How to Identify a Psy-Op

The Ultimate Guide to Spotting Any Psy-Op — And How to Shield Against It

The vast majority remain blissfully unaware of the fragility of their autonomy, oblivious to how swiftly their actions, and even their very sense of self, can be co-opted by unseen forces. Yet, a quiet awakening is stirring—and I am here to accelerate it.

For five years, I worked undercover as a covert operative for the Central Intelligence Agency in Paris, France. It was a clandestine world where deception was currency and trust a rare commodity. I honed the art of psychological operations, learning to shape perceptions and bend wills with the subtlety of a whisper.

Now, I seek to illuminate the mechanics of what the intelligence community terms “engineered reality—a sophisticated tapestry of manipulation that many simply call “psyops”. These are campaigns that sculpt narratives, sway masses, and redraw the boundaries of belief.

In the lines that follow, I will equip you with a discerning lens to detect these hidden currents. At the end, you will have the tools to 100% discern between what is just the madness of the masses and what is an engineered psy-op.

If you appreciate my articles, please consider giving them a like. It's a simple gesture that doesn't cost you anything, but it goes a long way in promoting this post, combating censorship, and fighting the issues that you are apparently not a big fan of.

It's becoming increasingly clear that we are at the center of a deliberate campaign designed to instill fear through careful manipulation, with the aim of not only alarming us but rendering us powerless through various artificial means. At the core of this deliberate disorder is the elite's chosen tool: psychological warfare. This tactic goes beyond physical conflict, aiming to penetrate the psyche and systematically degrade the human spirit.

The battle is not over land or resources, but over the essence of what makes us human: our ability to think, feel, and act freely. The goal is disturbingly straightforward: to hollow out the individual, leaving an empty shell while stripping away the soul.

They employ an array of techniques to influence our thoughts and choices, making us unknowingly conform to their dark agenda. Conventional warfare serves merely as a diversion, a secondary concern compared to the widespread psychological onslaught designed to make us submissive by surrendering our inner strength.

For starters: The proliferation of new technologies and smart devices, including games, movies, and various gadgets, leads to an addiction to these products. This addiction replaces or diminishes the users' mental faculties such as memory, attention, concentration, and creativity.

Over time, this subtle yet relentless process gnaws at the essence of human independence. It dulls the intellect, leaving entire populations not only less curious but steeped in a fog of ignorance, increasingly ensnared by a system they barely perceive as their captor.

Television, streaming services, and the ceaseless churn of news cycles flood the senses with curated narratives, numbing critical thought and fostering a creeping reliance on their rhythms. Like a slow-acting venom, this media-saturated ecosystem breeds dependence, turning individuals into unwitting acolytes of the machinery that binds them.

Worse, it hollows them out, reducing once-vibrant souls to fragile husks. They become shadows of the bold, independent thinkers they were born to be capable of becoming. Where once they might have learned to question, debate, or carve their own paths, they now crave the system’s empty affirmations, their capacity for original thought withering beneath the weight of endless screens and scripted stories.

Social media platforms are designed with a primary goal: to control and influence what people say and think, especially those with dissenting opinions. As individuals seek refuge from the manipulative deluge of mainstream media, alternative channels like Telegram beckon as havens of unfiltered truth. Yet, these platforms frequently morph into chaotic breeding grounds for confusion and control, ensnaring those who yearn for clarity in a different kind of trap.

Similarly, Substack, with its promise of independent voices, too often becomes a quagmire of venomous antisemitic rhetoric, shallow pseudo-intellectual posturing, and recycled conspiracy theories— fake lunar landings and esoteric nonsense rehashed with fervent zeal. These spaces, brimming with half-baked revelations, lure those desperate to escape the polished lies of traditional outlets, only to entangle them in a web of different deceptions.

Seduced by the illusion of awakening, these seekers fail to see the irony: their impassioned rants and fringe obsessions brands them as fools, drowning out any legitimate insights they might have in a cacophony of their reckless babbling. Thus, their quest for finding and sharing truth becomes a tragic misstep, chaining them to a cycle of delusion as stifling as the one they fled.

A cornerstone of this pervasive manipulation lies in sowing seeds of fear and unease, expertly crafted to unsettle the collective psyche. The architects of engineered reality wield a dual arsenal: they conjure or amplify threats to keep populations on edge, while simultaneously stripping away the simple joys that anchor human contentment.

No facet of life escapes their reach. For those who find fulfillment in raising children, a barrage of warnings about climate collapse casts a shadow over their hopes. For dreamers who gaze at the stars, dismissive voices proclaim space itself a fiction, robbing them of wonder. For those who embrace technology’s promise, doomsayers prophesy its inevitable betrayal, painting every innovation as the harbinger of societal ruin.

Every passion, every pleasure, is met with a tailored dread or a cynical negation, eroding the spirit’s resilience. This relentless onslaught ensures that joy is eclipsed by anxiety, leaving individuals not only fearful but estranged from the very pursuits that once defined their humanity—and fulfilled their existence.

---

The terminology employed by the so-called “deep state” reflects a profound understanding of the psychological and mental dimensions of human control and influence. They recognize the immense power that the mind and spirit wield, a power that is central to their use of occultism.

These traditions underscore the belief in the mind's ability to manifest reality and deceive individuals into accepting illusions as truths. Here are some key terms that encapsulate their methods and objectives:

• Persuade: Convincing individuals to adopt certain viewpoints or actions that align with their agenda.

• Influence: Shaping the thoughts, behaviors, and decisions of people subtly yet effectively.

• Change: Altering perceptions and attitudes to ensure they correspond with their desired narratives.

• Entertain: Capturing the attention of the masses through distractions, keeping them preoccupied and away from critical thinking.

• Comply: Encouraging obedience and submission to their directives without question.

• Distract: Diverting attention from significant issues or truths through various means of entertainment or misinformation.

• Accept: Fostering a sense of resignation or acceptance towards certain ideologies, norms, or conditions.

• Scare: Utilizing fear as a tool to manipulate emotions and reactions, often to justify control measures.

• Engage: Keeping individuals actively involved or occupied with content or narratives that serve their purposes.

• Embrace: Encouraging the wholehearted acceptance of certain beliefs, technologies, or changes that further their control.

• Hate: Stirring emotions of animosity and division to weaken societal bonds and foster conflict.

• Divide: Fragmenting communities and societies into opposing factions to weaken collective resistance and understanding.

FATE

To grasp the mechanics of engineered reality one must first understand the FATE model: Focus, Authority, Tribe, and Emotion. These are the levers that tug at the primal, mammalian core of our minds, where decisions are truly forged, far beneath the veneer of rational thought. By manipulating these instincts, those skilled in psyops can steer entire populations. Let us begin with the first pillar:

THE POWER OF FOCUS

At its core, the art of psychological manipulation hinges on capturing and holding attention. The human mind, for all its complexity, is a finite resource, easily ensnared by repetition, vivid imagery, or fear-laced narratives that jolt the senses. Psyops campaigns exploit this vulnerability, bombarding the public with meticulously curated stimuli designed to dominate thought and drown out competing signals. The goal of news outlets is no longer to inform but to obsess, to make a single narrative inescapable.

A crisis—be it a natural disaster, a geopolitical flare-up, or a public health scare—always dominates headlines with relentless intensity. The 24/7 news cycle, as observed in coverage of events like the COVID-19 pandemic or the past three U.S. election, thrives on repetition, with phrases like “unprecedented,” “crisis,” or “existential threat” hammered into the public consciousness.

A 2021 study from the Pew Research Center noted that during the pandemic’s peak, over 60% of U.S. news stories focused on COVID-19, sidelining other critical issues. This is a deliberate tactic to anchor attention.

Visuals, too, play an important role. Shocking images—devastated cities, masked faces, or chaotic protests—flood screens, imprinting fear deep in the psyche. Pay attention to how media outlets amplify graphic footage to “keep people hooked.” The same clip of a riot loops on every channel, but they’ll never show the quiet streets the next day. Fear-inducing scenarios, whether real or exaggerated, are chosen for their emotional grip, not their nuance.

AUTHORITY: THE WEIGHT OF TRUSTED VOICES

The second pillar, authority, leverages the human tendency to defer to those perceived as credible. In the hands of skilled manipulators, trusted figures—scientists, journalists, politicians, or even celebrities—will be weaponized to lend legitimacy to a narrative, even when their endorsements strain logic or expertise.

A telltale sign is when these figures shift their tone or positions in ways that feel unnatural, as if scripted to serve a larger agenda. A politician suddenly championing a scientific claim, or a computer guy opining on medical strategy, should raise immediate suspicion.

Pay particular attention to expert panelists or endorsements where authority figures stray beyond their domain. For instance, during the COVID-19 pandemic, public health officials were positioned as oracles on economic policy or social behavior, despite lacking expertise in those fields.

Ask yourself, why was a virologist telling you how to run your business? Stick to viruses. Media outlets frequently platform “experts” whose credentials were tangential to the issues discussed, amplifying their voices to bolster specific narratives. When an authority speaks outside their lane, it’s not mere overreach—it’s a deliberate tactic to borrow their halo of trust.

TRIBE: THE PULL OF BELONGING

Next comes tribe, a primal force that exploits our instinct to align with groups. Manipulators deftly craft stark divisions—us versus them, in-group versus out-group—to polarize and control. By labeling one side as “patriots” and the other as “extremists,” or “science-believers” versus “deniers,” they tap into our deep-seated need for belonging while sowing enmity toward the “other.” This language is a wedge designed to make compromise or nuance feel like betrayal.

Such tribalism thrives in polarized climates. During the last three U.S. elections, for example, media and political rhetoric frequently framed voters as either defenders of democracy or threats to it, leaving little room for middle ground. Polarizing labels in news coverage—terms like “extremist” or “radical”—spiked by 40% between 2016 and 2020, deepening societal fractures.

EMOTION: THE ECLIPSE OF REASON

Finally, emotion serves as the capstone of the FATE model, wielding unparalleled power to override critical thought. Communications that provoke intense feelings—fear, hope, outrage, or despair—without grounding in clear, verifiable evidence are a hallmark of psyops. Emotionally charged content spreads faster online because it hijacks attention and suppresses skepticism. Fear, in particular, is a master manipulator, priming us for impulsive, defensive actions.

Consider a news channel during a food supply scare, relentlessly broadcasting images of empty grocery shelves and frantic shoppers. The same footage loops across every segment, each replay stoking panic. In 2023, during a reported “supply chain crisis”, every station showed the same three shelves, but my store was fine. They wanted you to hoard. Such imagery a deliberate push to trigger fear-driven behavior, from panic-buying to blind compliance with proposed solutions.

Social media amplifies this with algorithmic precision, elevating content that shocks or divides: videos of riots in European cities, inflammatory memes framing Trump’s farts as moral outrages, or inane trends that exploit our fleeting attention spans. Emotionally charged posts spread six times faster online. Our feeds are just chaos and dumb clips. Where’s the real talk?

HOW TO COUNTER FATE:

When confronted with such aggressive messaging, the first step to reclaiming your mental autonomy is to pause and interrogate the intent. Why is this story, this phrase, this image being pushed so forcefully? Who benefits from its dominance? Compare the airtime or digital real estate devoted to one issue against others.

During the 2022 Ukraine-Russia conflict, for instance, Western media devoted disproportionate coverage to the war’s immediate visuals—tank convoys, bombed buildings—while underreporting the complex diplomatic maneuvers or energy market fallout. This imbalance shapes what you prioritize and what you ignore.

Find Actual Focus

Ask, too, what’s being crowded out. If climate change warnings flood your feed while breakthroughs in renewable energy go unmentioned, or if a single scandal overshadows systemic corruption, the focus is likely engineered. They’ll scream about a Trump tweet for days but stay silent on the $2 trillion defense budget. Follow the silence. Noticing disproportionate focus trains your mind to see the scaffolding of manipulation.

Scrutinize Authority

Scrutinize the speaker’s qualifications and motives. Ask: Does their expertise align with the claim? Are they echoing a coordinated message? If a renowned economist pivots to apocalyptic climate predictions, or a celebrity endorses a complex policy with rehearsed fervor, pause. The authority is being staged as a prop, not a source of truth.

Ignore the Tribe

Be vigilant when you hear divisive language. It’s a red flag that your tribal instincts are being played, nudging you to pick a side rather than think for yourself. To resist, step back and ask: Who benefits from this division? What’s lost when we’re pitted against each other? The answer often reveals more about the manipulators than the issue at hand.

Control Emotion

Anchor yourself in evidence. When emotions surge, pause and dissect the facts presented. Are they specific, verifiable, and proportionate to the reaction being elicited? If the narrative leans on vague warnings, anecdotal horror stories, or appeals to “save the future,” tread cautiously.

Emotional responses suppress critical thinking. If facts are replaced by emotions, you need to be very, very careful.

The FATE model is a blueprint for manipulation, but it’s also a map to liberation. By recognizing when your attention is hijacked, when authorities overstep, when tribal divisions are stoked, or when emotions cloud your judgment, you reclaim the power to think independently.

Start by questioning the narrative’s intensity and intent. Cross-check claims against primary sources or raw data. Don’t trust the headline—find the report it’s quoting. Above all, cultivate a habit of deliberate pause. In a world engineered to provoke, the simple act of stepping back becomes an act of defiance.

Identifying Cognitive Dissonance as a Psyop Weapon

Cognitive dissonance arises when new information conflicts with your deeply held beliefs or identity, creating internal tension. Psyops exploit this discomfort to manipulate behavior, often through subtle tactics like micro-agreements—small, seemingly harmless concessions that gradually reshape your identity or actions.