What if books could control your mind? Could you resist?

When reading, a scene forms in the mind’s eye of readers and the story plays out. This is not just imagination; it takes shape in a magical realm. It’s like a stage, where props and actors are formed from the magic and play out the scene. Many readers can unconsciously collaborate, witnessing and shaping the scene in the mind’s eye, and the realm responds, changing what’s presented to match the collective imagination of the readers.

How the Controllers control

In Introducing the Controllers, the Word Guardians ‘bad guys’, I described how this process of imagination can be influenced. Controllers can visit and change the scene in the realm using word magic. This can then be ‘seen’ by readers and influence their imagination. It can be mundane, or more impactful and that’s where the battle between the Controllers and the Guardians starts to play out. It’s a battle for control versus free will.

On a visit to Victorian London, Yas learns that most readers ignore things that don’t make sense. But subtlety is the key here. The Controllers make changes that readers accept as a seed and then that can be expanded upon to greater effect. It influences the thoughts of readers, placing suggestions of fake news, or as we see with Book 3 The Shadow Readers, readers can be incited to action to further the Controllers’ goals.

So if this happened to you, how would you know?

If someone was subtly influencing your thoughts, would you recognize the signs?  With so much influence in general in the world already, what ways can we safeguard our minds?

Like the Shadow Readers in book 3, if we’re being controlled and taking uncharacteristic actions, or performing unhealthy habits we hope that family and friends would challenge us. That would be one call back to reality.

If it’s more subtle though, as we’re influenced by stories, it could change our beliefs over time. Perhaps we might express those views, but other than that, there may be no external signs.

What about if a Controller influences us to say or do something that conflicts with our own values (see Waking up to core values in a time of crisis)? Would we become caught up in it or would it jar internally and cause us to pause for a moment?

Could you resist?

Ultimately, we must question what we read, see and hear and I’ve touched on this from the Guardians perspective in How do the Word Guardians determine the truth. We should ask who has presented a story and why now? What might benefit whom from the way in which it has been portrayed? Only then can we start to know our own thoughts and form our own beliefs, versus trusting what comes to us.

So, what do you think? If a book started to control your mind, would you notice? Could you resist? I’d be interested to hear what you think.

And, to learn more about how mind control happens in the series, you’ll have to read the series. Click the button below to view the books in your usual Amazon store (all the books in the series are available in paperback and kindle editions).