Are we fighting on the wrong battlefield?

[garybeck]

I don't know about anyone else here, but lately I feel like I've been banging my head against the wall for the last 3-4 years.

We've had the worst president in our country's history, responsible for the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent people around the world. Our country is the biggest contributor to global warming and other environmental problems. Millions of people in our country are poor, sick, without health insurance. Our votes are being counted in secret by private corporations. I could go on... and on.

Like many, for the last few years I've been trying to do something about it. Thus far, I've been using all the tradtional methods I can think of to affect change. I write to my representatives, who are supposedly some of the best (Leahy and Sanders and Welch) but they seem to think impeachment is not an option. I've been trying to do something about the voting machines but the bill (HR811) got hijacked and stalled. I've got blogs, newsletters, websites. I've lost countless hours of sleep trying to do something about all this, like many of you reading this. My relationship with my family has suffered at times.

I'm starting to think that our greatest hope to turn things around, the 2008 election, doesn't offer much hope. The leading democratic candidate is a centrist who voted for the war, has significant corporate influence, wants to HELP the health insurance companies more than uninsured folks, by requiring everyone to purchase private insurance. I'm not convinced she can even win against a Republican anyway. The candidates I favor get ignored by the media (completely left off poll rankings) or are not even running (yet?).

I'm tired. I feel like I've been banging my head against the wall for the last 3-4 years. If Hillary wins I guess I'll vote for her but I don't have the undying support and countless hours to give to her campaign (like I would for Kucinich or Gore or possibly Edwards).

I got to thinking. Are we fighting on the wrong battlefield? We all want the same things mostly - justice, peace, equal rights, less violence in the world, and end to the war. Could it be that those in political power, along with their corporate influence, have just too strong of a grip on our government and no matter how hard we bang our heads in the political realm, they're not going to give it up? Maybe even if this or that particular candidate does in fact win, not much is going to change anyway.

Am I sounding defeatest? Maybe. But that's not the point of this post. I think that maybe, just maybe, all this groundswell of frustration with the system and those in power is a good thing, but maybe, just maybe, we're aiming it in the wrong direction.

I think perhaps that by trying to fix these problems through the traditional means (voting, campaigning, writing, ...) is not the only place we could be directing our energy. I think that perhaps by pointing our energy directly at the political process, perhaps we are fighting on thier grounds, with their rules, and we are destined to lose. Sure we can (and have) made a small difference here and there, but big trains like that don't change direction very quickly, and things are so bad now, we need change, and we need it fast.

I'm not claiming to have the answers, but I would like to offer something to think about.

In 1999 a study was conducted in which 4,000 people collectively practiced a form of meditation and focused their energy on non-violence in a specific geographic area (Washington DC). Their goal was to reduce violent crime by 20% over an 8-week period. The results of the experiment we pretty amazing:

The findings later showed that the rate of violent crime--which included assaults, murders, and rapes--decreased by 23 percent during the June 7 to July 30 experimental period. The odds of this result occurring by chance are less than 2 in 1 billion. Rigorous statistical analyses ruled out an extensive list of alternative explanations.

"This work and theory that informs it deserve the most serious consideration by academics and policy makers alike." Dr. David Edwards, University of Texas- Austin

"What we are looking at here is a new paradigm of viewing crime and violence." Dr. Anne Hughes, University of the District of Columbia"

http://www.alltm.org/pages/crime-arrested.html

I'm no expert on this but I believe in the idea that there are untapped and undiscovered energies in the world. I believe in the power of the mind to change an individual's life. I've seen it happen with technicques like hypnosis and meditation. So why not the power of our collective minds to change the world we share?

Maybe if we take some of this huge amount of energy we are using to fight the conventional fight (in the political arena) against violence, greed, hypocrisy, and suffering in the world, and use it in another way, maybe, just maybe, we can have some kind of positive effect.

They say that when you're at the point of desparation, your mind is open to new ideas. Albert Einstein said "the mind is like a parachute; it works best when it's open." Maybe that's where I'm at. Anyone else here with me? What do you think about trying to use some "unconventional" methods to fight the problems in the world, and direct some of our energy to a different "battlefield" ?


--
Notes to consider before you flame or reply:

1) I'm NOT saying we should stop the political fight. I'm just saying we should try other things (like this) too.

2) Transcendental Meditation (the practice used in the above study) is one of many techniques that could be used. I do not propose the is is the only or best method to tap into the powers of the collective mind to affect change.

3) I'd rather not get into a big debate about whether or not there is a collective consciousness or whether or not something like this would be a waste of time. If you reject the idea that the mind it capable of affecting change in the world you have that right. I do not want to convince you of anything you don't believe in. For those who do believe, or are just open to the idea, what do you think we can/should be doing?

4) I realize there are already efforts underway to do things like this and I'm not the first to think of this or propose it. I don't think we need to reinvent the wheel and come up with a new "project" necessarily. Maybe we just need to tap into a project already underway. One thing I would say is it would be best to use the most objective, scientific, non-denominational, non-religious, methods so that anyone and everyone who wants to participate could do so without trepidations.


Or, I guess I could just keep banging my head against the wall.

[terisan]

1. I think Jesus said:Resist not evil. I have interpreted that as: Build the Good. I think you are wise

[L. Coyote]

2. You need a week on the beach in Mexico.

[garybeck]

3. Yes I do, but

that' doesn't change anything I wrote in the post.

peaceout
gb

[I Have A Dream]

4. K&R. n/t

[Grateful for Hope]

5. I think you are absolutely right on

We are all part of a whole, and, our thoughts are very powerful. I have long thought that the negative news we all hear on a daily basis does nothing more than increase the possibility of more negative news in the future. What I think we need to do is to focus on what we want, and not on what we currently have.

Thank you for posting this, garybeck. IMO, you are definitely on the right track.

[I Have A Dream]

6. Kick. n/t

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

7. I think so

I've been directing my energies towards peace. I know that this works. Back in the '80s, just before we met, my husband moved into a house in Ft. Worth in a "transitional" neighborhood. Most houses were empty, and the crack houses were moving in, about a block away. He did his regular meditation and practices-and then started noticing things. The houses nearby were being sold to families-Vietnamese, blacks, Hispanics, whites. And the crack houses burned down one night. The neighborhood remained working class, but it changed to a nice neighborhood.

[Flying Dream Blues]

8. Let's get our own experiment going...I'm in! nt

[PDenton]

9. If you give in to the witchdoctors

the shamans win. Sorry, I don't believe in TM, it's just a kooky take on Hinduism.

You should read Al Gore's new book, the Assault on Reason. So many of the political problems in the US are due to the fact that the average American no longer deals in reality-based thinking, and the mainstream media is more than happy to cloud their minds with more irrelevent crap.

Frankly, I'm less charitable than Gore. Americans are just criminally stupid and ignorant. And Americans literally have a slave mind, a mind tortured and whipped so much that many Americans have internalized that slavery. The door is open, the Matrix is just an illusion, but Americans are afraid of being unplugged, they are like the rats shocked so much they won't leave the cage. Much like many African-Americans internalized the very real slavery of their ancestors, most Americans are totally clueless on how they are being used. Ditto-heads and all those "Stupid White Men" Michael Moore talks about are the "house negroes" or "useful idiots" of Communism. People who mouth the rhetoric of the Masters but are too stupid to see they are as screwed as the rest of us.

[garybeck]

15. TM "kooky" take on Hinduism

I agree that TM is Hinduism, but I don't that detracts from its value and I don't think it's kooky. Where I disagree with their philosophy is where they say that their methods are "exlusive." For example you have to get your mantra from this or that person or it won't work. It's a proven scientific fact that meditation is good for your health and you don't need to subscribe to any specific TM technique to make it work. You can simply medidate on your own breath and get all the benefits without any understanding of hinduism or tm.

[Why Syzygy]

How did they get that way?

Something in the water? No. Mind manipulation! They work it. I'm going to post links later.

Just wanted to ask your theory on how all those "criminally stupid and ignorant" people got that way?

[garybeck]

18. People who want status quo work to keep it there. n/t

[specimenfred1984]

10. Here's another idea: put every (R) war criminal in jail for a long time

There are a lot of people, both inside and outside of politics, who would like to just get along with everyone regardless of what crimes they have committed. Unless these criminals and their entire culture of corruption is dealt with and dealt with severely, the very same criminals will just continue to screw America and everything we stand for.

[garybeck]

13. i'm not saying to let them off the hook

I don't want to "get along" with those folks and never meant to imply that I do.

I'm just saying there may be more than one way to fight against them.

"use the force."

[polichick]

11. Love your post!

I believe we need a REVOLUTION ~ as in "a sudden, radical or complete change." And I've been mulling over what kind of people's revolution would work to usher in a whole new era. Could we do it by drafting someone like Gore, who seems to get what we're up against? Could we have some sort of economic revolution? Is it really all about where we focus our energy?

As you can see, I have more questions than answers ~ but I do know that IT'S TIME FOR A REVOLUTION of some sort. After 30 years in the Dem trenches, I'm not willing to bang my head against the wall anymore either.

[garybeck]

14. visualize al gore as president

that would be a good thing to meditate on :)

[polichick]

23. Definitely!

We recently added some Gore t-shirt designs to our store (signature below) just for that reason.

In any case, I know it makes a huge difference in my world when I "stay in the high energy" so it makes sense that it works on a global scale too! :)

[Trillo]

12. There are many methods of meditations.

For example, I've learned that writing is meditative. edit: But that's just for me.

[garybeck]

17. no doubt.

i think in particular this one is like a coordinated group visualization.

[Trillo]

21. Those types of meditations, "coordinated group visualization",

as I understand them anyhow, tend to be guided. I'm not clear that your post has offered such a guided structure, but seems more of a proposal of such. But I'm not particularly familiar with TM, so I could be wrong.

[garybeck]

24. I don't think it should be restricted to TM techniques or any particular

method, but it would be interesting to see what they did and apply it in some way to today's problems.

[gateley]

16. When I drive down the street and I look up at a breathtakingly blue sky with

pouffy clouds hanging around, and smell that smell of a just mowed lawn, and a great song comes on the radio -- I just feel overwhelmed by the feeling that Life Is Good. When I'm of that mind, I find I view people from that same perspective, and I'll be damned if that feeling isn't reciprocated.

When I'm pissed about something or just even focused on a problem, I find I'm more hunched over the wheel, shooting evil looks at drivers who intentionally, no doubt, cut me off, stand in the longest line at the store mentally bad-mouthing the person going through the check out who's so fucking dumb and slow.

So I've learned that if I j remember to focus on the good, as trite as that sounds, more good things happen. I suppose it's kind of like when you get a new car and suddenly it seems as though the majority of other cars on the road are the same make and model. It really IS that simple. And I'm not just ignoring the problems and issues and pretending that life is all peace love and Woodstock. I acknowledge that aspect of our reality and feel the pain, but realize there's also the potential to rectify and work to alleviate a lot of that crap. I find that attitude energizing and optimistic.

In this presidential race, I find it much more satisfying and encouraging to focus on what each candidate CAN bring to us, the options that are available that we can pursue to make things better in our country and world. When I'm bitching about a candidate's negatives or hypocrisy or what they did in the past, I become more and more discouraged. I can almost see that dark cloud hanging over my head -- and filling my body and soul.

When I post here on my candidate or another and it's positive, I feel a sense of moving forward. When I get sucked into trying to prove why my guy is right and yours is wrong, I feel like I'm stuck in suffocating quicksand.

So I'm in agreement with you and support whatever it takes for us to turn and look ahead and be a positive force in today's world rather than contributing to -- and perpetuating -- the negative.

Thanks for you post. I need all the reminders I can get. :toast:

[garybeck]

19. nice post. thanks.

[MedleyMisty]

27. I know the exact feeling you're talking about

And I felt it quite a bit today, because my job requires a lot of driving and my work truck has a CD player and the weather was nice today. :)

I just recently started studying Buddhism, and really the philosophy just makes so much sense to me.

[gateley]

32. That is so cool! Keep it up -- Buddhism has so much wisdom to offer. And

remember when you're driving and find yourself becoming irritated, lust look UP -- it puts things into perspective for me immediately.

Peace.

[Jed Dilligan]

20. Did they test for confounds?

I can't get your link to load, and I'm interested in the methodology. How exhaustive were they in checking to see if something else going on in DC might have (temporarily) affected the crime rate (such as an economic mini-boom, a sweep of parolees, etc.)?

[garybeck]

25. it was peer reviewed... here's all the text

since the link doesn't work for you...
------------

1 June 99

A study published in the peer-reviewed journal Social Indicators Research reports on one of the most dramatic sociological experiments ever undertaken. Researchers predicted in advance that the calming influence of group meditation practice could reduce violent crime by over 20 percent in Washington, D.C., during an 8-week period in the summer of 1993.

In fact, the findings later showed that the rate of violent crime--which included assaults, murders, and rapes--decreased by 23 percent during the June 7 to July 30 experimental period. The odds of this result occurring by chance are less than 2 in 1 billion. Rigorous statistical analyses ruled out an extensive list of alternative explanations, according to John Hagelin, lead author of the study and director of the Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy at Maharishi University of Management in Fairfield, Iowa.

"This work and theory that informs it deserve the most serious consideration by academics and policy makers alike." Dr. David Edwards, University of Texas- Austin

The demonstration project involved assembling nearly 4,000 practitioners of the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programs from 81 countries. Participants were housed in hotels and college dormitories throughout the District of Columbia and at the University of Maryland.

Hagelin says previous research had shown that these meditation techniques "create a state of deep relaxation and coherence in the individual and simultaneously appear to produce an effect that spreads into the environment, influencing people who are not practicing the techniques and who have no knowledge of the experiments themselves."



Results based on field effect of consciousness

Drawing on terminology from quantum field theories, Hagelin, an eminent physicist, refers to the findings as a field effect of consciousness.

"It's analogous to the way that a magnet creates an invisible field that causes iron filings to organize themselves into an orderly pattern. Similarly, these meditation techniques have been shown to create high levels of coherence in EEG brain wave patterns of individual practitioners. This increased coherence and orderliness in individual consciousness appears to spill over into society and can be measured indirectly via changes in social indices, such as reductions in the rate of violent crime. We call this phenomenon a field effect of consciousness," says Hagelin.

The admittedly novel experiment was rigorously analyzed by a 27- member project review board composed of independent scientists and civic leaders who approved the research protocol and monitored the research process.

"What we are looking at here is a new paradigm of viewing crime and violence." Dr. Anne Hughes, University of the District of Columbia"

A new paradigm for viewing crime and violence

Anne Hughes, a professor of sociology and government at the University of the District of Columbia and a member of the project review board, feels that the findings of the study have significant implications for resolving inner city violence.

"What we are looking at here is a new paradigm of viewing crime and violence," says Hughes, a coauthor of the study. "I would like to recommend that this new model, which is supported by a number of exhaustive and very carefully controlled studies, be seriously considered, and that we think about ways that it might be implemented in the inner city."

According to the researchers, more than 42 studies conducted during the past 25 years have verified the field effects of consciousness. A study published in 1988 in the Journal of Conflict Resolution reported on an experiment conducted in Jerusalem where a group of Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi program experts had assembled during the war in Lebanon. As the number of TM group practitioners peaked on several occasions during the two-month experimental period, war deaths in nearby Lebanon were found to drop correspondingly.

The Washington, D.C., experiment was especially significant because it was a "prospective study," according to Maxwell Rainforth, a coauthor of the study and statistician at Maharishi University of Management (M.U.M.).

"The predictions were lodged in advance with a panel of prominent social scientists and civic leaders, including members of the District city council and metropolitan police force. Statistical analysis considered the effect of weather variables, daylight, police patrolling, historical crime trends and annual patterns in the District of Columbia, as well as trends in neighboring cities.

"Consistent with previous research, violent crime was correlated with weekly weather patterns. However, time series analysis of FBI crime data, controlling for temperature, showed that violent crime dropped significantly during the demonstration period," Rainforth says.

While the notion of using group meditation to lower crime may seem unusual at first, Rainforth says that this response is common with new approaches.

"Ordinarily, we think we can reduce violence through more police, gun control, stiffer penalties, etc. But everyone knows that these conventional approaches are inadequate because violence and crime continue to be a major problem in our society. On the other hand, however novel this Transcendental Meditation program approach may seem, evidence consistently shows that it can reduce violent crime," Rainforth says.



Violence caused by stress in collective consciousness

David Orme-Johnson, lead investigator and former chair of the psychology department at M.U.M., says that the "violence in society is caused by the buildup of stress in collective consciousness," just as the buildup of stress in the individual is known to cause disease in the body.

"The conventional scientific model has assumed that individual consciousness is completely separate from that of others, and that there in no common field linking us together. But the most advanced understanding in physics has shown us in the past century that subtle energy fields are at the basis of everything in the universe. Why then shouldn't we expect that human consciousness also has field characteristics at more fundamental levels?" questions Orme- Johnson.

According to Hagelin, historical precedents shed light on understanding the field effects of consciousness. "Early scientists such as Edison and Marconi discovered technologies like the light bulb and radio wave transmission that began to tap the hidden potentialities of the electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field had always existed before, but it took these and other discoveries of the past 150 years to demonstrate this invisible field's enormous practical value for society.

"Similarly, the field of consciousness has always been there, beyond the conscious thinking mind of everyone. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi rediscovered ancient techniques to access this field, and now scientists are beginning to validate its tremendous practical value for society.

"No one disputes the value of modern computers, televisions, cellular phones and countless other technologies utilizing the electromagnetic field. However, 100 years ago people would have thought we were crazy if we talked about these technologies," Hagelin says.



Misunderstanding about field of consciousness

According to Orme-Johnson, there's a common misunderstanding that the Transcendental Meditation technique involves positive thinking, or prayer, or self-hypnosis.

"These other practices involve some kind of activity of the mind. In contrast, the TM technique allows mental activity to settle down and transcend to a completely silent state, which is the underlying field of consciousness.

"When the mind quiets down to this field level of consciousness, qualities inherent in this underlying field become enlivened in individual consciousness, such as perfect order, balance, harmony, and infinite correlation. As a result, the individual becomes as if a transmitter of orderliness and peace in society, analogous to the way that a television or radio transmitter enlivens the electromagnetic field in a specific manner and then transmits waves through the field that can be picked up at a distance," Orme-Johnson says.



Guns and weapons of war are outdated

Hagelin adds, "Once people began to understand the electromagnetic field and its enormous applications, conventional methods--like using candles for lighting or carrier pigeons for communication--quickly became outdated. With these new research findings, which demonstrate the potential for creating order and coherence in society through the field effects of consciousness, guns and other weapons and war will very soon become obsolete."

According to David Edwards, professor of government at the University of Texas at Austin, this research and the theory behind it deserve the most serious consideration.

"I think the claim can be plausibly made that the potential impact of this research exceeds that of any other ongoing social or psychological research program. It has survived a broader array of statistical tests than most research in the field of conflict resolution. This work and the theory that informs it deserve the most serious consideration by academics and policy makers alike," said Edwards, also a member of the project review board.

Other coauthors of the study included Kenneth Cavanaugh, Charles Alexander, and Susan Shatkin, Institute of Science, Technology & Public Policy, Maharishi University of Management; John Davies, University of Maryland at College Park; and Emanuel Ross, District of Columbia Metropolitan Police Department.





--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Social Indicators Research - Volume 47, Issue 2, June 99
Effects of Group Practice of the Transcendental Meditation Program on Preventing Violent Crime in Washington, D.C.: Results of the National Demonstration Project, June--July 93
John S. Hagelin, Maxwell V. Rainforth, Kenneth L. C. Cavanaugh, Charles N. Alexander, Susan F. Shatkin, John L. Davies, Anne O. Hughes, Emanuel Ross, David W. Orme-Johnson
pp 153-201


Contact:

Institute of Science, Technology and Public Policy
Maharishi University of Management Office of Public Affairs,
Fairfield, Iowa 52557
Contact: Julia Busch, ph. 515-472-1200

[lildreamer316]

22. WHAT WE RESIST; PERSISTS. Love the post.

Could not agree more.
The other stuff is NOT working.

"Gentlemen! Let's broaden our minds!"

[Arugula Latte]

26. The spectre of Hillary as Prez is sucking hope out of millions of us.

Normally, we'd be looking forward to change and a Democratic president. Instead we'll probably get the corporate DLC-lovin' saber rattling more-of-the-same candidate. It feels like -- what's the use if we get stuck with her?

[Mister Ed]

28. To me, banging my head against the wall IS a form of meditation.

So I guess I'm already in.

[Mister Ed]

29. But seriously, man. Look at the big, raggedy hole you've punched in that wall.

I'm sure it's hard to see past that splitting pain in your head right now. But that wall you've been banging your head against is cracked and crumbling, and there's a big, garybeck-shaped hole punched in it.

So I'm calling you out.

I've been around here long enough - just barely long enough - to remember when the idea that the GOP could've cheated a wee bit in the 2004 election was regarded as a delusion entertained by only the maddest of hatters. Now the public at large understands, to some greater or lesser degree, the mechanics of Rethug election theft.

In no small part, that's your doing. That's the work of your hands. Oh, not yours alone, not by any means. But you were right there, in the dawn's early light, on the morning after Black Tuesday. When others were still reeling in disbelief, you were already hard at work. And your labor has bourne fruit.

S'matter of fact, you led me to DU. Googling around for details of what happened in that election led me to your Solarbus site - and from there, I followed the links to a place called DU. The "edumacation" I've gotten here has equipped me to do my little bit in the fight as well - and I've been able to pass a lot of that information along to others.

And I can't be the only one, either. There are probably a lot more like me. The ripples spread out in ever-widening circles.

So when you meditate, man - meditate on that.

:patriot:

[garybeck]

36. thanks much, I

didn't mean to imply that I was going to stop the "traditional" methods of battling evil... I just wanted to throw out the idea that it might help to do some non-traditional things too.

i really appreciate what you said. I always say, even if only one person is listening, it's worth the effort. You never know what that one person is going to do.

peace out
gary

[mmonk]

30. Join the ACLU, Center For Constitutional Rights,

Amnesty International and others. This country was overthrown and we don't have real power right now. Politicians aren't going to save us. It's up to us.

[I Have A Dream]

31. Kick. n/t

[Silver Gaia]

33. K&R for a great post. Thank you!

I've been working on this myself for some time now. I know this works, too. It's ripples in the pond, concentric rings that expand and overlap. What we need is critical mass. When there are enough of us who have changed our thinking patterns, our way of perceiving the world--in terms of what we WANT and not in terms of what we DON'T want--the scales will tip. As Gandhi said, we must BE the change we wish to see. Thanks for the info on the study, too. That's useful information.

[Kip Humphrey]

34. Gary, you've had a great influence on raising awareness surrounding our stolen elections and

the demise of our democracy. Don't count yourself short. How many Americans now know the 2004 election was stolen? How many understood that in November 2004?

Ultimately, nothing will change until the people of the United States stand up and insist on returning their rights and their legitimate government. I think you know this. History proves, time and again, that tyrants fall when the people stand up.

The struggle to regain America's democracy is a lifelong struggle. The people in power did not achieve control overnight and cannot be expected to relinquish that control easily. What they fear, however, as all tyrannies do, is the threat of the masses rising up against them.

You are right to think in terms of attacking on multiple fronts. The development of group mind critical mass is, after all, the necessary prerequisite to achieving a popular uprising, and requires a multiple front approach to achieve. Meditation, visualization, and prayer groups can help in the building of that group mindset. That said, do not underestimate the power of your voice (both past - your impact and achievements so far - and future). Remember: Banging your head against The Wall draws attention to The Wall.

Keep the faith, brother... And thank you for all you do.

Kip
51 Capital March

[garybeck]

35. thanks, bro. :)

[peace_on_earth]

37. A decision each of us needs to make

Garybeck, excellent post!

I would suggest that each and every one of us has a decision we need to make, and SOON.

The stakes have never been higher.

As I see it, the decision that every person on the planet needs to make is which "camp" we want to belong to:

Belief in Separation, or belief that We Are All One.

If everyone finally realized that we are all connected, just think of how the world would change!

-- No more war
-- No more poverty
-- No more religious conflict
-- No more rape or murder
-- No more child abuse
-- No more animal abuse
-- No more lack of healthcare
-- No more greed
-- No more pillaging of the Earth

And so on.

Admittedly, it can be a challenge to see oneself as connected to warmongers like Bush and Cheney. But if you can separate their human selves from their higher selves, it is possible to see the connection. This doesn't mean that you like, or in any way accept their behavior - but you CAN accept them as having a spirit just like you do. And in that, there is connection.

As Garybeck has written about in his wonderful book "The Message That Comes From Everywhere," ALL world religions agree that We Are All One, we are all connected.

You can download a free chapter from Gary's book here:

http://www.universeofpower.com/resources/books/the_message_that_comes_from_everywhere.html

In fact, there are nine more commonalities that he describes in his book. You can download all ten of them here from Gary's website:

http://www.theharmonyinstitute.org/ten/ten.pdf

So basically, they're all saying pretty much the same thing!

If you're interested in listening to a recording of an interview about religion that I did with Gary, you can do so here (and see his handsome face, too! - The picture was taken before the head banging started):

http://www.universeofpower.com/resources/teleseminars/gary_beckwith_religions_and_quantum_ph.html

Energetically, we are all connected to each other and with everything in the Universe. There appear to be massive energetic shifts going on right now. The "lower energies" (think BushCo) are all falling apart, even self-imploding. This makes them dangerous, because they're desperate to hang onto power. The "higher energies" will need to focus most of their attention on raising their consciousness, and on what they want their world to be like from now on. As one poster said, a critical mass is needed. I think that the critical mass is already building, and that we're nearly there!

For instance, just look at how the Law of Attraction has become mainstream this past year. Millions of people around the world are adopting these principles, and changing their lives for the better. People are really getting it!

Think about this from a chakra perspective. (If you're not familiar with chakras, they're energetic points in your body that each have meaning in your life and your energy fields.) The first and second chakras, which are down in your groin area, are all about money, power, and security. They're about your external world. The higher chakras (in and around your head, throat, and heart) are about your inner world of spirituality, connection to Source, wisdom, and love.

As I see it, our world is separating into two camps - maybe even two different species. There are those who are centered in the external lower vibrations, vs. those who choose to live with an inner focus, in the higher vibrations.

External = fear (driven by BushCo), giving up rights for the sake of perceived security, war, power, greed, money. Just look at the huge increase in prostate and colon cancer, and you'll see who has given away their power to some authority figure. In fact, this happened to my One Remaining Repug Friend, who still thinks Bush is his savior. :puke:

Internal = focus on raising awareness, growing, learning, helping others, remaining centered in spirituality, seeing us as all connected.

So who will win? I put my bets on the latter. But it's up to each and every one of us to choose which camp we want to live in. And together, we CAN change the world. :-)