There was a time when people were solidly grounded in the customs of their eras.

Today the internet and mass communication has flattened that.

The homogenization of culture, language, and fashion has been widely discussed.

But this flattening goes deeper.

It has disrupted psychic development.

It has homogenized chronology.

By  making everything present it mutes the past.

Constant real time updates don’t allow for temporal crystallization.

The period in which a unique spaceo-temporal personality capable of gravitas of distinct development is becoming less and less possible.

Is it any wonder that people are complaining of a ‘vibe shift.’

Things just seem ‘off.’

There are many possible factors for this modern angst.

Shifting social norms, religious decline, economic uncertainty, wars, and rumors of wars all make a contribution.

Throughout all these there is that pernicious thread of homogenized chronology.

It is the least noticeable but most powerful driver of the colloquially felt ‘vibe shift.’

There is nothing more uncanny than sameness. While synchronized swimming is beautiful it has a sinister counterpart in the proverbial white robed cult where everyone speaks with the same inflection. Sameness unsettles.

When each generation has a very similar attitude, style of dress, speaking pattern things become uncanny.

We are seeing this sameness, this lack of distinction, this absence of the gravity of having embodied experiences deeply and locally more and more.  

There are positives to the global village that gives rise to this.

We can learn about a great many things and share experiences.

There is a monumental history spanning amount of information and insight that we can all draw from instantly.

Yet in order to fully reap the benefits of the information age and escape the uncanny valley of the ‘vibe shift’ we must gain awareness.

We need to make a conscious effort to live in the present.

This involves developing a past.

It involves consciously developing that past.

Where before this was more or less automatic it now requires special focus.

In order to develop and maintain the sense of self that is capable of more than just remakes and nostalgia one must practice solid habits.

Being deeply engaged in music, writing, philosophy, and the sciences is no longer the haughty aspiration of an overambitious ‘renaissance man’ but accessible and indispensable to the psychic sanity of every individual.

Some craft or at least a deep sense of fascination and willingness to remember to cultivate a sense of distinct continuity in the constant flux of instant updates will also suffice.