While this book is not about philosophy, there is something I hope you will consider while you are reading it.

There is not a single thing anyone can say that will be believed by everyone. Even the statement “everyone dies” will be challenged by some who believe in spiritual healing, or that scientific developments will inevitably defeat death, or that physical death is an illusion disguising the reality of an eternal spirit.

Equally, there is no evidence acceptable to everyone. All belief systems contain unique guidelines that determine the validity of evidence, which in turn governs what can and cannot be true.

As a result, most of us strive to keep our arguments and any sup­porting proofs within the safe confines of a single belief. Properly constructed arguments are then protected and empowered by the host belief.

It is rare indeed that someone makes arguments requiring the ac­ceptance of multiple belief systems – indeed it might never happen. Even so, some of us can still be surprised when our most rigorous and compelling arguments, supported by unassailable truths, fail to convince those holding other beliefs.

It takes a moment of reflection to realize that it would be even more surprising if they did.

This creates a significant problem for anyone wishing to discuss something involving everyone. The moment a belief system is chosen, millions of people are necessarily excluded. Additionally, the act of using references becomes a minefield, because the type of evidence used determines who is included in the conversation.

For example, should I reference Mohammed, channelled infor­mation, or peer-reviewed scientific studies? On the other hand, if I acknowledge these problems and reference nothing, everything simply becomes my word and my philosophy.

Can you sense the inherent weakness of arguments that have been orphaned from established beliefs?

If I could sit down with you face to face, after enough time I could re-work most of the concepts of this book so they lay totally within your belief system, regardless of whether your beliefs are part of a formal institution or a little private one all your own. With enough time and research, this book could be written hundreds of different ways within hundreds of different belief systems, allowing it to tap into the validation enjoyed by the supporters within each belief.

However, even if the idea of using up my life to write the same book over and over again appealed to me (which it does not), a crucial piece would be missing. All the different belief systems would form their own unique but separate idea of what all this is about. A single potential meeting place involving all the different beliefs would be lost.

I believe there is an untapped potential for profound happiness in individuals, society, and all the Earth. Because of circumstances, many of us have a deep well of good will looking in vain for a place to express itself. By making just a few adjustments, we could unchain the power of human good, creating a leap not only in the human experience, but the life of everything humanity touches. We could access this potential through just about any belief system you might have – whether you are, and wish to remain, an atheist, a Catholic, or even a water faerie.

There is a possibility that even the most open-minded of you might find it a little disconcerting that this book treats beliefs equally, even the ones that you find utterly ridiculous. I am hoping that you will carry on reading on the understanding that most of the concepts I am striving to get across can usually be translated into a belief you do find credible.

If you choose to wield the power of your belief system to attack and destroy my arguments, you will succeed. If this is what you want to do, this book has little to offer you.

However, if you are willing, perhaps you could try to find your own ways to capture these concepts and take them back into your belief for further consideration before automatically engaging the nearly universal “invalidate anything found outside of my belief” mode. I am not asking you to give up your beliefs in favour of mine. In fact, the foundation of these ideas rests on what I have been shown by dedicated followers of many different beliefs.

Even at its best, my vision alone is a pale shadow of something far greater. As I will try to demonstrate, this is something that grows in quality as other people get involved. But the nature of the connec­tions that people form both within and across our beliefs is crucial.

As such, I am requesting that you temporarily holster your lethal ability to prove your belief right.