Omdega Press

The Mental Environment has been named a Finalist in the 2008 Next Generation Indie Book Awards in 2 categories, Social Change and Nature/Environment.

The Mental Environment (Mostly about Mind Pollution)

Bob Gebelein
Omdega Press (2007)
ISBN 9780961461119
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (3/08)

The author Bob Gebelein defines mind pollution as “…any thought, idea, fiction, hypnotic suggestion, judgment, etc. – any mental input – that makes one’s view of reality less accurate.” The author extensively discusses these inaccuracies. He uses both research and his own personal experiences to delve deeply into the subject. He feels that mind pollution is mainly created by “social manipulation.” We are conditioned to believe that if we don’t think as others, we won’t belong. Normative pressures influence us to feel the need to fit in with the norm. Ridicule is used extensively by society to keep people at a level where our culture feels they belong. This can be erroneous and limiting to one’s personal growth. He sees our cultural as currently being heavily influenced by three areas: religion, academia, and the New Age Movement. He uses examples of the New Age Movement from the Course in Miracles.

Gebelein started contemplating his own personal experience at age nine. In “The Mental Environment,” he discusses the paths that he took to find answers. This included extensive sessions in psychotherapy. He also discusses dream analysis and hypnotism. The information that he provides outside of his own personal experience is referenced. This material is very deep and complex. I found that his candid personal experiences helped bring more meaning to the material and make it easier to understand.

Gebelein discovered that sometimes it is necessary to spend time in solitude so that we can free our minds of the pollution that comes in from outside sources. He relates a personal experience that he had. He also refers to Thoreau’s experience at Walden Pond. Solitude without the influence of cultural input helps a person to truly be able to hear and think for himself. The more aware that we become about how our mental environment influences us, then the more we can work on freeing ourselves.

I found the information presented in “The Mental Environment” to be profoundly true. I do not like knowing that my outside environment has so much influence over my inside environment. This is something that I had already been contemplating on my own. The media does a wonderful job of manipulating me and my friends into buying expensive products that we really don’t need, just so we can fit in. I need to take more stock in my life to decide what I really think I need to be content vs. what the outside world is trying to convince me I need. If nothing else can convince me that I need to make some changes, it is the thought that I am being manipulated and controlled by forces outside myself. It’s time for me to shut off the TV, cancel the magazine subscriptions and just sit down and breathe deeply. This is a book that should not be missed. When you read “The Mental Environment” and see the intrinsic value that it holds, you will want those close to you to read it as well so that you can share in the changes that you will ultimately want to make in your life. Kind of ‘Mind Controllish’ sounding, but this time the choices will be coming from within you.

The Mental Environment (Mostly about Mind Pollution)
Rating: 4 Stars
This is a book not easily able to be put down! However, this is not a book wholeheartedly recommend to any Christian without disclaimer. This is important since the author views himself as a Christian. The author’s opinions on all things are rightfully and efficiently expressed in this work. However, specifically with concern to Christians, the Bible is the Word of God, not merely People’s Word. In regards to the author’s views on faith, “Without faith, it is impossible to please God, for he who comes to God must believe that He is God, and a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).  Disagreements aside, this work contains an astounding viewpoint to issues that concerns every human being. Regardless of personal views on spirituality, politics, media, and science, this work speaks on basic truths that anyone of a mature mind can and should consider.
Covenant Review Corner

[I particularly enjoyed this review, because obviously we have disagreements. They originally hesitated to review this book, saying, “The Independent Reviewer Alliance is a Christian-based organization and does not accept religious debate …,” and I replied with a long letter explaining how I discovered God and Christ, who “makes intercession for us,” through a process of psychotherapy and dream analysis. And I reiterated the words of Rev. Christopher Taylor, who said that this was a compassionate and caring discussion of religion. I invited them to say in their review whether the book was offensive, if they found it offensive. So I am very pleased that they found redeeming social value in this book, in spite of our disagreements. — Bob Gebelein]

Listed in “Recommended Reads” for February 2008.

” … Intelligent and penetrating.”

[The bulk of this review is sort of confused, as if the reviewer did not really know what to make of this book. If he was taking my course, I wouldn’t give him a passing grade. He did give me the compliment above, so I will take this and throw away the rest. — Bob Gebelein]

Recommended and reviewed in The Mindquest Review of Books, by Lightword Publishing.

THE MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW
California Bookwatch: January 2008

The Mental Environment
Bob Gebelein

The author of RE-EDUCATING MYSELF returns with another hard-hitting survey of how to design a ‘new civilization’: this one focusing on the underlying cultural lies…  THE MENTAL ENVIRONMENT (MOSTLY ABOUT MIND POLLUTION) pinpoints inaccuracies, failures of social systems and mental warfare that has created such inaccuracies. …THE MENTAL ENVIRONMENT analyzes underlying patterns of deception and is a fine pick for any library catering to the scholarly layman reader of sociology and cultural affairs.

[I edited out references to advertising, politics, and TV culture here as causes of the lies, because my book goes much deeper than that, into the fundamental social influences of family, peers, religion, and education, and all the books that have ever been read. But unfortunately, people like Noam Chomsky and AdBusters got there first, defining “the mental environment” and “mind pollution” in terms of television and advertising. Their definition is not complete. Why do Democrats believe Democrat propaganda and Republicans believe Republican propaganda? Obviously the answer goes much deeper than the propaganda itself, and my book answers those questions. — Bob Gebelein]

BOOK REVIEW:
THE MENTAL ENVIRONMENT
(MOSTLY ABOUT MIND POLLUTION)
BY BOB GEBELEIN

Do we really live in a free country? Bob Gebelein will really make you think twice about this statement after reading his book “The Mental Environment”.

What is mind pollution? The author defines mind pollution as any thought, idea, fiction, hypnotic suggestion, judgment, etc. that makes one’s view of reality less accurate. The main goal is to try and make one’s view as accurate as possible without the influence of any polluting elements.

What is the main factor that influences mind pollution? It is social manipulation. Just think about it. In our country we have many legal laws that guarantee us certain rights and freedoms so we can express our views without government persecution. However, on the other hand, we have social laws. Social laws tell us how we must act within a certain group. These laws are unwritten but they are clearly understood. For instance, if you belong to a certain social group, your beliefs must agree with the others in the group. What would happen if you believed in something totally different from the rest of the group? You must live by the norms of the group. If a person goes along with the norms of the group, they are the “greatest”. If they do not agree, the person would probably be labeled as “weird”. So the question here is do you want to feel good by going along with the norms of the group or do you want to feel your beliefs are accurate?

Bob Gebelein talks about many subjects but the one I really found interesting is religion. The author describes religion as not just a belief but also a way of approaching a knowledge of the spiritual. Religion claims to know the ultimate reality. He makes the point that many of the Christian Gospels were written decades after the life of Jesus and not based on first hand experience but from other people’s accounts. Another point the author makes is that religion fills our social need for authorities. When we want to know the ultimate truth we reach out for something that appears to be the ultimate truth. However, if one group follows the beliefs of a certain spiritual leader and another group follows a different leader, who is to say which group is accurate about the ultimate truth if each group’s beliefs are different. Take some time to think about this and you will understand where the author is coming from.

Bob Gebelein has written a book that is clear and concise on the subject of “The Mental Environment”. This book really made me sit down and analyze everything the author is saying. I found myself thinking, “That is so true and really makes sense”. This book is easy to understand but it is not what you would consider “light” reading. The author gives you plenty of food for thought and it is up to the reader to take that information, and decipher it to think about the point the author is making and then come up with your own conclusion. I thoroughly enjoyed this book because it forced me to really ponder the points of the author. There is no doubt the author is passionate about his subject. This really comes through in his writing. If you are looking for a book to read that is unique, challenging and interesting, be sure to add “The Mental Environment” to your reading list.

REVIEWED BY NANCY EATON