The Vibrant World of Thought-Forms

From My Bookshelf Series

Books feel like vital companions on my journey. Each month in “From My Bookshelf,” I’ll share one that truly resonated – perhaps sparking reflection, offering comfort, or shifting my perspective on themes close to my heart like healing, consciousness, and creativity. Excited to share these discoveries and connect through the ideas that move us!

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I recently discovered a cool and interesting book called “Thought-Forms” by Annie Besant from 1975 that has shifted my understanding of our inner lives. I read it during a difficult period, one of those seasons of change that seem to arrive when we least expect them.

What if your thoughts were actual things?

Besant presents a fascinating perspective: our thoughts aren’t simply abstract concepts confined to our minds. They create actual forms of subtle energy, shapes and colors that exist in the space around us.

When we experience anger, we generate sharp, red formations that go outward. When we feel love for our kids, we create flowing, rose-colored forms that surround them with nurturing energy.

I’ve started to observe my thought patterns more carefully now. While picking up my kid from school, another parent stopped their car in the middle of the street, blocking traffic, to let their child get in. Their child still had quite a bit of a walk to get there. As irritation began to rise, I paused and considered, “Do I want to fill this space with unpleasant thought-forms directed at this stranger?” The awareness itself created a shift. (Disclaimer: I am not able to be THIS mindful all the time. It’s hard!)

What hits me most about this concept is how it transforms thinking from a private, insignificant activity to something of great responsibility. If our thoughts truly create energetic patterns that persist beyond our minds, then tending to our inner thoughts becomes as important as our outward actions.

We affect each other in hidden ways

Perhaps the most interesting part of Besant’s book is how these thought-forms extend much further outside of ourselves.

When my daughter moved out for college, I found myself consumed with sadness and worry. A good friend who is very much into these type of concepts gently reminded me that my anxious thoughts weren’t serving either of us, that I could be sending negative energy to her.

This perspective changed my approach to my negative thoughts. Instead of worrying, I tried to visualize sending out positive, loving energy. That visual made me feel warm and safe. Whether connected or not, the practice brought peace to me and, hopefully, to her too.

This isn’t just old ancient wisdom, I believe. I’ve been hearing a lot more about how our thought patterns create neural pathways that influence not just our own perception but also create energetic fields that others can sense subconsciously. Sort of like when you walked into a room and immediately felt strange tension in the air?

*This is just a glimpse. Read the full reflection over on True and Authentic.

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Read the rest of this piece and join the conversation on True and Authentic, my Substack journal.