Denial: The Cornerstone of Empire Consciousness

by Dr. Michael Obsatz – May 2022

When I was working in chemical dependency programs, there was a lot of talk about “denial.” It was about people denying their addictive behavior, and pretending everything was all right. We used to laugh and say “Denial is not just a river in Egypt.”

Denial is an important part of Empire Consciousness. Empire Consciousness is a belief system with the following components: fear, scarcity, domination, power, control, hierarchy, violence, subjugation of others, entitlement and suffering.

Those at the top find some ways to justify their domination and destruction of those who are forced to be at the bottom. One of the main ways this is done is through denial. Pretending that nothing is wrong. Acting as if one has moral integrity and good character.

Those who abuse and violate others through Empirical behaviors are hostile, negative, immoral and liars. So, denial is a type of lying.

We can pretend “all men are created equal” when we know how many men, women and children (especially those of color) suffer under the domination and control of a dominant group of Caucasian men. We can pretend that America was founded justly and honestly, when it fact the resources were stolen from Native Americans.

So, denial and lying is how America was created. There is still plenty of denial and lying going on. It is time to own up, and change consciousness to Oneness Consciousness — where everyone is treated with fairness, dignity and respect. And part of this process must be making amends for all the deception and aggressive domination.

To deny is to lie. To lie is to cheat. To cheat is to cause pain and suffering.

Denial very often is combined with entitlement. Entitlement is the other justification of domination and violence. “We deserve to have this land, these resources, it is our manifest destiny.” The notion of superior race and intelligence also play a part in entitlement.