Metaphysicsisdangerousasasinglepursuit.Weshouldfeelmoreconfidenceinthesameresultsfromthemouthofamanoftheworld.Theinwardanalysismustbecorrectedbyroughexperience.Metaphysicsmustbeperpetuallyreinforcedbylife; must be the observations of a working man of working men; must bebiography...

RALPHWALDOEMERSON,POWERSANDLAWSOFTHOUGHT

Toworkingpeopleeverywhere

InmemoryofHelenWilmans

THEMIRACLECLUB

“TheAmericanlineageofmindmetaphysics,orpositivethinking,takesabeatingfromboththereligious right and the intellectual left, who seem to share in little other than this fear andloathing of the possibility that we might actually be able to imagine ourselves into otherrealities,histories,andhumanities.Thissametraditionhasrecentlylackedareal intellectualvoicewillingtoanswerthesetoo-certaincriticsandtacklesomeofthemostdifficultquestionsaroundthisastonishingpossibility,includingtheproblemofsufferingandjusthowthismightallwork.Notanymore.EnterMitchHorowitz.EnterTheMiracleClub.Iwisheveryleaderinthehuman-potentialmovementwouldreadthisbook.”

JEFFREYJ.KRIPAL,J.NEWTONRAYZORPROFESSOROFRELIGIONATRICEUNIVERSITY

“Atatimewhenquantumphysicistsdaretosaythingslike,‘Ourintentionsinthefuturecreatethepastcausesofthepresent,’areappraisalofspiritualbeliefs(andphilosophicaltheoriesingeneral) isclearly inorder. It is suchacriticalassessment thatMitchHorowitzproposes inthis book: the values and visions that inspired America assumed that ‘greatness’ should bemeasurednotonlyintermsofmaterialrichesbutofhumanprogress.Thelessonisimportantandtimely.”

JACQUESVALLÉE,COMPUTERSCIENTIST,VENTURECAPITALIST,ANDAUTHOROFTHEEDGEOFREALITY

“It is rare that I find a book that still strikes me as both fresh and true. Horowitz single-handedly reenergizes theNewThought genre, giving it amuch-needed update.TheMiracleClubmovesthereaderfarbeyondthesimplepromiseofwealthandhappiness;itmovesustoconsiderwhat thosewordsactuallymean.TheMiracleClub thengives readers the tools tobeginbuildingtheirlivesanewandthewiseconvictiontocreateagenuinelifewhichfulfillsself-potentialandservesothers.”

REGINAMEREDITH,HOSTOFOPENMINDSANDCREATOROFREGINAMEREDITH.COM

“Aspartofmyscientificwork,Istudytherelationshipbetweenmindandmatterunderstrictlycontrolledlaboratoryconditions.I’vefoundthatthosewholaughtheloudestaboutthe‘powerof affirmations’will often askme, but only after drinking a few beers and in hushed tones,‘Seriously,dothoughtsreallyinfluencereality?’Irespondbysayingthatbasedontheresultsof

hundredsofpublishedscientificexperiments,itappearsthatyes,theyreallydo.Butthat’snotwhat theywant toknow.They’reasking if their thoughtsaffect their reality in theireverydaylives. To answer that question, there’s only one way to find out—try it yourself. For theclearest and most eminently rational description of exactly how to test the power of yourthoughts,thereissimplynobetterchoicethanMitchHorowitz’sTheMiracleClub.”

DEANRADIN,PH.D.,CHIEFSCIENTISTATTHEINSTITUTEOFNOETICSCIENCESANDAUTHOROFREALMAGIC

“Mitch is a contemporary Diogenes without the cynicism, a Socrates minus the coyness, aKierkegaard with a happier spirit, an everyman’s philosopher who roams freely among theworld’sgreatideas,especiallythosethathavebeenforgotten,hidden,orotherwisedismissed.Theworldneedshisvoiceandinsightsnowmorethanever.”

GREGSALYER,PRESIDENTANDCEOOFTHEUNIVERSITYOFPHILOSOPHICALRESEARCH

“An erudite and impassioned call for a deeper understanding of the positive-thinkingmovement.MitchHorowitz,historian,scholar,andNewThoughtpractitioner,stateshiscaseinthisbeautifullywrittenandeminentlypracticalbook.AwonderfulreadforthosefamiliarwiththetenetsofNewThoughtandthosewhoarejustembarkingonitsstudyandapplication.”

PAULSELIG,AUTHOROFIAMTHEWORD:ACHANNELEDTEXT

“Mitch’s critical new thinking brings a welcome discipline and honesty to fields too oftenredolentoffool’sgold.OnehopesbothcriticsandadvocatesofNewThoughtreadthisbook;theyneedto.Butbringaknapsack.There’smorethanapocketfulofmiracleshere.”

GARYLACHMAN,AUTHOROFDARKSTARRISING

CREDITSANDACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Ibeganwriting thisbook inApril2016ona trip toSicily tovisitmywife’s family.Theslowerpaceandsanerlifestyletheregavemeunexpectedtimetowrite—andmademeverygrateful,inmorewaysthanIcansay,tomywife,AllisonOrr,tooursonsCalebandToby,andtofamilymemberswhogavemeencouragement.

Personal thanks to journalist and historian Harvey Bishop for opening his blog to me(HarvBishop.com),whereIwroteearlierversionsof thechaptersTheEthicofGettingRich,WorkingClassMystic,andWhytheCriticsAreWrong.

Thanks toDeanRadinof theInstituteofNoeticSciences(IONS)forhisguidanceonquestionsofpsychicalresearchandquantumphysics,andforgenerouslysharinghisinsightsandexperiences.

ThankstoStacyHorn,SallyRhineFeather,andJohnPalmerforsharingresourcesonESPresearchandhelpingmethinkthroughseveral issues.Stacy’sbookUnbelievable is, inmyview, thefinest thingwrittenonJ.B.Rhine.

ThankstoHeatherBrennanfortranscribingatalkIdeliveredonNevillein2013attheBrooklynartsspaceObservatory, andmy2016 radio interviewwithDavidLynch, both ofwhich contributed to thisbook.

ThankstomyagentAmyHughes,who“gotit”fromthestart,andtoJonGrahamofInnerTraditionsforhisimmediatesupportofthebook.Thanks,too,toJennieMarxofInnerTraditionsforherfriendlyandadroithandlingofproduction.

Specialthanks,asalways,tomyfriendandcolleagueJoelFotinos,whofirstexposedmetomanyoftheideasinthisbook.

PURPOSE.

RalphWaldoEmerson called for a “Philosophy for the People”—a simple, dynamic, truthful guide toliving ethically andwith power. This ismy response to that call.Mywish is to bring a new tone ofmaturity to the most popular (and disparaged) of all modern philosophies: positive thinking, or NewThought, which grew partly from Emerson’s work and has spread, in various forms and differingvocabularies, throughoutmodern life.The guiding principle of positive-mindmetaphysics is: thoughtsarecausative. Iconsider thisoutlook“appliedTranscendentalism”andexplore itonpractical terms inthisbook.

IcallthisbookTheMiracleClubinhomagetomyheroeswhorunthroughoutit:menandwomenofthelatenineteenthandearlytwentiethcenturieswhoblazedapathofpracticalspiritualityforeverydaypeople, andwhodedicatedyearsofpersonalexperimentationandsearch todistilling simple, effectivemethodsbywhichtoexpandyourday-to-dayexperienceandpossibilities.Theterm“MiracleClub”hasitsearliestrootsinagroupofesotericseekerswhobandedtogetherinNewYorkCityin1875toexploretheineffable.Thatyear,oneoftheclub’sfoundersreceivedamysteriouslettertellinghim:“Don’tgiveupthy club. TRY.” This book is, in some regards, a resumption of their efforts. I definemiracles, quitesimply,ascircumstancesoreventsthatsurpassallconventionalornaturalexpectation.Iaskyoutojoinmeinpursuingsuchpossibilitiesinyourownlife—notonlythroughthemediumofideas,butalsoinamoredirectmanner,asIdescribeattheendofthebook.

In laying out these aims, I refuse to shrink from the one question beforewhich every ethical andspiritualphilosophymuststand:Doesitwork?Yes,mindmetaphysicsworks.Itisaphilosophyofresults.Ifyoudeterminedlyjoinmyexperimentationinthisbook—andifyoufollowtheseideasandmethodsasthough your life and happiness are at stake (which theymay be)—you can evaluate the results in thequality of your daily experience, and in how your conduct affects others. In matters of practicalphilosophy,experienceistheonlymeansofempiricism.

Contents

CoverImage

TitlePage

Dedication

Epigraph

CreditsandAcknowledgments

Purpose

ChapterOne.AUsefulIdea

ChapterTwo.PowertothePeople

ChapterThree.YeareGods

ChapterFour.MethodsinMindPower

AFFIRMINGVISUALIZINGPRAYING

MEDITATINGCHANTING

ChapterFive.HowtoMakeaMiracle

MILITARYSTRATEGYASSELF-HELP

THEONETHINGWHATABOUTMONEY?

ChapterSix.MetaphysicsandMorality

THEGOODWISHTHEPOWEROFSERVICE

GODANDSALESMANTHESTRENGTHOFVIRTUE

ChapterSeven.WorkingClassMystic:TheExampleofJamesAllen

METAPHYSICSTHEHARDWAYANEXPERIMENTINGREATNESS

ChapterEight.TheEthicofGettingRich

ANEWVISIONOFMINDPOWER

ChapterNine.WhytheCriticsareWrong

ChapterTen.MirrorMan:TheCentralityofNevilleGoddard

THREESTEPSTOTRUTH

EVIDENCEOFTHINGSNOTSEENPORTRAITOFTHEMYSTICMETAPHYSICALLINEAGE

RESURRECTIONFELLOWSEEKERS

ChapterEleven.WhyitWorks:TowardaTheoryofAffirmativeThought

MULTIPLEWORLDS

USINGIT

Afterword.TheMiracleClub:AnInvitationtoYou

Footnotes

AbouttheAuthor

AboutInnerTraditions•Bear&Company

BooksofRelatedInterest

Copyright&Permissions

Index

CHAPTERONE

AUSEFULIDEA

Foralltheradicalchangesinhowweliveoverthepast150years,fromtheriseandfallofpoliticalideologiestotherevolutionsinmedicineandtechnology,thebasicsenseofhumanidentity expressed by Shakespeare remains intact. Each of us “plays his part,” living,serving,struggling,until“mereoblivion.”

Wesometimesbringa rippleofchange tooursurroundings,coming toaperspectiveonGodoraHigher Power, or attaining a cherished goal, just as we sometimes suffer a life-altering tragedy. But,overall,weremainboundtoafamiliarpattern.

One modern idea has challenged this template of life. One idea has suggested that we are not“merelyplayers,”butalsopossessacreativeagencythatcandetermineandreshapelife.Thisideahelpsusview technological, scientific,andsocialchangesnotonlyas revolutions in themselves,butalsoasexpressionsofaptitudesandcapacitiesthatgrowinresponsetohumanaspiration.Onanintimatelevel,thisideamaysaveyouwhenyoufeelthatallpossibilitiesarelost.Itisthis:thoughtsarecausative.

BornlooselyfromthetraditionsofNewEnglandmentalhealingandTranscendentalisminthemid-nineteenthcentury,thisphilosophycametobeknownas“NewThought.”Iargueinthisbookthat,forallitsshortcomings,andforallitsbeingdisparagedbycriticsasadogmaofwishfuldelusion,NewThought,initsessentials,istrue—andcanbetestedinyourexperience.Thisisabookofpracticaluse.

IalsoargueinthisbookthatNewThoughthasstagnated.Ithasnotmaturedsince1910,theyearthatmarkedthedeathofphilosopherWilliamJames,whotookseriouslythechallengethat thoughtspossessformative properties. James wrote about “the religion of healthy mindedness” as a sympatheticinvestigator and critic. Today, however, New Thought culture, known by the popular terms positivethinkingandLawofAttraction,isoftenunquestioningandchildishinitslanguageandtemperament.Itisunexperimental.Inthisregard,itscriticsareright—yettheyarenotrightenough.Theperspectiveofthecriticsrequiresleaveningbyexperience.Butexperiencewillnottouchthestaunchestamongthemsimplybecause they avoid participation in ideas. Most psychologists and journalists are trained to seeparticipationasacorruptandmisleading toolof inquiry. (Themedical fieldhasprovenmoreopen,aswillbeconsidered.)

A case in point appears in the career of literary journalist LewisLapham,who helped reinforcetoday’sintellectualtendencythatpracticalspiritualideasarenotworthtesting.In1968,LaphamvisitednorthernIndiatojointheBeatlesontheirsojourntotheashramoftheMaharishiMaheshYogi,thefounderofTranscendentalMeditation (TM).Laphamwasaprogenitorof the“NewJournalism” (nota termheclaimedforhimself),anapproachtoreportageintendedtoincludeanexpresslyparticipatoryelement.Hiswidelyread,two-partarticlefortheSaturdayEveningPost,“ThereOnceWasaGurufromRishikesh,”

was disdainful of the charismatic, bearded guru and his propagation of TM.Yet it never occurred toLaphamtousetheeasiestandplainestmeansavailabletotesthisinstinctthattherewassomethingfishyabouttherobedmansellingbliss:namely,sittinghisbottomonacushionandtryingtheTMtechnique.Ifdesired,amantra, thebasic toolofTM,isaboutaseasilyattainedasa learner’spermit todrive—andwasatthatparticulartimeandplacemucheasier.

In 2017, nearly fifty years after his visit, I asked Lapham, a gentlemanly and approachableman,whetherhehadlearnedtomeditateatRishikeshoranothertime.Hisreply:“EveninRishikeshIdidn’tpracticeTranscendentalMeditation.TheMaharishifurnishedmewithamantra,butIfailedtoemployitasastairwaytothestars.”Therewasnocuriositytoapproachthethingbeingjudged.

Cultural journalist TomWolfe demonstrated a similarly laissez faire attitude toward the spiritualtrendshecovered.WolfehasprivatelyexpressedsympathiesforNewAgeortherapeuticspirituality;butheavoidedparticipationinanyoftheAquarianAgespiritualpursuitsthathechronicledinthelate1960sandearly ’70s.Wolfe feared thatassociationwith things likeZen,yoga,orTMwouldmakehimseemunseriousinletteredcircles.Again,experienceasameansofinquirywaseschewed.

This book is not about arguing for or against a certain style of reportage or social commentary.Rather, it is about theneed forparticipation in ethical and spiritual ideas.Readerswhowant a fulleranalysisandhistoryofpositive-mindphilosophycanfinditinmyearlierwork,OneSimpleIdea.Thisbookisdifferent:itisaguidetouse.

Iwroteabovethatthemostradicalideaofmodernlifeisthatthoughtsarecausative.Andthatisafact.Thisoutlookisspiritualornonphysicalinnature,althoughtherearesecularvariantsofit.AsyoucangatherfromwhatI’vewritten,Idonotsimplyviewthisideafrombehindaglasscase—Ialsoshareit.Ihavesatthroughmanymeetingswithproducers,reporters, interviewers,andscholarsofreligionwheretheconversationinvariablyturnstothequestion:“Youdon’tbelievethisstuff,doyou?”Yes,Idobelievethis stuff. I believe, as did the pioneers of New Thought, that there is a slender thread of differencebetween mental and metaphysical experience. By metaphysical, I mean the existence of extraphysicalinfluencesthataccompanyandcomplementcognitiveandmotoracts.Ibelievethatthinking,inadirected,highlyfocused,andemotivelychargedmanner,expandsourcapacity toperceiveandconcretizeevents,andrelatesustoanontactilefieldofexistencethatsurpassesordinarilyperceivedboundariesoftimeandthought.Thisoutlookis lessapersonaldoctrine thana lineofexperimentation. Iaskyou to joinme inthese experiments.Our experimentation culminates in the closing chapter,where I venture a theory ofwhatisactuallyandmechanicallyoccurringwhenweattempttousetheformativeagenciesofthought.

Letmeemphasize:IfIpositaconnectionbetweentheindividualandsomekindofhighercapacityofthemind,thatdoesnotmeanthatonly“onething”—alawofmentation—isgoingoninyourlife.Lotsofevents,whetherbiological,mechanical,ormetaphysical,canbesimultaneouslyoccurring.Weliveundermanylawsandforces,ofwhichtheimpactofthemindisone.Forexample,comparethemindtogravity.Thelawofgravityiseveroperative,butitismitigatedbyotherlaws,suchasmass.Theexperienceofgravityradicallydiffersonthemoon,Earth,andJupiter.Soit iswiththemind:surroundingeventsandrealitiesmatter.

What’s more, one event may be symptomatic of another. Some science journalists, for example,argue that the releaseofpain-reducingendorphins is “whathappens”during theplacebo response.Yetmanythingsoccurduringtheperiodofhopefulexpectancythatsometimesprecedesphysicalrelief.Theproduction of antibodies, combatting of pathogens, strengthening of immunity, and reductions ininflammationareamongthemoremeasurable.Itcouldalsobearguedthattheseandotherphysicalevents,when following periods of intensive prayer, meditation, or improvements in morale, are what mentalhealingandthespiritualappeallooklikeinthebody.

The question of “what happens” is equally intriguing in matters of psychological health. Manypsychiatristshavenotedthattheexpectationofrecoveryfromdepressionisthekeyfactorinwhetheranyrecovery occurs at all. I have witnessed psychological and emotional recovery beginning when anindividualmakesacommitmenttoundergoaseriousformoftreatment,suchaselectroshocktherapyorhospitalization—reliefbegins toarrivebefore the treatment actually starts. I personally knowof caseswhere the treatment itself became unnecessary, or was more efficacious than expected, becauseimprovementwas in process following the patient’s commitment and before the start date. Therapistshaveobservedthatthecommitmentitself,andthewillingnessitrepresentstochargeataproblemwithallavailableresources,istherapeuticallymeaningful.Thesenseofmoralagencythatariseswhenyoucrossathreshold,whenyoucommittowithholdingnothinginpursuitofasolution,canamounttothesolutionthatissought.Thementalactiscatalyzing.

I want this book to be useful, and there are, of course, many good and practical guidebooks to NewThought.Why add another?Because, as alluded to earlier,NewThought has not grown.Or rather itstemperament and discrimination have not. Its ideas appear inmanypotentworks fromThe Science ofMindbyErnestHolmestoThinkandGrowRichbyNapoleonHilltoResurrectionbyNevilleGoddard(mypersonalfavorite).RecentbooksbyfigureslikeDeepakChopraandGreggBradenhaveconnectedNewThoughttodevelopmentsinquantumtheory.Butthephilosophyhasfledfromratherthanembracedits toughest questions, namely: thepersistenceof catastrophe, the inevitability of physical decline, andepisodesoffailureandillnesseveninatmosphereswherehope,resilience,andmoraleprevail.Aboveall,NewThoughthas failed todevelopa theologyofsuffering. Ithas failed to takeseriouslygapsandinconsistences in its ideas—often explaining exceptions to its worldview by resorting to jerry-riggedversionsofkarma,or claims that a single thought frommillenniaagocanaffect someone today,whichamountstolittlemorethananadmissionoftheveryrandomnessoflifethatthephilosophyseekstoreject.

Atthelowestendofthescale,someNewThoughtenthusiastsstillresorttoavictim-blamingcard,claiming,covertlyorblatantly, thatsomeonewhoissickorhassufferedcatastrophewasn’tbeing“justright”withhisorherthoughtvibesoraffirmativeprayers.NewThoughtershatebeingremindedtheydothis;butI’veseenit.

ItmustalsobesaidthatNewThoughtculture,forallitstruthsandwide-ranginginfluenceonmodernlife (often under different names and without recognition of the original source), can demonstrate adecidedchildishness.ServicesatmanyNewThought–orientedchurchesareacrossbetweenpepralliesandpreschoolbirthdayparties,withattendantexhortationsfromthepulpit:“Isn’tthisthemostfunever?”Sloganscomecheapandfast:“Pessimistsneedakickinthecant’s.”ManyNewThoughtwriters,withafew serious exceptions like Harvey Bishop and David Spangler, are willfully ignorant of political,religious,andsocialhistory,profferinganahistoricalandsociallyirrelevanttone.

Asalongtimepublisherandwriterwithinthemetaphysicalculture,Iamoftenasked:“Whatcurrentbooksorwriters inNewThought or thepositive-mind field excite you?”The answer:Very few. I amunimpressedwith the standards ofmany current authors inmetaphysics and spiritual self-help. I knowfirsthandofnumerouscaseswhereauthorshavecreated“composite”characters,whichisalamewayofincorporating events from several people’s lives into one person, artificially heightening a sense ofsynchronicity and drama. I have seen authors compress or rearrange timelines, less with the aim ofgracefulstorytellingthanwithinflatingasetofevents,givingthemisimpressionthatthingsunfoldedmorequicklyorsymmetricallythantheyreallydid,orhappenedinadifferentorder(suggesting,forinstance,the absence of recidivism in addiction recovery). Finally, many authors alter names and locales,ostensibly to “protect” someone’s privacy, but in reality to protect themselves from scrutiny or

verificationoftheirstories.The methods I’ve been describing were popularized in 1977 in mystery writer Scott Turow’s

memoir of his first year at Harvard Law School, One L. To his credit, Turow used these devicestransparentlyandpurposefully.Readersthrilledattryingtoguesswhohewastalkingabout.Hisapproachsuitedacertainendeavorwrittenforacertainpurpose.Itwasneverintended,andshouldnotbeadopted,asageneralmethodofnonfictionorspiritualstorytelling.Ithasbeenabusedwithinmyfieldinparticular.

Surveying popular spiritual literature, a shrewd reader-reviewer on Amazon once challenged:Wherearethe“miracles”todaythatseemedtoaboundinolderNewThoughtbooks?WherearethelittleoldladiesfromDubuque,Iowa,whowrotetoauthors,likeJosephMurphy,authorofthe1963bestsellerThe Power of Your Subconscious Mind, exclaiming their stellar success at using one of his get-richprinciples?The truth is, I’mnot surewhere those storiesare.Murphyandothersmighthavebenefitedfrom a predigital culture where it was more difficult to scrutinize claims, to retrace footprints andcorrespondence,andwhenitwaseasier,frankly,forwriterstomakethingsup.

TherespectedProtestantministerArthurCaliandro,thedirectsuccessortotheRev.NormanVincentPealeatManhattan’sMarbleCollegiateChurch,acknowledgedtome,unprompted,thatPeale,authorofThe Power of Positive Thinking, sometimes “juiced up” his stories and sermons. Those of us in thepositive-mindculturemustfaceuptothoseclaims.Laterinthisbook,infact,Ireproduceandrespondtoone of several candid letters written to Joseph Murphy after the author’s death, in which dismayedreadersaskedwhyhisget-rich,get-wellmethodsdidn’tworkwondersforthem.

Iwant to be transparent about the lesser side of our history.None of this, however, is cause fordejection or contention.Despite the shortcomings, and the forays into exaggerated ormawkish claims,modern mind-power methods have validity. William James spent the final years of his life, notexclusivelybut inpart, studying and attemptingmethods inNewThought and relatedphilosophies.Hetookthisoutlookseriously.SodoI.Thereistruthtoit,andtogetherwewillresumethetoneandmaturityofJames’ssearch.Wewillbegintoprobeanew.Tostartwith,Ipromiseyouthis:Nothinginthisbookisjuicedup,dicedup,exaggerated,orconcealedbehinddevices.

Letmeaddafinalwordaboutlanguage.Somecolleagueshavecautionedmethattermslikepositivethinkingseemold-fashionedandmusty;thephraseputsoffyoungerormoresophisticatedreaders.Thereistruthtothat.Butthe“powerofpositivethinking,”tousethetitlephraseofPeale’s1952book,hassofullyenteredthepublicmindthatmostpeoplehaveanimmediateassociationwithit.Itisplain.ForthatreasonIhavecontinuedtousePeale’sphraseology,mustyornot.

If I,orsomeoneelse,cameupwithsomethingclearerandfresher, Iwouldembrace it. Iused thetermappliedTranscendentalisminmyprefatorynote,butIdoubtmyAuntLoiswilleverbesoldonit.Iamalsowaryofjettisoningoldterms,suchasESP,NewAge,andoccult,simplybecausetheyhavetakenoncriticalbaggage,andonehopestoarriveatsomethingmore“respectable.”Alloftheaforementionedtermspossesshistoricalintegrityandculturalclarity.Hence,Iwillnotbedeterredbyterminologywhenexploringwhy positive thinking, far from belonging to an outdated yesterday,may yet prove themostradicalandusefulideaoftoday.

CHAPTERTWO

POWERTOTHEPEOPLE

My philosophical hero is Neville Goddard, an English, Barbados-born New Thoughtteacher,whowroteunderhis firstname.Heheard the followingwords in themidstof apersonalvision:“Downwiththebluebloods!”ToNeville,whodiedin1972,privilegedidnotbelongtotherichbuttothetrulyimaginative.

BecauseofNeville’sEnglishbackgroundandelegantbearing,manypeopleassumedhewasbornwealthy.Hewasnot—far from it.Likewise,becauseofmyNewYorkbackgroundand surname,manypeople judgedthesameofmegrowingup.AschoolbusdriveruponhearingthatI livedinasuburbandevelopmentwithgaudilynamedstreetslikeRoyalWayandRegentsLanesaid,“Oh,arichkid,huh?”AtruculentwriterwithwhomIworkedonce(justonce)calledme“collegeboy,”inferringthesamething.

Here’sthetruth,ofwhichIrarelyspeak:MyfatherwasaLegalAidSocietyattorneyinNewYorkCitywhodefendedthepoorestofthepoor.Forreasonsbeyondhiscontrol,helosthisjobandprofession,leaving us to consider applying for food stamps and warming our always-unaffordable home withkeroseneheaters.Weworeusedclothesandscrapedtogetherchangeandcouponstopaygrocerybills.Therewere noHanukkah,Christmas, or birthday gifts.My sister and Iwould buy themwith our ownmoney,earnedfromoddjobs,andpretendtofriendsthattheycamefromourparents.InthewordsofTheNotoriousB.I.G.,“Birthdayswastheworstdays.”

Onenight,indesperation,myfatherstolemymother’sengagementringtopaydebts,overwhichhemay have been physically threatened. (He had started carryingmace spray.) They divorced.My oldersisterandIgotbythroughafter-schooljobs,studentloans,andthepreciousavailabilityofhealthbenefitsthroughmymother’slaborunion,the1199hospitalworkers.GiventheeconomicdevastationvisitedonmanyAmerican homes, including during the still-unhealed 2008 recession, I do not consider our storyexceptional.

Butwhensomeoneassumedthen,ordoestoday,thatthesonofaJewishlawyerisnecessarilybornon easy street, he is wrong. This brings me to something else that I rarely mention: Today I am amillionaire.It’snotbecauseI’mahotshotmediafigureordealmaker.Inmydayjob,at the timeof thiswriting,IpublishoccultandNewAgebooks—notyourtypicalpathtowealth.Mywife,thedaughterofasingle-motherfamily,isatelevisionnewsproducer.WeraisetwosonsinManhattan.Wehavenofamilycashcow.Andyet,todrawagainonTheNotoriousB.I.G.:“Nowwesipchampagnewhenwethirsty.”Whyisthat?

BecauseNeville,inmyestimation,wascorrect.Wealth,tosomeextent,comesfromwithin.LetmequotethewomanIhonorinthededicationofthisbook,HelenWilmans.AsuffragistandNewThoughter,Wilmans rose from dirt poverty on aNorthernCalifornia farm in the late 1890s to command a small

publishingempire.“What!”Wilmans wrote in her 1899 bookThe Conquest of Poverty. “Can a person by holding

certainthoughtscreatewealth?Yes,hecan.Amanbyholdingcertainthoughts—ifheknowstheLawthatrelateseffectandcauseonthementalplane—canactuallycreatewealthbythecharacterofthoughtsheentertains.”But,sheadded,suchthought“mustbesupplementedbycourageousaction.”Neveromitthat.

Wilmans’scareerwasaNewThoughtparableofliberation.WhileworkingasanewspaperreporterinChicagointheearly1880s,shebecameoneofthepioneeringfemalereportersofthatera.Everythinghadgoneagainstherinlife.Shewasfiredfromjobs,divorcedfromherfarmerhusband,lefttoraisetwodaughtersonherown,andlivedonestepaheadofevictionfromherChicagoboardinghouse.Morethananything,Wilmans yearned to start her own labor newspaper. Shewanted to bring the ideas ofmind-power to working people. One day in 1882, she asked her Chicago editor if he would invest in herventure.Hedismissedtheideaoutofhand.IndespairWilmansranfromthenewspaperoffices(probablynotwanting hermale bosses to see her in tears) andwandered the darkening streets ofChicago on aNovember afternoon. She thought to herself: I am completely alone; there is no one onwhom I candepend.Butasthosewordssoundedinherhead,shewasfilledwithasenseofconfidence.Itoccurredtoher thatshedidnothave todependonanyoneelse—shecoulddependon thepowerofhermind.ThiswastheNewThoughtgospel.

“Iwalked those icy streets like a school boy just released from restraint,”Wilmanswrote. “MyyearsfellfrommeascompletelyasifdeathturnedmyspiritlooseinParadise.”

LikeWilmans,Ihadneverdreamedofwealthorwantedtobesurroundedbyfancythings.Ibelievein laborunions,moderately redistributive taxpolicies,andpersonal thrift—notgrossconsumption.Butthereissomethingvitally important toearningagoodliving,andthatfactcannotbehiddenor ignored.Norcanthis:Yourmindisacreativeagency,andthethoughtswithwhichyouimpressitcontributetotheactualizedeventsofyourexistence—includingmoney.Thisstatementisabsolutelytrueandshouldneverbeneglected.Ihavetestedandverifieditwithinthelaboratoryofmyexistence,andIamwritingthesewordsatagefifty.Iwillconsiderlaterwhyitistrue,butfornow,ifyouwantmoney,Iaskyoutowholly embrace it as true. This necessary act of conviction will not, in any case, lead you to rashbehavior.Itdoesnotsuggestneglectingdailyobligationsorlooseningyourhandsontheplowofeffort.

To have wealth you must first want wealth. Do you? Or do you consider money gauche orunimportant? Whether you are an artist or activist, soldier or craftsman, you must see wealth as anecessary and vital facet of your life. You can do farmore goodwithmoney thanwithout. Youmustrecognizemoney as a healthful part of existence.Nothing ismore duplicitous than someonewho runsdownacquisitivenesswhileenjoyingmoneythatcomesfromwell-offparents,asituationtypicalofmanyin theNewYorkmediaworld inwhich Iwork.Or, a public personawho scoffs outwardly atmoneywhileemployingsticky-fingeredlawyers,agents,orotherpartiestocombtheearthformoneyforthem.Asapublisher I’ve seen itmany times.Bycontrast, strongpeople admit that theywantmoney, amongothergoals,andinsodoingareneitherintheserviceoffalsehoodnorshame.

The same holds true of your ambitions in the world. Spiritually minded people, and all others,shouldhonortheirambitionsandpursuethemopenlyandtransparently,withduerespecttocolleaguesandcompetitors.YetthisisfrowneduponinmanyreachesofthecontemporaryalternativespiritualandNewAgecultures.Withintheseworlds,werecycleideasfromtheVedicandBuddhisttraditionsandusethemto prop up unexamined ideas about the need for nonattachment, transcendence of thematerial, and thevalueofunseenthings.Writerswhocan’tdecipherawordofSanskrit,Tibetan,orancientJapanese—thelanguages that have conveyed these ideas from within the sacred traditions—rely upon a chain ofsecondarysources,oftenmanytimesremovedfromtheirinception,toechoconceptslikenonattachment

andnonidentification.Wearetoldthattheego-selfgraspsatillusionsandfleetingpleasures,formulatinga false sense of identity around desires, ambitions, attachments, and the need for security. I questionwhether this interpretation is accurate. In recently working with the Shanghai-based translator of aChinese publication of myOne Simple Idea, I found, to my chagrin and bemusement, that Buddhistconcepts I thought that I, asaWesterner,hadunderstoodwere, inmy retelling,completelyalien toherexperienceassomeoneraisedwithinnon-Westernreligiousstructures.

OurpopularizednotionsoftheEasterntheologyofnonattachmentarecherry-pickedfromreligiousstructures that were, in their originating cultures, highly stratified and hierarchical. Hinduism andBuddhism,moreover, addressed the lives of ancient people forwhomdistinctions of caste, class, andstatuswerelargelypredetermined,andwhowouldhaveregardedculturalmobilityalmostasunlikelyasspacetravel.Thereweresocialaswellasspiritualreasonswhyworldlytranscendencebeckoned.Shornof theirculturalorigins,conceptsofnonattachment todaysound tidyandpersuasive toWesternerswhounderstandablywant somethingmore than the race to the top. (Or, justasoften,who fear theymaynotreachthetopandthusdesireanalternatesetofvalues.)ButthistransplantedoutlookisoftenillfittingandbringsnomorelastingsatisfactiontothemodernWesternerthanso-calledegogratifications.Thiskindofersatz“Easternism”hasbeenwithusforseveraldecades,mostrecentlypopularizedbywriterssuchasEckhartTolle andMichaelA.Singer, yet it has not providedWesternerswith a satisfying response tomaterialismbecauseitoftenseekstodiverttheindividualfromtheverydirectioninwhichhemayfindmeaning,whichistowardthecompasspointofachievement.

SomeofmyspiritualfriendsandcolleagueshavetoldmethatIamtoooutwardlyfocused.Isn’tthetrue path, they ask, marked by a sense of detachment from the outer? Doesn’t awareness come fromwithin?Isn’t there, finally,aHigherSelforessencefromwhichwecanmoreauthentically live, ratherthansuccumbtotheillusorygoalsofthelowerselforego,whichdirectsustowardcareer,trinkets,andpleasure?

Ihavebeenonthespiritualpathformanyyears.Ihavesoughtunderstandingwithinbothmainstreamandesotericmovements.Myconvictionisthatthetruenatureoflifeistobegenerative.Ibelievethatinordertobehappy,humanbeingsmustexercisetheirfullestrangeofabilities—includingtheexertionsofouterachievement.

Seekerstoooftendivide,andimplicitlycondemnandconfuse,theireffortsbyrelyingontermslikeego and essence, as though one is good and other bad (while neither actually exists beyond theconceptual.)Ateacherofmineoncejoked:“Ifwelikesomethinginourselves,thenwesayitcomesfromessence; if we dislike it, we say it comes from ego.” I contend that these and related concepts, likeattachment/nonattachmentandidentification/nonidentification,failtoaddresstheneeds,psychology,andexperienceofthecontemporaryWesternseeker.And,infact,suchconceptsdonotnecessarilyreflecttheoutlook of some of themost dynamic recent thinkers from theVedic tradition, including theMaharishiMaheshYogi(1918–2008)andJidduKrishnamurti(1895–1986).

Letmebeclear:The inner searchand the search for self-expressionaremattersof extraordinaryimportance—and extraordinary mystery. I believe that the simplest and most resounding truth on thequestionof the inner life and attainment appears in thedictumofChrist: “RenderuntoCaesarwhat isCaesar’sandrenderuntoGodwhatisGod’s.”Weareproductsofbothworlds:theseenandtheunseen.Thereisnoreasontosupposethatoureffortsorenergiesarebetterdedicatedtooneortheother.Bothexist.Bothhaveveritableclaimsonus.

IdonotviewnonattachmentasaworkablegoalforthoseofusraisedintheWest,andelsewhere,today.Rather, I believe that the ethicalpursuitof achievementholdsgreaterdepth, and summonsmorefromwithin our inner natures, thanwemay realize. “Satisfactionwith our lot,”Emersonwrote in his

journalsonJuly28,1826,“isnotconsistentwiththeintentionsofGod&withournature.Itisournaturetoaimatchange,atimprovement,atperfection.”

IrecentlyreadabookthatIrecalledmymotherborrowingfromourlocallibrarywhenIwaseightornineyearsold:YesICan, theautobiographyofentertainerSammyDavis,Jr.,publishedin1965, theyearofmybirth. In thepublicmind,Davis is rememberedasa flashy,somewhatself-parodyingVegasperformer—butdecadesbeforehistuxedoedstageshows,Daviswasaninnovativeprodigy,raisedonthevaudeville circuit, where he was subjected to the brutality, insults, and physical assaults that oftencharacterizedblacklifeunderJimCrow.ThesethreatsfollowedhimintothearmyduringWorldWarII,whereheusedhisskillsasanentertainertomitigatesomeoftheracismaroundhim—thoughindignitiesandviolencealwayssnaredhimatunexpectedmoments.WhenDavisleftthemilitary,hemadeaninnervowthatshapedtherestofhislife:

I’dlearnedalotinthearmyandIknewthataboveallthingsintheworldIhadtobecomesobig,sostrong,soimportant,thatthosepeopleandtheirhatredcouldnevertouchme.Mytalentwas the only thing thatmademe a little different fromeverybody else, and itwas all that IcouldhopewouldshieldmebecauseIwasdifferent.

I’d weighed it all, over and over again: What have I got? No looks, no money, noeducation.Justtalent.WheredoIwanttogo?Iwanttobetreatedwell.Iwantpeopletolikeme,andtobedecenttome.HowdoIgetthere?There’sonlyonewayIcandoitwithwhatIhavetoworkwith.I’vegottobeastar!Ihavetobeastarlikeanothermanhastobreathe.

Ichallengeanyonetoquestionthedrive,purpose,andcanninessofDavis’swords—nottochallengethemfromameditationcushionorlivingroomsofa,butfromwithintheonrushoflivedexperience.Daviswasviewinghislifefromapinnacleofclarity.Wouldhisworldlyattachmentsandaspirationscausehimpain?Hewasalreadyinpain.Attheveryleasttheywouldrelievecertainfinancialandsocialburdens—andprobablysomethingmore.Wouldhisattainmentoffameeasehisinneranguish?Ithinkheowedittohisexistence,asyoudotoyours,tofindout.Whateveryourgoalmaybe,youcannotrenouncewhatyouhaven’t attained. So to conclude that success, in whatever form, is not meaningful is just conjecturewithoutfirstverifyingit.

Donotbeafraidofyouraims,orsliceanddicethemwithmelancholicpondering.Findthem—andactonthem.Bylivingasaproductivebeing,inthefullestsense,youhonorthenatureofyourexistenceandperformactsofgenerativitytowardothers.Ifyouareable,youmaythendeterminefromthevantagepointofexperienceandattainmentwhetheryouraimrespondedtoaninnerneedofprofoundmeaning.Iwon’ttellyouwhatyou’llfind—youmaydifferfromme;Iwilltellyouthatthisbeenthecaseforme.

IwroteearlierthatIfeelconfidentintheexistenceofanextraphysicaldimensionoflife.Followingfromthat,Ialsoassumethereissomeformofnonphysicalorafter-deathsurvival.ButIdonotknowthat.Idoknowthatwehaveverifiableexperiencesinthisworld.Jesusdidn’tsaytoavertyoureyesfromtheworldbutto“renderunderCaesar”;thatis,tofulfillbothtranscendentethicsandworldlyrequirements.“Tobeintheworldbutnotofit”—tolocateyourvaluesonthehighestscale,buttodigyourwellwhereyoustand.

Thegreatestofworldlyrequirements,asI’msureyouimplicitlyfeelwhetheryouacceptorresistit,is the fulfillmentofyour self-potential,which includesyour commandof resources andyour ability toinfluenceothersthroughyourartistic,commercial,orsocialactivities.Whateveryouraiminlife,itmustbeacknowledgedthatmoneyisnecessary.Withoutityoucandonothing—youwillbeforcedtospendall

yourtimeandattentiongettingit,whileanxiouslyyearningtoenactyourplansintheworld.So,Ioffernofalsedemurenessonmattersofwealth.

If you can agree thatmoney is important, there are two vital, inner steps to opening yourself tomoney.Ipurposelyoffer thesestepsearly in thisbookbecauseIamunashamedof them,andbecauseIpromisedyouaphilosophyofresults.Keepingone’swordisthecornerstoneofthesearchformeaning.

1.Youmustpossessandpursueaclearanddefiniteaiminlife.BythisIdonotmeanaflimsy,general,orvaguedesire,andcertainlynotasetofaimsthatmaybein

contradiction(forexample,wantingtoraiseayoungfamilywhilealsowantingtofrequentlytravel).Youmustknowexactlywhatyouwanttoaccomplish,andyoumustfeelitpassionately,evenobsessively.Youmustbewillingtoturnasideeverythingandeveryonewhodoesn’tcontributetoyourrealizationofthataim. (I do not necessarilymean familymembers or people in need.) If that strikes you as ruthless orextreme,itisbecauseyoudonotyetpossess,orarenotyethonestabout,yourdefiniteaim.Whenyoufindit,itwillbelikefindingbreathitself.

You’veheard the expression “nooneonhisdeathbedeverwishedhehad spentmore timeat theoffice.”Well,Idoubtthatprincipleistrue.Pursuingadeeplyfeltaimis,infact,rarelyasourceofregret.Theimportantthingistobeunembarrassedanduncompromisinglyhonestwithyourselfaboutwhatyourcentralaimis.Andremember: it’syours—youdon’thave toadvertise it toskeptical friendsor familymembers. It’sbetternot to.Mostpeoplearecreaturesof jealousy.Theyoften rundownotherpeople’slegitimateaims.Don’tinvitepurposelessscrutiny.Shareyourideasonlyasnecessary.Devisingachiefaim is so crucial—and so foundational to everything in this book—that I return to it in almost everychapter.

2.Youmustwrite down a certain amount ofmoney that youwant tomake by a certain date inconnectionwithyouraim—andbedeadlyseriousaboutit.

Whatdoyouwanttoearnfromthepursuitandrealizationofyouraim?Writeitdown.Beprecise.Set a dollar amount and a date. This is a step that I long resisted. I wanted general prosperity, buteschewed listing some fixed sum. It struckme as narrow. It seemed to violatemy sense of ethics andspiritual ideals. Iwaswrong. Icurrentlyhaveayellowstickynotepasted inside thebackcoverofmypersonalcopyofNapoleonHill’sThinkandGrowRich(whosejacketandspineIhavecoveredinclearpacking tape to keep the book from falling apart after multiple readings). My yellow note is dated11/23/14 and lists a specific dollar amount, towhich I committed to earningby the followingyear on11/23/15(whichalsohappenstobemybirthday).Ilaterwroteanaddendumonthispieceofpaper:“Thishappened!!5/27/16.”ThelatterdateiswhenIhadnoticed,entirelybysurprise,thatthesumIhadwrittendownarrivedwithinthegiventimeframe.IntheperiodsinceIwrotethatsum,Ihavelistedanothersumyet further off in the future.As I amwriting thesewords, certain unforeseeable formsof incomehaveflowedtomeinconsiderableamounts,andI’veturnedawayotheroffersforreasonsofpreferenceandtimemanagement.

Whydoes the listing of a sumanddatemake anydifference?Well, it’s farmore than just jottingdownanumberanddate.Youmusthavethatsumanddeadlinefirmlyinmindandfullyembracethemasgoals.Itmakesyouhonestandfocusedaboutwhatyoudesire.Thesumshouldbebelievablyattainabletoyou.Itmustbeinwardlypersuasive.Therearealwaysopportunitiestogofurther—butbereasonableatfirst so thatyoudonotpit the facultiesof logic inopposition toyourgoal.Yourmentalandemotional

aptitudes—innovation,empathy,logic,instinct,and,Ibelieve,someformofextraphysicalunderstandingandcommunication—willcollude in themostsensibleanddirectway tosetyou towardyour financialgoal.You cannot foresee exactly howyour aimwill come to pass: if you are committed and ethicallyclear, ever conscious of the financial direction in which you wish to move, possessed of and activetoward your plans, andmindful of and obedient to basic religious ethics of plain dealing and honestdeliveryofyourserviceorproduct—i.e.,somethingthatbenefitstheuserandcreatesawideningcircleofgenerativity—themeanswill unfold. Indeed,whatwe see and experience as a logical progression ofevents may be accompanied or driven by a higher creative agency, which works in concert with ourfocused,clarifiedidealsinthesamewaythatthespiritualappealandhopefulenergiesaremeasurableincertainwaysinthebody,butarenotthemselveswhatismeasured.Inanycase,ifyourecedeintolaziness,procrastination,dishonesty,exaggeration,orentitlement, thecircleofproductivitywillcorrespondinglyrecedeandsowilltheflowoffinancestoyou.(AndnotethatthethingsI’vejustmentionedareusuallyformsoffear.)

Beinggenerativemeansprovidingaconcreteservice,notjustexpectingpayoutsfromtheworldinthe forms of remuneration, applause, contracts, and open doors. Are you offering a service—or justplacing demands on others? Cornering people to read your novel is not offering a service. Do youpossess,orareyouwillingtoattain,thenecessaryskillstoearnmoneythroughwhatevercareer,service,or product you have dedicated yourself to? This consideration is vital because you cannot serve theproductivityandbettermentofothers—and,hence,makefinancialclaimsonthem—withoutbeingabletoplantandharvest.Don’tdreamofbeinga farmerbutbea farmerbyharvestingacropand thushavingsomethingviabletooffer.Byyourfruitsyourbenefactorswillknowyou.

SomeNewThought authors have taken a “fairy dust” approach to riches, promising their readers thatvisualizationandaffirmationopenupthestorehousesofheaven.IrecentlydiscoveredacacheoflettersthatreadershadsenttothepublisherofNewThoughtpioneerJosephMurphymorethanadecadeafterthewriterandminister’sdeathin1981.Itwasheartbreakingtoreadtheyearning,disappointedquestionsofthese earnest correspondents—many of whom were trying to manifest money—written to a man nowdeceased.

Iselectedone letterbelow,handwrittenbyawoman inTampa,Florida, that typified theneedsofmanywhowroteMurphy.Followingherletter,IincludewhatIwouldsaytothiswomanifIcouldreachbackintimeandrespond:

August12,1993

DearDr.Murphy,

I keep reading your bookYour InfinitePower toBeRichsomuch that it is falling apart and I still haven’treachedmygoalofreceivingabundance.

IfeelthatImustbedoingsomethingwrongsothatIcan’tbreakthispovertysyndrome.IkeepsayingthesewonderfulaffirmationsbutIthinkIneutralizethembecauseIdon’tbelieveIdeservewealthofanykind.

I would like to be financially secure so that I never have to worry aboutmoney again. I would like good,supportiverelationshipsandasoulmate.

SomehowIgottheimpressionfrommyyouththatIdidn’tdeserveanythingbecauseI’mnogood.

Pleasehelpmetogetoutofmypoverty.

Sincerely,____________

Dear______________,

FirstofallIwanttoassureyouofsomething—andIwantyoutorememberthisfortherestofyourlife:Youarenotonlygood——youareexceptional.Youarealeaderamongpeopleandarepartofthenoblesofthehumanrace.Thisisforthesimplefactthatyouhavetakenstepsthatsofewpeopleeverconsider:strivingtoheightenyourplaceinlife,engagingininnerdevelopment,andcaringenoughaboutsuchthingstotakethetimetowritealettertoanauthorwhoseworktouchedyou.Mostpeopleneverwriteoneletterintheirlives.Mostneverreadasinglebook,orattendasingle lecture,withtheaimofraisingtheirsenseofself-potential.So,please, letus laythatchildhoodmythimmediatelytorest.Youareexceptional—andthisisafact.

IloveJosephMurphy’swork;butIbelievethatsometimessayinganaffirmation—evenwithdepthoffeeling—isnotenough.Themostremarkablepeopleinhistory,fromJoanofArctoMahatmaGandhi,ledlivesofdevotionand action. They were ardently committed to affecting things in the world. Whatever your employment, throwyourselfintoitwithpassion.Beawareofeverythingthatyoucandoforyourbosses,coworkers,andcustomers.Betheproblem-solvertowhomotherslookforhelpandadvisement.Knowmoreaboutyourjobthaneveryoneelse,notinaknow-it-allwaybutwith theaimofprovidingserviceanddoingyourpersonalbest.Expect—and respectfullyrequire—goodwagesforyourgoodwork.Joinaunionifyouareableandsupportactivistsandleaderswhodefendtherightsofworkers.But,aboveall,bethepersonuponwhomallothersrely.

AuthorJamesAllenwasaworking-classEnglishmanwhorosefromachildhoodofpovertytoawritingcareer,largely throughhisdignityof characterandhisdoggedand intelligentpersistence. [Weexplorehis life ina laterchapter.]IurgeyoutoreadhisAsaManThinketh.Andwhenyoudo,rememberthathiswordsandideasweren’ttheworkofsomeonefamousorwealthy.Theycamefromaworkingmanwhohadtestedtheminthelaboratoryofhisownlife.AlsopleasereadNapoleonHill’sThinkandGrowRich,whichisusefulbecauseitcombinesaprogramofmentalmetaphysicswithaplanofaction.

Asforgoodrelationshipsandfindingasoulmate,those,too,arenobleandrightyearnings.Mycounselistoassociate only with people who are supportive and respectful of your search for self-betterment and spiritualawareness.Seekoutthosewhoareengaged,inwhateverway,inbetteringthemselves.Spendnotime—oraslittletimeaspracticalityallows—amongcynics,bullies,orunproductivepeople.Avoidthosewhogossip,andrefusetolistentorumorsorhearsay.(Nothingismoredeleteriousofourrelationshipsorsenseofself-respectthanengagingingossip.)Dothis,andyouwillnaturallycomeintothecompanyoftruefriendsand,hopefully,asoulmate.

Ienterintoafewmomentsofprayereverydayat3p.m.EST—andIwouldbeprivilegedifyouwouldjoinme.Iwishyoueverygoodthing.

Yourfriend,Mitch

CHAPTERTHREE

YEAREGODS

Transcendentalist philosopher Ralph Waldo Emerson—a philosophical visionary morecomplete thananyother thisnationhasproduced—identified twocomponents toattainingpersonal power. One is to “drill.” By this he meant training, rehearsal, education—therepeatedapplicationofaskill,overandover,thewayamartialartistneverstopsworking

hisroutines.Theotheris“concentration.”Bythishemeantyoumusttargettheenergiesofyourtrainingatanarrowlyfixedaim.Apilotrehearseslandingsoverandoversothathecanguidehisplanetosafetyinany conditions. A marksman aims at a bull’s-eye. A dancer trains his or her body to respond tochoreographyandrhythmandtohavesecond-naturecommandoverfundamentalmovements.

But thecycleofdrilling andconcentration,Emersonwrote, is predicatedby amore basic trait:physicalhealth.Withoutphysicalhealth,nothingispossible.By“health”hedidnotmeantheabsenceofdisability;butratherthecapacitytoperformandactwithoutchronicillnessdivertingyourmindandwill.Ifyoulackwellness,yourpursuitofcorrectivehealthwilllikelyrequirealmostallofyourenergies.Thisisatoughandunavoidableconditionoflife.Thisiswhy,fromthehealingministryofChristthroughtheadvent of the mental-healing movement in mid-nineteenth-century New England, virtually everyexpressionofaspirituallybasedpathtoself-realizationandrefinementhasbeenpredicatedonrecoveryandhealth.

Soletusaskplainly:Canpositive-mindmetaphysicscureillness?Thisisanurgentmattertomanypeople.IwishIcouldofferasimpleaffirmativeanswerorreassurance.Icannot.Nohonestdealercan.ButIcanofferinsightthatbringssomeperspectivetothematterand,Ihope,maximizesyourchancesofwellness.

OneofthemostalluringandprovocativepassagesinScriptureisfromPsalm82:6–7:“Yearegodsbutyeshalldieasprinces.”Forgenerations,NewThoughtershaveembracedthefirstpartandremainedmuteaboutthesecond.Butyoucannothavethefruitwithoutthepit;thepitistheseedfornewfruit,orexpanded realization. It does not mean abrogating the metaphysical search to acknowledge that weoperatewithinphysicallimitations.ThisfactismadeoverlycomplexbysomeNewThoughtwriters,whomake needlessly ponderous (and unverifiable) claims that we exit at the perfectly appointed moment(havetheyevervisitedacancerward?),orthatallhealthissubjectedtooneMentalSuperLaw,whichisours to wield like a potter’s wheel. This is unsupportable. We exist under many laws and forces,includingphysicaldeclineandeventualdemise.“Yeshalldieasprinces”—wearepotentialprinces,butwedwellinfragileandtemporarypalaces.

So,canpositive-mindtherapeuticshelpcureillness?Istherehope?Yes.Firstly,weliveinaneraofalmostmiraculousnewfindingsin thefieldofplacebostudies.Researchersfrompreviousgenerations,eventhosewhoexperiencedtheboundinggrowthofplacebosciencefollowingWorldWarII,couldnot

havefathomedthesurgeofinsightsbeingexperiencedinthetwenty-firstcentury.

In July 2002, researchers in theNewEngland Journal ofMedicine reported the effectiveness ofplacebo surgery: participants from the Houston Veterans Affairs Medical Center received mockarthritic knee operations—involving just a benign incision—and experienced substantially similarrates of relief, and vastly reduced recovery time, as patients who received standard invasivearthritic knee surgery. (Researchers have speculated that the placebo responsemight be the onlycauseforreportedreliefinsuchoperations.)In2010,HarvardMedicalSchoolresearchersconductedanunprecedented“honestplacebo”studyin which an openly sham pill brought lasting relief to sufferers of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.Subjectsknewtheywerereceivinganinertsubstance,yet59percentreportedrelief(comparedto35percent in the control group).What was happening? It may be that a patient’s belief in the verypossibilityofmentaltherapeuticsissufficienttoenacttheself-healingresponse.Another Harvard Medical School study in 2014 reported that migraine sufferers experiencedimprovedresultsfromtheirprescriptionswhentheyweresuppliedwithpositiveinformationaboutadrug.Thissuggeststhattheplaceboeffectisalwaysoperative,workingnotonlyinconjunctionwithinertsubstances,butalsoaffectingapatient’sexperienceoftraditionaldrugsandtherapies.In a2007 study,HarvardpsychologistEllenLanger reported thathotelmaids experiencedweightloss and reduced blood pressure when taught to understand that their daily work routine hadsignificant aerobic benefits. Once these facts were established, within four weeks subjects lostweightwithout changes to theirwork habits or personal lives, and compared to no changes in acontrolgroup.InotherstudiesbyLanger(thesethesubjectoflatercontroversybuttheirresultsneverfundamentallyrefuted*1) elderly subjects experienced physical and mental improvements—including increasedstrengthandflexibility,recoveredmemoryandcognitivefunction,andimprovedmoodandvitality—when immersed in nostalgic settings filledwith stimuli from their youth, includingvintagebooks,music, and movies. Settings that evoked feelings of youth actually seemed to summon thereappearanceofyouthfultraits,extendingeventoimprovedeyesight.Clinicians writing in August 2016 in the research journal Nature Medicine reported that bystimulating the “reward system” in the brains of mice—in which a payoff is anticipated—theystrengthenedtheanimals’immuneresponses.Thesefindingssuggestthatevenageneralizedstateofpositive expectancy may have immunological benefits, and also identify a key link—rewardanticipation—intheactionoftheplaceboresponse.

Theonlycommentatorswho trulyhaveno ideawhat ishappening in this fieldare thosewhoarecertain that they knowwhat is happening. The one certainty we can derive from the new findings inplacebo science is that the energies of the mind play a greater and more varied role in health thanclinicians previously realized. The data stream allows us to document this phenomenon but not fullyexplain it.Thecommondenominator inallplaceboexperiments is thepresenceofhopefulexpectancy.Whether this arrives through moral support, credible encouragement, education, religious belief,anticipationofreward,oracombination,thearousalofexpectancyisthecatalyzingevent.Beliefisthefeeofactualization.

Critics callbelief adelusion.But theymisunderstandwhat isoccurring.Adelusion is a limiting,

diverting mind-set. If your belief does not deter you from using recognized medical means—in otherwords,ifitdoesnotproscribeyourtherapeuticpossibilities—itcannotbecalleddelusion.Itis,rather,acomplement.My recommendation is to use the best in allopathicmedicine, pharmaceuticals, validatedalternative therapies, andpalliative care—alongwithprayer,meditation, visualization, and affirmation(methodsweexploreinthefollowingchapter).TakeaD-dayapproach:throweverythingattheproblem.

Traditional religion has long affirmed this outlook. In her 2009 study Medical Miracles,hematologistJacalynDuffinnoted:“Tomysurpriseasadoctorandahistorian,IquicklylearnedthattheVaticandoesnotandneverdidrecognizehealingmiraclesinpeoplewhoescheworthodoxmedicinetorelysolelyonfaith.”

The early days of positive-mindmetaphysicswere dominated by health concerns. The quality ofmedical care in the nineteenth century was often abysmal, even by premodern standards, something Iconsider inmyOneSimpleIdea.Butmanypatients todaycontinue to seek faith-basedcomplements tomedical treatment.What can positive-mindmetaphysics offer? I replied to the following letter in July2015:

HiMitch,

Iwasjustwonderingifyouhadanythingtohelpsomeonewithaspinalcordinjury.Haveyoueverusedyourmethodstohealorimproveaspinalcordinjury?

Thankyoufortheinformation.

Dear_________,

I’mafirmbelieverintakingan“allandeverything”approach—combiningprayer,affirmations,meditation,andthe best in mainstream and (if appropriate) alternative medical care. For meditation my personal choice isTranscendentalMeditation,whichIhighlyrecommend.Youcanlocateateacheronline.Foraffirmations,IadmiretheworkofFrenchmindtheoristÉmileCoué;ifyoulikeIcansendyouaninfosheetonhismethod—whichisverysimple. [Thisandothermethodsmentionedhereappear in thenextchapter.]Regardingprayer, Iendorseaveryecumenicalapproachandworkwithvaried traditions. I recommend theDivineMercydevotion (youcan find thisonline)andtheMiraculous54-DayRosaryNovena(Icansendyouinfooryoucanfinditonline).And,ofcourse,alwaysusethebestavailablemedicalcare.

I thinkwe liveundermany lawsand forces—spiritual,physical,emotional,mental—andIwouldenlistalloftheseforcesinpursuitofrecovery.Iwishyoueverygoodthing.

Iwillbesayingaprayerforyoutomorrowat3p.m.EST.

Verybest,Mitch

IsharetheperspectiveofNormanCousinswhowroteinAnatomyofanIllnessin1979:“Noteveryillnesscanbeovercome.Butmanypeopleallowillnesstodisfiguretheirlivesmorethanitshould.Theycaveinneedlessly.Theyignoreandweakenwhateverpowerstheyhaveforstandingerect.”

Now, Idonot discount the possibility of extraordinary—evenmiraculous—episodes of recoverypertaining to themind.AndwhenIwrite“mind”Iuseanopen-endeddefinition. If themindhasextra-

physicaldimensions,ifitgoesbeyondcognitionandmotorcommands,whichIarguethatitdoes,thenthemindopensontovistasthatthehumansearch,whilemillenniaold,hasonlybeguntodetect.

Sincethemid-1960s,ahandfulofphysiciansandclinicianshavebeenmakinganefforttodocumentoneofthemostastoundingyetverifiablefactsinthefieldofcancerresearch:spontaneousremissionsofterminalcases.*2InresearchingthisquestionattheNewYorkAcademyofMedicinelibrary,Ifoundthatabouttwentysuchcasesappearinworldmedicalliteratureeachyear.†3Manycases,cliniciansagree,areprobably unreported. Based on estimated spontaneous regression rates worldwide—about one out ofeveryonehundred thousand cases of cancer*4—it canbe extrapolated from the number of newcancercasesreportedannuallyintheUnitedStatesthataboutfifteenepisodesofspontaneousregressionoccurhere each year. There is no consensus around the causes of spontaneous remissions. Clinicianshypothesizethatinrarecasespatientsmayhavebeenmisdiagnosed,orpatientsmayhavebeensufferingfrom a severely impaired immune system, which, for reasons unknown, was restored to normal orexceptional functioning, perhapsdue to thehealingof anundetectedvirus or infection.Clinicians alsoacknowledgethepossibilityofmentaltherapeutics.

“Ofallpossiblemechanismscitedforregression,”wroteG.B.ChallisandH.J.StaminthejournalActaOncologica in 1990, “the psychological is the only categorywhich is not clearly biological.” Insurveyingtheextantliterature,theseresearchersfoundthat“onlythreeauthorsareprimarilyresponsibleforreportsofregressionsbypsychologicalmeansinthescientificliterature”—andonlyone,Australianpsychiatrist and researcherAinslieMeares, “provided sufficient information to be able to include thecasesinourtables.”

Ainslie Meares (1910–1986) presented a special case in point. In the 1970s and ’80s, Mearesoversawandpublishedresearchonthepracticeof intensivemeditationbyterminallydiagnosedcancerpatientsforwhomtraditionaltreatments,suchaschemotherapy,hadbeendiscontinued;inothercasesheemployedintensivemeditation(sometimesthreehoursaday)withpatientswhohad“advancedcancer”butwerestillundergoingtreatment.Hedocumentednotabletherapeuticepisodesinbothgroups.

Ina1980reportonseventy-threepatientswhohadadvancedcancer,†5Mearesfoundthatintensivemeditationhelpedrelivepain,depression,andanxiety,andcontributedtoamorepeacefulanddignifieddeathwhencasesprovedterminal. Inaddition,Meareswroteofcancerpatientswhoundergointensivemeditation: “There is reason toexpect a tenpercent chanceofquite remarkable slowingof the rateofgrowthof the tumour,anda tenpercentchanceof lessmarkedbutstill significantslowing.Theresultsindicatethatpatientswithadvancedcancerhaveatenpercentchanceofregressionofthegrowth.”

Meares also documented a small, but not isolated, number of cases where terminally diagnosedpatients spontaneously regressed while following a protocol of intensive meditation. In an article inAustralianFamilyPhysician inMarch 1981,*6 he described the case of a fifty-four year-oldmarriedwomanwith twogrownchildrenwhohad recovered frombreastcancer followingmeditation.Whenamastectomyfailedtocheckhercancergrowth,thepatienthadrefusedchemotherapyandembarkedonaprogramofanabolicsteroiduseandnaturalsupplements (whichMearesneitherstudiednorendorsed).ShebegantoshowhealingafterseeingMearesformeditationsessionseachweekdayforonemonth,usinga technique of sitting still and experiencing her “essential being,” as he described it, withoutconcentrationofanykind.(Ingeneral,Mearesrestrictedhisresearchtosubjectswhohadseenhimforatleasttwentymeditationsessionsofonehourormoredaily.Althoughhedoesnotspecifythelengthoftimethisfifty-four-year-oldwomansatdaily,someofhispatientsmeditateduptothreehoursaday.)Hewroteofherremission:

A single case, considered by itself, may not be very convincing. But if we consider theparticularcase inconjunctionwithotherpatientswhohaverespondedinsimilarfashion, therelationshipof treatmentandoutcomebecomesmoreclearlyestablished. Inotherwords, thepresentcaseisnotanisolatedincident.It isoneofaseriesofcasesofregressionofcancerfollowingintensivemeditationinsomeofwhichtheregressionhasbeenmorecompletethaninothers.

I was informally describing all this one evening in 2016 to a research pathologist at HarvardMedical School who specializes in breast cancer. I broached the topic with him of these rare butdocumentedcasesofspontaneousremission.Somecases,asnoted,areevidentlyautoimmunerelated;butwealsotalkedaboutthecorrelationswithintensivemeditation.Theresearcher’sresponse:“Ihavetobeobjective.ButIhavenoticedthatpatientswhodisplayapositiveattitudetowardtheirtreatmenttendtodobetter.Mycolleagueshavenoticedthistoo.Wedon’tknowwhythatis.”

It isdifficult towriteabout thiskindofsubject,even inconclusively,because it tends topolarize.ReaderswithNewAgesympathiesareapttoseizeuponsuchdiscussionsasvalidationthatmind-bodymedicine,perhapscoupledwithsomekindofdetoxprogram,representstheroyalroadtohealth.Mearessaid no such thing, and hewas scrupulous, as any responsible researcherwould be, not to plant falsehopes.Yetthereisanequalandoppositeextreme,inwhichaphysicianoraskeptic(usuallyajournalist)approachessuchadiscussionwithoutasenseofproportionality,assuming thatany such talk isakin topropagating groundless “miracles” or wishful thinking. (Indeed, after I had noted the Harvardresearcher’s remarks on social media, another research physician I know objected that we wereentertainingrashconclusions;hemissedourexpressed intent toavoidconclusionsor leadingquestionsbutrathertoframeadiscussion.)

Iwant togive the finalword toMeares,becausehis toneandcarefulnessexhibitwhat isneededtodayinthebody-mind-spiritandNewThoughtculture.Hewrotethisin“Cancer,PsychosomaticIllness,andHysteria”intheLancetofNovember7,1981:

Inmedicinewenolongerexpecttofindasinglecauseforadisease;ratherweexpecttofindamultiplicity of factors, organic and psychological. It is not suggested that psychologicalreactions,eitherpsychosomaticorhysterical,areadirectcauseofcancer.Butitseemslikelythat reactions resembling those of psychosomatic illness and conversion hysteria operate ascausesof cancer,more so in somecases than inothers, and that theyoperate in conjunctionwiththeknownchemical,viral,andradiationalcausesofthedisease.

This is, tome, thekindofvoiceoursocietyneeds tocultivategenerally—inpolitics, spirituality,andmedicine. It is the voice that sustains a question,which is the vantage point fromwhich all newunderstandingisgained.

CHAPTERFOUR

METHODSINMINDPOWER

Up to this point, I have used several terms in connectionwith positive-mindmechanics:affirming, visualizing,meditating, andpraying. Historically, these are seen as the coremethods forharnessing themind’s formativeenergies.Wewillnowexplore thenatureofeachtechnique,andhowtomostpowerfullyuseit.

AFFIRMING

Ifyousufferfromdepressionoraregrieving,themostdangeroustimeofdayisthe“weehours”ofthemorning,whenyouhoverbetweensleepandwakefulness.Inthisstage,sometimescalledthehypnagogicstate,youarecognizantofsurroundingsandstimuli—butsleepresearchershavefoundthatyourfacultiesoflogicandperspectiveareatanebb,whichcaninviteasenseofsurrealismandallowyourfearsandworriestorunriot.

Equallydelicate are thosenighttimemoments just beforenoddingoff,whenyoubalancebetweenwakefulnessandsleep.Here,too,yourconsciousawarenessisprecariousandrichlyimaginative:Yourmentalpicturesmorph,bend,andunfoldliketheimagesofaSalvadorDalipainting.

Attimesofbothdriftingtosleepandawakening,thestateofhypnagogiapresentsuswithwhatmightbeconsideredprimetimeforchannelingtheenergiesofthought.Atsuchperiods,weretainamodicumofchoice-makingabilities,butaredeeplyrelaxed—evenimmobilized—andemotionallyvulnerable,whichcanbeusedtoouradvantage.Emotionalvulnerability,providedthat it ispurposefullydirectedandnotcarriedoff byphantom fears, is the ideal state for using affirmations andvisualizations to impress thesubconsciousandspursubtleabilitiesofthought.

Mind theorists have long detected the potentials of this “in between” stage. The mystic teacherNevilledescribedusingthe3p.m.hour—whenhefeltdrowsyfollowinglunch(assistedbywine;Nevillewasno ascetic)—to take a nap anduse thebridge to sleep to formmental pictures.Seriouspsychicalresearchers,suchasCharlesHonorton(1946–1992),foundthatinstancesofESPortelepathyarehigherwhen subjects are placed into a state of comfortable hypnagogia, involving sensory isolation andrelaxation,perhapswearingwhite-noiseheadphones, sinking intoa recliner,and fittedwitheyeshades.(We will return to Honorton’s research.) French hypnotherapist Émile Coué (1857–1926) prescribedusingthehypnagogicstatetorecitehisfamousmantra:“Daybydayineveryway,Iamgettingbetterandbetter.”His formulawas towhisper itgently twenty times justbeforedriftingoff,andoncemoreuponwaking.Couéadvisedmakingastringwithtwentyknotstomarkoffyourrepetitionsasifonrosarybeads

(you can also use your fingers). This is to avoid rousing yourself through themental act of counting.Criticsdismissed thesimplicityofCoué’sprogram;buthedisplayedprescient insights into theusesofhypnagogia.

Hypnagogia adds tremendous power to affirmations and visualizations—the two are intimatelyrelated—bymakingiteasiertoplaceemotionalconvictionbehindthem.Emotionisthebuildingblockofbeliefandthekeytoinfluencingthesubconscious.Indeed,itisvitalthatyouraffirmationorvisualizationhaveemotionalpersuasivenessatthebackofit—andthatitisfeltwithconvictionandintegrity.ToooftenintheNewThoughtworldweconflatethoughtsandemotions.Butthetwoareverydifferentandfunctiononseparatetracks.Recitinganaffirmationwithoutemotionalconvictionachievesnothing;infact,itmaydomore harm than good by summoning disbelief and resistance. Unless you are trained in the art ofmethodacting(whichisactuallyagoodtoolforaNewThoughter),youmayhavenoideahowtosummonemotions.Butthehypnagogicstateisoneoftheraretimeswhenalmostanyonecanusementalimagestoinduceemotion.Duringhypnagogia,yourmind’s-eyeimagesareverybelievable,forgoodorill.Itisatimewhenfigmentandreality,suggestionandcertainty,easilyblend.

Iadviseusingthehypnagogicstatetopicturetheachievementofacherishedaim.Todothis,enactinyourmindasmall,pleasingdramathatsuggestsattainment—i.e.,thatthethingyouwanthasalreadycometo pass—such as a congratulatory handshake fromyour employer or you holding an award.Youmightaccompanyitbyanunspoken,imaginedstatement,suchasaneffusivethankyou.Allowyourselftodrifttosleep,orenterwakefulness,whileenactingthismentaldrama.Feelthepleasureofyourattainment.Thisservestoconditionthemind,which,whenproperlychargedwithagoal,canfunctionasahomingdevice, somewhat like a heat-seekingmissile, and hence direct your faculties in the direction of yourdesire.

Butmore than just that ishappening:Themind, inasuppleandcreativestate, is, Ibelieve,aco-creatorofevents; itparticipates inakindofmacro thought fieldofwhichwehavegainedglimpses inESPorpsychicalexperiments.Inthe1980s,theESPresearcherHonortonengagedinaseriesofheavilyjuried and validated trials called the ganzfeld (German for “whole field”) experiments.”*7 Theseexperiments induced hypnagogia by placing a subject—the “receiver”—into conditions of pleasurablesensorydeprivation,generallyinacomfortableisolationbooth.Anothersubject—the“sender”—wouldsit outside of the booth and attempt tomentally “transmit” images to the receiver. Inmany individualcases, and in a meta-analysis, the ganzfeld experiments demonstrated higher-than-average hit rates.HonortontheorizedthatsensoryquietudeheightenedESPlatencies.

Psi-research critic Ray Hyman, a psychologist at the University of Oregon, collaborated withHonortononapaperthatvalidatedtheexperiment’sresearchmethodologyandlackof“pollution,”i.e.,mistakesorcorruptioninthedata.*8Hymanrejectedtheconclusionthatnonphysicaldataconveyancewaspresent, but he acknowledged the need for further study. Whatever one’s viewpoint, something ofsignificancewasoccurringduringtheganzfeldexperiments.Thissomethingmayholdthekeytopartofwhatoccursduringthepositive-thinkingexperience.

It is possible that our minds are like ever-operative transmitting stations. We are always“broadcasting”whatwewant,seekingavenuesofpossibilityandcollaborators.Whenyoubegintouseyourmindaccordingtothemethodsinthisbook,youmighthappenupon“meaningfulcoincidences,” inthe form of fortunate accidents, intuitive connections, and portentous discoveries. If we are alwaysscanning for resources, it is possible that this “signal” is heightened when we steadily affirm andvisualizeourdesiresduring thehypnagogicstate. (Ideal laterwithhowtodistinguish thesefrommere“chance”occurrences.)

It may be that artists, entrepreneurs, and creative people demonstrate a constructive form ofobsessivethoughtbyconstantlydwellingontheiraims,includingduringhypnagogia.Ioncedeliveredatalkon the lifeofmedical clairvoyantEdgarCayceat awealthy retirementcommunity inupstateNewYork.Afterthetalk,anaudiencememberapproachedmeandasked:“Howdoyousleepatnight?”

“Excuseme?”Ireplied,thinkingthatIwasbeingaccusedofsomething.“Howdoyousleep?”sherepeated—explainingthatmymindalwaysseemedtoberunning.OnceIunderstoodher, I realized that,byconstantly thinkingofprojects,aims,andpossibilities, I

might be regularly using hypnagogic transmission, attracting people who can lend a hand ormeetmehalfway.Asithappens,Idosleepatnight—thoughonlywiththeassistanceofexerciseandmeditation.Thiswomaninstinctivelygrasped thatmy“ideafactory” isconstantlywhirring, includingduringhighlysensitiveperiods.

Not all affirmations, or statements of intent, need to occur in the hypnagogic state.You can commit astatement to paper and recite it duringwaking hours.Writing down an affirmation, goal, or intent hasspecial potency. The physical act of writing—not on a device but with a pen or pencil to produce atangible document—not only helps fix something in your awareness but is, in effect, the first step toactualizing the thought. Committing an idea to paper, in however nascent a form, brings somethingconcrete into your world. It vivifies your ideas, renders them tactile, and helps establish yourproprietorshipoverthem.(Afterspendingconsiderabletimeworkingoutanideaonpaper,youmaywantto“nest”itonadevice.)

ApersistentandmisdirecteddebaterunsthroughNewThought:Shouldaffirmationsberenderedinthepresenttense(“Iam”)orfuturetense(“Iwill”)?Somearguethatthefuturetensepushesoffyouraimsto an unrealized point in time and perpetuates belief in current circumstances. Is there a rightway toaffirm?

There isnot.Youshouldusewhatever languagefeelsmostauthenticandnaturalandhelpssustainyouremotivepassion.Ifyouhavedifficultybelievingthatyoupossesssomethingrightnow,anditfeelsmorenaturaltolocateitinthefuture,thendoso.Thereisnowrongwayofenunciatingagoal.

ThelifeofgroundbreakingsciencefictionnovelistOctaviaButler(1947–2006)isacaseinpoint.Butler grewup in aworking-class,African-Americanhousehold inPasadena,California, in the1950sand’60s.Awkward,shy,andunusuallytallforherage,shefeltisolatedfromotherkids.Inhersolitude,Butlerdevelopedvoraciousreadinghabitsandaburningdesiretowrite.Shewentontobecomesci-fi’sfirstwidelyrecognizedAfrican-Americanwomanwriter,gainingpopularityandcriticalacclaim.

Archivists at the Huntington Library in Los Angeles discovered among the novelist’s papers aremarkableandprescientrenderingofherpersonalvision,whichshehandwrotein1988inNewThoughttones:“Ishallbeabestsellingwriter....Thisismylife.Iwritebestsellingnovels....Iwillfindthewaytodothis.Sobeit!Seetoit!”Butlerusedbothfutureandpresenttensesinhervision—shewroteherintentionswithoutgettingdistractedbyform.ExamineButler’sfullaffirmation:

Ishallbeabestsellingwriter.

AfterImago,eachofmybookswillbeonthebestsellerlistsofLAT,NYT,PW,WP,etc.

Mynovelswillgoontotheabovelistswhetherpublisherspushthemhardornot,whetherI’mpaidahighadvanceornot.

Thisismylife.Iwritebestsellingnovels.Mynovelsgoontothebestsellerlistsonorshortlyafterpublication.Mynovelseachtraveluptothetopandtheystayontopformonths(atleasttwo).Eachofmynovelsdoesthis.

Sobeit!

Seetoit!

Iwillfindthewaytodothis.Sobeit!Seetoit!

Mybookswillbereadbymillionsofpeople!

Iwillbuyabeautifulhomeinanexcellentneighborhood.

IwillsendpoorblackyoungsterstoClarionorotherwriter’sworkshops.

Iwillhelppoorblackyoungstersbroadentheirhorizons.

Iwillhelppoorblackyoungstersgotocollege.

Iwillgetthebestofhealthcareformymotherandmyself.

IwillhireacarwheneverIwantorneedto.

IwilltravelwheneverandwhereverintheworldthatIchoose.

Mybookswillbereadbymillionsofpeople!

Sobeit!Seetoit!

Readher lines again andagain.Memorize them.Let their claritypermeateyourmentality.Noticehowagreatartistcombinedideals,vision,andsweatequity.Andhowsheimplicitlyunderstoodthatthere

arenorequisitesorformalizedwaysofexpressingthelanguageofyourdesire.Whenyouhituponandwritedown the right affirmation—acombinationofmission,passion, and

realisticambition*9—itserves toheightenandbring texture toyouraim.Youbegin toweighand judgeyourrelationships, time,andcommitmentsbasedonwhether theyconstructivelycontribute toyouraim.Like a vow of marriage, a contract of services, or even a declaration of war, the right affirmationenunciates your commitment and sharpens your intent. Hours spent crafting and recrafting the rightstatementofintentionareneverwasted.Neverneglecttowriteitdown.

VISUALIZING

VisualizationsoccupyacentralplaceinNewThoughtandrelatecloselytoaffirmations.Asnotedabove,theideaistopictureandfeelwhatyouwishtopossessorachieve.Ifyouwanttolookatmattersfromastrictlypsychologicalperspective,Ibelievethatamentalpicture,likeanaffirmation,focusesthemindonanaimandtendstomakeyoumoreawareofpeople,ideas,correspondences,andpossibilitiesthatbringyouclosertoyourgoal.Suchpracticesmayalso,overtime,redirectneuralpathwaystofacilitatecertainphysicalormotoraptitudes,particularlyifyouareanathlete,dancer,musician,ordesigner.

You’veprobablynoticedtimeswhenafocusedthoughtorimage—perhapsintheformofadeeplyheldconvictionorburningquestion—seemedtobringyouinproximitytopeopleandsituationsrelatedtowhat youwere concentrating on. I’ll venture that you can think of episodeswhen a person, object, ordesired circumstance just “showed up.” I suggest that thismay not be simply because youweremoreawareofrelevantcircumstances,or thatyouwerewillfullyseizinguponconfirmationsofapreexistingidea(aphenomenonresearcherscall“confirmationbias”).Aswith theeventsobserved in theganzfeldexperiments,youmaybeconveyingyourimagesinamind-to-mindfashion,reachingouttothosewhocanofferassistanceorinformation.ThemeansoftransmissionmighthingeupongreaterorlesserdegreesofESP,asubjectwithseriousimplicationsforNewThought.

The term ESP, for “extrasensory perception,” was popularized in the early 1930s by DukeUniversity researcher J.B.Rhine (1895–1980),oneofmy intellectualheroes.Rhineconducted tensofthousandsoftrialsinwhichsubjectsattemptedto“guess”whichcardwasoverturnedonafive-suitdeck.Certain individuals persistently scored higher-than-average hits. These few percentage points ofdeviation, tracked across decades of testing, demonstrated some form of anomalous transfer ofinformation—eitherthat,orthemannerinwhichwecompileclinicalstatisticsisflawedinsomewaythatwedonotunderstand.

LikeresearcherCharlesHonorton,aonetimeprotégéofhis,Rhinelaboredintensively,andunderthescrutinyofcritics,tosafeguardagainstcorruptioninhisdata—somuchsothathiscardexperimentsfarexceeded the controls of most clinical trials, including those for today’s commonly prescribed drugs.MathematicianWarrenWeaver,aformerpresidentoftheAmericanAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience,whodirectedtheallocationofhundredsofmillionsofdollarsinmedicalresearchgrantsfortheRockefellerFoundationandAlfredP.SloanFoundation,examinedRhine’smethodologyandremarkedin1960:“I find thiswhole field intellectuallyaverypainfulone.And I find itpainfulessentially for thefollowing reasons: I cannot reject the evidence and I cannot accept the conclusions.”*10Weaver, likeHyman,didnotsharethepsiresearchcommunity’sviewsonESP;but,asascientist,herefusedtoshutthedooron thematter.Contemporary researchers includingDeanRadinof the InstituteofNoeticSciences(IONS) inNorthern California andDaryl J. Bem of Cornell University continue thiswork today, and

Rhine’sresearchcenterremainsactive.Oncemore,thinkbacktoperiodsinlifewhereyouvisualized,andheldinmind,aparticularneed.

Perhaps you urgently needed to reach a key person or required some piece of information.And then,somethingoccurred:adeeplymeaningfulcoincidence,onewithsuchemotionalimportthatitwasladenwith significance for you. Now, some statisticians argue that because the world is so vast and sobrimmingwithpossibilities,seemingly“unlikely”orcoincidentaleventsareactuallynotasfantasticaloroddsbustingastheymayappear.

WarrenWeaverhimself,inaprivatelettertoRhineofFebruary22,1960,†11notedthateventswithan“exceedinglysmallprobability”dooccur,andevenordinaryeventsrequireasingularconfluenceofcircumstances.“Inotherwords,”Weaverwrote,“theactualeventsof lifeare, individuallyconsidered,almostmiraculouslyimprobable.”

Althoughthisistruefromastatisticalperspective,Ioffertwoconsiderations:(1)Rhinedocumentedrepeatevents—notone improbability“individuallyconsidered,”butapattern thateffectivelyexceededall probability—and,more importantly to our purposes here, (2) statistics canmeasure the odds of aneventbutnottheemotionalgravityorindividualizedmeaningattachedtoit.Forexample,ifImeetaheroofmineonthestreet, itmaybe,statisticallyspeaking,unremarkable.But if Imeet thathero justbeforemakingavitaldecision—andIamcriticallyinfluencedorinspiredbythatperson—thefactorsinvolvedbecome more remarkable. In a reply to Weaver of March 15, 1960, Rhine noted: “the amount ofconfirmation requiredwill dependuponvarious things, not the least among thembeing thequestionofhowsurprisingorhowunlikelyahypothesisappearstobe.”

Inshort,RhineandhisESPexperimentssuggestthatconsiderablypropitiouseventsmaybefarmorethan“happyaccidents.”TheymaybetheESPofdailylife.CarlJungcalledthem“synchronicities.”Iwillreturn to the correlations that Rhine hypothesized between mental picture, mood, and extra physicalmentality.

Mentalvisualizations requireconsistencyand feeling.Theyarenotalwayseasy tosustain. (In the firstseasonofTheSopranos,thecharacterChristophertellshisgirlfriend,“YouknowhowIusethetechniqueofpositivevisualization?”Sheresponds,“Iknowyoutalkaboutit.”)In2016,awomanwrotemeaboutdifficultiesshewasexperiencinginmaintainingamind-pictureofadesiredreality,andoffeelingherwayintoit,asNevilleGoddardprescribed.“TheoneproblemI’vebeenhavinginusingNeville’smethod,”she wrote, “is the feeling part. I can picture a scene inmymind, and a lot of times vividly, but thecorrespondingemotionisn’tthere.Andthat’swhenthefearofnoteverhavingchangesappearinmylifegripsme.Anysuggestion?”

Neville’smethodis topictureasmall,satisfyingscenethat impliesachievementofyouraim.Youaretobaskintheemotionsofyourgoalhavingbeenreachedasyourerunthissmallsceneinyourmind.Ireplied to the correspondent: “I recommendusingNeville’svisualizationmethodswhenyour emotionsarealreadyonyourside,i.e.,whenyou’realreadyinavital,joyous,oratleastcontentedmood.Don’tstrugglewithitwhenyoufeelanxious.Evenifitmeanswalkingawayforafewhours,orafewdays,youcanalwayscomeback.Letyourmoodmatchthewished-forthing.”

Pittingourmindsagainstourmoodsis,asagreatteacheronceobserved,likepittingsteampoweragainst nuclear power.The emotionswin every time.Better touse emotions rather than try to counterthem.Allowyourselftostopandwait,howeverlongittakes,forwhenyoucanrideyouremotionalwave,sotospeak,ratherthanattempttoreverseit.

Mycorrespondentwrotebacktome,“SometimesIjustwanttoseetheresultssomuch.Andhavingreal needs often brings on that ‘desperate’ feeling,which always seems like it negatesmy attempts atrelaxingintothestate.”

Iexperiencethatveryfrustrationmyself,Itoldher.Thewantingissostrong.Itbreedsimpatience.Butweneedn’tbeafraid to letgoofacherishedgoal fora short time,orallowourselves tocasuallyrelaxwithout aim or focus, sometimes throughwatching amovie or taking a night out, or some otherdiversion. I actually think that when we truly want something we never forget it—it’s always therehovering in thebackground. It’s fine to not focus too closelyonvisualizationuntil themoment arriveswhenourmoodisintheproperstate.Thedesirewillbethere.Weneverloseanyground.

Sometimesastateofeaseandhopefulexpectancyisitselfsufficienttobringuswhatwewant,ortohelp. InOctober 2016, Iwas on amonth-long sabbatical frommypublishing job andwas completingsomewritingprojects.IreachedamomentwhereIhadconcludedthreeimportantprojects,andIfeltasenseofinterval.Iwasn’tsurewhattobeginnext.Ineededapushintherightdirection.Itoccurredtome,I’mnotsurepreciselyfromwhere,thatalargemainstreamnewsorganizationwouldreachouttomeandaskmetowriteapiece.Thatisexactlywhatoccurred.Thatsameday,Ireceivedacallfromaneditorwhotoldmethathiscolleaguehadbeentryinginvaintoreachme(therewasaminoremailglitch).Heputmeintouchwiththeeditor,whohadformewhatIconsidered,frankly,adreamassignment.

Myexpectantmoodandthevisualverityoftheeventwerealreadyinplace.Ithappenedquickly—withinhours.Coincidence?Precognition?Mentalattraction?Ihavenoidea.MycolleagueDeanRadin,whohasdone remarkableexperiments inprecognition (whichwe’ll examine),wouldprobably suggestthat this was an example of that phenomenon, made more likely by my being keyed up by a strongemotional association with the assignment. J. B. Rhine noted the importance of a subject feeling anemotionalpitchduringanexperiment.Onecouldconsider,asIdolater,thatsuchepisodesalsosuggestanonlinearityofevents,andthatwhattranspiresacrossahorizonoftimedoesnotrunonanorderlytrack,butratherwe“select”experiencesfromamonginnumerablepossibilities.

Inanycase,I’mnotsurethatIcanrepeatthatexperience,oranythinglikeit.Mentalsensitivitiescannomorebe“summoned”thanfeelingsoflove.Thisiswhysensationalistic“tests,”likemagicianJamesRandi’snow-defunctmillion-dollarchallengetopsychicsinVegas,rarelywork.Becauseaphenomenonoccursdoesn’tmeanitcancomeintobeingatanytime.

Icansaythismuch:Whateverthecausebehindwhathappened,evenif“coincidental,”itdidn’tfeelordinary. It was charged with emotion, portent, and, by my reckoning, considerable unlikelihood,especiallyintheproximityofevents.ButIreallydonotknow—andthepointisnottoreachconclusions.I’mnotoffering“scientific”stepsordoctrinebutmeaningfulexperiencesandarticlesofexperimentation.Thewholepointistoexperimentinthefaceofsometimeimpedimentsorinconsistencies.Whendealingwithethicalandspiritualphilosophies,ouronlyempiricismisoftheinnervariety.Evidenceappearsinoutereventsthatcomportwithourmindscape.

Acriticcouldrightlychallenge:“Well,whataboutallthetimeswhenitdoesn’twork?Andaren’tweapt to forget, or ‘edit out,’ failures, in favorof events that seemportentous?”This is an extremelyimportant cautionary notewhen entering into questions ofmental causation.Be unsparingly strictwithyourself.Youarenotmerelylookingfortimeswhensomething“works,”butratherforepisodesthataredemonstrablyexceptional.Thispointwasdrivenhome tome ina story frommy friendDeanRadin, apsychical researcher at the Institute ofNoeticSciences (IONS).Dean realized thepowerof clarity inattainingapersonalgoal.Thisishowhedescribedittome:

In 2009, we upgraded the EEG equipment in our lab to a 32-channel system in preparation for an experimentexploringwhetherexperiencedmeditators’oft-reportedexperienceof“timelessness”mightbeontologicallyaccuraterather than justasubjective timedistortion.Weasked theparticipants tomeditatewhile theywereexposed toarandomlytimedlightflashoraudiotonestimuli.Theideawasthat if theirawarenesswasgenuinelyspreadoutintime,includingintothefuture,thenperhapsjustbeforethestimuliobjectivelyoccurredwe’dseeapre-responseintheirbrainactivity.Thisexperimentwasfollowinguponpreviousprecognitionstudiesinvestigatingwhatwedubbed“presentiment”effects,i.e.,unconsciousphysiologicalreactionstofutureevents.

We recruited participants, ran the experiment, and collected a ton of data. Then theEEGanalysis phasebegan. I surveyed software suitable for analyzingmulti channelEEGdata and foundone that lookedparticularlygood,calledEEGLAB.Thisisafree,opensourcesoftwaresuiteusedinthousandsofacademicneurosciencelabsaround the world. It uses Matlab, a high-end, general purpose programing language popular in scientific andengineeringcircles.IwasnotfamiliarwitheitherEEGLABorMatlab,butIknewthattodotheanalysisjustice,Ihadtousethesetools.However,IwasresponsibleforseveralotherprojectsandIdidn’thaveabigblockoftimeIcouldsetasidejusttolearnhowtouseEEGLAB.Ineededhelp.

My initial ideawas to find a college studentwhowas familiarwithMatlab andwilling to learn how to useEEGLAB. Iaskedmyresearchassistant,Leena, tosee ifshecould findsomeone like that.Sheaskedmetobecleareronexactlywhat,orwhom,Iwaslookingfor.

WhatIreallywantedwasanexperiencedneuroscientistwhowasfamiliarwithEEGLAB,willingtoanalyzethedatafromourexperimentforfree,andalsowillingtotaketherisktocollaborateonastudyofpresentiment,whichfallsfaroutsidetheusualrangeoftopicsthatmostneuroscientistsarewillingtoentertain.Iwasn’tsurethatsuchapersonevenexisted,oriftheydidhowtogoaboutfindingthem.

Leenasaidnottoworryaboutit.

TwodayslaterIreceivedanemailfromafellowwhohadattendedatalkIgaveafewyearsbefore.Hewantedtocomebyandvisitourlab.Isaidsure.

Turnsout,thisfellowwasnotonlyabonafideacademicneuroscientist(fromUCSanDiego),andnotonlyanexpertwithMatlab,andnotonlywantedtovolunteerhisassistance—hewasalsothepersonwhodevelopedandmaintainedEEGLAB!

ArnaudDelormehasbeenpartoftheIONSstaffeversince.HealsomaintainshisappointmentatUCSD,andhe’safullprofessoratToulouseUniversityinFrance.

ThisisjustoneexampleofadozenorsostrikingsynchronicitiesI’veexperienced,allofwhichwererelatedtomygainingcrystalclarityonexactlywhatitwasthatIwantedorneeded.Aftergainingclarity,itgenerallytakesafewdaystoafewweeksforthevisiontomanifest.

PRAYING

Thewriterand religionscholarMichaelMuhammadKnightsawSpikeLee’smovieMalcolmX at agefifteen and began his conversion to Islam. “Can a movie,”Mike wondered, “be sacred scripture?” Istronglybelievethatitcan.

Forme,onerecentscreenexperiencethatvergedonthespiritualwasJudeLaw’sperformanceintheHBOminiseriesTheYoungPope.Lawplayedarebellious,archconservative,andfiercelyindividualisticyoungpontiffwhosebehaviornoonecouldpredictorcontrol.HisMethodsinMindPowerapproachtoprayerwastomakedemandsonGodandthesaints:“Youmust,youmust,youmust!”

ThisformofprayerisnotwhollyoutofstepwithJudeo-Christiantradition.TheBibleisfilledwithepisodes of the patriarchs and prophets bargaining, cajoling, and arguing with God: Cain protests(successfully) that his sentence is too harsh; Jonah voices displeasure with God for being givenpropheciestopropagate,onlyforGodtoreversethem;Jobdemandsexplanationsforhismiserablefate;Adam,afterbitingtheapple,answersbacktoGodinconfusionandchallenge.

Inthislight,theprayerstyleoftheyoungpope,anorphanedQueens,NewYork,nativenamedLennyBelardo, comports with classical tradition. And Lenny’s petitions appear to work. When everything

around him is coming apart,when the faithful are demoralized by his harsh social dictates, andwhenVatican apparatchiks are befuddled over his inscrutable priorities, Lenny delivers apparent miracles:bringing motherhood to an infertile young woman; mortally punishing a corrupt and abusive mothersuperior;and,earlierinlife,healingaterminallyillneighbor.

Dramaaside,Iamabeliever inpetitionaryprayer—that is, inasking,evendemanding,somethingvery specific from God or a saint, especially when you’ve made a significant personal sacrifice orstruggled toupholdaclassically sanctionedethical teachingandalso labored tovalidate thegoodnessandgenerativityofwhatyou’rerequesting(itmustbeacknowledged,however, thatsuchperspectiveisneverfullyours).

Theactofbeliefitselfmaybekeytotheoutcomeyouexperience.“Iconfess,”WilliamJameswroteinhisessay“IsLifeWorthLiving?” in1895,“that Idonot seewhy theveryexistenceofan invisibleworldmaynot inpartdependon thepersonal responsewhichanyoneofusmaymake to thereligiousappeal.Godhimself,inshort,maydrawvitalstrengthandincreaseofverybeingfromourfidelity.”

Now, some in the New Thought tradition—and Neville is the prime example—teach thatconsciousness isGod,and that there isnooneandnothing towhomtoappealbeyondyourownmind.“ThereisnoGod,”Nevilletoldlisteners,“otherthanhewhoisyourownwonderfulhumanimagination.”He chidedpeople for praying to “these little pictures . . . little icons, littlemedals,” as he put it, andinsistedthatifthewordGodsummonsforyouapersonaorentityoutsideofyourself,youhavemissedthetruenatureofthings.ButIseriouslyquestiontheneedforthisdivision.IfGodis,infact,awarenessorconsciousness,thenwhycouldn’tthemind-as-Godmodelcomportwithhumanity’scollectiveawarenessofaHigherBeingtowhichanappealcanbemade?IseenonecessaryconflictbetweenaDivineEntityandtheholinessofthemind:thelatteristhebranchandtheformerthetree,ortheroot.(And,I’mproudtoaddthatasaNewThoughter,IweartheMiraculousMedalaroundmyneckanduseiconographicprayercards.)

Moreover,I thinkthatournetworkofpsychologicallyconditionedfearsandreactiveemotionsaresometimesimpossibletobreakthroughwithoutresortingtoprayer.Asaprerequisitetovisualizationandother methods, there are times when wemust pray for respite from emotional habits, anxieties, andcompulsions thatbecloudourpsychesandsapourenergiesandenterprise.Weneedhelp topierce theshellofourownpsychologicallimitationsinordertoembarkonthepathofusingthemindinacreative,generativemanner.

I think it’svital toresort toprayer—inadirectappeal to theHigher—whenwefeel incapableofmustering a feeling-state of fulfillment or the ability to use our minds constructively. At times ofbrokenness, Ibelieve it’sefficaciousandappropriate to throwyourselfonyourkneesandbegGodforsomething.Yes,beg.We’renotsupposed todo that inNewThoughtandpositive-mind traditions.NewThought teaches “affirmativeprayer,”whichmeansholding a thoughtor visual image, asking aHigherPowerindeepestconfidencetofulfillyourneeds,and“believingit isdone.”Butwhybeboundtothatconvention?IfyoubelieveintheintercessionofaHigherPower,asIdo,usethelanguageofyourheart.Whetherdemanding,lovinglyrequesting,arguing,orpleading,thereisnowrongwaytopray,justasthereisnowrongwaytoaffirm.

Traditionally speaking, the Father is said to provide everything freely. But what if prayer istransactional?WhatdoweofferGod inexchange for thehelpwe request?Historically, Ibelieve it isentirely valid to attempt tomake a “deal”withGod. In a sense, the entire spiritual basis of Judaisminvolvesman’s fulfillments of God’s injunctions in exchange for life, plenty, and security. This is thespiritualbasisof theancientpracticeof tithing.Some interpreters teach thatweshould tithe,pray,andgivewithoutexpectation.Isthatreallypossible—evenasanideal?YoucannotfoolyourselforGodthat

youdon’talsoharborayearningwithin.EveniftheCreatoradornstheliliesandfeedsthebirds,hehasalsomandated that you and Imust earn and sow.Except for very subtlemoments, it can be an act ofartificetoprayfreeofallattachment,evenifthatattachmentissimplytobeshownyourrightpath.

How do we bargain with God, as did the patriarchs? One time years ago I felt particularlydesperate,andlongedtoescapeapersonalentanglement.IlookedoutacrossasmalllakeandprayedtoGodtodeliverfrommetormentingcircumstances.Dothisforme,Ivowed,andIwilleverafterstrivetomakemybodyandmindintoaninstrumentforyourwill.Iwassoonfreedfromthesecircumstances.Ididalesserjobofkeepingmyendofthearrangement.ButIwassincere,andIdothinkbacktomyvowwheneverIamtemptedtodosomethingmorallyquestionable.

In the last chapter, Imentioned theMiraculous 54-DayRosaryNovena.Now, every person fromwhatever background must find the language of prayer that suits his or her needs. I take a radicallyecumenicalapproach,andpersonallyrecommendthishighlyrigorousprayerfromtheCatholictradition,which has been a crucial help tome, as have other Catholic devotions. In short, it involves saying atraditional Rosary prayer in two cycles: first, in petition of your request for 27 days, and second, inthanksgivingforanother27days,foratotal54days.

In the traditional telling, onMarch 3, 1884, the gravely ill daughter of an Italianmilitary officerexperiencedavisitationoftheVirginMary.Theillgirlwastold:“WhoeverdesirestoobtainfavorsfromMe should make three novenas*12 in petition of the prayers of the Rosary, and three novenas ofthanksgiving.”Sherecovered.Thefaithfularetoldtosaythecycleofthanksgivingprayerswhetherornottherequesthasbeengranted.

I have found this 54-day devotion extremely powerful—and practical. But do not even think ofbeginningitunlessyouarewhollycommitted.SayingaRosarytakesatleasttwentyminutes;hence,youarededicatingyourselftoaminimumtwenty-minutedevotionfor54consecutivedays.Ifyoufeelaneedacutelyenough,youwillbeabletodoit.Ifyoufindyourselfskippingdaysorfallingoffschedule,youareprobablynotsufficientlyfocusedon,orneedfulof,yourobjective.

Mypractice is todraw twogridsofboxes,eachnine rows longand three rowsdeep; the first islabeled,“I:InPetition”andthesecond,“II:InThanksgiving.”Thisgivesyoutwocycles—petitionandthanks—andfifty-fourboxestocheckoff.YoucanavailyourselfofanynumberofbooksandwebsitestowalkyouthroughthebasicsoftheRosaryprayeritself.

Iencouragearevolutionaryapproachtothepossibilitiesofprayer.OneofmyheroesfrommodernJewishtradition is a St. Louis, Missouri, rabbi named Louis Witt (1878–1950). In 1927, Witt addressed agatheringoftheCentralConferenceofAmericanRabbis,whichwasthenthelargestrabbinicalassemblyinthenation.HewantedorganizedJudaism,andparticularlyitsmoreliberalbranchestowhichhewasconnected,totakeseriouslythebenefitsofprayerhealingandmindmetaphysicsandtoincorporatesuchthings into the Jewish ministry. He delivered and defended a committee report to that effect. Witt’sfindingswerealmosthooteddownbyskeptical,sometimescausticattendees.Butonthefinalnightofthegathering, he responded with a stunning response from the convention floor, preserved in meetingtranscripts, inwhichhedefendedthetherapeuticusesofprayerandmindpower.Witt’sstatementis, tome,oneofthegreat“lost”piecesofJewishoration:

Now it has been said, to my utter amazement, that this report and this recommendation is a departure fromJudaism.IfitisadeparturefromJudaismthenIwishIcouldbeinsomethingelsethanintheJewishministry.IclaimthisistheveryessenceofallthatisfineandbeautifulinOrthodoxJudaism.Itisthatwhichhauntsthoseofuswho

havebeenraised inOrthodoxy.Orthodoxfathersandmothersdidnothaveourrationalisticattitude.TothemGodwasareality.ItestedoutthisrecommendationinNewYorkCitylastweek.IaskedagroupofOrthodoxJewstogivemesomeoftheirexperiences...Iknewsomeofthemveryintimately.Oneofthemtoldmethathisdaughterwasvery ill.Hewent to theSynagogue,hesaid,andhadaprayeroffered forhisdaughter.Whenhecamehomehisdaughtersaidtohim,“Papa,Ihadadream;IdreamedthatmybedwascarriedtothealtarandIbegantofeelbetter.”

Thephysiciancamethefollowingdayandalthoughhehadheldoutnohopethedaybefore,hesaid,“Yourchildisgoingtogetwell.”

Ihavegoneintothehospitals;IhaveheardOrthodoxJewssay,“Godwillhelp.”ThisiswhatsavedJudaism,ithasbeenthatpersonalattitudetoaGodwhowasvery,verynear,whocouldhealthesick,whowasalwayspresentintimeoftrouble,whowasalwaysdoingaspiritualhealing....

Iammovedalmosttosmile—andifitwerenotsotragicIwouldsmile—whenIhearsomeoftherabbissay:LetusgivethepeoplemoreJudaism.Youhavebeentalking“moreJudaism”eversinceIhavebeenamemberofthisConference.Whathaveyougot?Youhavegotnothingoutofitbecauseyouhavegonethewrongway.YouareputtingoutnewtextbooksandyouaregivingmoreeloquentsermonsonplaysandnovelsandsuchthingsandyouaretalkingbeforeRotaryClubsandonInternationalPeace,andallthosethings.Theyareincidentaltoreligion....

Awomancametomethreeweeksago,inthedepthsofmelancholia.Ididnotknowwhattodoforher.Italkedasadoctormighttalk—butIwantedtoofferprayerforthatwomanandIwantedthatwomantofeel that Imyselfhavebeenhelped.Ihavegonethroughtheperiodofmelancholia.IhavebeenaneurasthenicbecauseofanutterdisillusionmentwithregardtocertainthingsintheJewishministry,andthethingstowhichIdedicatedmylife,andmanyofyouhaveconfessedtomeinpastyears,andsomeofyouconfessedtomelastnightandthenightbefore,thatyouaresufferingthesamething.Wearehidingthesethingsfromtheworld...butthefactisthatthereismanyarabbiwhoissufferingfromasicksoulandhissoulissickbecauselifehasmeantfrustrationanddisillusionmentforhimandweourselvesarenothelpedenoughbytheGodthatwepreach—Godisnotnearenoughtous....

IwantthisConferencetosaythatthereismorepowerinreligionthanweareutilizing,andIwantusthentoproceedtoutilizethatpower.

MEDITATING

Therearemanybooksonmeditation,andIwillnotattemptheretoconsiderthemyriadmethods,ancientandmodern.Idobelievethatameditativepracticeisvitaltoanyspiritualjourney.Amongotherthings,meditationprovidesakindoffoundationalstartingpointtoensurethebestmentalandemotionalstateforprayer and theuseofmind therapeutics. In somecases, as seen in the researchof psychiatristAinslieMeares,meditationitselfisadecisivefactorinhealing.

My personal practice is TranscendentalMeditation, an extremely relaxing,mantra-based form ofmeditation used for about twentyminutes in themorning and evening.Certified teachers can be foundonline. I highly recommend it, especially for people who have difficulty meditating. Other forms ofmeditation involve concentration, visualization, or “just sitting.” Jon Kabat-Zinn, an impeccableresearcher and thinker, has advocated a modified form of Buddhist-derived “just sitting” meditation,whichhehaspopularizedinhisnationwideprogramofMindfulness-BasedStressReduction,orMBSR.Thistherapyhasmadeimpressiveinroadsinhospitalsandmainstreammedicine.

We like to think of meditation as “easy,” but people sometimes underestimate the commitmentrequiredbymeditationprograms.Asnoted,someofMeares’spatientsmeditateduptothreehoursdaily.Even old-school self-help books, such as the 1960 Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz, M.D.,prescribemeditativepracticesthatrequireacommitmentofatleastonehourdaily.Maltz,apioneeringcosmetic surgeon, taught that the individual could recondition his self-image through visualizations; heprescribed a half hour of “just sitting” meditation and another half hour of visualizing, in which themeditator pictured himself in peak performance. I am a great admirer ofMaltz’s program (aswere asurprising rangeof figures, including first ladyNancyReagan, actress JaneFonda, andartistSalvadorDali),butitisimportantnottounderestimatethecommitmentrequired.Tobeginsuchaprogramandthen

trailoffforlackoftimeordisciplineleadsonlytodisappointment.The point is: All of these practices canwork provided you possess the one indispensable trait

necessaryforanysuccessfulprogramofself-development:impassionedcommitment.Thenextchapterisdedicatedwhollytothatpoint.

CHANTING

Imustexploreonefurthermethodinusingyourmindasacausativeinstrument.Itis,ineffect,amantra,originally written in Sanskrit and reformed into thirteenth-century Japanese: nam myoho renge kyo.DerivedfromthetitleoftheclassicalBuddhisttexttheLotusSutra,thephrasemeansroughly:“Idedicatemyselftothemysticlawofcauseandeffect.”

Chanting these four sounds—nam myoho renge kyo—is, in my experience, a practice of greatpower.ItformstheheartofwhatiscalledNichirenBuddhism,namedforitsfounder,athirteenth-centuryBuddhistpriest,andpracticedtodaybySokaGakkaiInternational,orSGI.Ilearnedthischantingpracticefromsomeonewhoembodiesitspotential,EmilyGrossman,anextraordinarymental-healthprofessional.

EmilyworksattheJewishBoard,NewYorkCity’slargestmental-healthagency,whereshetrainsemployees and designs programs to aid the recovery of people with mental illness. She is distinctlyeffectiveatwhatshedoesbecausesheunderstandswhatworksfromtheperspectiveofherownrecovery;andbecausesheexemplifiestheself-developmentprincipleofherspiritualpractice.

Emily was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in 1996, just two months into her freshman year atEmoryUniversity.ShewasanebullientyoungEnglishmajor, acheerleader,andanoutgoingsourceofencouragementtoothers,yetherfutureseemedcompletelycutshort.Emily’sdepressionandpanicattacksweresoseverethatshehadtoreturnhometoNewJersey,wheresheexperienceddebilitatingrelapsesthat “broke through” her medication regimen. She suffered chronic thoughts of suicide and was soemotionallyimpairedthateventhesimpleactofusinganATMmachinewastoodifficulttomanage.Shefoundherself in andoutof institutions andgrouphousingand faced thevery realprospectof a lifeofhospitalization.

Her younger sister, Pam, a thoughtful seeker and artist in her own right, handedEmily a copy ofAnthonyRobbins’sself-helpbookAwakentheGiantWithin.ThebookgaveEmilya renewedsenseofinneragencyandpushedhertoexplorenewpossibilitiesintreatment.ManyjournalistsandsocialcriticsregardRobbins,themountainouslifecoachandpurveyorofayou-can-do-itethos,assomethingofajokeor huckster. He is no such thing. Hismessage of self-possibility has saved lives. It opened Emily tooptions.

Afterbouncinginandoutofjobs,EmilybegantoregainherfootingandmovedtoNewYorkCityin2005toattendTeacher’sCollegeatColumbiaUniversity,fromwhichshegraduatedthenextyear.Atthetimeshehalf-jokinglytoldaclassmate:“OnedayI’mgonnamovetoCaliforniaandbecomeaBuddhist.”Thefriendreplied:“Well, I’mfromCaliforniaandI’maBuddhistand there’sameeting tonight.”Thatmarkedherintroductiontothepracticeofchantingnammyohorengekyo.

“VerysoonafterIstartedpracticing,”Emilysaid,“InoticedthatIwasnotassymptomatic—Iwasn’tfeeling as depressed, in fact Iwas feelinghappy.Mymedicine—whichhadn’t changed—wasworkingbetter.”

Likeme,EmilygrewupinatraditionalJewishhousehold,inhercaseinMarlboro,NewJersey.I

had a small orthodox barmitzvah at a synagogue inNewHydePark,Queens.Neither place is on theleading edge of NewAge spirituality. But during her recovery, Emily experienced what I consider abreakthroughspiritualinsight.

WhileshewasexperimentingwiththeideasofRobbins,DeepakChopra,SharonSalzberg,andotheralternativespiritualthinkers,andwhileatthestartofherjourneyintoBuddhism,sheprayedtotheGodofherchildhood“forapracticethatreflectedeverythingIwasreadinginthosebooks.”Ratherthanfeelingthatshewasabandoningherchildhoodtradition,sheaskedheroldtraditiontoopenanewdoorforher:“IchantedandIsaid,‘God,I’mgoingtobetalkingtoyouinadifferentwaynow.’”Lookatherremarkagain:“God,I’mgoingtobetalkingtoyouinadifferentwaynow.”Thatstatementdisplaysgreatmoralaptitude—and summarizes the challenge and courage of theNewAge and positive-mindmetaphysicalpractice. We are beings of radical ecumenism. Our myriad religious traditions, while using vastlydifferent liturgiesandsometimesharboringdifferentaims,nonethelessserveas interlockingchains thatcandeliverus towhat is intimatelyneeded, even if amethodorpractice liesoutside thebordersof atraditionitself.Theparadoxofreligionisthatitcandeliveryoutosolutionsbeyonditsownpremises.

Thatfirsteveningin2005whenEmilylearnedaboutchanting,afriendcounseled:“Makealistofeverything you want to change in your life.” Emily recalled: “My desires were that I wanted a badrelationshiptoend;Ineededajobrightafterschool—andIneededtokeepthejob;Ineededacar;andIwantedtoliveinHoboken,NewJersey.”Thesewereimmenselypracticalaims.Eachwasnecessary(acar, a steady job—do you see why I refuse to judge “material” needs?) for assembling a life ofindependencewhilerecoveringfromseveredepression.Eachcametoher.Andhasremainedwithher.

Asofthiswriting,Emilyisthirty-eightandwasdiagnosedtwentyyearsago.Sheholdsagraduatedegree, lives awholly independent existence (aftermore than ten hospitalizations and a stay in grouphousing),andmaintainsadistinguishedcareerasaneducatorofmental-healthprofessionals.“I’vehadnomaniaordepressioninyears,”shetoldmein2017.“Icontinuethemeds—butIhaven’tchangedtheminmorethanadecade.”

Thereisnoquestion,intheeyesofEmily,herfamily,ormyself,thatchantingwasanindeliblefactorinherrecovery—onethatnotonlystabilizedhermoodbutalsogavehernewideasaboutmanaginghersymptomsandlifestyle.Whydidherchantingwork?Emilyispragmatic:“Myimpressionisthatchantingchanged the neuro-pathways inmy brain,” providing new coping skills andways of learning.But sheconcedes amoremystical possibility: “When I chant it putsme in rhythmwith thegreatest lawof theuniverse”—thatis,withahigherlawofcauseandeffect.

Is there sucha law?Whetheryou regardsuchaclaimasmetaphorormetaphysical fact,our solemeansofmeasurementaretheresultsfoundinthelifeofthepractitioner.“Wedealinactualproof,”Emilysaid.“Notfallingasleepinclassorthejob.Wakingupontime.Relievedcognitiveimpairment”—thesefactsbecamepartofherexperience;theyweretheelementsthatallowedhertoliveindependently.

Neverlimityoursenseofpossibilitiesorexperimentation,especiallywhensearchingforawayoutofacrisisordifficulty.Anewideaorpracticedoesnotnecessarilyrequiregivingupanoldone.Emilydidnotdiscontinuehermedicationsortreatment,andwouldencouragenoonetodoso.Butinchantingnammyohorengekyo, she foundapractice thatgotherusinghermind in adifferentway.That is thekeynote of mind metaphysics: finding methods that make the mental act into a transformational andtranscendentvehicle.

Iarguethatwecanpierceathinveilthatseparatesmentalandspiritualexperience,thususingourmindsnotonlyastoolsofcognitionandmotorfunctionbutasinstrumentsofnavigationintohigher,unseenrealmsof psychology and cause and effect.Wemaybe unable to see, describe, or fully identify these

otherspheresofexistence—buttheirimpactispalpablyfeltinourlives,astheywereinEmily’s.

CHAPTERFIVE

HOWTOMAKEAMIRACLE

This is themost important chapter in this book. If you take nothing else fromwhat I’vewritten,actonthischapter.

Ihavespentnearly twenty-fiveyearsofmyadult lifesearching through thespiritualculture—during which time I have worked as a body-mind-spirit publisher, a historian of alternativespirituality, andan individual seeker, samplingand strugglingwithmanyof the ideasof self-liberationandself-developmenton thecurrent spiritual scene (andworkingwith theoriginatorsof someof theseideas).

Thisperiodoftimehasconvincedmeoftheexistenceofonedeeplypowerfulforce,whichcanbecultivatedasameansofadvancingtowardasenseofpersonalcompleteness,meaning,andself-purpose.Wearealwaysusingthisforce,ormoreoftenareusedbyit,forgoodorill.Thisforceexertsakindofgravitationalpull,sometimesstrongenoughtoflattenorabrogatemountainsofcircumstance,orerectnewmountains,blockingourpathtowherewethinkwewanttogo.Thisforcefunctions,eitherintimatelyoronamacroscale,asacatalystforharmonyorfriction.Itcandeliverustocircumstancesandeventsthatsurpassallconventionalornaturalexpectation,which,asnotedearlier,Idefineasamiracle.

Whatisthisoverlookedenergy?Thepowerofonedeeplyfeltwish.Onefinelyhoned,exclusivelyfocused,andpassionatelyfeltdesire.Somethingthatfeelstoyoulikebreathitself.Findthis,andyouwilldiscoverapowerlikenoneotheravailabletoyou.Thisconceptinitiallyreachedmethroughtheexampleof one of the most impactful thinkers of the past century, Bill Wilson, cofounder of AlcoholicsAnonymous.

In1934,Billwashospitalizedanddesperateforasolutiontohiscompulsiveandself-immolatingdrivetodrink.HislongtimefriendEbbyThacherintroducedhimtotheprinciplethatalcoholismrequiresaspiritualsolution.BillwasabletostaysoberbyembracingtheideasthatEbbybroughttohim,includingprinciples from the Christian fellowship the Oxford Group, psychologist Carl Jung, and philosopherWilliamJames.Billusedtheseideas,andtheexperienceofhisownspiritualawakening,tolaythebasisforthetwelvestepsandAlcoholicsAnonymous.

Yet,tragically,EbbyThacher,themanwhoignitedBillWilson’sinterestinspiritualself-help,soonrelapsed intodrunkenness.Ebbyspentmuchofhis remaining life inabattlewithalcohol,often illanddestitute.WhenEbbydiedin1966,hewassoberbutlivingasadependentatarecoverycenterinupstateNewYork.Billregularlysenthimcheckstokeephimgoing.NotthatBill’slegswerealwaysstrong.Hecontinuallystruggledwithdepressionandchain-smoking.Buthedidattainhislife’sgoal.Untilhediedin1971,heneverdrankagain.

Whydidonemanremainsoberandanotherrelapse?

Bill’s wife, Lois, in a passage from her memoir, Lois Remembers, described, in an understatedmanner,thedifferenceshesawbetweenthetwomen.Insodoing,Loisilluminatedamystery,maybeeventhemystery,ofhumannature:

Afterthosefirsttwoyears...whydidEbbygetdrunk?ItwashewhogaveBillthephilosophythatkepthimsober.Whydidn’titkeepEbbysober?Hewassincere,I’msure.Perhapsitwasadifferenceinthedegreeofwantingsobriety.Billwanteditwithhiswholesoul.Ebbymayhavewanteditsimplytokeepoutoftrouble.

Billwanteditwithhiswholesoul.Thatisthekey.Withintheparametersofphysicalpossibilities,you receivewhat you “wantwith yourwhole soul”—whether inner truth, a personal accomplishment,relationships,orwhateveritis.Excludingsomegreatcountervailingforce,andforeitherillorgood,theonethingthatyouwantaboveallelseiswhatyouget.Thismaybegdispute.Peopleclaimthattheyhavenotreceivedwhattheywantinlife.Butwecanfoolourselves.Sometimesourmemorygetscloudedoveror rearranged during an interval of time, and we emotionally disclaim or forget what we focused onintensivelyatanearlierstageoflife.

Taking a leaf fromGoethe’sFaust, RalphWaldo Emerson, in his 1860 essay “Fate,” noted thisdynamic—leadingtothepopularizedadage:Becarefulwhatyouwishfor,youjustmightgetit:

Andthemoralisthatwhatweseekweshallfind;whatwefleefromfleesfromus;asGoethesaid,“whatwewishforinyouth,comesinheapsonusinoldage,”toooftencursedwiththegrantingofourprayer:andhencethehighcaution,that,sincewearesureofhavingwhatwewish,wemustbewaretoaskonlyforhighthings.

Othertimeswearesimplyoblivioustowhatwewant,tellingourselvesinternallywhatwethinkweshouldwant (e.g., a nice family, a good home), butwe actually harbor adifferent wish, one that wesometimesdenyorfailtorecognizewhenitpressesatthewallsofourawareness.

Positive-mindphilosophyplaces ademandonus, one thatwemay thinkwe’ve risen tobut havenever really tried. And that is: To come to an understanding of precisely what we want. When weorganizeour thoughts inacertainway—witha fearlessmaturityandhonesty—wemaybesurprised todiscover our true desires. A person who considers himself “spiritual” may uncover a deep wish forworldlyattainment;someonewhohaslaboredtosupporttheworkofothersmayfindthathehasdeeplyunsettled yearnings of his own for self-expression; someone who is very public or extroverted mayrealizethathereallywantstobealone.

Recall scientistDeanRadin’s story from theprevious chapter.His research assistant toldhimhemustfirstarriveatavividpictureofwhathewanted,whichinhiscasewasanexperiencedneuroscientistwilling to analyze nontraditional data for free.Dean refined his focus to theends.When you begin toidentifyyournaturaldesires,youbegintodistinguishthemeansfromthethingitself.Andthethingitselfiseverything.

This process is not a mental exercise alone. In Dean’s case, a tremendous degree of effort andbackgroundworkpredicatedhisabilitiesofcausationandvisualization.Hisactionsinalltheirforms—work, study, effort, enterprise—enlisted other possibilities, including the intellectual, physical, and

extraphysical.Hisactoffocuswastheclosingcatalyst.Youmusthoneyourfocuswhilepushingonthehandlesofaplow.Thoughtwithoutlaborislikefaithwithoutworks:dead.

MILITARYSTRATEGYASSELF-HELP

ThedynamicI’vebeendescribing—focusingandactingonadesirewithsingularcommitment—playsoutnotonlyinthelivesofindividualsbutalsointheeventsofnationsandcivilizations.WesawthisprocessatworkhistoricallyinAmerica’sinvolvementinVietnam,thoughinaninvertedform.

Earlyinmycareerasaneditorinthemid-1990s,IhadtheprivilegeofworkingwithColonelHarryG.Summers(1932–1999),adecoratedVietnamofficerwhosebookOnStrategy isconsideredperhapsthegreatestanalysisofwhytheUnitedStateslostinVietnam.Itbecameakindofstrategybibleamongacohortofyoungofficersinthepost-Vietnamera.

WhenImetCol.Summers,Iwasworkingtowardestablishingmyselfasaneditorofpoliticalbooks,whichcanmakemycurrentroleasahistorianandpublisherofalternativespiritualityseemdiscursive.Likelinesonamap,however,thecurvesandswitchbacksofaperson’slifearelikethenaturalcontoursofanypath.Today,Iseehowvariousaspectsofmycareerconverged,eventheseeminglydiffusefieldsofmilitarystrategyandself-help.

Abluntanderuditeman,Col.SummersarguedthattheU.S.armywasentirelycapableofwinningthewaragainstNorthVietnam.Noneoftheopposingcircumstanceswereinsurmountable,hewrote,and,contrary to popular perception, American forces almost always prevailed on the battlefield, oftendeliveringwitheringblowsthatsenttheenemyinflightandresultedinterritorialgains.

Sowhat,fromamilitaryperspective,wentwrong?Thedespoiling factor,Col.Summersmaintained, is that thenation’spolitical leadership failed to

build“moralconsensus”forthewaramongtheAmericanpublic.PresidentLyndonJohnsonneveraskedCongressforaformaldeclarationofwar,whichmanypolicy-makersatthetimeviewedasanoutdatedformality.Withoutaformaldeclaration,andthepoliticalprocessunderscoringit—whichrequiredmakingacaseforawarandframingtheattendantstakesandsacrifices—thepublicasawholewasnevertrulypersuaded. Hence, policymakers lacked the consent and authority to undertake an overwhelming wareffort, relying instead on Defense Secretary Robert McNamara’s chimerical (and failed) notion of a“limited war.” The result was quagmire and pointless carnage abroad, and moral confusion andoppositionathome.

Yearafteryear,thenation’spoliticalleadershipauthorizedthearmytomoreorlessmuddlealonginahalf-inandhalf-outeffort,whicherodedpoliticalsupportandfrustratedcommanders.Withoutpopularsupport and a formalwardeclaration,Col.Summerswrote, thewarnever shouldhavebeen fought tobeginwith.

Whatworksinmilitarystrategyisthesameaswhatworksinallotherareasoflife.Youmustbe“allin.”Youmust select anultimategoal towhichyoudedicateyourselfwithunreservedcommitment—ordon’tdoitatall.Whenyoudecideonyourgoal,then“burnthefleet”;throwyourselfintoitwithtotality.Reverseorchangeplansonlywhenfactualevidenceoroverwhelmingcircumstancerequiresit.

THEONETHING

Weliketothinkthatwecanbalanceeverythinginlife.Andweare,ofcourse,facedwithmultipleandsometimes shifting demands. You likely want happiness at home, health for yourself and your family,material comfort for people around you, and so on. These are all sound. But youmust take this self-knowledgeI’vebeendescribing,and,acceptingthatlife’sneedsaremultiple,useittodedicateyourselftoyourcoreaim.Onewell-selectedaimwillfacilitatetheothers.

Youraimmustbespecific,concrete,andplain.Itmustbeachievable,evenifgreatlybold.Bewareofaimsthatareself-contradicting,suchastravelingtoexoticplaceswhilealsoraisingyoungchildren.Orbecomingagreatleaderwhilealsohavinglotsofleisuretime.Anaimissingle-minded.

Anexampleofthiscametomein1996,whenImetafigurewhosoonexplodedacrossthepoliticalscene.One afternoon, I spoke for several hourswithnow-SenatorCoryBooker (D-New Jersey),whowasthenaneagerandhighlyambitiousRhodesscholarandstudentatYaleLawSchool.Mutualfriendstoldme:“You’vegottomeetthisguy;he’sgoingtobepresidentsomeday.”Hewasearnestbutstudied,anddeeplypersuasive.Icouldseeexactlywhatpeoplemeant.CoryquicklyrosetobecomethenationallyprominentmayorofNewark,NewJersey,andthenasenatorandprospectiverunningmateforcandidateHillaryClinton(shechoseSenatorTimKaine).

As of thiswriting, in 2017,Cory is on the short list for any executive ticket to emerge from theDemocraticParty.Youwillbeabletoseeforyourselfwhetherhebecomespresident,arolethatpeersforesawforhim—and that Iamcertainhe foresawhimself—whilehewas inhis twenties.SomewereturnedoffbyCory’sambition. Iwasnot.Heknewpreciselywhathewantedandpossessed theskills,intellect,anddrivetoattainit.Inareaswherehewaslacking,hewaswillingtogaintheneededskills.(Hemade easy, perhaps too easy, friends in finance, so fundraisingwas head started.) In short, Corypossessedahugelyambitiousbutalsoactionablegoal.

Contrary tomanypurveyorsof spiritual self-help, I reject thenotion thatwecanbecomeanything wedreamof.Notalldesiresarerealistic.Youmustpossessthewillingnessandabilitytobegin,andtoforgeaheadonyourown.Yourage,training,andeducationmatter—asdogeography,finances,andtime.Thesearenot tobeseenasbarriers—but theyareseriousconsiderations.Surprisesdooccur:TheCaribbeannationofJamaicadid,infact,produceanOlympicbobsleddingteamin1988(asdepictedinthecomedyCoolRunnings).Andsomesignificantactorsdidnot landtherolesforwhichtheybecameknownuntilmiddleage.ClassicallytrainedactorJonathanFridwasabouttoleavethestageandbeginworkingasadramacoachwhen,atageforty-two,helandedtheiconicroleofvampireBarnabasCollinsonTV’sDarkShadows.YoumayrecallactorAllanArbusasthepsychiatristSidneyFreedmanontheacclaimedsitcomM*A*S*H—hegotthatroleatagefifty-fiveafterworkingformostofhislifeasaphotographer.So,Iamnot suggesting thatyou retreatbeforebarriers;but justbecognizant and realistic aboutwhereyouare,whatisrequired,andyourwillingness,throughhardtimesandgood,toseeyourprojectthrough.

Do youwant to be a professional actor—and do youmaturely understand the years of hard-wontraining and dedication involved? Do you possess the natural talent, physical appearance, grace, anddexterity required? (By physical appearance I do not mean traditional good looks but a certain“something” that makes you distinctive.) Do you have the stomach and resilience for the tears, joys,terrors,anddedicationthatactingandtheauditiongrindentails?Haveyoubeentoprofessionalauditionsandseenthecompetitionyouarefacedwith?Areyoualreadydoingsomeorallof this?Haveyouthemeansto?Iseverythingelseinyourlifesecondarytothis?Thenwriteitdownasyourgoal.

Inseekingarealisticsenseofself-capacityandpurpose,IhavebeenguidedbyapassagefromtheTalmudicbookEthicsoftheFathers:“Findthatplacewheretherearenomen;gothere;andtherestriveto

beaman.”Thiscanbereadonmanylevels.Hereisone:Youmustfindthatplace—literally,figuratively,orboth—whereyourrealabilitiesareneeded;thengotheretodoyourwork.

Scanyourlifeforareaswhereyouhavebeenespeciallyabletosolvethingsforyourselfandothers.Whereyouaddedtothenetoutputofaproduct,business,ororganization.Whereyoumadearesoundinglywell-receivedpointorcontributedaconcreteimprovementtosomething.Whereyoulightenedaloadonothers or displayed a trait toward which people gravitated. Those are immensely valuable pieces ofinformation.

Justwishingtobeamathwhiz,anathlete,oranastronautisinsufficient.Youmusthaveaunity,anintegration between your wishes and some vital and developing capacity within yourself—somethingexpressiveofaroleyoucanfillinlife.Theremustbeaconcentrationofenergiesandadevelopmentofinnercapacities,aswellasthedeeplyfeltwish.

That was the nature of my path to becoming a writer. I began my writing career as a reporterworkinganovernightcrimebeatfortheTimesLeader,adailynewspaperinWilkes-Barre,Pennsylvania.Ihatedit.First,Ihadtoputupwiththeidioticjokes:“Is thereanycrime inWilkes-Barre?”(Answer:Yes.AsIwritethesewords,Wilkes-Barre,apartofournation’sformerindustrialbelt,isbeingravagedbyaheroinepidemic.)Moreprivately,Iagonizedovermydecisionto joinapaperwhoseownershadseveralyearsearlierbusteditsunion.Iamprolabor,butIwentthereanyway.ItwasagutlessdecisionforwhichI’veneverfullyforgivenmyself.Andtheworkofapolicereporterdidn’tsuitme.Idislikedmanyoftheareacops(astheydidme),andIgottiredofthesuspiciousattitudethatmanyofthelocalsharboredtowardoutsiders.AlthoughIdeliveredmanyoutstandingstories,Iwouldcountthehourseachnightuntilmyshiftended.

OneeveningIwaschasingastoryaboutacopaccusedofrape.Iwasfindingmywayaroundthewallof“bluesilence,”inwhichpolicedon’tdiscussacrimecommittedbyoneoftheirown.ThatnightacityeditormadetheabysmaljudgmentcallofpullingmeoffthatimportantstoryinordertocoveralocalIrishfestival.Igrumbledoverthedecisionbuttrudgedofftothefestival.Anotherreporterbrokemystory.While I was complaining about it in the newsroom the next day, a fellow reporter, a French womandisplacedtoWilkes-Barre(thiswasstraightoutofaDavidLynchmovie),confrontedmeandsaidthatIhadn’treallywantedthestory.

“What?”Iasked.“Howcouldyousaythat?”“Look,”shesaid,“IknowthatyouwerepissedoffwhenLindasentyoutocovertheIrishfestival.

Butyoushould’verefused.Youshould’vesaidno.Youdidn’treallywantthecopstorybadlyenough.Youletitgettakenfromyou.”

Iwasflattenedbythetruthofwhatshesaid.Iwassickinside—becauseIknewshewasright.LaterthatnightIreturnedtomyapartment.Iwentstealthilybecause,amongtheotherjoysofmytimethere,Iwasbeing stalkedbyaviolent streetvagrantwith a feralpit bull; I hadexposedhis assaultsonotherhomelesspeople.Onceinside,Ilockedthedoor,droppedtothefloor,andprayedtoGodwitheverythinginme that ifwhatmy colleague toldmewas true (and I knew itwas) to either helpme recommit tojournalismorgivemetheresolvetogetoutofit.Iwouldnothangaroundmyfieldasamediocrity.

Igotout.ItookajobinbookpublishinginNewYorkCity,aplaceIyearnedtolive.Thatprovedaso-so compromise. I did all right and earned a decent enough living; but I didn’t feel like I stood foranything.Iwantedtobeinfrontofthecamera,literallyandfiguratively,notjustfacilitatingtheworkofothers.Theyearspiledup—five,ten,fifteen—sinceIleftbehindwritinginWilkes-Barre(alamentrarelyheardinAmericanletters).Iwasrestlessanddissatisfied.

Then,insummerof2003,somethingunexpectedoccurred.Twofriends,AmandaPisaniandRandall

Friesen,wererunningthepositive-thinkingmonthlyScienceofMind—andhadlandedaverybig“get.”All-StarpitcherBarryZito,thenwiththeOaklandA’s,committedtoaninterview.Barryusedpositive-mindmethodsinhistraining,includingaffirmations,prayers,andvisualizations.Insidetherimofhiscaphepastedthemantra:“Bestillandknow.”In2002, thesouthpawhadgonefromthenear-bottomofthemajorleaguestowinningmoregamesinasingleseasonthananyAmericanLeaguepitchersince1988.“Dude,”hetoldareporter,“that’snotacoincidence.”

Barry’s father, Joe, andmother,Roberta,were themselvesdeeply intomindmetaphysics, andhadinfused their son with similar values. He had since become one of the most talked about figures inbaseball.MyfriendsatScienceofMindrealizedthisinterviewwasabigopportunity,andtheybroughtittomeassomeonetheycouldtrust.Ivowednottodisappointthem.

Newsfeaturesareoftenwrittenpassively:astringofquotespastedtogetherwithalittleassociativematerial,andthereporterbeingledaroundbywhateverthesubjectwantstosay.Iapproachedthestorydeterminedtowriteitmyway.Asawriter,youmustbeactiveandmakeyourowndefensible,fact-baseddecisionsaboutthestructureofapiece.Youmustlocateatheme,organizethenarrativeasyoudecide,andprovidetransitionsandveritiessothereadercanfollowyourprogressionofthought.

After interviewingBarryandcompleting theprofile,“Barry’sWay,” I feltasenseofpurpose thathadpreviouslyeludedmeasawriter.Ashisstorycameintofocus,Idiscoveredmyownchiefaim:todocumentmetaphysicalexperienceinhistoryandpractice.IhadframedBarryasanexhibitofpositive-mindprinciples,whichisexactlywhatcouldbegleanedfromhiscareerandtraining,ifoneknewwhereto look. (I’ve repeatedlyhad“breaks”asahistorianand journalist, suchasdiscoveringoccult literaryinfluencesinthespeechesofRonaldReagan,whichI’vewrittenaboutintheWashingtonPostandSalon;this is not because I just happened upon revealing material but because I recognized terminology,references, and phrases that are missed by most mainstream historians and journalists, who have nobackgroundintheesotericorspiritual.*13)

About two weeks after my article appeared in October 2003, I got a phone call, whollyunexpectedly,fromBarry’sfather,Joe,whomIhadnevermet.Helovedthestory.“Mitch,”hegrowledintothephone,“youstickwiththisthing!”Hemeantmywritingaboutmetaphysical ideas.Joehadnoideaofmystruggleandmypast;hedidn’tknowme.Buthegotit,deadon.HesawwhatIwasafter,andhisdrill-sergeantencouragementgavemejusttheliftIneeded.BarrylatertoldmethatJoe,whodiedin2013,hadplayedthatroleinseveralpeople’slives.

Iexperiencedtherenewalofmywishtobeawriter—butontermsthatfarbettersuitedmyinterestsandtemperament.Ifeltasenseofmissionandpurpose—andIactedonit.AboutthreeyearsfromthedayIheardfromJoeZito,IhadacontractfromBantamformyfirstbook,OccultAmerica,whichwona2010PEN Oakland literary award (the New York Times called it “The ‘Blue-Collar’ PEN”), receivedwidespread andpositive reviews, got endorsements from figures as diffuse asKenBurns andDeepakChopra, and resulted inmy appearances onCBS SundayMorning,DatelineNBC, NPR’sAll ThingsConsidered,amongothernationalshows.Intheyearsahead,mywritingonalternativespiritualtopicsranin the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and many other nationalpublications.Ihadleftaregionalnewspaperwithmyheaddownatagetwenty-two.Bymyforties,Iwasseriouslyandunexpectedlybackinthegame.

Theroadwasgradualbutperceptible,helpedatasuddenmomentbyanopportunityforwhichIwasprepared.We’reoftentoldthatyoushouldnevergiveuponyourdreams,andIagreewiththat—butatthe same time your dreamsmust not be idle or fantastical, and they must employ powers that arewithin your reach. Resilience is an act. The constituent elements of a thingmust be in place, and inaction,beforeitsrealization.

Here’sanotherexampleofpositive-mindmechanicsfromthesportsworld;itreinforcestheimportanceofwritingdownagoal.SportsIllustratednamedCornellUniversitywrestlingchampionKyleDakeasitscollege athlete of the year in 2013. The collegian told a reporter how he built his career on arduoustrainingandNewThoughtmethods(hedidn’tusethatterm,butfewdo).Forthree-and-a-halfyears,thewrestlerfilledared-coveredspiralnotebookwith2,978affirmations,writtenatnightandinthemorning,affirminghisdesiredweight-classvictoriesduringthecourseoffourwrestlingseasons.

SportsIllustratedputitthisway:

Once in the morning and once at night as a freshman Dake wrote, 2010 141 lb DI NCAANationalChampion.Twiceinthemorningandtwiceatnightasasophomorehewrote,2011149lbDINationalChampion.Thriceinthemorningandthriceatnightasajuniorhewrote,2012 157 lbDINationalChampion. Four times in themorning and four times at night as aseniorhewrote,2013165lbDINationalChampion.

OnMarch23,2013,KyleDakemadehistoryasthefirstcollegewrestlertowinanNCAAtitleinfourdifferentweightclasses.

Athletics provide a useful window on New Thought because not only do many Olympians,collegians,andprosusevisualizationsandaffirmations(thisistruefordozenswithwhomI’vespoken—theU.S.Olympicswimteamhasemployeditsownvisualizationcoach),buttheresultsarechartable.Myyoungerson’sgymnasticscoachrequiresteammemberstoacarryanotebookwiththemandwritedownagoal for each day’s practice. And, of course, myriad factors, including natural talent and ceaselesstraining,mustbepresent.

WHATABOUTMONEY?

Ihaveearnedfinancialrewardsfrommywork,andIwishthesameforeveryonereadingthesewords.But Imust add thatdiscoveringwhereyourdreamsandabilities intersect isnoguaranteeof earningaliving. This book is not an employment guide. It is a guide to using the energies of yourmind in thedirectionofmeaning,purpose,andself-expression—tonotdiewith thewords“what if?”onyour lips.Becominganactor,forexample,maynotleadtoasteadypaycheck—youmayneedtoforeverretainyourdayjob.Butfailingtofulfillacreativerolemayotherwiseleaveatragicgapinyourlife.

As a teen, I dreamed of being a professional actor (something you may have gleaned from myexamples).IattendedtheLongIslandHighSchoolfortheArts,aregionalequivalentofNewYork’sHighSchoolofthePerformingArts,theschooldramatizedinFame.Atagesixteen,however,Iletgoofthisdream.Giventheriftsinmyhome,andthefinancialdisasterthataccompaniedit,Ifelt thatIneededtoplanforareliablecareer.Withthoughtsofasteadyfuture,Ithrewmyselfintomoretraditionalstudies.Wearing used clothes and hauling junk to a penny-a-pound recycling center, I was determined to bepractical.

Manyyears later, self-satisfiedwithmydecision, I sometimes judgedotherpeoplewhoremaineddedicatedtoactingbutwho,astheirthirtiesworeon,seemedtohavelittlechanceofearningalivingatit.Ioncetoldafriendofmine,anoutstandingbutstrugglingstageactor,that,asIsawit,ifsomeonehadn’tbroken throughbyhisorhermid-thirties, itwas time toembarkonPlanB,andseekadifferentcareer

path.Myfrienddisagreed.“Ifactingisanartthatsomeoneisdedicatedto,”hesaid,“heshouldstickwith

it.That’swhatanartistdoes—that’swhotheyare.”Hewasright.Inmy“realism”Ihadforgottenthatlifeisaboutmorethansettlingorbeingpractical—itisaboutbeingexpressiveofsomething,ofstandingforsomething. For all those years, I realized, Iwasmistaken inmy attitude, if notmy decision. There ispotencyandalivenessinpursuingyourart—evenwhenitdoesn’tpaytherentbyitself,oratall.“Alotofgreatartistsandmusicianshavedayjobsalltheirlives,”amusicianfriend,MelBergman,toldme.

Melisavisionarymakerofspecialtyguitars,includingtheWheely,acustomguitarforpeoplewhouse wheelchairs. He also plays in the pioneering instrumental surf-rock band The Phantom Surfers.“That’sgreat!”Itoldhimuponfirsthearingofhissurf-instrumentalgenre.

“That’swhateveryonesays,”hereplied.“Everyonesaysit’sgreat—noonelistenstoit.”Hewasn’tbeingcynical;hewasjustreflectingthefinancialrealityfacingmanyartists.Weallwant

toarriveataplacewhereourartandpassions,whatevertheyare,eventuallybecomeourdedicatedjob,andhopefully support a gainful lifestyle. I take that very seriously.But that, in the end, is not the truemeasurementofachievement.Pursuingyourpersonalagencies,engaginginthecreativeact,andenablingthehighestexperiencesofothers,inwhateverform,istheonlylastingmeasureofsuccess.Itbeginswithoneabsolutelydedicatedgoal.

CHAPTERSIX

METAPHYSICSANDMORALITY

Man’simaginationisthemanhimself,andtheworldasimaginationseesitistherealworld,butitisourdutytoimagineallthatislovelyandofgoodreport.

NEVILLE,OUTOFTHISWORLD

WhenIwasachild,therabbiofourlocalsynagogueinQueensstartedwearingatoupee.Some judgedhim for it, arguing that a spiritual leader shouldmodel self-acceptance andteach that life’s highest values are unseen. One of my family members, in a crushinglyembarrassing moment, confronted him about it on a greeting line one Saturday after

services.“Don’tyouthinkthat’salittleridiculous?”shesaid.“Idon’tthinkthat’sanyofyouraffair,”herespondedthroughtightlips.The rabbiwas correct—not just about the confrontationbut also about his choice.His detractors

werewrong.I amadamant that there is absolutelynothingwrongwith thepursuit of beauty, as youpersonally

conceive it, andwith the endeavor to reform the outerworld, including your own physicality, to yourmind’s-eyeimageofthegood.

Doyoublancheatthatandinsistthatthespiritualpathisoneofinnergrowthandradicalpersonalacceptance?Isay thespiritualpath is tomakeyouintoavesselfor thehighest idealsofcreativityandproductivity,aspertainingtoyour livedexperience.Anathletemustbestrongandfast;adancersvelteandelegant;anactorsuitedtohisrole.Thereare,ofcourse,personallimits.Ourbodiesandmindsdecay,andifthereisahigherformoflifethanthephysical,thenwemustbowtoitandseekglimpsesofitinourlivedexperience.Butthosefactsinthemselvesdonotservetodenyanindividual,anymorethananartistorentrepreneur,themeasuredpursuitofhisorherideal.Weliveintwoworlds.Todenyonefortheotherbringsusnoclosertotruth.

Indeed,concernwithpersonalappearance,aswithmoney,issomethingfromwhichnooneisfree.Wearecreatedasphysicalbeings.Lookattheemphasisonbeautythroughoutthegreatcultures:theornateceremonialgarbsof theHebrewsandtheMaya; the tributes tophysicality inVedic,Greek,andRomanart;andthesensualityoftheKamaSutraandSongofSolomon.Allformsofpersonalexistenceotherthanthesensoryarespeculative,howevermuchweholdtothemasideals.

At thesametime,Iamkeenlyawareof thedangerofone-sidednesswithregardtophysicality,as

withothermattersoflife.Whenphysicaldevelopmentandouteraestheticsbecomenotjustavaluebutanultimateend,not justa temporalaspectofself-expressionbutanabsolute in themselves,wecross intoethically dangerous ground.When concernwith appearance grows obsessive, when it becomes a godratherthananaspectoftheindividualasareflectionofGod,wearelost.

Balance,notstrainedasceticism,isthekey.To that end, and to avoid the pitfalls of one-sidedness, don’t dare begin a program of mental

metaphysicswithouthavingawell-roundedethicalphilosophyasadailyguide.Whetherit’stheGospels,the Ethics of the Fathers from the Talmud, the Bhagavad Gita—you must have a perennial work ofreligious or ethical philosophy to serve as a set of personal guardrails, or youmay fall into a trap ofselfishnessandnarrowpursuitofgoodies.

Ihavehadtheexperiencemyself.Mindmetaphysicscandirectustowardmanipulativeandharmfulpathsandpersuadeusthatthemerewantingofsomethingisvalidationenough,andthatthepursuitofanydesire,regardlessofwhoitaffectsorwhatnetworkofforcesitinstigates,isjustifiable.Thatisfalse—andtheethicaltraditionsoftheworldtellusso.

At the same time, letnooneelsedictate toyouwhatyou shouldwant.Orwhat formyourwantsshouldtake.Afinancieroncesaidtome:“Whatgoodissomethingunlessyoucanputyournameonit?”Ifindthatstatementcoarseandshallow.Itreducesalloflifetopossession.Andyet,Ichallenge“spiritual”peopletothinkforamomentbeforeflatoutdismissingit.Unlessyoupossessuttercertaintyofanunseenworldandofahigherscaleofvalues—notasvoicedbysomeoneelsebutas livedbyyou—itmaybeworthallowingyourselftobeperipherallyhauntedbythatstatement,whichraisesthepossibilitythattheworldweseereallyisallthereis.Now,Ibelievethatthephysicalworldisnotallthereis.Thereisanunseenworld.But—andmarkthis—thatbeliefitselfcannotfunctionasanexcusenottoexcelinthisone.Manypeople,especiallyinthealternativespiritualculture,adopt“spirituality”asanescapehatchfromthedemandsandrequirementsofouter life.Pausecarefullybeforeyoutellyourselforanother thatyouholdadifferent,andpresumablybetter,scaleofvaluesthanthosefoundinoutwardstrivings.

Thefinancier’sstatement,howeverugly,capturedhalfatruth.Thewholetruthisthatourlives,asvesselsfortheHigherandreceptorsofthought,areindeliblyboundupwiththeworldandcircumstancesin which we find ourselves.Whatever higher influences we feel, and great thoughts we think or areexperiencedbyusthroughtheinfluenceofothers,arelikeheatdissipatedinthevacuumofspaceunlessthose thoughts aredirected into a structureor receptacle,whetherphysical,material, or in the formofpersonalconduct.Thoughtnotactedupon is likeanechowhosevibratorypowerquicklyweakensandfades.Thisisagoodthingregardingthoughtsthatareirrationalorharmful,which,ifquicklydissipated,impair neither our psychology nor physiology. But when constructive thoughts are allowed to die, orwhitherthroughneglect, theresultsaretragic.Wecannotandwillneverfeelcompletewithoutbuildingthestagesandstructuresthatarerepresentativeofourideasandpropertoourneeds.

Think of someone who professes a vision that is not enacted—who thinks himself capable ofenactment, and who often dies in that belief, without realizing that ability is never abstract. It is inapplication or it is nothing. Few things aremore impotent than someone standing before aminimalistpaintinginanartmuseumandsayingderisively,“Icoulddothat.”Hecouldnotand,moreso,hewillnot;he will never make the attempt, which would at least demonstrate to him how demanding an act ofcreationreallyis.Neverallowthattobeyou.

InapassagefromThePrince,Machiavelliidentifiedthreekindsofintellect:thefirstistheintellectthatcandothe thingitself,whichhedeemedexcellent; thesecondkindof intellectcan judgethe thing,whichhecalledgood;thethirdcanneitherdonorjudge,whichheconsideredcompletelyworthless.At

ourbest,wearemadetoact.It isagonytoliveotherwise,quietagony,perhaps,but thekindthatfuelschronicrelianceongossip,food,booze,orothercompulsionsandmeansofescapism,whichmarkofftheyears of our lives. Action is intrinsic to happiness and self-possession. In his 1841 essay “History,”Emerson observed that if you were to relocate Napoleon to surroundings that disallowed action,everythingexceptionalabouthimwouldvanish:

PutNapoleoninanislandprison,lethisfacultiesfindnomentoacton,noAlpstoclimb,nostaketoplayfor,andhewouldbeattheairandappearstupid.Transporthimtolargecountries,dense population, complex interests, and antagonist power, and you shall see that the manNapoleon,bounded,thatis,bysuchaprofileandoutline,isnotthevirtualNapoleon.

Youmustactonyourconstructivethoughts.Thisrequiresbeingaroundpeoplewhoarecapableofsupportingyouraimsandavoiding thosewhodeter them.Youmustalsohaveanaim that is sustainingratherthanwithering,apointtowhichwenowturn.

THEGOODWISH

WeallknowthestoryofKingMidas—orthinkwedo.OwedafavorbythegodDionysus,thecovetousrulerasksthateverythinghetouchturntogold.Dionysus,realizingthatitcouldleadtoruin,reluctantlygrants the king’s wish. Midas soon finds himself unable even to eat as his food turns to gold. In anineteenth-century retelling by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne, the king embraces his daughteronlytoturnherintogold.Midasrealizesthathehassacrificedlifeandloveforriches.IntheGreekmyth,theagonizedrulerpraystoDionysusformercyandthegodtellshimtowashhimselfinariver,whosewatersabsorbhis“gift,”andturnthepaleyellowofgold.Thecurseis lifted.Midas,despisingriches,livesouttherestofhislifeinthewoods.

LikeMidas, thegreatest challengewe face iswhat to serve—what todedicateourselves to.TheGospelstellusthatwecannotservedualaims:“Nomancanservetwomasters:foreitherhewillhatetheone,andlovetheother;orelsehewillholdtotheone,anddespisetheother”(Matthew6:24).

Yearsago, Iknewabrilliantman,a true seeker,whowasdividedbetweenpursuinghis spiritualsearchandhisstudiesasaphysician.Hefelttornandunsureofwhattodo.HethengraspedthepassagefromMatthew6:33:“Butseekye first thekingdomofGod,andHis righteousness;andall these thingsshall be added unto you.”He had found his answer.Nothing in his inner searchmeant sacrificing hismedicaleducation.Hewassimplybeingguidedto“seekfirst”thekingdomofheaven—andthenallelse,includingmedicaldegreesandtraining,wouldbeadded.Hissettingofprioritiesdidnotmeantruncatinghisexistence.HeeventuallyreceivedhisdegreefromHarvardMedicalSchoolandwentontopracticeasa physician, including at a community clinic in Harlem. He did not sacrifice medicine. But his firstprioritywashisspiritualsearch.Andhewasabrilliantspiritualteacher(althoughhedidn’twanttobecalledateacher),withoutwhoseinfluenceIwouldnotbewritingthesewords.

How can we understand how to set priorities in a world that bombards us with activities andpossibilities?Unlikeancientmenandwomen,whosesocialroleswerehighlystratifiedandwhoseliveswere largely dictated by birth, geography, and background, wemodernWesterners face an incrediblytantalizingarrayofchoicesandconsumertemptations.Evenifweconsiderourselvesspiritual,wearenot

hermits, monks, or contemplatives. We are people of the world. So, accepting that work, family,commerce,andouteractivitieswillnecessarilyconsumepartofourlives,howdowefollowthepreceptto “seek first” God and the kingdom? Obadiah Harris, president of the University of PhilosophicalResearchinLosAngeles,offersaguidepostinhismanuscriptandforthcomingbookTheAimofLife:

AllmotivationforactionshouldcomefromtheDivine.WheneverwearepromptedtoactweshouldfirstrefertheactiontoGod.Weshouldaskourselveswhetherthecontemplatedactionleavesusquietandcomposed,orwhetherthemerethoughtofitthrowsusinaturmoilofworryanddistraction.Ifithasthelatterdisturbingeffect,itisnotDivinelyinspiredordirected.Anyactionthatdoesnotproceedoutofinnerpeaceandsilencecannothavetherightspiritualbase.

This principle does not ask too much of us—it meets us where we live. Does the action underconsiderationleaveus“quietandcomposed,”ordoesitsprospectthrowusinto“worryanddistraction”?Wemay ignore the“worryanddistraction” inhopesof receiving some trophyor reward thatmakes itworthwhile;butwecannotclaimthatwelackthenecessaryperceptualabilityorcontemplativeskillstoacknowledgeandworktowardtheprinciplethatHarrisoffersus.

In considering his principle, I am reminded of another fromCarlosCastaneda’s 1968 book,TheTeachingsofDonJuan.Forget, for amoment, about the controversies surroundingCastaneda—weallknowthem.Buthisbook,forme,offerssplendidinsights,anditleftanimpressiononmeasachild,whenmysisterfirstbroughtithome.ThefigureofDonJuantellsCarlos:

Lookateverypathcloselyanddeliberately.Tryitasmanytimesasyouthinknecessary.Thenaskyourself,andyourselfalone,onequestion.Thisquestion isone thatonlyaveryoldmanasks.MybenefactortoldmeaboutitoncewhenIwasyoung,andmybloodwastoovigorousformetounderstandit.NowIdounderstandit.Iwilltellyouwhatitis:Doesthispathhaveaheart?Allpathsarethesame:theyleadnowhere.Theyarepathsgoingthroughthebush,orintothebush.InmylifeIcouldsayIhavetraversedlong,longpaths,butIamnotanywhere.Mybenefactor’s question hasmeaning now.Does this path have a heart? If it does, the path isgood; if it doesn’t, it is of no use. Both paths lead nowhere; but one has a heart, the otherdoesn’t.Onemakesforajoyfuljourney;aslongasyoufollowit,youareonewithit.Theotherwillmakeyoucurseyourlife.Onemakesyoustrong;theotherweakensyou.

THEPOWEROFSERVICE

Usually—andnotethisverycarefully—arealisticandhealthfulgoalcomportswithsomesenseofhighergoodandcanbedescribedinplaintermsforhowitimprovesthelivesofothers.Fantasiestendtoruninselfishdirections;whereasservicetendstowarddiscipline.

By service, I donotmean somethingdrearyor self-sacrificing. I have ambitionsofmyownas awriterandspeaker;butIalsoharborandactonthehopethatwhatIproducegivespeoplebetterwaysofthinkingandreasoning,especiallyinareasofourculturewherecriticalthoughtisinshortsupply.Ihaveturned down opportunities to host or appear on TV shows because I was asked either to promulgateconspiracytheoriesortoenlistpeopleintoquestionablepractices,suchasusingaOuijaboardtoreach

deceased loved ones. So, when I say that I believe my work, whatever its flaws, must impart somebenefit, and I define that as helping people to think more clearly and engage more civilly, I’m notattemptingtosaysomethingprettyaboutmyself,butIhaverejectedenticingoffersthatdidnotholdtothataim.

Inmytwenty-plusyearsofexperienceasapublisher—andIthinkmanyofmyfelloweditorswouldagreewiththis—Ihaveexperiencedfewthingsmoredepletingthanworkingwithanauthorwhowantstosucceedmorethanhewantstoservesomethingclarifyingandgood.Industriousnessisavirtue.Narrowambition is not. Nor is greed. Or the ravenous hunger to be celebrated or validated. A narrowlyconceived or obsessively self-servingwish renders a person into someonewho is constantly drainingotherpeople—ofresources,ofemotions,ofmoney,ofenergies.Itistaxingandevenphysicallyunhealthytobearoundsomeonewhosewishforadulation,influence,orrichessevershimorherfrompurpose.

I’mnotsayingthatdrivingambitioniswrong.Withoutthedrivetoattain,bridgeswouldnevergetbuilt, cureswouldnevergetdiscovered, the surfaceof themoonneverwalked.Butwhen thedrive toattainbecomesone’schiefquality—whenitsurpassesallotherpurpose—that’swhenbridgesfalldown,because graft overcomesworkmanship.Graft is sometimes described, or used to be, as “selling out.”Sellingoutmeans:puttingmoneybeforequality.Thereisnootherdefinition.

I’ve had the privilege of publishing filmmaker David Lynch, creator ofTwin Peaks and moviesincluding Mulholland Drive and Blue Velvet. He is often credited with bridging the gap betweenindependent art-house films andHollywoodmoviemaking. People respect David, and he is a hero tomanyfilmstudentsandyoungartists.It’sbecausehehasneversoldout.David’sgeniusasadirectoristhatheisentirely,evenvirtuosically,capableofwritingandshootingastandardthriller;buthetakesthatability and zigzagswith it, so that hismovies and television shows are a combination of suspensefulstorytellingandsurrealisticdreamscapes.Hedoesn’tsetouttomakeastatement,ortomakeakilling.Hesimplyhonorstheidea.Fulfillingtheideaishishighestethic.

Inmy favorite ofDavid’smovies,Mulholl andDrive, there occurs a scenewhere amysteriouscharactercalled“TheCowboy”expoundsonlifetoacynicalyoungHollywooddirector,AdamKesher.Considerapieceofthatscene:

COWBOY:Man’s attitude,man’s attitudegoes someways, thewayhis lifewill be. Is thatsomethingyoumightagreewith?

ADAM:Sure.

COWBOY:Now,didyouanswerbecausethat’swhatyouthoughtIwantedtohear,ordidyouthinkaboutwhatIsaid,andanswercauseyoutrulybelievethattoberight?

ADAM:Iagreewithwhatyousaid.Truly.

COWBOY:WhatIsay?

ADAM:Thataman’sattitudedeterminestoalargeextenthowhislifewillbe.

COWBOY:So,sinceyouagree,youmustbeapersonwhodoesnotcareaboutthegoodlife.

ADAM:How’sthat?

COWBOY:Well,stopforalittlesecond;thinkaboutit.Canyoudothatforme?

ADAM:(laughs)Okay,I’mthinking.

COWBOY:No,you’renotthinking.You’retoobusybeingasmartalecktobethinking.Now,Iwantyoutothink,andstopbeingasmartaleck.Canyoutrythatforme?

Infall2016IinterviewedDavidforthepublicradioshowInterfaithVoices,andwediscussedthatscene:

Mitch:Now,personallyspeaking,Ifindawholephilosophyoflifeinthatscene.Ithinkifwelivedonanotherplanetandhadnoinformationaboutlifeexceptforthisscene,andthiswasallthatreachedus,wewouldmakeit.Wewouldfindawaytomakeit.WhatTheCowboysaysinformsa lotof thework that I’mdoing rightnowabout thepowerof thought.Howdoyouviewthepowerofanattitude,anddoyouthinkwe’realltoobusybeingsmartalecks?

David:Well,there’salotofsmartaleckstuffgoingonthesedays,but,thethingis,thekeyis,Mitch, you can talk about people changing their attitudes and you canmake laws that kindaindicatewhatagoodattitudeis,andyoushouldhavethat.Butthethingisthatthetormentandthebeliefsandthewayareinsidethepeople.Andyoucan’tchangethatunlessyougetdownonadeeper levelandyougottagetunderneath theproblem,Einsteinsaid, inorder tosolve theproblem. You can’t get deeper than the unified field, that transcendent, the ocean of pureconsciousness, thebeing.Soyou teachpeopleTranscendentalMeditation.All thisnegativityflies out, all the gold comes in and attitudes change, but it’s not because of some law orsomebodytellingyoutochangeyourattitude,it’snatural.Itjustchanges.Andpeopledon’t,forinstance, feel like blowing someone’s head off anymore, they just don’t want to do thatanymore.Theydon’twanna robanybank, theydon’twannabeat theirwife.Youknow, theymighthaveenjoyedbeatingtheirwifelastweek,butnowtheydon’twannadothatanymore.

Part of what David is driving at, I think, is that a person cannot be detached from the larger whole,whether you call it the unified field or by another term. A go-it-alone approach is synonymous withdestruction.

IntheveinofDavid’scareer,Iwouldaddonemoreobservation:Beingself-directedandworking

withintegritymakesyoumagneticandattractivetopeople.Whileeveryoneelseistryingtocurryfavor,the personwith integrity andpurpose stands out—and stands for something.Take note of this passagefromRalphWaldoEmerson’s“PowersandLawsofThought”:

Letmewhisperasecret;nobodyeverforgivesanyadmirationinyouofthem,anyoverestimateofwhattheydoorhave.IacquiescetobethatIam,butIwishnoonetobeciviltome.Strongmenunderstand thisverywell.Power fraternizeswithpower,andwishesyounot tobe likehimbutlikeyourself.Echotheleadersandtheywillfastenoughseethatyouhavenothingforthem.Theycametoyouforsomethingtheyhadnot.Thereisalwaysalossoftruthandpowerwhenamanleavesworkingforhimself toworkforanother.Absolutelyspeaking, Icanonlyworkformyself.Allmygoodismagnetic,andIeducatenotbylessonsbutbygoingaboutmybusiness.

Seenfromacertainperspective,the“goldentouch”isintegrity.Ifpeoplegrantusfavors, it isnotbecausewekowtowtothem,butbecausewesupplysomethingfromwithinourselvestowhichothersarenaturallydrawn; it isoften in theformofasteadfastness,awillingness todowhat is rightbyourownlights,andtoshouldertheconsequences.

Peopletalkbig—butfewarewillingtodealwithconsequences.Ioncepublishedanauthorwhosebookwasindangerofcancelationduetochroniclateness.Hedodgedmycalls,andwhenIfinallycaughtupwithhimtoexplainthesituation,heprotested:“IfinishwhatIstart.”Thatwasbesidethepoint.Hewas already at liberty to dowhat hewanted, either finish or not finish.But he could not demand thatsomeonestillhadtopayhisway,andonhis terms.(Iactuallydidgivehimabreakandreadjustedhisschedule.Heneverdelivered.)

Courageissomethingyoumustdoallbyyourself.Ifyougoyourownway,youmayhavetofaceanoccasional loss.Butyoucannotcallyourself courageouswhilealso insisting thatothers, regardlessoftheirneeds,payorserviceyou,whenandhowmuchyouwant.Ioftentellpeople:don’tactthepartoftheheroafteryoucashthecheck.Knowwhatyou’regettingintoandmakeitclearwhetheryouareonboardwith what’s being asked of you, including in matters of time, quantity, and schedule. CapitalistphilosopherAynRandcallsthis“thesanctityofcontract”—itisyourword.Itisyourlifeitself.Youcan’tsavetheworld,orcontributeanythingofvaluetotheworld,ifyoucannot,asamoralbaseline,keepyourwordandcommitments.

And if you face a loss, perhaps by turning down a profitable but poorly timed or distastefulassignment,considerwhatyougain:therewardofsustainingyourvisionandthehonorofyourpeers.Ihaveobservedinsuchcasesthatequalorbetteropportunitiesoftenarrive,almostwithuncannyproximitytotheoneyourejected.Wearedefinedbywhatweagreetoasmuchasbywhatwereject.

GODANDSALESMAN

Thereisnodivisionbetweengoodcommerceandpersonalgoodness.Infact,weoftenlearnaboutonefrompursuingtheother.Aclosefriend,LiamO’Malley,oncetoldme:“Americaistheonlynationwhereaguide tosalesmanshipcan leadaperson toasearchforGod.”Hisobservation isabsolutelycorrect.Cynicswillneverunderstandwhy.

When a person begins to probe quality self-help ormotivational literature, particularly books onusingmental therapeutics forsuccess,heorshe inevitablybegins toaskquestionsabout theunderlyinglawsandforcesoflife.

Ihavearguedthatnoteverythingthathappenstousisundertheworkingsofthemind.Weliveundermyriadlawsandforces,includingphysicallimitations,twistsoffortune,andaccidents.Butpartofwhathappens tous—perhaps themost significant part—emerges from theworkingsof ourminds, emotions,andsenseofself.Whensomeoneacknowledgesthatunseenantecedentsliebehindtheoutereventsoflife(whichis,inasense,thekeyinsightofmodernthought—inpsychology,economics,andthesciences),healsobeginstopondertheexistenceandroleofimmaterialcauses.

Ifuniversal lawsandethicsexist, thenitfollowsthatat leastpartofwhathappenstousinlifeisrootednotonlyinattitudes,decisions,andinsights,butinsomethingmore:Ifthoughthasanonphysicalcomponent, whether in the form of some kind of anomalous transfer of communication between twominds,ortheelusivecapacityofanobservationorconvictiontoinfluencebodyandcircumstance,thenwestarttoapproachthequestionofametaphysicaldimensiontolife.

Indeed, if anomalous forms of communication can be demonstrated, or at least sustained as areasonablequestioninalaboratorysetting,itopensustothepossibilitythatthemindoperatesnotonlywithinthegraymatterofthebrain,butalsowithinanonphysicalfieldofactivity—thatourthoughts,andthoseofothers,arepartofacreativeagencyoutsideofcommonlyobservedsensorydata.

If we surmise, or at least consider, that collective humanity participates in an immaterialintelligence,thisbegsthequestionoftheexistenceofwhatRalphWaldoEmersontermedan“Over-Soul”and Napoleon Hill called the “Master Mind”—a quality of intelligence that is greater than ourindividualized thoughts. The question of nonphysical intelligence leads also to the consideration of aHigherPower,orGod.

The reader of almost any motivational or success-oriented book has urgent earthly needs, oftenfinancial.Butthededicatedseeker—thepersonwhosequestionsarepersistentandeverdeepening—willinevitablyfindthatthequestfora“betterway”inmaterialaffairsbroadenstoincludethemeaningandnatureofalloflife.Thesinceresearchfora“betterway”leadstoquestionsofpurposeandexistence.

We“cannot serveGod andmammon,”Scripture tells us.But a life of seekingmay leadyou to adifferentkindofrelationshipwithmammon,andtoquestionsofhowtomakemammonaservantratherthan amaster (whether in circumstances of plenty or lack), aswell as towhatmammon is really for.These questions in themselves direct the striving individual to consider how his or her personal aimrelatesto,orresultsfrom,ahigherprincipleoflife.

MyfriendLiam,whoIquotedabove,isacaseinpoint.Heisagiftedandpassionatemusician,anaccomplishedsalesmanandmarketer,andadedicatedseeker—hislifeisacrossroadsofthesearchforGodandthequestionofhowtoliverightlyintheworld.Liamissomeoneforwhommoney,ethics,andseekingareoneandthesame.Thereisno“inner”or“outer.”It’sallonelife.

In thisveinof thought, Iwrote thefollowing“PrayerforSalesmen”—celebratingtheseenandtheunseeninthelivesoftheseoverlookedheroesofAmericancommerce:

Youarethesalesman.Youarethefoundationofhumancommerce.

Youarethesalesman.Withoutyou,noservicesorinventionswouldreachthosewhoneedthem.

Nohomeswouldchangehands.

Nosafetyorsecuritywouldbehadthroughtheissuanceofinsuranceandsoundfinancialplans.

Productsandadvanceswouldstagnate.

Inventors,doctors, financiers,police,andpeacemakerswouldnotknowhow to find the tools theyneed—orhelpothersusewhattheyoffer.

Whopraisesyourwork?Youareunseenbythescholar,thesocialcritic,andtheartist.

Butyousupportthem.

Yousendyourchildrenandlovedonestotheirschoolsandgalleries.

Youselltheirbooksandmaketheirbeautifulthingsavailable.

Youarethesalesman.Thepersonofcommerceandservice,whomakessomuchpossibleinourworld.

Contractsandsellingappearinsomeoftheearliesthumandocuments.Yourworkissacred.

Youarethesalesman.Yousufferathousand“no’s”withpatienceuntilyoudiscoverthatonepersonwhoneedswhatyouoffer.

Youareneverbitter.Youcannotbe.

Youarethesalesman.Theoneonwhomallcommercedepends.

Thishourwethinkofyou:Weprayforyoursuccess;wethankyouforyourforbearance;weaskGod’sblessingsonyouandthoseyousupport.

Youarethesalesman.Nevergiveup.Weneedyou.

THESTRENGTHOFVIRTUE

New Thought methods can be used for generative or destructive ends. In general, though not alwaysexplicitly,NewThoughtwritershaverelieduponScripturalethics.ThisiswhyNewThoughtphilosophysurpasses themorality—though rarely the intellectual excellence—of figures such asAleisterCrowleyandotherpurveyorsofceremonialmagickandthemetaphysicalsearchforpower.

Theimportantthingtobearinmindwhenexperimentingwithmind-powermethodsisthatwearenotadrift in an ethical ocean. If Scripture and other ancient sacred works supply us with hints of man’screativepotential,wearealsosuppliedwithsafetyropes.Asnoted,theethicsofmanifestationmustbemarriedtosomeversionofGospelethics,ortoputitinsimplestterms:theGoldenRule.

Thatcaninduceeyerolling.Theethicof“doinguntoothers”issofamiliarthatwethinkofitasanursery-schoollesson,orseeitasatedioustruismlike“earlytobed,earlytorise,”withnoinsightforseriouspeople.Yet there isanunseendimension to theGoldenRule,which,whenyourealize it, issopowerfulthatyouwillreceiveanentirelynewassessmentofyourlife.

InthemonthsbeforeIbeganthisbook,Ifeltthatanunnamedsomethingwascurtailingmyprogresstoward my aims. Something was diverting my ability to envision and pursue higher possibilities formyselfandothers.Iwasstuckinaholdingpattern.

I foundtheanswer tomypredicament inapassagefromNapoleonHill’s1928multivolumeworkTheLawofSuccess,which is, inmyview, thegreatest thinghe everwrote (though it is surpassed inpopularitybyhisbetter-knownThinkandGrowRich).Thekeytomyproblem,IlearnedfromHill,wastheGoldenRule.Bear inmind that theprecept “dountoothers as youwouldhave themdountoyou”appearsinvirtuallyeveryreligiousandethicalteachingacrossculturesandtime,fromtheVedastotheTaoTeChingtothemeditationsofMarcusAurelius.ItwasdubbedtheGoldenRuleinlateseventeenth-centuryEnglandandisnowasfamiliaras“haveaniceday.”ButtheGoldenRulecontainsaninnertruth.

Using modern terms, Hill related the Golden Rule to the phenomenon of autosuggestion, or thesuggestionswe continuallymake to ourselves.Autosuggestionwas the tool identified by Frenchmind

theoristÉmileCoué;itisthebasisforCoué’s“daybyday”mantraandisthepsychologicalmechanisminbackofmanyof today’splacebostudies.Thecoreprincipleofautosuggestion is thatwhatyoubelieveandinternallyrepeattakesrootinyourintellectandemotions,shapingyoursubconsciousperceptionsofself and the surroundingworld. I think this process has been sowidely demonstrated that it surpassestheoryandcanbeunderstoodasimpactfulanddeterminativefact.

ButtakecarefulnoteofHill’sinsightthattheautosuggestiveprocessisalsotriggeredbywhatyouthinkaboutothers.

“Your thoughts of others are registered in your subconscious mind through the principle ofautosuggestion,”Hillwrote,“therebybuildingyourowncharacterinexactduplicate.”Hence:“Youmust‘thinkofothersasyouwishthemtothinkofyou.’ThelawuponwhichtheGoldenRuleisbasedbeginsaffectingyou,forgoodorevil,themomentyoureleaseathought.”ItisworthconsideringHill’spointofviewatlength:

If all your acts toward others, and even your thoughts of others, are registered in yoursubconscious mind, through the principle of auto suggestion, thereby building your owncharacter inexactduplicateofyour thoughtsandacts,canyounotseehowimportant it is toguardthoseactsandthoughts?

Wearenowintheveryheartoftherealreasonfordoinguntoothersaswewouldhavethemdountous,foritisobviousthatwhateverwedountootherswedountoourselves.

Stated in another way, every act and every thought you release modifies your owncharacterinexactconformitywiththenatureoftheactorthought,andyourcharacterisasortofcenterofmagneticattraction,whichattractstoyouthepeopleandconditionsthatharmonizewith it.You cannot indulge in an act toward another personwithout having first created thenatureofthatactinyourownthought,andyoucannotreleaseathoughtwithoutplantingthesumand substance and nature of it in your own subconsciousmind, there to become a part andparcelofyourowncharacter.

Grasp this simple principle and youwill understandwhy you cannot afford to hate orenvyanotherperson.Youwillalsounderstandwhyyoucannotaffordtostrikeback,inkind,atthosewhodoyouaninjustice.Likewise,youwillunderstandtheinjunction,“Returngoodforevil.”

Whenyouindulgeinfantasiesofrevenge,suchastellingothersofforscoresettling—which,frankly,makeupanalarmingamountofmypassiveorassociativethoughts—younotonlyshackleyourselftopastwrongs, but also to thewrongs that youwoulddo in exchange.Your acts of violation toward another,whether bymind, talk, emotion, or hand, reenact themselves in your psyche and perceptions.You areloweredtothelevelofpeopleyouresentorevenhatewhenyoucounter—mentallyorotherwise—theirtypeofbehavior.AnadjuncttotheGoldenRulecouldbe:Youbecomewhatyoudonotforgive.

Conversely,thoughtsofforgiveness—isthereanymorenobleathought?—addaspecialsoliditytoyour character, which manifests as self-respect, self-possession, and, as it happens, greater personaleffectiveness. If you find it difficult to enact generous or forgiving thoughts, you can arrive at themindirectlybyabstainingfromgossip.Actsofgossiping,talebearing,andspreadingorlisteningtorumorsareasmogthatcloudsyourexperienceandintellectasmuchasthelivesofthosewhoaredefamed.Anenormousamountofourinteractions,andsocialmediaintake,arebasedingossip.Youwilldiscoverthatevery act of abstaining fromgossipor rumor, even someof the time (perfection is a depleting target),

innatelybringsoutyournoblerleaningsandbestowsuponyouanewself-confidence.Weoftenjustifytalesofmaliceorcharactersmearingbyclaimingthatwe’remerelytellingthetruth.

Thatisfalse.Virtuallyeverybitofhearsaytowhichwelisten,promulgate,orrepeatisfalse,halftrue,ormitigatedbygravelyseriouscircumstancesofwhichweareunaware.Weoftenengageinsuchthingstoreliveboredomormakeourselvesmoreinterestingtoothers.Wefearthatwithoutgossipingwewillbeuninteresting to friendsandworkmates.Thiscementsus intoacycleofviolatingourbest interestsandintentions,andoftenattachesus topeoplewhoaredepleting rather thansupportive.And, restassured,yoursuspicionthatyourgossipmatesarealsotalkingaboutyouiscorrect.Cutthecord.

Theancientsechoedthispointofview.Inamanuscriptthathascomedowntousonlyinfragments,theGreekplaywrightEuripidescautionedtorespectyourneighbor’sprivacy:“Zeushatesbusybodies.”InJudaismnosinotherthanmurderisconsideredmoreseriousthantalebearingorlashonhara,Hebrewfor “evil tongue.” As a child, I’ll never forget the experience of hearing a young rabbi tell a youthcongregationthatonlythesinofmurderisgraverthangossip.“There’snojokeaboutit,”hesaidsteadily.NeverhaveIwitnessedaroomfulofrowdykidssostilledintosilence.Therabbiwasnotscaringusbutimpressinguswithahallowedtruth.Infortyyears,I’veneverforgottenit,thoughIhavefailedatit.NewThought, based inScriptural ethics, offers a similar, subtly equivalent prohibition: “Whatman says ofotherswillbe saidofhim,”wroteFlorenceScovelShinn.Theactof slayinganother’s reputation is amoralsuicide,NevilleGoddardtaught,notingthatthoughtconcretizesrealityforthespeakerasmuchasfortheonespokenof.

In sum, your thoughts about yourselfandabout others can be likened to an invisible engine thatmoldsyourowncharacterandexperience.Ifyoufindyourselfbumpingagainstlimits,orhavingdifficultyformulatingorcarryingoutanaim,reconsideryourrelationshiptotheGoldenRuleandgossip.Youmaybesurprisedbytheonrushofcreativityyouexperiencewhenabstainingfromgossip.Anelusivegoal,anunfinishedidea,orasought-afterrelationshipmaytakeshapebeforeyou.

CHAPTERSEVEN

WORKINGCLASSMYSTIC

TheExampleofJamesAllen

Howcanweput these ideas into action? In the epigraphof this book, I quotedEmersonsaying that metaphysics must be biography. The best example I know of metaphysicalprincipleasbiographyappearsinthelifeofearlytwentieth-centuryBritishwriterandNewThoughtdevotee,JamesAllen.IfAllen’snameisunfamiliar,youprobablyknowhisshort,

meditativebookAsaManThinketh,whichhasbeenreadbymillions,andhasshapedthecultureofself-helpsinceitappearedin1903.

Allenepitomizedthedimensionsandpowerofthoughttotransformalife.HejoinedNewThoughtambitionstosocialidealism,asasupporteroflaborrights,anearlyadvocateforthehumanetreatmentofanimalsandvegetarianism,aChristianethicist,andamysticseeker.Allen’slifewashisgreatestcreation.

Hisliterarycareerwasshort,rangingroughlyfromthepublicationofhisfirstbookin1901tohisdeath in 1912. Yet in those eleven years Allen completed nineteen books, some of them publishedposthumously.InthesameyearthatheproducedAsaManThinketh,1903,Allenputoutanotherbook—lessknownbutequallypowerfulinscopeandpracticality:AllTheseThingsAdded.

InAllTheseThingsAdded,heprescribedaformulaofday-to-daylivingintendedtobringpersonalfulfillmentandhigherrealization.Likethephysician-teacherIwroteaboutinthepreviouschapter,AllenbasedhisoutlookonMatthew6:33:“ButseekyefirstthekingdomofGod,andhisrighteousness;andallthesethingsshallbeaddeduntoyou.”

ThebookcapturedAllen’sstruggletoliveintheawarenessthatweexperienceabroadened,morebountifulexistencewhenweattempttoservesomethinghigherthanourselves;whenwestrivetocreatesomething—aworkofwriting,aninvention,anewlaw,areversalofinjustice—thatislasting,beneficial,serviceable,andequaltotheclaimsmadeforit.

Inthebook’smostmemorablepassage,Allenreflectsonthefeedinghabitsofbirds—andhowtheyresemble the consumptive patterns of human beings. He recalls his experience of feeding birds andnoticing that themorefoodhegave them—heonce tossedafull loafofbread—themorefrenzied theirbehavior.“Itisnotscarcitythatproducescompetition,”heconcludes,“itisabundance.”

I’mnotsurethathispointisentirelyright.Scarcityproducesitsownformofruthlessnessandevenhorror, a truth seen in conflicts around the world and explored with unflinching honesty in CormacMcCarthy’snovelTheRoad.ButAllen’sgreaterpoint,andthelessonItakefromhisobservation,isthatabundancedoesn’tsatehungerorcompetition.Abundance, in itsgrossestform,whennotwedto labor,

tendstoleaveusunsatisfied,petty,grasping,andcovetous.Ihavevisitedandspokenat“leisurevillages”forwealthyorwell-offretireesandbeenshockedto

discover that, amidmaterial profusion and hours of down time, there often prevails an atmosphere ofsnipingandfinickiness,asamongspoiledchildren.

Thenoblestaspectsofhumannatureemergewhentheindividualisstrivingtowardsomething.Whenthethingstrivenforisattained,however,suchasacomfortableandprosperousoldage,thehumanmindoftenredirectsitsattentionontothesmallestandmostfleetingdetailsofquotidianlife.Abundancecanbeakindofslaveryinsofarasitfeedsandfomentswhatmightbecalled“it”—thelowestselfwithinusthatfeedsonhabit,consumption,androutine.

James Allen, by contrast, was compelled to struggle most of his life. But that struggle neverdeformed him. The decisive factor in his life—the thing that kept him from lapsing into pettiness ormalaise—was that he saw life’s upward hill not as a path toward comfort but toward refinement.Hebelievedthathumangrowth,ifitoccurredatall,emergedfromanever-advancingpursuitofinnerrepose,simplicityofhabit,andreductionofwants.ThehistoricaldetailsofAllen’slifedemonstratethis.

METAPHYSICSTHEHARDWAY

James Allen was born on November 28, 1864, to a working-class family in the industrial town ofLeicester,incentralEngland.Hismother,Martha,couldneitherreadnorwrite.(ShesignedhermarriagecertificatewithanX.)His father,William,was theproprietorof aknitting factory.Theeldestof threebrothers,Jameswasbookishandmild,doteduponbyhisfather,whotreasuredlearningandreading.Hevowedtomake“youngJim”intoascholar.

When James turned fifteen, central England’s textile industry experienced a severe slump, andWilliamlosthisbusiness.In1879,hepulledtogetherhissavingsandtraveledalonetoAmerica,hopingto find work, reestablish himself, and then bring over the rest of the family. But on the brink of theChristmas season, the unthinkable occurred. Two days after William reached New York City, newsreturned home that he had been killed—the victim of a murder-robbery. William’s body, its pocketspickedover,layinacityhospital.

TheAllenfamilyfacedeconomicdisaster.James,thestudiousteen,wasforcedtoleaveschoolandfindworklocallyasafactoryframeworkknittertosupporthismotherandtwobrothers.Hesometimesputinfifteen-hourdays.Thejobconsumedhimfornineyears.

Evenamid thestrainsof factory life,however, James retainedhis father’s love for literature,andwheneverpossiblehereadScripture,Shakespeare,WesterntranslationsofBuddhism,andearlytractsonvegetarianismandanimalrights.Hisinterestintheethicaltreatmentofanimalsgrewfromhisstudiesofkarma and Buddhism. Allen retained the self-possessed, serious bearing that his father had sought tocultivateinhim.WhenhisworkmateswentoutdrinkingorcaughtuponsleepAllenstudiedandreadtwotothreehoursaday.Coworkerscalledhim“theSaint”and“theParson.”

Around 1889, Allen found new employment in London as a private secretary and stationer,presumablyfriendliervocationstothegenteel,self-educatedmanthanfactorywork.ThemovetoLondon,andtheaccessitgavehimtolendinglibrariesandbookstores,markedaturningpointinhislife.Overthenextdecade,Allencultivatedaninterestintheworld’sspiritualphilosophies,poringovertheworksofJohnMilton,RalphWaldoEmerson,WaltWhitman,andtranslationsoftheBhagavadGita,TaoTeChing,andthesayingsofBuddha.

Later on, he grew interested in America’s burgeoning New Thought culture through the work ofRalphWaldoTrine,ChristianD.Larson,andOrisonSwettMarden.HedevelopedapersonalphilosophythatcloselyalignedwithNewThought.Themind,asAllensawit, isanorgan throughwhichGodandmancoalesce;assuch,thoughtsdeterminedestiny.

Also inLondon, hemet hiswife and intellectual partner, LilyOram.Theywed in 1895, and thefollowingyeargavebirthtoadaughter,Nora,theironlychild.

By1898,Allendiscoveredanoutletforhisspiritualandsocialinterestswhenhebeganwritingforthe magazine, the Herald of the Golden Age. The journal was an early voice for vegetarianism,metaphysics,socialreform,andpracticalspirituality.

HiswritingfortheHeraldoftheGoldenAgecommencedaperiodofintensivecreativeactivity.By1901,his ideasbursting fromyearsof study,hepublishedhis first bookof spiritualphilosophy,FromPoverty to Power. Thework extolled the creative agencies of thought, placing an equal emphasis onChristian-basedethicsandNewThoughtmotivation.In1902,Allenlaunchedhisownspiritualmagazine,theLightofReason,laterrenamedTheEpoch.

With 1903 came Allen’s classic As a Man Thinketh. Although he considered the short worksomethingofaminoreffort,Lilyadmireditasanencapsulationofherhusband’sphilosophyofself-help,ethicalliving,andmind-powermetaphysics.LooselybasedonProverbs23:7—“asamanthinkethinhisheart, so is he”—the slender volume eventually became read around the world and brought Allenposthumousfameasoneofthepioneeringfiguresofmoderninspirationalthought.

ThereisnoquestioninmymindthatAlleniswritingabouthimselfinthispassagefromAsaManThinketh:

Here is a youth hard pressed by poverty and labor; confined long hours in an unhealthyworkshop;unschooled,andlackingalltheartsofrefinement.Buthedreamsofbetterthings:hethinksofintelligence,ofrefinement,ofgraceandbeauty.Heconceivesof,mentallybuildsup,anidealconditionoflife;visionofawiderlibertyandalargerscopetakespossessionofhim;unresturgeshimtoaction,andheutilizesallhissparetimeandmeans,smallthoughtheyare,to the development of his latent powers and resources. Very soon so altered has his mindbecomethattheworkshopcannolongerholdhim.

AswithmanyofAllen’sworks,AsaManThinkethwaslaunchedquietly,anditsfull impactwasnotfeltuntilyearsafterhisdeath.Nonetheless,itwonthefledglingauthorsufficientreadershipsothathewassoonabletoquitsecretarialworkanddedicatehimselffullytowritingandediting.

Intheearly1900s,thefamilymovedtothesouthernEnglishcoastaltownofIlfracombe,wherehespenttherestofhislife.Heproducedbooksataremarkablepace—oftenmorethanoneayear.WithLilyas his collaborator,Allen hosted discussion groups onmetaphysical themes, continued publishingTheEpoch,andspentlongperiodsinnature,takingearlymorningwalksandexploringthecoastalhighlands.Headoptedameticulousroutineofmeditating,writing,gardening,andwalking.Hisworkhabitsneverflagged. “Thoroughness isgenius,”hewrote.Friends sensed that hewas livingout the simple, asceticidealofoneofhisheroes,LeoTolstoy.

Forallthevigorofhisoutput,Allensufferedfragilehealth.Lilywroteofherhusbandgrowingillinlate 1911. On January 24, 1912, Allen died at home in Ilfracombe at age forty-seven, probably oftuberculosis.Hisbodywascremated.

Lily continued to publish his remainingmanuscripts, towork on her own books, and to edit andpublishTheEpoch.ShealsofoundedaNewThought–orientedsociety,theUnionofRightThinking.Shediedin1952.Nora,aSpiritualistandlateradevoutRomanCatholic,diedin1976.

The legacyof JamesAllen is that theBritish contemplative established apractical philosophyofpersonalachievement setwithinanethical and religious framework.Allenbelieved inprecise, simplevaluesofthrift,reliability,hardwork,keepingone’sword,respectofone’sneighborandemployer,andadeeplyheldbeliefintheindividual’spowertoradicallyalterhiscircumstancesthroughproperexerciseofthought.

In 1913, Lily Allen summarized her husband’s mission in a preface to one of his posthumouslypublishedmanuscripts,FoundationStonestoHappinessandSuccess:“Heneverwrotetheories,orforthesakeofwriting;buthewrotewhenhehadamessage,and itbecameamessageonlywhenhehadlived it out inhisown life, andknew that itwasgood.Thushewrote facts,whichhehadprovenbypractice.”

ANEXPERIMENTINGREATNESS

JamesAllen,andallofthefigureswe’vebeenexploring,sharedonetrait:dedicationtooneoverarchingprincipleor ideal.InAllen’scase, itwasthetransformativepowerof thought.Fealtytoanideal is theprecondition to living with distinction. Revelation 3:16 rejects those who are undecided and withoutcommitment: “So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, Iwill spit thee out ofmymouth.”Thehesitators,thevacillators,thosewhoattemptnopath—theyreceivenothing.Lifepermitsnohalfwaymeasures.

Considerhowrareitisthatanyofustodayreallystrivetoorganizeourlivesaroundadeeplyfeltethic.Mostofthetimewemerelyseekwaystowinpraiseandsecurity,particularlyfrompeergroupsthatwewanttoenterorremainin.Wegoalong,lookingforwhateverwebelievewecanrealisticallyexpectinmoney,prestige,andapproval.

TakinginspirationfromJamesAllen,Ichallengeyoutoanexperimentthatbreakswiththatapproachtolife.Areyouwillingtodedicateninemonths,thegestationperiodofanewlife,torelinquishingyourconventionalsenseofsecurityandredirectingyourexistencetoanew,andpossiblyhigher,principle—oneofyourownchoosing?

First, I want you to select a book that expresses an ethical or spiritual outlook with which youpassionately agree. Choose a work that has attained posterity, even if within a small circle, whichconfirmsitspullonthemoralimagination.

YourchoicemaybeasacredorethicalworksuchastheTaoTeChing,BhagavadGita,Upanishads,Ethicsof theFathers,MeditationsofMarcusAurelius,or theBeatitudes. Itmaybeamodernself-helpbooksuchasAlcoholicsAnonymous,NapoleonHill’sThinkandGrowRich,orViktorFrankl’sMan’sSearchforMeaning.Oritmaybeanartist’sorphilosopher’svisionofthegoodlifesuchasThoreau’sWalden,Emerson’sSelf-Reliance,oranyofJamesAllen’sbooks,includingthosenamedinthischapter.

Thecorerequirementisthatyourselectionmustsummonyoutoadeeplyfelt,intimategoalorsenseofpurpose.Theonly restriction is thatyourchosenworkmustnot requireyou todenigrateorobstructanotherperson’ssearchorstrivingforhisownhighestpotential.

At thebackofyourchoiceshouldbe theperennialquestions:WhatdoIwant?HowdoIwant to

live?Then,dedicateyourselftoyourbookanditsideaswithunreservedpassionforninemonths.I recommend not discussing what you’re doing with anyone, with exceptions for members of a

trustedsupportgroup,suchasaprayercircle,twelve-stepfellowship,orMasterMindalliance,amutualsupport group based on the ideas ofNapoleonHill.*14 This is so you feel no pressure to submit yourchoicestothejudgmentofothers,whomaynotshareyourvalues.

The spiritual teacher Krishnamurti taught that the biggest barrier to creativity and personalexcellenceisseekingoutandclingingto“respectability.”Thisisoneofthemaladiesofmodernlife.Apioneer in the human potential movement once told me that positive thinking is “the simple man’sphilosophy.”Tome, that isnotanegativedescription,orsomethingtofleefrom.Contemporarypeopleare overanxious to appear sophisticated and “beyond” certain ideas. The simpleman’s philosophy ofpositivethoughtanimatedJamesAllen’slife—oneofquiet,deliberativepower.

Another trait thatdivertsourenergiesisconformity.Wenestwithinourownsubculturesandtheirattendantsocialandnewsmedia.Werepeatwhatwe’resupposed towant,orwhatweclaimtovalue,often(andsometimessubtly)parrotingwhatwethinkmakesuslookgoodtoothers.Westandfornothing.Hence,weneverrealizewhatwe’recapableof.

Areyouwillingtoriskallthatforninemonths?Incommittingtoanethicalidea,youmustalsobewillingforyourideatobewrong.Ifyourselected

ideaprovesfaultyorfalse,orifitspursuitfillsyouwithsorrowandfrustrationratherthanafeelingofvivifyingclarity(ormomentsofsuch),thatmayprovideacoursecorrectioninyoursearchfortruth.Andifitprovesright,ifitbuildsyoursenseofexpectancyandcalm,youarethendeliveredtoahigherstateofconductfromwhichtopushonwithyoursearch.

Youmay also find yourself drifting away from the book you first selected. Youmay experienceevents thatmake its ideas seem less compelling,oryoumaynoticeyourself experiencing indifference,conflict,orforgetfulnesstowardyourpreviouslyembracedideal(thelastoftheseisthemostcommon).Ifyoucansteeryourselfbacktoyourbook,thendoso—butdon’tfighttheurgetoreconsideryourselection.

Forexample,inmypersonalembarkationonthisexperiment,IselectedNevilleGoddard’sbookoflecturesImmortalMan,acompellingrecordofhisphilosophyofthedivinityofimagination.WhetherIfollowNeville’sideaswithtotalityisbesidethepoint(Iaddressthislater);therealadventureandsenseofself-discoverywasinapplyingandtestingoneethicalgoalinmylife,namely:Isthemindthebuilderofallcircumstance?Despitemyenthusiasticbeginning,myattentiondrifted.Otherideasandpossibilitiesinterposed themselves. Igravitated towardNietzsche’sBeyondGoodandEvil, as translatedbyWalterKaufmann. In thatbook, I foundasetof ideas thatseemed toconfirm, focus,andsharpenan instinctatwhich I had previously and independently arrived, but which Nietzsche captured with unparalleledprecisionandauthority: “A living thing seeks aboveall todischarge its strength—life itself iswill topower;self-preservationisonlyoneoftheindirectandmostfrequentresults.”

Nietzsche’sconcernsinBeyondGoodandEvilaretheneedtoseethroughtotheprimarynatureofthings; toavoid theconfusionof forms,artifice,andconsensualprinciplesandpremises—allofwhichdisrupt or destroy the human search. The quality of seeing through to the thing itself, of attempting todiscern and act in compact with authentic nature, have much in common with ideals expressed byEmerson. Nietzsche’s thought, while immensely readable, does not have the exquisite simplicity ofNeville’sanddoesnotnecessarilycomportwith—orcontradict—Neville’sphilosophyofthedivinityofimagination.Inanycase,Nietzsche’sideascalledtome,possiblyconvergingwithNeville’stheologyof

self-primacy.BeyondGoodandEvilbecametheguidinglightofmyexperiment.ItremainssoasIwritethesewords.

Thinkhowwonderfulitcouldbetoinvestyourselffullyinoneideal.Again,thepointisnottobesettledorrightonthematter;thepointistotestlife’sboundariesagainsttheweightofaprinciple.

Theveryactof living for something immediatelygivesyouan improvedsenseof self-possessionandpurpose.Youexperiencethesensationofbeing“consciouslyright,superior,andhappy,”asWilliamJameswroteinTheVarietiesofReligiousExperience.Youaresetapart.

Ichallengeyou:Selectonesacredorethicalbook.Livebyitsprinciplesforninemonths.Dedicateyourself to its ideal with total commitment and unreserved abandon. Attempt, for a time, to live aprinciple-basedlife,asJamesAllendid.Seewhathappens.

CHAPTEREIGHT

THEETHICOFGETTINGRICH

There isaconflict inearly twenty-firstcenturyNewThought.SomeseekerswantaNewThought that emphasizes personal attainment and ambition. Others believe that NewThought’sfocusshouldbeonsocialjustice—theyviewthethink-andgrow-richapproachasnarrow,unspiritual,oroutdated.

The1910classicTheScienceofGettingRichbymind-powerpioneerandsocialactivistWallaceD.Wattles(1860–1911)pointsthewayoutofthisconflict.Wattles’smessageisdistinctlyrelevantforacontemporaryNewThoughtculturethatisdividedbetweensocialjusticeandpersonalachievement.TheauthorandProgressiveErareformerdemonstratedhowthesetwoprioritiesarereallyone.

Asocialist,aQuaker,andanearlytheoristofmind-positivemetaphysics,Wattlestaughtthatthetrueaimofenrichmentisnotaccumulationofpersonalresourcesalone,butalsotheestablishmentofamoreequitable world, one of shared abundance and possibility. He believed that combining mind-powermechanicswithanardentdedicationtoself-improvement—whilerejectinganarrowlycompetitive,me-first ethos—makes you part of an interlinking chain that leads to a more prosperous dynamic foreveryone.

Wattles’sslenderguidebookTheScienceofGettingRich remainedobscure inmainstreamcultureuntilabout2007.Aroundthattime,TheScienceofGettingRichbecameknownasakeysourcebehindRhondaByrne’sTheSecret.Thecentury-oldbookbeganhittingbestsellerlists.Ipublishedapaperbackeditionmyself that hit number one on theBloomberg Businessweek list.My 2016 audio condensationreachednumbertwooniTunes.

WhatmanyofWattles’stwenty-first-centuryreadersmiss,however,ishisdedicationtotheethicofcooperativeadvancementabovecompetitionandhisbelief thatcompetition itself isanoutmoded idea,duetobesupplantedoncehumanitydiscoverstheever-renewingcreativecapacitiesofthemind.Asnonebut themostperceptive readerscoulddetect,WattlescombinedhismindmetaphysicswithadollopofMarxistlanguage.Hisoutlookwasidealistic—perhapsextravagant—butheattemptedtoliveuptoit.

AonetimeMethodistminister,Wattles losthisnorthernIndianapulpitwhenherefusedcollection-basketofferingsfromcongregantswhoownedsweatshops.HetwiceranforofficeontheticketoffellowHoosierEugeneV.Debs’sSocialistParty, first forCongressandagainasaclosesecondformayorofElwood, Indiana. At the time of his death in 1911, he and his daughter, Florence (1888–1947)—apowerfulsocialistoratorinherownrightandlaterthepublicitydirectoratpublisherE.P.Dutton—werelayingthegroundworkforanewmayoralrun,cutshortwhenhediedof tuberculosisatagefiftywhiletravelingtoTennessee.

FlorencewrotetoEugeneDebs’sbrother,Theodore,onJanuary30,1935.Addressinghimas“Dear

Comrade,”shelovinglyrecalledherfatheras“aremarkablepersonality,andabeautifulspirit,which,tome,atleast,hasneverdied.”*15

WasWattles’svisionofNewThoughtmetaphysicsandsocialreformreallysoutopian?Weliveinanageatwhichhewouldhavemarveled—yetalso recognized:physiciansperformsuccessfulplacebosurgeries, anddemonstrate theplacebo response inweight loss, eyesight, and even in instanceswhereplacebosaretransparentlyadministered;inthefieldcalledneuroplasticity,brainscansrevealthatneuralpathways are “rewired” by thought patterns—a biologic fact of mind over matter; quantum physicsexperiments, aswill laterbe seen,poseextraordinaryquestionsabout the intersectionbetween thoughtand object; and serious ESP experiments repeatedly demonstrate the nonphysical conveyance ofinformation in laboratorysettings.Wattles’smission,nowmore thanacenturyold,was toaskwhetherthese abilities, only hinted at in the science of his day, could be personally applied and tested on thematerialandsocialscalesoflife.

Hedidnotlivetoseetheinfluenceofhisbook.Buthiscalmcertaintyandconfidentyetgentletonesuggestthathefeltassuredofhisideas.Likeeverysoundthinker,Wattlesleftusnotwithadoctrine,butwitharticlesofexperimentation.Thefinestthingyoucandotohonorthememoryofthisgoodman—andtoadvanceonyourownpathinlife—istoheedhisadvice:Goandexperimentwiththecapacitiesofyourmind.Goandtry.Andifyouexperienceresults,doashedid:tellthepeople.

ANEWVISIONOFMINDPOWER

WeareatapropitiousmomenttoreexamineWattles.TheNewThoughtmovement,asnoted,isconflictedbetweenurgesto“changetheworld”or“beontopoftheworld.”Thistensionmaybethechrysalisfromwhichanewapproachemerges.

Here is a startingpoint: Inher2016blogarticleWhy theSelf-Help Industry Isn’tChanging theWorld,spiritualcounselorandwriterAndréaRanaeraisedexcellentpointsaboutwhytoday’sself-helpculturedealspoorlywithsocialquestions.LikeRanae,Ihavehadtheexperienceofwitnessingatragedyin theworld only to log onto socialmedia to find the usual population ofmotivational gurus prattlingaway like nothing has happened, offering the standard you-can-do-it nostrums. Or, in awkwardlyacknowledginga tragicevent, theymightshowan image likeacakewithacandleblownout,orsomesimilarlycloyinggesture.LikeRanae,I’veneverbelievedthattheNewThoughtandself-helpmovementsshouldstandalooffromhumanevents.*16

But Ranae argues a deeper point, which is that many of the problems people bring to her as aspiritualcounselorareactuallysymptomsofanunjustworld;itfeelstoherlikeshe’savoidingthepointifshetreatsthepersonalsymptomandnotthelargercause.

I honor that point—but I approach these matters somewhat differently. Human nature, in itscomplexities, is twisted into knots, some of them resulting from outer circumstances, and some fromwithinourselves.Thatwillalwaysbethecase.IdonotwanttoseeanoverlypoliticizedNewThoughtinthe twenty-first century. I do not want a New Thought that is closed off to people who are, in fact,suspicious of “social action,” which can quickly devolve into posturing, vague pronouncements, andinertia. People harbor vastly—and justly—different ideas of social polity. Indeed, a poorly definedsocial-justicemodelinNewThoughtcanactuallydeemphasizethepursuitofindividualattainment,whichishistoricallyvitaltoNewThought’sappeal.Imustalsoaddthat,inmyexperience,someoftheloudestproponentsofsocialjusticeinourspiritualcommunitiescannotbecountedontowaterahouseplant.If

youwantsocialjustice,Ioftentellpeople,beginwiththeethicofkeepingyourwordandexcellingatthebasics of organization andplanning.Start there—and if youperformwell at those things, expandyourvision.Youcannot“fix”thingsthataffectothersunlessyoucanfirstcareforthethingsthatareyourown.

Inmy2014bookOneSimpleIdea,IwrotecriticallyofsuccessguruNapoleonHill.IsawtheThinkand Grow Rich author as someone who moved the dial away from social justice in the Americanmetaphysicaltradition.But,inretrospect,Iwaswrong.It’snotthatmycriticismofHillwasofftarget;thewritermadepronouncementsanddidthingstowhichIobject.ButHill’sgreatnessasametaphysicianandmotivationalthinkerwastoframeatrulyworkableprogramofethical,individualsuccess.Heowednoapology for that. One online writer recently wrote a bellicose, drawn-out article impugning Hill’scharacter.ButtheonehistoricallysignificantthingaboutHillishiswork,andyoucannotevaluatethemanabsentthat—anymorethanthesensationalisticbiographerAlbertGoldmancouldcapturethecharactersofJohnLennonorElvisPresley,twoofhissubjects,withoutunderstandingthemasartists.Hill’ssuccessprogramhasearneditsposterity,whichIknowfrompersonalexperience.

New Thought at its best andmost infectious celebrates the primacy of the individual. Seen in acertainlight,themysticalteacherNevilleGoddard,theNewThoughtfigurewhomImostadmire,wasakind of spiritualized objectivist. Or perhaps I could say that Ayn Rand, the founder of philosophicalObjectivism,andanardentatheist,wasasecularizedNeville.NevilleandRandeachespousedaformofextremistself-responsibility.Objectivereality,each taught, isa factof life.Themotivatedpersonmustselect among the possibilities and circumstances of reality. In their view, the individual is solelyresponsible, ultimately, forwhat he doeswith his choices.Rand saw this selection as the exercise ofpersonalwill and rational judgment;Neville saw it as vested in the creative instrumentalities of yourimagination.Butbothespousedthesameprinciple:theworldthatyouoccupyisyourownobligation.

Is thereadichotomybetweenNeville’sradical individualismandthecommunalvisionofWattles?Notfor me. As noted earlier, I’m skeptical toward language such as inner/outer, essence/ego, spiritual/material, which buzzes around many of our alternative spiritual communities. Not only do oppositesattract, but paradoxes complete. It is in the nature of life. There are no neat lines of division in theterritoryoftruth.Neville’svisionofindividualexcellence,andWattles’sidealofcommunityenrichmentare inextricably bound because New Thought—unlike secular Objectivism and varying forms ofceremonialmagickorThelemicphilosophy—functionsalongthelinesofScripturalethics.NewThoughtdoesnotcountenanceanexclusivistsociety.Itpromulgatesaradicallykarmicethos,inwhichthethoughtsandactionsenactedtowardotherssimultaneouslyplayouttowardtheself;doinguntoothersisdoinguntoself—thepartandthewholeareinseparable.

ThoseofusinvolvedwithNewThoughtare,infact,alwaysstrivingtoseelifeas“onething.”Thatonething—call it theCreativePowerorHigherMindinwhichweallfunction—canexpandininfinitedirections.Mustaseekerchoosebetweenanicecarand“awareness”?MustIchoosebetweenWallaceD.WattlesandNeville?Bothwerebold,beautiful,andrightinmanyways;bothhadavisionofultimatefreedom—ofthecreativeindividualdeterminingratherthanbendingtocircumstance.

Rather than propose a political program forNewThought, I insteadwant to strike at the blithe,sometimes childish tone that pervades much of its culture.Within churches, meetings, and discussiongroups,peoplewhothinkseriouslyaboutcurrenteventsorethicalproblemsaresometimesregardedasmissing the proper spirit. Yet thoughtful adults are not supposed to be Mr. Roarke saying, “Smileseveryone, smiles!” (Young people, work with me . . .) Indeed, some New Thoughters even expressboredomwithdiscussionsofworld issuesor aregrievouslyuninformedabout such things. IwasoncemakingapointtoaNewThoughtminister,andhegesturedwithhishandfromthebaseofhisnecktothe

top of his skull and said, “That sounds very here up.” I was being too intellectual, he felt. Suchprohibitionsdonotfosterawell-roundedmovement.

Ratherthanventurepoliticalagendas,wemustimprovetheintellectualtenorofNewThought—andavoidleaningoncatechismwhentopicsoftragedyorinjusticearise.AfamiliarNewThoughtrefrainisthatsomeonewhohasexperiencedtragedy,eitheronapersonalormassscale,wassomehowthinkingincomportmentwiththegrievousevent.Thatisindefensible.Weare,infact,alwaysthinkingaboutdifferentneeds and possibilities, shifting among competing thoughts and interests; the key factor in whether athoughtbecomesdeterminative,asseen inpsychicalandplacebostudiesaswellas in the testimonyofindividualseekers, iswhenemotionalforceandsublimefocuscombineinasingle thought.Howcanaswathofpeople,whetherinacountryoraspedestriansatanevent,beclassifiedasformingadiscernablementalwhole? I’mnot saying that there isn’tmasspsychology.Following traumatic events, andduringmomentsofheightenedcrowdstimulation(suchashearingapowerfulspeech),akindofherdpsychologyorgroupthinkcancertainlytakehold.Butprecedingsuchevents,humanthoughtsarefreneticandunruly,oftenasbusiedandindividualizedasmovementsonacrowdedstreet.Iseenoevidenceofagroupwilltosuffer.

Justasthereisnosolecause,norasinglementallaw,behindtragedies,thereisnooneanswerwhenanalyzing politics or current events. Butwhat no serious spiritualmovement can sustain is having noanswerornoresponse.Ornodiscussion.Ornoperspective. Iwouldratherentera roomfulofpeoplewhocivillydisagreeonproblematicissuesthanareblissfullyindifferent,orwhorunfromdiscussionasthoughfromcontagion,whichisthedefaulttowhichsomeNewThoughtershavewedthemselves.

Thiskindofstudiedindifferenceis theproblemthatAndréaRanaeisputtingherfingeron.It isaserious one.Yet historically itwasnot a problem for pioneers likeWallaceWattles or his publisher,ElizabethTowne,aleadingNewThoughtvoiceandsuffragistactivist.In1926,Townewaselectedthefirst female alderman in Holyoke, Massachusetts. Two years later she mounted an unsuccessfulindependent bid for mayor. Progressive Era pioneers of New Thought like Towne, Wattles, HelenWilmans,RalphWaldoTrine, andmanyof their contemporaries,were socially and intellectuallywellrounded.Theytookseriouslyboththespiritualandpublicdimensionsof life.Theirexpansiveoutlookswereanatural expressionof theirdrivingcuriosityandengagementwith theworld. Ifwecan fosterabetter,fullerintellectualculturewithinNewThought(whichisoneoftheaimsofthisbook),Ithinkthepolesofsocialactionandpersonalbettermentwouldnaturallyconverge.

AcoalescingofinterestsdoesnotmeanthatNewThoughterswillagreeonsocialissues,orvotethesame.Itmeans thatNewThoughtvaluesandmethodswillshine thewayforeachseeker,whateverhisvaluesorcircumstances,toshapehislife—andtheworld—inaccordancewithhishighestself.

CHAPTERNINE

WHYTHECRITICSAREWRONG

Ifyou’vereadthisfarinthisbook,youprobablytakeseriouslythequestionofthoughtandcausality.And I am fairly confident that if you’ve read this far, you’veprobablynoticed,likeme,alotofcriticismofself-help,positivethinking,andNewThoughtmethodsinthemediaover the last tenorsoyears, typifiedbyheadlines like“The‘Tyranny’ofPositive

Thinking(Newsweek, 2016); “AHarvard Psychologist ExplainsWhyForcing PositiveThinkingWon’tMakeYouHappy”(WashingtonPost,2016);and“TheProblemwithPositiveThinking”(NewYorkTimesop-ed,2014).*17Youmayhaveheardfriends,familymembers,orsocial-mediainterlocutorsmakingfunof“woo-woo”fromtimetotime.Inthischapter,Iwanttosupplyyouwithinformationthataffirmsyourdeepestinstinctsthatourmindsaretoolsofinfluence—andthatcynicsarewrongaboutpositivethinking.

Criticismofself-help,mentaltherapeutics,andpositive-mindphilosophyhasbecomesocommoninourjournalisticandacademicculturethateditorsandcriticsthemselvesdonotevenrecognizeitassuch.Several months before writing these words, I approached an opinion editor at a major newspaper,someone with whom I’d worked previously, to pitch an opinion piece that defended positive-mindphilosophyfromitscriticsandpushedbackagainsttheintellectualvogueintrashingpositivethinking.Herejectedtheidea,explainingthathefeltIwasarguingwithastrawman.Weekslater, thesameopinionpagereran—reran—apiece fromtwoyearsearlier that impugned thepopularityofpositive thinking. Iwrote back suggesting that since an intellectual battledid seem to be afoot, and using the rerun piece(amongothers)asanexhibit,whynotconsideradebatefeatureinwhichseveralwriterscontendoverthequestion?Well,hereplied,thenitjustseemslikewe’reretreadinganoldargument....ItwasaCatch-22.

Manyofthesamejournalists,socialcritics,andintellectualswhorundownpositivethinking,NewAge, and self-help are all too eager to cite cognitive studies as proof of a favored idea because suchreportsseemtopossessthesheenofpeer-reviewed,clinicallybasedsturdiness.Acaseinpointarrivedin2015withanarticleintheonlineopinionjournalAeon,inwhichjournalistandsocialcriticElizabethSvoboda sized up the self-help field. In her “Saved by the Book,” Svoboda concluded that somecognitively based self-help books are effective—and well worth defending—while New Age andpositive-thinkingbooksaretheproductof“woo-peddlers”whocheapenthefield.

Svoboda’spiecedemonstratedtwoassumptionsthatmakeitdifficult togainfullydiscussself-helptherapeutics inmuch of today’smedia. First, the author groups together two different kinds of books:metaphysicalworks,suchastheperennialcritics’spunchingbagTheSecret,andbooksbasedonclinicalstudy,suchasFeelingGoodbyDavidD.Burns,M.D.Althoughtheirauthorssharesomeconcerns,suchbookshavelittleincommon:onerepresentstheologyandtheothercognitivetherapy.

Aroundthesametime,thisdissonancemanifestedinthepagesofPublishersWeekly,thepublishing

trade journal, when an anonymous reviewer (isn’t it time we have done with anonymous reviews?)lamented the absence of material on “cognitive restructuring” in Richard Smoley’s 2015 slendermasterpieceTheDeal,aspiritualprogramof forgiveness,whichIpublishedatTarcherPerigee. Itgoeswithoutsayingthatacriticisfreetodislikesomething;Ipersonallyveneratethebookandbelievethatit’soneofthemostworthwhilethingsI’vepublished.Buttocriticizeaspiritualphilosopherfornotsupplyingcognitivedataissimplytochangethewriter’ssubject.

Thesecond,andmoreserious,assumptioninSvoboda’scritiquecomesinheruncriticalacceptanceofclinicalstudiesthatare“callingoutthewoo-peddlers.”Thisgenerallymeansexperimentsthatpurportto show how positive thinking is ineffective and even counterproductive. Having read some of thosestudies,more onwhich shortly, I’ve found that what they often show is that “fringe thinking” doesn’twork: that is, uncritical optimism and uncritical pessimism, to the exclusion of constructive action orsubtlety.

Withregardtoempiricism,Svobodadoesnotmentionrecentstudiesthatdeepenourquestionsabouttheaffirmativepowersofthemind,suchastheaforementioned“honestplacebo”studyatHarvard,wheresubjects reported relief even when knowingly receiving a fake pill, or Harvard psychologist EllenLanger’sstudiesofaging inwhichelderlypeopleexperiencedreversalsofpsychologicalandphysicaldeclinewhenimmersedinnostalgicsettingsdesignedtoevokefeelingsofyouth.

Mainstreammediafrequentlyplayspunch thesmileyface.OnFebruary13,2014, theNew Yorkerranacritiqueofpositivethinkinginwhichresearchersconcludedthataffirmative-mindmechanicsmakeyoulazyorinert.Thepiecebegan(spoileralert)withaswipeatTheSecretandwentontoquoteHeatherBarry Kappes, a management professor at the London School of Economics: “Imagining a positiveoutcome conveys the sense that you’re approaching your goals, which takes the edge off the need toachieve.”

I wonder how many people who have immersed themselves in positive-mind metaphysics—asopposed to the students who participated in Kappes’s two-week study*18—would recognize theirexperienceinherstatement?Idon’tseemypersonalexperienceinit.Ididn’tpublishmyfirstbooksuntilIwaswell intomy forties—and the result grew from years of labor, visualization, prayer, focus, andaffirmation. As with health, I encourage a D-day approach: Throw everything you’ve got at yourobjective.Ifthistwo-weekexperimenthadcontinuedforsay,twoyears,maybeKappes’sundergraduatesubjectswouldhavelearnedthingsaboutthemselves.Perhapstheywouldhavediscoveredthatamixtureofself-affirmation,action,andmeditationishelpful.Butwhocanderivecorrectivelessonsfromaweekofvisualizationandanotherofviewingtheresults?Evenasubjectivestudyofredirectingyourthoughtsandrecordingresults,whichIproposedintheNovember2015issueofScienceofMindmagazine,lastedthirtydays.

Infairness,researchershavealsosubjectedpositivethinkingtolong-termstudies,includingatwo-yearexperiment incareervisualizationwithGermanuniversitystudents.†19Theresearchersdiscoveredthat students who imagined positive outcomes to their job search were more likely to experiencedisappointingresults;butthesubjectswhoharbored“positiveexpectations”weremorelikelytosucceed.Andthisiswherethestudy’stermsandmethodsgetcurious:“Thoughtheroleofpositiveexpectationsofsuccessinfindingworkisamplydemonstrated,”theresearcherswroteintheirrationaleforthestudy,“theroleoffantasyhasbeenneglected.”So,theirfocuswasnotpositivethinking,perse,butimaginalfantasy.Howmanydetractorsofpositivethinking,suchassocialcriticBarbaraEhrenreich—whoseworkwillbeconsidered shortly—would pause over (or even notice) that sentence and consider whether they hadcarvedoutdistinctionsintheirownwritingbetween“positiveexpectations”and“fantasy”(bywhichtheresearchersseemedtomeanvisualization)?Andwhatwouldsuchadistinctionlooklike?Ourpsychology

isamosaicofimages,scenes,emotions,andwords.The researchers concluded: “students with high expectations of success received comparatively

more job offers and earned more money; students experiencing positive fantasies, to the contrary,received comparatively fewer job offers and earned lessmoney.”Here is an example of how “fringethinking” can get conflated with “positive thinking”: The researchers did not discover that positivethinkers earned less; rather, they found that positive fantasizers seemed to perform less well, whilenegativefantasizerswerenotstudied.

Oneconsiderationthatapparentlyconcernedneitherthestudy’sauthorsnorthejournalistscoveringthem(thestudywasalsopartoftheNewYorkercritiqueandwidelypickedupfromthere)waswhetheranyoftheseresearcherswerecapableofguidingtheirsubjectsinmeaningfulmethodsofpositive-minddynamics.Theirtechniquesarenotdescribed.Didtheyapproximatethevirtuosityandinventivenessof,say,amental-conditioningpioneersuchasÉmileCoué?What,intheend,wasreallytested?(Perhapsitwastheresearchers’abilitiesasmotivationalcoaches.)

Regardlessofthegaps, thesekindsofstudiestranslateintosnappynewscoverage,asreflectedintheNew Yorker’s headline: “The Powerlessness of Positive Thinking.” But such experiments rarelyreceive scrutiny from writers and researchers who are actually immersed in the practice andconsiderationof positive-mindmetaphysics.Unfortunately, suchpeoplenumbernear zero in academia.(Thissituationalsogivesmeconcern—whyisn’ttheNewThoughtculturemoreintellectuallydynamic?Christian Science has produced formidable scholars from within its ranks, such as Robert Peel andStephenGottschalk.SohasMormonism.NewThoughthaslaggedinthisregard.)

BecausetheintellectualculturedenigratestermslikeNewAgeandpositivethinking,evenpositive-psychology pioneerMartin Seligman has rushed to disavow any connection to the “power of positivethinking,”which he describes as passive and unscientifically wishful. As I’vewritten inOne SimpleIdea, some of the finest voices inNewThought and positive-mindmetaphysics in the early twentiethcentury,includingFrenchhypnotherapistCouéandAmericanministerJohnHermanRandall,prescribedmethods that square with current protocols in neuroplasticity and cognitive psychology. There is nosimplewayofdismissingorproscribingpositivethinking.Infact,abetterlineofdistinctionforSeligmanwouldbethatNewThoughthashistoricallybeenspiritualinnature—itemploysametaphysicaloutlookthatpositsourthoughtsasachannelofhighercreativepowerorextraphysicality,versusSeligman’sfocusondevisingsounderpsychologicalpatterns.Forthisreason,I,too,seedifferencesbetweenNewThoughtandpositivepsychology,butforreasonsotherthanSeligman’s.

Allofthisleavesuswithasituationwherepositivity-basedpsychologistslikeSeligmanareeagertodistancethemselvesfromtheirownintellectualforebears,andmostjournalistslacktheforum(orinstinct)todiscusswhether spiritual self-helpbooksmay, in fact,dramatically improve lives—anddo somorefully,insomecases,thanbooksthataspiretoclinicalvalidation.

The endurance of New Thought–oriented classics, ranging from As a Man Thinketh (1903) toPsycho-Cybernetics (1960), rests on the broad and even epic nature of their philosophy. Suchworksimpartmeaningandprovideanethicalpathtofollow,withtheaimofdevelopingthewholeperson.Mostcliniciansandresearchers,however,disregard, ifnotdenigrate, individual testimonyfromNewAgers,positivethinkers,andtwelve-stepgroupmembers.

Andthis,finally,exposesthecorechallengeofevaluatingbooksofspiritualself-help:Researchersare not trained or inclined to consider personal testimony. This problem extends back to the days ofWilliam James, who noted that many Victorian-era scientists (like many cognitive researchers today)regardedpersonal testimony as fickle, obfuscating, and scientifically useless, rather than one part of a

validrecord.SvobodaquotespsychologistJoanneV.WoodoftheUniversityofWaterloo,acurrentcriticofspiritualself-help,dismissingtheexperiencesofNewAgereaders:“Concludingthatitworksbasedonpersonalexperiencedoesnotconstituterigorousresearch.”Fairenough.Butifacertaintypeoftestimonycoalescesintoacomparativerecordacrossdecades,isthatnottobeconsidered?

Historically, researchers have found it difficult to study Alcoholics Anonymous—a fluid,nonsectarianfellowshipwherepeoplecomeandgo.ThisisallthemorereasontoregardthetestimonyofAAmembersasanimportantlinkinunderstandingtheenduranceofthetwelve-stepapproach.And,givensome of the concerns I’ve raised above, I think it’s questionable that the past decade’s criticalexperiments in positive-mind therapeutics would prove any more definitive or repeatable than theexperiencesofparticipantsinmetaphysicalthoughtsystemssuchasAA,ScienceofMind,andUnity.

Itisnaturalforpeopleto“shoparound”forreligionsorspiritualmovementsthatfit theirneeds.Ihave friends and family members who have benefited immeasurably from twelve-step programs,mindfulnessmeditation,ornewreligiousmovementssuchasMormonismandChristianScience—andIknow others for whom such approaches are anathema. I have found great help in my own life frommysticalphilosopherssuchasNevilleGoddardandVernonHoward,andthepracticeofTranscendentalMeditation.Noneofthisprovesthatonesystemoranotherworks.Rather,itdemonstrates,asdoesavastrecordofpersonal testimony, that theexperienceof the individual—thevery thing thatProfessorWooddismisses—isavitalelementinunderstandingspiritualself-help.

Mypersonal observation is that the classics of self-help—such asAlcoholicsAnonymous (1939)andThinkandGrowRich(1937)—retainauniqueholdacrossgenerationsandbenefitfromconsiderableword-of-mouthrecommendation,whichsuggestssomethingfarmore thanfaddishappealorarevolvingdoorofgullible readers. Ithasbeenmysense that theeffectivenessof suchbooks restsheavilyon thepassionoftheindividualseeker.AsanArabproverbgoes:“Thewaybreadtastesdependsonhowhungryyou are.”Your depth of hunger for self-change is likely tomatch the benefit you experience from anylegitimateself-helpprogram.

IapplaudSvobodaforopeningthisdiscussionandarguingforthoseworksofpracticalpsychologythat she has found personally meaningful. But we are a long way from finding proper ground inmainstream media and scholarship to seriously consider—without apology or embarrassment—theefficacyofthe“woo-peddlers.”

While Svoboda honestly considers the case for and against self-help, a less principled and morewidespreadcritiquehasrecentlyemergedfromtheworkofBarbaraEhrenreich.Thesocialcritic’s2009best-sellerBright-Sidedwasascathingandinfluentialindictmentofpositivethinking,whichsetthetoneformuchofthecriticismofpositivethinkingfoundintheworkwe’vereviewed,andgenerallythroughouttheintellectualculture.

Let me be clear about my allegiances: One of the most influential books I read in college wasEhrenreich’s brilliant critique of gender politics, The Hearts of Men. As I neared my senior year IbecameanactivememberoftheDemocraticSocialistsofAmerica,theorganizationthatEhrenreichco-chairedalongwithmyhero,authorandactivistMichaelHarrington.Iremainamemberthirtyyearslater.

I’veattendedpoliticalconferenceswithEhrenreich,includingoneslightlyzanyretreatataprivatezooandestate inNorthFloridawhere, inbetweendiscussionsofhowtorevive theAmerican left,wetouredopen-air refuges forAfricanwildlife (and Ihoped thatwehadn’t stepped intoa remakeofTheMostDangerousGame).

Like many of Ehrenreich’s admirers, I had always found her trenchant, formidable, sometimesfrustrating, and unfailingly insightful. That changed when she adopted her current role as the literarynemesis of the positive-thinkingmovement.Thenotion that thoughts are causative takesmanydifferentforms,ofcourse,varyinglyexpressedinmetaphysicalorpsychologicalterms,orboth.Ehrenreichgroupstogetherthiswholethoughtmovementasprofferingamyopicbatchofillusions,whichservetoreinforceexisting power structures. She explored this thesis in Bright-Sided and in many interviews andappearances that followed.Ehrenreichrevisited thisperspective inaDecember31,2015,op-ed in theNewYorkTimes,whereshecritiquedwhatshesawasthevacuityofthecurrentresearchintothebenefitsofgratitude.Shequicklyconnected the“currenthooplaaroundgratitude”withher real target:positivethinking,which she sees typified in the excesses ofThe Secret and the foolhardy exuberance that sheblamesfortheGreatRecessionof2008.(GoldmanSachs,takeabreather—NormanVincentPeale,braceyourself.)

RarelyhastheTimespublishedsuchanarticulate(anddamning)selectionofreaderobjectionstoanopinionpiece.Myowndidn’tmakethecut,soI’llprovideithere:

TotheEditor,

Polemicsfororagainstgratitude,orcertainkindsofgratitude,edgeustowardangels-on-pinheadsarguments.Inessence,BarbaraEhrenreichpitsherconceptionofgratefulnessagainstsomeoneelse’s,whetherintheformofplatitudes,questionablestudies,ortheevery-readycriticalpunchingbagTheSecret(whichturnstenthisyear,bytheway—maybeit’stimetogiveitarest).Thereis,infact,noinnatetensionbetweengratitudeinthesocialsense,whichMs.Ehrenreichcallsfor,andgratitudeinthespiritualsense,whichshefindsiffy.GiventhatmostofusintheWestare,byglobalstandards,thewealthiest,healthiest,andsafestpeopleonearth,gratitudeshouldbeconsideredsimplyaformofrealism.

Sincerely,MitchHorowitzJanuary1,2016

The Times has graciously used several of my letters responding to polemics against positivethinking.ButIbelievethattheymadetherightjudgmentinbypassingthisoneinordertomakeroomforother correspondents, including a UC Berkeley researcher Jason Marsh who said that Ehrenreichmisstatedhisandhiscolleagues’researchongratitudebyomittingtheresearchers’keypointthatauthenticgratitudemustbeaccompaniedbyempathyandafeelingofastrengthenedsocialties,atopicheexploredinanonlineessayofhisown,“WhatBarbaraEhrenreichGetsWrongaboutGratitude.”

That important critique falls second, inmymind, to aheartfelt statement theTimes used from theverytypeofworkingpersonforwhomEhrenreichstrivestospeak—butbarelyseemstorecognize:

TotheEditor,

IwassodisheartenedbyBarbaraEhrenreich’sleaptoassumethatit’sselfishtofindpersonalempowermentthrough positive thinking and gratitude. It’s ironic for me personally that she points to the crash of 2008 as anexcellentreasonforpeopletohaveabandoned“silly”positivethinking.

WhenmyhusbandandIalmost lostourhousethatyear,strugglingwithhealth insurancepremiumsandanewbaby,Idiscoveredtheexactself-helpmessagesthatshe’sdismissing,andtheykeptmeafloatmentallysothatIcouldfocusonaplantogetwork,andgetusoutofourhole.Iwasindespair,andfoundthatmakinglistsofthingsIcouldbethankfulforbroughtmesomehappiness,thenmorehappiness—and,yes,itdidfeelgood,thankyouverymuch!

AndIwasn’tselfish.Idugmyselfoutofanonslaughtofdepression,andwhenwegotbackontrackfinancially,

Ididpracticea“vigorousandinclusive”gratitudebygivingbacktopeoplewhoneededit.There’sanotherself-helpclichéaboutputtingyourownoxygenmaskonfirst, thenhelpingothers,andyousimplycan’tdothatwithoutfirstpracticingpersonal(selfish?)gratitude.

PaulaTiberiusNorthHollywood,CA

January9,2016

Ehrenreich’s critique of positive thinking in Bright-Sided rests on the notion that positive-mindtherapeuticsharmfullyencouragepeople to seewhat theywant to—rather than todealwith, challenge,and improve the world as it is. But when paddling into the waters of positive-mind philosophy, sheimitatesthesameintellectualblindnessthatsheaimstopillory.Itis,frankly,difficulttotellwhetherthisstems from laziness of research or a willful neglect of facts for the sake of scoring a witty point. InBright-Sidednotonenoteismadeofthelongtimeradicalandprogressivehistoryofthepositive-thinkingmovement.Asalludedtoearlier,positive-mindphilosophywasinterwovenwiththereformistidealsoftheProgressiveEra. Itsearlyexplorersandacolytes includedfeministpioneerElizabethCadyStanton,New Deal icon Henry Wallace, and black nationalist Marcus Garvey.*20 Of course, there are alsoexamplestothecontrary(andshefindsthem).ButtoomittheprogressiveaspectofpositivethinkingisakintoomittingthehistoryofcivilrightsandlabororganizingwhenwritingthehistoryoftheDemocraticparty.

ThishistoricalshallownessisfurtherseeninhowshedealswiththefundamentalinfluenceofRalphWaldoEmerson on the popularAmerican psyche and on the positive-thinkingmovement in particular:Almost all of her quotes from Emerson are referenced to secondary sources, primarily CatherineAlbanese’s2007scholarly(andmagisterial)studyoftranscendentalreligionsinAmerica,ARepublicofMind and Spirit. If a freshman quoted Emerson from secondary sources in a term paper, I’d havequestionsforthatstudent.Buthowcantheleadingcriticofpositive-mindmechanicsevidentlynothavereadandyellow-highlightedessaysby theveryphilosopherwhomade themovementpossible tobeginwith?

InherTimespiece,Ehrenreichdustedoffcriticismofthemega-sellingbookandmovieTheSecret—aworknowtenyearsold—toclaimthatitsexcesseshavewhollyexposedthe“silliness”ofpositivethinking. I have criticized The Secret in blunt terms inOne Simple Idea and elsewhere. But, moreimportantlythanthatpopularwork,weare,asnoted,livingthroughaperiodofnewfindingsinplaceboresearch,rangingfromplacebosurgeriestomyriadstudieslinkingpositiveexpectancytoastrengthenedimmunological response,aswell aswidelyaccepted findings in thenascent fieldofneuroplasticity, inwhichredirectedthoughtsareseentoalterbrainbiology.Thesedevelopmentsinmentaltherapeuticsaredeepeningourquestionsaboutthepotentialitiesofthemind.GiventhatsuchthingsarereportedinmediaEhrenreichpresumablyencounters, fromtheNewYorkTimesMagazine toNPR,aswell as inmedicaljournals,itisintellectuallylametofallbackonberatingTheSecret.

She also blames positive thinking for the 2008 financial crash, a point of view popularized in aDecember 2009 cover story in The Atlantic by journalist Hanna Rosin. I disagree with Rosin’schallengingconclusions thatprosperityministries inspiredaboundless faith inour shakyeconomyandtriggeredthecrash.IthinkRosingivestoomuchcredittotheinfluenceofprosperityministersandlaysinsufficient blame on coercive lending tactics. But, nonetheless, Rosin performed extraordinaryreportorial legwork and research, exploring the lives of day-to-day people—a lot like the NorthHollywoodcorrespondentabove—whostakedpartof theirfinancialwell-being,forgoodorill,onthevalidityofpositivethinkingandaffirmativeprayer.

By contrast, Ehrenreich took the easy road: She visitedmega-churches, such as JoelOsteen’s inTexas, anddidherbest topaint adepressing,Hopperesquecanvasof lostAmericandreamerspinningtheir hopes on positivity ministers like Osteen, whose height and appearance she derided. What sheomittedwasanymeasuredcritiqueofwhatOsteenactuallysays.

After the 2008 crash, Osteen, speaking from his televised Sundaymorning pulpit, addressed thequestionofwhatsomeoneshoulddoifheorshefearsbeinglaidoff.Heofferedthreepiecesofadvice:(1)constantlylearnnewtechnologyandskills,(2)continuallytakeonadditionaltasksatwork,and(3)demonstrateapositivementalattitudeatwork.Ehrenreichwouldprobablyrollhereyesat thiskindofpage-a-day calendar advice, noting that it does nothing for any serious person—right?Wrong. This isexactly thekindof advice that Iwouldgive to anymemberofmyown family,while at the same timeworking to restore the kinds of banking regulations, unionization, and transparency in lending that hadprotectedusfromthiskindofdisastrouscrashfollowingtheGreatDepression.

Ehrenreichseemstobelievethatpracticaladviceandpoliticalreformareatodds.Thatis,simply,ridiculous. Practicality and protest go hand in hand. The revolution does not solvemy problems nextThursday. For that, I need help that conforms to the boundarieswe currently live in,while fighting toexpand them.After all these years of theAmerican leftwandering in thewilderness, does this reallyrequirerestating?

And,asoneoftheTimescorrespondentspointedout,someofthemosteffectivesocialreformersinAmerican history have been “happy warriors”—hopeful, dynamic people who related to ordinaryAmericans, or who were themselves ordinary Americans, and who would never dream of casuallydebasingpopularreligiousortherapeuticideas.Thiswastrue,forexample,ofEhrenreich’sDemocraticSocialistsofAmericaco-chairMichaelHarrington,whodiedofcancerin1989.Mike,ashewasknowntoall, feltgreataffectionforpeopleandevokedsimilarfeelings inreturn.AsoneofmyoldcomradesDinahLeventhalrecalled:“Hereallylovedthiscountryandthoughtthatyouhadtolovethecountrytobearadical, tobeasocialist,andtowant tochangeit.”Youcannot loveacountryinanyauthenticsensewhenyouoffhandedlydisparage—andmakenoeffort to takefullmeasureof—anoutlookembracedbyvariedmillionsofAmericans,ofallbackgroundsandclasses.

Mike’sbiographerMaurice Issermannoted,with trademark restraint, thatEhrenreich “didnotgetalongwithMichael.”(It is thesolementionofherinIsserman’sbiographyTheOtherAmerican.)Thiswasprettycommonknowledgebackintheday—anditmayhaverevealedtheseedlingsofEhrenreich’scurrent jagagainstpositivethinking.Sheisconvinced—andtriestoconvinceothers—thatthepositive-mind tradition and expressions of American optimism represent an inherently selfish, capitalist-bolstering,mush-headedphilosophythatservestokeepworkersintheirplace.Shemayneedtoseeitthatway—suchaviewmayaffirmtheoppositionaltoneandsenseofoutsiderexclusivismthat,ineffect,tellherwhosheis.

Ehrenreich’s readers,who trustherasastraight-shootingsocialcritic,arebeingmisledabout thehistoryandvariedapproachesofpositivethinking.Butthesereadersdonot,andlikelyneverwill,realizethat theyarebeingmisled.This isbecause self-helpandpositive-thinking literature isperhaps theoneformofwritingwhosedetractorsfeelnoobligationtoreadortest-drivebeforepromulgatinganopinion.Recall the journalist in chapter 1 who traveled around the world to visit the Maharishi but neverattemptedTranscendentalMeditation.Thereisawordforthistypeofthinking:cynicism.It is thesametypeofpredeterminedthoughtthatEhrenreichperceivesinpositivethinking.

There is an important critical discussion to be had about the problems (and possibilities) of thishugelypopularAmericanphilosophy.Ehrenreichcouldhavebegunthatdiscussionwiththenoteonwhichshe opened her book, recalling the nightmarish conformity of being encouraged to think positively

following a cancer diagnosis. I have recounted similarly appalling episodes.But Ehrenreich seems tohavedecidedaforethoughtnottoleavethedooropen—notevenbyacrack—forthepossibilitythatthereismore to this philosophy than a smiley face holding amallet.That is a disservice to the career of avaluablesocialcriticandthereaderswhobelieveinher.

TheyearthatIndianasocialistandNewThoughtpioneerWallaceD.Wattlesdied,1911,alsosawthe publication of his final book,The Science of BeingGreat. In it,Wattles paid tribute toAmericansocialist iconEugeneV.Debs (you’ll recall that daughter FlorenceWattles correspondedwithDebs’sbrother).Debswas,beforeNormanThomasandBernieSanders,themostfamoussocialistevertorunforpresident.Wattleswroteofhim:

Mr. Debs reverences humanity. No appeal for help is ever made to him in vain. No onereceivesfromhimanunkindorcensoriousword.Youcannotcomeintohispresencewithoutbeing made sensible of his deep and kindly personal interest in you. Every person, be hemillionaire, grimy workingman, or toil worn woman, receives the radiant warmth of abrotherlyaffectionthatissincereandtrue.Noraggedchildspeakstohimonthestreetwithoutreceivinginstantandtenderrecognition.Debslovesmen.Thishasmadehimtheleadingfigureinagreatmovement,thebelovedheroofamillionhearts,andwillgivehimadeathlessname.

IfthefortunesoftheAmericanleft,asacohesiveandongoingmovementinournationallife,aretobesustained,thiskindofidealrequiresemulation.Thefailureofmuchofthemainstreamintelligentsiatounderstandwhattheinteriorofthenationwasthinkingaboutinthe2016presidentialelectioncanbeenseen, in capsule form, in its dismissal of positive-thinking philosophy, as championed by Ehrenreich.Positivethinkingisnottheenemyofprogress—norisitthesolesolutiontoretrogradeproblems.Rather,positive-mindphilosophy,whichremainshugelypopular,isamisunderstoodanddeeplyfeltaspectoftheAmericanpsyche,whichnoonewhohopes to reach theheartofournationcanafford todisparageorignore.

CHAPTERTEN

MIRRORMAN

TheCentralityofNevilleGoddard

Thewatershines,apebbleskipsacrossthefaceAdozentimes,thendisappears,notatraceleftbehind

“MIRRORMAN,”THEHUMANLEAGUE

I try to be plain with readers and audiences that I am a “believing historian”—that IparticipateinmanyofthemetaphysicalmovementsandthoughtschoolsIwriteabout.Thisisactuallynotanunusualthingforahistorian,eventhoughmostdonotannounceit.Someofourkeyhistoriesofthetraditionalfaiths,aswellasofnewreligionssuchasMormonism

andChristianScience,comefromscholarswhohavecommitmentswithinthosefaiths.Ratherthanserveasablinder,thevantagepointofcriticalbeliefcanbehelpful,sinceitisalmostimpossibletounderstandareligiousmovementwithoutapersonalsenseofthevaluesandpracticesthatemanatefromit.

Inaddition,Idonotviewesotericoralternativespiritualexpressionsasschisms,setapartfromthehistoricmarchof faith.Rather,manynontraditional spiritualmovementsprovidenovelmeansandnewwindows on the perennial aim of all contemplative religion: refinement of the individual, heightenedperceptionofreality,andtheleaveningofcoarseideasandrelationshipsintofinerones.Religion,initstrueform,aimstoelevatetheselfandrestoremantohishighestnature.Idonotendeavortoplacethoughtmovementsinmuseumcasesforclassification—rather,Ibelievethattheseeker-historianmustbeabletoidentifyworkable,practicalphilosophies,which improvehumanconduct in thehereandnow.Thoughtsystems that do not accomplish those ends should be discarded. Effectiveness is the currency of anyethicalorspiritualprogram.

In my study of mystical systems and philosophies, the most impactful, elegant, simple, anddramaticallychallengingoutlookIhavepersonallycomeacrossemergesfromtwentieth-centuryspiritualphilosopherNevilleGoddard.IhavereferredtoNeville,whowentbyhisfirstname,atvariouspointsinthisbook.Wewillnowconsiderhis ideas—andhow touse them—inacomprehensivemanner. Ifyoureadthischapterwithearnestinterest,regardlessofwhetheryoufollowNevilletotheultimateextentofhisvision,yourlifeandperceptionswillnotremainunchanged.Youwill,Iamconfident,lookback,ineitherthelongorshortterm,andagreewiththatstatement.

Nevillewasborn toanEnglishfamilyon the islandofBarbados in1905.Hewasoneof tenchildren:nine boys and a girl. In 1922, at the age of seventeen—his youthful intrepidnessmarked a differencebetweenhiseraandourown—NevillemigratedtoNewYorkCitytostudytheater.Hehadsomesuccess,appearinginrolesonBroadwayandinsilentfilms(anentertainmentcolumnistin1926hailedtheyoungactor’s “remarkable likeness toRudolphValentino”), and traveled internationallywith a dance troupe.Duringhisperformingcareer,Nevillecameincontactwithawiderangeofmysticalphilosophies.Bytheearly1930s,thedancerandactorcametofeelthathehaddiscoveredthemasterkeytoexistence,namelythatthehumanimaginationisGodtheCreator.

Thepurposeof thischapter is tosuggest,chinout, that theyoungman’sdiscoverymayhavebeenright.Youcanvetthatforyourself.I’mgoingtobeveryplainingivingyouhisspiritualsystem.IfollowitwithaconsiderationofNeville’spersonalhistory—wherehecamefrom,thegestationofhisideas,whoheinfluenced—andwhyIbelievethatNevillewasavastlyprescientthinker.Inparticular,IlayoutsomeofNeville’s techniques—he insisted thathis ideasmustbe tested in the laboratoryofexperience—andexplore,bothhereandinthenextandfinalchapter,howtheyresoundinunsensationalizedconsiderationsofdevelopmentsinquantumphysics,psychicalresearch,andneuroscience.I’malsogoingtoconsidertheintriguingteachercalledAbdullah,whomNevilleidentifiedasaspiritualmasterwhotutoredhiminNewYorkCityinthe1930s.

THREESTEPSTOTRUTH

Nevilleregardedhisphilosophyasthemostimportantaspectofhislife.AlthoughhehaddashinggoodlooksandthesavoirfaireofaCaryGrant(withamid-Atlanticaccenttomatch),herarelysubmittedtoprofessionalphotographsorchasedafterpublicity.Heindependentlypublishedtenbooks,spokeinrentedauditoriumsorchurches,andhadlittlevisiblemediapresence.TheonemajorpieceofjournalismabouthimwasaprofilewrittenduringWorldWarIIintheNewYorker,notamagazineknownforitsmysticalproclivities.Inshort,weknowNeville’snamestrictlybecauseofhisideas,andIwanttostartwiththem.

Nevillebelieved,simply,thattheGodofScriptureisametaphorforthehumanimagination.AllofthestoriesfromScripture, inboth theOldandNewTestament,he taught,havenobasis inhistory.TheentireBibleisabookofNear-Easternsymbolism,writteninapictographiclanguagethatisintendedtoprovideablueprintfortheindividual’sinnerdevelopment.InNeville’sinterpretation,theNewTestamentsymbolicallytellsofGoddescendingintohumanform.HumanityfallsasleeptoitsownDivineorChristessence,with the individual—i.e., each one of us—believing himself or herself confined to a limited,coarse world of material parameters. Not yet fully developed, man is crucified in the agony of thisforgetfulness—asChristcriesoutonthecross,“MyGod,myGod,whyhasthouforsakenme?”—onlytobegloriously resurrected into the realizationofhisDivinenature.Thispotentialityexistswithineveryindividual,andthis journeyfromsleeptoawarenessunfolds ineverylife,evenifmultiplerecurrencesarerequiredforitsfruition.

Nevilleconcluded,basedonhisrevelatoryreadingofScripture,hisprobingasaphilosopher,andhis intimate experiments, that the illumined writers of Scripture never intended to communicate theexistenceof anexteriorGodoutside the individual’sownvisualizing-imaginative faculty.Thecreativeforce traditionally called God exists solely within you, as your imagination, and is constantly out-picturingyourmentalimagesandemotivelychargedthoughtsintoreality.Thisisoccurringallthetime,asyou think, plan, ponder, and fall in and out of emotive states, but you are asleep to it. The awareindividual, Neville emphasized, can learn to conjoin his intellect and emotions into the consciously

creativeact.Without thisawareness,wesuffer,wecry,wehavefleetingjoys,wefight—alwaysbelievingthat

weare responding to stimuli rather thancreating it. Inwhatwecalldeath,weeventuallydepart thesephysicalforms,havingpassedthroughourexistenceinastateofslumberwithoutunderstandingthatwhatwecall“I”isaforminwhichCreationisexperiencingitself.

Coming to the realization thatyou, throughyour imagination, are abranchof theCreator,Nevilletaught, can bring you into the bloom of powers written about inmetaphor in the New Testament andsymbolizedinthestoryofChristresurrected.Imustnotethathemeantallofthisinthemostliteralsense.There was nothing inexact or qualified in Neville’s thought. He took a jarringly radical stand andcontinuallychallengedhislisteners:tryit.Tryittonight,heinsisted,andifitdoesn’twork,disregardme,disregardmyphilosophy.Provemewrong.

Nevillewasnotabusinessmanorasellerofspiritualproducts.HedeliveredhislecturesGratefulDead–style,inwhichheallowedanylistenertofreelyrecordanddistributethem(whichiswhyhundredsofhistalksnowcirculateonline).Mostofhisbooksareinpublicdomainduetononrenewalofcopyright.WithNeville,there’snothingtojoin,nolabeltowear,andlittleornothingtobuy.There’sjustthemanandhisideas—andyouroptiontoexperimentwiththem.

ThemethodbehindNeville’sideasisreducibletoathree-partformula.Thisformulaissimple,butdonotapproachitlightly.Itrequirespersistence.Wewillnowexploreeachofthethreesteps.

1.Everycreativeactbeginswithapassionatedesire.Donotbefooledbyhoweasythatsounds.Wewalkaroundalldaywithdesires,thinking:Iwantthis

and that; Iwantmoney; Iwant sex and romance; Iwant thisperson topayattention tome; Iwant thisachievement;andsoon.Yetmuchofthetime,aswe’veseen,wehaveonlysuperficialunderstandingsofourdesires.We’redishonestaboutwhatwetrulywantbecauseweoftendon’twanttoacknowledge,inour innermost hearts,whatwe reallywish for.We live in a society that is, on the surface, filledwithpersonallicenseandfreedom;butwedon’tlikeadmittingtoourselvesthingsthatwefeelareunfittingofagivenimagewe’vecultivated—aself-imagedesignedtoappealtoothers,butthatmaynolongerfitus.Wealsoconfusemeanswithdesires,sometimessayingwewantacertainjob,forexample,whenwhatwereallywantissecurity.

I want to share a personal story, and I’m going to be very personal in this chapter because I’mdescribinginNevilleamanandaphilosophythatisenormouslychallenging—andenormouslypractical,ifyoutakethismaterialseriously—andIfeelobligatedtowarrantymywordswithpersonalexperience.Experience is theempiricismof the innerpath,andIwillstartwithone thatbearsupon this firststep:clarifieddesire.

Years ago, I knew awomanwhowas awell-known psychic—not a household name butwidelyknown.Ifeltshehadanauthenticpsychicalgift.Ididn’tlikehowshelived,becauseIpersonallyfeltthatshecouldbeaviolentperson;notphysicallyviolentbutemotionally:shewouldmanipulatepeople,bullythem, andgenerallypush themaround. I didn’t particularly likeher—but I did feel that shehad a trueintuitive gift. (People are often lopsided—the possession of keen insight into human affairs does notequatewithethicsorempathy.)Iwastalkingtoheronenight;wewerehavingaconversationinaparkinglotsomewhere,andshestoppedandsaidtome:“Doyouknowwhatyouwant?Youwantpower.Butyourproblemis,youhaveanoverdevelopedsuperego.”

Assoonas Iheard this Iwanted topush itaway.AndIspentyearspushing itaway. I thought:“I

don’twantpowerlikeyou.Idon’twantthepowertopushpeoplearound,tobullypeople,tobeviolenttowardpeople.”AndIsorecoiledfromwhatshesaid.Butithauntedme.Icouldnevergetawayfromit.

Sometimesweare(andmustbe)hauntedbysomethingunacknowledgedwithinourselves,somethingthatmakesusdeeplyuncomfortable—butthatmightbetrue.

Ihadtoacknowledge,asyearspassed,thatthisflawedmessengerdidtellmethetruth.ButshealsoprovidedanexampleofthekindofpowerIdidn’twant:thepowertomanipulateandgrab.Shegotmethinking about the power I did want: the ability to exert my will—physically, intellectually, andartistically—in order to see my plans through in the world. And to do so directly, with as fewintermediariesaspossible.Toselectrelationshipsbasedonmutualaffinity,respect,andconstructiveness,ortoforegohavingarelationship.Tofulfillmytruedebts,butnotemptyobligations.

WhenNevilletalksaboutdesire,he’snotspeakingsuperficially.Hereallywantsyoutogetdownintothegutsofmatters,whereyoumightwantsomethingthatmakesyouuncomfortable.Therearewayswedon’tliketoseeourselves.ButNevillemaintainsthatdesireisGodspeakingtous.AndGodisus.TowalkawayfromadeeppersonalyearningistowalkawayfromGodwithinyourself.Inessence,weallwant thesamething: tofulfillouressential inner ideals, toexercise,exhibit,andexertourselves in thenaturaldirectiontowardwhichwearealwaysbeingpulled.Andwewanttobeseenandunderstood.

Iwasonce inaspiritualgroupwhereawomandescribed inameetinghowshehadmadean icesculptureoutsideofherhomeonabrightwinterday.Somefriendscametovisitintheafternoon,andshewasanxious that theyseeher sculpturebefore itmelted in the sun.Shewasembarrassed todirectherfriends’attentiontoit,yetatthesametimeshewaseagerforherworktobeseen.Thewomanrecountedthis as a kind of a confession, expressed with remorse over her presumed egotism. I honor the self-disclosurewithwhichshetoldherstory—yetIfeelstronglythatshehadnothingtofeelashamedof,andnothingtoconfess.Shecreatedsomethingbeautiful.Shehadtheabilitytodoso.Whyshouldn’tshewantherfriendstoseeit—whyhideherlightunderabushel?Herworkmadetheworldmorebeautifulbeforeitwastakenbytheafternoonsun,andheractspokeofhertotheworld;whichistosayitspokeofallhumancreativity.

Self-expressionistobehonored.Creativeactsaretobeseen.Yourclarifieddesireisthelanguageof holiness; it is the urge toward creation. “And God saw that it was good.” Be exquisitely clear,passionate,andforthrightaboutyourgoals.

2.Yourimaginationisfertilizedinastateofphysicalimmobility.Thisiswherewestarttoenactourdesires.Creativitybeginswhenwepurposefullyenterastateof

physical immobility.Choose a timeof daywhenyouwould like tomeditate.The timeof dayNevillechosewas3p.m.He’deatlunch,gettired,andwillinglyenterasortofdrowsystate,usuallyinaneasychair;thoughasofa,bed,oryogamatwouldworkjustaswell.Now,thisisveryimportantbecauseweoften thinkofmeditation as a state of keen awarenessormindfulness.Wedon’t thinkofmeditation asdrowsiness.Peopleusethesetermsindifferentways.Nevillebelieved,andIhavereferencedthisbeforeandwillreturntoit,thatweheightenourapparatusofmentalcreativitywhenweenterthe“inbetween”state of hypnagogia. The hypnagogic state, you’ll recall, is the stage between wakefulness and sleep.You’re in it at night just as you’re drifting off; you’re in it in the morning just as you’re coming to(sometimescalledhypnopompia).Atsuchtimes,ourmindsaredeeplysensitiveandimpressionable.

I noted earlier that peoplewho suffer from depression or grief often describe the earlymorninghoursasthemostdifficulttimeofday.Thereason,I’mconvinced,isthatourrationaldefensesaredown.

Weareconsciousandhavesensoryawareness;butwearealsoinadeeplysuggestible,impressionablestate, in which emotions are powerfully felt. We lack a sense of proportionality. I can attest fromexperiencethatifyouaretryingtosolveapersonalproblem,neverattemptitwhilelyinginbedat5a.m.Donot.Getupandmeditate,orwatch television,ordowhateveryoumust,butkeep inmind thatyourlogicalapparatusisatitsebb,andthegremlinsoftheunconsciousareliabletorunamuck.

Whenyouranalyticmindisatalowpointandyouremotionsarechurning,itisaverydifficulttimetoconfrontproblemsorattemptactsofperspective.Butit isalso,andforsomeofthesamereasons,apropitious time to visualize your desires. With your rational barriers down, your mind, if properlyharnessed,cantakeyouinremarkabledirections.AsI’venotedandwillreturnto,psychicalresearchershavemadetheextraordinaryfinding,studiedunderstrictconditions,thatwhensubjectsareinducedintoastateofrelaxedhypnagogia,usuallythroughcomfortablesensorydeprivation,themindisfoundtopossessheightenedabilitiesofextraphysicalcommunication.

Nevillesaid toenterastateofphysical immobilityof thissort.Youmayfind iteasiest todo justbeforeyougotosleepatnight.Hedidn’tsaytodoitinthemorning,butIthinkwecanextrapolatethatthat’saviabletime,too.Youcandoitduringatimethatyousetasideformeditating,aslongasyou’recomfortable and undisturbed, and can uninhibitedly enter a very relaxed physical state. If you havedifficulty relaxing,asmanypeopledo,allowthebody to takeovernaturallybyenteringandbecomingawareof thisstatebeforedriftingoffatnight.Youwill,however,need todo thenextstep—step three—beforefallingasleep,becauseitrequiresameasureofconsciouscontroloveryourthoughts.

3.Formavivid,simplementalsceneofyourdesirefulfilled.AwomanatoneofNeville’sLosAngeleslecturestoldhimthatsheyearnedtobemarried—what

should she do?He told her to enact the feeling of a ring on her finger. Just that.Mentally assume thefeelingofaringonyourfinger,inaverysimpleway.Feelitsweight,thedensityoftheband,andmaybefeelyourselfspinningitaroundonyourfinger.Don’tdoanythingphysically,justfeelit.

Whatyoudowant?Maybeyouwantsomethingfromanotherindividual.Enactascenethatimpliesits fulfillment. Maybe just a handshake—something that communicates that you’ve received what youwanted,thatit’sdone.Donotseeyourselfdoingthisactionasifyou’rewatchingitonascreen.Youmust feelyourself in theactionandsee it fromtheperspectiveofactuallyperforming it.You’renotwatching,you’reperforming. If Iwant to imaginemyselfclimbinga ladder,Nevillesaid, Idonotseemyselfclimbingaladder—Iclimb!

Makeyourmentalsceneverybasic;itkeepsthemindfromwandering.Identifyoneclearphysicalactionthatcommunicatestheattainmentofyourgoalandthenthinkandfeelfromthatend.Alwaysthinkfromtheendofthegoalfulfilled.Nevilletoldpeoplethatwhenyouopenyoureyes,you’llbebackhere,in the ordinary world, which you might not want to be in; but if you persist in this practice, yourassumptionwilleventuallyhardenintofact.IfyouwanttobeinParisandyouopenyoureyesandyou’restillinQueens,youmaybedisappointed.Butkeepdoingit.Anextraordinaryevent,hetaught,willunfoldtosecurewhatyouhavepictured.

Onepointmust be clarified—and thispointmust be statedmore clearly throughoutNewThoughtcultureingeneral.Nevillenotedthatthevisualstatemustalsobeaccompaniedbyanemotivestate.Thepositive-thinkingmovementoftenerrs in equating thoughtswithemotions.Theyareentirelydifferent. Ihaveaphysicalexistence,Ihaveanintellectualexistence,andIhaveanemotionalexistence.Thereasonwefeelsotornapartisbecausethesethingsareallgoingtheirownway.IsaythatI’mnotgoingtoeatsomething—well,thebodywantstoeatit,andnextthingit’sinmymouth.Iresolvetobecalm—butthe

emotionsarefurious,andIexperienceanoutburst.IdeterminethatI’mgoingtothink,tousemyintellect—butmypassionsarerunningoffdoingsomethingelse.

Whenyouenactyourmentalpictureoffulfillment,youmustexperiencetheemotionsthatyouwouldfeelinyourstateofachievement.Thismethodmaycomenaturallytosomepeople,includingthosewhoareactors.Nevillehimselfwasanactorandperformer.Anyonewhohasstudiedmethodactinglearnstouse an inner monologue to enter an emotional state. That’s a useful exercise. Read Constant inStanislavski’sAnActorPrepares.Youmustgetyouremotionsintoplay.Let’ssayyouwantapromotionatwork.Youmightpictureyourbossshakingyourhandandsaying,“Congratulations,congratulations.”Youhavetofeeltheemotionsthatwouldnaturallybeyoursinthatstate.“Feelingisthesecret,”Nevillewrote.

Itisthementalstate,andnotphysicaleffort,thatcreates.Somepeopleaskwhetherthisisaformulafor passivity. I am friendly with a successful manufacturing executive in theMidwest. He is an avidstudentofNeville’sideas.Heaskedmeaquestiononeday:Hefeelsconfidentinpicturinganoutcome.Buthisboardofdirectors,heexplained,demandsdetails—theywanttoknow:Howwillitgetdone?InfollowingNeville’s teachings, he feels that he’s already doing all that is needed.And for years it hasworked.Buthemustanswertopeoplewhoaren’tgoingtoacceptametaphysicalformulaasabusinessplan.Whatshouldhedo?

Myresponsetohimwastoplanandactastheboardrequires—andcontinuetomentallycreateasbefore,remainingtruetohisconvictionthatthat’swheretherealpowerresides.WeliveinaworldofCaesarandmustabidebymaterialdemands.Myfriendwilllosetheconfidenceofhisboardifhefailstoact.Wearecalledupontoperforminbothworlds:theseenandtheunseen.IfNevillewantedtotakeatrainsomewhere,hedidn’tjustsitinhisroom—hewentoutandpurchasedaticket.Wearesurroundedbypeoplelivinginouterlife.Playtherolethatouterliferequires.“RenderuntoCaesar.”Butremembertheundergroundspringfromwhichallcreationarises.

Thereisonefurtheraspecttotheactofmentalactualization:creativesilence.Donotblurtoutwhatyou’reattemptingoracthastilytomovethingsalong.RalphWaldoEmersoncapturedthisprincipleinapassagefromhisjournalsofJanuary15,1857:“Thisgoodwhichinvitesmenowisvisible&specific.Iwillatleastembraceitthistimebywayofexperiment,&ifitiswrongcertainlyGodcaninsomemannersignify his will in future.Moreover I will guard against evil consequences resulting to others by thevigilancewithwhichIconcealit.”Inotherwords,werisknoharmtoourselvesandothersinouractsofmentalintention,providedweavoidrashouteraction.SeenfromNeville’sperspective,thissuppliestheinnermeaningofChrist’sinjunctiontobe“wiseasserpentsandharmlessasdoves.”Forexample,let’ssayyouharborromanticfeelingstowardsomeone.Tospeakofitcouldcauseembarrassment,rejection,orruinousconsequences.Donotspeak.Allowyourmindtoact;ifyouarewrong(asyoumaybe),youwill eventually knowbyperception.And if you are correct, eventswill unfold harmoniously, as goodeventsalwaysdoandmustfromGod—yourmind—whospeaksintheBeatitudesofgentleness,loveofneighbor,andgenerosity.

So to recap the formula: First, clarify a sincere and deeply felt desire. Second, enter a state ofrelaxed immobility, bordering on sleep. Third, enact a mental scene that contains the assumption andfeeling of yourwish fulfilled.Run the little dramaover and over in yourmind until you experience asenseoffulfillment.Thenresumeyourlife.Evidenceofyourachievementwillunfoldattherightmomentinyourouterexperience.

EVIDENCEOFTHINGSNOTSEEN

“If there is evidence for a thing,” Neville said in 1967, “does it matter what the world thinks?” Heconsideredexperiencetheonetruetestofhismethod.

Iwanttotellapersonalstoryalongthoselines.YouhavenoreasontotrustwhatI’msayingunlessIcanattesttoit.Nevillealwaysurgedlistenerstotesthim,asking,withhisbeautifulclippedaccent:“Whatdoyoumostdesire,rightnow?Gohomethisnightandtestit,andprovemewrong.”Healwaysissuedachallenge.Here isastoryfrommyacceptanceofhischallenge. It isoneepisode that I’veexperiencedamongothers,butIofferitherebecauseit’srecent,explicit,andverifiablyreal.

Inaddition tobeingawriter, I’vealsobeenapublisher.Until recently, IworkedatadivisionofPenguinRandomHousewhereIfocusedonNewAgeandmetaphysicalbooks.In2012,Ibegansearchingfor the rights holders of a 1936 self-help book that I wanted to republish:Wake Up and Live! byAmerican writer Dorothea Brande. In her book, Brande argued that most mediocrity arises from apeculiar feature of human nature, which she called “a will to fail.” In short, we are so terrified ofhumiliation that we sabotage our plans to avoid being tested. This self-sabotage takes the form ofprocrastination,excuses,misseddeadlines,andapathy.Ourfearofhumiliationsurpassesourhungerforsuccess—andso,Brandeargued,weavoidrather thanstrive. If,however,youcould“actas if itwereimpossibletofail,”youwouldbypasstheseself-defeatingbehaviorsandcomeintonewenergies.*21

IspentayearlocatingBrande’sdescendantsinVermontsoIcouldlicenserightstothisbook.AsIpreparedthebookforpublication,Ilearnedofanaudiopublisherwhowantedtoissueanarratededition.Iampassionatelyinvolvedinaudionarration,andItoldthispublisherofmyeagernesstonarrateit.Ihadsuccessfully recorded two books previously for this publisher and expected a quick yes. But to mydisappointment,thepersonwouldnotgetbacktome.Myemailsandphonecallswentunreturned.Iwasbrimmingwithpassionandhadagoodtrackrecordwiththispublisher,butIjustcouldn’tgetanywhere.So,IwentintoNeville’sthree-partexercise,andIformedamentalpicture.I’mnotgoingtodescribeitbecauseitispersonal—butitwasverysimple.

While Iwas doing the exercise, the publisher finally did reply tome—and said no. Rather thansubmittodespairorconfusion(thoughIfeltsomeofboth),Icontinuedwithmyexercise.Ihadmymentalpicture,and Iworkedwith itprobably twoor three timesaday forabout twoweeks.Then,outof theblue,withnoouterinterventiononmypart,mycompany’ssubsidiaryrightsmanagercalledmeandsaid:“Guesswhat?Someoneelseactuallysteppedinandboughttherightstothatbook.It’snolongerwiththatotherpublisher;there’sanewaudiopublisher.”

I said, “Would you please tell that new audio publisher that I am eager to read this book?” Shepromisedto.Shegotbacktomeveryshortlyandreportedthatthenewpublishersaid:“IsentHorowitzanemailaweekago,askinghimtoreadadifferentbook,butheneverresponded.”Ihadgottennosuchemail. Iwent intomy spam folder and foundnothing there. I thenwent into adifferent,more stringentspam folder—and therewashismessage. It pertained to a different, unrelatedbook.However, hehadwrittentosaythathenotonlywantedmetoreadthatotherbook,buthealsowantedmetoreadatotalofthree books for him. I signed on to do three books—includingWakeUp andLive!, which he had justacquired.

Iwentfrombeingignored, tobeingtoldno, torecordingthreebooks, includingtheoneIdesired,whichhadmigratedfromonepublishertoanother.Ididnothingtoinfluencetheseeventsinouterlife.I’malousyMondaymorningquarterbackanyway,andIdidn’ttrytocallinafavorormakesomemaneuver.IdidNeville’sexercise.Iwentfromano,tothenlearningthattherightshadmovedtoanewpublisher,to

hearingthenewpublishersay:“Icontactedhimaweekago,whydidn’thegetbacktome?”I’vesincedonedozensofprojectswiththatpublisher,withwhomInowworkregularly.Thereare

reasonsitcouldbearguedthatthisturnofeventswascompletelyordinary.AndI’mnotoblivioustothem.ButIcansaythis:havingbeeninpublishingformorethantwodecades,longenoughtohaveasenseofhowthingswork,noneofitfeltordinary.

“Takemychallengeandputmywordstothetest,”Nevillesaidin1948.“Ifthelawdoesnotwork,itsknowledgewillnotcomfortyou.Andifitisnottrue,youmustdiscardit....Ihopeyouwillbeboldenoughtotestme.”

Thisisyourtest.Itisexquisitelyprivate.Youdon’thavetodeclarefealtytoanything.Theseideasarepurelyamatterofinnerexploration.Muchofourculturehaslostasenseofindividualexperiment.LetthisbeyoursojourntoWalden.Thehighestfreedomcanbefoundinsearchingforandlivingfromyourownintimatesenseofmeaning.Goandexperiment.

PORTRAITOFTHEMYSTIC

SinceNeville exemplified his ownphilosophy, it is also important to understand something about himpersonally.Let’s pickupwherewebegan earlier: the islandofBarbados,whereNevillewasborn in1905.Hewas not born into thewealthy, landowning class. Rather, hewas part of a large, somewhatscrappyfamilyofBritishmerchants.Theyranasmallgroceryandprovisionsbusiness.

TransplantedfromhistropicalhometothestreetsofNewYork,Nevilleledaprecariousfinanciallife.Theactoranddancergotbyonjobssuchaselevatoroperatorandshippingclerkwhentheaterworkranscarce.Hedidlandsomeimpressiveroles,includingonBroadway.Butmostofhisstageworkdriedupwith the onset of theGreatDepression. Foodwas not a guarantee; he oftenwore the same suit ofclothesandbouncedaroundsharedrooms,includingonManhattan’sUpperWestSide.

In 1955, a gossip column reported thatNeville came from an “enormouslywealthy” familywho“ownedawholeisland”intheCaribbean.This is invention—butover thecourseof time, theGoddardfamilydid,indeed,becomerich.ThisfamilyofgreengrocersgrewintoGoddardEnterprises,whichistoday a large catering and food service that employs about 6,500 people in the Caribbean and LatinAmerica.Theycaterevents,andalsopreparemealsforairlines,oilrigs,factories,andotherindustrialfacilities. Neville’s father Joseph, called Joe, founded the business, and ran it with Neville’s olderbrotherVictor,ofwhomNevillespokefrequentlyinhislectures.EverythingNevilledescribedabouttheriseofhisfamily’sfortunematchesbusinessrecordsandreportageinCaribbeannewspapers.ButthereisamoredramaticexampleofNeville’sdescriptionsconformingtofact.

In theyears immediatelybefore andafterWorldWar II,Neville lived inNewYork’sGreenwichVillage, a place that he relished. He resided with his wife and daughter at 32Washington Square, ahandsome, redbrick apartment building on the west side ofWashington Square Park. (His prosperingfamilyhadsinceputtheactor-turnedmysticonastipend.)Nevillespentmanyhappyyearsthere.Hewaspulled away fromhomeby thedraft duringWorldWar II.He told a story in his lectures, however, ofbeingquicklyandhonorablydischargedfromtheArmyandreturnedbackhomethankstothemethodsI’vebeendescribing.Thisstoryinterestedme,andIdecidedtotrackitasbestIcould.

AccordingtoArmyrecords,NevillewasdraftedonNovember12,1942,alittlelessthanayearintoAmerica’sentryintothewar.Thiswastheheightof thewar,whennearlyeveryable-bodiedmalewasbeingdrafted.Atagethirty-seven,Nevillewasalittleoldforthedraft,butmenwereconscriptedupto

age forty-five.Hewantednopartof thewar, and longed to returnhome toGreenwichVillage.At thattime,hewasnewlymarriedwithafour-month-oldsmalldaughter,andhealsohadaneighteen-year-oldsonfromapreviousmarriage.Hehadobligations thatmostdrafteesdidnot.WhilestationedforbasictrainingatCampPolkinLouisiana,heaskedhiscommandingofficerforadischarge—andwasgivenanabruptrefusal.Nevilledecidedtousehismethodsofmentalcreativity.Eachnight,ashedescribedit,hewould liedownonhisarmycotandbeforedrifting tosleepwouldpicturehimselfback inGreenwichVillage. He would see from the perspective of being in his apartment with his wife and family, andwalkingaroundWashingtonSquarePark.Hecontinued,nightafternight,inthisimaginalactivity.

Finally,Neville said, seemingly out of nowhere, the commandingofficer came to him and asked,“Do you still want to be discharged?” Neville said, “Yes, I do.” And the CO said, “You’re beinghonorablydischarged.”When I first read this inhis lectures, Iwas suspicious.Whywould theUnitedStatesArmydischargeaperfectlyhealthy,athleticmale—Nevillewas litheandfitasadancer—at theheightofthewareffort?Itmadenosense.

So,IfoundNeville’ssurvivingmilitaryrecords.Hewas,asnoted,inductedinNovemberof1942.Ispoke to anArmypublic affairs officerwhoalso confirmed thatNevillewas, ashe told it, honorablydischargedwithinfivemonthsinMarch1943,whichwasthedateofhisfinalArmypaystub.Thereason,as recorded by themilitary, is thatNevillewas “discharged from service to accept employment in anessentialwartimeindustry.”

I asked the public affairs officer: “This man was a metaphysical lecturer—how is that a vitalcivilianoccupation?”Hereplied:“UnfortunatelyMr.Goddard’srecordsweredestroyedinthe1973fireattheNationalPersonnelRecordsCenter,”aboutayearafterNeville’sdeath.

TheNewYorker of September 11, 1943, ran an extensive profile ofNeville—this confirmed hisbeingbackonthelecturecircuitatthattime.Heisdepictedspeakingallaroundtown,inmidtownattheActor’s Chapel, downtown in Greenwich Village, in full swing of his “employment in an essentialwartime industry.” I cannot say precisely what happened; I can only report that the logistics, as hedescribedthem,wereaccurate.Ihavefoundsimilarvalidationofseveralofhisclaims:hedescribesanunlikely story, says he used hismethod, and the unexpected occurs. I’ve reviewedhis census records,citizenshipapplication,militaryrecords,andotherdocumentsthattrackhiswhereaboutsandemploymentandcanonlysaythathistimelinesandworkdaydetailsmatchup.

METAPHYSICALLINEAGE

I want to consider where Neville’s ideas came from, or rather their point of embarkation—becauseNevillewasinnowayaderivativethinker.Ihavecomeacrossphrasinginhisearlywritingthatsuggestsinfluences from French mind theorist Émile Coué and American psychical researcher Thomson JayHudson,whose 1893 bookTheLaw ofPsychicPhenomena was influential in the late nineteenth andearly twentieth centuries. Hudson attempted to demonstrate thatmediumistic phenomena resulted fromnaturallawsofclairvoyanceratherthanspiritsorthesupernatural.

AlthoughNevilletookhisideasinabracinglyoriginaldirection,thebasicsofhissystemwereNewThought,whichrejectsmaterialismasthefoundationoflifeandseesrealitybasedprimarilyinspiritualratherthanphysicallaws.Modernpositive-mindphilosophyisadistinctlyAmericanphenomenonandisverymuchahomegrownthoughtschool,therootsofwhicharetraceabletotheTranscendentalistcultureofNewEnglandinthemid-nineteenthcenturyandthemental-healingmovementthatgrewinitswake.

Those are themodern points of reference.Butwhen tracking the history of ideas, one learns (oroughtto)thatvirtuallyeverythoughtincurrencyhasbeenencounteredandarticulatedinvaryingwaysatdiffuse points of history. Ideas about the causative nature of thought appear in the Greek-EgyptianphilosophycalledHermeticism,which flourished in the cityofAlexandria in thedecades immediatelyfollowingthedeathofChrist.WritersintheHermetictraditioncapturedcenturiesofEgypt’soralhistoryand symbolism, recording it in Greek. They believed they were transmitting the ideas of a mythicaldemigodwhotheGreekscalledHermesTrismegistus,orthrice-greatestHermes,whowasaHellenizedversionoftheEgyptiangodofwritingandintellect,Thoth.

One of the key ideas in Hermetic philosophy is that through proper preparation, including diet,meditation, andprayer, the individual ispermeatedbydivine forces andgainshigherpowersofmind.ThisteachingreemergedduringtheRenaissancewhentranslatorsandreligiousscholarsrediscoveredtheHermeticwritings.IntheRenaissancemind,Hermeswasafigureofgreatantiquity,ofthesamevintageasMoses.

RenaissancethinkershadhopedthatinfindingHermeticliterature,someofwhichhadbeenstowedaway inmonasteries during the DarkAges, they had unearthedworks of the greatest antiquity, whichdescribed a primeval theology predating Judeo-Christian culture. The Hermetic literature was latercorrectly dated to late antiquity, following the death ofChrist.When this timelinewas readjusted, theideasofHermeticismbegan to fall out of vogue.Renaissance intellects hadpinnedgreat hopeson theantiquityoftheHermeticwritings;andwhenthosewritingswereredated,manyofthesamephilosophersandscribes,theirhopesofantiquitydashed,drewtheconclusion,tragicallyfortheWesternintellect,thatthe entire project of Hermetic literature was compromised. Hence, to this day, there are few goodtranslationsof theHermetic literature. Ithasbeenneglected.ButwhatRenaissance (and later) thinkersfailed to grasp was that even though the Hermetic writings themselves were not very antique, theynonethelesscapturedaworldview thathadexisted inoral tradition foranextraordinarily long time.Aprimevalphilosophyis,infact,present,atleastinpart,intheHermeticmanuscripts,whichpostdatetheideasfoundinthem.ThisistheancientantecedenttoNeville.

SomeHermeticideasandconceptsaboutthedivinityofthemindreenteredWesternculturethroughthe influence of individual philosophers and artists, including British poet and mysticWilliam Blake(1757–1827). Blake’s thought made a direct impact on Neville. Blake believed that our limitedperceptionsimprisonusinafortressofillusions.ButtheoneTrueMind,thegreatCreativeImagination,orGod,canpermeateus.“If thedoorsofperceptionwerecleansed,”Blakewrote,“everythingwouldappeartomanasitis,Infinite.”Instatesofhighersensitivity,thevisionarypoetreasoned,wecanfeeltheeffectsofthisGreatMindcoursingthroughus.

Neville was also influenced, as I noted earlier, by Émile Coué, the self-trained Frenchhypnotherapist.Couédied in1926,but shortlybeforehisdeathhe lecturedon two tours to theUnitedStates. Couéwas, for a time, hugely popular in theUnited States and Europe. It was Couéwho firstspreadtheideaofusingthedrowsy,hypnagogicstateformentalreconditioning.AnotherofCoué’sideasthatfiguredintoNeville’sthought—youcanfindthelanguageinNeville’s1945bookPrayer:TheArtofBelieving—isthateachofuscontainstwocompetingforces:willandimagination.Thewillisourself-determinative and decision-making apparatus. The imagination is the mental pictures that govern us,particularlywithregardtoself-imageandemotionaljudgmentsweholdaboutourselvesandothers.Couésaidthatwhenwillandimaginationareinconflict,theimaginationinvariablywins.Theemotionalstatealwaysovercomestheintellect.

Asanexample,Couésaid,placeawoodenplankonthefloorandasksomeonetowalkacrossit.Hewillhavenoproblem.Butifyouraisethatsamewoodenplanktwentyfeetfromtheground,thesubject

willlikelybepetrified,eventhoughthereisnodifferenceinthephysicalact.Heiscapableofcrossingthe plank; the risk of falling isminimal. But the change in conditionsmakes him imagine falling; thisfostersanemotionalstateofnervousness (whichalsomakeshimmoreaccident-prone).Couéreasonedthatwemust cultivatenew self-images—butwecannot do so through the intellect.Wemust do sobysuggesting new ideas to ourselves while in the subtle hypnagogic state. He called his method “auto-suggestion.”Itwasessentiallyself-hypnosis.IfindsomehintofthatinNeville—thoughhefarsurpassedit.

The purpose of human existence, Neville taught, is not to recondition your imagination, but bereborn fromwithin your imagination.You experience your imagination—your true self—as physicallylodged in your skull, which functions as a kind of womb. Neville, in the culmination of hismysticalvision,believedthatyoumustberebornfromwithinyourskull,andthatyouwillhavethatactualphysicalexperience,maybe in the formof adream,butnonetheless avivid, tactile experienceof actual rebirthfromthebaseofyourskull.Youwillknowinthatmomentthatyouarefulfillingyourcentralpurpose.

Nevilledescribedthisvividly.HehadtheexperiencehimselfinNewYorkCityin1959.Hetoldofthetangiblyrealdreamofbeingrebornfromhisskull.MinervawassaidtoberebornfromtheskullofZeusorJupiter.ChristwascrucifiedatGolgotha,theplaceoftheskull.YouandI,Nevillesaid,willberebornfromwithinourskulls.LaterinNeville’scareer,aspeakingagentwarnedhimtostopemphasizingthis kind of esotericmaterial in his talks—he had to return tomore familiar themes, like the fortune-buildingpowersofthemind,orhewouldlosehisaudience.“ThenI’lltellittothebarewalls,”Nevillereplied.Althoughhedrewsmallercrowds,Nevillecontinuedtospeakofthismysticalrebirthfortherestofhiscareer,untilhisdeathinLosAngelesin1972.

RESURRECTION

Nevillewasnotwidelyknownwhenhedied,buthispopularityhasriseninrecentyears.Hisbookshaveprobablysoldmorecopiesoverthepastdecadethantheydidthroughouthislifetime.Hewasalwaysakindofundergroundname,butheinfluencedawiderangeofculturalfigures.OneofthemwasAll-StarpitcherBarryZito,whofirstexposedmetoNeville.WhenIinterviewedBarryin2003,hesaidtome,“YoumustreallybeintoNeville.”Ihadneverheardofhim.Barrywasincredulous.Iimmediatelygotacopy of Neville’s 1966 book Resurrection, which many name as their favorite. I was hooked. Thatconversation was, in a way, a turning point in my life. It also played a part in Neville’s revival. InFebruary2005,IpublishedahistoricalprofileofNevilleinScienceofMind,whichlaterappearedastheintroductiontoapopularanthologyofhiswriting,spurringrenewedinterestinthemystic,andhelpingmeonmypathasahistorianofalternativespirituality.

TheNewAgewriterWayneDyerborroweda lot fromNeville inoneofhis finalbooks,WishesFulfilled,in2012.Butanother,morecompellingwriteralsoreceivedaninfluencefromNeville:CarlosCastaneda, of whom I’m a greater admirer. Castaneda famously told tales of his tutelage under amysterious instructor,aNativeAmericansorcerernamedDonJuan.(MyadmirationforCastanedamayseemmisplacedgivenwhatIwroteinthefirstchapterabouttheneedforverityinspiritualnonfiction.Ipleadguilty to an inconsistency; his distillation ofwisdomattains a sublimity that surpasseswhateverdevicesheusestoconveyit.)Nevilleprobablyinfluencedthemysticalchroniclerthroughaccountsofhisownintriguingteacher,Abdullah.Asithappened,CastanedadiscoveredNeville’sworkinthemid-1950sthrough an early love interest in Los Angeles, Margaret Runyan, who was among Neville’s mostdedicated students.MargaretmetCastanedawhenhewas an art student atUCLA—shewooedhimby

slippingCarlosaslenderNevillevolumecalledTheSearch, inwhichshehad inscribedhernameandphonenumber.Thetwobecamelovers,andlaterhusbandandwife.

RunyanspokefrequentlytoCastanedaaboutNeville,butherespondedwithlittlemorethanpoliteinterest—withoneexception. Inhermemoirs,Runyan recalledCastanedagrowing fascinatedwhen theconversationturnedtoNeville’sdiscipleshipunderanexotictutor:

It was more than the message that attracted Carlos, it was Neville himself. He was somysterious. Nobodywas really surewho hewas or where he had come from. Therewerevague references to Barbados in the West Indies and his being the son of an ultra-richplantationfamily,butnobodyknewforsure.Theycouldn’tevenbesureabout thisAbdullahbusiness,hisIndianteacher,whowasalwayswaybackthereinthejungle,orsomeplace.TheonlythingyoureallyknewwasthatNevillewashereandthathemightbebacknextweek,butthenagain...

“Therewas,”sheconcluded,“acertainpowerinthatposition,anappealingkindoffreedominthelackofpastandCarlosknewit.”

Neville frequently told thestoryofhis teacherAbdullah,whomhedescribedasa turbanedblackmanof Jewishdescent.Starting in1931,he said,Abdullah tutoredhim inkabbalah,Scripture,numbersymbolism,andmindmetaphysics.HedepictedAbdullahasasomewhattaciturn,mysteriousmanwhomhemetoneday at ametaphysical lecture inNewYork in1931.Hewalked in andAbdullah toldhim,“Neville,youaresixmonthslate!”Nevillerecalled,“Ihadneverseenthismanbefore.”Buttheturbanedfigureinsisted,“Thebrotherstoldmeyouwerecoming,andyou’resixmonthslate.”

The storyline of hidden spiritual masters like Abdullah has a long pedigree in the alternativespiritual culture. Nineteenth-century Russian occultist and transplanted New Yorker Madame H. P.Blavatsky, and her collaboratorColonelHenrySteelOlcott, popularized the concept.Olcott, a retiredCivilWarcolonel,foundedtheoriginalMiracleClubin1875,andlaterthatyearformedtheinfluentialTheosophicalSociety,ofwhichtheshort-lived,earliergroupwasaprecursor.

OlcottandBlavatskyclaimedthattheirhiddenteacherssentthemmysteriouslytimedletters,whichgavedirection,succor,andguidance.Oneoftheirteachers,Olcottsaid,instructedBlavatskyandhimtorelocatetoIndiain1878.Oncethere,thepairhelpedinstigatetheIndianindependencemovement;Gandhinamed himself an admirer. Olcott delivered speeches on Buddhism throughout India, Sri Lanka, andJapan, and through his tours and opening of religious schools, ignited a Buddhist revival in the East.BlavatskyandOlcottwereenormouslyeffective,intheirway,andattributedtheirimpacttotheguidanceofunseenmasters.

Forhis part,Neville said that he experiencedhis first true awakeningwhile undermentorship toAbdullahinthewinterof1933.ThedancerachedtogetoutofManhattantospendChristmasbackhomewith his family inBarbados.But he had nomoney for travel.Abdullah told him: “Walk the streets ofManhattan as if you are there, and you shall be.”Nevillewalked the streets of theUpperWest Side,adoptingthefeelingthathewasonthepalm-linedlanesofBarbados.HewouldreturntoAbdullahandcomplainthatitwasn’tworking.Theteacherwouldslamthedoorinhisfaceandsay,“You’renothere,you’reinBarbados!”

AsNevilletoldit,onedaybeforethelastshipsailedfromNewYorktohisWestIndieshome,hereceived a letter from his long-out-of-touch brother Victor, who, without any outer antecedent or

intercessiononNeville’spart,senthimfiftydollarsandafirst-classsteamertickettoBarbadosforthewinter. Neville was transformed by the experience; he practiced Abdullah’s teaching of mentalassumptioneverafter.

FELLOWSEEKERS

IwanttomentionafewotherfiguresthatdidnotknowNevillepersonallybuthadsomeintersectionwithhiswayof thought.One isBritishoccultistA leisterCrowley,whose formersecretary IsraelRegardieknewandwroteaboutNevilleinNewYorkthe1940s.

CrowleymadeaveryinterestingstatementinhisTheBookoftheLaw,whichhehandwrotethroughwhatwemightcallchanneledperceptionin1904;hepublisheditinseverallimitedvenuesbeforeissuingthefirstgenerallyavailableeditionin1938.InhisintroductiontoTheBookoftheLaw,Crowleywrote:

Eachofushasthusanuniverseofhisown,butitisthesameuniverseforeachoneassoonasitincludes all possible experience. This implies the extension of consciousness to include allotherconsciousnesses.

Inourpresent stage, theobject thatyousee isnever thesameas theone that I see;weinfer that it is thesamebecauseyourexperiencetallieswithmineonsomanypoints that theactualdifferencesofourobservationarenegligible....Yetallthetimeneitherofuscanknowanything...atallbeyondthetotalimpressionmadeonourrespectiveminds.

Nevillesaidsomethingsimilarin1948:“Doyourealizethatnotwopeopleliveinthesameworld?Wemay be together now in this room, but we will go home tonight and close our doors on entirelydifferentworlds.Tomorrowwewillgotoworkwherewewillmeetothers,buteachoneofuslivesinourownmentalandphysicalworld.”

Nevillemeantthisinthemostliteralmanner.Hebelievedthateveryindividualisauniverseuntohimself.Andeveryonewhoyouexperience,includingmeasIwritethesewords,isrootedinyou,asyouareultimately rooted inGod.Weexist in aworldof infinite possibilities and realities.Andwhenwementallypicturesomething,we’renotcreatingit—italreadyexists;we’resimplyselectingit.Theveryfact of being able to experience somethingmentally confirms, in thisworld of infinitemind, that yourimaginationistheultimatearbiter.Everythingthatyoucanpicturealreadyis,andourconcurrentrealitiescrisscrossoneanother’sasdreamsthatmorph,fade,andblend,oneintoanother.

PartofNeville’sperspectivealsofiguresintopsychicalresearch.AcontemporaryofNeville’s,butnotanacquaintance, was psychical researcher J. B. Rhine. Beginning in the early 1930s, Rhine, as noted,performed tens of thousands of trials at Duke University to test for clairvoyant perception. Heexperimentedonsubjectswithafive-suitdeckcalledZenercards.Usingthesecards,asubjecthadaone-in-five—or20percent—chanceofcorrectlyguessinganimage,suchasacross,circle,orsquare.Acrossthousandsofcarefullycontrolledtrials,Rhinedocumentedthatcertainindividualsaveragedabovea20percent hit rate, inclusive of negative sets. (Years later therewas some controversy that Rhine didn’tcountnegativeresults.Thiskindofomissionwascommonamongacademicresearchers,includingRhine,inthe1930s;hislabwasamongthefirsttocorrectthispractice,sothatRhine’sdataultimatelyreflects

the full results. Moreover, the chance probability of his results are so astronomically low that evenhypotheticalunreporteddatawouldfailtooffsetit.)

Hit rateswerenot alwaysdramaticallyhigher than20percent—in authentic psychical research adeviation can be subtle but consistent. If someone, over the course of thousands of trials, continuesscoring,say,25percent,26percent,27percent,beyondallratesofchance,andtheresultsareparsedandjuriedtoensureagainstcorruption—Rhine’sdatawassubjectedtogreaterscrutinythanthemostrigorouspharmaceuticaltrials*22—youthenhaveevidenceofsomekindofanomaloustransferofinformationinalaboratorysetting.

Rhine was a demure figure. He had a quiet way of relegating what could be a monumentalobservation to a footnote. Rhine remarked that higher-than-average hit rates on Zener cards usuallycorrelatedwith a subjectwho experienced feelings of enthusiasm, positive expectancy, a belief in thepossibilityofESP,andagenerallyencouragingtestingenvironment.Bycontrast,whenboredomorfatigueset in, results tended todrop.Whena subject’s interestswere revived, resultswouldagain spike.Ourculture hasn’t begun to dealwith the implications ofRhine’s experiments. But the suggestion, aswithplacebo trials, is that positive expectancy correlates favorably with extraphysicality, at least amongsubjectsforwhomESPexistsasapotentiality.

IconsiderparapsychologistCharlesHonortonasRhine’simmediatesuccessor,eventhoughthetwomenhadtensionsbetweenthem.Inthe1970s,HonortonbeganaseriesofESPtrialscalledtheganzfeldexperiments, which we considered in chapter 4. Honorton and his collaborators theorized that if youcould induce a subject into a near-sleep state—we’re speaking oncemore of hypnagogia—itmight bepossibletoheightensomekindofclairvoyantfaculty.

Honorton’steststypicallyinvolvedtwoparticipants.Onesubject,the“receiver,”wouldbeplacedinto a stateof comfortable sensorydeprivation, fittedwith eye coverings andwhite-noiseheadphones,andseatedorreclinedinanisolationtank.Theothersubject,the“sender,”wouldbeseatedinadifferentroom, where he would attempt to mentally convey an image, such as a flower, rock, or boat, to thereceiver.

Inoneversionoftheexperiment,researchersusedfourimages,ofwhichthreeweredecoys.Inthiscase,theaverageguessratewasoneinfour,or25percent.Inmeta-analysesacrossthousandsoftrials,Honorton found results demonstrating a higher than 25 percent hit rate among subjects placed in thehypnogogicstate.

Remember,youenter this stateall the time:whenyou’renapping,whenyou’redozingoffatyourdesk,whenyou’regoingtosleepatnight,whenyou’rewakingin themorning.Neville’smessagewas:useit.Donotbepassivewhenenteringthissensitivestatebutexercisegentlecontrolandpictureagoal.Honorton’s experiments demonstrated heightened mental transference during hypnagogia, or at leaststatistics reflecting as much. He tested only one aspect of the ganzfeld affect. His experiments weretragically cut short in 1992,when he died at age forty-six (he had suffered lifelong health problems).Hypnagogiaanditspossibilitiesremainlargelyunchartedterritory.

Another burgeoning field that intersects with Neville, and one more widely accepted than psychicalresearch, is neuroplasticity. In short, neuroscientists can demonstrate through brain imaging that repeatthoughtsalter thepathways throughwhichelectrical impulses travel inourbrains.These findingshavebeenusedtotreatobsessive-compulsivedisorder(OCD).

UCLAresearchpsychiatristJeffreySchwartzhasdevisedaprotocol to treatOCDbyencouraging

patientsintheverymomenttheyexperienceanintrusivethoughttosubstitutesomethinginitsplace.Thedisplacingthoughtoractivitymustbeintheformofsomethingcompelling,whetherpleasurablephysicalactivity, listening tomusic, jogging, or anything youwant, so long as itmoves you off that obsessivethought.Hehasfoundthatifyoumaintainthisexercise,biologicchangesmanifestinthebrain,alteringtheneural pathways associated with compulsion. Hence, we’re seeing thoughts themselves change brainbiology.This isa tantalizingpieceofphysicalevidence for thekindof thoughtcausationspokenofbyNevilleandothermindtheorists.

What we’re seeing hinted at in all these experiments, and others that I explore in the next and finalchapter,istheexpressionofNeville’scorethesis:Youradiateandinteractwiththeworldaroundyoubytheintensityofyourimaginationandfeelings.Yetourexperienceoftimebeatssoslowlythatwedonotalwaysnoticetherelationshipbetweentheworldandourinnernature.YouandIcancontemplateadesireandbecomeit,Nevillewrote;butduetotheslownessoftime,itiseasytoforgetwhatweformerlysetouttoworshipordestroy.Ourperceptionsandmemoryretentionaresoinexact,andourexperienceoftimesoslow,thatweloseasenseofcauseandeffect.

How do we as individuals deal with this predicament—with this obfuscating shadow betweenperception and event? One way is to continually hone your perceptual abilities by exercise andobservationof thematerialdiscussed in thischapter. In thatvein, Iwant to leaveyouwithaprinciplefrom American occultist P. B. Randolph, who lived in New York City in the mid-to-late-nineteenthcentury. Randolph was a man of African American descent and a tremendously original thinker andmysticalexperimenter.Hediedattheyoungageofforty-ninein1875.Hispersonalsloganwas:“TRY.”That’sall:TRY.You’llrecognizethatfrommypreamble“Purpose”intheletterreceivedbythefounderoftheoriginalMiracleClub,ColonelHenrySteelOlcott(itarrivedabouttwomonthsbeforeRandolph’sdeath). ThiswasNeville’s principle, too.His challenge to the individual remains as ultimate as it issimple:putmyideastothetest,provethemtoyourself,ordismissthem.Whatatragedyitwouldbenottotry.Havewelostthehungerforpersonalexperimentation?

PoetWilliamBlake,oneofNeville’skeyinspirationslaterinlife,wroteaboutthecoarsenatureofourslumberingperceptions.Hesometimesdescribedthehumanstateinmattersofgeographyandlandscape.WhenBlakesaidEngland,hedidn’tmeanthenationexactly,hemeantthelimitedworldinwhichwefindourselves.Ourphysicalparametersaresodeeplyfeltthatwedon’tdetectwhat’sreallygoingon.WhenBlake wrote about Jerusalem, by contrast, he meant true reality, which is revealed when the divineimaginationoftheCreatorcoursesthroughsensitivemenandwomen.TrytoreadtheselinesfromBlake’s1810ode,popularlycalled“Jerusalem,”inthewaythatNevilleexperiencedthem:

Anddidthosefeetinancienttime,WalkuponEnglandsmountainsgreen:AndwastheholyLambofGod,OnEnglandspleasantpasturesseen!

AnddidtheCountenanceDivine,Shineforthuponourcloudedhills?

AndwasJerusalembuildedhere,AmongthesedarkSatanicMills?

BringmemyBowofburninggold;BringmemyArrowsofdesire:BringmemySpear:Ocloudsunfold!BringmemyChariotoffire!

IwillnotceasefromMentalFight,NorshallmySwordsleepinmyhand:TillwehavebuiltJerusalem,InEnglandsgreen&pleasantLand.

CHAPTERELEVEN

WHYITWORKS

TowardaTheoryofAffirmativeThought

Earlier I wrote about the relationship between ESP researcher J. B. Rhine and theinfluential scientist Warren Weaver. Weaver took a critical but supportive interest inRhine’swork.However,Weaver issuedawarning toRhine.Speakingasboth a scientistandagrant-makingexecutive,hetoldtheparapsychologistafteravisittohislabin1960,

that, regardlessofhowextensive abodyof statistical dataRhine amassed, andhowever carefully thatdatawas vetted to safeguard against pollution, the scientific communitywould not accept his findingsunlesshereachedatheoryofhowESPworked.Hehadtoprovideamodelofthemechanicsofthoughttransmission.

Itwasclearthatextrasensorytransmissioncouldn’tbeexplainedthroughthe“mentalradio”model,since, according to Rhine’s tests and those of others, it was unaffected by time, distance, or physicalbarriers. Since extraphysical sensation seemed to violate generally acknowledged laws ofmechanics,whatwashappening?Rhineneverdidarriveataprecisetheoryofhowmentalityexceededtheapparentboundariesofsensorytransmission.HeacknowledgedtoWeaver,“Thereisnowanincreasinglycandidrecognitionof thedifficultyasanessentiallymetaphysicalone.Psiphenomenaappear tochallenge theassumptionofaphysicalisticuniverse.”*23

Icannotsidestepthiskindofquestionwithrespecttopositive-mindmechanics.Ifthoughtpossessescausativeproperties,as I’vebeenarguing, thenwhatare itsmeansof transaction?Latenineteenth-andearly twentieth-century New Thought writers who endeavored to explain the mechanism of thoughtcausation—the last time this questionwas seriously considered in the field—would at a certain point,leanontheologicaltermswithoutadequatedefinitionorjustification.Icannotdothatinthetwenty-firstcentury,whenwe’veseentoomanythingsthat,inpastcenturies,wereconsidered“spiritual,”includinghealingitself,whicharetodayexplainableindemonstrablyphysicalterms.

So,whatisgoingonwhenthoughtsappeartomakethingshappen?I believe it has something to do with the nature of time and the illusion of linearity. What we

typically call time, referring to events past, present, and future, is simply a mental construct used toorganizeourlives—e.g.,thishappenedyesterday,thatmayhappentomorrow.Whatisreallyhappeningisthatweselect—notmanifestbutselect—fromaninfinitevarietyofthingsthatareoccurringallatonce,allaroundus.Whenourillusionoforderispiercedbyanemotive,focusedthought,weexperiencewhatmightbecalleda“timecollapse,”inwhichevents,perceptions,andnotionsofpast,present,andfutureall blend together.We then see theworld as it really is:whole and not subdivided into points on an

imaginaryline,extendingfrombirthtodeath.Iamnowgoingtoofferthreepiecesofpersonaltestimony,whichseemtosuggestthepermeability

oftimeandevents.Followingthesetestimonies,Iwillcomparewhatwasexperiencedwithdevelopmentsin quantumphysics,which suggest amacro explanation for events like those I describe.These events,remarkableastheyare,will,Isuspect,remindyouofthingsthatyou’veexperiencedmorethanonceinyourownlife.

TimeCollapseOne:TheHospitalAtagetwelveIwashospitalizedforanunnamedemotionaldisorder.Whatdoyoucallitwhenayoungadolescentjustwon’tgotoschool?Noonequiteknew.Ididn’tknow.Homeandschoollifewereaterribletormentinanewneighborhoodwherewecouldn’taffordtolive.Wehidourmiddle-classpovertybehindusedclothes,aVolkswagenBeetlewithaconcealedholeinthefloor,andtherationingofhouseholdgoodsfromtoiletpapertomustard.IfyourlastnameisHorowitzandyou’refromLongIsland,peopleassumeyou’rewelloff.Theyhavenoclue.

Insorrow,andamid the tormentof schoolbullies,bizarre teachers,andgeneralizeddaily fear, I reactedby refusing toattendschool.(Inretrospectitwasnotanentirelydysfunctionalapproach.)Inasetofcircumstancesthatareuncommontoday,mymother’s secretarial jobwasaunionizedposition.Asa result,wehadcomprehensivemedical insurance.And insurancecompanies,atthattime,actuallypaidclaimsratherthanharassedlegitimateclaimantsintoretreatanddisengagement.So,thefamilyshrinkdecided,probablywisely,thatIshouldbesenttoaplaceknowneuphemisticallyasthe“adolescentward”atNorthShoreUniversityHospital,whereIhadbeenbornadozenyearsearlier.

The adolescent ward was a psychiatric unit for teens (I was among the youngest) whowere drug addicted, suicidal,depressed,orhadsomeunnamedbutchronicproblem.Oneofthekidstherewasamentallychallengedfifteen-year-oldnamedNedwhohadbeenkickedoutofotherfacilitiesforbehaviorviolations.Hehadvirtuallynoschooling.MyroommateTommywasafifteen-year-old trackstarwhohad,duringanacid trip,pushedhismother throughaplate-glasswindow.Onenight, twogirlssnuckoffthelockedwardandwerelaterarresteddrivingdrunkinastolencar,goingthewrongwayonaone-waystreet.

Andyet,forallthis,itwasakindofhappyplace.WewouldlistentoJimiHendrixandendlesslyschemewaystosneakinpot,oratleastgethighoffsniffingthegluethatnursesinnocentlyallowedmetokeepformyplasticmodels.Onmostdays,thebiggestproblemontheadolescentwardwashowtorelieveboredom.Onetimewemarkedupthewallswithgraffiti,whichIhadtocleanmyselfwhenIwouldn’tratoutmycollaborators(perhapsinmisplacedzealtohonormyrabbi’sadmonitionagainsttrashtalk).Meals,TV,andcardgames tookona restless routine.Tomix thingsup, thenursesoccasionallyshowedmovies in theeveningsonawall inthecommonarea.Thiswasthepredigitalera:therewerenoDVDs,andevenvideotapewasfairlyrare,usedforschooldocumentariesbutnotfeaturefilms.Ifyouwantedtoshowamovie,youhadtousea16-millimeterprintonafilmprojector.Thereweren’tmanybig-ticketmoviesavailabletousthisway.

Onenight, theyscreened(orratherwalled)a lightcomedyinwhichCaryGrantplayedaboozy,misanthropicAlliedspystationed on a remote Pacific island during World War II. The eccentric enjoyed his isolation and occasionally radioed hishandlersaboutJapaneseplaneshespiedoverhead.OnedayhistropicidlewasupendedwhenhefoundhimselfforcedtoshelterastrandedFrenchschoolmistressandhergaggleofschoolgirls.TheunshavenAmericanandprimFrenchschoolmarmbuttheads, fight likedogandcat,andthen—almostneedlesstosay—fall in love. Itwasn’texactlyTaxiDriver,but itwaswhatwecouldfind.InevercaughtthenameofthemovieandevenasIwritethesewords,almostfortyyearslater,Idonotknowit.*24

Theseeventsoccurredin1978,whenIwastwelve.Morethantwentyyearslater,theeveningbeforemymarriage,onApril7,2000,IhadtheunexpectedoccasiontoreturntoNorthShoreUniversityHospital.Mymotherhadrecentlydivorcedhersecondhusband,DavidWeinberg,agruff,razor-smartQueenstaxaccountant.(Infullbloomofadolescentobnoxiousness,IonceaskedhimwhetherthenationalaccountingchainH&RBlockwas“better”thanhim.“Ofcoursethey’rebetter!”herepliedsardonically.“I’m just some schnook in a basement in Queens.”) David was alone—his two sons were en route from California—andhospitalizedwithcomplications fromParkinson’sdisease.Hewas toosick toattend theweddingorour rehearsaldinner thatnight,andIwantedtogoseehimbeforeweleftthecountryonourhoneymoon.Wehadfought,butwereclose.

WhenIenteredhisroomIwasshocked:hisconditionhadseverelydeteriorated.Althoughhismentalfacultieswerestrong(which he demonstrated to his doctors by reciting hismedications in backward alphabetical order), his arms and legswereemaciated,asthinaspencils,likethelimbsofaconcentrationcampvictim.

Heputupabravefront,andintroducedhisroommateinthenextbed.“SayhellotoVince,”hetoldme.IglancedovertosayhiandnoticedthatVincewaswatchingahospitaltelevisionmountedbyametalbolttothewall.IlookedattheTV—onthescreenwasthesameCaryGrantmoviefromtwenty-twoyearsearlier.Aplacewheremylifebeganandwhere,atagetwelve,itseemedtoend,oratleaststall,wasnowsomewhereIwasreturningononeofthemostjoyousnightsofmylife,myweddingeve,tovisitanothermanwhose lifewasending(Daviddiedduringourhoneymoon),and to reencounteranobscuremovie fromdecades

earlier,whosenameIdidnotevenknow.(CaryGrant,Ilaterrealized,playedanisland-dwellingeccentriclikemyidolNeville;Ihadevencomparedthetwomeninothercontexts.)

Thiswas theexperienceofa timecollapse.Therewasnopast,present,or future. It felt, indelibly, thateverythingwasoccurringatonce.Theemotions,thesetting,thetriumph,thefailure, thebeginning,theending—nonewereboundbytime.Allwasnow.

TimeCollapseTwo:TheMonkeesInthesummerof2016,fornoreasonthatIcanconsciouslyidentify,IstartinggettingintotheTVbandTheMonkees.AlthoughIhadwatchedTheMonkeesrerunsasakid,Ihadnoparticularattachmenttothem.Asateen(andtoday)mymusicaltastesrantoTheWho,TheClash,andtheDeadKennedys.ButIdevelopedaconvictionthatTheMonkeesweremorethanjustamade-for-TVpackage.Icametofeelthattheensemblesurpasseditsmanufacturedimage,andthatthegroup’smusic—theydideventuallyplaytheirowninstrumentsandwritetheirownsongs—wasmorethanjustjinglypoprock.(And,mindyou,jinglypoprockisalsomorethanitseems:TheMonkees’mostrecognizablehitscamefromsongwritersincludingCaroleKingandBoyceandHart.)

InthegripofMonkeemania,andpossessedofnon-sequiturzeal,IbeganlisteningtoTheMonkeesallthetime.Mykidsgottoknowtheirhitslike“I’mNotYourSteppin’Stone”and“LastTraintoClarksville”—andmywifewonderedwhereintheworldthislate-blooming interestcame from. Ibegan to recallpastevents inmy life that involvedTheMonkees.Comradesofmine inasocialistyouthgrouphadwrittenahilarioussend-upof“Steppin’Stone”tosatirizeactivistswhoposturedlefter-than-thou:“IknewyouwhenyouwereaYoungRepublican/Nowyou’restruttin’’roundlikeyou’reHoChiMinh.”

Insummer2016, IwroteaboutTheMonkees inmybookTheMiracleofaDefiniteChiefAim. Iheldup thebandasanexampleofhow financial successcanserveanartist. In1967,TheMonkeeshadsoldsomanymillionsof records that theygainedsufficientcommercialclouttocompeltheirhandlersandproducerstoallowthemtowriteandplaytheirownmusic.

IcontinuedtopursuethisinterestinTheMonkeesintothefallofthatyear.Atthattime,theWashingtonPostaskedmetoreviewanewbiographyofNormanVincentPeale,authorofThePowerofPositiveThinking.Ieagerlyaccepted.(ThisistheeventIrecountedinchapter4whereIwroteofanticipatingasignificantassignment.)Itwasagoodexperience,andIthoughttomyselfthatIwouldliketowritemoreforthePost.ThedaythatthePealereviewran,Iheardfromanothereditorthere:DidIknow,heasked,thatMikeNesmithofTheMonkeeswasintoChristianScience?No.WouldIliketoreviewNesmith’snewmemoir,InfiniteTuesday?Yes,definitely.DidIknoworhaveanyconnectiontoNesmith?No.But—howweirditwas:formonthspreviously,withnoforeknowledge,IhadbeenimmersingmyselfinTheMonkees’musicandbackground.Thisepisodehadthefeelingofanothertimecollapse.Iwrotethefollowinginmyreview,exactlyasIexperiencedit:

Nesmith’sfinestmomentsinInfiniteTuesdayarewhenheoffershisownsprightlymetaphysics:“OnecontinuouslypositiveideaI’vecarriedfrommyearlyyearsisanever-expandingnotionthatthepastdoesnotcreatethepresent—thatwhatseemssetinperpetuitycanbeinstantlychanged.Thiswasneveranargumentforrandomness,butmoreof a sense of an eternal present that was constantly updating, revealing more and more of the moments thatcomprisedinfiniteLife.”

Heisright:realitydoesn’ttravelstraightlines.MonthsbeforebeingaskedtoreviewNesmith’sbook,withnoawarenessof itspublicationoranycorrelation, IdevelopedarenewedattachmenttotheMonkees.Mykidsgottoknowtheirlyrics.Mywifescratchedherheadatthissuddenfancy.Istheresomeconnection?Ihavenoidea.Butwithin thatdoubt,Nesmithwouldagree, lies InfiniteTuesday—anonlinearrealmtowhichhe isadistinctly likable,eruditeguide.

TimeCollapseThree:TheMagicStaffIdonotoftenwritedowndreams.Iseldomrecallthemformorethanafewminutesafterwakingand,frankly,Isometimesthinkdreamsare littlemore thanapsychological retreadof theday’sevents,apotpourriof impressions,andaworking throughofanxieties.ButonethatIdidrecord,inarareact,onJuly30,2014,andlaterforgotallabout,camebacktomewithashock.HereisexactlyhowIwroteitdowninalittleredbookbymynightstand:

DreamtIwasspeaking(atA.R.E.?*25)to2auditoriums—one“NewAge”&onelikeamovietheatre.Jokedaboutit.Bothmeldedintooneneat,tidyroomfollowingadistractionintheNewAgeauditorium.Icarriedacane—wonderedhowtheaudiencetookit.Didtheylikeit?

ForreasonsthatIcannotrecall,Ialsoaddedbelowthisrecollection:“ReadingJuly15,1928.”ThisreferredtooneofA.R.E.founderEdgarCayce’schanneledreadings,inwhichhestated:“thespiritualistheLIFE;thementalistheBUILDER;thephysicalistheRESULT.”

Havingnorecollectionofthisdream,andforgettingIhadwrittenitdown,IvisitedA.R.E.almosttwoyearslater,onApril1,2016,todeliveratalkonCayce’spositive-mindphilosophy.Duringmyvisit,IreceivedatouroftheCaycearchives,whichholdsinitscollectionawalkingstick—orcane—belonging tonineteenth-centurymediumAndrewJacksonDavis,whocoined the termLawofAttractionandalsopopularizedséancesandSpiritualism.NexttoCayce,DavisisthemostinfluentialmediuminAmericanhistory.ThearchivewasrightlyproudofowningDavis’swalkingstick,whichhadfiguredprominentlyintohispersonalmythos,aswellasthetitleofhis1857autobiography,TheMagicStaff.

Inhisaccount,Davisrecallsatransformingeventthatoccurredonawinternightin1844intheHudsonValleysurroundingsofhishometownofPoughkeepsie,NewYork.Thatnight,asDavistellsit,hehadfallenintoaverydeeptrancestate—hewasexperimentingwithmesmerictrances*26—andhaddifficultyreturningtoordinaryconsciousness.Hestumbledbacktohisrentedroom.Collapsingonthebedofhisthird-floorbedroom,Davisenteredadeepsleep.Herecalledbeingawakenedbyavoice—itwashisdeadmother,urginghim tocomeoutside.Thebeardedyouth rusheddownstairsandoutontoMainStreetwhereheencounteredavisionofaflockofunrulysheepbeingherdedbyashepherdwhoseemedtoneedhishelp.Thevisionvanishedina“rosylight”andDavis,hismindilluminatedandhisbodylight,embarkedonapsychical“flightthroughspace,”whichtookhimacross the frozen landscape of the Catskill Mountains.Whether his journey was psychical or physical wasn’t entirely clear,thoughitmayhavebeenboth,ashevanisheduntilthefollowingday.

Davis’snightjourneyculminatedinsidethestonewallsofasmallcountrygraveyardsetdeepinthewoods.There,hesaid,hemetthespiritofthelegendarymystic-scientistEmanuelSwedenborg.TheSwedishseertoldtheboy:“Bytheeanewlightwillappear.”Davisalsoreceivedwhathetermeda“MagicStaff,”whichfirstseemedphysicalbuthelaterunderstoodwasmentalinnature.Lateranastralmessagerevealedtohimthetruenatureofthestaff’smagic:“Behold!HereisThyMagicStaff:UNDERALLCIRCUMSTANCESKEEPANEVENMIND.Takeit,Tryit,Walkwithit.Believeonit.FOREVER.”

A fewdaysafter I returnedhome toNewYork fromVirginiaBeach, Ihappenedupon thewritten recordof the forgottendream,madetwoyearsearlier.IcameacrosstherednotebookwhileIwasclearingoutsomeitemsfromanight-standdrawer.ThedreamwasofmybeingatA.R.E.,oftryingoutmyideasinbothaNewAgeandmainstreamsetting,andofcarryingacane.HerearepicturesofmeholdingDavis’sstaffintheA.R.E.archive,takenbyarchivistLauraHoff:

TheMagicStaff:MitchwithAndrewJacksonDavis’swalkingstickinthearchivesoftheEdgarCayceFoundation,VirginiaBeach.

“A.J.Davis”:Theseer’sinitialsetchedinthehandleofhiswalkingstick.

As it happened, theCayce reading that I had appended tomy dream (“themental is theBUILDER”) hadformed thebasis formyApril 2016 talk.*27Asmentioned, I donotoftenhave foresightful dreams,and I hadnomemoryof thisone.Yet thedreamencapsulated,and in someways foresaw,everymajor themeofmycurrentprofessional life:mysearch tocombine intellectual seriousnesswithpositive-mindmetaphysics;myendeavor toharmonizemyworkasbothahistorianandseeker(Icallmyselfa“believinghistorian”);myattemptstodeterminehow I relate tomystical figureswhom I admire and critique, such asDavis andCayce; and, finally,myworkingthrough of my own style of writing and presenting in the two worlds, New Age and mainstream, which Isimultaneouslyoccupy, justas Ioccupied twotypesofauditoriums in thedream.DiscoveringDavis’sstaff in thearchive that daywas likeencounteringamilestoneormarker,which suggested tome that Iwasprogressing, iffitfully,alongtherightlines.Tofindthestafffeltportentousenough.Youcandetecttheemotionsonmyfaceinthephotographs.Buttorediscovermyoverlookeddream,andtorealizethatIhadmentallylivedoutthatscenesometwo years earlier, broughtme a stirring sense of time collapse, inwhich eventswere playing out in a nonlinearmanner.

I also had another dream, more recent to this writing, in which a phrase came to me: “Expectationfollows.”Inthatdream,IattributedthephrasetoDavidLynch,whosemoviesdisruptthelinearityoftime.Expectation follows.What does it mean? I think it suggests that we can reach backward in time andrearrangeeventsfromthepast inconformitywithexpectations in thepresent.The immensely importanttwentieth-century spiritual teacher G. I. Gurdjieff taught: the past controls the future but the presentcontrolsthepast.

Timeisnotwhatwethinkitis.

MULTIPLEWORLDS

Iamlimitingmyselftothethreeexamplesabove;thereareothertime-collapseepisodes,andIamsuremostreaderscouldaddalistoftheirown.Criticscancallthesethingscoincidencesorwillfulstretchestolocatemeaninginrandomnessorclaimthat theyarenotasstatisticallyoffbeatastheymayappear.Iobservedearlierthat,althoughstatisticsarewonderfulformeasuringoddsandpossibilities,theonethingtheycannotmeasureisthedepthofemotionalinvestmentorgravityanindividualfeelsinconnectionwithevent.Thealignments,forexample,thatledtomyseeingtheCaryGrantmovieagaininthehospital—mychildhoodexperience there,visitingamanonhisdeathbed, itbeing theeveofmywedding—carriedadegreeofpoignancythatnoactuarialtablecanquitegetat.Insuchinstances,wereallydon’tknowwhat’sgoing on. People venture theories that make them feel a sense of security or portentousness: to thelogician, it’s simplechance; to theNewAger, it’s the“universe” revealingsomething; to thepsychicalresearcher,it’sprecognition.

Allofthesethingsmayhavevaryingdegreesoftruthdependingonthecircumstances.Butsomethingelse may also be at work—and this relates to the ever-tense subject of quantum physics. Thoughtfulpeoplesometimesrolltheireyesatthementionofquantumphysics,bracingthemselvesforawoo-wooalert. I myself have cautioned NewAgers against cherry-picking concepts from this complex field inorder to buttress personal beliefs. But, the fact is, there really is room for a conversation betweenphysicistsandmaturestudentsofmetaphysics.Wejusthavetobemeasured—andpatient—onbothsides.Ifwecandothat,thepayoffmayberemarkableintermsofadeepenedquestionaboutthenatureoftimeandtheformationofevents.

Forthelastseveralyears,athickeningstreamofNewAgebooksanddocumentarieshaveattemptedtousequantumtheoryto“prove”thatthemindpossessescausativepowers.Enthusiastssaythatquantumexperimentsdemonstratethatanobserver’spresenceorperspectivedeterminesthenatureofobjectsonasubatomic scale. Some clinicians theorize that everything we experience may stem from consciousperception.RobertLanza,chiefscientificofficeroftheAstellasInstituteforRegenerativeMedicineandadjunctprofessoratWakeForestUniversitySchoolofMedicine,hasarguedthatdeathitselfisultimatelyamentalphenomenon—we“die”becausethemindperceivesdemise.

Physicists are rightly vexed when concepts in quantum theory get quoted or picked over insensationalistic ways. Many scientists want to slam shut the door on the (admittedly dim) popularconnectionbetweenquantumphysicsandthetheorizedreality-shapingpropertiesofthemind.Butongoingfindingsinquantumphysics—whenconsideredwithouthalf-bakedunderstandingorexaggeration—keeppushingthatdoorbackopen.

Let’sstartwiththebasicsbeforelinkingallthistogetherwithmytimecollapseproposition.Manyphysicsjournalstodaydiscusswhatiscalledthe“quantummeasurementproblem.”Inessence,morethaneighty years of laboratory experiments show that atomic-scale particles appear in a given place onlywhenameasurementismade.Astonishingasitsounds—andphysiciststhemselveshavedebatedthedataforgenerations—quantumtheoryholdsthatnomeasurementmeansnopreciseandlocalizedobject,ontheatomiclevel.

Putdifferently,a subatomicparticle literallyoccupiesan infinitenumberofplaces (a statecalled“superposition”)untilobservationmanifestsitinoneplace.Inquantummechanics,adecisiontolookornot lookactuallydetermineswhatwill be there. In this sense, anobserver’s consciousnessdeterminesobjectiverealityinthesubatomicfield.

Somephysicistswoulddisputethatcharacterization.Criticssometimesarguethatcertainparticles

are too small tomeasure; hence any attempt atmeasurement inevitably affectswhat is seen.But thereexistsawholeclassof“interaction-freemeasurement”quantumexperimentsthatdon’tinvolvedetectorsat all. Such experiments have repeatedly shown through interference patterns that a subatomic objectliterallyexistsinmorethanoneplaceatonceuntilameasurementdeterminesitsfinalrestingplace.

Howcanthisbedemonstrated?Intheparlanceofquantumphysics,anatomic-scaleparticleissaidto exist in a wave state, which means that the location of the particle in space-time is known onlyprobabilistically;ithasnopropertiesinthisstate,justpotentialities.Whenparticlesorwaves—typicallyintheformofabeamofphotonsorelectrons—aredirectedoraimedatatargetsystem,suchasadouble-slit,scientistshavefoundthattheirpatternorpathwillactuallychange,or“collapse,”dependinguponthepresenceormeasurement choicesof anobserver.Hence, awavepatternwill shift, or collapse, into aparticle pattern. Contrary to all reason, quantum theory holds that opposing outcomes simultaneouslyexist.

The situation gets even strangerwhen dealingwith the thought experiment called “Schrodinger’scat”—and this touchesdirectlyon thenatureof timeand reality.The twentieth-centuryphysicistErwinSchrodinger was frustrated with the evident absurdity of quantum theory, which showed objectssimultaneouslyappearinginmorethanoneplaceatatime.Suchanoutlook,hefelt,violatedallcommonlyobservedphysical laws. In1935,Schrodinger sought tohighlight thispredicament throughapurposelyabsurdistthoughtexperiment,throughwhichheintendedtoforcequantumphysiciststofollowtheirdatatoitsultimatedegree.

Schrodinger reasoned that quantum data dictates that a sentient being, such as a cat, can besimultaneouslyaliveanddead.AvariantoftheSchrodinger’scatexperimentcouldbeputthisway:Let’ssay a cat is placed into one of a pair of boxes. Along with the cat is what Schrodinger called a“diabolicaldevice.”Thedevice,ifexposedtoanatom,releasesadeadlypoison.Anobserverthenfiresanatomattheboxes.Theobserversubsequentlyusessomeformofmeasurementtocheckonwhichboxtheatomisin:theemptyone,ortheonewiththecatandthepoisoningdevice.Whentheobservergoestocheck, thewave functionof theatom—i.e., the state inwhich it exists inbothboxes—collapses intoaparticle function—i.e., the state in which it is localized to one box. Once the observer takes hismeasurement, convention says that the cat will be discovered to be dead or alive. But Schrodingerreasoned that quantum physics describes an outcome inwhich the cat isboth dead and alive. This isbecausetheatom,initswavefunction,was,atonetime,ineitherbox,andeitheroutcomeisreal.

Ofcourse,alllivedexperiencetellsusthatiftheatomwentintotheemptybox,thecatisalive;andifitwentintotheboxwiththecatandthepoisoningdevice,thecatisdead.ButSchrodinger,aimingtohighlight the frustrations of quantum theory, argued that if the observations of quantum-mechanicsexperimentswereright,youwouldhavetoallowforeachoutcome.

Totakemattersevenfurther,acohortofquantumphysicistsinthe1950stheorizedthatifanobserverwaitedsomelengthof time,say,eighthours,beforecheckingon thedead-alivecat,hewoulddiscoveronecatthatwasdeadforeighthoursandanotherthatwasaliveforeighthours.Inthislineofreasoning,consciousobservationeffectivelymanifested the localizedatom, thedeadcat, the livingcat—and alsomanifestedthepast,i.e.,createdahistoryforbothadeadcatandalivingone(thelivingonemightbehungry,restless,etc.).Bothoutcomesarereal.

Decadesofquantumexperimentsmakethismodel—inwhichacreaturecanbedead/alive—intoanimpossible reality: an unbelievable yet entirely tenable, even necessary, state of nature. Schrodinger’sthought experiment forced a consideration of the meaning of quantum mechanics, though not manyphysicistspayattentiontotheradicalimplications.

So,why is there anapparentdivide inourviewof reality, inwhichone setof rulesgoverns theeventsofthemicroworldandanothersetgovernsthevisibleworldinwhichwelive?Itmaybeduetothelimitsofourobservationinthevisibleworld.Sometwenty-first-centuryquantumphysicistscallthisphenomenon“informationleakage.”

Thetheoryofinformationleakageholdsthattheapparentimpossibilitiesofquantumactivityexistallaroundus.Theygovernreality.However,whenwestepawayfromwhateverinstrumentweareusingtomeasuremicroparticlesandbeginlookingatthingsinlargerframesandforms,weseelessandlessofwhatisreallygoingon.Weexperiencea“leakage”ofdata.WilliamJamesalludedtothisdynamicinhis1902GiffordLectures,whichbecameTheVarietiesofReligiousExperience: “We learnmost about athingwhenweviewitunderamicroscope,asitwere,orinitsmostexaggeratedform.Thisisastrueofreligiousphenomenaasofanyotherkindoffact.”

Only future experiments will determine the broader implications of particle phenomena in thevisible world in which we live. For now, however, decades of quantum data make it defensible toconcludethatobservationdoneonthesubatomicscale(1)shapesthenatureofoutcomes,(2)determinesthepresenceorabsenceofalocalizedobject,and(3)possiblydevisesmultiplepastsandpresents.Thislastpointissometimescalledthe“many-worldsinterpretation,”inthewordsofphysicistHughEverett.Thistheoryofmanyworldsraisestheprospectofaninfinitenumberofrealitiesandstatesofbeing,eachdependinguponourchoices.

TheflexibilityoftimeandthepossibilitiesofmanyworldsarenotsofaroutwhenconsideringthatEinstein’stheoriesoflightspeedandtime,whichhavenowbeenproven,demonstratethattimedoesslowdownasaphysicalfactforanentitymovingnearoratlightspeed.Thisiscalled“timedilation.”Lightspeedoutstrips thehorizonof time.Somephysicistshavefurther theorized theexistenceof“tachyons,”particlesthatsurpasslightspeed.Ifanobjectsurpasseslightspeed,itmovesalongatimecontinuumsoimmeasurably fast that it canbe said tooccupy all points at once.Theobject has effectivelyobtainedomnipresence.

Thenonlinearnatureoftimeisalsosuggestedinexperimentsoutsideofquantumphysics.RecalltheEEGexperimentsofresearcherDeanRadinfromchapter4.In thoseexperiments(amongothers),DeanandhiscollaboratorsatIONSfoundthatundercertainconditionsvitalsignsinthebrain,skin,andheartdemonstrate a sentiment of stimuli (such as light, sound, or touch) before those stimuli actually getdelivered.Dean and his colleagues reported on theirEEG experiments in a 2011 paper in the journalExplore,*28notingthat“thecommonsensenotionofaunidirectionalflowoftimemightbeafaçade,anapproximationofadeeperrealityinwhichbothpastandfutureinfluencethepresent.”

Thisalsoraisesthequestionofwhetherthepresentcaninfluencethepast—ofwhetherlinearityisanillusion,andcauseandeffectrunsinalldirections.Timemaybelesslikeastraightlinethanarotating,infinitely dimensionalwheel, spinning out past-present-future as one symbiotic system.We experiencelinearityonlywhenweviewlifeasanisolatedfragmentorsnapshot.

And here we encounter the frustrating but resilient thesis of positive thinking, which is that ourthoughts,insomegreaterorlessermeasure,determineourexperience.Perhapsabetterwayoflookingatit is that our thoughts select among infinite, nonlinear experiences, like a matrix grid that isolates amomentinspace-time,and,hence,determinesthatasreality,astheseeminglysoleoutcome,experience,ormemory.

If our thoughts and feeling states can be understood as sensory devices, then they can be said tomeasurethingsandinformourexperience.Everett’sconceptofmultipleworldsandoutcomescouldbethekeytowhythoughtsarecausative,or,putdifferently,whyrealitybendstothevantagepointofthe

observer.It’snotsomuchthatourthinkingandperspectivemakethingshappen,butthatwechoosefromamong things that already exist in potential—like the superposition of a particle in a wave state. Ifthoughts register data, then a shift in the use of the sensory tool of thought—like a physicist decidingwhethertotakeameasurementandtheperspectivefromwhichitistaken—determinesoralterswhatdataisexperienced.Baseduponhowyourthoughtsandfeelingstatesareused, theyexposeyoutodifferent,andcoexisting,phenomena.

This outlook finds its closest mystical analog in the ideas of Neville, who reasoned that theindividual,throughhisfeelingstatesandmentalpictures,selectsamonginfiniterealitiesandoutcomes.Ofcourse, most quantum physicists wouldn’t be caught dead/alive as Schrodinger’s cat dealing with thetheories of Neville. But there is an elegant intersection of possibility between his theology and thequantumtheorizingofSchrodingerandEverett.This trifectapresents themostcompellingexplanationIknowfortheextraphysicalimpactofasustainedanddirectedthought.

Nevillearguedthateverythingyouseeandexperience,includingothers,istheproductofyourownindividualdreamofreality.Throughacombinationofemotionalconvictionandmentalimages,hetaught,youimagineyourworld intobeing—andallpeopleandeventsarerootedinyou,asyouareultimatelyrooted inGod, or anOver-Mind.When you awaken to your true self,Neville argued, youwill knowyourself to be a slumbering branch of the Creator clothed in human form and at the helm of infinitepossibilities.Weallhavethisexperiencewithinourowndreamsofreality.

IthinkwefacegreaterbarrierstothisrealizationthanNevillesurmised.Foronething,weare,attimes, so incapacitated by our psychological and emotional limitations that we cannot harness orexperimentwiththemind’shighermechanics.Hence,wemust—andcan—prayforsalveinthetraditionalsense in order to feel sufficient morale and faith to exercise the agencies of thought. Here you mayconsidermeat riskofdoingwhat I’ve criticized innineteenth-centurymind-powerwriters: relyingontheological references—and that is true. My best efforts to theorize unseen laws do not, in the end,disabusemeofanotionoftheineffable,towhichonecanmakeaprayerfulorpetitionaryappeal.

What’s more, I am not sure that we can, in this conscious existence, experience the personalsurpassing of physicality in any but the most extraordinary moments. The cures recorded by AinslieMearesdidnoterasethecycleoflifeanddeath.“Yeshalldieasprinces.”Althoughnatureisinfiniteandeverexpansive—afactexperiencedbythemind,whichis, inaway,anorganof the ineffable—we,asbranchesoftheHigher,maynot,inthesebodies,knowinfiniterenewal.

USINGIT

Nevillemadethisobservationin1948:“Scientistswillonedayexplainwhythereisaserialuniverse.Butinpractice,howyouusethisserialuniversetochangethefutureismoreimportant.”

Howshouldoneuseit?Well,changingthepastisthemeanstochangingthefuture—andwechange,orreselect,thepastfromourvantagepointinwhatweperceiveasnow,thepresent.We’veallattemptedtofantasizeaboutadvicethatwewouldgivetoouryoungerselves.We’veaskedorheardthequestion:“Whatwouldyoudodifferentlyifyoucouldgobacktoyourchildhood?”

Frankly,I’mnotsurethatIwoulddoanythingdifferently.It’snotthatIdon’thaveregrets,ordon’tharbormemoriesthatIwouldliketoreverse.Iharborlotsofpainandwhatifs?Buteachoneoftheseis,forallofus,abuildingblock.Tochangeorabrogatesufferingmightmeanlosingwhatwemostcherishtoday, including vital traits that we developed in response. It mightmean erasingwhat has driven us

towardself-refinement.What’smore,wemightdiscoverourselvesunabletochange,evenifwepossessedthehindsightof

thepresent.WearenotnecessarilyEbenezerScroogewhocanalterthingsbasedonconsequenceswhenvisitedbytheGhostofChristmasYettoCome.InLuke16,acondemnedrichmanisdeniedhisrequestthatamessengerofGodbesenttowarnhisbrothersaboutdamnation:“IftheydonothearMosesandtheProphets,” God tells him, “neither will they be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.”Compulsions,passions,andbarriersofpsychology—all thetraitsofhumannatureruedinourreligiousparables and classical myths—may prove greater than our perspective. If information alone alteredbehavior,therewouldbenoaddictionsorautomatisms.Thetwentieth-centurymathematicianandspiritualseekerP.D.Ouspenskyconsideredthishauntingthemeinhistime-travelnovel,TheStrangeLifeofIvanOsokin.

Yetstill—itisdifficultnottowonderattheprospectofimprovingyourselfinhindsight.Wearenotentirelywithoutdevices.Ethicsandperspectivedohaveapart inwhathappensinthepresent—wedohave“MosesandtheProphets.”So,whynotexpandourideaofwhatispossibleinallrealmsoftime,includingthepast?Letmeputitthisway:Whatifyouhadtogobackintime?Whatifyouhadnochoice?Whatifyoudiscoveredthat,basedonthenatureofthemind,youwerealreadydoingitconstantly?Thenwhatwouldyoudotolivedifferently?Again,adviceisoftenforgottenandneglected.Sodonotoverplaythefantasythatmerelytellingyourselfsomethingspursdevelopmentoravertstragedy.Butlet’ssayyouatleasthadtheopportunitytohealthfullyorcompassionatelyshockyouryoungerselfwithaperspectiveofsuchindelibletruththatitwouldengenderareorderingofpriorities,whichmaybethesolewaythatself-changeactuallyoccurs.WilliamJamescalledita“conversionexperience.”

Iattemptedsuchanexperiment.Recenttowritingthesewords,IdiscoveredaninsightthatIwantedtosharewithayoungerme.AsIwasreadingbackoverajournalentrythatIhadmadeatagefifty,IwasastonishedtodiscoverhowsimilaritwastothekindsofthingsIhadwrittenwhenIwasinsixthgrade.Iwasstruckthatallofmyyearnings,allofmysecrethungersandbeliefs,allofmyfrustrations,traveledalongthesamepathfromearlyadolescencetomiddleage:thewishforpower.(You’llrecallthepsychicItoldyouaboutinthelastchapter.)Notthecheappowerofmanipulatingothersortellingthemwhattodo; but rather the personal power tomakemyway through lifewith agency,with progression towardpurposeandexpression,andwithassignationwiththosepeopleandeventsthatmeetmyideals.Allofmypathologiesstemmedfromonething:frustrationofthiswish.

Nowstop.Emptyyourselfofthingsthatyou’veheard.Andprepareyourselfforthispoint.Iwasnotmissing the “higher purpose” of life. You are not missing it. This is the purpose: The enactment ofpersonal means. It is the deepest yearning at the heart of our lives. Self-agency exists as a sacredyearning,alwayspressingatyou,askingtobeallowedtogrow.Ifyoudenyit,youaredenyingthevitalityof your existence. And if you deny it, you will fail; you will waste years “searching for God” orattempting to be “nonattached,” without realizing that your earnest, nonviolent efforts toward self-expressionanddevelopmentarethedirectioninwhichthesacredexists.

As I said, I decided to try an experiment: Right now, from within my perception of my currentcircumstances,and fromwithin the starknessof this realization, Idetermined toconceiveand focusonwhatIwouldtell—andwhatIhavetold—myyoungerself,andlivewiththeconsequences.HereiswhatIwrotedown:

Immediatelydisassociate fromdestructivepeopleandforces, ifnotphysically thenethically—andwatchforthemomentwhenyoucandosophysically.

Useeverymeans to improveyourmentalacuity.Everysacrificeofempty leisureorescapismforstudy,industry,andgrowthisafeepaidtopersonalfreedom.Trainthebody.Growphysicallystrong.Reduceconsumption.Youwillbestrengthenedthroughoutyourbeing.Seekno one’s approval through humor, servility, or theatrics. Be alone if necessary. But do notcompromisewithlowcompany.Attheearliestpossiblepoint, learnmeditation(i.e.,TranscendentalMeditation),yoga,andmartialarts(selectgoodteachers).Goyourownway—literally.Walk/bikeanddon’tridethebusorinacar,exceptwhennecessary.Do so in allweather: rain, snow, etc.Be independent physically and youwill be independent inotherways.Learn-study-rehearse.Pursueexcellence.Orelseleavesomethingalone.Gotothelimitinsomethingordonotapproachit.Starveyourselfof thecompulsiontoderiveyoursenseofwellbeingfromyourperceptionofwhatothersthinkofyou.Dothisasanalcoholicavoidsadrinkoranaddictaneedle.Itwillbeagonizingat first, since you may have no other perception of self; but this, finally, is the sole means ofexperiencingSelf.

Doesthiskindofadvice,practicableatanytimeoflife,reallyalterorreselecttheperceivedpast,and,withit,thefuture?Iintendtofindout.Youmustenactsuchaprogramandmakethatdeterminationforyourself.Expectationfollows.Nowgoandbuild.

AFTERWORD

THEMIRACLECLUB

AnInvitationtoYou

“WheretwoorthreegatherinmynameIamtherewiththem.”

I’vecalledthisbooktheresurrectionoftheoriginalMiracleClub.Atcertainpoints,Ihavealso referenced 3 p.m.EST as a timeof prayer.Here iswhere the two come together. Iinviteyou to joinmeat that timeeveryday,orwheneveryou like, fora fewmomentsofsilentprayertoaffirmyourethicalwishesandintentions.Barringamedicalcrisisorsome

emergency,IpromiseyouthatIwillbewithyouinprayereverydayatthistime.Christiantraditionholdsthat3p.m.iswhenChristdiedonthecross.ApopularCatholicdevotion

callsit“TheHourofGreatMercy.”Itisamomentwhenpeopleeverywhere(varyingbydifferencesintime zone) pause in prayer, silent unity, and good intentions. This time is used not only for personalwishesbutalsoforwishingotherswell,perhapsprayingforsomeone’srecoveryfromillness—anythingthatisneededinyourlifeorthatofanother.

I set a permanent alarmonmyphone for 3 p.m.ESTeachday and suggest youdo the same.Nomatterwhereyouare—onanelevator,inameeting,evendriving(aslongasyoudon’ttakeyoureyesofftheroad)—youcanpausefromyouronrushofthoughtstoexpressgratitudeandthinkonthingsthatareofgoodreport.Wecandothistogetherat3p.m.EST,oryoucandoitonyourownorwithothersinyourtimezone.

Earlier, I defined amiracle as a circumstance or event that surpasses all conventional or naturalexpectation.Letallofus, inwhateversituationandwhereverwefindourselves,uniteat thishourasa“miracleclub”ofprayerandgoodintentions.

Donotconformtothepatternofthisworld,butbetransformedbytherenewingofyourmind.—Romans12:2

Footnotes

*1See“WhatIfAgeIsNothingbutaMind-Set?”byBruceGriersonintheNewYorkTimesMagazine,October22,2014.Researchersoftendisputeolderstudies,suchasLanger’s1981agingstudy,basedonnewerstandardsofmethodology.Butthisphenomenonaffectsourviewofallpastclinicalwork,asitwillaffecthowfutureresearchersviewtoday’spractices,sincemethodsinevitablyprogress.

*2SeeSpontaneousRegressionofCancerbyT.C.EversonandW.H.Cole(W.B.Saunders,1966).†3“TheSpontaneousRegressionofCancer:AReviewofCasesfrom1900to1987”byG.B.Challisand

H.J.Stam,ActaOncologica29,Fasc.5(1990).*4“SpontaneousRegressionofCancer:AReviewofCases,”ChallisandStam.†5“WhatCantheCancerPatientExpectfromIntensiveMeditation?,”AustralianFamilyPhysician(May

1980).*6 “Regression of the Recurrence of Carcinoma of the Breast at Mastectomy Site Associated with

IntensiveMeditation.”*7For an overview ofHonorton’s ganzfeld experiments, seeAn Introduction to Parapsychology, 5th

edition,byHarveyJ.IrwinandCarolineA.Watt(Garfield,2007).*8“AJointCommuniqué:ThePsiGanzfeldControversy”byRayHymanandCharlesHonorton,Journal

ofParapsychology50(December1986).*9Idealwiththequestionofrealisminchapter5.*10 For Weaver’s assessment, see Stacy Horn’s penetrating study of Rhine, Unbelievable

(HarperCollins/Ecco,2009).†11Weaver’s letter andRhine’s reply (notedbelowWeaver) are from theParapsychologyLaboratory

Records, 1893–1984, RareBook,Manuscript, and Special Collections Library,DukeUniversity,Durham,NorthCarolina.

*12Anovenaisaprayerrecitedfornineconsecutivedays.Threenovenas(3x9)area27-daycycle.*13E.g.,seemyarticle“ReaganandtheOccult,”WashingtonPost,April30,2010.*14IexplorethisinmybookThePoweroftheMasterMind.*15ArchivedinIndianaStateUniversity’sWabashValleyVisions&VoicesDigitalMemoryProject.*16E.g.,seemy“WhatDoesNewThoughtSayaboutWar?”postatHarvBishop.com.*17Formoreonthistrend,seemyarticlesatMedium.com,“LosingtheWaronUnhappiness”(9/19/16)

and“TheWaronPositiveThinking”(9/23/16).*18 “Positive Fantasies about Idealized Futures Sap Energy” by Heather Barry Kappes and Gabriele

Oettingen, Journal of Experimental Social Psychology 47 (2011). See “Study 3: Fantasies andActualAccomplishment.”

†19“TheMotivatingFunctionofThinkingabouttheFuture:ExpectationsVersusFantasies”byGabrieleOettingenandDorisMayer,JournalofPersonalityandSocialPsychology83,no.5(2002).

*20See“TheHiddenHistoryofNewThought”byHarveyBishop,ScienceofMind,September2015.IalsoexplorethesethemesinmybooksOccultAmericaandOneSimpleIdea.

*21IagreewithBrande’sargument,buttakeafardimmerviewofhercharactertodaythanwhenIfirstpursuedherbook.Ilaterlearnedofhermarriageto,andsympathiesfor,AmericanfascistSewardCollins(1889–1952),whovoicedsupportforHitler.AlthoughnoneofthisisreflectedinWakeUpandLive!,itisagrotesqueandprofoundlydisappointingrevelation.

*22ThiswasaphenomenonRhinerecognized—andembraced.InhisreplyofMarch15,1960,toWarrenWeaver,hewrote:“Eventhoughthemethodologyandstandardsofevidencemaycomparefavorablywithotheradvancesofnaturalscience, theyhave tobesuperior inparapsychologybecauseof itsnovelty;andconceivably,too,bymakingthemstillbetter,everythingmaybegainedinovercomingthenaturalresistanceinvolved.”

*23Rhinewasreferringtocommonlyacceptedmechanicallawsatthetime.Forpsychicalresearchersinthe twenty-first century, studies in quantum theory, retrocausality, extra-dimensionality, and otherareas suggest a set of physical laws that surpass the known, and that may serve as a kind of“macroverse”withinwhichordinarymechanicsfunction.

*24IdiscoveredrecentlythatthefilmisFatherGoose,Grant’spenultimatescreenrolein1964.*25A.R.E. is theAssociation forResearch andEnlightenment, the spiritual growth center founded by

early twentieth-century mystic and psychic Edgar Cayce in Virginia Beach, Virginia, where itcontinuestooperatetoday.

*26IamreferringtothetrancestatespopularizedbyVienneseocculthealerFranzAntonMesmer(1734–1815), whose work prefigured hypnotism, mental healing, and the earliest studies of thesubconscious mind.Mesmer was a seminal figure in the development of modern transcendentalculture.IconsiderhiscareerinOneSimpleIdea.

*27This talk is adapted inmy2017bookMindasBuilder:ThePositive-MindMetaphysics ofEdgarCayce.

*28“ElectrocorticalActivityPriortoUnpredictableStimuliinMeditatorsandNon-Meditators”byDeanI.Radin,Ph.D.,CassandraVieten,Ph.D.,LeenaMichel,andArnaudDelorme,Ph.D.,Explore7,no.5(September/October2011).

ABOUTTHEAUTHOR

MitchHorowitzwasraisedinaworldofBigfootstories,UFOsightings,andCarlosCastanedabooks.Hegrewdeterminedtofindthetruthbehinditall—andtodayMitchisaPENAward–winninghistorianandtheauthorofbooksincludingOccultAmerica;OneSimpleIdea:HowPositiveThinkingReshapedModernLife;MindasBuilder:ThePositive-MindMetaphysicsofEdgarCayce;andTheMiracleofaDefiniteChiefAim.MitchhaswrittenoneverythingfromthewaronwitchestothesecretlifeofRonaldReaganfortheNewYorkTimes,theWallStreetJournal,Salon,andPolitico.TheWashingtonPostsaysMitch“treatsesotericideasandmovementswithaneven-handedintellectualstudiousnessthatistoooftenlost in today’s raised-voicediscussions.”He is thevoiceofpopularaudiobooks includingAlcoholicsAnonymous and Raven: The Untold Story of the Rev. Jim Jones and His People. Visit him atMitchHorowitz.comand@MitchHorowitz.

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INDEX

Allpagenumbersarerefertotheprinteditionsofthistitle.

Abdullah,144abundance,91–92acting,69action,motivationfor,76affirmations.Seealsovisualizations

Butler,36–38combinationofelementsin,38emotionalpersuasiveness,33–34ganzfeldexperimentsand,35hypnagogicstateand,33–36presentorfuturetenseand,36inwakinghours,36writingdown,38

aim(s).Seealsoambitionmoneyinconnectionwith,17–19onewell-selected,62–68possessingandpursuing,16–17self-contradicting,62asspecific,concrete,andplain,62

AlcoholicsAnonymous(AA),114Allen,James

abundanceand,91AllTheseThingsAdded,91AsaManThinketh,94background,90–91,92–95death,95

earlylife,92–93TheEpoch,95injoiningNewThoughttosocialidealism,90legacyof,95LightofReason,94struggle,92transformativepowerofthoughtand,96asworkingclassmystic,90–99

ambitiondriving,78findingandactingupon,15moneyand,11–12,16narrow,78spiritualityand,12–14

appliedTranscendentalism,8attainment,feelingpleasureof,34autosuggestion,86

belief,25Bergman,Mel,69–70BeyondGoodandEvil(Nietzsche),98–99Blake,William,140–41,150Blavatsky,H.P.,144–45Booker,Cory,62–63books,selectionbasedonrepresentationofideal,96,99Brande,Dorothea,134“broadcasting,”35Buddhisttradition,12,13Butler,Octavia,36–38

cancer,27–30Castaneda,Carlos,77,143–44causeandeffect,166Cayce,Edgar,35,158,160

chantingEmilyGrossmanand,53–56asmantra,52practice,53sounds,53whyitworks,55–56

Chopra,Deepak,5,54,67clarity,powerof,44–45commitment,5conformity,97consciousness,asGod,46–47“conversionexperience,”169Coué,Émile,33,86,113,139,141courage,81–82Cousins,Norman,27Crowley,Aleister,145–46

Dake,Kyle,67–68Davis,AndrewJackson,158–60Davis,Sammy,Jr.,14–15Debs,EugeneV.,121–22delusion,25desire

asbeginningofcreativeacts,127–29clarificationof,127–28enacting,129fulfilled,mentalsceneof,131–33meansand,127visualizationof,130

“diabolicaldevice,”164drillandconcentrationcycle,22Dyer,Wayne,143

EEGexperiments,166

Ehrenreich,BarbaraBright-Sided,115–18financialcrashof2008and,119–20TheHeartsofMen,115NewYorkTimesop-ed,116–20Timesresponses,116–17

Emerson,RalphWaldo,22,59,74,81,83,118,133emotivestate,131–32enactment,74–75enactmentofpersonalmeans,70ESP,33,34–35,39–41,148Everett,Hugh,165,166–67experience,133–36experimentforreaders,96–99

fantasy,111–12,16954-daydevotion,49forceoflife

questionsabout,82,84useof/by,57

forgiveness,87–88“fringethinking,”112

ganzfeldexperiments,34–35,39Garvey,Marcus,118generative

concreteserviceand,18–19inperformingactstowardsothers,15truenatureoflifeas,13

Godbargainingwith,48consciousnessas,46–47considerationof,83Nevilleand,125–26

salesmanand,82–85assolelywithinyou,126

Goddard,Neville,5,9,10,33,41,71Abdullahand,144background,124–25consciousnessisGodand,46–47corethesis,149creativeactsbeginwithdesireand,127–29dischargefromArmy,137–38experienceand,133–36fellowseekers,145–51GodofScriptureand,125–26onimagination,129–30ImmortalMan,98individualworldsand,146,167influence,142–45influences,139–42lectures,126–27mentalsceneoffulfilleddesireand,131–33asamystic,136–39onpurposeofhumanexistence,142Resurrection,142–45asspiritualizedobjectivist,104onthoughtconcretizingreality,88–89threestepstotruth,125–33“useit”message,148,168visionofindividualexcellence,104–5

GoldenRuleforgivenessand,87Hilland,86–87innertruth,86reconsideringrelationshipwith,89unseendimensionto,85

graft,78

gravitationalpull,57Grossman,Emily,53–56Gurdjieff,G.I.,161

Harrington,Michael,120–21Harris,Obadiah,76Hermeticism,139–40HigherPower,83.SeealsoGodHill,Napoleon,5,17,86,97,103–4Holmes,Ernest,5“honestplacebo”study,24Honorton,Charles,33,34–35,39–40,148hospitaltestimony(timecollapse),154–56Hudson,ThomsonJay,139Hyman,Ray,35,40hypnagogicstate

affirmationsand,33–36“broadcasting”in,35defined,32experienceof,32–33mindsensitivityand,129–30mind’seyeimagesduring,34inpicturingaimachievement,34visualizationsand,33–36

imagination,129–30informationleakage,165integration,betweenwishesandcapacity,64integrity,81“interaction-freemeasurement,”163investing,inideal,96–99Isserman,Maurice,120–21

James,William,2,7,46,58,99,113,165,169

“Jerusalem,”150–51

Kabat-Zinn,Jon,52Kappes,HeatherBarry,110–11Krishnamurti,Jiddu,14,97

Langer,Ellen,24,110Lapham,Lewis,2–3lawofmentation,4life

meaningandnatureof,83asonething,105

Lynch,David,78–81,161

Machiavelli,74MagicStaff,The(timecollapse),158–60MaharishiMaheshYogi,2,3,14,121Maltz,Maxwell,52“many-worldsinterpretation,”165Marsh,Jason,117Meares,Ainslie,28–30medicine,27–30meditation

formsof,51–52imaginationand,129spontaneousremissionsand,29–30TranscendentalMeditation(TM),51–52

Midas,King,75militarystrategy,60–62mindmetaphysics,72,73.Seealso

positive-mindmetaphysicsmindpower

affirmingand,32–38chantingand,52–56

meditatingand,51–52prayingand,45–51visualizingand,38–45

MiracleClub,150,172Miraculous54-DayRosaryNovena,26–27,48–49money.Seealsowealth

importanceof,16listingofsumanddateof,17–19positive-mindmetaphysicsand,68–70

Monkees,The(timecollapse),156–58MulhollandDrive,79–80multipleworldsandoutcomes,166–67Murphy,Joseph,7,19–20

neuroplasticity,102,148–49Neville.SeeGoddard,NevilleNewThought

culture,5–6defined,1intellectualtenor,improving,105–6atitsbest,104lifeasonethingand,105populartermsfor,2Scripturalethicsand,85,88,104–5stagnationof,2theologyofsufferingand,5valuesandmethods,107visualizationsin,38–39

Nietzsche,98–99nonattachment,13,14

Olcott,HenrySteel,144–45,150OneSimpleIdea,3,26,103,119Osteen,Joel,119–20

“Over-Soul,”83

participation,3Peale,NormanVincent,7–8physicalappearance,72physicalimmobility,129–30placebosurgery,23–24positive-mindmetaphysics

actingexample,69authoraswriterexample,64–67criticismof,108–9earlydaysof,26ethicalphilosophyand,72KyleDakestoryexample,67–68asmisunderstood,122offeringof,26–27Wattlesand,100–102

positive-mindtherapeuticsexperimentsin,114illnessand,23–25

positivethinkingcritics,112–22Ehrenreichand,115–22“fantasy”and,111–12“fringethinking”and,112studies,111–12useofterm,7

powerofclarity,44–45“PowersandLawsofThought,”81prayer

asappealtoHigherPower,47–4854-daydevotion,49petitionary,46asprerequisite,47

revolutionaryapproachto,49–50timeof,172YoungPope,The,example,45–46“PrayerforSalesmen,”84–85psiphenomena,35,40,152–53

quantumexperiments,163–65quantummeasurementproblem,162quantumphysics,161–65

Radin,Dean,40,43,44,60,166Ranae,Andréa,102–3,106Randall,JohnHerman,113Randolph,P.B.,149–50“respectability,”97revenge,87rewardanticipation,25Rhine,J.B.,39,40,41,146–48,152Runyan,Margaret,143

Salzberg,Sharon,54Schrodinger,Erwin,163–64“Schrodinger’scat,”163,167Schwartz,Jeffrey,149Scripturalethics,85,88,104–5self-agency,70self-help

classicbooksof,114criticsof,112–13militarystrategyas,60–62spiritual,63

Seligman,Martin,112–13servicedefined,77–78

disciplineand,77

powerof,77–82Smoley,Richard,110spirituality,asescapehatch,73spiritualpath

Matthew6:33and,75oneasvesselforhighestidealsand,72understandingand,13

spontaneousremissionsdocumentationof,27–28Mearesand,28–30meditationand,29–30asnotbiological,28

Stanton,ElizabethCady,118Summers,HarryG.,60–61Svoboda,Elizabeth,109,110,114,115

Thacher,Ebby,58thoughtcausation,3,153,162thoughts

concretizingreality,88–89forgiving,87–88GoldenRuleand,86–87realizedeventsofexistenceand,11assensorydevices,166transformativepowerof,96wealth,10

3p.m.,33,129,172–73time,nonlinearnatureof,165,166timecollapse

defined,153one:thehospital,154–56testimonies,153–61three:TheMagicStaff,158–61two:TheMonkees,156–58

timedilation,166

TranscendentalMeditation(TM),2,51–52,121Turow,Scott,6

universallaws,83

Vedictradition,12,13,14virtue,strengthof,85–89visualizations.Seealsoaffirmations

causebehindresultsof,43consistencyandfeelingand,41emotionalpersuasiveness,33–34emotivestateand,131–32ESPand,39–41expectantmoodand,43experimentingwith,43–44focusand,42hypnagogicstateand,33–36Nevillemethod,41–42inNewThought,38–39powerofclarityand,44–45prayerasprerequisite,47propitioustimefor,130Rhineand,39–41stateofeaseand,42

Wallace,Henry,118Wattles,Florence,101,121Wattles,WallaceD.,100–102,104–5,121wealth.Seealsomoney

attitudetoward,11–12desirefor,12“fairydust”approachto,19financialgoal,18asnecessary,11–12thoughts,10

Weaver,Warren,39–41,152Wilmans,Helen,10–11Wilson,Bill,58–59Witt,Louis,49–50Wolfe,Tom,3Wood,JoanneV.,114writer,authoras,64–67

Zenercards,146–47Zito,Barry,65–66,67,142

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