Does it ever strike you that regardless of how 'advanced' we are getting, our society is still not free of many of the ills that were around hundreds of years ago? Take slavery for instance, who would have thought that it is still taking place right now? And we're not talking about this going on in some remote backwater, we're talking right here in Britain in 2007 ( and in many other parts of the world).

In spiritual terms, the reason human beings still imprison, torture, maime and kill each other is not just because of religious or economical reasons. It's because we are still on our spiritual evolutionary path, still on our way to remembering that we are One. At this point in time of world history, it's fair to say that the majority of the human race is not enlightened.

There are glimmers and motions of enlightenment going on, and while events like Live 8 perhaps end up benefiting the participants more than those whose cause it intends to assist, at least it is making the right motions. There are of course hundreds and thousands of people across this world who devote every day of their lives to helping others, and fighting for the rights of the poor, the downtrodden and the oppressed.

What is hopefully to come next is a shift in human consciousness, for us to go from 'me' to 'we' mentality. We need to see each other as a close family at the very least. A real shift means not just to change our way of thinking about the state of the world once in a while. What we need to do is change the energy behind our intentions and thoughts about the current state of the world.

We must believe with every fibre of our being that the world can not only be a better place, but is becoming so already. This might seem like a contradiction to the introduction to this comment, but in fact it is to highlight it: if we use all our energy just observing what is, (i.e. watching the news every day and thinking 'there is no hope'), we will expect nothing else on an energetic level, and we will continue to perpetuate the same.

If however we see what is going on in this world as a call for us to have a different vision of it, then we will change our energy from observers to creators. Think of it this way: if someone you love is injured, do you look at them and think 'gosh, you're injured' or do you try to help them? And if you help them do you think 'they're never going to get better'? Or do you hope, pray and believe they are healing?

In the case of our planet, helping is not just about standing on a street corner collecting coins, or doing one day a week at Battersea Dogs Home. That work is hugely honourable and raises a lot of money and help for the charities and no one can ever deny that.

We can send all the money we like to charities and war torn countries and to all the just causes, but if the energy behind it is 'well, I've done my bit' then we can forget it, because all that says is that we've alleviated some guilt somewhere, and that the action is mostly self-serving. But there is another way: along with whatever money or assistance we offer, we need to send out the energy which matches our intention.

We must internally envision ourselves as whole, our lives as meaningful and our world as healed. This is inner, not visual seeing. The main ingredient required? Faith. We're not talking about holy books here (though that has its place of course). Faith in the sense of making a leap in our beliefs and vision; to feel in our hearts that everything is becoming well right now, and to really hold that vision, to cultivate peace and harmony in our minds and hearts every day, every moment possible.

P'taah said 'Hating war and violence will not bring about peace and harmony. Loving peace and harmony will bring about peace and harmony'. That really captures it beautifully.

PS-Magazine.com and MerlianNews.com
a trans-Atlantic holistic internet resource