The mask
A talisman of the new religion
Three years ago this month we were plunged into our first experience of ‘lockdown’ in this country, which marked the beginning of an era of craziness almost beyond comprehension. This time last year I wrote a piece entitled ‘Lockdown: Two Years On’ looking back at the damage done, and I think it is still a useful read today.
Of all the ‘interventions’ that have been imposed on our society, there is one that has always caused me considerable angst and which seems to persist as a particularly visible reminder of the trauma gone before and the threat which still lies ahead. I don’t mean the trauma and threat posed by disease, but something more sinister and more deadly.
The facemask. The humble mask, seen as a harmless adornment and believed by many to have the most remarkable qualities. Folklore (not science) insists that it protects the wearer from unimaginably tiny virus particles, whilst simultaneously protecting those around the wearer. Indeed the mask seems to have almost magical powers, given that the particles it is said to stop are magnitudes smaller than the holes in the mask!
This ‘intervention’ was never about science or facts. It was known all along that masks could not stop the transmission of viruses, which is why they have never formed part of our pandemic action plan. Masks were about spreading fear, increasing the sense of threat and providing a visible reminder of ‘danger’ to control the population.
Behavioural scientists pushed for masks because they create a ‘signal’, when in fact not a single Randomised control trial can demonstrate the value of mask-wearing outside clinical settings. Laura Dodsworth, A State of Fear.
Whilst masks are a successful psychological tool to remind the public to remain alert, they are not effective in preventing the community spread of disease. Dr Gary Sidley & Dr Alan Mordue, HART Group article.
Many studies have confirmed this, and the recent comprehensive Cochrane review showed conclusively that masks (cloth, surgical and even N95 masks) make no difference whatsoever. A summary of the study by Dr John Campbell can be viewed here.
I am not really interested in talking here about the science of masks, not even the harms which they can cause in terms of hygiene, reduced oxygen levels, increased carbon-dioxide levels, stress, raised blood pressure, headaches, oral and skin infections, nausea, fatigue, anxiety and more. These are significant, warrant further research, and should, at the very least, ensure that masks are never again used on children or mandated for anyone.
What I am most interested in and concerned about is the spiritual significance of masks. When they first appeared in 2020 I found them deeply disturbing. I still do. Walking down the street unable to see people’s faces, talking to people whose facial expressions are hidden; no smiles, just a sea of blank looks and muffled voices. I haven’t got used to it and I still avoid people wearing masks whenever I can.
When I thought about why I found them so disturbing, I realised how heavily I rely on facial expressions. To smile and receive a smile in return — I had taken that for granted. We naturally tend to avoid people who look grumpy and miserable, and are drawn to people whose face is lit up by a smile. Little children do that all the time. The best way to win over a little child is to give them a big grin and use your facial expressions in an exaggerated way to reassure them that you are a fun, friendly and safe person. That is what little children are looking for: people who are not a threat. Behind a mask every face is a threat. Children are very perceptive.
In December 2020 I read an article online, written by a prominent Christian in America, which I found deeply moving. It spoke to my soul, and communicated exactly what I was feeling. I believe he wrote his article with prophetic insight and conviction, but sadly he later bowed to mainstream pressure and took it down. He wrote about the year of 2020 and the psychological and spiritual realities of the global quarantines and disruptions. He said:
Into this shaken, reeling world the kingdom of darkness, hyena-like, seized every opportunity, rushing in with Fear, Hatred, Death and now Desolation.
The writer warned that we must name what has happened and what it has done to us so we can mend its effects. He went on to say:
I don’t think we have named what it has been like to go out into our neighbourhoods, grocery stores and communities to find every human face hidden behind a mask. It is eerie beyond telling. Prior to this, masks were only worn by kidnappers and terrorists, and this is what the psyche associates with a masked face. We do not assume warm smiles and playful benevolence behind those coverings; the deep psyche experiences every masked face as a veiled threat, and a world of masked faces as something like an invasion, a conquered people, mass oppression. Add to this the muting effect of the mask; every human voice has been gagged. The soul reels, for to lose the face and voice is to lose the humanity of a person, the Imago Dei. As scripture says, “Let me see your face, Let me hear your voice” (Song of Songs 2:14). That we all, “with unveiled faces, reflect the glory of the Lord” (2 Corinthians 3:18).
He was right. He explained perfectly why my soul reeled at losing the sight of faces, losing the humanity of people, the Imago Dei: the image of God in the people we meet.
Masks are not spiritually neutral. They have been a highly effective tool of the enemy, used to spread fear and anxiety, to create a talisman with the power to enslave, and to signal ‘virtue’ in the new religion of ‘safety’ and ‘compliance’. Their efficacy was always based on thinly-veiled lies, and their deployment was part of a concerted psychological warfare operation.
My American writer concludes:
Masking and gagging humanity is utterly demonic, something out of science fiction, or some evil regime. To see it done on a global level is simply traumatising to the soul.
We must not take part in such things ever again. We must acknowledge it was wrong; it was anti-human and therefore anti-God. We must be ready to resist in the future. Know your enemy, recognise his tactics and flee from him!