Introduction
For spiritual travelers, it is taught and stressed: personal thought creates reality, and what we think about strongly influences our personal and collective physical, mental and spiritual world.
As beings of pure conscious energy, on many levels, we are what we think about: both individually and collectively.
In our country, again, there was another man made tragedy, where a crazed, gunman killed and wounded many innocents in a local movie theater. Ironically, the unknowing victims had come to view a late night showing of a new Batman movie entitled:' The Dark Knight Rises.' In this real life drama, a crazed, gunman assumed the role of Darkness; shooting, killing and harming many. For personal reasons, rising-up and creating, through deadly force, a night of tragedy, terror and death for many people he did not even know.
Across our land, because of the NEWS coverage, many more are affected and will continue to be affected; this negative energy and pain attached to this event, spiraling upward, growing personal fear and anxiety for millions. Many, now afraid to attend a local movie with their family.
From a mystical or spiritual view, this incident is yet another reminder- that whatever we think about- can and will become reality. For clearly, this gunman's action was the accumulation of many dark thoughts, experiences and patterns; both personal and collective, influencing his growing personal darkness, exploding into a night of horrible destruction.
Thoughts Are Energy
Mystics teach, each thought has a vibration or energy level attached to it; this energy becomes either a personal action or thought form which moves/vibrates out into the world seeking to attach itself to a similar vibration or action. If this thought form cannot find a similar thought or create personal action- this thought returns to the sender: that much stronger, influencing subsequent thought, personal experience and future action.
On an energy level, this is how we create personal action, thought and collective realities. Either through creating a physical action or a thought form that seeks expression, as vibrating energy; individually and collectively, we are creators of our own reality, every moment of every day.
Now when many people think the same thing, collectively, each creating a thought form and set of vibrations; this potential physical motion and thought expression, becomes that much stronger and physically alive. Continually, these thought forms, either personal or collective, seek a vehicle/opportunity to express themselves in the physical world. Because of this energy pattern, many people working together, physically, mentally, or spiritually can change a society and planet. Raised consciousness, causes a higher energy vibration, which results in higher collective thoughts and action. Law of the Universe.
Mystics offer: that is why it is so important to continually monitor our thoughts, and control and use them positively. Or said another way, using computer terminology, 'garbage in- garbage out.' And most people wonder why these are dark times; because many are deliberately thinking and creating dark energy thought forms (lower vibration) and actions.
How Thought Forms Work
Now, on a personal level, when travelers are repeatedly thinking about their fears and worrying, these repeating thought forms/patterns become stronger; seeking physical expression or if unable to physically express- return and slam us- mentally that much harder.
Consider the common example of trying to stop smoking. The urge to smoke comes to us and we try to fight it mentally; this thought and energy to smoke seeks a conduit to express itself physically, but is not able too because we resist mentally, at least initially. However, to keep constantly fighting this thought to smoke is exhausting, because it keeps returning to us and building its effect. When fighting a habit or addiction, that is why, people are taught to change their thoughts (switch attention), and do physically something else; by filling their minds with other more tranquil thoughts, positive physical activity or calling another person for help.
Mentally, you cannot take on directly- a very strong thought form: when you have been engaged in an action/habit for a long period (smoking cigarettes); in our brains, the thought to action pathway is much too strong and we require different techniques to disarm this repeating pattern. Particularly, if the thought/urge to smoke is combined with a physical addition to a strong drug like nicotine. Often, that is why both physical and mental techniques are required to disarm the thought/urge to smoke.
How To Disarm Dark/Negative Thoughts
Here are some techniques and exercises to help you learn to monitor and control your negative thought forms, destructive mental patterns and actions.
1) Inner Recognition Technique. Teach yourself to recognize when you are thinking negatively, and learn to stop creating harmful thought forms. You can do this by giving yourself an inner suggestion to call to your conscious attention, each time you have a negative thought, make a negative remark, or take negative action. Request to your Higher Self, to present an inner stimulus, in the form of an energy impulse, that points out each time you create negatively. Gradually, over a period of time, you will recognize and gain control over the negativity within. Give yourself the following suggestion: morning, evening and once during the day. Try offering up: 'O Higher Self, help me to recognize my own negative thoughts and actions. Please, help me and call to my conscious attention, each time I do this; please fill me with a gentle, inner energy reminder, that I need to create more positively.' Try this inner suggestion/recognition technique for 3 weeks and see what happens.
2) Positive Expression/Creation. Always express thoughts and desires positively; create energy that will work positively for you and others. How we phrase intentions is very important. For example, 'I will control and stop my smoking;' instead of stating, 'I must try to stop smoking.' There is a big difference between trying and doing.
3) Switch Attention. When thinking negatively, switch attention to another subject/topic. In a healthy mind, we can only think of one thing at a time. Think about something more positive or get-up and do something helpful, physically for another person.
4) Pray for Help. When in a negative zone, say a prayer to help yourself and help others. This prayerful, personal energy seeks to attach itself to another Higher Form of energy. This Higher energy is in everything.
5) Monitor Your Thoughts. At end of day, take an inventory of all the things you did and write down, list which thoughts or actions bothered you most. Identify, why these thoughts bothered you? Consider, how you can change individual action or thought? Then, as pure conscious energy, send out these positive, change filled affirmations into your world. Hopefully, the next time, you encounter a similar situation, this affirmation will be waiting and help you change how you operate.
Media & Thought Projection
Clearly, we are living in an electronic age and many of our thoughts, actions, fears and goals are influenced by what we see and hear on television, internet and through our cell phones. All of these messages are thought forms which are seeking similar vibrations and a conduit to create reality. Remember, this is how thought and action work together.
Individually and collectively as a society, if we are to survive, one day we must realize that it matters what we think about; because this leads to action or stronger returning thoughts that seek to create reality. When will we realize that it matters what message is being projected through our video games, movies, parents, teachers, clergy and government officials? All creating thoughts, desires, vibrations and energy that seek opportunity, or a conduit, to grow stronger and express self.
Dark Knight Rises
What happened in Colorado with a lone, crazed gunman going into a movie theatre and randomly killing people- is a tragic, horrible expression of one person's dark/insane thought patterns; and the over lay of a collective accumulation of dark patterns, thoughts by many others, all around him. Yes, we all are influenced by what is going on around us; these are dark times: with many dark messages in the world; all these thought/desires seeking physical expression, vibrating through us; and personally we must be strong enough not to let these dark patterns and their vibrations destroy us.
That is why, so many terrorist leaders, work on the mind of their companions, trying to convince (brain wash) them into taking a dark, sinister action. Control thoughts: control actions, individually and collectively. Law of the Universe.
What To Do About It?
While it is very difficult for the average spiritual traveler to control, physically, what takes place in the larger world; we do have much control over our self and what energy (thought forms) we project out into the world. The following suggestions are offered to help you take back the control you do have and send out positive energy/affirmations across this planet. Hopefully this positive vibration and energy will combine and create, through meaningful action, a new world of Light.
1) Control Your Consciousness. First work on yourself; learn to control what you think and consciously (mentally/physically) expose your mind too, on a moment by moment basis.
2) Help Your Children. Teach your children to do the same thing. It matters if they play or think about violent, sexually oriented videos for hours; or if they rise higher and contemplate and express personal beauty. These energy choices affect them on many levels.
3) Monitor External Energies. Daily, monitor your electronic habits and control what you expose your awareness too. Seek only those patterns that are pleasing, positive, joyful, and useful to self & others; this will help you create the positive reality you wish to live in.
4) NEWS Holiday. Moment by moment, take personal steps in the physical word, to control what thoughts/realities you experience and allow around you. In the electronic and written media, shut-off negative NEWS reports and monitor how much violence, negative thinking you watch and consume. Stop watching the NEWS for a week and see how you feel.
5) Create Affirmations. Daily, spend time thinking positive, affirmations for a healthier more loving society and planet. Start with yourself and create positive thought forms that lead to positive action. Remember help self and others. Eventually, all of these positive, Light filled thoughts and actions will take effect, creating a more positive Reality for every one.
6) Advocate Positive Reporting. Contact you local electronic media provider and request that they stop telling so many negative, excitement oriented stories. Tell them to stop reporting sensational, horrific, dark events that take place in the world. This reportage contributes to their creation. Tell them to focus on more positive stories or you will change your provider. Clearly, we have learned that media coverage seems to contribute to the frequency of terrorist attacks.
7) Shut-off Horror Shows. Stop watching movies, television shows and videos that feature crazed killers; particularly if these scenarios bother and upset you. In this area, you can control what you watch and think about. Remember, all these negative thoughts have energy that seeks to express itself in the physical world.
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Heaven & Hell
Hell is within the imagination and heart of men/women. Moment by moment, it is a Reality we help create. Similarly heaven is within our reach. Daily, we are faced with this choice.
Today, which Reality do you choose? ________ Check-out my two books: Sufism for Western Seekers: Path of the Spiritual Traveler in Everyday Life and The Ferryman's Dream. Both books are available through Amazon.com or local bookstore.
