The Intention Experiment: Using Your Thoughts to Change Your Life and the World Paperback – February 5, 2008

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.

Let's face it, looking deeper and deeper into space will reveal beautiful, wonderful, mysterious and compelling visions of that which surrounds us, which is: matter, energy, and space-time. But is one star, or nebulae or white dwarf really that much different from another of it's kind? Is one type of fungus really that much more interesting than the other? Yes, study of the natural world is a good thing, an honorable and noble course of endeavor. Yet the final frontier of discovery is not "without" it is clearly "within".This is what "The Intention Experiment" is all about. Quantum physics insists that there is something more going on relative to consciousness than outward appearances would indicate. McTaggart clearly announces to the world the ineluctable conclusion based on rigorous scientific investigation, that everyone and everything interacts on some fundamental level with everyone and everything else. Hence in answer to the question, "If a butterfly flaps its wings in Beijing, do we get rain in Buffalo?" My phlegmatic response is" no, we get snow."With a surfeit of data, and smooth, clear, concise writing, McTaggart proffers excellent proof of the arcane aphorism espoused by Jeshua, "I am with you always, even unto the end of time." Brilliant, timely work. 5 stars from me.Post Script: I will be involved with the next INTENTION EXPERIMENT. I implore you to read the book and check out the website. After all, it's quite possible we may be able to save ourselves from ourselves!!

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.