Tag: manifestation

Visualization

YouTube: Visualization: Two Sides of the Same Faculty

Visualization is one of the most powerful tools of spiritual growth, yet it is often misunderstood. We tend to think of it as an exercise of the imagination—a mental picture we hold in mind until it somehow materializes in the outer world. But visualization is not just about what we see in the mind’s eye. It is equally about what we feel. These are not two separate processes, but two sides of the same inner faculty. Seeing and feeling belong together.

The imagination provides the picture, the emotional nature supplies the vitality. Together, they create a magnetic field that draws corresponding conditions into our experience. When imagination works without feeling, our visualizations are lifeless—colorless outlines that never take form. When emotion works without clear vision, we experience a surge of energy without direction. The union of the two brings both clarity and power.

Every thought we hold has an emotional tone. When we visualize a desired outcome—health, harmony, abundance—it is not enough to see the image as if it were projected on a screen outside ourselves. We must inwardly feel the reality of what we are picturing. The emotion is not mere excitement or wishful enthusiasm. It is the quiet confidence that what we are envisioning already exists in spiritual substance, waiting only for our conscious recognition.

In this sense, visualization is not about trying to make something happen. It is about aligning ourselves with what already is. When imagination and feeling are coordinated, the heart and mind become partners in creation. The picture is the form, and the feeling is the life. Each without the other is incomplete.

To practice visualization effectively, begin by relaxing the body and calming the mind. Picture your ideal clearly, but more importantly, enter into the emotional atmosphere of that vision. Feel gratitude as though the good you seek were already yours. Allow this feeling to saturate the image until it becomes alive and radiant. Then let it go in trust.

Visualization and emotion are two expressions of a single creative power. When they move together in harmony, they awaken the deeper law of manifestation that Jesus called “believing in your heart.”

Teach Us to Pray

YouTube: Teach Us to Pray

Voice of the Mystic: Part 6

J Douglas Bottorff

 Though we often associate prayer with religious dogma, it’s a fundamental human practice, not confined by such boundaries. We engage in it whether we are aware of it or not. When we are aware, we can think of prayer as a dialogue with the universe, a powerful tool for personal transformation. This isn’t about appealing to a distant deity; it’s about cultivating a relationship with the boundless source of energy that animates all things, including ourselves.

The first step to understanding prayer is to acknowledge it as a two-fold process of releasing and affirming. We make a conscious effort to release the negative energies that cloud our spirit: the fear, the doubt, the anger, the resentment that binds us. Visualize these emotions dissolving, flowing away like stagnant water, leaving behind a sense of lightness and clarity. Imagine a dark, murky pool, choked with weeds, slowly clearing, the water becoming crystalline, reflecting the sun. This cleansing allows us to turn our expectations to the positive.

This affirmative turning is an intentional mental and emotional acceptance that greater good is now unfolding for yourself and for all concerned. If you can’t be specific about desired conditions, you can be specific about how you want to feel when your issue is resolved. Envision the emotional outcome you wish to experience. You want peace, harmony with others, and the abundance of those things and conditions that you associate with success. Perhaps you see yourself radiating joy, surrounded by supportive people, your goals effortlessly manifesting. Hold this vision firmly in your mind and heart, allowing the feelings of gratitude and fulfillment to permeate your being. This is proactive engagement with the energy of the universe.

The power of effective prayer lies in faith. As the saying goes, “Whatsoever you ask for, believe that you have received it.” Feel the reality of your desires already fulfilled. This isn’t about wishful thinking; it’s about aligning your energy with the vibrational frequency of your desired outcome. This unwavering conviction is the engine that powers the prayer. See yourself already living the reality you desire, feeling the joy, the satisfaction, the sense of accomplishment. The universe responds to the vibrational frequency you emit, and faith is the key to tuning your frequency.

Prayer changes us. It refines our consciousness, expands our awareness, and aligns us with the universal flow of life, love, power, and intelligence. It reminds us of our inherent power, our connection to something greater, and our ability to shape our own reality. Embrace the practice of prayer, not as a ritual, but as a profound act of self-discovery and empowerment. Allow it to be your constant companion on the path to a more fulfilling and authentic life.

Desire, Expression, Attraction

YouTube: Desire, Expression, Attraction

Much has been written about the so-called law of attraction. This usually involves techniques of setting one’s intention on a positive mental and emotional environment that will draw success and riches. On the other end of the scale, there are also spiritual disciplines that consider desire as a negative trap inside the maze of materiality. Expression, as we’ll consider it here, is often the piece that is overlooked.

Desire can be a two-edged sword, especially when it is disconnected from its spiritual source. In short, we desire more in life because our spiritual essence continually calls us to rise above restrictions we have accepted as normal to the human experience. At the root of all desire is our need for freedom. If we connect freedom with the acquisition of things, we may get the things but not the freedom. This is where expression comes into play.

Expression is the actual experience of the freedom we desire. Is it possible to experience freedom when there are material restrictions in place? This is the question we are challenged to answer. We are called to look beyond what we think of as material solutions to our desire for freedom, and we seek to experience freedom itself. We turn from material appearances and release attachment to specific outcomes until we express internally the freedom we desire. This inner experience and expression of freedom is the governing influence of the law of attraction.

We do not invoke the law of attraction. Like gravity, this law never ceases to operate. We work with gravity by achieving balance, setting objects of value in places they will not fall and break, and by putting aerodynamic wings on our airplanes for lift. We do not invoke the law of gravity; we cooperate. Likewise, we become internally that which will reflect externally as the types of conditions we desire. Freedom within attracts conditions of freedom without.

Desire should not be suppressed; it should be understood. At the root of all desire is the soul seeking greater expression. As we let the light of the soul shine, the natural law of attraction becomes our friend.     

Empowerment From On High

YouTube: Empowerment From On High

When we think of power in connection with God, we may envision the Almighty throwing mountain-splitting lightning bolts, or something of that nature. Or when we think of powerful people, we may think of those who possess great wealth or hold influential positions, such as a political figure.

Spiritual power is quiet. Empowerment from on High is the silent impartation of spiritual revelation. And we should not assume a person is spiritually empowered because of the position they hold. The exact opposite may be the case.

Spiritual power manifests through us as strength. For example, it may require a great deal of strength to admit we are powerless to resolve an addiction, or to control a difficult situation. Now we are moving into the notion of empowerment from on high.

We associate empowerment from on high with vision, the kind that evokes the understanding that we are more than the sum of our perceived resources. When we think of a power greater than ourselves, we do not think of a power outside of ourselves, but as the larger spiritual context that includes us. Empowered by this vision sparks new thoughts, new feelings of greater possibilities, and new strength to take needed action and move forward in creative ways.

We’ve all had moments when we felt we lacked the strength to take even one more step. But from such a place we also know that it can take only a few simple inspirational words of encouragement, spoken or written, to open the floodgates of power. Just a slight shift in the way we’re looking at a situation can bring us strength we didn’t know we had.

Like all of our spiritual resources, power is inherent in the soul. God as power is our underlying, unlimited source. When we feel weak, inadequate to meet that threatening challenge, we become still, take our mind off the appearance, and open ourselves to empowerment from on high. We wait in silence and in peace for the infilling. If it does not come immediately, we get up and go about our life. It is often in unexpected moments that we experience our desired renewal of strength.