Class 1 from the Course
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Video Chapter Summary
00:00 Introduction to Digital Dopamine Hijack00:26 Impact on Human Evolution and Consciousness
01:28 Fragmented Attention and Modern Challenges
02:00 The Brain's Struggle with Overload
02:57 The Reach Exceeds Our Grasp
04:29 Dopamine and Digital Addiction
05:54 Karmic Implications of Social Media
07:18 Narcissism and Emotional Narcissism
08:59 The Age of Disinformation and Fake Gurus
17:07 Maya Illusion and Dopamine Fix
19:14 Anxiety and the Saturn Dilemma
20:50 Mars and the Civil War Mentality
22:03 The Problem with Unqualified Opinions
23:31 The Influence of Social Media on Beauty Standards
26:21 Mercury's Impact on Modern Attention Spans
27:09 The Rise of Fake Gurus and Misinformation
30:23 Generational Differences in Digital Consumption
38:45 The Normalization of Abnormality
42:28 Concluding Thoughts and Course Overview
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The Digital Dopamine Hijack - Transcript
We are all dealing with the digital dopamine hijack. This is no longer a harmless distraction; it is destroying our capacity to discriminate and to karmically evolve. The purpose of this course is to move beyond the innocuous idea of just being "distracted" by our phones.
We are here on Earth with karma to evolve. The planetary forces are attempting to evolve within a new situation humanity has never faced before. While trying to evolve, we are bombarded by machines constantly framing our reality into smaller and smaller portions.
Those of us who did not grow up with this technology can tell the difference in how consciousness and awareness used to be. It was much more holistic, and it was easier to focus. We can perceive the deficit this fragmented attention span creates compared to what existed before; we have something to compare it to. This situation is not normal, even though it has become normalized. This phenomenon of rapid normalization is part of the problem itself.
We see it as we become inundated with world events, wars, and other issues that are now just considered "normal". Our attention is fragmented as news comes fast, and we hear about all of it. Our brains were not designed to comprehend and deal with all human tragedies at once.
There is a concept that "our reach exceeds our grasp". Right now, our reach—the people we can connect with—exceeds our grasp, the people who are grasping onto us or are available to us. In my own case, I reach hundreds of thousands of people who have taken my courses and know me, but I cannot grasp them; I do not know them. This phenomenon of being online is now accelerating with the phone.
This concept has been magnified beyond the personal level to include everything in the world, from wars to other situations. We are constantly being told what these events mean by influencers, news, and propaganda, much of which is designed to make us give money, feel a certain way, or take a specific action.
The Dopamine Deficit
Dopamine is the chemical in the brain being activated by this hijack. As presented in the course outline, this has now become a dopamine deficit. We initially gravitated toward these things to feel good and connected, as dopamine is the "feel good" receptor.
However, like a drug, these devices are addictive. It would be naive to think they are not; they are designed to be addictive. This is not our fault. But to awaken, recover, and restore our karmic integrity within this landscape, we must first recognize what is happening.
This is not harmless distraction; it is destroying our capacity to discriminate and karmically evolve. This is all happening within the karma of the planets, as it always is. When asked about the "karma of social media," the answer is that it is still karma. It is not different, just much more accelerated. The karma we are burning is the same. We are still given a certain amount of awareness, attention, and focus; none of that has changed.
The good news is that this is not permanent damage. It is a hijack—a derailment, a sidetracking.
This is directly related to the gunas.
The True Nature of the Planets vs. Their Hijacked State
Maya is the illusion that the external world has the answers. It is the illusion that you are this body, mind, and emotions whose existence is dependent upon the external world. We can agree with this intellectually, but what matters is what you do—your practices. This interaction with Maya is now being given jet fuel with a dopamine reward.
The key point about the dopamine deficit is that we are no longer just interacting with these things to feel good. Of course, there are enjoyment factors, like seeing friends. But we all know there is also a deficit where we are not doing it to enjoy; we are obsessed, triggered, or acting out of compulsion.
This is what happens with addicts. We check the phone not just to enjoy it, but to feel regulated. Think of the anxiety you feel if you are separated from the phone for even a little bit: "I wonder if I got an email" or "Did someone message me?". As someone who posts online for work, it can be seductive to always check how many people liked a post or what they said about it.
This situation leaves many of us, especially older generations who did not grow up with it, feeling restless and anxious. The younger generation is used to it. We are trying to utilize the benefits without going off the cliff. Young people have been rebelling against authority forever; now they have devices to do it. That said, the younger generation is also much more aware and conscious, so I am not hopeless about any of it.
My job is to identify what is happening.
It is very hard to put things in context when we are inundated. We are like a fish in water asking, "What water?". Checking the phone every 10 seconds seems normal. Selfies everywhere seem normal. Everything becomes normal in five minutes.
This is not new. I have been warning about this based on research from 2005. I learned about it from a productivity course around 2007 or 2008 called "Wake Up Productive," which talked about the need for "clean focus". I started using that "online snacking" concept immediately in my work. Over the years, many people signing up for my certification course would say, "You're right, I used to snack on videos all the time, and I'm so glad I stopped". That was when people could watch a two-to-five-minute video. It has not always been like this.
This normalization is also visible in politics. What is happening in the US government, for example, is the most abnormal, yet it seems normal because everything becomes normalized so quickly. Culturally, our attention spans have been decimated. We have an inability to distinguish between perceived threats and actual threats.
For example, people will dismiss a factual report (like a plane crash) simply because it was on a corporate media channel. They instead listen to a conspiracy theorist, as if that person is not just as monetarily motivated. All of it is corporate now. Does anyone think Joe Rogan is not corporate media?. These people have "audience capture" and are motivated by a million things that are not just speaking the truth, including money, fame, and recognition. This is how much our discrimination has been destroyed. If I were to make a video on this specific issue, people would not get the point; they would just call me a "liberal" and start fighting, not understanding the bigger context.
The Unchanging Solution: The Sovereign Atman
Despite all this, you are still the sovereign Atman. You are still the supreme consciousness, untouched by any of it. That will never change.
As long as you have awareness and are breathing, that moment of silent, still presence is always available to you. It is available even when you are looking at the phone. You cannot not be that. That is your nature. Your heart is still beating, and awareness is still there. All of that is still present, but now it has gotten wrapped in such distraction.
Rahu represents the illusion that this is some sort of progress, and Ketu is the attempt to awaken from it.
This is the first bonus class. The next one will be on houses and signs, and the last one will be on relationships specifically. I will also be updating everyone's account to include the meditation course, which is now finished.
We are here on Earth with karma to evolve. The planetary forces are attempting to evolve within a new situation humanity has never faced before. While trying to evolve, we are bombarded by machines constantly framing our reality into smaller and smaller portions.
Those of us who did not grow up with this technology can tell the difference in how consciousness and awareness used to be. It was much more holistic, and it was easier to focus. We can perceive the deficit this fragmented attention span creates compared to what existed before; we have something to compare it to. This situation is not normal, even though it has become normalized. This phenomenon of rapid normalization is part of the problem itself.
We see it as we become inundated with world events, wars, and other issues that are now just considered "normal". Our attention is fragmented as news comes fast, and we hear about all of it. Our brains were not designed to comprehend and deal with all human tragedies at once.
Our Reach Exceeds Our Grasp
Our brains still retain the limbic system and hardwiring of our ancestors. We are designed for small groups: a family group, and an extended group of perhaps five to 20 close, intimate friends. Our brains have always had difficulty dealing with extended communities and extending our consciousness too far.There is a concept that "our reach exceeds our grasp". Right now, our reach—the people we can connect with—exceeds our grasp, the people who are grasping onto us or are available to us. In my own case, I reach hundreds of thousands of people who have taken my courses and know me, but I cannot grasp them; I do not know them. This phenomenon of being online is now accelerating with the phone.
This concept has been magnified beyond the personal level to include everything in the world, from wars to other situations. We are constantly being told what these events mean by influencers, news, and propaganda, much of which is designed to make us give money, feel a certain way, or take a specific action.
The Dopamine Deficit
Dopamine is the chemical in the brain being activated by this hijack. As presented in the course outline, this has now become a dopamine deficit. We initially gravitated toward these things to feel good and connected, as dopamine is the "feel good" receptor.
However, like a drug, these devices are addictive. It would be naive to think they are not; they are designed to be addictive. This is not our fault. But to awaken, recover, and restore our karmic integrity within this landscape, we must first recognize what is happening.
This is not harmless distraction; it is destroying our capacity to discriminate and karmically evolve. This is all happening within the karma of the planets, as it always is. When asked about the "karma of social media," the answer is that it is still karma. It is not different, just much more accelerated. The karma we are burning is the same. We are still given a certain amount of awareness, attention, and focus; none of that has changed.
The good news is that this is not permanent damage. It is a hijack—a derailment, a sidetracking.
Narcissism, Porn, Fake Gurus: Your Karmic Dilemma
The headline used to describe the course outlines these specific planetary issues: "Narcissism, porn, fake gurus, keyboard warrior, rage, endless input your karmic dilemma". This is a look at each of the planets.
Narcissism (Sun and Moon): This relates to the Sun and Moon. It is where we center our own power ("I'm the most important thing") or where our emotions are the only thing that matters. This is emotional narcissism. It is not just the masculine "pay attention to me" bullying; it is also the emotional "get out of jail free card" of "that's how I feel," which is used to legitimize anything.
Porn (Venus): This is an easy one. It used to be hard to find, relegated to dirty magazines. Now, we are inundated with it. This is a Venus-related issue, particularly for males. For women, the Venus distortion is more subtle, often related to the "goddess" or "beauty" mirage.
Fake Gurus (Jupiter): This is very much a Jupiter issue. When the internet began, it was amazing; we had access to all the greatest teachings in the world, like the Vedas. We had the sum of human knowledge at our fingertips. It was the Age of Information; now, it is the Age of Disinformation. Everyone is a guru. Why does anyone listen to goofball podcasters like Joe Rogan for opinions about medicine, except perhaps to be entertained?. This creates a whole miasma of who to trust, as people seek alternatives to news media they believe lies to them. This is not a judgment, but an identification of the issue. There is true wisdom and true teaching, so why are we listening to the nonsense?. My life is based on the images of the gurus behind me, the Vedas, yoga, and spiritual practice. That is the only thing to listen to. The concept of "you are the guru inside" also gets corrupted. People use it to dismiss external gurus, but they picked up that very idea—that the guru is within—from an external teaching. Great gurus like Amma and Guru Dev also say this—that you are the Atma—but that nature is being filtered through an ego prone to distraction and dopamine hits.
Keyboard Warrior Rage (Mars): This is a Mars derangement. It may not seem like dopamine, but it is. People get thrilled about fighting online battles; they enjoy it.
Endless Input (Mercury): This is Mercury—just wanting input and stimuli, driven by curiosity run amuck.
The Gunas and Karmic Deficits
When your limited ego interacts with social media and these five-to-ten second blips, it is not just a general distraction. Very specific karmic deficits are being paid on the soul level. You are either moving closer to the karmic wisdom in your chart, moving further away from it, or moving laterally and going nowhere.This is directly related to the gunas.
Sattva: Moving closer to the goal is connected to Sattva—love, light, joy, peace, and stillness. You must cultivate Sattva through practices like meditation; it does not just happen.
Rajas: The general nature of the ego is Rajas, which is emotional and takes you nowhere, just side to side.
Tamas: You can also decline into the dark hole, devolving and creating karmic deficits.
The True Nature of the Planets vs. Their Hijacked State
The Sun: Its true nature is authentic power. This becomes online power-tripping, ego comparison, and endless striving by comparison to idealized images. We end up admiring external ideals instead of burning up the mistakes of the ego, which is what real power requires. This is seen in the idolizing of powerful political figures, where external idealized power replaces authentic power.
The Moon: Its true nature is emotional contentment. This is undermined by false connections and endless emotional longing for idealized online personas or curated images. Masculinely, this can be striving toward Sun-dominated people; femininely, it is often longing for connection and seeing influencer relationships as the standard. This is where influencers hijack our discrimination. Even if they offer good solutions, our projections may prevent us from hearing them.
Maya: The Illusion with Jet Fuel
This modern dopamine fix is really nothing new; it is part of what is known as Maya, or illusion. Illusion has always been there, but it has not been accelerated in this way before.Maya is the illusion that the external world has the answers. It is the illusion that you are this body, mind, and emotions whose existence is dependent upon the external world. We can agree with this intellectually, but what matters is what you do—your practices. This interaction with Maya is now being given jet fuel with a dopamine reward.
The key point about the dopamine deficit is that we are no longer just interacting with these things to feel good. Of course, there are enjoyment factors, like seeing friends. But we all know there is also a deficit where we are not doing it to enjoy; we are obsessed, triggered, or acting out of compulsion.
This is what happens with addicts. We check the phone not just to enjoy it, but to feel regulated. Think of the anxiety you feel if you are separated from the phone for even a little bit: "I wonder if I got an email" or "Did someone message me?". As someone who posts online for work, it can be seductive to always check how many people liked a post or what they said about it.
Saturn: This anxiety relates to the Saturn dilemma. Our reach (how much our words reach) exceeds our grasp (how much we can grasp), creating anxiety. Saturn’s true nature is focus, but it becomes fearful, unstable connections and the creeping uncertainty of life passing you by as you waste precious time. It is a low-level anxiety and pressure to make sure we did not miss something.
Mars: Its true nature is focused drive. This becomes the "keyboard warrior" rage. This includes misdirected battles, defending causes and people one does not understand with strong, diluted, and often hateful opinions. This "Civil War mentality" is Mars deranged, collapsing into opinions. We saw this explode during COVID, when overnight everyone became an mRNA expert, ready to argue as if their life depended on it. As someone interacting with the public for a long time, I have seen the reduction in discrimination and the elevation of Mars battling. People comment on my videos and express opinions, and when I challenge them, they fight as if they know what they are talking about, even when they are not qualified to have the discussion. It would be like me arguing about what it is to be a comedian; it would be ridiculous. This is deranged Mars energy.
Venus: Its true nature is transcendent beauty. This becomes filtered selfies, pseudo-glamor addiction, and selfie filters. For men, it is often porn addiction. Creating a beautiful online life takes the place of a beautiful lived life. With women, it is more subtle: a self-consciousness around glamor and beauty. If they have natural beauty, they can use it to get attention, but it is also objectifying. As women get older, we see filters used to hide their age, which creates anxiety and false identities. It also manifests as people who never stop taking videos of their life rather than living it. I watched this happen to a girlfriend I had for years. She started checking her phone as soon as she woke up and then began videotaping everything. We would be out having fun, and she would have to video it, and I would think, "Can we just enjoy life and not chronicle it?". It would wind up getting posted online so people could see the beautiful thing she did. This is a new norm that barely existed 10 years ago. The true nature of Venus is devotion to authentic beauty and connection in the moment, not chronicled and shared for approval.
Mercury & Jupiter (Revisited): Mercury's true nature is clear thinking. This becomes information overload, mental fragmentation, and an endless need for stimulation, entertainment, and input without focus, which damages intelligence. Mercury is curious, which is a benefit, but it becomes an issue when disconnected from real teachings. Mercury and Jupiter are deeply related. We end up with fake gurus because of the "I did my own research" classic Mercury deficit. People research for three weeks and believe they are qualified to have an opinion, guided by an uninformed choice. It is easier to fall into the short soundbite from a "knucklehead podcaster" or someone like Russell Brand than to engage with great teachers like Amma, who are more challenging. We are biased by charisma (or "riz"). Everything is engineered for maximum impact, monetized, and diluted to be fun. This combination is powerful: Mars (enraged about an opinion), Mercury (doing "research"), and Jupiter (believing the influencer). You are in a culture that is doing this, and it is important to understand what you are up against.
This situation leaves many of us, especially older generations who did not grow up with it, feeling restless and anxious. The younger generation is used to it. We are trying to utilize the benefits without going off the cliff. Young people have been rebelling against authority forever; now they have devices to do it. That said, the younger generation is also much more aware and conscious, so I am not hopeless about any of it.
My job is to identify what is happening.
It is very hard to put things in context when we are inundated. We are like a fish in water asking, "What water?". Checking the phone every 10 seconds seems normal. Selfies everywhere seem normal. Everything becomes normal in five minutes.
This is not new. I have been warning about this based on research from 2005. I learned about it from a productivity course around 2007 or 2008 called "Wake Up Productive," which talked about the need for "clean focus". I started using that "online snacking" concept immediately in my work. Over the years, many people signing up for my certification course would say, "You're right, I used to snack on videos all the time, and I'm so glad I stopped". That was when people could watch a two-to-five-minute video. It has not always been like this.
This normalization is also visible in politics. What is happening in the US government, for example, is the most abnormal, yet it seems normal because everything becomes normalized so quickly. Culturally, our attention spans have been decimated. We have an inability to distinguish between perceived threats and actual threats.
For example, people will dismiss a factual report (like a plane crash) simply because it was on a corporate media channel. They instead listen to a conspiracy theorist, as if that person is not just as monetarily motivated. All of it is corporate now. Does anyone think Joe Rogan is not corporate media?. These people have "audience capture" and are motivated by a million things that are not just speaking the truth, including money, fame, and recognition. This is how much our discrimination has been destroyed. If I were to make a video on this specific issue, people would not get the point; they would just call me a "liberal" and start fighting, not understanding the bigger context.
The Unchanging Solution: The Sovereign Atman
Despite all this, you are still the sovereign Atman. You are still the supreme consciousness, untouched by any of it. That will never change.
As long as you have awareness and are breathing, that moment of silent, still presence is always available to you. It is available even when you are looking at the phone. You cannot not be that. That is your nature. Your heart is still beating, and awareness is still there. All of that is still present, but now it has gotten wrapped in such distraction.
Rahu represents the illusion that this is some sort of progress, and Ketu is the attempt to awaken from it.
This is the first bonus class. The next one will be on houses and signs, and the last one will be on relationships specifically. I will also be updating everyone's account to include the meditation course, which is now finished.
