Praying Peace: In Conversation with Gregg Braden and Doreen Virtue (Paperback)

~ (Author) "Here's a question you've probably asked yourself before, one that is often heard in philosophical or spiritual circles..." (more)
Key Phrases: peace that surpasseth understanding, praying peace, become peace, Beloved One, Mind of God, Northern Ireland (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

On April 23, 1998, James Twyman, Gregg Braden and Doreen Virtue sponsored a world wide prayer vigil called ‚"The Great Experiment". It is estimated that five to ten million people stopped what they were doing to 'pray peace' for a period of ten minutes. When the vigil began James Twyman was giving a talk to around forty ambassadors at the United Nations in New York. Minutes before the talk began a woman stepped forward and said: ‚"Four years, four months, four weeks and four days ago, a group of Hopi elders were invited to the United Nations to give their vision of the New World. One of the things they said was, 'Four years, four months, four weeks and four days from now, this very day, something would occur in this building that would forever change the world." When the vigil was over thousands of people wrote emails and letters saying that it was one of the most powerful experiences of their lives.

The concept was simple: When we pray for anything, what we are really doing is focusing our attention on the fact that we don't have it. And since whatever we focus on expands, we are actually promoting the energy of 'not having.' The experience of 'praying peace' is to focus our feelings on the peace that is perhaps hidden, but which is present nonetheless. 'Praying Peace' means to feel that we already have that which we seek. When we focus our attention in this way then we become the means through which peace is expressed in the world.

This book is a practical guide to peacemaking. And yet it comes at the subject from a perspective that is perhaps different than most people expect. Through the 'Seven Pathways to Peace,' the book demonstrates that love is the only real force in the universe. Therefore, peace is always present, even when conflict seems to prevail. When we 'Pray Peace,' we actually increase the peace that is hidden beneath layers of hatred, pulling it into conscious experience. This is the basis of the entire book.
The Seven Pathways to Peace
1. You are always praying; thought itself is prayer.
2. Whatever you focus your mind on increases.
3. To change the world, change your thoughts about the world.
4. If you want to experience peace--become peace.
5. Peace is always present, though it is sometimes hidden.
6. Love is the only force in the universe.
7. The world is already healed.

About the Author

James Twyman, also known as the Peace Troubadour, is an internationally renowned author and musician who has traveled the world performing Peace Concerts in some of the worst areas of violence and discord. With Doreen Virtue and Gregg Braden, James has helped sponsor several major prayer vigils that have been attended by millions around the world.

Doreen Virtue is a spiritual psychologist who holds Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. degrees in Counseling Psychology and is the author of twenty-two books about mind-body-spirit issues including "Divine Guidance" and "Angel Therapy," Dr. Virtue gives workshops on spiritual psychological issues across North America, discussing angel therapy, angel communication, and spiritual healing.

Gregg Braden, Earth Scientist, Computer Systems Designer, author, lecturer and guide to sacred sites throughout the world and author of Awakening to Zero Point, is a advocate for ancient wisdom, personal and planetary change.

Product Details

• Paperback: 144 pages
• Publisher: Findhorn Press (October 1, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1899171487
• ISBN-13: 978-1899171484
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #426,128 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars There is Peace on Earth, December 28, 2000

By	Amy M. Collins (Tiverton, RI United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

We have been waiting for all wars to cease and all the children to be fed before we proclaim victory. The Truth is, there is Peace on Earth. There always has been, and at this time, more than any other, we can be more aware of how true that is. We are more globally united than we have ever been. At any given moment, we can know that somewhere, millions of people are enjoying the sweet peace of prayer. There is peace on earth. It dwells in every human heart. It is up to us to choose to nurture it, by focusing our attention on it. We have always had the power and now is the time to use that power to choose peace.

This book is deceptively simple. A quick read (I read it in an evening), it nevertheless contains truths of immense power. It is very encouraging to see these thoughts in print.

Praying Peace includes a devastating critique of traditional petitionary prayer, explaining in clear and simple terms why it so often does not work: The universe "hears" the belief in lack or "not-here-ness" and automatically delivers that experience.

Prayer is not something we do, it is something we are. The science of prayer is taught in this slim volume. As we embody a consciousness of peace, that naturally becomes our experience--as within, so without. The heart of this prayer technology is in the alchemical union of thoughts and emotions to produce the feeling of peace. It is our feelings that give our prayers their power and bring about the matching experience in our lives.

The controversy of how this ancient technology of prayer was kept from us in the early days of the Christian church is briefly acknowledged, but then Twyman shifts attention back where it belongs: how will we use this knowledge today.

If I have one criticism, it would be that the authors may tend to underestimate their reading audience. Longtime Prayer Pracitioners and others in the New Thought movement will find nothing here they haven't already heard before. As mentioned, the technology of prayer is ancient, and these universal principles have been discovered and taught by many traditions.

However, the important thing is not just having the knowledge, but in applying it. The value of this book is in showing us in simple terms how we can actually use this knowledge, starting today. We can use our thoughts to focus our emotions and create a lasting culture of peace today, leaving a legacy of Beloved Community for our children's children's children.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Prayer is a power tool to bring about peace, October 17, 2003

By	DAVID-LEONARD WILLIS (Thessaloniki Greece) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

What we focus our minds on grows. Can one person, properly motivated, change the world? Can one person inspire us and give the rest of us hope? Could that person be you? In the opinion of the author, the answer to those questions is a resounding "Yes" - you have always had the power. What if you have more power within you than you can even imagine? What if you are not the weak unimportant, insignificant person you thought you were? Might prayer be more than we think? Could it be that peace is more than just an idea but a powerful reality? What if prayer is "becoming aware of the awareness of God?" What if becoming aware of the awareness of God is the act of re-establishing the flow of information between our source and us? What if peace is not the opposite of war, but an experience that transcends all definitions, linking us to our eternal nature? What if the word "peace" really is defined as by St. Paul "Peace that surpasseth all understanding?" Is it possible for us to experience something so pure, so whole, that it cannot be compared to anything at all? Is it possible to enter into an experience that has no opposite? Could it be that real peace is an experience beyond the comprehension of the rational mind and of which the mystics say, "Of this we cannot speak"? What if there is more to prayer than the formulae that we were taught to recite kneeling beside our bed? What if there is a system that has the power to change everything and can provide access to unlimited peace, happiness and joy?

When we enter into a state of communication with the Divine, or prayer, then we are aware of God and we experience peace and this is what this book is all about. James Twyman talks with Gregg Braden, earth scientist, computer systems designer and guide to sacred sites throughout the world and with Doreen Virtue, spiritual psychologist and author of twenty-two books about mind-body-spirit. They agree that the seven pathways to peace are:
- you are always praying; thought itself is prayer
- whatever you focus your mind on increases
- to change the world, change your thoughts about the world
- if you want to experience peace - become peace
- peace is always present, though it is sometimes hidden
- love is the only force in the universe
- the world is already healed

Being a person whose concept of prayer and peace is that of a person who is just putting his first step on the ladder, I found it very helpful to see these three higher up the ladder reaching down to pull me up. Their goal is to help me make a real difference on the planet by creating a world based on the laws of love. For me it was a mind-stretching experience as I belong to "the old school" which believes that power is military strength, superior technology or a cleverer mind in the game of bluff and counter bluff. But somewhere in our ancient past it was not always like that. People realized that real power is within you and it was that kind of power which created the world's great works of art, our fantastic structures and all kinds of remarkable achievements. The purpose behind this book is to see what lies behind this fabulous spirit of ours and to discover the real source of creation. This book tells how the author came to understand that prayer is the most powerful force in the universe, how peace is the foundation of reality itself, and that when we focus on that reality and allow our spirit to come into resonance with that reality, then peace does indeed prevail on earth. This book explains how there is a force in the universe that is more powerful and reliable than any weapon ever made. The author explains the difference between "praying for peace" and "praying peace".

Yes, each of us does have the power to change the world but we need to understand the power of prayer, we need to understand the law of prayer and we need to apply the law of prayer. Then everything will change - first in your own life and then in the world. None of the members of my family were churchgoers, but there was something that made me attend regularly. Prayer for me is very much a ritual learned in my youth. This book opened my mind to the understanding that prayer can and should be something more - much more. I feel that after a lifetime of groping around a door to understanding has opened. If you are like me and would like to open up to a different concept of prayer and peace, one based on an ancient wisdom that we seem to have nearly lost, then this book is a good place to start.
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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Another tool toward peace, August 26, 2004

By	A Reader "Jo-M" (Remsen, NY USA) - See all my reviews

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I read this book in an afternoon. It was an absolute joy to read. It gives you three different views on each of the 7th pathways proposed. James Twyman, Gregg Braden, and Doreen Virtue each explain concepts from their knowledgebase to enable the reader to understand.

I received a spiritual boost from this tome. I especially appreciate the prayers of peace from the twelve major religions and James' condensation of each.

This is truly a tool to guide the planet Earth toward peace. If only it were mandatory reading for all citizens of our planet.