“We routinely look for patterns in the world that confirm the paradigms we already believe in. The things that do not fit the paradigm –the anomalies –tend to be ignored or explained away. In truth, anomalies themselves contain the richest information. They often reveal to us the flaws in our paradigms and open up new ways of looking at the world. You must turn yourself into a detective, deliberately uncovering and looking at the very anomalies that people tend to disregard.” —Robert Greene (“Mastery”)
Is it too hard for the average person to believe that those judged to be the worst of us can actually change for the best? Or could they simply care less, being out of sight, out of mind? What actual value could a piece of coal have, long forgotten if even known at all, even if it has used the immense pressure it’s buried under to transreform into a diamond? Undiscovered, an uncut, raw diamond in the rough is technically as worthless as the blackened coal it once was.
One chance to be discovered. That’s not just what the transreformed, long-ago judged worst of us would need to share our complete healing experience, it is exactly what we transreforming have given ourselves—everyday—via every interaction and creative expression. In spite of the penal paradigm that has us confined to prison for the rest of our lives as societal liabilities, this is what makes us healing anomalies: potentially society’s greatest assets.
As everything eventually comes to light—truth only ignored for so long being that which can’t be explained away—many of us anomalous assets are experiencing greater opportunity and are on the verge of mass-discovery. It’s only a matter of time before the probing of our healed hearts and creative minds in some “outside-the-box” spotlight of a way will yield the type of illumination that will span the globe.
But how many of us who would have Masters or PhDs in the prevention of the crimes we are still paying the price for are hidden away, in the darkest recesses of a ” Just—ice System” that knows not how to perceive, let alone utilize us properly? How many of the criminally unhealed—in the shadiest, shadowy corners of the System and society—do not understand their potential to change for the best; their potential being better than most?
What if I told you there was a most popular, practical way to not only ingeniously broadcast the transreforming experience of some of the condemned worst of us, but giftwrap it in an entertaining way that doubles as a Trojan horse for mass spiritual, mental, and emotional healing? Yet, given the perceived “coal-in-the-stocking,” anything I’d gift would most likely be seen as, at first global glance, I don’t expect anyone to rest solely on whatever I say. Ever. In fact, besides pointing to your own experience with many generalized versions of the idea to be shared, allow the jewel soon presented to be authenticated by others here mentioned, whose credentials the vast majority would socially respect.
In light of how T.V. programming has evolved over the years, that which is classified “reality television” has taken over the past two decades. And as T.V. watching has been the number one pastime on our planet for as long as most of us have been alive, it’s less a matter of “if” one watches reality T.V. programs, and more a matter of, “what’s your favorite one?” From complete strangers living together, competing for money and prizes in remote locations, teens getting pregnant, and wives from big cities or wives of a polygynist sharing their lives (to name a few), we have become obsessed as an American society—as a global community—with reality T.V.
Alex Taylor, of BBC Entertainment and Arts, wrote an article I read in their news app titled, “How reality T.V. has changed the way we think—for the better,” published July 25, 2025. Supported by numerous professors that researched different aspects of reality T.V. and its effect on those viewed, as well as the viewers, the truth of the title that doubles as a statement is sound. Though true—and given the limited reality T.V. examples used to demonstrate “how reality T.V. has changed the way we think—for the better,” there is a very popular frequency of reality T.V. that was not “tuned into” in this article, presumably because it clearly does not support it: the majority of those reality T.V. shows that depict, feature, and or objectify people who commit crimes and incarcerated persons.
From shows like “Cops,” “Dateline,” and ” Locked Up,” those who commit crime and do time are mostly seen in a very specific dim light; one that leaves little to no room for perceiving their healing potential, let alone depicting it, if it is in fact being consciously realized. Consequently, society’s key components in both crime prevention and curing the dis-ease that is crime are kept out of the public eye; beyond the average citizen’s imaginative scope of even existing…unless we somehow change that.
“Reality T.V. has historically been more diverse demographically than other forms of media…[it] casts a spotlight over patches of the social landscape that we don’t always see, so in a way, it can be a tool for greater social understanding,” said Danielle Lindemann, a sociology professor at Leigh University Pennsylvania. When I read this quote at the beginning of Taylor’s article, I immediately though of Elysium’s Asylum: a concept for a reality show that came to me and would be so profoundly paradigm-shifting, so creatively controversial, full of so much healing potential that it has possessed my mind ever since its seed germinated in my heart eleven years ago, while watching the very short-lived Fox reality show, “Utopia.”
“Elysium” essentially means, “Paradise”, while an “asylum” is a sanctuary or any institution for the support and care of the mentally ill, or other people who need care; also: an inviolable place of refuge and protection for debtors or criminals, from which they could not be forcibly removed without sacrilege. Loosely translated to “Paradise’s Sanctuary” or “Paradise’s Hospital,” Elysium’s Asylum would be a reality show that would basically mass-entertain and collectively spark healing as follows:
As one judged and convicted to be one of the worst of us nearly two decades ago, who has long-since been a transformative healing presence, imagine 19 other men and 20 women like myself, condemned to die in the deepest, darkest recesses of prison, gathered on a remote, small island or contained town environment…Together. Let’s call us the W.O.W.s (the Worst of the Worst). These would be meticulously selected individuals who took it upon themselves to heal the root of their criminal beliefs in a myriad of observable ways, conscious of realizing their greatest healing potential, in spite of the societal shadow cast over them that says they essentially have none. With technically no chance of ever getting out of prison, our incentive as the W.O.W.s to rehabilitate for its own sake and our demonstration therein would be clear and undeniably trustworthy.
Then imagine adding to is 20 male and 20 female law-abiding, honorable citizens from society, considered some of the best of the best of us. Let’s call them the B.O.B.s (the Best of the Best). They would be members of society without a legal blemish: popular, revered, beloved members of their home communities known as educators, caretakers, leaders, and influencers in one way or another. At there cores, they’d be individuals who believed in redemption: that everyone makes mistakes and deserves a second chance; that no one deserves to have their entire lives defined by their worst moment.
These 80 people, together, would all come from every walk of life: different ethnic backgrounds, sexual orientations and identifications, cultures, faiths, political affiliations and professions; each brought up in as many diverse geographical locations we can make possible, best reflecting the diversity of America and the world at large. Our objective: represent the full spectrum of society—from its perceived lepers to its achieved leaders—by coming together as a microscopic community dedicated to showing the world our collective, macrocosmic healing potential.
Now, say you put us in that remote environment; a relatively self-contained, self-sustaining community that we are to build a home out of and collaborate in, similar to Fox’s, “Utopia”. Also, like CBS’s “Big Brother,” cameras and audio feeds would be set up all around and throughout the entire environment, giving both T.V. and online access to every member of society worldwide so they could completely tune into what’s going on within the Asylum community, at any given time, in any given place.
In commenting on UK’s version of “Big Brother,” Alex Taylor said, “What was truly innovative wasn’t the competition format but the connections between the audiences and the ordinary people on television whose lives played out on screen.” With regard to Elysium’s Asylum, a community of this scope and magnitude—especially should this single group interact and be televised for 2.5-5 years—imagine the innovative leap that could be made between the global audience and the diverse members of the Asylum community? What if we had multiple Elysium’s Asylum internet channels/shows and or miniseries going on at the same time online (aside from the main weekly show on a major network, hopefully hosted by the Reality Show Queen, Kim Kardashian), featuring different, smaller, interactive group dynamics and or each member of the community individually?
On the surface, each Asylum member of the community would have the opportunity to further educational, recovery, and social interests, while learning new tasks and rotating responsibilities for the sustainability and building of the Elysium community. At its depth, the innate intent of this Elysium endeavor would be to display the actualizing, transreformative potential of some of us deemed the W.O.W.s of society, revealing the best in us all via their interaction with the B.O.B.s of society.
With regard to the innovation of reality T.V.’s ability to connect both audiences members and those on screen, Dr. Johanssen, associate professor of communications at St. Mary’s University, who studies the psychological effects of reality T.V., said, “That didn’t exist before,…For the first time, viewers started seeing ordinary people on television who weren’t celebrities, which is a very different phenomenon…You do see lots of unfiltered, raw emotions…In these different programs…If we see them in real life, usually that would happen the private sphere, certainly not in public.”
As with the CBS show “Big Brother” and their “Dairy room,” Elysium’s Asylum would have “The Mirror Chronicles”: a place where every member of the community could privately share with the world the full extent of their life experience, journey of healing (and or lack there of), and their day to day insights within the community, in a long series of audiovisual journal entries, giving each curious and intrigued viewer around the world the chance to really get to know, understand, and relate to each Elysium Asylum member.
I’ve experienced the two-year timetable it supposedly takes to really get to know a person. So given each Asylum member’s 2.5-5 year contract, can we see the depth of insight, personal struggles, and valuable healing experiences that would be privately shared with the public at large? The unfiltered and raw emotions of each unique Asylum member that will speak to the multitude of personalities, families, and environmental situations/circumstances that need to be heard?
In that immense, reality T.V. time frame, this would not only correct the wrong perceptions and dissolve the fearful beliefs attached to the Asylum members (especially the W.O.W.s), but, more importantly, it would correct the wrong perceptions and dissolve the fearful beliefs attached to all viewers themselves, as the revelation of our connection within the human experience begins to dawn…Unconditional Love shining through the multifaceted, selflessly shared life experiences of each and every Asylum member.
Though the delusions shared by many (if not most) of the community members would reveal how they once shockingly embodied some of the darkest insanities of criminal thinking and behavior, I presume that viewers would be most stricken by how these Asylum members were able to find the Light once again within themselves after it being deathly dim for any amount of time, then, by how the healing recovery of that same Light shines through 80 completely unique experiences. Yet, given the depth of darkness that some of these Elysium members once experientially delved in, the light of forgiveness and the Unconditional Love discovered/recovered therein would no doubt appear to shine through them the brightest.
Dr. Johanssen worked on a show called “Embarrassing Bodies,” where doctors aimed to destigmatize common health concerns through the patients featured. In his view, “even though there are lots of problematic aspects to it, it made people aware there are different body types, there are different conditions people have. It perhaps made people feel less isolated or alienated.”
Additionally, Alex Taylor also brought to light the plight and flight to new heights of Pete Bennett, winner of UK’s “Big Brother” in 2006, who has Tourette’s syndrome. Before the show, he couldn’t go out and enjoy himself without being bullied. Not only did he become a fan favorite—putting disability awareness and representation on the map—he never experienced bullying again once he left the show.
How audiences would be able to relate to the B.O.B.s will hit closest to home for the average viewer, given how insidious and common society’s delusional Separation beliefs and conditions are, considered to be the norm. As these Asylum member’s false beliefs about themselves, their conditions and the world they’ve made is dissolved via their healing interaction with the W.O.W.s, so will the audience’s, strongly influencing the correction of their wrong core beliefs that become feelings of isolation and alienation. All the while, setting up the W.O.W.s to be welcomed back into society as leaders of Love’s healing, instead of feared lepers of the legal system.
Given the spiritual and soul depths of the mirror the W.O.W.s have dove into and are willing to share with the rest of the world, they would best reflect in Elysium’s Asylum what it means to be truly transreformed on this planet. The B.O.B.s, more than likely signing up for more than they could perceive bargaining for, would best reflect the healing process necessary for world transreformation. Socially—albeit subversively—this could be the reformative spark that trail-blazes a healing inferno across what has been our “dry brush” with what constitutes reality T.V. entertainment and televised examples of healing in general.
In recalling a separate discussion regarding domestic abuse, arguing how raising this issue on a reality show could be a positive, Professor Helen Wood of Lancaster University (researcher and advisor of reality T.V. ethics and practices) said, “I remember a big debate about ‘Love Island’ and whether it allows…a conversation on what domestic abuse looks like? For some audiences that could be triggering, for some audiences that could be helpful.”
Can we imagine conversations on what the roots of spiritual, mental, emotional, and criminal illness looks like? I imagine that for every audience, this would be triggering to many degrees. For every audience, this would be helpful on multiple levels.
Yet, as would be necessary for the conditioned well-being of many who’d be fearfully skeptical, “safeguards” would have to be put in place to ease their dis—eased hearts and minds to some extent. Although some form of Level One Prison security would surround the entire Asylum perimeter, any W.O.W. that engaged in any criminal activity would be—under contractual agreement—obliged to serve the rest of their condemned sentence, second chance” forfeited. Attempted escape from the Asylum—which would be entirely video monitored 24/7 as agreed upon by all participants—would result in arrest and Lethal Injection scheduling.
Again, these “safeguards” would be necessary and put in place simply as a legal formality for those conditioned to be most fearful and adversarial when it comes to any change in society, given the fact that every W.O.W., i.e. every condemned, incarcerated person turned Committment in Elysium’s Asylum, would have already impeccably demonstrated behind locked doors for over 15 years what it means to be criminally healed and healing, in order to even be eligible to participate in the first place. They’d have already long-since seen through the uncertainty and illusion of getting a “second chance” in society, having realized and accepted the freedom inherent in giving themselves the first and only chance received by all who truly heal.
Our W.O.W. participation, then, could ultimately be understood as a creative courtesy, by which we allow our living examples to be the opportune, entertaining vessels through which our global community can quicker accept and experience the loving understanding of our collective, conscious best interests. Thus, there’d not be any worry, let alone perceived threat, with regards to any “safeguards” and legal formalities, as far as the W.O.W.s are concerned. In the Spirit of the collective goal, I’m certain that every W.O.W. would willingly take this a step further, and agree to share the fate of any other W.O.W. who compromised the safeguards or legal formalities put in place, understanding the impossibility of this. Not to mention, Big Brother in the form of the rest of the entire planet will be watching and listening to everything and everyone all the time, working to the benefit of us all.
“The question that remains, however, is what the collective impact is. Is reality T.V. holding up a mirror to society, or could it really play an active role in shaping it?” Asked Alex Taylor, the answer of which is the heart, soul and purpose of the Elysium’s Asylum idea, as its manifestation would be THE Reality Show of reality shows.
What I’m proposing here is a revolutionary social experiment that would double as a revolutionary social experience as well as a pivotal point in history and creativity that would be the catalyst behind our [finally] collectively experiencing the Consciousness of what unites us all. This Trinitarian collaboration between our evolving Justice/Prison System and its W.O.W.s, society and its B.O.B.s, and a major, global communications network would naturally create the “win-win-win” scenario for all three factions represented; three groups essentially part of the same Whole. The “lose-lose-lose” scenario we’ve been collectively experiencing in our delusional Separation beliefs would be over, once and—quite literally—for all.
Melissa Kearney, associate professor of economics at the University of Maryland, wrote a paper that drew a direct link between the decrease in teen birth rates and the airing of MTV’s “16 and Pregnant,” which displayed a brutally honest depiction of life for pregnant teens. The show “was not designed as an anti–teen childbearing campaign,” authors wrote, “but it seems to have had that effect by showing that being a pregnant teen and a new mother is hard”… Their conclusion? “We find that media has the potential to be a powerful driver of social outcomes.”
Think of the hope and courage Elysium’s Asylum would inspire in every criminal perceived, judged and or convicted; how this show could inspire them to finally take a sincere and brutally honest look at themselves and their lives for the sake of discovering/recovering their value and worth! Think of how the Justice and Prison Systems would be exalted and supported by the rest of the world! They’d be legally responsible for the allowance of a divine demonstration and healing experience that would no doubt have a global effect and influence.
Think of the average, common, hardworking and hardly working member of society that would be wholly transreformed by what they would experientially witness! They’d finally see themselves and the rest of the world they’re really part of through the clear lenses of Truth and Unconditional Love, framed by the forgiveness inherent in both.
In showcasing the unity that includes the full spectrum of society, I imagine we’d inadvertently start an anti-separation campaign, as would be revealed—how our beliefs in Separation in some way, shape, or norm have been interwoven in, and responsible for, every criminal thought, belief system and action; every world disharmony and dis-ease we have collectively made and experienced.
And as insane as the aforementioned 2.5-5 year contract may sound, this worthy sacrifice would be time well spent, given Elysium’s unlimited “potential to be a powerful driver of social outcomes.” Between that time period, community leaders, organizations, companies, and business worldwide would have the opportunity to reach out to these Asylum members, requesting that they consider being a valued member of their [sub] communities. After being viewed by the world at large for at least 2.5 transparent years, known inside and out, I’m certain that many successful and failing, joyful and hurting—thousands of progressive entities in society would be most interested in providing the surrounding environment in which each Asylum member would best be a total asset to the entire world community, understanding full well what they uniquely bring to the transreformative table.
Elysium’s Asylum Committments would then have the chance to choose—when the minimal time of their contract is fulfilled—the best free-world fit for themselves, given where they ultimately see they’d best be the greatest asset, given their offers (assuming they’d have more than one). If, in only receiving one offer to reintegrate back into society, they could choose to take it, or wait until their five years are up to see if they receive any more fitting offers. If no others are received, and or they choose not to accept the offer(s) they have, they’d simply be sent back to the part of the society they were at prior being in Elysium’s Asylum.
But let’s get real: everyone part of this experience would get everything they couldn’t alone imagine from this experience. Certainly, the money alone, generated from the ratings of the show, which could only grow with time, would be more than enough to satisfy both Prison Industry and whatever major network is visionary enough to get ahold of this idea first. W.O.W.s would not only get their second chance in society, but one that maximizes their healing and Promethean capabilities on camera, then eventually, in the part of the world they, and everyone could clearly see, needs it most.
And what of the B.O.B.s? Imagine the accomplished teacher or professor with a ton of credentials and more awards than one can count—within the Elysium community—that came from a long line of teachers, but is also an amazing vocalist with unfulfilled singing aspirations? Or the decorated Service member, initially joining the military as a college alternative, who secretly has a passion for cooking and always wanted to run their own Five Star restaurant?
How many B.O.B.s do we think that went on to have successful careers by most standards, but never scratched the surface of their true potential, veered off their original passion-filled paths by a false sense of duty, false beliefs about themselves adopted from others, and or a false sense of security/stability stemming from a conditioned, warped worldview? How do we think the world would respond to them, once Who They Really Are is shared and their greatest potential revealed in that 2.5-5 year tenure?
Dare we envision college students outside—and a couple of them inside—Elysium’s Asylum from opposite ends of the academic and societal spectrum, and everywhere between, going for their Masters and Doctorate degrees, doing their final papers on Elysium’s Asylum? Groundbreaking dissertations personally introspective like never before seen, globally analyzed like never before experienced?
Since we are already on the Speculation Express headed down transreformative tracks, we may as well creatively careen with it all the way down to Imagination Station, where inherent in every seed of an idea lies the manifest destination of an infinitude of trees and new and exciting fruits. I dare us to finally imagine what would happen after Elysium’s Asylum’s inevitable success. Why should we stop there? Could we stop there, even if we wanted to?
After every one of the Asylum’s 80 members goes on to maximize their gifts, talents, skills, and healing potential all around the globe, how many people around this same globe do we think would want nothing more than to have that Elysium experience firsthand? How many of them on our societal spectrum do we think would see that they need that experience within Elysium’s Asylum?
I dare say that we would not only do it again, say, here in America, but would have Elysium’s Asylums sprouting all over the world—first in the megacities: London, Tokyo, Singapore, Sydney—before they are eventually commonplace in lesser major cities around the planet. These Asylums would become the best means through which every convicted/condemned criminal (W.O.W.) could undeniably demonstrate their real, if not, radical reform; a healing sabbatical for every celebrated or average law-abiding citizen (B.O.B.) that realizes that they haven’t come close to realizing their true, unlimited potential.
And besides the “fifteen minutes of fame” every participant would no doubt globally get from the experience, the more people would watch, and consequently, the more people would want to heal and begin to heal, seeing and understanding in a myriad of ways what health and healing substantially looks like.
Not to mention, from the activities planned, designed to bring all Asylum members together, challenges created for personal growth, community building, and entertainment; new and innovative production, security, and media technologies used for the first time, to even balanced diets and eco-friendly products used (and thereby advertised) within Elysium’s Asylum, the possibilities for guiding the health and healing of our planet—on every level and to every degree—are endless. All it would take is for those with means who see this once in a lifetime opportunity to help work out the fine details…and make it happen.
Conclusively, Alex Taylor, with regard to the media’s potential to be a powerful driver of social outcomes, said, “One decade on, that certainly hasn’t changed, which makes reality T.V. a powerful tool. In some cases, that tool is powerful for the worst—but just sometimes, it really could shape those watching for the better.” Personally, one decade on, after first dreaming of Elysium’s Asylum, I still cannot think of anything transreformatively better. What better way to inspire mass, root-depth healing than by using the number one pastime the world can’t get enough of?
I have an Elysium’s Asylum Prospectus loosely developed, working out some of the ideas possible minute details, but I’m just one “W.O.W.” of a condemned incarcerated person—an anomaly—however transreforming. I bet if Charles Darwin were alive today, studying the evolution of our species within the Prison System, and I happen to be a subject of his study, he’d define me as:
A miraculous mutation of a man with bright, anomalous ideas; who is a strange and random variation springing from within the “natural” prison environment…barely visible from within the dark, hidden folds of the California Department of Corrections.
Yet, this Elysium’s Asylum idea won’t go away—hasn’t gone away after all these years—only growing with every reality show I watch, along with my faith in humanity and our ability—our need—to evolve and be better… Together.
I was reminded of this when I read Alex Taylor’s article in my BBC Entertainment news app; a news app I hardly ever look at. It was as if something drew me to it that particular day as I contemplated writing this article: “Something” subconsciously saying, “This is why you should keep sharing Elysium’s Asylum’s idea…be reminded how it will change the world..!”
So I send my thanks to Alex Taylor and contributors, for as that “Something” (being the Spirit of Life that connects us all) speaks through me, it spoke through to me in the form of that article. Where Taylor’s article clearly proves to us how reality T.V. has changed the way we think—for the better, I wholeheartedly believe we can now see how Elysium’s Asylum—possibly the Reality Show to both end and truly begin all reality shows—at its core, can change the way we are with each other—for the best.
“For Charles Darwin, the crux of his theory came from looking at mutations. It is the strange and random variation in nature that often sets a species off in a new evolutionary direction. Think of anomalies as the creative forms of such mutations. They often represent the future, but to our eyes they seem strange. By studying them, you can illuminate this future before anyone else.” —Robert Greene (“Mastery”)
