Reality Deficiency Syndrome

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedReality Deficiency Syndrome.

A condition arising from pathological
Belief in manipulative narratives
Regarding the state of the world.

Symptoms may include
(But are not limited to):
- Trusting figures with a history of lying
- Violent outbursts at factual statements
- Delusions of righteousness

Care options include:
- Elimination of false agendas
- Truth exposure therapy
- Self-sovereignty empowerment

Often occurs in tandem
With Stockholm Syndrome.

Reality Deficiency Syndrome ~ A Diagnostic Poem by Tom Shaw

This piece sails closer to satire than poetry for me, but I can still live with calling it a poem. And it certainly should not be taken as medical advice… because why would anyone want to take the advice of a medical system with a vested interest in making people unwell, anyways?

As this piece comes to you, I’m making my final preparations to depart for Serbia in order to take part in Liberpulco. I had a really fun conversation with Catherine Bleish Bonandin, Gareth Icke and Laura all about the most important lessons and approaches we have found for working with children and young people are - and how to make sure they don’t end up suffering from “Reality Deficiency Syndrome”. You can watch the conversation in full below:

Perhaps the lesson that arises most from reflecting on both this conversation and the poem is this: Love, compassion and authenticity are the keys to bring people out of false narratives.

It’s why I’m so excited for the talk I’ll be delivering on Day 2 of Liberpulco, exploring exactly how poetry can help us rewrite the false narratives in our personal lives and in the world we experience. I’ll also be making an important announcement about a new offering from me as part of my talk, so if you can’t be there in-person, I highly encourage you pick up a virtual ticket so you can watch live from wherever you are in the world:

Finally, I encourage you to leave a comment: where in your life have you suffered from “reality deficiency syndrome” - and how have you recovered from it?

Thank you for taking the time to read this piece, and I look forward to reading your responses.

With gratitude,

Tom

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