The Science of Intention

One thing that the latest science agrees on is that there is more out there than meets the eye – quite literally. The percentage of reality that scientists agree we can see and measure is around 4%. The rest is classed as “dark matter” and “dark energy”, simply because we don’t understand it. 

Twenty-eight years of research at Princeton University engineering department (the Princeton Engineering Anomalies Research) demonstrated beyond statistical doubt that human intention impacts otherwise random events – and that the impact increases when we share intentions collectively. This phenomenon occurs regardless of how physically close or far away we are from what we are trying to impact. The rules of space-time that we expect to operate in the 4% of reality that we can see, don’t seem to operate outside of the material realm.

Given that fact, the question now becomes  – How do we change our behavior knowing that our intention impacts the reality around us? The nature of the less material, or subtle, dimension of our experience is that it is accessed through our inner awareness, not our outer behaviour… That means that in order to access it we have to learn to consciously engage with our inner worlds. How do we do that?

How can we consciously engage with our inner worlds?

The starting point is to learn to quieten your analytical mind, the part of your mind that is continually evaluating all your experiences, worrying about what you did in the past, and making plans for what you are going to do in the future. The rational analytical mind gets in the way of the information that is accessible through our intuitive mind, so we need to learn to turn it down. Don’t get me wrong, your analysor is not a bad thing – it’s very important for operating in the rational world – we just need to learn to park it when we are trying to access our inner worlds. Any mindfulness practice can help you with that – notice the chattering of the mind, allow it to be there, don’t judge it, say hello to it, and then choose to direct your attention to the present moment – focusing on your breath often helps with that.

Once you have learned to still your mind, you will be able to get information from your intuitive knowing – that part of you that is connected to the nonlocal dimension of reality. You will find that you can ask it questions and get instant responses, that insights will just pop up into the stillness you have created. This is the receptive practice of “parapsychology”. It’s very simple really.

Intention is an active practice, which means that you are consciously interacting with the informational fields that you get insights from in the receptive practice. Think of these fields as subtle fields of wave patterns that are starting to form into increasingly dense patterns some of which eventually become so dense that they show up in our material reality. They are literally in-forming our reality. When we upload an intention into those fields, we are influencing those patterns and increasing the probability that something will manifest. There are of course many different forces acting on those fields, so we can never claim that our intention “caused” something to happen. We do know, from decades of research, that you are increasing the probability. And that your intention can be the thing that tips possibility into reality.

How can you bring the power of intention into your life?

So how does it work in practice? Once you have stilled your mind, these seem to be the conditions that most increase the impact of our intention:

• Focus on the end-result, not on the process of how it is achieved. In your mind’s eye, see your ideal situation, and feel in your body what it’s like to have achieved that result. There are so many unknown forces at play that we need to leave it to the rest of life to work out how exactly it will manifest, so upload the intention, then pay attention to what crosses your path.
• Don’t be too serious; light-heartedness and fun work best. Energy and information flows when we are feeling joy and relaxation. Avoid any attachment to the outcomes of your work with intention, and stay curious about what might happen.
• Don’t try too hard. Trust the power of your intention. Impact seems to happen after one has finished trying. This is called “the release-of-effort effect”. If you have been trying, then things often only happen when you give up. It has a mischievous quality to it, and keeps forcing us to trust and relax.
• Work in groups. Group work can help get round a disbelief that you are actually making it happen. Many of us find it hard to accept that our intention can actually influence life around us. Not surprising given that our education has taught us virtually the opposite! So doing this work with groups can help you to suspend your disbelief and get mutual feedback from each other.

The trick is just to give it a try! The great thing is that it doesn’t cost you anything, and all you need is yourself, and somewhere you can relax and focus. Let us know how it goes!