On April 15, 2009, I released a 20-minute film on the Internet called The Proof. It’s the fifth work that I’ve either directed or produced, and it’s my first short film. The first one I helped create was a movie called Indigo, which enjoyed incredible success. Acclaimed producer and director Stephen Simon, best-selling author Neale Donald Walsch, and I pioneered a new way of producing and distributing spiritually minded films—something that Stephen called Spiritual Cinema. Other films followed, and we released them through an intricate network of hundreds of churches, organizations, and independent theaters around the world. However, The Proof was meant to be different. I wanted people to be able to see it for free, and I also wanted to attempt something that no one had ever done before. It would be a tricky balance, but I decided to give myself to it and see where it might lead.
The deeper meaning behind the concept of Oneness has been steadily simmering on the back burner of my mind for quite some time, and it brings me great joy to finally express what I’ve learned over the years in an inspiring film (and now this book). But in order to truly understand this wisdom, you need to know how my own search for the proof began.
When I was 17, I discovered something that changed my life. I’ve always been interested in the occult and was visiting a magic shop when I came across a little booklet called Hellstromism. I think I was attracted to the mysterious title more than anything else, and I couldn’t wait to get home to see what it offered. The book detailed a unique form of mentalism that had been developed by a man named Alex Hellstrom in the early 20th century. He realized that when a person thinks about something, there are very subtle physical reactions that accompany the thought, which can be picked up by those who are acutely perceptive. Hellstrom made a career out of performing this "magic" by having people hide objects in theaters and other places; and then seemingly reading their minds, he’d locate the hidden items. He referred to this remarkable skill as muscle reading, and it’s still practiced today.
I was fascinated and swallowed it down like it was the elixir of life itself. Before long, I’d mastered the technique and began demonstrating my skills to anyone who would watch. Unfortunately for my family, they became my first audience members and had to endure my ceaseless practicing; then throughout college, I continued to perfect my technique. In the end, it was nothing more than a good party trick, but I enjoyed it immensely.
It was only a few years ago when I noticed that something had changed. As I opened myself up spiritually over the years, I became more sensitive to the subtle vibrations that had no real physical counterparts. Simply put, I realized that I could actually read the energy a person emitted. I couldn’t do it every time—in fact, my success rate was at about 40 percent, but it was enough to show me that I’d jumped to a new level. It suddenly stopped being a "trick" and was now something very different and new: I was experiencing what some people might refer to as mind reading.
Then one day I had a thought: it wasn’t that I was reading people’s minds, but that I was somehow bypassing the idea of separation, experiencing myself as one with them. I started noticing this in many other areas of my life, too. There were prolonged periods when I couldn’t tell where a particular person stopped and I began. It was a phenomenon that I had read about in the lives of the greatest mystics and saints, and now it was happening to me.
The idea to make the film seemed like a fun way to begin the conversation. I decided to ask someone to hide a book anywhere in the United States, and then I’d attempt to find it with only the aid of my trusty volunteer thinking about the location. I’d heard about people using Hellstromism to locate objects hidden in a city or town, but no one had the guts to try this. It sounded crazy at first, but the more I thought about it the more I realized that I could do it. In fact, Reid Tracy, the president of Hay House (my publisher), decided to engage in a bet: if I found the hidden book, Hay House would donate $50,000 to the Louise Hay Foundation. If I didn’t, then I had to make the donation myself. I immediately began practicing at the local mall with amazing success. Eventually, it was time to go for broke—literally—and the film is the story of that experience.
I didn’t set out to conduct a scientific experiment with double-blinds and intricate check systems.
Instead, I wanted to demonstrate the power that lies at the heart of each of us, something we can all experience right here, right now. I’m no different from anyone else—of this, I’m sure. So if this could happen to me, it could happen to anyone.
And all this led to the book you’re holding now. It seems the conversation that started was a powerful and important one, and I’m happy to see that all over the world there’s tremendous interest in experiencing Oneness . . . consistently and profoundly.
If you haven’t seen the movie yet, it might be a good place to begin. You can visit my Website (www.jamestwyman.com) and follow the links, or go to YouTube and search for "The Proof Movie." Most of all, I hope you dive into the 40-day program. This, to me, is far more vital than any psychic experiment because it shows what you can accomplish, and how mysterious the world really is.
So open your mind, have fun, and get ready to experience the greatest mystery of all—Oneness.
Take a deep breath and relax. As you slowly read these words, let your mind loosen and your thoughts recede, and become aware of a feeling deep within you . . . at the center of your chest, a feeling that so often remains hidden, out of sight. Each breath is now directed to this secret and sacred chamber, and you feel it beginning to expand and awaken as if suddenly filled with energy. Like a radiating ball of light, it begins to spread—first into your torso, then your head, now down your arms and legs. And as it moves throughout your body, all the tension that seemed so real a moment ago begins to disappear, dissolving into the swell of light that gently overtakes you. Rest for a moment. Before you read any further, allow this feeling to intensify until you begin to sense that nothing else exists.
And now that you’re in this state of perfect peace, it’s time to ask yourself a question: What do I really want out of life? If you had a nicer car or bigger house, would this feeling you’re experiencing right now be more profound? If you lived in a different city and were sitting at this very moment in the most luxurious chair in the world, would you be any more content? Try to resist any thoughts or judgments that may come into your mind, such as: Well, there’s nothing wrong with having a bigger house or more money to buy an extravagant chair. If anything like that did enter your mind, you may also notice that the ball of light at the center of your chest dimmed a bit. If so, clear your mind and take a couple of deep breaths, relaxing yourself once again. (This is just a short experiment and will be over before you know it. You can return to your thoughts and concerns as soon as it’s finished. For now, just relax, and stay with the process.)
What do I really want out of life? This may be the most important question we ask ourselves. We’ve been trained to seek worldly riches, equating affluence with inner peace. However, it doesn’t take long to recall individuals we’ve met over the years who have achieved profound levels of success and who have secured enormous wealth, but who are among the most unhappy people on Earth. And it doesn’t take long to realize that monetary wealth alone won’t satisfy us. It doesn’t bring us any closer to true happiness or joy.
So if it’s not money or success that drives you, what do you truly desire? Take a deep breath, ask this question one more time, and really listen to the answer. What is it that fills your life with the contentment that you’re seeking, the love that makes everything worthwhile, and the deep happiness that inspires a sense of satisfaction that transcends the world?
I have the feeling that the answer will be very similar for each and every one of us, regardless of where we dwell or how we choose to live our lives. The words may be different, but they all point in the same direction: Connection, Harmony, Peace, Oneness. There is a bond that exists between us, an unseen link that unites and satisfies us in ways nothing else can. In the end, what we’re seeking isn’t the riches of the world, but the richness of our Souls; and this can only come from realizing that we are connected and whole. Simply put: we are One.