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The Principle of Mentalism
The All is mind; the Universe is mental
The Kybalion states that ‘All is Mind’. The ‘All’ which is basically everything within the universe is Spirit. Which while unknowable and undefinable is thought of as a living, infinite universal living mind.
So, everything that is part of the phenomenal universe from the movement of the blade of grass by the wind, the beating of our heart and ultimately even our intention to start a creative new project comes from and is influenced by God. It speaks of the oneness that connects all things and speaks of the quote ‘All is well’. It might be difficult for our own minds to comprehend this, but this also includes all the negative and darker aspects of our lives and those we see around the world.
To the warmth of the Sun on our face, to the feeling of despair. ALL is God.
Many people struggle with the idea that if there is a God, then why do bad things happen. That is a question that deserves its own series, but a good starting point is for people to first wrestle with the idea that ‘good’ or ‘bad’ is merely a perception within an individual and not a ‘fact’. Also, to look back at past pains in their own lives and see if they think that might have put them on a different path in life. A different path where they met different people, had different experiences then they expected, etc. Something to contemplate.
When we hold the idea of oneness in our heart and that everything is God/Consciousness/The Universe simply having an experience of itself within itself, how we perceive life can dramatically change, even if we understand this on an intellectual level and have yet to have a direct experience.
For instance, I saw something on social media the other day where shock horror people were having an argument. This was occurring under a post that was highlighting the devastation in one country and the need to give money to help them access fresh water. Under the post, a person argued that charity should start at home and that we should stop giving our money away to others when so many need it on our own doorstep. As you can imagine with social media, this became more heated and quickly sailed into chaos.
When we look at this from a position of oneness, we discover what is often the case that both viewpoints are correct. If we are all connected, it matters not in the eye of God if we give charity to home or abroad; it is the act of giving and showing compassion within itself that is enough. For the old lady who nourishes her garden with love and care to the millionaire who rents one of his properties to the homeless, if both intentions are set in love then that is enough. For all is seen and recognized in the eyes of God because ultimately it is God giving to God. In any form and no matter how it occurs.
From a position of Oneness, no act of kindness, big or small is not recognized in the eyes of God. For it is God giving to God.
Never is our connection to one and another more clear when we change ourselves internally, taking responsibility for our lives. This is because when we have healed certain aspects of ourselves and found more peace, you will also create the space around the people in your life for them to able to heal themselves. Spend time with a person who is in a state of joy and peace and it’s hard to come away from that person at least not feeling a little better.
For those of us who are parents and see a personality trait within that child that you find challenging or hard to deal with, it is often a reflection of that trait within ourselves. What we normally do though is try to change that trait within the child. Make them behave better, etc. However, if we changed our strategy and whilst we try to put firmer boundaries in place, we also through our own awareness worked on that trait within ourselves, we might see a significant change also take place in the child. Why? Because we are connected in ways we cannot see.
If we take this idea of oneness and connection further, then life is simply a mirror reflection of ourselves. God experiencing God. What is interesting though is if we use the metaphor of an actual mirror, with us standing in front of it. If we would want to brush our hair or change our appearance, we would not start trying to change the reflection itself within the mirror as we would soon see that it is impossible. Our hands would simply keep hitting the mirror itself. We would have to change ourselves first, and then the reflection would change afterwards. This is a wonderful analogy of how life really works. When we change our inner world (awareness and healing of thoughts, emotions, bias and perceptions) our outer world cannot help but change and respond. Much like our reflection would in the mirror. However, in society we have been taught the opposite. We go out to change the reflection first, striving headfirst forward and then finding it all particularly challenging, often suppressing our inner world at the same time. Eventually that inner world raises its head, and the effects can be felt strongly indeed with anxiety, depression, and fear.
When we see the world through this first principle, we can grease the wheels of change, balancing where our focus is and moving towards who we really are.