Good or Bad, the Universe is Built on Intention

I often ask people to set an intention before a session with me. Sometimes they understand immediately what I mean. Other times, they wonder if setting an intention is the same as making a wish, deciding on an outcome, or trying to control what happens.

It is none of those things exactly.

Setting an intention means giving some honest thought to what you want to understand, explore, heal, or receive. It is a way of bringing your attention into alignment with your purpose.

My belief is that there may be a connection between our minds and the physical universe around us. I want to be clear that this is a spiritual and philosophical idea, not a proven scientific formula. As the study of quantum physics and mechanics expands, however, we continue to encounter questions about energy, observation, probability, and the relationship between the observer and the observed. Some of these questions echo ideas that spiritual traditions have explored for thousands of years.

That does not mean quantum physics definitively proves spiritual beliefs. It does suggest that our understanding of reality may be more complex than what we can see with our physical senses alone.

What I Mean by “Good or Bad”

The title of this article contains a pun.

On one level, I believe the universe responds to our intentions without judging them as good or bad. Energy moves according to the direction we give it. The universe does not appear to operate like a human authority deciding which thoughts are acceptable before allowing them to have an effect.

On another level, our individual intentions can be good or bad. The motivations we carry into the world influence what we do, how we treat people, and what patterns we create in our lives. In spiritual traditions, this is part of what people mean by karma: our choices and intentions produce consequences that eventually return to us in some form.

I do not see karma as a system of cosmic punishment. I see it more as a natural relationship between what we put into motion and what that motion creates.

If I consistently approach people with suspicion, defensiveness, or the desire to dominate, I am likely to create conflict. If I approach people with clarity, compassion, and a desire to cooperate, I am more likely to create trust. In both cases, my intention has entered the physical plane through my words, actions, choices, and relationships.

The energy may begin internally, but it does not necessarily remain there.

Intention as Directed Energy

In my work, I deal with subtle energies. These energies may be emotional, intuitive, spiritual, or connected to patterns that a person has carried for a long time. Because they are subtle, they are not always easy to measure or describe in ordinary language.

Intention gives subtle energy a direction.

When I set an intention, I am not demanding that the universe produce a particular result on a particular schedule. I am creating a clear channel for my attention and energy. I am saying, in effect, “This is what I am available to understand. This is what I am ready to explore. This is the direction in which I would like to move.”

William Blake expressed this beautifully in The Marriage of Heaven and Hell:

“Does a firm persuasion that a thing is so, make it so?”

He replied, “All poets believe it does. And in ages of imagination, this firm persuasion removes mountains.”

Blake was writing poetically, not offering a laboratory experiment. Still, his question remains valuable. What happens when I give sustained attention to an idea? What happens when I become firmly persuaded that a different way of living is possible?

At the very least, my perception begins to change. I notice opportunities I may have ignored before. I recognize choices that were previously hidden by fear or habit. I become more willing to take practical action.

That is one way intention can “remove mountains.” It may not cause a mountain to disappear physically, but it can change my relationship to the obstacle. It can help me see a path through it, around it, or over it.

My Intention Before a Session

Before meditation and before any of my work, I set an intention for myself.

I intend to be clear and neutral in my communication. I intend to be compassionate in my energy. I intend to be true to a client’s intentions, whether those intentions have been spoken aloud or not.

This practice matters because I do not want my personal expectations to take over the work. If I am doing a clairvoyant reading, I want to remain open to what I perceive rather than forcing the session toward what I think should happen.

If I am working with the Akashic records, I want to approach the soul history with respect and care. If I am channeling the Anokhi, I want to be a clean and compassionate communicator. If I am teaching someone about personal energy or intuition, I want to support that person’s understanding rather than make them dependent on me.

My intention does not guarantee that I will get everything right. It helps me enter the work with an appropriate inner posture.

The same is true for the person receiving a session.

A clear intention can help you recognize what you are actually hoping to receive. You may be looking for information about a decision. You may want ideas about a career change. You may be seeking healing around an old emotional pattern. You may simply need to understand the next step in front of you.

You do not need to know the answer before a session. You only need to become honest about the question.

A Six-Step Practice for Setting an Intention

You can use this practice before an intuitive guidance session, clairvoyance session, channeling session, or any other work with me. You can also use it before an important conversation, meeting, or event.

1. Prepare a space

Find a place where you can be quiet and undisturbed for a few minutes. If you have a meditation space or an altar, that may be an ideal location.

You can light a candle if you wish. The candle is not required. It simply gives your mind and body a physical signal that you are entering a more intentional space.

2. Quiet your mind

Imagine distracting thoughts draining out of your mind and releasing into the void.

You are not trying to force your thoughts to stop. You are allowing them to move through you without holding on to them. The goal is to create an inner space that is intentional rather than cluttered with the other energies of daily life.

3. Breathe deeply and evenly

Take a few slow, comfortable breaths. Let your breathing help anchor your energy in your body.

You may notice tension in your shoulders, chest, stomach, or jaw. You do not have to fix everything at once. Simply allow yourself to become more present.

4. Consider what you want from the session

Ask yourself what you want to understand, explore, or receive.

It might be:

• Information about a decision
• New ideas about a problem
• Healing around an emotional pattern
• Greater clarity about a relationship
• A next step in your work or personal life

Try to be specific without becoming rigid. An intention is a direction, not a demand.

5. Imagine receiving it

Imagine what it would be like to have the information, clarity, or healing you are seeking.

Picture yourself happily receiving it. Notice how your body feels when you imagine understanding something that was previously confusing. Allow yourself to experience the possibility of relief, confidence, or peace.

6. Let go of the image

Finally, release the image. Offer it to the Universe to help you manifest.

This last step is important. Setting an intention is not the same as clinging to a particular form or outcome. I can ask for clarity while remaining open to receiving it in a way I did not expect.

I can ask for the next step without insisting that the answer arrive on my preferred timetable.

Intention Requires Responsibility and Action

I do not believe setting an intention means sitting back and waiting for life to do everything for us.

Intention works best when it is connected to self-responsibility and practical action. If I intend to find meaningful work, I still need to update my skills, make connections, submit applications, and recognize opportunities. If I intend to improve a relationship, I still need to communicate honestly and change the behaviors that create distance.

Intention can help guide energy toward a goal, but it does not remove my responsibility to participate.

Several of my clients are high-end executive coaches. One of these clients worked with me on this very concept because she found herself losing focus before certain pivotal meetings. She began using intention to center herself before meeting with clients.

Over the first few months, she reported that her success rate in closing with clients increased by 50% or a bit more.

Her experience is not a universal guarantee. I would never suggest that setting an intention will automatically produce the same result for everyone. What it did for her was help her become more focused, present, and aligned with the outcome she wanted to create. Her actions then reflected that clarity.

That combination matters: inner direction followed by outer participation.

Practice Before Ordinary Moments

You do not have to wait for a formal session to practice setting an intention.

Try it before a meeting. You might intend to listen carefully, communicate clearly, and remain open to cooperation.

Try it before an evening out. You might intend to enjoy yourself, be present with the people around you, and release the need to control every detail.

Try it before beginning a difficult task. You might intend to stay patient, focused, and willing to ask for help.

The more you practice this kind of intentional awareness, the stronger it becomes. You begin to notice the difference between acting from an old pattern and acting from a conscious choice.

For me, this is the practical meaning of the idea that the universe is built on intention. I am not claiming that a thought alone controls every physical event. I am saying that intention influences the way I direct my energy, interpret my experience, make decisions, and act in the world. There may also be deeper connections between consciousness, energy, and physical reality that we do not yet fully understand.

If you are preparing for a session with me, take a few quiet moments beforehand and ask yourself:

What do I want to understand, explore, heal, or receive?

Bring that intention with you: but also bring openness. Your intention can guide the session without limiting what the session may reveal.

Read William Blake’s The Marriage of Heaven and Hell at Project Gutenberg.