1984

           ‘Wearethepriestsofpower,’hesaid. ‘Godispower. Butatpresentpowerisonlyawordsofarasyouareconcerned. Itistimeforyoutogathersomeideaofwhatpowermeans. Thefirstthingyoumustrealizeisthatpoweriscollective. Theindividualonlyhaspowerinsofarasheceasestobeanindividual. YouknowthePartyslogan: "FreedomisSlavery". Hasiteveroccurredtoyouthatitisreversible? Slaveryisfreedom. Alone—free—thehumanbeingisalwaysdefeated. Itmustbeso,becauseeveryhumanbeingisdoomedtodie,whichisthegreatestofallfailures. Butifhecanmakecomplete,uttersubmission,ifhecanescapefromhisidentity,ifhecanmergehimselfinthePartysothatheIStheParty,thenheisall-powerfulandimmortal. Thesecondthingforyoutorealizeisthatpowerispoweroverhumanbeings. Overthebody—but,aboveall,overthemind. Powerovermatter—externalreality,asyouwouldcallit—isnotimportant. Alreadyourcontrolovermatterisabsolute.’ 

           ForamomentWinstonignoredthedial. Hemadeaviolentefforttoraisehimselfintoasittingposition,andmerelysucceededinwrenchinghisbodypainfully. 

           ‘Buthowcanyoucontrolmatter?’heburstout. ‘Youdon’tevencontroltheclimateorthelawofgravity. Andtherearedisease,pain,death——’ 

           O’Briensilencedhimbyamovementofhishand. ‘Wecontrolmatterbecausewecontrolthemind. Realityisinsidetheskull. Youwilllearnbydegrees,Winston. Thereisnothingthatwecouldnotdo. Invisibility,levitation—anything. IcouldfloatoffthisfloorlikeasoapbubbleifIwishto. Idonotwishto,becausethePartydoesnotwishit. Youmustgetridofthosenineteenth-centuryideasaboutthelawsofNature. WemakethelawsofNature.’