Reclaiming the Inner Witness
Navigating Noise in the Age of Influence

Rev. Kat Carroll

Mankind is a social animal, somewhat herd-like. I don’t mean this in a derogatory way. We like to gather for social events, talk over meals, listen to music, and watch TV and videos. We enjoy each other’s company. And together, we feel safe.

We are naturally trusting. And like most herd animals, we depend on each other for survival — by warning of danger or sometimes fighting off the danger. Sometimes that requires a watchdog.

But what about the wolf in sheep’s clothing, the one you think you can trust?

When it comes to voices sharing information, especially when truth and distortion are blended, our social wiring can become a vulnerability. Not because of ignorance, but something more subtle.

In an amplified world where information often comes at us fast and furious, it can make distorted messages sound like truth. And because of the sheer volume of information, it’s that much harder to know what is real, what is propaganda, and what is a lie. Or fake, AI generated clickbait.

Why does this matter?

The sources of information we receive that help shape our perception and perspectives on reality are limited. And yet they control much of what we think we know, or more accurately, what “they” want us to know or believe.

But in a world mediated through screens, that instinct operates very differently. It’s no longer just mainstream media. It’s migrated to the internet and throughout social media with multiple factions fighting for your attention and clicks.

Depending on how information is shared, it can drive the population to buy products, accept mandates, even go to war, as was done for WWII, and after 9/11. It can persuade people to take a medicine that’s experimental.

The truth is often the last to be revealed and only after the fact, and often after your participation. That’s how good they are at grabbing your attention. And because we want to believe information being offered, it can take a long time to come to grips with reality.

We learned only after the pandemic that the companies providing the “medicine” were protected from lawsuits from damages and death, because those who took it were taking  experimental products – with unknown short and long-term side effects. But their advertising campaign was huge along with media compliance in sharing a specific narrative, that it was necessary for the good of the planet.  We trusting humans were coerced into acquiescence.

In these cases, only later did we learn that there were no weapons of mass destruction, only a lot of oil. Only later was it revealed that vaccines were not as safe as stated; did not protect from infection or reinfection, or spreading to others. The side effects and deaths were marginalized and even hidden from data. And for a long time, we were complacent – until enough people realized they had been duped… again.

And these days, AI is learning what grabs our attention, and what we will likely buy based on our searches. It feeds us the information it feels we will respond to, what we should be paying attention to. But that’s not always what we want to look at.

Like the lessons learned from the father of propaganda, Edward Bernays, AI has learned how to capture society’s attention, and then keep you clicking for more. And right now, I’ll bet a lot of you are looking for more Epstein information.

We live in a world where ‘Free Will’ should dominate our choices (as long as we don’t interfere with another’s free will). We should do unto others only what we would want done to ourselves. But here’s the bigger question:

If perception can be shaped externally, shouldn’t freedom be protected internally?

As naturally trusting beings, we can sometimes be deceived. So, how can we retain our discernment in a world of trickery, and not get dragged into false narratives, especially those that cause fear?

If information can influence behavior on such a scale, then the real question is not only what is being said — but how we are receiving it.

The Observer and the Story

Across multiple spiritual/religious traditions and contemplative practices, a common insight appears: we are not our thoughts. We are the observer of our thoughts.

The ego is not an enemy, but it is a storyteller. It constructs narratives to protect us, to explain uncertainty, and to manage fear. When information is repeated often enough, the story can begin to feel like reality itself.

Fear is a powerful amplifier. Some define it playfully as “False Evidence Appearing Real.” Whether or not the acronym is precise, the insight holds: the mind can project outcomes, dangers, and motives that have not yet occurred. In that sense, fear can function like a temporary distortion of perception. RA and the Law of One spoke on this.

This does not mean threats never exist. It means our interpretation of them is filtered through conditioning, past experience, and emotional state.

When we forget that we are the observer and instead become fully invested in the story—our reactions become automatic. Headlines become personal. Predictions become certainties. Possibilities become inevitabilities.

But when we step back into the role of witness, something shifts. We can notice the thought without becoming it. We can examine the narrative without being consumed by it.

That pause restores sovereignty.

Freedom of choice is not only about what we sign in agreements or on ballots… It is also about what we internalize.

When we recognize how easily perception can be shaped by language, repetition, or fear—we reclaim something subtle but powerful: the ability to respond instead of react – or perhaps just to bear witness.

And that may be the most meaningful form of informed consent of all.

We may be social beings, herd-like in nature, who enjoy belonging to various groups. We gather. We listen.

But before we follow the voice of the mainstream information hub or social media influencers, we can — and should — pause and listen inward to our sovereign inner voice.

Resources for a Deeper Dive
I’m leaving that up to you! 😉

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Disclaimer: We at Prepare for Change (PFC) bring you information that is not offered by the mainstream news, and therefore may seem controversial. The opinions, views, statements, and/or information we present are not necessarily promoted, endorsed, espoused, or agreed to by Prepare for Change, its leadership Council, members, those who work with PFC, or those who read its content. However, they are hopefully provocative. Please use discernment! Use logical thinking, your own intuition and your own connection with Source, Spirit and Natural Laws to help you determine what is true and what is not. By sharing information and seeding dialogue, it is our goal to raise consciousness and awareness of higher truths to free us from enslavement of the matrix in this material realm.