The Stories We Tell

The stories we tell are more than entertainment, more than educational tools: they profoundly impact the world we live in and they may very well determine the survival of humans on this planet.

First, some physics. I confess that I am woefully deficient when it comes to understanding even the most basic principles of physics. But I do understand that physicists have proven that the universe is fundamentally made not of matter but rather is made of energy and surrounding fields of energy. Also, quantum physicists have proven that scientists observing how particles behave in an experiment actually have an impact on the outcome of the experiment. By the act of observation, the observer changes how things turn out. The observer’s energy alters the result of the experiment.

Next, about water. Dr. Masaru Emoto, of Japan, has proven that the quality of water changes according to the energy people send to the water. In his book The Hidden Messages in Water, he shows how his experiments prove that water crystals (as water freezes) formed from water coming from water bottles with positive words written on them (such as “love” and “gratitude”) are magnificently beautiful, while water crystals formed from water coming from bottles with negative words (such as “hate” and “anger”) are malformed, and frequently are unable to form crystals at all. Dr. Emoto’s research into the formation of ice crystals proves that the energy that humans put out into the world has an impact. If water receives positive messages from people, then it is high quality water. If it receives negative messages then it is impaired water. (You can see this vividly in the photos in his book.)

So what does this mean about our stories? It means that the stories that we tell make a huge difference as they go out into our world. Our stories shape our future, the quality of our lives, and even our survival on the planet. Our stories are manifestations of our visualizations of a better world, a beautiful world, a world worth living in. It matters that we put positive images and positive stories into the universe. Our stories have an energy that influences outcomes. In the 1970s, a motivation theorist named David McClelland wrote about his theory that the development of societies, the rise and fall of nations, and the progress of humans on the planet are impacted by the stories that humans tell. Our folktales, children’s stories, myths, legends, and fairytales influence history, culture, and (according to McClelland) economic systems. Our stories create the patterns of our world; not just the stories we tell our children, but all the stories we send forth, create our world. (That’s why Harry Potter must persist and vanquish Voldemort.) As a writer, I have a responsibility to put forth positive stories (not necessarily with a happy ending, but with positive messages). But I’m not the only one. Each person has a huge responsibility to promote positive energy with the words, images, history, portrayal, and concepts sent out into the human conscious and unconscious.

So be very careful what stories you tell.