- Your thoughts create Your reality - yes, but how do we Transform them?
There is more to this world than meets the eye…
Did you know that part of our brain’s job is to filter out the vast majority of information we are exposed to on a daily basis, so we can function properly? That’s right! In reality, we perceive very little of what is actually going on around us. In other words, there is an intangible reality that operates at all times, without us even being aware of its existence. Yet, that intangible reality has very tangible effects on our lives.
Take your thoughts for example, can you see them? No.
Do they exist? Yes.
Do they affect your reality? Very much so.
Think of them as electricity. You cannot see electricity and most of us cannot explain how it works. However, once you turn the switch on, the light goes on! Likewise, your thoughts are power forces that are largely responsible for what shows up. Thoughts have real tangible effects on our lives and affect others as well.
So today let’s take a look at some of the science behind how thoughts affect the physical realm, how our unconscious beliefs dictate most of our thoughts, and what we can do to add more presence, coherence and positivity to our lives.
Water and the power of thoughts:
By studying water for 20 years, the Japanese scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto revolutionised the idea that our thoughts and intentions impact the physical realm. He looked into the scientific evidence of how molecular structure in water transforms when it is exposed to human words, thoughts, sounds and intentions.
It turns out that compassionate, loving messages, as well as classical music resulted in aesthetically pleasing physical molecular formation, while hateful, ugly messages and heavy metal music produced disconnected, disfigured, and “unpleasant” physical molecular formations.
For more on this fascinating subject, I encourage you to read the New York Times Bestseller, the Hidden Messages in Water.
Dr. Emoto gathered his data through Magnetic Resonance Analysis technology and high speed photographs. Below are examples of the various patterns that can be found in water exposed to thoughts, words or sounds.
Now the average human body is 50-65% water. So, it may be safe to conclude that what we think matters. It matters not only for our own health, but affects the people around us as well, or at the very least the water in their own bodies!
Given how impactful our thoughts are it’s worth asking yourself the question of do you choose your thoughts? Or do they think you?
Not only are most of our thoughts “invisible”, but they are largely unconscious. In 2005, the National Science Foundation published an article summarising research on human thoughts per day. It was found that the average person has about 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts per day. Of those thousands of thoughts, 80% were negative, and 95% were exactly the same repetitive thoughts as the day before.
Does that mean we are doomed to negative thinking, I hear you say? Not at all! According to the first law of thermodynamics, energy (that is to say information) cannot be destroyed or erased, but it can be transformed! The ancients already knew this - and the ancient hermetic principles reflect this fundamental principle.
Given that thoughts affect our reality, if we want to get to the root of a negative belief (the cause) and transform our thinking, all we need to do is pay attention to the results we are getting in life (the effect).
A conflict for example is an opportunity to transform a negative belief and, therefore, show up in a more coherent and positive way for ourselves and others alike. And, since the way we think does have tangible effects, it is our responsibility to learn how to do so.
So what works for you to shift this?
Being a bit of a scientist at heart I always ask people at the beginning of my talks about how they are currently managing to transform their thoughts.
Many mention meditation as it is a way of retraining the mind that is based on cultivating awareness and several other methods such as:
Breathing
Deep breathing anchors you back to the present moment, away from the past/future thinking mind, and also helps regulate your heart rate. When you are feeling overwhelmed by thought, try this simple technique:
Breathe in through your nose for 5-8 seconds making sure to inflate and push your belly outwards, hold for 3-5 seconds and slowly release. Repeat several times. I find that placing my hands on both my chest and belly really helps as well.
Nature baths
Spending time in nature is not only a balm to the body & soul, it also gives us much needed headspace and presence. It doesn’t take much either. A 5 minute walk can work wonders.
Morning rituals
What you do first thing in the morning matters, because it can set the tone for the rest of the day. When you first awake your mind is still in an alpha state. So, it is the perfect moment for you to clear your thinking mind by practicing awareness and presence through meditation.
Many also find that taking 5 minutes to think about what they are grateful for in my life, really helps. There is always something to be grateful for. It could be a cosy bed, your breath, the fact that you are alive, the sun on your skin.
These are a form of movement meditation that help quieten the mind, clear the energy circuits of the body (meridians), and reduce reactivity.
The art of self-enquiry
Being prepared to question our own thoughts through self-enquiry, is a powerful tool. The judgments we pass on others are an opportunity to observe our own thoughts from another perspective, understanding that we do not see things as they are, but as we are.
All the methods above share the same premise. They tell us that the goal is not to try and control every single thought we have and that thoughts operate whether we like it or not! In other words that we have no choice but to be with them. The objective being to bring enough presence and awareness to our own lives, so we can witness them, rather than attach or react to them.
The ancient hermetic sciences of the mystery schools teach us a different approach. They teach us that we can indeed create an inner and outer environment of positivity in which our thoughts are clear, positive and centred at all times! That we can master ourselves and from that place serve others - it is the path that all masters of light have walked and involves moving from our lower self to our higher self so we can truly shed the lower aspects of the personality.
How does it work?
This mystery school path works with initiation - a way of anchoring more light and positivity to the self - which gradually helps us shed the negative ego or in other words the personality. Another word for light is also awareness - as we anchor more light our awareness increases - negativity comes into the light - and we transmute it.
It has to be a gradual process so there are several initiations. The first initiation is all about the self - it greatly increases our ability to take responsibility for the reality we create and gives us the awareness and tools to start shifting it.
In preparation for the initiation participants learn tools they can use to transmute energy on a daily basis - to shift it from negative to positive. These tools are applicable both to the internal as well as external environment, meaning to the field around us as well as to our inner states.
You can find out more about initiation and the quantum consciousness tools shared with it HERE.
While all the self-awareness methods discussed above will definitely improve the quality of your life alone. They are greatly enhanced by initiation as it helps deepen and speed up the process.
“Your beliefs become your thoughts. Your thoughts become your words. Your words become your actions. Your actions become your habits.”
With these wise words Mahatma Ghandi explains how our beliefs and thoughts as the driving force behind everything we do. It is another way of expressing how the intangible eventually becomes tangible.
Cultivating a healthy mind is key to leading a healthy life and creating a reality that matches it. Although we are not our thoughts, it is our responsibility to learn to detach from them so we can truly make a difference in the world. The more people make a point of showing up with love and presence, the better the reality we collectively create will be. It is not about being perfect, it’s about stepping onto that path with courage and learning as we move along because, at the end of the day, practice makes progress.
Now take a minute to think about it, what thoughts or beliefs would you like to change?