John from Cincinnati

If so, then we might conclude that the pain, deaths, injuries and destruction are justified. If not, the troubling feelings may increase.

Other developments around us, whether they are scientific, political, social or metaphysical, can also cause us discomfort if they are about things we don’t fully understand or are anxious about.

PERCEPTION AND MEDIA

In many cases, people seek escapes from these kinds of realities and the feelings they evoke.

The often foolish entertainment in our mass media is not only part of the “dumbing down” of Americans, it also sometimes helps us avoid going deeper within ourselves.

In addition, our human feelings and sensitivity can be muted and numbed by the violence and coarseness we are exposed to in the mass media.

Some media platforms and efforts often appeal to dark aspects of human nature.

At the same time, other media activities and creative works can provide very helpful perspectives that enhance our better nature.

They can provide “intelligence” in the many meanings of that word. We can gain insight about emerging developments that are important.

One example worth looking at is the new HBO series “John from Cincinnati.”

This program explores several characters who are experiencing physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual confusion, pain and discovery.

And, in the course of the story, we learn about healing, including very unusual and miraculous healing.

The show also looks at examples of unconventional (or some might say “paranormal”) kinds of situations and developments. Things happen in puzzling and unusual ways, confusing ways.

Some of these aspects of the series examine “anomalous cognition,” a catch-all phrase for various ESP phenomena, as well as “remote viewing,” an intelligence-gathering technique developed and used by U.S. military and intel personnel as well as many other average people.