by Gregg Braden
January, 2003
 

Perhaps now, more than at any time in our history, the choices that we make in our lives have lasting effects, and global consequences, that will extend for hundreds of generations into our future. In light of the escalating global tensions, recent studies offer new hope, and renewed credibility to our most cherished traditions, suggesting that we may “do something” about the seemingly unending cycles of violence, and future of our world.

Statistics have shown that a specific number of people, joined in a focused, unified consciousness of non-denominational mass prayer, produce effects that extend well beyond the room or building where the prayer has occurred.

That number is the square root of 1% of the population involved. These studies add to a growing body of evidence suggesting that focusing our feelings of appreciation and gratitude, as if our prayers have already been answered, have a measurable effect on the quality of life during the time of the prayer. 2 Following our description of this “lost” mode of prayer in the book, The Isaiah Effect 3, your emails and phone calls have asked for further clarification as to precisely how to apply this prayer in our lives. Clearly there are no “right” or “wrong” ways to pray. In its simplest expression, prayer is the very personal and innate ability within each of us to commune with our world, one another, and a greater presence. The “lost” mode of prayer is simply one more tool to place into our prayer tool box.

Lost Mode of Prayer Described

The “lost” mode of prayer is a form of prayer that has no words, no outward expression, and is based simply in feeling. Specifically, this mode of prayer invites us to feel the appreciation and gratitude in our heart, as if our prayers have already been answered, even if the world appears to show us otherwise.1

This is where clarity is important

As evidence suggests that our world and our bodies mirror what we think/feel, we must be very clear that our prayers originate from our hearts, rather than in our heads.

 

Here is the reason why:

The logic of our brain works in polarity—left brain/right brain, light/dark, good/bad, right/wrong, etc. Praying “for” something creates a strong feeling—a charge—of what “should” or “should not” be. The physics of our world require that when something is created with a charge in one polarity, the opposite must be created as well, to balance the charge.

What it means

Head-based prayer:
When we pray “for” something, we are using a mental process of logic! While thought-based prayers “for” peace in Iraq, for example, may be well-intentioned and appear to create a temporary peace or healing in one place at one point in time, they may inadvertently create precisely the opposite of the peace that is intended, in another place, at another time!

Heart-based prayer:
Our hearts, on the other hand, have no polarity. In the Native traditions, there is even a word that describes the non-polar objectiveness of the heart, the heart that sees what “is” rather than judges what should be. The word is Shante Ishta (the single eye of the heart). When we choose peace or healing from our heart, there is no polarity created to balance our choice, as there is no “left” and “right” heart.

From our heart, the feeling is the prayer! Studies have shown that this quality of gratitude and appreciation for the peace that already exists creates a “field effect”—in the presence of peace, all that can happen is peace.

Clarity:
To be very clear, this form of prayer is NOT directed at a place, person, organization, country, city or event. This mode of prayer does NOT attempt to “make” something happen, somewhere where we may not agree with what life is showing us. The ancients understood that to use prayer in this way is an “abomination” of our gift of communion with our world. To impose our idea of what should, or should not be anywhere in the world, or upon another person, is a form of manipulation, and a misuse of our gift of prayer.

Rather than praying for someone to “win”/ “lose”, “suffer” or “heal”, we have the opportunity to “feel” the appreciation and gratitude for the peace and healing that already exists. The power of this kind of prayer transcends winners and loser—inviting us to elevate the conditions of our world to a new realm beyond win/loss. In doing so, we open the door of a very subtle, yet powerful principle that allows for the possibility of peace/healing to be present without imposing our will to make it so.

Summary:
If this clarification appears too wordy, please accept my sincere apologies. The principle is simple: In the presence of peace, all that can happen is peace.

You are invited to join us for an empowering moment of unity, peace, prayer and possibility. Through our time together, we offer the power of life to our children, and our world, both present and future. Many thanks in advance for your willingness to make our world a better place!!

Many Blessings of a true and lasting peace.
 

1. Please refer to THE LOST MODE OF PRAYER on Gregg Braden’s official web site, www.greggbraden.com , for more information, and precise instructions for the practice of feeling-based prayer.

2. Scientists suspect that the relationship between mass prayer and the effect of those prayers is due to a phenomenon known as the field effect of consciousness. It is this field effect that becomes available for the children of the world to “tap into”. Additionally, those making the policies that affect the future and direction of our world are linked to precisely the same prayer fields that we will access during our vigil, and may benefit to the degree that they choose, even without direct participation

3. ibid, 1.