Chapter IX: CAUSES AND CONDITIONS.

Imagine you're scrolling through your social media feed, and suddenly a post pops up about a new product or service. You're drawn to it, start researching it online, and within a week, you're ordering it. You've just experienced a chain of events, a sequence of cause and effect: the post was the initial cause, your interest was the effect, which led to further actions, and ultimately, a purchase.

Now, think about a broader scale. Climate change is a pressing issue, and it's a result of countless individual actions - driving cars, using electricity, consuming products. Each action is a cause, contributing to the larger effect of climate change. This is the essence of cause and effect - a web of actions and consequences that shape our lives and the world around us.

In Mental Science, we explore the primary cause, the initial spark that sets the entire chain of cause and effect in motion. This primary cause isn't something outside of us, but within us, in our thoughts and beliefs. It's like the starting line in a marathon; the initial push that sets the runner's journey in motion. We can think of this primary cause as the "first cause," the power to initiate a chain of actions and outcomes directed towards a specific goal.

Now, let's talk about conditions. Conditions are the factors that influence a situation, the context surrounding any event. They're like the road the runner travels on, with its hills and curves, which influence the runner's speed and progress. Conditions can be positive or negative, but they don't initiate the journey; they're shaped by the initial cause.

Think about your health. A healthy lifestyle, with regular exercise and a balanced diet, is a positive condition. It doesn't guarantee you'll never get sick, but it makes it less likely. However, if you consistently neglect your health, that becomes a negative condition, increasing the likelihood of illness.

The key takeaway is that conditions are not the primary cause. They are the effects of previous causes. They influence the path we take, but they don't determine the destination. That power lies in the primary cause, the initial spark.

So how do we access this power of primary causation? It's about shifting our focus from the constant ups and downs of conditions to the realm of pure intention and creativity. It's about understanding that we have the ability to shape our own reality by consciously choosing our thoughts.

When you envision a successful career, a happy relationship, or a healthier lifestyle, you're not just dreaming; you're setting the primary cause in motion. You're creating an "ideal image" in your mind, which serves as the blueprint for your future reality. Just like an architect envisions a building before it's built, you're shaping the blueprint for your life.

This is where the concept of "manifesting" comes in. We're not just passively waiting for things to happen; we're actively participating in the creation of our reality. We're holding the power of primary causation, the ability to influence the conditions around us by consciously choosing the thoughts and intentions we project into the world.

However, this doesn't mean we should ignore the conditions around us. It's about understanding their place in the chain of cause and effect. We can choose to focus on the positive conditions, the opportunities and resources available to us, and use them as stepping stones to achieve our goals. We can also choose to navigate the negative conditions with resilience, knowing that they are temporary and can be overcome by choosing different thoughts and intentions.

The journey of mastering this power of primary causation is like learning to use a new tool. It requires practice, patience, and a willingness to experiment. It's about becoming conscious of the thoughts we hold, the intentions we project, and the choices we make. It's about understanding the power we possess to shape our reality, not just with our actions, but with our minds.

The next time you're faced with a challenge, a setback, or a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, remember the power of primary causation. Remember that the conditions may be temporary, but your ability to choose your thoughts and intentions is a constant, a source of power that can transform your reality.

Exercise

This exercise will help you understand how your thoughts create the conditions around you.

Instructions:

1. Think about a recent situation in your life. It can be anything, like a meeting at work, an interaction with a friend, or a task you completed.
2. Ask yourself: What were my thoughts and feelings leading up to this situation?
3. Next, think about the conditions that surrounded the situation. Were these conditions positive or negative?
4. Now, consider how your thoughts influenced the conditions. Did your thoughts contribute to a positive or negative outcome?
5. Finally, reflect on how you can use this understanding in the future. Can you consciously choose your thoughts to create more positive conditions in your life?

Example:

Let's say you had a challenging meeting at work. You might have felt anxious and stressed leading up to the meeting. These negative thoughts might have created an atmosphere of tension, contributing to a less productive meeting. However, if you had chosen to approach the meeting with a more positive and open mindset, perhaps the outcome would have been different.

Take your time with this exercise. It's about understanding your power to shape the conditions around you, one thought at a time.