Your attention, please

We used to joke during our editorial meetings that each story always ended with God. That’s not because of any specific religious affiliation. We realized that if we want to contribute to solving problems—and that’s the core of our mission—we need to go to deeper levels. A law implemented to right a wrong in society often provokes “side effects” that cause new problems. Hence the need to go deeper and discover solutions that hold for generations to come. Ultimately that means solutions that address the way we think, where we put our attention and intention, what we believe. Sooner or later, we get to the level of spirit, to God.

I wrote the cover stories for this issue while President Obama tried to get legislation passed to ban the sale of assault guns in the U.S. Like many, the president is outraged that such weapons designed for soldiers in wars can be bought and used by ordinary citizens. A new law promises to protect peace in society.

Is there a more effective solution? Yes. An impressive body of research—carried out more than 20 years ago—has shown that violence and conflict in society can be reduced through meditation, more awareness, more God. The story (see page 43) is hard for rational Western minds, including my own, to believe, yet the evidence is compelling. At the most fundamental level, peace is not a matter of laws that ban guns but of our awareness.

While I was writing the story on the effects of group meditation on society, I had lunch in Seattle with an author who published a book on how to create our own realities. This topic already produced a long list of self-help books. But this book is different. The author grew up in poverty but acquired a fortune based on his vision of a new reality. His book is an authentic report on how to build a better life using your attention and intention. In a very different way, his message is the same as the message of the meditation research.

And then there is the unusual experience of shamanic healing with which I had a personal experience (see page 20): This offers one more example of deep material impact from rituals done at a different level of consciousness.

Back to our editorial conversations…God is indeed everywhere. And the most important message for you and me is this: It deeply matters what you think and how you visualize your life. Your attention, please.

P.S. Our November/December issue reached most of you very late. We ­apologize for that. We are transitioning our subscription service , and that process has been challenging. We expect to be back on a our regular track shortly. In the meantime, please don’t ­hesitate to contact us at support@theoptimist.com or at (800) 472-3571 with any questions you may have.