The Power of Intention

The Power of Intention

Author, lecturer, and “spiritual change agent” Lynne McTaggart has spent years, in books like The Power of Eight, The Intention Experiment, and The Field, studying and documenting shared intelligence, consciousness, and human capacities for connection and healing. Her new Gaia TV documentary, The Power of Intention, provides an overview of this work, revealing how “the science and practice of collective intention” (what she describes as a “psychic Internet”) can generate “an energetic field capable of reshaping reality.”

McTaggart’s initial intention experiments focused on nature—for example, leaves, seeds, and water. One of the water experiments, which changed the pH of polluted Lake Biwa in Japan, took place at the instigation of Dr. Masaru Emoto, author of The Hidden Messages in Water. From there, McTaggart launched ambitious intention experiments focused on halting violence—whether in Sri Lanka during a period of civil war or in St. Louis on “the most dangerous street in America.” The remarkable, measurable results from the nature and peace experiments suggest that group consciousness indeed has the power to affect targeted outcomes.

McTaggart just ran her largest global Intention Experiment for Peace yet (February 1-5, 2025), measuring violence reduction in a major city, the immune system responses of selected participants, emotional changes in the live audience, and the influence of intention on electronic random generators.

The film also explores McTaggart’s equally fascinating work with “Power of Eight” groups who use focused group intention—whether in-person or remotely—to help someone overcome health or other life challenges. These groups have led to many astonishing stories of healing, even from conditions said to be incurable. One of the most interesting aspects is the “boomerang effect” where the act of intending healing for someone else ends up bringing healing or positive changes into the intender’s life.