Is it possible to see a better world into being?
The answer for me is a resounding ‘Yes’. My philosophy and daily spiritual practice are based on the understanding that, as spiritual beings, we have the ability and power to transform the world. Seeing the best in ourselves and others, consistently over time, we will transform our individual consciousness. Then the practical collective expression of our better selves will create a better world to live in.
Inner seeing is, in fact, a prerequisite to bringing something into being. Most good ideas start as a picture in the mind. An architectural framework is built with the imagination long before physical hands are able to replicate the image in the outer world. The world’s greatest inventions began as drawings, sometimes on physical paper, sometimes in the mind of the inventor.
Visualisation is a powerful tool used by sports psychologists and athletes as a way to break through habits of thought. Having performed at a certain level of accomplishment (speed, distance, height, etc.) an athlete begins to believe this is the limit of their potential. Engaging the power of the imagination to create a picture of higher performance activates the will to stretch beyond the known threshold. By visualizing personal success in a race, the physiology of an athlete’s body is compelled to respond.
If I can see it I can create it. If I cannot see it, I will not be able to create it.
As human beings, we share ideas with each other through language, art, theatre, visual expression and music. Ideas paint pictures in our minds. These pictures become our living reality as they frame and shape the world we create.
Pictures and ideas are contagious and can stimulate memories, bringing an experience into being. Ideas for changing our world begin in the mind. Big ideas for creating a better world must capture the heart as well as the imagination, awakening a longing to change, a longing to step beyond the known comfort zone into something new.
People are consistently drawn to beauty, simplicity and order, drawn to kind, respectful, accepting environments. We are inspired by goodness, humility and the innocence of children.
At this time the human heart is longing for the experience of kindness, acceptance, respect and peace. And we share a common picture in the mind’s eye of what it can look like.
When asked to describe their idea of heaven or a better world, most people (including those who do not believe in heaven) describe a similar place. It has a lovely, clean environment, everyone is treated with respect, everyone is safe and cared for, and we all live in peace.
Although the pictures may be vague, the longing to create a better world is growing. When we give pictures to these feelings, we begin the practical process of bringing them into being without waiting for evidence of their possibility. It is only by creating evidence that something truly new — beyond the known and accepted — can be brought into being.
A beautiful world will come from our collective positive dreams.
Judy Johnson studies Rajyoga meditation and coordinates the activities of the Brahma Kumaris meditation centre in Halifax, Canada.