BY NOLAN HANRAHAN

Appeared in print: Saturday, July 9, 2011, page D4

I believe religion is a search for truth.

As I investigate, I ask myself, “Am I consciously thinking or just gliding in the breeze of the thoughts and/or beliefs of others?”

I wonder if thoughts are being generated from my own personal feelings, or are they just a giant herd of assumptions thoughtlessly passed onto the next generation? I am coming to realize what human thoughts are and what human thoughts can possibly do.

Both positive and negative vibes are present, and this is something I feel people should understand and examine very carefully.

Even if I don’t realize it, thoughts and actions can literally have microscopic repercussions. For instance, with the economy in a terrible condition, a lot of people in American society are probably engaged in a lot of negative thinking without realizing why.

Because of this, I decided to do some research on the topic of thoughts and their influences on people and their surroundings.

While researching a documentary called “What the Bleep Do We Know?”, I was astonished at an experiment on what human thoughts can do when channeled toward something specific.

Water bottles were labeled with the names of five or six major religions around the world — such as Hinduism, Christianity, Judaism and Buddhism.

The water bottles were put in a room, and people walked by and read the writing on them. Highly magnified water molecules were shown before and after people passed by. Though no physical action was taken, thoughts of the people passing by seemed to alter the patterns of the molecules of the water, changing them into something completely different than normal.

Then came the truly fascinating part: The molecules had shifted into snowflakelike crystalline shapes — truly a beautiful sight. I thought about this for a second, and it suddenly hit me: If just passing thoughts can alter the molecular structure of water, how might they affect a human being? After all, the human body is made of approximately 50 percent to 70 percent water, a significant amount!

So, I think about the situations I’m in from a variety of perspectives and try to see where my thoughts are headed. Are they leading me in the direction I intend, or guiding me toward a place where I’d rather not be?

I try to keep an open mind. I use intellect to debate both sides of the argument. I never shut down someone else’s idea just because it may seem a bit different or radical to me.

I try to keep positive thoughts, vibes and overall good notions of well-being in my heart and mind at all times. This will lead me to have a better day, and a better understanding of the people all around me.

Thoughts are far more complex than I may have given them credit for. So much resides within our minds; it’s just how we approach and understand these causes that will allow us to find the answers and help define the meaning of “truth.”

Nolan Hanrahan is a religion student at the University of Oregon. This column is coordinated by Lane Interfaith Alliance to offer inspiration, share personal spiritual experiences and bring a deeper understanding of individual faith perspectives. For information, visit www.laneinterfaithalliance.org or call 541-747-3887.