Psychology Has It Backwards

Who hasn't experienced periods of feeling entangled in habitual unpleasant thoughts -- maybe worry, or anxiety, or fear, or self-criticism, or pressure to perform, etc.?  Who hasn't had periods of feeling haunted or punished by persistent thoughts that limit them -- "I'm not smart enough," "I'm not comfortable talking to strangers," "I'm afraid of heights," "I always mess up under pressure."  Everyone has their own collection of such thoughts.  We've thought them so often for so long they appear to be real and inevitable for us.  Once we understand the nature of thought and the beautiful gift we have to think fresh, to choose which thoughts we appreciate and which thoughts we brush off and leave alone, we still stumble into negative thinking, but we see it as "just those thoughts again," not as some important truth we must ponder.  The Principles reveal the power we have as the thinkers of our thoughts, the creators of the power we give to thoughts.  Then we realize that no thought can entrap us or hold us down unless WE think it can and allow it.  We don't have to "fix" anything because thoughts unattended simply pass as new thoughts come to mind.
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Central to the understanding of the contribution of the Three Principles to our understanding of mental well-being, ease, and grace in life is Insight.  Insight is, literally, "sight from within," a new thought that arises effortlessly, without the effort of "intellectual figuring out."  It's a common experience.  We have ordinary terms for it.  Ideas that came "out of the blue," or  "when I wasn't even trying to come up with something," or "as a surprise."  It is the product of the spiritual energy that informs life; that allows people to learn and discover.  It often comes with a feeling of relief: "Wow! That's the answer I need!"  Or with a feeling of discovery: "I never thought of that before!"  Or the feelings of gratitude, or inspiration: "It just came to me how beautiful Earth is and how glad I am to be alive."  Often insights are life-changing, as when we suddenly realize something about ourselves that has held us back, or caused distress to someone, and find that we can simply change because it makes sense.  Once we realize the power of thought and the power we have as thinkers to welcome and nurture the thoughts that are meaningful and helpful, we have limitless possibility to discover, grow, and change.
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The ease and availability of electronic communication is changing the experience of gatherings.  Many groups have stopped holding in-person events, and we are losing touch with the importance and depth of people coming together in one space -- the spiritual connection of a shared feeling.  We describe the early days that the first generation of Three Principles students met with Sydney Banks, and why we are inviting people from around the world to join us in August 2026 in Vancouver, Canada for a meeting.  It is a reminder that the power of the Principles is not in the simple logic of the words, but in the feeling that arises when people gather in quietude and there are no distractions, just presence in that moment with a quiet mind.  We often talk of presence, and people think of it as being somewhere in space and time; presence as we use it refers to people being free from the distraction of their own personal thinking and feeling truly quiet and at peace, when we can share that feeling and realize the wisdom that naturally leads us beyond what we were thinking.  More info on the conference: https://3pgc.org/vancouver-2026 
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Life is a series of ups and downs for all of us.  We have no choice about where and into what era we're born, who we will encounter throughout our lives, and what circumstances we may face.  Our navigation system APPEARS to be the thoughts we have about life, but it isn't.  Thoughts are the ideas and images we bring to mind, sometimes intentionally, sometimes randomly.  But the feelings engendered by our thoughts are the true navigation system.  What we make of our thoughts, how seriously we take them, whether we recognize negative thoughts as red flags, matters.  When negative thoughts and feelings appear to be important and meaningful --  things we must take seriously and deal with -- we slip into a downward spiral unintentionally.  When we wake up and remember negative thoughts and feelings are Caution signs on the road of life, we can slow down, quiet our minds, allow those thoughts to pass, and soon we get fresh ideas and a better perspective.  We pass through "thought storms" just like travelers on a road trip pass through thunderstorms.  The same advice works: slow down, trust yourself to get through it, and soon you'll see the sun again.
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Beliefs are thoughts we have taken seriously over time, so that they appear increasingly less malleable and come to look like truths to us.  They take on power in our minds.  When a group of people share certain beliefs, they drive actions, both good and bad -- for example, placing service to humanity as a priority, or turning away from certain groups of people they consider not deserving of mercy or compassion.  Once a thought is entrenched in our minds, it can lead to prejudice as well as favoritism, or exclusion of others as well as clinging to identity with certain others.  Groupthink takes us away from seeing the shared humanity at the heart of being, and leads to sorting and separating -- or worse, prejudice and even violence.  It keeps us from connection heart-to-heart.
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