In various ways, in eleven previous installments, Reality Check (1st through 11th), I’ve discussed what I know of the power of thought, and for a time I toyed with the notion of moving on to other topics. But truth to tell, I’m drawn to this topic repeatedly.

It’s long been said that the power of thought was known to some of our truly ancient ancestors for at least 5,000 years.

Usually, such knowledge was passed from mind to mind in deep secrecy.

Why the secrecy—the usual mix of human frailties ?

Or perhaps a “socially responsible” desire to keep great power from people too unevolved to use it wisely, much like parents locking firearms in a gun safe to keep them from the hands of a naive four-year-old?  I really don’t know.

I do know that humanity is experiencing a rebirth of awareness of the power of disciplined thought, and, however slowly it may be seeping into the mass awareness, rate of penetration is accelerating and seemingly unstoppable.

Curiously, the usual interest groups just don’t exist to be tracked by any who might find this universalisation of personal power inconvenient for the maintenance of their own selfish agendas.¹

Usual interest groups?

Members of a typical interest group have more than one common interest / characteristic—they’re some combination of ingredients: rich, poor, white, Black, Native American, oriental, christian, atheist, republican, democrat, veteran, skilled crafts-person, alcoholic, divorced, thin, fat, hypochondriac, healthy athletic, computer nerd, conservationist, industrialist, anarchist, optimist, pessimist, cop, robber, “…doctor, lawyer, Indian chief…”  The list could go on forever.

Groups investigating the power of thought are all too often, with the sole exception of this interest, heterogeneous.

Members gather for study / encouragement then go their separate ways, returning to their usual settings, for the most part having nothing else to do with each other.

These groups are not here today, gone tomorrow.  They’re stable.

My conclusion?  Anytime something cuts across racial, ethnic, political, and socioeconomic class lines in such a fashion you can bet the farm it’s touching people in a deep way.

This “something” is evidently worth more to them than the exercise of their typical group prejudices.

Some sharp inner hunger is being fed?

Are these folks reconnecting with a long-forgotten aspect of true human nature and, perhaps, for the sake of this benefit they’re motivated to suspend usual reactions to certain groups? ²

¹ For example, as more and more of us learn to heal ourselves through the power of disciplined thought, will stockholders in “big pharma” rejoice?

² Animals do something similar during forest fires.  Prey and predator alike race for water, taking refuge, side by side, on any convenient island, sand bar, or rock pile.  The prey / predator game is suspended for the duration.