Applied Metaphysics

Spiritual Strategies for Peace and Progress

“Immature strategy is the cause of grief.” - Miyamoto Musashi

Trying to change the world is a fool’s errand. When change starts within ourselves, the environment changes automatically and without strain.

It was the summer of 1997 and, after many attempts, I realized how bad I was at meditation. The School of Metaphysics offered a program in applied metaphysics that included lessons on concentration and meditation so I enrolled that fall. The School had a couple sayings that summarized its teachings: “Undivided attention is the most powerful force in the universe,” and “Thought is Cause.” 

After completing the first course of study, I moved to the headquarters in Missouri where I studied applied metaphysics in farming. It was a communal living situation and I didn’t always get along with a couple of the guys. I didn’t mind shoveling horse manure from the trailer into the garden, but the way they complained made me resentful anytime they seemed to be slacking. I looked down on them and became exhausted trying to prove myself better. If I had respected my own limits and needs, I wouldn’t have been so upset to hear them complain. I felt like they were dumping work on me, but the truth is that I needed them to be exactly as they were because they showed me a part of myself I had been neglecting… and they helped me feel emotional enough to do something about it.

The School had a practice for dealing with experiences of interpersonal conflict. We’d make a list of everything about the other that upset us. Then, applying concentration, we’d hold our attention on ourselves long enough to notice the ways that we did the same types of things. It always worked, but it didn’t stop there. We looked at our own undesirable behavior and then deeper to see who we really wanted to be. Admitting our own shortcomings helped establish a foundation of honesty so when we imagined being an ideal version of yourself, the thought had a powerful, authentic vibration.       

This is an example of applied metaphysics. The principle that “thought is cause” means that the other person is not the cause of my feelings. My own thoughts are the cause. It feels bad to accept that our own thoughts caused our suffering, but the defense against feeling our feelings is overcome by looking to see who is feeling it. Treat yourself like you’d treat someone you care about. When we change ourselves on the inside like this, we either start getting along with the people who were triggering us or they disappear from our lives. By doing this, you will see the power that changing your vibration has on the world around you.