Is it not a wonderful thought that you, perhaps an undistinguished and unknown, everyday person, can sit quietly in your room and do more to save the world from the inconceivable horrors of another war than can all the statesmen and diplomats put together? Yet, such is the case.

Many people are speaking today as though another war were inevitable. Others, on the contrary, declare optimistically that such a thing is impossible. The actual fact is that another war is neither inevitable nor impossible. There can be another war (and if there is, the destructions and horrors entailed will eclipse anything dreamed of up to the present, owing to the extraordinary advance of natural science and engineering in the past two decades), and such an event would almost certainly be the end of Western Civilization as we have known it.

On the other hand, there is not the least necessity for another war. It could happen, but it is not necessary. There is at hand a means by which a comparatively small number of people, if they so desire, can prevent war from breaking out. In this essay I intend to show exactly how that can be done.

To understand intelligently the problem that we have to face, we need to inquire why war ever does break out. Most people suppose that a war occurs as the result of certain definite acts on the part of certain individuals. They think that National leaders in a position of authority decide to make war on a neighbor because they feel that they are strong enough to conquer him; or that they declare war in self-defense with the object of forestalling such an attack upon themselves. Or it may be that they are drawn into a war already in progress between their neighbors, in spite of all efforts to keep out. This is the common view of history; but it is, however, quite wrong. The fact is that the concrete acts of individuals, such as ultimatums, declarations of war, and so forth, are never in themselves causal, but are merely the results of wide and deep currents of thought and feeling already existing in the masses of the peoples concerned. War breaks out between two countries because, for a long time beforehand, the hearts of thousands of people on both sides of the frontier have been filled with hatred and fear, and sometimes also with greed, satanic pride, and the rest of the Seven Deadly Sins. The war itself, and all the horrors that go with it—the shooting and bayoneting, the maiming and gassing, the destruction of property, and so forth—are but the aftermath or outpicturing on the physical plane of the evil passions which preceded it.

It is not possible for an act of violence to take place in the outer world of experience unless there is first a thought of violence (fear, hatred, etc.) in the inner world of thought. And it is equally true that it is not possible for thoughts of violence to hold sway in men’s souls without being sooner or later enacted in the outer.

It naturally follows from this that the scientific method for the prevention of war must lie in the changing of the mentality of the people; and there is no other way. But how is this mental change to be brought about? Can it be done by the educational efforts of books and pamphlets, the holding of peace meetings, the convening of international conferences, and so forth? Well, all these things are efforts in the right direction, of course, but it has to be admitted that their practical results are usually very meager and out of proportion to the expense and effort involved. We know that all recent wars were preceded by efforts of this kind, which, nevertheless, completely failed to prevent them. Nay, there is a very definite danger lurking among these good intentions, because many spiritually-minded people are lulled into a false sense of security by trusting in them.

There is, however, a method of preventing war which is both simple in its application and unfailing in its results. It costs absolutely nothing to apply, and it can be put into effect by anyone, anywhere, who is prepared to give a little time to it. That method is Scientific Prayer.

If even a comparatively small number of people will learn to pray scientifically, and will then devote even a few minutes daily to Scientific Prayer for universal peace there will never be another war. Of course, it goes without saying that there are more than enough men and women of good will in the world ready to do this, and the only problem is to teach them how.

Let me say here that I cannot too strongly emphasize the fact that it must be Scientific Prayer if it is to be of any practical use. Other methods of prayer, while excellent in their own time and place for other purposes, are of little practical use for the prevention of war. They will comfort the individual, purify and develop his soul, and arm him with fortitude to meet his troubles; but they will not prevent war. Only Scientific Prayer will do that—and that it will do it is beyond any question. It is only necessary that enough people (and not a very large number numerically) should pray in the right way, and war will not come.

But what is Scientific Prayer? Scientific Prayer may be briefly described as the Practice of the Presence of God. In order to prevent war, you should devote at least five minutes a day to the realization of the Presence of God in all the peoples constituting the half dozen Great Powers. Do not work in this way for the whole of humanity, but only for the peoples of what are called the Great Powers, as it is desirable to concentrate the work where it is needed. War will not come unless some of the Great Powers become involved.

You may begin your prayer by reading a few verses of the Bible, or any spiritual book that appeals to you, or by repeating a favorite hymn or spiritual poem. Then declare that God is everywhere, and that all men, in Absolute Truth, are now spiritual and perfect, expressing only Love, and Wisdom, and Intelligence. That, in Reality there are no separate nations, because all men belong to the One Nation, the Divine Family. That there are no frontiers because God is One, and cannot be separated against Himself. That in Truth the only armaments are the forces of Love and Intelligence.

Then declare that God is fully present in every man, woman, and child in Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States,1 and that they can only know and express Serene Peace, Divine Intelligence, and Divine Love. To do this is to concentrate the work where it is needed and will be effective. You may conclude by giving thanks to God for the glory of His Own Divine Perfection, which never can change. If you wish to go on longer, use one of the last half dozen Psalms, all of which deal with praise and thanksgiving.

Having finished your prayer or treatment, drop the subject out of your mind until next day. It will be seen that this prayer is exclusively concerned with a realization of good. On no account must you allow yourself to dwell upon the horrors of war, the danger of war, or the causes of war, or think about war under any pretext whatever during the treatment. In fact, the whole prayer or treatment in itself is nothing but an effort to get away in thought from the concept of war. To say something like this—“Please God, do not allow another terrible war to happen,” is to think of war, even though it sounds pious and edifying, and to think of a thing is to help to create or perpetuate that thing.

War must come as long as the thoughts that produce war remain in the human heart. A meditation or treatment of the scientific kind will have the effect of clearing that war thought out of the race mind, and then war, will not come.

Understand clearly that you are not asked to maintain this uplifted state of mind all day long, but only for the few minutes that you are praying. Of course, you will, in a general way, avoid dwelling upon horrors at any time, for your own sake; but, provided you get right away from them during the period of prayer, you will have done all that is necessary to prevent war.

With regard to the length of time that should be devoted to this work each day, it may be said that mere length of time is unimportant; it is the degree of realization that counts. If you can get away in thought from the sense of limitation and war danger in two minutes, that will do. If it takes you half an hour to do so, you must give that. Do not keep on too long on any one day. Some people will make little progress for several weeks, and then gradually find it coming easy. The one thing that matters is to get away, even for a moment, from the sense of fear and danger. That will definitely and positively change the mentalities of the people in the countries concerned, and will prevent war.

Be faithful to this daily prayer. Unstable people usually start off such a plan by praying too long for several days, and then, having grown tired of it, drop it altogether. One is praying too long when he gets a sense of burden and fatigue. Five minutes a day will do for most people. Remember that the joy of the Lord is your strength. This practice will bring a great blessing into your own life.

Meditation for Peace

God is the only real presence and the only real power. God is fully present at every point of existence. God works through man, who is part of the Divine Expression. God works through all men indiscriminately, and in His sight there are no distinctions of nationality or party, and no frontiers. Therefore there can be no strife. With One God there can be only one plan, God’s perfect plan, and all men are part of that; so each has his own place in the Divine Scheme, and there can be no competition or strife. God is all in all, and in Him all men live and move and have their being in perfect harmony and Love.

1. Taking them alphabetically.

EMMET FOX