by Dean Pirera
There was a time in history… and not so long ago when the printed newspaper stood for something unique and virtuous, something steeped in integrity, a medium that carried real merit through the hard work and talent of dedicated people genuinely seeking to accountably report the truth in the most objective way possible and wherever necessary expose the lies – a truly grand and noble service to the public.
So where have those ‘Times’ gone?
Perhaps the slander and lies like those found in various articles of late, making blatantly false allegations about Serge Benhayon, his family and Universal Medicine are rooted in the bitterness that the modern newspaper has long reached its zenith and is now on the steady decline leaving a desperation so charged that it has turned reporters into scurrilous fabricators of the pen.
What I do know is that we have somehow come to generally understand the rubbish in our media (TV, internet, magazines, blogs and so on) as normal and acceptable mainstays of life and something that we have no control or say over because it’s just the out-of-control internet. I heard someone even mention the other day that the article on Serge Benhayon wasn’t so bad because it was only on the internet and had not yet gone to print!
Do words have less meaning if they are on the Internet? Does their meaning change, carry less weight, not affect people as much, attack their fears and vulnerabilities less if it is written online?
The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.
And how incredibly ironic, that the attacks squared at Serge Benhayon, an extraordinary man if you have the privilege to research him or get to know him, are against a one (and not ‘the one’) who has dedicated the latter part of his life to living that integrity in word and beyond. Without exception, all Universal Medicine modalities offered and taught including Esoteric Chakra-puncture, Esoteric Breast Massage, Esoteric body work and true movement are born of this same absolute integrity and commitment to truth.
Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.
The Truth about Serge Benhayon 
The notion that the internet is in some way a ‘virtual reality’ is very damaging. Words carry energy and therefore have force – or power – depending upon how they are used. I feel we must remember to revere words as the carriers of energy they are and treat them with great care. Whatever is said words do hurt and we all know it. To me, this is why we have the ‘sticks and stones’ saying – because someone was hurt by words. It is just a denial of what is plainly true if we allow ourselves to feel.
In the wake of the decision by voters in the UK to leave the EU this week and reflecting on the role of the media in this, I feel we have reached a time where we cannot simply trust what is written because of the source it appears to come from. There are bigger forces at play here – forces of self-interest that leave the reporting of truth very much second. We must learn a new way of discerning what is true and this we can do by using our power to sense, feel and discern for ourselves. This has become an essential ‘art’ of living today and until we all develop it, we will be at the whim and will of those for whom truth is not honoured as it must be if we are to live harmoniously together.
The world of journalism seems to be focussed on money instead of values. I see this in many other industries as well to the detriment of all involved including those receiving the profits.
So glad I found this blog again Dean, it is full of wisdom and I love your turns of phrase as in this one, “scurrilous fabricators of the pen.”. What you share is very true and I know that i have been a contributor to this kind of poison myself in that I have also been hooked by shonky headlines and titivating titles in the past and gotten caught up in reading on even though I have felt deep inside that whatever it is, it is not worthy of even a glance. The responsibility in stopping this kind of journalism rests with all of us.
The world seems to have become very comfortable not dealing with the truth.
Most people have forgotten the power of words. We have a situation now where we believe that just because we can speak we can say whatever we want. Words have become the new battleground and journalists have become the new soldiers. As with any war, we have to take it back to why are we at war in the first place. The work of Serge Benhayon brings a focus to the war that is going on within us, that deep unsettlement that we are living with and why that is the case and supports people to re-connect with their inner-most essence in order to find their own answers.
“Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.” This is so true, how often have we heard this throughout the centuries, how often have we shot the messenger that can deliver us the truth. Our health is slowly deteriorating as a society yet we are still not willing to look at our life styles as the very cause of our malaise. The media have the power to print the truth that can give us all a wake up call but instead they choose to go with what is comfortable and won’t rock the boat for if they did it would expose their greed and utter contempt in supporting us all to lead healthier lives.
Wow this is eye opening Ariana. I love your conviction to stand by your truth.
I love this Dean..”The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.” This is huge to contemplate.
I love this closing line “Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question?” I’d say the simple answer is ‘Yes, our health is in question… in trouble in fact!’ How crazy is it that we question the very truth that provides a complete understanding of the health we ‘do’ have… when despite our advances in technology etc. nothing else can fully explain this…
Dean this is a profound piece of writing. More please.
Dean what you share is so important about journalism being a forgotten art with truth and integrity being replaced with sensationalist stories and lies. What journalists forget and turn a blind eye to is the harm they cause to the people they write lies and unbalanced stories about.
Dean, a re visit to your sharing reveals more on integrity and honesty where reporting is concerned. What are these Newspapers doing to society when we have to be wary of everything that is in the written word, and question the truth of the content of each article. It feels to me like integrity and truth come a sad second to the sensationalism presented to sell Papers for the almighty dollar return.
The true story of Serge Benhayon and all that is presented through Universal Medicine is one of integrity, treating all as equal, making choices in a way to live from reconnecting to the inner essence with responsibility to honour oneself and everyone else and to live with true love. It is a depressing reflection on the world today that this is not considered ‘newsworthy’ and that there are those so-called journalists that choose instead to abandon all integrity and misinterpret, and write and print deliberately fabricated stories to feed the thirst for sensationalism.
Journalism is a service for humanity. It is there to inform us all of the truth and forms one of the greatest platforms of control over our societies when it is used to present lies or distort the truth, simply because the truth of what really is going on becomes a commodity in such an instance. A sort after conspiracy instead of a transparent reality that is evident to all.
There are also many forgotten ‘arts’ we have lost of value from the past – the sooner we realise this fact the sooner we start to return our society back to one of true health.
It is not only in word that the rush and bustle of modern day society has presently lost integrity with, Dean. It appears to me that we have lost the integrity of our true expression and how we connect with and have healthy evolving relationships (relationships that allow us to develop and grow) with both ourselves and others. When a catastrophe occurs we all unite, the question is, why does it have to take a catastrophe for this to happen?
How the newspaper has transformed from what it used to be to what it is now, I don’t know – how we have ended up settling for lies and corruption as a part of the package of our normal life as human beings – it just feels like a landslide in a gigantic scale. I am beginning to understand the power of expressing our appreciation when the truth is presented.
“Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.” I agree it is extraordinary and if I didn’t know better I would say they know not what they do.
Hi Dean yes so true what you say about integrity. “The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are”. It is not only in word that we have lost integrity and we have lost it from settling for less than we are in all areas of our lives. And what I mean by that is that we settle for only bringing the parts of our self that will be accepted by others. Holding our selves back is the start of the break down of integrity. Serge Benhayon is integrity personified as he brings all of himself to the equation.
“It is not only in word that we have lost integrity and we have lost it from settling for less than we are in all areas of our lives.” That is another way of looking at it Kathleen.. it takes integrity to a deeper level – being all of us in all of life.
Yes Annie, and we can go even deeper if we understand that we are worthy of bringing all of us to all of life. I just got that from a blog I read today by Rachael Mascot http://medicineandsergebenhayon.com/2015/09/05/what-is-true-health
where the author was commenting on how Serge Benhayon is “always present with himself, knowing himself to be so deeply worthy of that.” Beautiful isn’t it?
When I was a little girl I vividly remember the quality of the newspaper. Journalist wrote about current issues which highlighted the facts without the undercurrent of slander, ill truths and degradation of another. The saying “You can’t always believe what you read in the paper’ rings true in todays times. It unfortunately reflects the state of humanity and the severe breakdown of relationships and communication. Dean you have written with truth. Journalism has become the forgotten art.
It is very sad that these days we cannot rely on anything we read in the paper or any other medium to be the truth. I agree that by not speaking up we have accepted this as we have accepted many other things going on in our society. Articles like these make me aware that it is not okay to keep quiet when wrong is being done. The exact reason why genuine reporters wanted to become a journalist in the first place.
So true there is a common thought if things happen on he internet it doesn’t hold as much weight as it were to happen in person. Some how because it exists as digital data it is less potent.
As we see time and time again the abuse that happen online is negatively effecting people all around the world. There is no difference abusing someone over the internet compared to in person.
Well said Luke. If anything the digital data is even more potent in communicating abuse because it can be done anonymously and due to the fact the internet reach is global. This is only compounded by the fact that most people are usually far less likely to be as abusive to someones face as they would be behind their back, and particularly if they can get away with it.
Yes it has become like there are no rules.
Anonymity is really quite dangerous when abused.
Totally agree Dean, I gave up buying the newspaper a long time ago, the majority that is written is just rubbish. I love your last sentence ‘Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.’ Indeed our health is in question.
“Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question?” Great question Dean and one which exposes the root issue underlying the despicable lies that have been spewed forth from the pens of those who are seeking to destroy the reputation of Serge Benhayon, who as you say is “a one (and not ‘the one’) who has dedicated the latter part of his life to living that integrity in word and beyond.”
So true, Dean. It is scary how we (general public) read whatever is in the media and take it on its’s face value with little questioning. In fact we enjoy the “gossip” stories as they take us away from ourselves often to more glamorous world where we don’t have to be accountable or take responsibility. The dramas we read about either make our lives seem okay or make us yearn for another life so we read more to feed this. I know this because I used to do this and at times still find myself getting pulled in.
It is indeed a sad day when people of integrity such as Serge Benhayon have been so misrepresented in the media. We have all been responsible for this at some time but now is time for us to each take a personal and global stand on this very serious issue.
So good to reread this today and reflect on the last few years.
Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine have gone from strength to strength in the face of that gross journalistic/ and online misrepresentation you and many others have written about.
Universal Medicine has just won, for the second year in a row the “Lismore Business Excellence Awards – People’s Choice Award for 2015”. So richly deserved. See here, https://truthaboutsergebenhayon.com/2015/08/02/one-man-show-grows-into-incredible-organisation/#more-4520
It is a shame that true integrity in journalism has gone and now jounalist just write a story whether it be true or not, regardless of any concern of the lies they write how they would impact the people involved. One day when these jounalist experiences lies written about them, they will then feel the impact and harm they are causing others. There is a saying “what goes round cones round”, as everything is energy, this saying holds truth. Those who lie in journalism will feel the force and impact on themselves in their own lives. Serge Benhayon is a man of true integrity and stands strong no matter how many lies have been written.
Dean you express some great truths about the decline of Papers and also the fact that the man they attack in this instance, is one of such integrity and Love that they would surely be hard pressed to actually lay any blame on him for doing any harm at all. There is a great “Good News” story to be told if they want one but maybe this doesn’t sell News Papers any more. Thank you Dean.
Great blog Dean – I often used to look up to journalists because they had the duty and power to inform people of what is going on in the world however as I have grown up I have realised how they often abuse this power and corrupt the information they give out
“Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.”
The funny part about this is, that there is no question that our health is in question – the statistics on our world state cannot lie, and are very confronting. Here we have a man who is offering questions and a way of living that is simple and loving, and yet it is fought and slandered. Indeed the silliness of this needs to be exposed.
I agree it’s crazy, it makes it totally obvious that people do not really want to change this mess and suffering right now.
Well said Dean, journalism did stand for integrity and there was always the right to reply, and not that long ago either. I remember when a journalist had to be absolutely sure of their facts before a story was ever published. When we don’t stand up for what we know to be true, are we then accepting what we know to be untrue, and if that is the case then what happens to truth?
A great sharing here Dean, so true the media is only interested in presenting a story that sells newspapers and stimulates a reader. Most journalists seem to sell out at some point and forget about the truth or a balanced story, preferring to lie or not check facts. I agree Henrietta I feel it is our responsibility to stand up and call this evil out, we have become too complacent and prefer to bury our head in the sand. Time to not wait until it lands on your doorstep before we take action.
Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.” This is a poignant remark Dean. To me it reveals the depths of the lack of responsibility we are willing to go to – that rather than accept responsibility for the way we are living some are prepared to attack a man who is simply trying to highlight our wayward ways that statistics are revealing and confirming are having very dire consequences.
Love what you have written Dean – and you are spot on with the fact that journalism today appears to have lost it moral compass. This is not to say that all journalists are corrupt and write lies and rubbish, but certainly there is a fair share of those journalists who jump on the bandwagon of sensationalism at the expense of presenting the truth. Jane Hansen is one such journalist who repeatedly writes falsities and does not present a fair and balanced report. It seems that her research skills and reporting skills are very flawed and biased and yet because this produces a story that will sell, she forsakes her journalist code of ethics, and goes against all fairness and truth to print complete falsities that sling mud at this extraordinary man, Serge Benhayon, and his business Universal Medicine and anyone associate with it. Such is the sad reality that is totally accepted as normal in our society – such things really should not happen, and if they do happen it should cause an uproar from the people to the point where the newspaper editor should be made to retract the article and print a correction or an apology – but such is the complacency and comfort in our society that we allow such things to slip by without correction. There is great evil in not speaking up, and especially so when we turn a blind eye to such matters and stay in our comfortable worlds not saying a word to correct such vile lies that get put to print.
Yes Dean it seems integrity from the media is zero. Serge Benhayon is an extraordinary man , pure integrity in every word. It is ironic the attacks on Serge who lives love and integrity, dedicated in service to humanity, in every moment. The media would do well to learn from this.
Thank you Dean for sharing your words, yes its all about integrity and connection. Where did we start to think that what we speak, write or read had nothing to do with how we live. The word is an energetic imprint of our livingness our true connection with our self or not through a day , and we pass this energy on as would a contagion be passed on,what a responsibility to know we are passing on the love we are or an emotional state brought about by a hurt and the pattern it holds us in. The antidote to the latter is to stay connected to who we are In essence and express that in full in everything we do and not hold back any part of our expression ,not leave anything unsaid as it is all there to be said and cherished.
Without living a true connection to who we are, whatever words we decide to use in print, online or in person these will never hold their full meaning. Conversely, Serge Benhayon’s words hold their full meaning because he lives in a full connection to who is. That is the quintessential, controversial difference that some refuse to embrace – very simple truth…
This blog was great to reread Dean Pirera and it could have been written yesterday. The only change I would make is to express that whilst Serge Benhayon is ‘not the one’, he is in fact the ONLY one that I know of who, regardless of what falsehoods and vitriol are squared at him as you say, he remains still and strong, not because he is tough and defensive, but because he lives the love and integrity that those who write these articles are indeed, desperately searching for! How very ironic!.
This sentence speaks volumes and exposes the true driver behind this in insidious attack “Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary”
Journalism that is not of truth is like an attack on our health and our bodies. It’s actually quite evil, because it is so subtle. It doesn’t come along with a gun pointed at me, so if I myself am not super present and dedicated to research whether it is of truth or not – I’m poisoned.
Dean like so many true qualities of the past it appears that true journalism has indeed been forgotten, substituted for soundbite gossip without true fact. Yet are we as a humanity asking for fact or entertainment? Perhaps if we demanded a different type of media we would have one? In any case its time to get back to something real.
It is true that we can get hooked on the rubbish that the media prints or portrays on our screens. We no longer watch the evening news- a ritual we have had for many years.
I scan the news briefly each day on the computer but do not need to sit for an hour watching the ‘feel good’ and personally intrusive stories which probe into people’s personal lives unnecessarily just because it captures an audience. I prefer to feel me rather than get lost in someone else’s world! Thank you, Dean- thought provoking.
‘Hooked’ is a great word, it’s so easy to get distracted by all the exaggerated stories that the press pump out. I like how you say you prefer the feeling of you – it’s so true, it feels so much better to not get caught up in everything that is going on in the world.
Dean, this is so well put. It is true that meeting Serge Benhayon is a privilege. He offers another way, a way that is not taught growing up, but when lived is oh so joyous! He needs to be studied truly for who he is and what he represents. That would be an awesome story to read about rather then the lies and criticisms written in word.
There is SO VERY MUCH in question when one who has the integrity you would never think existed, the harmony we might dream about and the love equally for all which few are capable of is in question.
Absolutely beautifully said, there is much in question when a man of absolute pure integrity and with such dedication and love for people is in question. In fact – it makes no sense.
“The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.” and in that we seem to be willing to indulge in the absolute rubbish we are dished out every day in the media to then indulge in feeding these stories into our social networks. It is appalling considering we all know what we are consuming is full of lies and made up scandals taking us on a roller coaster of emotional highs and lows. How far do we have to get as a species on this earth before we wake up and have a good look at the misery we keep alive and well and then attack a messenger and those who are inspired by the way he lives that is extra-ordinary? Extraordinary!
This is gold Dean – ‘The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.’ For years I worked in the entertainment industry and regularly spoke with and pitched to journalists. I worked with them understanding the editorial restrictions of their publication or their news department or their editor or their boss or their time or their cameraman and never once questioned why I did – it just was. I pitched them a story and they regurgitated back, publicly and with no further consultation, how they perceived that story – making sure that their story fit in with their editorial policies. But really there was never any connection between any of us – the subject of the story, the publicist, the journalist, the editor….we had all compromised our integrity well before the story was even written. And the result of that was infecting all those who viewed or read the story as well. A vicious cycle and one that desperately needs the light lovingly brought to it.
Thank you Deborah for your refreshing honesty here.
I have to admit that I never bothered to ponder if what I read in newspapers or on the internet was true or not – I just consumed it like a chocolate cake, it was stimulating and entertaining.
That is why I very much appreciate this blog and all the comments as they brought to my awareness that this is far from being ok and that I was supporting something that really harms and hurts people. I have become aware what an impact this has on us and our health and well-being.
Its often only when we have been wronged by something that we really start to see the underbelly and games that are at play. However, its important that as readers we discern everything.
Yes many people feel there is now little integrity in the media yet we have also become to complacent and accept this. We need to ask for more accountability so that we don’t get sensationalist news but we get the facts that genuinely support our communities.
Beautifully expressed Dean, What you say is so true!
Great blog Dean and so true. We create so much harm when we act or speak without integrity.
You are totally right Dean, we have normalised rubbish in our media to the point that we calibrate, that if you make something completely up and publish it online but it does not go to print we judge it not to be that bad. We are totally desensitised to the fact that media has lost its integrity to report truth. This is what we have to claim back.
Thank you Dean, a well written article by you that so clearly shows that we as a community have some how accepted this form of journalism, otherwise papers would not sell. As emfeldman so clearly states we have to claim back integrity and truth in word.
Extraordinary indeed. Well said Dean.
What the world need is to sit down, take a few breaths, and feel.
The sad thing is that all these journalist have actually missed the true story altogether, even though it was standing right in front of them as plain as day. So caught up with catching someone out, the lies that have been fabricated – their own agendas. How is that journalism?
I totally agree Jennifer.
“The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are” – I agree. And As long as we seek stimulation and distraction from the real life this type of journalism continues, while the newsworthy truth gets buried.
Yes, Dean, journalism indeed seems to be a forgotten art. How must a journalist’s life be like nowadays? They put themselves in situations of so much tension. And this might be a reflexion for us, who buy and read the newspapers.
One can only trust that the deeper we slide into the gutter press, the more exposed our disregard for truth will be and that (and I feel it already has) as a consequence more and more will rise up in honour of our innate ability to express wisely and in Truth. I love this blog Dean, as you have called forth a time when journalism was a noble way and surely we are at that time in our history when it shall in grace and love, return.
“Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? “. I say absolutely it is.
I read a local paper headline yesterday – the headline for that day was “Big Pot hole Wrecked my Car”. For a moment the headline got me and I wondered what had a happened to the car. And then I realized this headline was setting someone up for a bashing, most likely the local council. I didn’t bother to read so I am not sure, I have for sometime lost faith in main stream media. What struck me the most was – why did you hit such a big pot hole, if it was that big why didn’t you see it? Where you driving too fast, where you checked out, texting or talking on your phone, distracted by the person next to you, tired? Wouldn’t a better headline read. Accident caused due to not taking enough care of myself? Instead of shifting and focusing the blame onto someone else so we don’t have to take responsibility for ourselves. Media has a lot to do with feeding our irresponsibility and has indeed lost it’s integrity.
There is the an old saying ‘Ignorance IS bliss ‘. Serge Benhayon has brought truth, clarity and energetic integrity back to the written word, he has also brought it to the way we live our lives. Those that choose to ignore this and live in ignorance, sadly are choosing also to harm themselves and others.
“we have somehow come to generally understand the rubbish in our media (TV, internet, magazines, blogs and so on) as normal and acceptable mainstays of life and something that we have no control or say over because it’s just the out-of-control internet.”
It is amazing that the simple powerful power we each have to say ‘no’ to the ever downward slide is so readily given away and in so doing we actually say yes, lets all drop the moral compass together. People like you Dean stopping to feel and say ”no to the ever sliding common way that goes further and further from normal by the day – this makes all the difference. I’m with you – journalism a once noble profession has more than lost its way – and we the public hold equal responsibility for filling ourselves on this junk media. If everyone here together on the planet re-picked up our natural moral compass and put down the junk media – we would be rid of the trash overnight.
When it comes to the Internet there is a very fine line between fantasy and reality. In fact the Internet encourages fantasy, not truth or reality, so it makes it so easy to feed the irresponsibility and cut off from the impact the words can have on another person’s life.
We can return to those former times of integrity. It can be done step by step.
“The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.” I agree, Dean we have lost our way when we turn our back on truth. Maybe the true way to regenerate journalism is for them to begin to tell the truth and to bring integrity back to their profession.
I loved the question you posed Dean, “Do words have less meaning if they are on the Internet?” The resounding answer for me is NO. Words on the internet should be equal to words published in a book, journal, newspaper, government document, legal document. They should be one and the same. We have descended into a time where the irresponsibility has gone to such heightened states, where to we draw the line? Better governance would be a start, more integrity too. We are all responsible for making these changes and making a difference.
So true Raegan. We are all responsible for making changes that restore truth and integrity to the written word, both in print and online. These blogs are going a long way to begin this return to restoring truth to publishing.
As with politics we have the press we deserve. We contributed to its corruption with our passive acceptance of always more scandals and sensationalism. We now have to turn the tide by writing from a place of integrity.
That was an excellent article to read Dean. Beautifully written and expressed!
In times gone by, a man’s word was his truth and his reputation was built on this, not so to day. Sensationalism in journalism is what sells, we are so bombarded with information that lies are the way to get our attention all in the name of greed. Thank you Serge Benhayon for being a man of truth and integrity.
Yes Dean I agree. The true story verses the lies. What would we prefer to know?
I know that for me reading an article that is factual, balanced and filled with intregity and truth is not only interesting but expected.
Today in society we have the technology to provide amazing articles and yet it is rare to find. What does this then say about the writers themselves?
Who is willing to be accountable?
I say to all writers, journalists, bloggers, trolls and cyber bullies….
Why not….Put down your pen. Re-Connect deeply to who you are and then write from a place of great care for humanity. Now that’s worth reading 🔥
An extraordinary piece of writing Dean and a beautiful revelation in the line,”Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question?”
I agree extraordinary. The lengths we will go to not feel and see where we as humanity are really at.
Love the last line!
‘Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.’
Indeed Dean Xx
The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.’
I absolutely agree we have lost integrity, responsibility and accountability in our world, in words, in action and in our behaviour. I feel like this is causing a great deal of stress in our lives. The world doesn’t feel a safe place to me because of it. Serge Benhayon is offering us the possibility to connect back to ourselves, to remember who we truly are: loving human beings wanting to live in a caring way based on equality within our communities (that is, in brotherhood). Why on earth would you want to discredit that?
Hear, hear. We have lost integrity in word because we have lost integrity with ourselves, with who we truly are and our innate ability to feel and sense truth. Instead we look outside ourselves to find a truth we can believe in and therefore we’re at the mercy of those who unscrupulously want to better themselves be it through the pen, the bank balance, the company coffer. A return to our very own internal barometer of truth is the only way to be certain sure of discerning truth from fiction.
It is definitely time to ask for those old times back, the effect that this current type of media has on the world, our societies and individuals is actually very harmful. Writing truth has a real power, so thank you for writing this Dean, it’s a great start to look with honesty and responsibility at where we are at…
So true Ariana, that we as a race of people are so collectively empty but instead of choosing truth we prefer to read a spicy mix of sensationalism and more often than not lies, to “perk up our day”. And so we get the gutter press we have now.
Reading your comments Ariana and Josephine I could not help but feel the emptiness inside that leads people to look for stimulation. Once stimulated then a greater fix is needed next time. What a hideous cycle building like a cyclone with a vicious path reaching absolute destruction. It’s time we all stop and be honest about feeding the force of destruction.
What I have realised is that in the blogs and the writings from students of Universal Medicine – there is a style of true journalism. The lived experience of many writing how it is, is a breath of fresh air and a change from the sensationalism that feeds a purely commercial driven greed for profit over people. Newspapers are not the benchmark of old – they are a media business that needs to control what is said and how it is said in order to sell advertising and more media offshoots. The real shame is that we as a society have allowed this to happen at the expense of truth. And now as the truth starts to shine into the darkest corners, the dark rumbling media machine is turned on to proliferate and fight in order to not awaken even more to that which is truly going on.
Awesomely written, Dean. What has happened to those times? Would it be okay to ask that we as a human race could have worked on improving the journalism and bringing more REAL truth to ALL instead of making it more for the drama and entertainment – even if it’s entertaining LIES about an extraordinary man, who the world deserves to know the truth about?
I do agree we have lost integrity in word and we have given up on claiming it back. It is not only the written word, it is how we speak too and the language as a whole. There is a carelessness and sloppiness in how we speak and often an arrogance and brutality that we don’t seem to notice anymore as it has become so normal. This is definitely something we need to address as a whole of society; in regards to the newspapers, it is the journalist’/reporter’s responsibility to write with integrity and respect and vice versa the responsibility of the reader to discern what he is reading.
“The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are”….. and therefore lost our own integrity. A sad reflection on the ‘progress’ that we are making as humanity.
I agree with you, Simon. The media is only one obvious field where we can clearly see what is going on in our society – in each country it is slightly different, but as a whole, it is far from integrity and truth.
It is very true Dean – ‘Is not our health in question when we question the one man who seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary.’ When in fact this is a great opportunity to report on a truth that is about everyone and beneficial to all. Yet through our lack of connection to truth we seek out drama and emotionally conflicting situations and stories that excite our senses. We are responsible for what we choose to read and what we choose to connect to. With our choices we can call out the lack of journalistic integrity currently occurring as unacceptable and arrest the development of this culture becoming an accepted normality in our society.
You would think that with time journalism would have built on its integrity and evolved into something spectacular, where we could read truth in every word, not the gutter press it has turned into.
Beautifully said Sandhya – I agree, what journalism could be, could be spectacular.
Very well written Dean, these are questions that definitely need to be asked.
It is quite shocking that the media has stooped to such a level where they would rather print lies to make a “good story” rather then serving the public the truth.
If only the media wrote with true integrity and sought to provide a real and faithful representation of the events and people they portray online and in print. Perhaps they would then put to use their amazing skills towards reporting the truth rather than sensationalised agendas.
Dean these are great questions, the written word has for sure lost its integrity, and the recent lies spread about and attacks on Serge Benhayon has made me question much of what we read in the news. If such horrible lies can be spread about one man – then surely this is happening with others too. I also agree with your last point that our health is in question when we question the one man who is presenting to us our health is not what it could be.
Thank you Ariana for this view from ‘the other side’ as it were – journalists as sales people. It adds an importance to become a reporter myself and using the blog sites that are available to us.
Brilliant article Dean addressing the full spectrum of bigger pictures. Is something news worthy if it isn’t sensationalised enough to obtain the right amount of likes and shares? Do people even consider it news if it doesn’t attack the senses or contain something close to pornographic? From my experience the steady and continued numbing of actual feelings and realities left me in a place where it wasn’t on my radar until the headline made me jump up and listen. I have moved past this now as I have borne witness first-hand to the extraordinary but incredibly subtle life changing stories that are unfolding all around me with the people I meet related to Universal Medicine…some amazing news there. But because it is so subtle, and less imposing, currently there is no headline…”Another individual changes their life through simply listening to their body and claiming what they know to be true”…isn’t quite as catchy as “Cult Leader strikes again” apparently. Its tragic, but it is changing as people are getting bored of it.
Whenever I read a newspaper it is mainly filled with tales of woe, war, despair and the odd good news piece then the hobbies section. And if the papers are not stopping this way of printing as people are buying it as it comes, does that not show that as a whole – society is mostly drawn to woe, war, despair or hobbies that distract us from the first three mentioned?
Serge Benhayon is walking proof that life does not have to be that way but if that is all that has been lived how could anyone write about the joys that can be in life, if they haven’t known it to be possible? That’s what makes these blogs different to the mainstream news, it is not just Serge pointing out (the much needed to be exposed) big white elephants in the room but others as well.
Great blog Dean, has not man through the ages questioned change? Any thing that takes away his comfort despite the fact the change is beneficial. Man has just found a bigger and better soapbox to stand on and profess the evils of the world, according to their beliefs to anyone that will listen. We have allowed them to have free range to do as they please. With us allowing their noise to be the norm, the only way it seems that they can get our attention is through sensationalism. There is a limit and it has been reached. It is long past time for us to step up and stop accepting the rubbish the internet and newspaper is presenting.
So true Dean ‘ The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are’ words have indeed lost their meaning. They have been manipulated to serve agendas. Words have lost their quality, becoming shallow reinterpretations. So true that this is a reflection of our lack of connection to our own truth and depth of knowing.
Extraordinary indeed Dean and a great article starting to expose the nature of what is taking place in this world. The are many discussions to be had here on integrity in word, as this is an education and one that is very clearly missing from our schooling.
“The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.”
This is key. Without a connection to ourselves and what is true it is easy to fall and be misled, even mislead ourselves and others. For where is the pull back to truth and love for all equally if we let ourselves be left wide open to a spin of lies and deceit?
I agree this is key, and that perhaps our lack of integrity goes deeper than just journalism.
The decline of the integrity and professionalism in the media and the corrupted use of the “word” on the internet and newspaper does require exposing. My experience of Serge Benhayon and of Esoteric Healing have only ever been delivered with the upmost respect and integrity and has supported a vast improvement in my health and well being.
“The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.”
Awesome Dean, a great point to start a conversation. What has happened to journalism?
Thank you for sharing.
Top blog Dean. I agree that we have lost integrity in word because we have lost integrity in who we are. The media has lost integrity because it has been made a competition to see who can sell the most papers, so journalists are trying to find the most sensational stories they can and when they can’t they resort to fabricating stories.
The readers have lost integrity because we condone the media by buying the newspapers and not discerning whether the article is true or not, and worse still, knowing the article is not true but not standing up and saying ‘NO’, this is unacceptable.
This is starting to change now, and with blog sites such as these, more and more people are starting to say it’s time for change.
I absolutely agree with you Tim, many readers of printed and online words have lost integrity too ‘by buying the newspapers and not discerning whether the article is true or not, and worse still, knowing the article is not true but not standing up and saying ‘NO’, this is unacceptable.’ We are responsible as well and cannot be an ignorant bystander, otherwise we are adding to it.
I agree it is completely absurd that the work of Serge Benhayon is in question when the heath benefits of the student body are so clear to see. We live in a world where it is considered normal to be taking prescription drugs on a daily basis to keep chronic conditions manageable and where we are well as long as we are not suffering from a critical illness. Surely it is time to change this perception?
Thank you Dean for this article and I was particularly drawn to this part ‘The real story here is that we have lost integrity in word. And we have lost integrity in word because we have lost connection to who we are.’
The more we individually connect to who we are the more truth will be written and with the internet we have more opportunity of this reaching a wider audience than in previous times.
I can only reiterate and support the comments above.
I have been associated with Serge Benhayon and Universal Medicine for just over 2 years, and was nothing less than shocked to read the recent media reports over the last week that Universal Medicine was being referred to as cult, along with a variety of other defamatory and untrue allegations.
If journalism claims to report the truth, printing and stimulating inaccurate information without true discernment and deep investigation, then the recent media articles and newspapers have fallen well short of representing journalism with true integrity.
Not only have these allegations been made against Serge and Universal Medicine, but by default, they have also been made directly against the many students (including myself) who have chosen to be associated with this work. These allegations are totally unfounded.
We only need to look around at the increasing rise in illness and disease throughout our world to perhaps really ask, what is truly going on, – and that in spite of more technological, scientific and medical advances and applications, that the rise in illness and disease is increasing, not decreasing. How can this be? Perhaps ‘that’ would present a more pertinent story to report on, in contrast to the mis-allegations about individuals and an organisation that simply presents a way of living that supports and cares for the body and humanity.
Thank you Dean, interesting points that you raise.
I can relate to the decline in journalism as an industry and how we have allowed and perhaps even supported that decline by subscribing to the stimulation of sensationalism.
I too have been disgusted by the heartless lack of integrity in the people who have printed lies about Serge Benhayon who is a man of the highest possible integrity.
But whilst the industry may in general be in a very sorry state, I feel that there are always individual people and individual journalists of courage and integrity. I am sure that at least one will present themself at some point and the truth will out as they say!
I so enjoyed your last observation: “Is not our health in question when we question the one man that seeks to highlight the fact that our health is in question? How extraordinary” that I have just repeated it.
I agree with Ariana… it’s quite an eye opener if I consider my own behaviour. If there is a juicy title in the paper, or on the sidebar I’m more likely to stop and jump in. And it’s that which feeds the gutter press, so we all have our part to play in allowing this kind of journalism.