Simple practical weekly inspirations to improve various aspects of your thought patterns, emotions, habits and lifestyle.

A WORD, A THOUGHT, A QUESTION

We all appreciate a clean environment, a clean house, clean clothes, a clean body, and clean hair, so why not a clean mind? How often do you purify yours? The Heartfulness practice of Cleaning is as vital for mental and emotional hygiene as washing your body is for physical hygiene.So this month, we explore the many facets of detoxification, and offer you some practices. We hear from Daaji, Mark Milton and Ravi Venkatesan, Ichak Adizes, Victor Kannan, Elizabeth Denley, Jason Nutting, and Negin Khorasani. We also feature the photography of Rajesh Menon, a conservation marvel by ecologist, B. Rathinasabapathy, and World Storytelling Day with Sara Bubber.We would love to hear from you, so please share your letters, articles, and stories with us at contributions@heartfulnessmagazine.com.&nbsp;

March 2025 Edition

<h2 style="text-align:center;">SPIRITUAL PRACTICES AND ATTITUDES FOR MODERN LIVING</h2><h4 style="text-align:justify;">In the third episode of the series, DAAJI answers some of the most common questions he receives about the Heartfulness practice of Cleaning.&nbsp;</h4>&nbsp;"We are programmed based upon our past impressions such that all kinds of things can cause us to open and close. If you pay attention, you will see it happen regularly throughout each day.”— Michael SingerI will start by sharing the results of a popular study done in 1954 and published in the Journal of Psychopathology and Clinical Science: The football fans of Dartmouth and Princeton were given a questionnaire after they watched a recording of a particularly rough game between their teams, as the researchers wanted to understand what the fans thought happened in the game. The results were so variable that the “game” was many different games. The fans had different versions of events, and each version was just as real to each person. Each fan had their own version of reality.Since then, a large body of research has shown that we see the world through our own filters. Our attitudes, beliefs, and biases define our perception. All of us have this kind of conditioning. We have many blind spots, which stem from our likes and dislikes. They may seem harmless, but our likes and dislikes hijack our awareness. Most of the chatter going on in our minds is because of the constant stream of likes and dislikes.Next time you are in a busy place, like a restaurant, a crowded street, or an airplane, try this experiment. Watch your thoughts as you observe people boarding the flight. Listen to the chatter of likes and dislikes as you observe their looks, what they wear, what they carry, how they talk, how they stow away their luggage, and so on. Most of us are unconsciously judging ourselves and others. With the Cleaning practice, we can move from judgment to acceptance to compassion to love.For that journey to be successful, we need to remove the conditioned patterns within us. That conditioning is like channels formed by rainwater. When water flows over the same ground, it forms a channel. Over time, this channel widens and develops into a gushing river. Once the channel forms, that is the only path the water takes. Our likes and dislikes cause impressions that carve patterns of behavior in us. How we think, react, and what we like or dislike are all the result of these impressions. Yogis call these impressions samskaras.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">What is being removed in the Heartfulness Cleaning practice?</h4>The life that many of us lead is governed by those habits and patterns unfolding in front of us. The life we wish to lead will emerge once the impressions are cleaned.So <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/heartfulness-cleaning" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Heartfulness Cleaning</a> is the way to remove the impressions—the impurities and complexities we accumulate on a daily basis. They are the emotional “charge” of our experiences, and the emotional residue that lingers from our past and our memories. Over time, impressions become fixed as tendencies, causing us to become habitual in our reactions and behavior. They prevent us from being free.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/on_cleaning2_3ec1da14ec.webp" alt="on-cleaning2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;With the daily Cleaning practice, we become lighter day by day. When we clean the impressions, we remove the filters that distort our perception. These impressions settle in all the layers of the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/who-is-really-running-the-show" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">subconscious</a>, where they cover the soul. They separate us from the center of our being. As this network becomes denser, it resembles layers like geological sedimentation. And like archaeology, they become a record of our past. The Cleaning process removes the layers, so we are free to design our own destiny.The deeper result is that the practice of Cleaning creates space inside the heart, and this space automatically attracts Transmission. This is one of the reasons for the three introductory sessions with a trainer on commencing the Heartfulness practices. In those initial sessions, the trainer removes impurities and complexities from your system, creating more lightness within. Over time, you will experience greater vacuity and lightness, which will in turn direct the flow of divine energy toward you to a greater extent.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Do I need to recall all the happenings of the day before throwing them out?</h4>A unique aspect of Cleaning is that we don’t focus on what is being removed. Recalling daily events will only deepen their impact. We don’t need to relive the past by bringing it into our awareness. Instead, we offer a non-judgmental affirmation that all impurities and complexities are being removed. It’s a refreshing dip in the waters of purity and love, and we emerge rejuvenated.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">When should I practice Cleaning?</h4>As Cleaning removes the accumulated impressions of the day, it is best done in the evening, after you have finished the majority of the day’s work. It is like taking a shower to wash off the day’s dirt, but this time for the mind.Cleaning requires alertness, so it is best not to put it off until bedtime, when you are too sleepy to clean properly. Another reason not to postpone Cleaning is that it creates such freshness in us that if you do it too close to bedtime you may be too alert to sleep. Also, with the better state acquired after cleaning, your interactions with family members will witness many refined changes.You can also do “spot” Cleaning at any time during the day, as needed. If you spill ketchup on your shirt in the morning, do you wait till the evening to clean it? Similarly, if something destabilizes you during the day, take a few minutes and wash away its effect right then and there. Spot Cleaning may be done sitting, standing, or walking, with eyes open or closed, depending on circumstances. Make the subtle suggestion to yourself that the impression is leaving from the back, restoring the heart and mind to its normal balanced condition. Then you will not have to carry around the heavy burden of that stain on your consciousness for the entire day.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The Cleaning process removes the layers,&nbsp; so we are free to design our own destiny.</h4><hr>&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/on_cleaning3_d4b84f65a1.webp" alt="on-cleaning3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Suppose I miss the Cleaning routine in the evening, what can I do?</h4>If you miss the chance to complete the Cleaning in the evening, you can do it just before going to bed. If you are too tired then, do the Cleaning before your Meditation in the morning.<h4 style="text-align:justify;">Is it possible to clean away certain ailments?</h4>For ailments, it is recommended that you try the Heartfulness Relaxation. At the end of the process, revisit the affected organ and allow the energy from Mother Earth to flow there. Spend more time with that organ, and if necessary you can gently touch the same with your hands and allow the energy to comfort the organ or the region.Also, during Cleaning, you may make the additional suggestion, “In addition to all impurities and complexities, I am also being relieved of this troubling ailment.” Of course, this is not a substitute for regular health intervention by medical professionals.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/on_cleaning4_094c37c19f.webp" alt="on-cleaning4.webp"></figure>&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Make the subtle suggestion to yourself&nbsp; that the impression is leaving from the back,&nbsp; restoring the heart and mind to &nbsp;its normal balanced condition.</h4><hr>&nbsp;

On Cleaning

The superpower of listening

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">DR. ICHAK ADIZES observes how his understanding of love has evolved, and explores the question, “How can we develop love?”</h4>For years I have been promoting the theory that change causes disintegration, and disintegration is manifested in what we call problems. The solution to problems caused by disintegration is integration based on mutual trust and respect. Mutual trust enables symbiosis; we contribute because we trust that others will contribute to the system too, so we will all benefit from the contribution we made. And when there is mutual respect, we learn from each other’s differences, and create synergy.A sustainable solution to problems caused by disintegration is integration, for which we need to create and nurture a culture of mutual trust and respect. And I reasoned, absolute integration is absolute mutual trust and respect, and that is LOVE. And love solves all problems, as my mother used to say. I was wrong.Trust and respect are processes we run through our brain; I respect you because I can learn from you, and I trust you because we have common interest. Great. Good &nbsp;But that is not love. Love is not computing what you get out of a relationship: Do we have common interest so I can trust you, and will I learn from you if I respect your difference of opinion? Love is not sexual attractiveness and passion either. Those are physiological feelings. Love is based on compassion, on caring with no benefits expected.In the Jewish religion, a true donation is made with love and that means anonymously, to expect nothing in return. No expectations of getting benefits from giving is what makes love different from all other feelings and actions.There are three levels of integration. The lowest is via the Administrator role, with rules, policies, and instructions created outside the system on which it is imposed. It is based on power, on punishments for violations. The next level is an organic integration based on mutual trust and respect. It is not externally created and enforced. It is the result of reasoning and searching for self-benefits: Can I learn from you and thus make better decisions, and do we have a common interest so I do not doubt your contributions? The highest level of integration is when we integrate with no self-interest. We integrate because we are loving persons. And if God is absolute love, then if we integrate with love, with the highest level of integration, we are an extension of God, we are part and parcel of God.How can we develop love? We know how to do lower levels of integration. Love on the other hand is evasive. In love we care for the other person as if they are us. Imagine a very sick child. In my Sephardic tradition a parent would say, “Yo para ti” meaning, “I wish I could take your place and your pain instead of you.” Loving relationships remind me of Francis Bacon, the &nbsp;<a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/happiness-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">philosopher</a> who said that a good friend is someone who doubles our happiness and cuts in half our sorrow or pain. They are not just an acquaintance but a loving friend.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/what_is_love2_a7b2976e2b.webp" alt="what-is-love2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;Love cultivates the space between us so that we share the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/comm-unity" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">oneness</a>. In love we do not fight the differences, underneath there is oneness. A friend of mine, a student of film, told me that when he becomes a director he wants to produce a movie for children with the following story: There is a kingdom where the king has one daughter he loves very much. In this kingdom all people by law must carry a mask that communicates their profession.&nbsp;One has a mask of a doctor, another of a thief, let us say. The daughter becomes very sick and is dying. She asks her father a last wish to ask all people to take their masks off. Loving his daughter, he orders it. As people take their masks down, it becomes evident that they all have the same face— the thief and the doctor. The message is that at the core we are all the same. We have our masks that identify our differences, but with love we recognize our oneness.Heartfulness Guru, Chariji, said love is a muscle. Start loving, and the more you practice love the more you have it. Start giving without expecting. In other words, developing love is an experiential process. It cannot be learned with lectures or with love poems. Love is in the doing. Why practicing love encourages you to have more love, I don’t know. Your turn.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">The highest level of integration is when we integrate with no self-interest.&nbsp; We integrate because we are loving persons.&nbsp;</h4><hr>&nbsp;Just thinking and feeling, <img class="image_resized" style="width:25%;" src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/Ichak_Adizes_06bfdd17f7.webp" alt="Ichak Adizes.webp"> Ichak K. Adizes&nbsp; &nbsp;<a href="mailto:ichak@adizes.com">ichak@adizes.com</a> <a href="https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-love-once-more">https://www.ichakadizes.com/post/what-is-love-once-more</a>&nbsp;I want to recognize and appreciate the contributions of Professor Raj Sisodia, leader of the Conscious Capitalism movement, who pointed out to me that love is more than Mutual Trust and Respect, and includes care and compassion, and Topaz Adizes, the founder of {The And} experiences, who pointed out to me that love is born when the space between people is recognized and cultivated.

What is love? 

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<h4 style="text-align:justify;">This World Storytelling Day, March 20, we bring you a story by SARA BUBBER, based on a common folk template. May the stories within the story entertain you!</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">Stories have been a tool in the passage of rites from one generation to the next since time immemorial. Entertainment, knowledge, wisdom, and education was passed down in the form of stories.</h4>Once upon a time, the Earth was an open canvas. People lived a nomadic life. Traveling from one place to another for food, shelter, and clothing was a common sight. With no radio, television, and phones the only way to entertain each other was to tell stories. Stories about new roots, giant trees, and scary tigers. Travelers were given lodging in exchange for stories, work could also be done by telling stories.One such day, a group of friends were traveling. After a long day they were tired and were trying to decide who would fetch firewood and cook for the group. They tried many ways of deciding but then saw a young girl who was coming the same way. They thought they could get her to cook for them while they rested. They asked her where she was from and if she cared to listen to some stories.The young girl loved stories. She immediately agreed. The group of travelers asked if she wanted to make the story session interesting. They placed a little bet. The travelers would tell the girl a story that was absolutely impossible. If the girl said that the story was impossible, she would have to cook food. The bet also went the other way. The young girl would tell a story, and if the travelers would say that it was impossible, they would cook for her instead.The story session began.One of the travelers started: “My grandfather was a poor farmer who worked in a rich household. He was always called names for working as a slow and careless worker. He prayed to God every day. However much he tried, he couldn’t work faster and was scolded endlessly. One day, the God he prayed to appeared in front of him and when he woke he had great strength. The next day as he was scolded, the energy he had felt rushed through his veins, he grew in size, lifted the house, and took a big leap. The house shook, the cupboards fell, the beds flew out and the windows shattered. He kept flying high until his employer begged him to stop. His employer not only stopped calling him names but also gave him the place of a family member.&nbsp;&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales2_7bab8dfbf1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales2.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“How was the story? Does someone disagree?” No one disagreed.Another traveler continued: “Once there was a famine in my grandfather’s land. My grandfather was a very weak person. One day, in a fight with his brother, he had to leave home. He thought of finding fame for himself. He walked into a forest and came across a man painting. He painted a deer and, as my grandfather continued watching, to his surprise the deer came alive. He thought it was such an amazing device, that he wanted to possess it. When he got the chance, he went ahead and painted a boat with the owner of the brush in it. He added winds on the lake and blew the owner away. Now he had full possession of the paintbrush. He took the brush back and painted clouds and grains which solved the problems of his village. He became the treasurer of the village and one day, he created a son from the paintbrush. He was so exceptional that there was no girl to match him. Then he created a fully grown young girl as a match for his son. And thus, I was born from parents who were painted. The brush is gone, but it seems like my smooth hair is a gift from the paintbrush. I use the best herbs from the best orchard that my grandfather painted.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:50%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales3_5c925060a1.webp" alt="tale-of-tales3.webp"></figure>&nbsp;“This is my story, do you agree?” “Yes we all do.”Now it was the little girl’s turn. She began her story. “My grandparents possessed many things. They were well respected in their community, and helped many people achieve greatness. They possessed hulk-like strength and various magical possessions. One day, in a civil strife, the servants of the house ran away with the chest of hulk strength and some of the magical possessions like a wish-granting paintbrush. My parents looked for it all their life, and today I set off in search. I have finally found all my family possessions with you. It seems you are the long lost servants of our family who have our possessions.&nbsp;“This is the end of my story. Do you agree?” “Yes we do.” The little girl continued, “That is wonderful news, now, give my possessions back.” “But… no we do not agree,” said the group. “Oh, then you must cook for me.” And the little girl, using her wit, rested as the team cooked for her.&nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales4_c3079e9217.webp" alt="tale-of-tales4.webp"></figure><hr><h3>Interesting facts about stories</h3><h4> &nbsp;Aesop’s Fables</h4>Aesop was a slave who lived in ancient Greece. He wanted freedom more than anything else. He noticed the supervisor of slaves and began to tell stories every day. The supervisor was impressed and one day asked Aesop what he wanted. Aesop asked for food for all his fellow slaves. His selfless gesture made the supervisor give Aesop and his community the freedom they deserved. These tales were combined into the <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/once-upon-a-time" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Aesop’s Fables</a> that you have all loved growing up!<h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales</h4>Grimms’ Fairy Tales is a German collection of fairy tales by Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, first published on December 20, 1812. It is considered the seminal work of Western children’s literature and is listed by <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/master-yoga-2024-unesco-paris" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">UNESCO</a> in its Memory of the World Registry.<h4>Panchatantra&nbsp;</h4>Panchatantra is a collection of stories from ancient India based on politics, behavior, communication, and economics. These stories are based on the Vedas, Upanishads, the Ramayana and Mahabharata as a trove of wisdom. The princes of Amarasakti had no interest in pursuing their studies and thus a teacher, Vishnu Sharma, made a comprehensive manual for these princes to be taught in the form of stories. The Panchatantra started the story within a story form of learning, which delights young readers to this day. &nbsp;<figure class="image image_resized" style="width:75%;"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/tale_of_tales5_3adb201b5e.webp" alt="tale-of-tales5.webp"></figure><hr><h4>Activity 1</h4>Guess these popular stories from the details: 1. A young girl who loses her shoe that gives her the chance to marry a prince:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………2. A boy who climbs a tall natural element that grows from magic beans and finds treasures in the clouds:&nbsp;…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 3. A prince who moves to the forest with his brother and wife to live for fourteen years. The wife is kidnapped and he goes to rescue her with an army of monkeys:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4. A little creature born into a family of ducks goes into the world alone to find his true form:……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5. Two unusual friends who come together near a riverbank. The friendship ends when one large friend asks his tree-dwelling friend for his heart:&nbsp;……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………<hr><h4>Activity 2</h4>Write your own story here. It can involve animals, kings, kingdoms, humans, plants, or anything else that tells a story.Create a story with a beginning, some problems that come up, and a solution to end the story.&nbsp;<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">AI generated images</h4><hr>

Join Sara Bubber’s adventure tale this World Storytelling Day.

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The tale of tales

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">LYNNE McTAGGART is one of the central authorities on the new science of consciousness, and the award-winning author of seven books, including the internationally bestselling The Intention Experiment, The Field, The Bond, and The Power of Eight. Here, Lynne is interviewed by PURNIMA RAMAKRISHNAN about the transformative power of intention, the profound impact of group intention, and the potential for individuals to create significant change in their lives and the world.</h4>&nbsp;Q: Lynne, welcome. You are known for your pioneering work in the science of intention in <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-journey-of-total-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">consciousness and healing</a>. You’ve explored this science behind intention so deeply. Can you share how you personally define the power of intention?&nbsp;LM: Okay, well, first of all, it’s important to understand that our thoughts aren’t locked inside our heads. They’re trespassers, and they can go out and affect other people and things. We’ve seen that from countless studies on everything from single-celled organisms to human beings. In my own work, I’ve seen that we can affect everything from making plants grow faster, to purifying water, to lowering violence in war-torn and violent areas, and even healing people of things like post-traumatic stress disorder. And I’ve seen it in big groups and small groups. Essentially, thoughts are energy, just as everything else in the body is a collection of energy and energy fields of different varieties. And those thoughts can go out and affect things.I see an intention as a focused thought. You and I are having about 80,000 thoughts a day, and most of them are undirected, most of them are negative. And they oftentimes undermine our life because we’re focusing on negative outcomes, instead of intending for what we want.So, I always teach intention as a respectful and very specific request to the universe. And I find it gets amplified in small and large groups.Q: During your intention experiments, have you encountered any surprising results? Are there poignant moments, epiphanies, which have made you stop and think? What has defined or redefined your expectations of these intention experiments?LM: I think many of the peace intention experiments really surprised me. I wasn’t at all sure they were going to work when we started in 2007. We started with simple things, trying to affect the light emissions of a leaf. And then we moved on to seeds, trying to make them grow faster. And then we moved on to water, trying to purify water, then trying to lower violence in areas.My first experience of something mind-blowing was the seed experiments. I did my very first seed experiment in 2007 when I was speaking in front of an audience in Sydney, Australia. I worked with the University of California’s Dr. Gary Schwartz, a noted psychologist who has a special laboratory with the Laboratory for Consciousness and Human Evolution. He prepared four sets of seeds, each set with 30 seeds, and had his team photograph them and send them to me. And I showed these to the audience and allowed them to select one of the four seeds to send an intention to. So we sent an intention to seed group A for ten minutes. After we were done, I called Dr. Schwartz and told him we were done, but I did not tell him which seeds we sent the intention to. I told him as that was the cue for him to plant the seeds.Five days later they measured the seeds. After they’d measured them, I unblinded the study and told them which seeds we’d sent an intention to. And lo and behold, those seeds grew taller than any others.We did this five more times in different locations with different-sized audiences. And every single time the seeds that were sent an intention grew taller than the controls. But here’s the fascinating part—I was with my audience in Sydney, Australia, and the seeds were back in Tucson, Arizona, 8,000 miles away. Plus, we weren’t sending an intention to the seeds themselves, only to a photograph of the seeds, a symbolic representation of the seeds. So I realized from that very early time that we essentially create a psychic-internet when we make an intention in a group scattered around the globe. That I could see over and over again with the other intention experiments.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Essentially, thoughts are energy, just as everything else in the body is a collection of energy and energy fields of different varieties. And those thoughts can go out and affect things.</h4><hr>Another one that blew my mind was a Sri Lanka peace intention experiment we ran in 2008, when Sri Lanka was in the midst of a 25-year civil war. We did a peace intention for 10 minutes a day over eight days with 15,000 people participating from around the globe. Now, during that week, to my alarm, violence went up rather than down. And I had a professor of statistics doing the analysis. It then plummeted after that. But a more interesting thing happened. The government won a few decisive battles during that week that turned around the entire course of the war. For some time, both sides had been at a stalemate. Then, within a few months, the government was able to take back the north, which was held by the rebel forces. And a few months later, that 25-year intractable war was over.Now, did we do this? Well, it turned out that during the week of our intention pivotal battles occurred, and that was cause for an extraordinary surprise. When you do one experiment like that, it means nothing. There are too many variables in a war. But when you keep doing it and keep getting results, as we’ve done with peace intention experiments, they start becoming interesting.For instance, in 2017, we ran an experiment to lower violence in St. Louis, Missouri, officially the most violent place in America. And we chose a neighborhood called Fairground that was the most violent of all. We had very accurate police data. I once again asked Dr. Jessica Utz from the University of California to analyze data from several years beforehand to six months afterward, to look at the effect of our intention. She found that violence had been going up in all areas of St. Louis, and continued to go up everywhere except the neighborhood we intended where violence went down by 43%. And so it’s happened over and over again.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp" alt="intention-revolution2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 110w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 353w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_intention_revolution2_38d89b0431.webp 529w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">I always teach intention as a respectful and very specific request to the universe. And I find it gets amplified in small and large groups.</h4><hr>Perhaps the one that amazed me the most is an intention experiment I did that same year, at the end of 2017, with eight Arab cities and a large audience of Israeli Jews. I had special equipment so we could put cameras in eight different locations in Arab cities. Each different Arab city had an audience there. And the ninth camera was with an audience of Israeli Jews. I asked them all to make an intention to lower violence in an area of Jerusalem that was suffering from a high degree of violence.Before that, I had to broker the entire thing, as nobody was speaking to anyone else. They started talking, because I could call on the different places. They would talk to me, and then they would also communicate with the people in all the other locations. And they started sending love to each other, they started sending “Your God is my God,” talking about beautiful visions of people coming together from both sides. There was a big love fest. I found that every time I put together polarized and hated enemies, they seemed to come together after these intention experiments.Since 2008, I’ve run 41 intention experiments, and 37 have shown measurable significantly positive effects. I also surveyed the people involved, and for those who responded, about 40% have reported more peace in their own lives. They’re getting along better with estranged partners or parents or children. They’re getting along better with bosses and coworkers. They’re feeling more love for everybody, and around 50% consistently report they feel more love for everyone they meet.Essentially, they’re hugging strangers and peaceful things happen in their lives. Also, about one-third have reported an improvement in a health condition or a downright cure. So that is the biggest and most amazing effect, the mirror effect of these intentions: the people who are sending intentions are being healed as much as the targets.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">So that is the biggest and most amazing effect,&nbsp; the mirror effect of these intentions:&nbsp; the people who are sending intentions&nbsp; are being healed as much as the targets.</h4><hr>Q: I was blown away by the seed experiment. How has the scientific community embraced this, or conversely, what are the challenges you’ve faced to try to share this with them?&nbsp;LM: I'm not interested in the scientific community because they aren’t going to accept it. Scientists are supposed to be explorers and very few of them really are. There are a lot of reasons for that. People lose their positions at universities for stepping out of the accepted paradigm. So I don’t need to convince scientists. There are enough scientists who are true explorers, who are fascinated by my work, and who have helped to measure the work.I work with people at prestigious universities to run the intention experiments—Princeton, Penn State, University of California, University of Arizona, and others in Europe. I choose people who are open-minded enough to do decent research.There are skeptic organizations who attack my work, but they attack it in the flimsiest of ways. My book, The Field, had more than 400 solid scientific references. I had interviewed exhaustively—frontier physicists, biologists, etc.—and had them check every last fact in that book to make sure I had written it correctly. The skeptics have said the book was based on nothing more than Star Wars, which is just incorrect, close-minded, and ignorant.So, I’m not interested in that. I’m interested in getting this information out to people so they can understand that we have extraordinary capabilities waiting to be unleashed, and we are very different from what we are told in mainstream orthodox science.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp" alt="intention-revolution3.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 214w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_intention_revolution3_b56b5be71b.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure>&nbsp;Orthodox science is only 300-plus years old, and new studies and discoveries are being found in universities, in little pockets of academia here and there, that are completely transforming the way we think about ourselves and our world. And we’re far greater than we’ve been told!Q: Thank you for that very candid response. For someone who’s intrigued by your work, who’s curious about your work, and who wants to start applying this <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/how-to-manifest-peace" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">power of intention</a> in their own life, how can they begin?LM:&nbsp;They can join my community and my website. When they join, they receive some basic tools and information about how to do intention and how to form a group. They can also read my books. <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/the-intention-revolution" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Power of Eight</a>, the last book published on this topic, has basic descriptions of how to do intention in a group. For people who really want to learn more, I have a whole series of foundation courses.I also have a <a href="https://lynnemctaggart.com/courses/intention-masterclass/the-power-of-eight-intention-masterclass-2025/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">year-long masterclass</a>, my kingpin course, where I work with people live and interactively for a year. Participants start working in groups after six weeks, and each group meets once a week. Under my instruction, they use intention for relationships, for health and healing, for finances and career, and for life purpose. There’s specific information and instructions, and I coach them throughout the year.So there are all kinds of things at all kinds of price points, including free, and every intention experiment is free. I feel everybody should be able to participate.Recently, Gaia released a documentary about my work with large and small groups, The Power of Eight, plus the intention experiments. They interviewed the various scientists who’ve worked with me, and numerous people who have had extraordinary healings with The Power of Eight, too. And it will culminate in an intention on February 1, 2025. I’m going to have a live audience at Gaia’s headquarters in Boulder, Colorado, and we’re also going to livestream it around the world.It's an invitation. So everyone can take part by going to <a href="https://lynnemctaggart.com" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://lynnemctaggart.com</a>, where there are instructions.Q: I am really looking forward to it.To be continued.

Explore Lynne McTaggart’s groundbreaking work on intention and its transformative power in healing.

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 Unleashing our extraordinary capabilities

<h4 style="text-align:justify;">CHRISTIANNA DEICHMANN is the Director of Education at the Association for Prenatal and Perinatal Psychology and Health (APPPAH), where she educates both professionals and parents on fostering the most nurturing environments for welcoming new life into the world. She is based in Charlottesville, Virginia, USA. With a multidisciplinary approach, Christianna blends Craniosacral Therapy, massage, and prenatal and perinatal psychology into her holistic practice. Her work uniquely combines science and spirituality.</h4><h4 style="text-align:justify;">In part 2 of this interview, Christianna continues to shares her expertise with DR. SNEHAL DESHPANDE, a Developmental Therapist, PPNE, and the Director of Heartfulness Family Connect Programs, offering a rich dialogue on Birth Trauma and Obstetrical Intervention.</h4>&nbsp;Q: Christianna, when fostering the connection between mother and newborn baby, how can we recognize signs of PTSD in both? Mothers and babies may be experiencing these problems without even realizing it. Often, it’s an issue of connectivity, where mothers feel overwhelmed but don’t recognize the root cause. In what ways might these expressions of PTSD manifest or be felt, particularly when the bond is disrupted?<ul class="todo-list"><li style="text-align:justify;"><label class="todo-list__label"><input type="checkbox" disabled="disabled">CD: Babies communicate with us through their bodies. They communicate to us with their cries. And I see all the time that people are just not aware that babies are conscious and sentient, that they have emotions. Maybe they’re the most basic emotions, but they’re the key emotions. Am I safe? Am I loved? Do I have the right to have needs and have somebody care for me? Do I have the right to feel supported? And society has it that babies are not conscious. Our fast paced life is not attuned to the sacredness or the holiness of human development. So the first thing that you can do in order to connect more is to connect with yourself through <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/mindfulness-heartfulness" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mindfulness practices</a>, mind-body practices, and slowing down.</label></li></ul>The easiest thing is to breathe. We don’t even breathe consciously. When we consciously breathe, three deep breaths reset the nervous system. As a mother, when you are feeling a little overwhelmed, let your baby know, just as if they’re an older person. Think that they understand because they do. And say, “I’m overwhelmed right now, but this isn’t your fault. This is just me having my own personal feelings. You can let that go.” When you have that kind of two-way conversation with your baby, whether in the womb or right after the birth, it takes a lot of anxiety off your shoulders. You will recognize that your child understands you and really just wants to love you.There’s a lot of need for education about how babies communicate and what their cries mean. Babies have different types of cry for different needs. Mothers can come to understand what those cries are for. Usually if their physical needs are taken care of—you've given them food, you’ve changed their diaper, they’re in comfortable clothes—and they are still crying, then there’s something emotional happening and the emotional needs of the baby have to be addressed. They have a story to tell. I envision a day when we have a world where mothers have returned to the understanding that birth matters and the story that happened continues even after they’re born. It takes time for them to heal from that trauma and all they want to do is share it with somebody.You asked how we know that mothers have postpartum depression or anxiety. There’s lack of sleep, you feel really frustrated, you’re overwhelmed, you’re angry, you don’t want to deal with anything, or you just want to disappear. These are all signs that you need more support. It is the biggest thing we need to do in the postpartum world. In olden times, it took a village. There’d be a circle of women around a mother, and they would mother the mother after she gave birth, so she could focus on recovering the outpouring of chi, her life force. She could focus on her baby and have the team of people around her cooking, cleaning, doing rituals to restore her body, and that for the large part doesn’t happen today. Our postpartum care is mostly to take the baby out of the home in the car to the doctor’s office to check their weight. If you want my opinion, doctors should be making house calls to our most vulnerable population, so mothers don’t have to leave the sacred hearth of their home for those first 40 days after birth. There’s so much disruption that can happen just in the simple journey to go to the doctor’s office in those first few weeks.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">It takes time for them to heal&nbsp; from that trauma and all they want to do is share it with somebody.</h4><hr>Q: &nbsp;In the past, the way we welcomed babies was beautiful and made them feel wanted. What you’re discussing is a continuation of that tradition, which is truly remarkable. I have a question related to Kendall-Tackett’s research. How do you think her work has influenced the current understanding and treatment approaches for PTSD related to birth trauma?CD: I love Kathleen Kendall-Tackett, she’s brilliant! She focused on symptoms women were experiencing from seemingly simple things like breastfeeding. Through her research, we’ve come to understand that when a mother is unable to breastfeed, or if the initial bond between mother and baby is interrupted, there’s a domino effect of symptoms that can appear in both. Kathleen realized that these symptoms resemble PTSD. Women could have flashbacks to their birth experience, break out in sweats, and experience thyroid issues, which are quite common among postpartum women. Anxiety, disrupted sleep patterns, and other signs also emerge.<hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">Our fast paced life is not attuned to the sacredness or the holiness of human development.&nbsp; So the first thing that you can do in order to connect more&nbsp; is to connect with yourself through mindfulness practices,&nbsp; mind-body practices, and slowing down.&nbsp;</h4><hr>Kathleen found that many mothers experience these symptoms without getting help, and often they don’t voice their struggles due to societal expectations that they should “just deal with it.” The nuclear family model and the prevalence of single motherhood mean women often don’t have enough support.Today, women are managing full-time jobs, marriages, and motherhood, which are each huge responsibilities, but they’re doing it without the support of a village. This stress has been shown through scientific evidence to be a toxic, detrimental factor during pregnancy, leading to mental health issues, obesity, and other health problems. Kathleen Kendall-Tackett helped lift the veil, showing the scientific community and psychologists that our most vulnerable population—babies—are coming into a world where their mothers are under-supported and burdened with overwhelming stress on their nervous systems.Q: It’s clear that we need to start building communities because, as the saying goes, it takes a village to raise a child. We need to take care of these beautiful souls and create a shift in both mindset and community. So how do different healing modalities such as Craniosacral Therapy, Somatic Experiencing, and Body-Mind-Spirit Awareness help with recovery from birth trauma? And do you think integrating Heartfulness practices into prenatal care can help prevent birth trauma?CD: I believe people should start Craniosacral Therapy even before planning to get pregnant. It helps clear the nervous system and return to what we call the “zero point field” or the original blueprint. It’s similar to Heartfulness practices. If we teach people how to reflect on their day and take regular breaks with <a href="https://heartfulness.org/magazine/asana-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">mind-body exercises</a>, like breathing, we can slow the nervous system and align ourselves with natural rhythms. Craniosacral Therapy is one example, but we now have biofeedback and many psychosomatic and energetic modalities that help individuals enter more conscious states—where they are open, curious, and connected to their heart.&nbsp;<figure class="image"><img src="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/sacredness_human2_12c0b984b2.webp" alt="sacredness-human2.webp" srcset="https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/thumbnail_sacredness_human2_12c0b984b2.webp 159w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/small_sacredness_human2_12c0b984b2.webp 500w,https://cdn-prod-static.heartfulness.org/medium_sacredness_human2_12c0b984b2.webp 750w," sizes="100vw"></figure><hr><h4 style="text-align:center;">This, I believe, is the best way to deal with today’s challenges—by going within,&nbsp; learning who we really are, and knowing what truly matters to us.</h4><hr>It’s an exciting time to be alive, as quantum physics is now influencing therapeutic modalities, offering tools for all of us to return to our inner selves. This, I believe, is the best way to deal with today’s challenges—by going within, learning who we really are, and knowing what truly matters to us. The more we do this, the more creative and productive we become. I love integrating Heartfulness because anyone can do it, and it can be a daily practice for everyone. In the United States, the HeartMath Institute is showing us the benefits of creating brain-heart coherence, and that’s what Heartfulness is about—connecting mind and body, macrocosm and microcosm, by going within to find the answers that are already inside us.Q: Thank you so much, Christianna, for being with us and braodening our awareness.&nbsp;

Healing Birth Trauma with Heartfulness & Mind-Body Practices