Coreyshead - Looking at the World 1 Pixel at a Time

I frequently hear people admonishing others or even themselves for voicing a negative possibility.

Now I do understand and believe in the power of positive thought. Optimism is an important component of health and social advancement: perky people prosper.

Of course, this is a generalization – plenty of grumpy jerks make it to the top and live long lives while some incredibly cheerful people contract terminal illnesses and or remain in a state of penury their entire lives. The point is that the former never appreciate what they have while the latter never mind the deficit.

To hear a good portion of the populace talk of it, though, all you have to do is think about something –  speak it, imagine it –  and it will occur. Not to mention that, no matter how ghastly your present fate, “everything happens for a reason” – as if your suffering is integral to your growth as a human; part of some grand training program.

Hmmm, what would the victims of any murder have to say about these two lovely concepts?

The worst part of these aforementioned fallacies, that you somehow control the universe with your mind, is that if bad things happen to you – the company you work for goes under, you lose a child, contract bone cancer, what have you – the sense is that it is your fault for not being positive enough. Further, when you are told that the hell you are going through is “for a reason,” it implies that you are not humble enough, or schooled enough, or tough enough or … we’re back to the fact that it’s “your fault” if you’re suffering.

Now there’s a cheerful thought! That’ll perk you right up!

Despite the bald-faced inanity of it, a lot of people like this idea, that what is happening to them is an assignment from the universe (or one deity or another). I agree that everything that happens to you, good or bad, can and should be seen as a lesson of some kind, so that you can help yourself to accrue the good results and eschew the bad. Seeing it as a walk of wisdom under some great controller, however, is to imply that there is a safety net of some kind or that you deserve to suffer. I don’t believe either of these things is true or very helpful.

Hundreds of books have and continue to be written in support of this concept and many of them go on to be best sellers, indicating to me not so much the truth of the words contained therein but the desperate need so many of us have to feel that just wishing it so will make it occur.

I’ll never forget the poor sap I met who planned to join hands in a circle with others to positively think Dennis Kucinich into office during the 2004 election. “It’s going to work,” he exclaimed, thoroughly convinced in the plan’s efficacy. “Bush can’t win, thousands of us are meeting across the US!”

Rock on, psychic soldier, rock on …

I cannot help but think that this whole notion of “manifestation” was kick-started accidentally, that someone was just trying to get people to be positive because that, in itself, is a good thing but the goony masses, in their infinite lack of wisdom, took the poor son of a bitch literally and there’s been hell to pay ever since; people looking daggers at you if you dare to make a realistic – excuse me – “negative” supposition about any potential outcome: “Don’t even say that!” As if my words, my thoughts, somehow have the ability to affect the outcome on a psychic scale.

Oh, if only, people. If only.

Some time ago I was filling in as a clerk for a friend of mine who just so happens to own a new age bookstore. The phone rang and at the other end was a customer who was looking for a particular book.

According to her, the universe had told her that she needed the book. It was one she had owned before but lost after loaning it out.

I checked the computerized inventory, which suffers from a rather pernicious case of GIGO, and saw that we had only one copy listed.

I explained the situation to her as I scanned the appropriate shelf,  “when the computer says we have two or more I tend to expect to find at least one on the shelf but, when it says one …” I let the comment hang. I hoped I’d find the book but knew there was a chance we didn’t actually have it in stock.

“Oh, I know you have it,” she replied, “the universe told me to call you. I can see it there.”

The universe might have known it was there but it wasn’t letting me in on its little joke because I couldn’t find the damned thing.

“Let me call you back,” I asked. “I’d like to do a more thorough search.”

“Okay but I know you’ll find it!”

I took her number, terminated the connection and continued to scan shelves, first where it should be, then places it shouldn’t. I even enlisted the help of our contract “psychic” who, prior to the phone interrupting us, had been grilling me for my lack of faith and, thus, wisdom but the title was nowhere to be found.

“Why don’t you just use your intuition to find it?” asked the psychic.

I wanted to counter with: “Why don’t you just use your psychic powers to tell me whether it’s here or not?” but instead replied honestly: “I did – my intuition tells me it’s not here – but it must be, right? I mean, she manifested it …”

The book was not there. I called the customer to tell her we were going to have to order a copy.

Tags: Religion, Spirituality, Superstition