FAQs: Why 40 Days? Why the Middle Name? etc. In this article, I’ll answer some of the frequently asked questions you may have if you want to use one of the 40-day Meditations I’ve described in previous posts. First, the question: Why 40 Days? The answer applies to both the 40-day Manifestation Meditation and also the 40-Day Forgiveness Meditation. I’ll answer it with an excerpt from my book Have Your Heart’s Desire:

Why 40 Days?

Everett [who created these 40-day prayers or meditations] told me that 40 was a powerful mystical number. It occurs a number of times in the Bible:

• 40 days: Jesus was seen on earth after his crucifixion.
• 40 days: Jesus spent wandering in the wilderness.
• 40 days: Jonah warned the people of Ninevah that they had 40 days to change their ways or else God would destroy their city. They repented and were spared.
• 40 days: Moses was on the mountain to talk with God and receive the Ten Commandments.
• 40 years: For Moses to find the Promised Land.
• 40 days: Goliath came before David killed him.
• 40 days and nights: God made it rain when he wanted to destroy the world and start over.
• 40 days and nights more: Noah’s arc floated in the flood before he opened a window to see what the world was like.

In addition, 40 days is almost six weeks—the time many people consider it takes to create a new habit. In this case, it is a mental and spiritual habit.

Why the Middle Name?

This question refers only to the 40-day Forgiveness Meditation. Again, this is an excerpt from Have Your Heart’s Desire:

… because this prayer works between your subconscious and the person’s subconscious, Everett suggests that you use both of your middle names. The middle name is a person’s hidden or subconscious name. Of course, if you or the person do not use your first names, as in J. Everett Irion, then use the person’s first name if you know it. It is preferable to use the hidden name because it more easily resonates with the hidden or subconscious mind.

If you do not know the person’s middle name—or even their first name—use whatever name you know them by even if it is “the person who stole my flower vase”…

Can I Do Two of These Prayer/Meditations at the Same Time? 

I’ve found that because these meditation prayers offer so much hope, you have the tendency to want to do many of them at a time. Well, in my personal experience, I’ve found that to begin, it’s hard enough after about the eleventh day to remember to say the affirmation every day. In fact, I’ve ended up writing the prayer down and dating it. Otherwise, I wonder: Did I actually say it and just forget to check it off on the calendar?

Furthermore, because you’re dealing with the subconscious mind, it, unlike your conscious waking mind, tends to handle only one thing at a time. In other words, do you want your intentions to get watered down by attempting to add another thought to your original desire? It isn’t going to work as well. So, I suggest that you stick to one daily manifestation at a time.

I know it seems that forty days is so far away to wait for a resuilt, but, I assure you, it will be here in no time. Plus, if you don’t concentrate, you may miss a day and have to start all over again. Even if you focus intently, you may still miss a day and have to start all over again.

However, in my experience, it’s worth it to support your subconscious and it’s connection with the Infinite or, in the case of the Forgiveness Meditation, the subconscious of the other person, by doing only one meditation series at a time.

These two prayers were created and given to me by J. Everett Irion. I used to visit him for spiritual counselling at Edgar Cayce’s A.R.E. in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

HAVE YOUR HEART’S DESIRE

In my book, Have Your Heart’s Desire, you’ll find the answer to more of your questions, as well as more inspirational ideas. You’ll find the book at the this link, just click here.