A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Is it just me or do we all go through cycles of perceived threat (paranoia)?

It seems like some weeks I am focused on life, work, and family and then other weeks for no obvious reason I find my self preoccupied with SHTF type of thoughts. I never seem to be able to put a finger on what causes this but it comes and goes from no apparent stimulus at least that I can determine.

Just curious if you all experience this.

Dave

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

yeppa,
I think it's info overload.
every threat in the world is focused on and the synergistic effect magnifies each of them, feeding our (likely justified) paranoia. Then we freak out and say that and figure that it can't be as bad as we're percieving, given the comfort we enjoy with our life, work, family. So then we stop focusing on it.

Then somebody says that the FED is going to start accepting CC debt as collateral, and we start getting that sinking feeling again and start paying attention to the looming war with Iran, etc.

I'm right there with ya Dave.
I've given up on maintaining that i can possibly have a good bead on what the real score is. Now i just try to sip my tea in the Maelstrom, maintaining an aesthetically pleasing level of crazy... Hey, we're comfortable now, right? Why waste it?

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

YUP

me too. I often go through phases where my primary shtf concern changes- i.e. - economy, Iran, commies, sino soviet threat, N. Korea, food shortages, Martial Law, ECONOMY, wife making me go to weddings, EMP, fuel going through the roof....

its all connected I guess...well except for weddings

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

better weddings than baby showers.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

oh yeah - I left that out

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Iptuous,

I hear you. Establishing a good baseline for what the norm should be versus what is accepted definitely plays a role in my thoughts. Humans have a natural tendency to adapt to their surroundings thus readjusting what they consider "status quo." Unfortunately the unintended consequence to this is the "norm" is a floating value for people at large making it hard to determine if we are indeed seeking further in to the abyss we all fear or are stationary.

I suppose you are right, we are comfortable now and have the luxury of determining our true direction. Have you ever been in a boat on a body of water that had fast currents? Based on your local observation you could appear to be moving in one direction but in reality moving in a completely different direction or speed with the current. Well I feel like this is the case, except the fog is thick so I can't get my bearings and that darn GPS doesn't seem to be working.

Dave

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Luckily my wife has the tendency to be a little anti-social like myself so weddings never have been much of a problem minus ours of course ;)

BTW- Good point Techguy! Being a father of four and my two oldest are girls I am NOT looking forward to the time when they become interested in boys. Some how the saying "10 acres out back, a shot gun and a shovel" seems to be very relevant in my mind!

Dave

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

yup, What he ^ said

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

QWAK,Dave,You are feeling an ENERGY WAVE by many others having similar feelings -- each adds a little PUSH and maks it a little biger and stronger.:yes:

Try to MELLOW your FEAR feelings and replace them with HAPPY anticipation of WONDERFULL GOOD things that are coming!:yes:

Push in THAT direction and your FEAR will both be DEMINISHED and you will be THINKING/PUSHING in a POSITIVE direction.:wink:

Works for ME but yes I feel "IT" too almost RYTHIMIC -- like being close to a KETTLE DRUM being played but a much -- much slower frequency.

the DUCK

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Duck, yes sir, you can feel it coming. Im not sure what it is but its coming.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

hard to argue with that,
one of the curses of the internet

for myself, i'm on a medium level of SHTF alert
-FEMA exercises going on
-8 days away from REAL ID (May 10)
-increased war-mongering about Iran

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Good advice Duck.

I am relatively new to this world, years not decades, so I suppose I am still adjusting and fall prey to the uncertainty and fear associated with the potential outcomes that occur with the change we all see coming.

Cheers to a happy outlook! :beer:

Dave

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Everybody is only years relative to this new world.....
The old timers have some experience, but not like this.
They never had info overload, for example.
I think it was the donkey that recently said "we're all newbies now"

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Excellent point. I reread your previous post about "Info-Overload" and see how this can effect anyone; indeed this is a challenge to all.

The paranoid side of me wonders how much of the information "out there" is true, false, or fabricated with intent? This sort of thing can make the brain hurt if you ponder this too much. :banghead: Perhaps this is where sipping tea comes in?

Good thoughts folks.

Dave

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Yes, indeedy.
And never underestimate the necessity for maintaining good humor. I personally found Discordianism to be a wonderful mess of slop to wallow around in to this end.
Oh! and if you want to combine your paranoia and humor, I highly suggest reading 'the Illuminatus! trilogy' by Robert Anton Wilson (who, sadly, passed away last year) It's a good way of giving yourself a mindjob. Takes a while to read (it's long and nonlinear) and you don't leave it with a nice cohesive image in your head of what you just did to yourself by reading it. Fun!:clap2:

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

"I with you fellers"

Further I would add that my focus slides from international (Iran) to local(tax assessment for new residential streets) then to national (Ron Paul and the Revolution) then back to personal (need gutters on house). Occasionally it makes the jump to universal and spiritual, but the end effect is the same. You get bugged out and then you work through it.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

yes.

2-3 weeks normal than a week or so of black helicopters...i am entering a black helicoper phase right now.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Me too, Avalon and all. I have long, in the back of my mind, had a sense that TSHTF in my lifetime. But that sense was vague, never an urgent sense, never like the last few months, since about November.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Yeah, a cycle. I always called it a orbit....always returning to where I was, and the halfway point (WAY over there) looked so remote at times that surely there could be no return. But there always has been a return. Doesn't matter what, whether preps, money, home, whatever. The trick for me is to not completely commit to the now, and be mindful of the "then and again".
The interesting thing within the past year has been my almost utter abandonment of conventional long term fiscal discipline. A couple of days ago I got into a CO2 cylinder. It was costly, but I didn't blink. A year ago, I'd have told you to go Dick Cheney yourself at the suggestion of doing something like that.
What's more, priorities are crystal clear. I don't spread myself out like I did. Now I do what I do, I'm crazy, and that's just fine.
If your swings bug you, draw up a plan of goals and execute them systematically-no matter what, or where your head is. I find notes from the "past" me to now me to act as reminders on minor priorities and rationale. Kinda pulls me from the forest to help see the trees...

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Boy if he never nailed that one!!

Man........I feel like my head is gonna burst sometimes .... compounded with the stress of shaky job and income... you got all the making of a monster movie.


Info overload......+2000.


T

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

+2001

:confused_ma:

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

How's this for a threat, you fool's gold water fowl!?!
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1354/...f661f759_o.jpg

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

I guess were all the same in that way, that's why we're all here. I got burned out, and took damn near a year off from this site. I just came back here a couple months ago. Like I say, I got burned out on Politics,(still am) prepping and otherwise. I tried to leave all of these negative thoughts, and be a happier person. But I found out that everyone is in their own little world out there, and everyone is also somewhat selfish in one way or another. So, I said screw it, I'm not any happier with my head in the sand, I might as well pull it out, and do whatever interests ME. I gotta tell you, most of my friends are selfish like I said, and think everything should revolve around them. I am much more content right now being here, talking with like minded individuals, and building my ark like the rest of you!

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

My wife has caught it now and she doesn't even visit this site. She gets her info from the TV, the Internet, and finally she sometimes listens to me. Hey, one paranoid person per family is enough.

She's been out there in the kitchen vacuum sealing all manner of food tonight. We went to Sam's the first of the week and bought 50# of Riceland long grain rice. Today we went to an Asian market and brought home all manner of goodies along with some jasmine rice.

Yeah, I'd say when she gets her head out of the sand, it's really time to take note and get prepared. Last time I've seen her like this was before Y2K. Today with fuel prices going up daily, rice going up, wheat, flour, pasta gone about double, wars and rumors of wars, inflation...money becoming more and more devalued, I'd say she is no sheep, but has rode the fence for a while now and decided it's time to jump it and get prepared. I expect any day now she'll be asking me when I'm buying some more PM's.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Hey Dan, better take the opportunity to buy some more toys (guns) while the Wife is on the same wavelength!

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

I've run out of places to keep them, safe's full, closet's full, dresser draws, night stand, got a crook in my neck from the one's under my pillow. Ammo stacked everywhere even in the way in the garage, had to build another just to have a place to put the truck and tractors. Lost track of all the brass, primers, bullets and powder I have. I did just buy more fishing tackle, rods and reels, got too many of them to keep the reels on, or they won't fit in the rod locker. Even then some of them don't stay there. Got some for trade goods.

Nope, silver is a real steal right now. Got some info they'll possibly be making catalytic converters for diesel trucks, heavy equipment and farm equipment in a couple more years as platinum is getting too expensive. That is, if there is any fuel left by then. I think the date I saw was 2010, but don't quote me on that, as there is nothing set in concrete to go on. So, PM's may be next after we get stocked up on food essentials.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Information overload is certainly part of it. But your upper brain is only part of it. We all have a lower brain--next to what's in the cranium the largest bundle of nerves and neurons is in the stomach area. Most of it is autonomic function, but the term "gut feeling" is truer than we realize. Sometimes our nerves, unburdened by cerebral function, try to tell us things of a more basic and insistent nature. And sometimes our upper brain will send us signals we don't want to hear.

There is nothing wrong, and a great deal right, with preparing for the unexpected, or for lean times. Most of us here are trying to get ready for something much bigger than "economic downturn" or even a regional SHTF. TEOTWAKI isn't an event, or something fixed in time and space. No matter what you consider the probable end of all things--the Christian Apocalypse, global nuclear war, the big rock from space, the Andromeda strain/airborne Ebola bug, or a nation's descent into fascism--preparing is a way of life. It is almost a religion. Certainly most of us can remember a revelatory moment when it all came into focus (conveniently now called "taking the Red Pill"), although some of us were raised in it, or been blindly groping towards it before we could give it a name--I'm in this last category.

I don't delve into conspiranoia like so many seem to enjoy, mainly because I can't do anything about these things, but my ear is to the ground, and I hear and see more than I can consciously process. So I listen to my gut, and it says something big is coming, and I prepare a little harder.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

I just reached a simimlar conclusion about my friends. Not that they are selfish as such, because I am as bad, but that they prefer to not know. They just don't want any downers. I told them a year ago inflation was coming and jobs were going. Some of them have taken some steps from my example but not enough in my opinion because when everyone else realises and starts to hoard is not the time for you to begin, you should be done by then. So I figured fine, they know I am stocking up and why. I'll leave them to it and look after No. 1.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Yeah, I'd second that, in waves. I'd rather have an idea though of what is really going down here in our country/world (ahead of time) rather than be blindsided, even if knowing (or thinking I know) occasionally causes me those horrible gut feelings.

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Good thoughts folks and thank you for the replies..

Here are a couple things to recap:

1) I am obviously amongst friends (fellow ark builders) :)

2) We all seem to experience this, perhaps we are just more "sensitive" to changes in the psyche's of the populous with a little prophetic thinking abilities mixed in.

3)Information OVERLOAD contributing to the rhythmic nature of this perceived threat; with many thanks to the Internet.

4)Strike a balance and make attempts to assign more positive emotions to the feelings that come along with our mutually shared awareness.

5)Take mini vacations from preparedness concerns- go do the things you enjoy, sip some tea or coffee, make attempt to enjoy life while the getting is still good.

6) EMBRACE IT! - This awareness is a gift in my opinion and will likely save us and our families' lives

7) Keep coming back to GIM :D lol.

There were many other suggestions but these are just a few that stuck with me after reading this thread.

Dave

Re: A Survivalist's Perceived Threat Cycle.. ?
 

Here's a good perspective on how/why a general trend toward alarm and insanity is taking root in the economic markets (author calls it "scarcity economics").

http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com...anePrices.aspx

It applies to other areas of life as well. Once that momentum starts rolling faster toward a "panic threshold" in the population, there's not much that can hold it back.