Untying Gordian Knots Part I: Indoctrination-Starting with Children
Everyone, whether they realize it consciously or not, has been “programmed”. As soon as we are birthed into a family, a culture, a society - we will be exposed to their integral belief systems, behavior, languages, and environment which will guide our development and our education…or lack thereof.
A symbolic representation of a brain formed by intertwined Gordian knots
Since the majority of parents around the globe will send their children to public/state schools if they are available, the time for families to transmit and model their values and beliefs to their children without conflicting influences bombarding them, is minimal.
Many government school systems accept children as young as four years old for “pre-kindergarten” or “pre-school”. By seven years old the rest of the world requires children to be in school at least seven hours a day. A number of countries require school six days a week. Unless you are able to homeschool your children, the time they have to spend waking hours with their family is less than ten hours a day.
Research indicates most children in western countries spend at least half of those ten hours on screens - which are digitally inculcating value laden messages, video “models” of behavior, commercial driven agendas and content inappropriate to age and developmental stages of life.
This is a report from March 2025 on “Average Screen Time” - Do these numbers surprise you?
On average, children 8-18 spend 7.5 hours a day in front of screens for entertainment alone — which amounts to 114 days a year.
To break that down further, children ages 0-8 spend around 2.5 hours per day, and ages 8-10 spend around 6 hours per day in front of a screen. That number increases with age, as children 11-14 spend about 9 hours a day on screens, and teenagers 15-18 have an average screen time of 7.5 hours.
Even though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting screen time to two hours per day for children 10 and under, the stats above show most households are allowing far more screen time than experts advise.
Depending on who and what companies program the Chrome books and iPads for school systems curriculum and “games” for children (and adults), the evident and subconscious influences can literally imprint them for their entire lives. The early years before seven and before puberty are crucial for learning and “indoctrinating” human beings into a culture and society.
From a commercial point of view, you can literally neurologically addict children and create “consumers for life” to these devices and programs. It is extremely difficult for them to “unsee” the images projected, or to “un-tune” the music, messages and dictums on behavior and praise worthy actions-according to the mores promoted by the programmers. For most, the virtual world becomes more exciting, rewarding and seductive than our actual world. They are made to believe they have more agency (even as young children) in the screen landscapes than in real life.
The adverse physical and psychological effects on children have been documented over time. They include:
developmental delays
eye strain
obesity
loss of will power
tunnel vision
anxiety
sleep deprivation
digestive issues
social isolation
lack of social skills
delay in speech and vocabulary skills
loss of family bonding
lack of compassion
acting out from programs in aggressive, hyper sexual and anti-social ways
loss of the ability to concentrate and focus outside of screens
lack of muscular development from hours of sedentary watching, lack of movement, exertion
lower self esteem from comparing themselves to impossible standards of physical appearance, super human features and life styles portrayed by screen characters
In extremely repressive societies, technical means of indoctrinating, inculcating and monitoring children is growing more sophisticated by the week. Children are required to don tech wear (chips in clothing) and are subjected to continual facial recognition, brain scanning (for attention monitoring) and data profiling. The results are available to the state, the school and to parents.
Schools and their students in Guizhou, China have been given 'smart uniforms' equipped with tracking chips and facial recognition software to track the wearers' whereabouts and focus
Children (and adults) are subjected to compulsory propaganda sessions in schools, work places and public spaces. Glorification of leaders and demonization of any opposition is repeated through all the latest media tools. Their “responsiveness” is analyzed by AI data claws which categorize their reactions then store the data in their personal data profile-which will follow them throughout their life.
In the madrassas teaching radical Islamist doctrines, or in territories controlled by extremist groups like Hezbollah, Hamas, the Taliban, the Wahhabis or controlled by criminal networks such as the Haqqanis, the cartels, gangs, mafia-type organizations - their “values” and models for “praise worthy” members and leaders are also effectively programmed using all the same tech/media tools-videos, music, repetitive short clips, films, combined with fear and trauma based conditioning, interwoven by prayers and scripture.
Religious indoctrination can be viewed with the same lens. Even those who declare themselves atheist or agnostic can be intolerant and pass those antagonistic views on to their children or students.
The following questions may serve as a guide before making a judgement on your or others religions or spiritual practices and approved codes of “conduct”.
Does their doctrine or culture preach intolerance to other religions? Does their religious doctrine or culture diminish one gender, and/or dictate unfair treatment to females, or bestow superior rights to males? Does their religion endorse “holy wars”?
Does their theology include a call to harm others in other religions or sects, and/or incentivize violence as virtuous? Does their doctrine include denigration of other religions rites and beliefs? Do their writings from their esteemed leaders incite actions against others not of their ilk - including legitimizing discrimination, theft, rape, lying, deceitful practices, assaults, attacks and murder?
Houthi children being trained in Yemen-Al Alarbiya News photo
Are the children brought up in these religions or cultures taught to be respectful to others and their beliefs? Are they taught to be kind, to share, to have compassion, to support those in need even if different than they are?
Are children taught to seek and tell the truth, to protect the vulnerable, not to steal or murder? Do they practice simplicity and know when enough is enough? Are they educated about intention and consciousness? What are the consequences in their religion or group, for non-compliance?
Are they taught they have a purpose in this life they need to pursue, to work hard? Are they taught about love? Are they taught about a higher power/God than human beings? Are they taught how to protect and defend themselves and others? Are they instructed how to forgive?
Tibetan monks training young boys in Khawalung monastery in Nepal
The answers to those questions will provide a clearer picture of how children will be raised and indoctrinated. How those neural knots of attitude, beliefs and behavior will be tied into their young minds and bodies. The responses will provide a more realistic set of expectations for the children, their parents and their society when evaluating the potential for harmonious integration into another society, another neighborhood or school, or into another country.
The replies to those questions will present an outline for predicting a child’s future character - not necessarily a determination for life - but a guideline to understand and possibly even foretell their responses to individuals, groups and situations they may encounter.
By knowing and understanding how the indoctrination/brain imprinting is implemented in specific cases and conditions, we can start to render counter strategies and therapeutics. First to those willing and wanting to change, and next to those who are doing harm to others because of their conditioning, and doing harm to themselves.
To achieve a significant change in a child or adult who has been surrounded and subjected to a culture constantly encouraging violence, prejudice, hatred and war and which cuts off communication and education that fosters and rewards independent, full spectrum thinking, respect, harmony and peaceful co-existence is a Herculean task.
Yet change has been accomplished throughout history. Attitudes and actions have been exposed and pivoted from the times of rigid caste and classed societies, from the proclamations and bloody campaigns of the Crusaders, and the ancient Mongolians; from the genocidal racist aims and attacks by the Ottoman, Nazi and Rwandan leaders in the past century.
The methods used to effect change are constantly evolving. We need to keep pace-for our children’s sake and the children of our world.
Untying Gordian Knots-Part II next week.
For a more detailed background please read my four part series on “Jihadi Generations”.
Jihadi Generations- Part I: Weaponizing Children
Jihadi Generations- Part II: Madrassas-schools for creating “holy warriors”
Jihadi Generations-Part III: Females and family roles
Jihadi Generations: Part IV: Recruitment, Retention and Proliferation