As witches we understand that with enough practice and focused intent, energy can be manipulated. So, what happens when many people focus on the same thing?

If you’ve been taking part in the group spells for Australia, you’ll know that there is a lot to be said for the power of collective intent.

Until recently, scientific methods for testing collective intent, or even just intent itself, haven’t really been up to the task. Although classical physics has been a hugely successful way to understand the material world, it only assumes reductionism – the idea that complex things can only be understood by reducing them to fundamental pieces. But this completely disregards things we can’t see, such as thoughts, beliefs, and desires. And as we well know, these things can have an enormous impact on the material world.

During the 1920s and 1930s, a new branch of physics known as quantum mechanics was developed to expand our understanding of atoms and subatomic particles. But most notably, quantum mechanics introduced the concept of the mind having the capacity to affect the physical world. This science forms the basis for Joana’s amazing article about magick and quantum mechanics.

However, even despite quantum mechanics and extensive evidence, paranormal or unusual phenomena have been largely dismissed by those who subscribe to materialistic science. This is because they don’t fit in with the preconceived notions of how they believe science is supposed to work.

Luckily for us, things are starting to change. We are now on the brink of a scientific revolution.

Welcome to the era of post-material science!

Studies of the consciousness are quickly becoming one of the most fascinating areas of modern science. In fact, 8 well-respected scientists have compiled the Manifesto for a Post-Materialist Science which pushes our current processes of understanding consciousness into an entirely new realm. The authors propose that we view consciousness as something that cannot be derived from matter or reduced to anything more basic. Which is true! Trying to understand the mind with particle theory just doesn’t work.

So, what does this mean for our collective spell work?

Well, one of the most exciting parts of manifesto proposes that:

“Minds are apparently unbounded and may unite in ways suggesting a unitary, One Mind, that includes all individual, single minds.”

That’s right y’all. You can tell your non-believers that it’s not all mumbo jumbo. The collective consciousness is a thing. And this thing has the power to change EVERYTHING!

The idea of collective consciousness was first developed by sociologist Émile Durkheim in the 19th century who said that collective consciousness is something that “has a life of its own.” It is what shapes our notions of right and wrong, how we pass down our traditions, beliefs and values. Though we as individuals live and die, the collective consciousness retains the intangible.

So, by working together and unifying our minds and our intentions, we can change the intangible and the material world. We can make huge differences. We can bring rains where the world needs them. We can action positive change.

But we already knew that, right? ;-)