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 I'm old enough to have witnessed the deaths of several dear friends, family members, and acquaintances. Good people all, with very diverse characteristics. Yet, years ago I was struck by what I recognized as a similar thread woven through many of their psyches, a thread I hadn't noticed previously because I took it for granted as a condition of life.

The thread reflected an underlying sadness that life hadn't worked out the way they'd hoped, that there was so much they had to offer that never found the right time or circumstances, that life wore them down more than boosted them up. Then I noticed that that thread, in various colors and weights, wove its way through many of my very-much-alive family and friends -- and through me, as well.

I didn't notice any of this until I read a book called Seth Speaks by Jane Roberts. The ideas in this book so challenged my beliefs about life and reality that I felt compelled to read more, think more, learn more. So I went on to read dozens of books by Seth and by other authors. And the overriding reason I hung in there, with tenacity, in the face of what seemed to be preposterous ideas, was because most of these books contained one main theme: We create our reality through our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs. In other words, what seems to happen to us is caused by us -- if we change what we think and feel, we can change our life. I eventually came to realize that life isn't meant to be constantly challenging and heartbreaking, that it can be happy, joyful, even magical, if we but allow it.

My actor daughter Cathleen Kaelyn, my creative and research partner in the development of Fallacies, was a teenager when I picked up my first metaphysical book. She and I had always been close, our thinking running parallel much of the time, so it was no surprise when she started reading books similar to those I was exploring. Eventually we began swapping ideas, debating concepts, and looking for practical ways of using the information. And practical applications reveal themselves to Cathleen regularly. In my previous books I talk about how she relied on her understanding of the nature of reality to pull her through some difficult experiences -- most notably after she was raped and in the creation of her Screen Actors Guild card.

In my case, there is not one area of my life that has not been significantly changed for the better because of my introduction to metaphysical ideas. Finances, relationships, health, you name it. And because it notes my entry point into metaphysics, I mention in all of my books that I consciously created a million dollars a few years after I started practically applying the information. I also left a long executive career in the computer industry and stepped smack into a life of author, president of a nonprofit organization, co-founder of a publishing company, and eventually, radio host.

Except for the author role, my life was shared by my dearly loved Stan Ulkowski, until March 22, 1999, the day he chose to leave this reality for different venues of expression. His death initiated perhaps the most difficult time of my life, and I can't imagine having faced it without this new knowledge. I came to know firsthand that when the mind's understanding about the nature of reality is truly changed, not only do "good" things happen with more regularity, but when "bad" things occur we're prepared to handle them in ways previously foreign to us. Life becomes less painful, more solid, more centered, its potential more promising, more accessible.

The really big news that emerges from metaphysics is that we all have far greater control over what we experience than we've ever thought possible. In fact, if truth be told and understood, on one level of our psyche we have absolute control over what we experience. Not only do we have the ability to steer our lives along paths of our own choosing, we have the directive to do so.

Quite a jump in thinking from that of the man or woman on the street. But, of course, Cat and I aren't alone in our new views; millions of people across the globe are in the same learning mode. And it all points to something of import taking place in this time and space -- the development of a new worldview heralded by a major shift in thinking. When such a shift begins to occur in a civilization, the status quo falls under scrutiny. As the shift broadens, the scrutiny becomes intensified, eventually knocking the status quo off its complacent backside into the roiling waters of hard questions and new insights. Over time a new status quo emerges, accepted as fact by a large slice of the world's populace -- and civilization never looks back.

Perhaps you're no stranger to metaphysical ideas. Like Cat and me, you may have quested to find new answers. And you probably already know that creating the razzle-dazzle, one-time event isn't what it's all about, although that can clearly happen. What we're all really looking for is a day-to-day flow of life that suits our own characteristics and personalities as a whole, is supportive in all ways, and provides an ongoing, ever-unfolding sense of fulfillment. No small accomplishment, to be sure, but one made possible by new knowledge -- and application of that knowledge.

God knows the journey is worth it.

Worldviews don't turn on a dime. They don't turn at all unless contrary ideas bloom in the current garden of thought. And, boy, if there's one thing most of us dislike it's contrarians, whether in the form of people or ideas. Contrarians say that there are alternative ways of viewing the world -- and who needs it? The status quo is just fine, thank you very much.

Or is it? If your personal status quo is one in which you experience a life of toil, broken relationships, constant illnesses, or financial difficulty, and if it brings you a glow of satisfaction, then put this book down and simply enjoy the heck out of your life, because it clearly suits you. But, if you have questions or concerns about the status of your ongoing existence, then it's time to dip into the pot of contrarian ideas and find those that possibly make more sense the more they're contemplated. Not that new ideas should be bought carte blanche, but perhaps they can be explored with less hesitation knowing that the tried and true are there to fall back on if the new becomes too wacky.

Don't forget, we're panning for magic. We're looking for the elusive something that makes sense of life, that promises a better way, that by nature leads to a lighter heart, a spring in our step, a smile more often than tears. We're looking for the calm underlying our thoughts, a generous peace of mind, a knowing that all is well, all is manageable, all is meaningful, and all is possible. And, yes, we're looking for material well-being, as well.

We're panning for magic, the kind honed of intelligent ideas and touched with veracity. We're not looking for fluff -- sweetness and light won't work for very long. What we seek is sustainable through time, something our children and our children's children can count on to help them create intensely fulfilling lives. We're looking for concrete information that we can work with, that ignites our thoughts and fires our imaginations, and can lead to whatever we desire. So we must pan for magic in some out-of-the-ordinary places. After all, if it were where we've looked before, we would have found it by now.

This article is excerpted from:

The Book of Fallacies
by Lynda Dahl and Cathleen Kaelyn.

©2001. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Moment Point Press. http://www.momentpoint.com

Info/Order this book.

About the Authors

After working for companies such as Apple Computer, Lynda Dahl ended her corporate career as a vice president in the computer industry. She now writes and lectures extensively on consciousness and has appeared on countless radio and television programs. She is also the president and co-founder of Seth Network International. She lives in Eugene, Oregon. 

Cathleen Kaelyn, Lynda Dahl's daughter is an audiotape voice talent and stage and screen actor. She has been nominated three times for the prestigious Irene Ryan Acting Award. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California, with her husband, actor Scott Rinker.

For information regarding speaking engagements and to contact the authors, please write, phone, or email Moment Point Press, PO Box 4549, Portsmouth, NH 03802. Phone: (207) 438-9101 Toll Free: (800) 556-1828 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or visit their website at www.momentpoint.com.

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