Lynne I recognise that to validate your experiment you must have a measurable outcome, and 10% may be a realistic measure.

However, Felicity is right in asserting that the intention must be 100% and the focus must be on the visualised positive outcome rather than the actual negative event.

Using a null hypothesis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Null_hypothesis ) to validate your experiment , the statistics will show the outcome, whether positive , negative or unchanged.

I trust your work and the world will benefit from Felicity’s insights. with loving intent …

“My intention is for peace and cooperation to be restored in the Wanni region of Sri Lanka and for all war-related deaths and violence to be reduced by at least 10 per cent”.

Dear Lynne

To harness the amazing and powerful energy of the subconscious mind (the alpha state) in order to transform the desperate sadness and cruelties in our world is a truly magnificent ideal, and how wonderful if you could facilitate this.

Our thoughts are prayers, our words vibrate with energy.
I felt unable to join your peace experiment as I did not want to consciously send out thoughts (intentions/ prayers) of “war-related deaths and violence” and have them manifest into reality

To send images (thoughts) of pain and anguish is destructive and I was not surprised that you haven’t been sending enthusiastic reports of the ensuing peace and happiness in Wanni since the end of the intention experiment.

Oh and why limit the intention by at least 10%?
Just as the intender might be opening their heart to manifest peace and love, (If they avoided the death and violence) just as the powerful energy starts to emanate, a restriction is imposed. Stop! Not more than 10%! (As if we were in Tescos.)
How can you limit the glory and generosity of love?

Imagine a couple about to make mad and passionate love together. It is the love and desire which has the power to motivate them towards a glorious conclusion, to make the earth move.
“Oh how my heart yearns for you!” he says.
“Oh darling I love you…” she says
To which her lover replies “Oh yes dear, that reminds me about that war in Wanni and the violence and death..look at these terrible pictures!” and most of her loving passion and drive dissipates. And she might respond with all the best intentions “Oh yes anyway, and while you’re at it, please could you manage 10% better than yesterday?”
So what happens to all that enthusiastic loving energy and focus? Gone.

What is left apart from a few sad images which will continue to reverberate in their minds.
(I chose not to look at the images as I understood they would be sad or painful)

(Lynne, Your Intention tip no 5 seems to be partly missing from the web page :

“5. Be Compassionate

Encourage a sense of universal compassion during your intention session by focusing your attention to your heart, as though you are sending light to it most want to be healed. Then direct your loving thoughts to the target.”)

I think the quote* you mention by Sogyal Rinpoche is about the need to acknowledge the presence of pain and grief when you witness it. To accept it and bless it rather than avoiding or dismissing the suffering of others. I don’t think he means you have to actively seek it out to save the world.

Reading the feedback emails I see how some people chose to concentrate on the love and peace aspects and had wonderful and uplifting experiences.
I believe your experiment would be better served by sending just the concentrated powerful energy of love and gratitude to Sri Lanka. Images of smiling children, people cheerful and living in peace. Images to warm our hearts and fill them with love and thankfulness, visualising the desired outcome. Aggression in Wanni could be overwhelmed by a flood of joy and love!

The principle behind creative visualisation (prayer, intention, thought) is in experiencing the feeling of gratitude and joy for the outcome you desire. In The Treasure house Within Dr Joseph Murphy writes that
“ You must make certain to give your subconscious only suggestions which heal, bless, elevate and inspire you…” He reminds us that the subconscious mind takes us literally.
“Where 2 or more are gathered..” where a group prays or intends together, the power is magnified ‘to the power of’. What great success you could achieve if thousands of people focus their energies together on sending love and peace. How uplifting and rewarding for everyone concentrating their thoughts together as they are drawn into the collective rush of oneness and joy!
I believe an important aspect of your experiment is the asking for personal feedback from intenders as what we wish upon others also affects our own lives.

For your next intention you could not do better than to ask Jack Black, Scottish motivational speaker, to prepare the wording. He has worked out to perfection how to achieve whatever results you want

The Treasure House Within by Dr Joseph Murphy and Mindstore by Jack Black have particularly influenced me and state clearly how to manifest with positive gratitude and love (desire)
I have transformed relationships and manifested things I needed using the methods in these books
Hmmm, I know, so why haven’t I gone out and saved the world by now?
If you organise it I shall be absolutely thrilled to support you in this world changing venture!
With best wishes and anticipation for a peaceful future!

Felicity

* ”I once discussed methods of developing compassionate intention with Jerome Stone, a practicing Buddhist, who told me about this marvellous quote from Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Rinpoche recommends that the key to opening yourself to true compassion is to open your hearts every day to the suffering around you, with beggars who pass you by, with the poverty, tragedy and grief you see on your television sets:
“Don’t waste the love and grief it arouses; the moment you feel compassion welling up in you, don’t brush it aside, don’t shrug it off and try quickly to return to ‘normal’, don’t be afraid of the feeling or embarrassed by it, allow yourself to be distracted from it or let it run aground in apathy. Be vulnerable; use that quick, bright up rush of compassion; focus on it, go deep into your heart and meditate on it, develop it, enhance and deepen it. By doing this you will realize how blind you have been to suffering . . .”

For your next intention you could not do better than to ask Jack Black, Scottish motivational speaker, to prepare the wording. He has worked out to perfection how to achieve whatever results you want

The Treasure House Within by Dr Joseph Murphy and Mindstore by Jack Black have particularly influenced me and state clearly how to manifest with positive gratitude and love (desire)
I have transformed relationships and manifested things I needed using the methods in these books
Hmmm, I know, so why haven’t I gone out and saved the world by now?
If you organise it I shall be absolutely thrilled to support you in this world changing venture!
With best wishes and anticipation for a peaceful future!

Felicity

* ”I once discussed methods of developing compassionate intention with Jerome Stone, a practicing Buddhist, who told me about this marvellous quote from Sogyal Rinpoche, author of The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Rinpoche recommends that the key to opening yourself to true compassion is to open your hearts every day to the suffering around you, with beggars who pass you by, with the poverty, tragedy and grief you see on your television sets:
“Don’t waste the love and grief it arouses; the moment you feel compassion welling up in you, don’t brush it aside, don’t shrug it off and try quickly to return to ‘normal’, don’t be afraid of the feeling or embarrassed by it, allow yourself to be distracted from it or let it run aground in apathy. Be vulnerable; use that quick, bright up rush of compassion; focus on it, go deep into your heart and meditate on it, develop it, enhance and deepen it. By doing this you will realize how blind you have been to suffering . . .”