where do I start with all of this mass information?

I feel like I'm in a world of information overload and that I can't make any sense out of anything I hear. Whether it be from cnn or from a thread on a messageboard, I feel like I am bombarded with countless opinions, facts, speculations, theories, etc. I have a hard time forming any conclusions right now and have no idea what to believe.

I am tired of reading through countless threads here and not arriving at any understanding. So what I want to know is, where do I start if I want to increase my knowledge on all of these 'under the radar' issues such as a conspiracy theories? I'd like to be more informed about 9/11, Katrina, War in Iraq, gas prices, new world order, and whatever else is being talked about. I just don't know where to start. I am pretty much lost when it comes to anything that is happening in the world today. I admit that I haven't put in the time to learn about what is happening in our world today, I merely here it on the news, maybe read a few opinions here, and then form my own opinion without any conclusive evidence.

I want to be a beginner here and start with something fresh. I want to start learning about things with an open mind and without jumping to conclusions since new evidence can surface any time. What do you guys think?

Take a look at the conspiracy links at the top of the main website, there you might find something more of what your looking for.

As an example:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

would you recommend I start with reading about 9/11 first then other events? I tend to jump around. One day I read about 9/11, next day I'm reading about weather modification, then I'm on to hidden agendas in sports, etc etc etc.

Yeah, I would start with whatever interests you. I've been thinking though, your problem isn't really a problem at all. On ATS there will be no decisive truth, for anything really. This really just isn't a world of conclusions and what you should belive, if anything ATS shows you the opposite that nothing can be the complete truth.

As far as understanding, read as much as you can about the various subjects and things will start to click together. Within every conspiracy there are some things that are just not right, but if you read enough stuff you will start to kind of see between the lines and begin to make your own opinions. I admit it takes awhile to understand NWO and all that, because it's so much involved in some knowledge of history.

Pretty much all the advice I can give, ask away though if you have more questions.

well it's just hard for me because I encounter people who believe what cnn says and I have a hard time relating to them. When I am in class in college, we discuss about current events and I get completely lost because I don't have any opinion nor information. Different events pop up and I start to steer my focus from 9/11 to that, then I get lost. I don't even know what to do anymore lol.

On one forum people were discussing the london bombings, and I just couldn't agree with their views because everything the believed was based exactly off what they heard on the news, and they never gave a chance at any other independent thinking. I just couldn't contribute at all because I would cause controversy and at the same time I didn't have any evidence to back up my opinions, and plus my opinions were really without much backing.

So I want to start increasing my awareness on all sides of each issue, rather than taking one side completely. But where to start is a hard question for me. I guess I could read about 9/11 first.

Originally posted by psalm_of_lydia
I admit that I haven't put in the time to learn about what is happening in our world today...

It takes time. My advice is to start slow. Pick one subject and take the time to educate yourself. Your opinions will likely form as you go along.

Don't look at it as trying to find out what the REAL TRUTH is. That's jumping to the end of the book. Just begin the process of education. That will lead to your opinions. Start here...

The motto of ATS:

Deny Ignorance.
This motto has life. It has purpose. It demands ATS members to think.

It is a state of mind.

It is a sense of purpose.

It is a statement agaisnt the paradigm.

It is a rage against the mindless status-quo.

The idea of "deny ignorance" isn't a goal that ATS hopes to accomplish. Instead, it's a challenge. A call to all those who come here to aspire to a higher state of awareness through informed discussion and debate.

Deny ignorance is what we do.

It's how we think. It's how we talk. It's how we listen.

Ignorance is the creeping crud of history that has clouded our minds and dulled our brains. Is the evil that men do, the reason history repeats, and the cause of intolerance.

We deny it. it's not welcome here. Within these boundaries, it has no strength.

Here, ignorance is denied.

Originally posted by Benevolent Heretic

Originally posted by psalm_of_lydia
I admit that I haven't put in the time to learn about what is happening in our world today...

It takes time. My advice is to start slow. Pick one subject and take the time to educate yourself. Your opinions will likely form as you go along.

Don't look at it as trying to find out what the REAL TRUTH is. That's jumping to the end of the book. Just begin the process of education. That will lead to your opinions. Start here...

The motto of ATS:

Deny Ignorance.
This motto has life. It has purpose. It demands ATS members to think.

It is a state of mind.

It is a sense of purpose.

It is a statement agaisnt the paradigm.

It is a rage against the mindless status-quo.

The idea of "deny ignorance" isn't a goal that ATS hopes to accomplish. Instead, it's a challenge. A call to all those who come here to aspire to a higher state of awareness through informed discussion and debate.

Deny ignorance is what we do.

It's how we think. It's how we talk. It's how we listen.

Ignorance is the creeping crud of history that has clouded our minds and dulled our brains. Is the evil that men do, the reason history repeats, and the cause of intolerance.

We deny it. it's not welcome here. Within these boundaries, it has no strength.

Here, ignorance is denied.

thanks, I can understand not expecting truth, and I really just want to be informed on all sides of an issue, then forming an opinion.

thats exactly the intention of this site. for instance, look at the debate over the iranian president's remarks. there are opinions there from all sides of the situation...americans (both left and right), iranians, israelis, brits, etc. thats the major plus of this site...you get opinions from people directly affected by the news we read here in the states.

just remember, most everything posted here is opinion, and just because someone lives in an area under discussion, doesnt mean that what he or she says is fact. the US government is not the only one in the world skilled at propaganda. keep an open mind, look at the evidence that both sides produce, and then judge for yourself who's right and who's wrong.

dont worry about having trouble forming your own opinion, as that will come with time. the more information you take in, the more you will find yourself coming to your own conclusions.

good luck!

Heres what ive done with the heaps and loads of info that fills my brain day after day. Ive made a huge jigsaw puzzle in my mind with it all. Make a gymnasium floor in ur mind. Start putting together your jigsaw puzzle with the millions of pieces that u can find (or believe) to be fact.(the pieces in ur puzzle on this gym floor are normal puzzle size pieces) the outer border of the mental puzzle is All the crazy conspiracies that go way back throughout the ages. As u corraborate the info start putting the pieces of the puzzle in their perspective spots. Now just as with a normal puzzle, after the border is together, u will start finding groups of pieces that fit together but since we dont have the box lid to compare the picture we are creating, its virtually impossible to see what we are making. Alot of the pieces will connect and intertwine into the different areas of the border creation. As u add more pieces, u will start to see where the larger groups clip into. My puzzle is no where near being close to finshed, but i have a pretty good idea, whats been goin on for a loooong time, and im still confused...lolol

This is just the method that i use to try to keep some sort of order to the loads of info that i consume over the yrs. Thats how i explain it to my friends anyways..lol maybe it will help.

alright, thanks for the advice so far.

How do you guys deal with regular people who do not read about these theories, and criticise you for even bring it up? This seems to happen to me a lot, and I just find it disturbing that people don't ever give this stuff a chance.

Originally posted by psalm_of_lydia
alright, thanks for the advice so far.

How do you guys deal with regular people who do not read about these theories, and criticise you for even bring it up? This seems to happen to me a lot, and I just find it disturbing that people don't ever give this stuff a chance.

that one is kind of tricky. on normal ATS threads, everyone has every right to refute anything you say. you just have to learn to hold your own and back up your own thought.

however, if you go to "skunk works", it is all conjecture and discussion. no debunking is allowed.

How do you guys deal with regular people who do not read about these theories, and criticise you for even bring it up? This seems to happen to me a lot, and I just find it disturbing that people don't ever give this stuff a chance.

Hello Psalm. In answer to this question, I would ask: Why do you want them to listen to you?

I suppose it's normal to want to say what you think, and perhaps it's normal to want people to respond to what you have said, but in fact, "conspiracy" theories give most people a headache. They simply cannot handle the idea that 9/11 might be something more than what CNN tells them, so they act on "fight or flight" which makes them get offensive on the subject.

If you want to try and pierce the veil of Joe Sixpack, you should frame the top questions regarding a particular conspiracy and learn how to ask those questions innocently. You could say: "I don't know for sure what happened on 9/11, but what about [insert question here]? It doesn't make sense!" ...As for what to insert, well, with 9/11 there are at least two dozen hard questions that need answers. Planes flying around for way too long, murder crime scene being erased ASAP, etc.

As for dealing with information overload, my advice would be to meditate more. Organize your own mind first. That can only be done by understanding silence and self-discovery. Quiet meditation (clear your mind of all thought) will cause the information to "sort" itself in your head. I couldn't deal with the information and facts in my head if I didn't take time regularly to sit and flatten my brainwaves, so to speak. If you're constantly readiing but not processing or allowing your subconcious to porcess, it's probably counterproductive.

I think that if you keep posting openly and honestly like this, you'll be fine. Just out of curiosity, which theories do you personally think about most? Of all the hodgepodge of ideas here, which ones resonate with you most?

well I'd like people to at least give it a read if they ever heard about wacky conspiracies. Instead I just hear people jumping to conclusions, not even wanting to look at every side of an issue. I've seen people just joke around about it as if it's something to be taken very very very lightly. It's very frustrating because I am just looking for honest and open minded opinions.

well the subjects that I think about most are 9/11 theories, illuminati/secret societies/new world order, and lately a little bit of weather modification. I'm not too informed on any of these, but I've browsed through different websites, read about different opinions, etc. There was a guy at my school who is a vietnam vetern who was promoting these conspiracy theories, and gave me a slip that was a "billion dollar bill" of bush, with a bunch of conspiracy information and websites. Not sure if any of these websites hold any real truth, but I'm always curious about what they have to say, and it makes me almost believe that it's really true. But then again I am not too informed yet.

well then at that point u know its no use talking to them since they cant even begin to entertain the thoughts u are putting in their head, if even just for discussion purposes. You will find like minded people a refreshing change and a welcomed comfort. Forums such as this helps bridge the distance probs via the net for like minded folks.

Not sure if any of these websites hold any real truth, but I'm always curious about what they have to say, and it makes me almost believe that it's really true. But then again I am not too informed yet.

Here's one of my favorite links. Facts and connections are what matter. Anthony Sutton is one of the fathers of so-called conspiracy theorization.

Wall Street and the Rise of Hitler

en.wikipedia.org...

...See if your friends can counter Sutton's facts. Should be entertaining at least.