I read the FAQ, and it answers practical questions about the film -- how it was made, etc.  However, I had a more philosophical question. The film talks about how we create our own reality and at one point mentions responsibility. Does this mean that because I create reality that I am directly responsible for every starving homeless person, every Thai sweatshop laborer, or every victim of gang violence?  Am I only responsible for the small amount of reality that surrounds me or am I responsible for the world's problems at large?  Of course, by inference, if I am responsible for the problems, I must also be responsible for the good things in life, too, right?  Part of the point of the film was to explain how we create reality, so, to what degree do our thoughts affect the lives of others around us? Thank you for your time.  I look forward to your response.  Thank you for a great film.

First-off, great questions. Second, please note that the answer is being written by the very human editor of this BLEEPing newsletter, whose best response is probably, “It’s up to you to determine all of this for yourself, because your own answers will be the most meaningful.” That said, here goes.

I think the key lies in deciding what your phrase “directly responsible” means. Did somebody get shot in a convenience story hold-up on Wednesday directly because of your crappy attitude on the way to work that morning?

Could it have been avoided if you’d been singing a happy tune instead? I don’t think so. But, then again, maybe so.

On a quantum level, it’s clear we are all connected. There is no “small amount of reality that surrounds me,” because on the quantum level “me” is one with everything else; there’s just infinite waves of probability being activated that simultaneously affect the whole. In this sense we are all accountable to and for one another, because what we do, think and feel affects everything and everybody simultaneously.

Our thoughts and emotions feed the “reality” that operates at the frequency matching where our thoughts and emotions are coming from. For example, if you shoot mental daggers at a co-worker who one-ups you in front of the boss, are your thoughts and emotions feeding a reality of wholeness and peace? No. They are feeding the reality of competition, strife and opposition. By adding to this level of consciousness you are subtly affecting everyone else who dwells in this level of reality by reinforcing its very existence. Does this add to the general burden of anxiety, fear, anger and confusion we all carry? Yes, it amplifies it. Was it the straw that broke the camel’s back and triggered the Wednesday morning shooting? Hard to tell. Maybe it was the frustrated teenage, single mom slapping her crying baby. Maybe it was the impatient jogger, jerking at his dog’s leash. Maybe it was the garbage man in Hong Kong blowing his horn at cars in a clogged alleyway. Maybe it was the asteroid miner from the planet Kaplok having a bad hair day.

Then there’s the macroscopic level where our decisions more obviously affect reality. If I choose to shop at Walmart, I am directly subsidizing that company’s policies which include the use of sweatshop labor.