photo #265771

From the following book published in 2005:When the media or the government focus on the bug du jour, we all feel it, as though it's a palpable danger. When the media attention is diverted elsewhere, the manifested fear fades but remains below the Surface, waiting to attach itself to the next hyped target. At the time in history when there are no scourges, the population is controlled through fear. Rather than enjoy the safety that our technological advances have provided us, instead, we feel uncertain. Respiratory masks and other paraphernalia meant to shield us actually spread panic more effectively than any terrorist agent by sending the message that something is in the offing. Our personal fear alerts are turned on all the time. Fear is not intrinsically pathological, it is a reaction to the pathology of our times. We feel the stress and have become more prone to irritability, disagreement, worry, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. We are more likely to experience chest pain, shortness of breath, dizziness, and headache.