They stole your freedom, your sovereignty, and your intuition. Then they came back for your dreams.

From kings to capitalism, religion to rationalism, monarchs to marketers—explore how the forces of control have created a world where your intuition is sidelined, and the ‘dream life’ you’ve bought is nothing more than a cleverly disguised pair of golden handcuffs.

Power and policy: Where the troubles really began

History is a tapestry of power and control, woven by rulers, laws, and governments shaping societies into cohesive units.

But in this relentless march toward “civilization,” something profound was lost—our innate connection to inner wisdom, intuition, and cheeky brilliance.

What follows is an exploration of how, from ancient times to the present day, statecraft systematically distanced humanity from its deepest truth.

Kings and codes: Law over lore

Before organized states, ancient tribal societies often embraced intuition as a guiding force.

Leaders, shamans, and oracles attuned themselves to the natural world and unseen realms, interpreting messages from the stars, seasons, and spirits. Inner wisdom was communal—rooted in shared rituals, dances, and practices that aligned individuals with universal rhythms.

The emergence of centralized civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus Valley marked the beginning of a shift. Kings and pharaohs were no longer just leaders but intermediaries between the divine and the masses.

With this shift came the codification of power: the Code of Hammurabi in Babylon, for example, was one of the earliest legal systems designed to bring order to society.

Yet, as laws were etched in stone, the fluidity of personal guidance and intuition was overshadowed. It was easier for rulers to govern subjects who obeyed laws than to navigate the wild, untamed freedom of intuitive individuals.

In these civilizations, hierarchy became sacred. The divine right of kings reinforced a gap between the rulers and the ruled. While rulers claimed to derive authority from gods, individuals were encouraged to obey rather than question.

Here, the first great divorce occurred: the individual was separated from their direct access to the divine.

Reconnect with your intuition here.

Logic and legacy: When they locked up your soul and threw away the key

The classical civilizations of Greece and Rome deepened the divide by enthroning rationality and hierarchy.

Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle gave humanity tools to think critically, but their frameworks also entrenched a distrust of intuition.

Plato’s Great Chain of Being placed humanity within a strict cosmic order, subjugating individual power to collective rules and the governance of philosopher-kings.

The Roman Empire, meanwhile, brought the machinery of statecraft to its zenith. Laws like the Twelve Tables sought to systematize justice, while the Roman Senate centralized authority.

In doing so, Rome perfected what would become a template for governments worldwide: control the people through a mix of laws, military power, and cultural narratives.

In this era, intuition—though still alive in mystery schools and the practices of certain sages—was relegated to the fringes of society. Those who listened to their inner voice often found themselves labeled heretics, mystics, or madmen.

Faith and authority: The church silencing your spirit

With the fall of Rome, a new institution rose to power: the Christian Church.

During the Middle Ages, the Church became a political force as much as a spiritual one. By inserting itself as the arbiter of salvation, the Church claimed dominion not just over bodies but over souls.

Through practices like the Inquisition, the Church systematically silenced dissent and declared alternative ways of knowing—intuition included—as dangerous.

Mystics and visionaries who resisted this orthodoxy, from Joan of Arc to Hildegard of Bingen, were tolerated only insofar as their insights served the Church’s interests. Personal connection to the divine, the hallmark of intuition, became mediated by priests and dogma.

At the same time, feudal systems tied individuals to the land, ensuring their survival depended on obedience to lords and kings. This double bind—spiritual and economic—further alienated humanity from its inner sovereignty.

Truth and tethers: How enlightenment dismissed intuition

The Enlightenment of the 17th and 18th centuries heralded a new age of reason, but it did so by rejecting the mystical and intuitive as irrational.

Thinkers like Descartes and Newton sought to uncover universal truths through logic and science, often dismissing the “irrational” wisdom of the heart.

While this era liberated humanity from the authoritarian grip of the Church, it bound us to a new master: the mind. Descartes’ famous proclamation, Cogito, ergo sum—”I think, therefore I am”—elevated the intellect as the sole arbiter of truth.

The rise of secular states further reinforced this divide, as governments built on Enlightenment ideals prioritized laws, reason, and economic systems over spiritual or intuitive considerations.

Reconnect with your intuition here.

Capitalism: You are the price tag

The Industrial Revolution marked a turning point.

As factories and urban centers grew, individuals became cogs in a larger machine. Education systems were designed not to foster intuition or creativity but to produce obedient workers who fit neatly into the economy.

Governments, now more centralized than ever, wielded their influence through bureaucracies, laws, and military power. With the advent of modern capitalism, advertising and media began shaping what people desired, further disconnecting them from their inner knowing.

Cheeky brilliance was replaced by conformity, as success became measured by productivity and material wealth.

Control and conformity: Bureaucracy’s grip on your sovereignty

In the 20th and 21st centuries, governments have perfected the art of control through surveillance, propaganda, and the manipulation of information.

The rise of social media and big data has created a digital panopticon where individuals are bombarded with messages designed to influence their thoughts and actions.

Intuition, in this context, is often drowned out by noise. The education system still prioritizes standardized testing over creative thinking, while political systems reward conformity over innovation.

Even as mindfulness and intuition gain popularity, they are often commodified, stripped of their radical potential to challenge entrenched power structures.

Reclaiming radiance: Why the real revolution starts within

The story of statecraft is a story of separation: from the divine, from nature, and ultimately from ourselves.

But it is not the whole story. Throughout history, rebels, visionaries, and mystics have resisted this divide, keeping the flame of intuition alive.

As we stand on the cusp of a new era, the challenge is clear: to reclaim our inner sovereignty, our cheeky brilliance, and our connection to the universal intelligence that lies beyond the laws of men.

The state, after all, may govern our actions, but it cannot govern our souls. The revolution begins within.

The revolution is now, and it starts with you. Reclaim your intuition, your sovereignty, and your dreams. Don’t let the world sell you a dream that’s nothing more than a cleverly disguised pair of golden handcuffs.

Reconnect with your intuition here.