The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World

The preface to "The Intention Experiment" is pivotal to understanding this book's purpose. In it, Lynne McTaggart explains that, in previously writing "The Field," she aimed to make sense of all the ideas from ongoing research into quantum physics and, ultimately the implications of the Zero Point Field for human life and consciousness. The response to "The Field" was more than gratifying, yet McTaggart felt that her own journey of discovery had just begun. The scientific evidence she had amassed suggested something remarkable about our potential to affect reality, but left her with many unanswered questions. Hence her current book, "The Intention Experiment."McTaggart still does not claim to have all the answers. In fact, the earlier part of the book describes her renewed search for answers. Anyone who has read "The Field," is an experienced meditator, a healer, practiced in qigong and/or has had unexplained experiences themselves will need no further persuasion that intention is a real force: targeting your thoughts actually works. However, the early chapters are replete with ongoing research into consciousness and human intention that will challenge the hardest sceptic. Not light reading, with all the protocol details and statistics, but there are some staggering revelations. We are certainly far more than we think we are.The author's description of the intention experiment she negotiated with eminent German scientist, Franz Albert Popp is highly significant (especially his courage in agreeing to it in the first place.) McTaggart admits beguilingly that she was deflated after they had discussed the likely target. "For our experiment, I had wanted to help heal burn victims, to save the world from global warming. Single celled organisms weren't exactly my idea of heroics and high drama." However, when she began to research algae, she quickly changed her mind. Algae could be critical to our survival. Why? Well, you'll need to read the book.The "Intention Exercises" in the last three chapters include suggestions for personal as well as group work, and are mostly a summary of meditation, visualisation and affirmation techniques already known. However, the focus is more specific. (There is a caveat, given earlier in the book, to remember that there is a significant difference between intention and attention.)The book ends with an invitation to join a global intention experiment. Whether you do this or not, is optional. However, this book is not made for mere armchair philosophy. It is an interactive book that challenges each of us to do something at one level or another. I would defy any reader to walk away from "The Intention Experiment" and not change a thing in their life, or the way in which they live it.

I'm positive I'm in the minority when I say this, but I am really sick of the Law of Attraction. It's a great "idea"... you put a thought into your head, and then you "attract" what you want through this cosmic cash-cow out there in the universe. And if you're willing to deny empathy and compassion, you too can have whatever you want. The Law of Attraction is just a reworking of the Prosperity Doctrine in most fundamentalist churches. Anyone who has ever spent any time in the gospels studying Jesus, has to suspect that Jesus would find this ideology repugnant and repulsive. And yet all these purveyors of LoA use Jesus to support that ideology.Yet, as I think about some of the ideas behind LoA I can't help but suspect that there's got to be some truth to some of it. For example, when you put your focus on something, you are more than likely to have more of what you focus on. Beethoven lived and breathed music, and he was able to do amazing things with it. In order to lose weight, we have to focus on that accomplishment.This is what I loved about this book. Lynn McTaggart did some intensive research with some pretty amazing scientists. Her book is not about the LoA, but more importantly how our thoughts affect us, and even our world. Carl Jung hypothesized that there was a "database" out there that we as humans were constantly uploading to and downloading from. This book shows that there does seem to be some communication between humans and everything around it. Some of the experiments in this book are fascinating, and after reading the book, I looked up many of the scientists referenced... who have stellar reputations among their peers. This is important.What matters most about this book is that I feel as if she has done her homework. Unlike most new age books, she's not starting with a premise and then looking for "facts" to back that up. In fact, she's more than willing to talk about opposing viewpoints and ideas that are still being debated. But the ideas within the book are really fascinating, and, if true, definitely worth taking a really good look at.

While not every idea in this book is original, McTaggert, who is an award winning science journalist, gives us the philosophy and hard science beneath more popular metaphysical ideas. It is an in-depth study of how thoughts can be manifested and how consciousness ultimately creates reality.McTaggert expertly focuses on quantum reality, non-local intelligence, mind-body healing, the oneness inherent in the fabric of the universe, and the kinds of meditation that yield results.At the end of the book, the author provides intention exercises and offers several solid suggestions for "personal" intention experiments. These are designed to get your feet wet with small intentions, such as how to get your child to study or your dog to stop barking. There is also an invitation to join McTaggert's Group Intention Experiment, open to all serious readers.The reader must be under no illusions, however: this book has many challenging sections and is heavily weighted toward in-depth explanations of dozens of experiments and theories, most of which are described in highly scientific terms. Some chapters are extremely dense. At other times, McTaggert connects more directly with the reader. She might have condensed her research a bit better for the average reader, but on balance, this book is a valuable study on exactly how the power of intention works (which other books only touch on) and how the reader can use this power for infinite improvement and the manifestation of desired intentions.It's not a quick read, but it is highly recommended for those who are ready to look behind the curtain of pop metaphysics.