I often wonder about the fallibility of our personal perceptions of things – since as 'Abdu'l-Bahá once observed, all human "criteria or avenues of knowledge" are "faulty and unreliable".

The question of 'How do we know reality?' and the nature of truth is a very stimulating one that has no doubt vexed minds ever since minds have been vexed.

Discussing this recently with a psychotherapist friend, I agreed with the veracity of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's maxim that, "the reality of man is his thought", but, I posited, that may not necessarily mean "the reality of man is his thoughts". She suggested in return that we create our own reality with our thoughts.

But it seems to me that the formulation and content of our thoughts are conditioned so powerfully by our cultural and social upbringing, experiences, parental and other influences, education and also, our mood and our spiritual, physical and mental health at any given moment, that our "thoughts" may be entirely misjudged or unconnected to what is really "the truth".

The Italian psychologist Roberto Assagioli talks of our having "subpersonalities" within us, as "psychological satellites, coexisting as a multitude of lives within the overall medium of our personality." His therapeutic technique of "disidentification" seems to relate to the Bahá'í obligatory prayer's daily practice of "burning away the veils". This suggests to me that the life of the individual is about making that continuing journey towards reaching the reality of our true selves which ultimately may be that state where "my movement and my stillness may be wholly directed by Thee" and that "I may cease to discover within me any desire except what Thou didst desire and any will save what Thou didst destine for me by Thy will." (See my previous posting, Whatever…)

In other words, if truth is equated with God's will, then is our "true self" a state of being when our thoughts, feelings and actions are totally aligned with that will?

In Gems of Divine Mysteries, Bahá'u'lláh acknowledges that things on this plane appear to be contradictory and ambiguous but that spiritual knowledge takes us to a place where such differences cease to exist. He tells the recipient of the letter that His purpose is "to draw thee from the realms of contradiction unto the retreats of oneness, and to lead thee to the sacred streams of His Law." (Gems, paragraph 1) Later, He writes, "Know thou that the passages that We have called 'ambiguous' appear as such only in the eyes of them that have failed to soar above the horizon of guidance and to reach the heights of knowledge in the retreats of grace. For otherwise, unto them that have recognized the Repositories of divine Revelation and beheld through His inspiration the mysteries of divine authority, all the verses of God are perspicuous and all His allusions are clear." (Gems, paragraph 34)

As humanity evolves to embracing that knowledge more fully, with individuals and institutions prompted to act according to the Will of God, recognizing the unity and oneness of all things would assuredly enable us " to walk with the same feet, eat with the same mouth and dwell in the same land". (Bahá'u'lláh, Arabic Hidden Words, number 68) A civilization will evolve where, as Bahá'u'lláh told Professor Edward G.Browne, differences of race would be annulled, diversity of religion should cease, that all nations should become "one in faith and all men as brothers" – because presumably apparent contradictions would no longer be exerting a hold on us.

Having spent the whole of the last weekend engaged in Bahá'í processes of consultation with the National Spiritual Assembly, I am curious about the power that this method of decision-making brings to the world, when at this imperfect stage of our development, we share our fallible perceptions of reality. What is it that comes into being when consultation happens properly, when it is "spiritual conference in the attitude and atmosphere of love" ('Abdu'l-Baha, Promulgation of Universal Peace, pages 72-73). In this same talk, 'Abdu'l-Baha says, "consultation must have for its object the investigation of truth."

Nine people coming to the table and sharing their perceptions of a situation is clearly preferable to one taking decisions and acting solely on his own behalf - but what exactly is the truth that becomes apparent? Is it the reality of an issue or a particular problem, or does the consensus or majority define as good an approximation of reality that we can get? 'Abdu'l-Baha says, "For instance, when a man hath a project to accomplish, should he consult with some of his brethren, that which is agreeable will of course be investigated and unveiled to his eyes and the truth will be disclosed." ('Abdu'l-Baha, Compilation of Compilations, Vol 1, page 182). "Consultation giveth him insight into things and enableth him to delve into questions which are unknown. The light of truth shineth from the faces of those who engage in consultation." (as above, page 179).

In his book The Wisdom of Crowds - Why the Many are Smarter than the Few, James Surowiecki talks about the four conditions that satisfy "wise crowds". There should be, he says, "diversity of opinion (each person should have some private information, even if it's just an eccentric interpretation of the known facts), independence (people's opinions are not determined by the opinions of those around them), decentralization (people are able to specialize and draw on local knowledge), and aggregation (some mechanism exists for turning private judgements into a collective decision). If a group satisfied those conditions, its judgement is likely to be accurate."

I think that the truth that becomes apparent as a result of consultation is more than simply a consensus of a majority about what to do about something or how to solve a problem. There is a shining spark when differing opinions clash but it seems that when the specified conditions for consultation are achieved, (absolute love and harmony amongst the members of the assembly, harmony of thought and absolute unity), and the facts are present and perceptions are shared honestly and lovingly, something greater occurs: “whatever emergeth from the consultation of those chosen, that indeed is the command of God, the Help in Peril, the Self-Subsisting." (Baha'u'llah, Compilation of Compilations Volume 1, page 169). And if harmony of thought and absolute unity be non-existent, “that gathering shall be dispersed and that assembly be brought to naught." ('Abdu'l-Baha cited in a message written by Shoghi Effendi, 5 March 1922)

My feeling is that some magic occurs when individuals who are committed to aligning their pursuits with the Will of God, bring themselves to a consultation where all the criteria are being met. That consultative body then becomes a recipient of divine guidance. Institutions then truly become the incarnations of that undying, world vitalizing spirit, designed to canalize its outspreading energies and stimulate its growth. (God Passes By, page 324).

Thus, the mature execution of every aspect of the electoral process and the attitude and commitment within those elected towards personal development and honouring the processes of consultation are so vital to the building of a new, mature human civilisation.