how soon this would happen? Is there still time?

There's no need to be fearful.. knowing, being prepared and thinking positively is the best thing you can do. This is a major plus of being awake - being prepared to face what may come when other people might be blindsided and filled with fear - but don't let it control your life. Take steps to have a game plan (store up foods, think about planting your own food, water, warm clothes whatever you feel is necessary to get by) and... live your life in the mean time. Don't get overwhelmed, the fact that you are researching and willing to take steps in the right direction puts you far ahead of the game than a lot of people out there. If you let the fear of what may happen take away your enjoyment of living in the moment in your life, then there would BE no point of living, so don't live in fear just be practical.

But, that's what I mean though. The more you find out about conspiracy theories, the more it makes you want to live in fear. If our world leaders already have the idea in their mind that they want to kill off 80% of the population, what's going to stop them from doing it?

Maybe I'm just naϊve.

Live in the now. They could kill you, but are you dead now? No. If you let them scare you and feed off your fear that's a first class ticket to be in the 80 percent. Know what they are doing, but know it in a way that puts you above it, not below it in fear. Knowledge is supposed to be empowering.

Live in the now.

Thanks. I think I just needed to be reminded of that. :)

On another note though,

Knowledge is supposed to be empowering.

Reminded me of Nic Cage's movie, Knowing, but specifically the movie's tag line at the end, Knowing is everything. Short, but subtle.

True.. they put these messages out in the movies so I'm not surprised. It's like they have to tell us whatever fucked up thing they are going to do, but it doesn't say how. So they put it out in 'fiction' like movies and novels.

Well, every legend has some element of truth to it.

Flour? That one's new for me, can you fill me in there?

Fluoride

Floride I know. Harakiri mentions 'flour' twice. I'm confused.

They're different spellings if you look closely. Flour, as in the powder-like substance you would use in bread and pastries, is the one harakiri mentions first. But the second has a different spelling, 'fluor' not 'flour', for fluoride. Your mind must have played tricks on you... (and since we are in the conspiracy subreddit)... stop drinking that tap water. ;)

I think she/he said "Fluor" not "Flour" either way, probably coulda added the additional 'ide' but meh I knew what she meant.

Ok cool, we're all good here! Move along nothing to see.

Things will change! critical mass is the keyword!

You can stop drinking fluoridated tap water, stop your friends and family from joining the military[just like you'd try to stop someone from joining the nazi SS, it's pretty simple, the US just has better propaganda,] and stop getting your worldview from television. These are all greatly beneficial.

You can stop drinking fluoridated tap water

So, what do you drink?

If you can afford it get a reverse osmosis water filter for your home. It's the only type that will get rid of the fluoride.

I buy my water from the water store which uses reverse osmosis. i didn't know it gets rid of fluoride though.

What about bottled water they sell in stores?

It has fluoride AND bpa!

I'm not being snarky but are you serious? And what is a 'water store'?

but are you serious?

about what?

And what is a 'water store'?

A place with gigantic filters and a bunch of water taps so you can bring your bottles and fill them up. We have hard water here and while it's safe to drink, I wouldn't recommend it.

but are you serious?

about what?

Well, with all the stories in the press, tv, radio etc about how crappy bottled water is, I wasn't sure if your weren't just having a little joke. Especially when you said 'water store', definitely sounded like a joke.

Anyway, bottled water; about half is from tap water that may or may not have had some sort of filtering, there are no regulations pertaining to what it should or should not contain, it is also in bpa containing plastic that causes all kinds of problems for humans and other life. (you'll have to look that one up since that's a long list of issues). The other half of the bottled water out there may or may not be spring water that may or may not be contaminated with who knows what.

Heh, no, definitely not a joke. i pay 25c per gallon of drinking water :(

Not too bad really, not great but cheaper than buying regular bottled and probably much better quality too.

Distilled water too!

The two conspiracies that seem the most important to me out of the infinite amount are the current monetary system and religion. Our monetary system enslaves us through debt and religion is a huge mess because of the manipulation it has encountered. If people knew the real Jesus and ignored some/most of the Bible, you'd find he taught very similar to other Christs such as Buddha etc.....We're all one, Live your life for others and not your own ego!

[deleted]

Poor choice of words on my part... Understand the bible. Take a look at

Sir William Drummond of Logiealmond (ca. 1770-1828) was a Scottish diplomat and Member of Parliament, poet and philosopher. He wrote the book, Oedipus Judaicus (1811), now considered a classic in Bible scholarship.

Drummond believed that the Old Testament of the Bible appeared to contain nothing but a collection of self contradictory stories about a small and insignificant race of people. So he decided to prove that there was an alternative way to interpret the Bible using the science of comparative linguistics. Drummond interpreted passages from the Book of Genesis and the Book of Joshua, and explained how the Bible conveyed various truths in an allegorical fashion. Drummond suggested that the writers of the Old Testament; “…follow the example of all the East, in blending in their narratives real with fictitious events and involving important lessons to mankind whether in morals, or in science, under the guise of recorded fact.”

Another thing to look at is the Gnostic Gospels discovered in 1945

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/religion/story/pagels.html

Stop watching television and reading mainstream news. After a while you'll be able to see the fnords all around you.

This will give you a competitive advantage over the humans.

For fun check out the Rowdy Roddy Piper in "They Live"

IMDB http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.imdb.com%2Ftitle%2Ftt0096256%2F&ei=mwRPTLqPN43LnAfSjb3PBw&usg=AFQjCNE-oR5opM8cowBzG-itN2QBaJWWmQ

Pictures http://www.google.com/images?q=they%20live&oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&source=og&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wi&biw=1170&bih=710

It means you are informed.

Take for example marketing. When you understand the techniques of marketing, for example, a car company uses a beautiful women next to a car, hinting that if you buy their car you will get a hot girl too. Once you see through this bullshit you stop parting with your cash for their illusion.

Likewise, when ruling elite say they need to take more of your freedoms away to 'protect your freedom' you know its bullshit and learn the power of saying "No!".

It's well within your control. You just have to step up.

If your going to deny the truth at all for fear of being doubted then you're just keeping yourself in the dark.

History is written by the victors, to, at least, the extent that they can muster. Knowing of the "real" truth, and telling of it, lays a trail of breadcrumbs through the ages for the intrepid historian of the future to stumble upon, and follow, and uncover that which has been clouded and veiled by those who do not want it to be exposed.

Some good answers here between seeing the impending disasters beforehand (the recent financial crisis was very obvious well in advance to most conspiracy people), the hope that critical mass will be reached when enough people are paying attention, a healthy skeptisism of our 'leaders', and generally seeing the world through a new view, which can be very fullfilling.

However I think the best thing about being 'awakened' is that truth is in itself a reward. When you realize something about the world you didn't know before, it can have a very uplifting effect. Unfortunately it can also have many terrifying effects as well, but that's part of truth...knowing the bad side as well.

I feel you. I try to research every side of the stories we are told on a daily basis. For instance, you will find alternate theories about the oil spill. Deciding whether you believe them or not is one thing. But I have come to the realization that it does not matter what we believe. We are small and things will continue on no matter what you believe. However, this is not to deter you. Keep investigating, because while you will be uncertain on certain conspiracies, you can find some strong truth in the 9/11 and JFK "conspiracies", for starters.

The truth will set you free. While it might not be as liberating as one might hope, it is better to be aware of it instead of living blind.

I set up a website to catalog my awakening: http://www.life-wharton.com/conspiracies.html

We are in an unprecedented point in the history of humanity. A mass awakening of the population to the less tasteful aspects of our civilization. This is either a time for despair or a time for action. We all know which has the best chance for a better tomorrow.

Become a revolutionary. Join the movement to throw yourself upon the gears of the old system. But most importantly imagine a better system and do your best to live it.

Tragedy & Hope: A History of the World in Our Time by Carroll Quigley a must read for any one looking out for truth.

Here is the full pdf of this book at Carroll Quigley's website.

the user 'Dreamslaughter' has a point, it might seem to you that everything is out of your control but trillions of drops makeup the ocean, similarly together if we work towards a better world we will see change sooner or later. Yes there are too many hurdles but there is always hope as long as people like us stand up to the challenge. We may not see the change or the result of our actions in our lifetime in some cases, at least the next generations will.

You're asking some good questions. Something that is really worth asking yourself is: what kind of evidence do you require in order to believe that something, which you were not physically present to observe, is true? Some people will accept someone else's word at face value, while others need an almost impossible level of evidence to believe anything. Is it possible to even know the truth and, if so, what level of evidence do you require in order to believe it? Aim at satisfying that. Keep an open mind and consider all possibilities until sufficient evidence amounts to allow you to reach a conclusion. Some things you may have to leave undecided, because good evidence can be scarce.

For me, learning about the conspiracy has been like correctly identifying a leak in my roof before it destroys the entire ceiling. Many people would consider having a leaky roof as bad news, but they'd be forgetting the value of such knowledge in saving their entire house. Similarly, I think that the conspiracy has laid some very subtle yet deadly traps for unsuspecting people - yes, there are physical threats, but more important in my mind are fallacies of thought which lead people to destruction. When you research the conspiracy, you begin to be able to identify some of the driving ideas behind them, and can therefore resist them more effectively.

For me, the ultimate course of action is fleeting. Some think that they can keep themselves safe by merely modifying their investment portfolio; others may sell everything to go live off the grid somewhere in South America. For now I'm staying where I am, because perhaps there are some people in my life who might heed what I say, if I were to point out that spot on their ceiling.

what kind of evidence do you require in order to believe that something, which you were not physically present to observe, is true?

I didn't look at it this way. In most of the conspiracies that I've read into, I've just being using my instincts, hoping it would be enough to allow me to know what's true or not. I'll keep this in mind though.

For me, the ultimate course of action is fleeting.

My dad has talked about this too. If worse comes to worst, this would be an option. DiarrheaMonkey said earlier too that "it allows one to better plan for future events." This would be one of those events.

:) I wasn't very clear - I didn't intend "fleeting" to mean "fleeing". What I meant is that the $100 question on everyone's mind when they learn about the conspiracy is what course of action to take in response to this new information. I've never really found a good answer. Keeping your ear to the ground, to be prepared in case it ever did come to fleeing, is of course wise.

Oops. I completely misinterpreted that, my apologies. :) Thanks for clearing that up though. As for the best course of action, I just hope it never will have to result in fleeing.

Using your instincts is all you really can do so if you learn discernment and to listen to your gut instinct, that's pretty much all you can do. You're on the right track! If you keep going in the direction your instincts tells you to go in your research, it will lead you to what you want/need to know. At this point in my research, I've come to the realization that like you said, you can't change other people or what they are doing, but since the outside world is a projection of your own mind (like the Matrix), changing your perspective DOES change your world. It may sound wishy washy, but that simple idea seems to be everywhere if you listen closely.

The best thing you can do is just keep searching for the truth. I am very hesitant to believe anything unless it's coming straight from a declassified (or leaked) government document, and or from the testimony of someone who is actually "in the field" (ie current/former government employee, military personnel, scientists, etc.) If i'm going to take a story seriously it's going to need some damn good sources.

If you want to hear some crazy/mindblowing testimony from high ranking military personell regarding UFO's, zero point energy, etc than watch this collection of interviews: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6552475158249898710#

Also read this interview with Adam Trombly, a scientist who's inventions have been gagged (ie hidden from the public) for many years: http://spiritofmaat.com/archive/feb2/trombly.htm

The government (or rather the military/insustrial complex run by the fossil fuel industry, which CONTROLS the government) has been covering up the discovery of zero point energy systems pioneered by famed inventor Nikola Tesla, as well as various other technologies recovered (including similar zero-point energy systems) from crashed UFO's throughout recent history. This has been an ongoing cover-up for DECADES, but don't take my word for it. Hear the story straight from the horse's mouth, hear it from the testimony of high ranking military personnel/scientists in the links above. It definitely sounds crazy, but the testimony is there, believe it or don't

If i'm going to take a story seriously it's going to need some damn good sources.

The sources you sent are pretty damn good alright. Thanks for sharing.

Dude you tell me. I know why I think it matters, I am quite sure this will be meaningless for you. Why should anyone seek the truth at all?

...because the alternative is unacceptable.

That was my question initially. I just couldn't word it properly. I think some of the responses here have answered that pretty well:

• Changing your perception is changing your life. & It allows one to better plan for future events. - DiarrheaMonkey
• When you research the conspiracy, you begin to be able to identify some of the driving ideas behind them, and can therefore resist them more effectively. - Solstice680
• Likewise, when ruling elite say they need to take more of your freedoms away to 'protect your freedom' you know its bullshit and learn the power of saying "No!". - Magick932
• The truth will set you free. While it might not be as liberating as one might hope, it is better to be aware of it instead of living blind. - steezybaythizz

Those are just a few.

""There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — can't get fooled again."

-George W. Bush"

-Dirtydan

You can avoid doing things in life that will unwittingly bring you up against powerful forces that might kill you if you were too successful doing what you thought was "good".

You can decided to join the conspiracy and profit. Get into the oil business working for the conspirators and realizing they will likely never let large scale deployment of electric transportation threaten oil might save you money by not investing in some green products companies (although small deployment for yourself can help you).

You can finally realize you can't do much about it so just stop feeling you should be doing something.

You can decide to be a dead hero and actually try to do something about it which will likely get you mysteriously killed evenif you are an american or even an american president forexample: most recently http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7113.

and attempted assassination of Reagan by the family of Vanderbilt Oil executives and Bush supporters the Hinckley family of Vanderbilt Oil to bring Bush to the presidency when Reagan went after them.

http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=HpASAAAAIBAJ&sjid=EPcDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4273,846911&dq=hinckley+neil+bush+1981&hl=en

and http://bit.ly/9Vkbtc

and a whole book written about it as a fictional novel as the author says to avoid lible charges

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0961333804?ie=UTF8&tag=httplink-20

So it does not happen AGAIN!!! ya have to understand that people have the money and power to do these things very easily so get real MATE!

But, that's what I mean though. The more you find out about conspiracy theories, the more it makes you want to live in fear. If our world leaders already have the idea in their mind that they want to kill off 80% of the population, what's going to stop them from doing it?

Maybe I'm just naϊve.