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photo: Steve Jurvetson on flickr

photo: Steve Jurvetson on flickr

How do you know if something is true?

Do you take someone else’s word for it? Or do you need to prove it for yourself?

While I rely on others for advice and information, there’s no substitute for personal experience. Especially when I need to be convinced that something is legitimate.

That’s particularly true when the “something” in question is controversial.

Like raves.

photo: Dominic Simpson on flickr

photo: Dominic Simpson on flickr

Or gladiator sandals.

take that, sandal!

Or Mohawks.

photo: Phil King on flickr

photo: Phil King on flickr

Just for the record, if you ever see me at a rave, sporting gladiator sandals and a ‘hawk, you’ll know something has gone terribly, terribly wrong.

It’s easy to be led astray by the multitude of fads and schemes out there, which brings me to the topic of the day:

The power of the mind.

Yes, our minds are powerful. We all know that. But there’s a lot of folks out there making all kinds of claims about what our minds can do.

Movies like The Secret assert that all we have to do is visualize mansions and Mercedes, and they’ll pop out of the sky like magic gumdrops.

photo: Axion23 on flickr

photo: Axion23 on flickr

Is this true? Can this happen?

Yes and no.

As I’ve talked about in a previous post, there are limits to this kind of thinking.

So, how do we know what’s real?

Here’s how: We have to try it for ourselves.

When I first heard the idea that consciousness is creative, I thought it was completely batty. I was a rational soul, raised by scientists. I wasn’t into any woo-woo mumbo-jumbo.

photo: mardi grass 2011 on flickr

photo: mardi grass 2011 on flickr

But then something happened.

I had an experience at age 23 that clued me in to the fact that there was more to life than my limited, egoic view of the world. This experience catapulted me into a phase of experimentation.

I tried meditation. I tried affirmations. I tried changing my diet to clean up my body temple. I tried gratitude. I tried turning over my life to Something bigger than me.

And guess what?

It worked.

Not everything I tried worked, but a lot of it did.

And I didn’t take anyone else’s word for it. Everything I learned, I learned by doing it myself.

Along the way, I learned that my mind is incredibly powerful. I also learned that my mind, left to its own devices, isn’t nearly as effective as my mind in alignment with Something Bigger. (Thus, the limitations of movies like The Secret.)

photo: Gane Kumaraswamy on flickr

photo: Gane Kumaraswamy on flickr

Bottom line, don’t believe anything anyone tells you. Even me.

Try it out for yourself. 

If you’re new to the woo-woo world, start with something easy. Like gratitude. Start a regular gratitude practice and see what happens.

If you’re a seasoned woo-woo veteran, amp up your existing practice.

Or try something new. Stretch yourself.

There are so many things to experiment with: Meditation. Visualization. Yoga. Affirmative prayer. Chanting. Fasting.

The best part is that we’re in charge. No one can tell us what to do. 

Granted, the deeper I’ve gotten into the woo-woo world, the more I’ve come to rely on Something Bigger, but that Something is in me! And I know this because I’ve experienced it.

So go forth and experiment! Test out the idea that consciousness is creative!

There’s a whole world out there, just waiting for you to discover it.

Your world. Your experience.

Prepare to be amazed.

photo: Ryan Tir on flickr

photo: Ryan Tir on flickr

How have you experimented with the idea that consciousness is creative? What have you learned? Share your comments below!

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