Modern man is lost and he's made a right old mess of things. In everyday life - beyond his personal best in the boardroom, on the sports field and on the big screen - he's really not that impressive. To a good woman and a loving child, he's something - they can see his inner potential. But a couple of industrialised centuries and near-constant war have exposed him at his worst - whether boss or slave, fighter or foe - he's fallen far too short of his manly best, apart from the rare exception that proves the rule. That said, he still wants to be and reveal his brilliance. All of us want to be good, be recognized and do something useful - the hero in all of us men longs to be freed.

In our midst are thought to be the "Indigo children," first brought to serious public attention in 1999 by the book "The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived," by Lee Carroll and Jan Tober. According to Wikipedia, "The Indigo Child movement believes that the children in question are born with an empathic connection to Earth and others' thoughts," albeit often suppressed "by negative parental or societal influence." Carroll and Tober identify ten attributes that they assert describe Indigo children. From www.indigochild.com:

• They come into the world with a feeling of royalty (and often act like it).
• They have a feeling of "deserving to be here," and are surprised when others do not share that.
• Self-worth is not a big issue; they often tell the parents "who they are."
• They have difficulty with absolute authority (authority without explanation or choice).
• They simply will not do certain things; for example, waiting in line is difficult for them.
• They get frustrated with systems that are ritually oriented and do not require creative thought.
• They often see better ways of doing things, both at home and in school, which makes them seem like "system busters" (non-conforming to any system).
• They seem antisocial unless they are with their own kind. If there are no others of like consciousness around them, they often turn inward, feeling like no other human understands them. School is often extremely difficult for them socially.
• They will not respond to "guilt" discipline ("Wait till your father gets home and finds out what you did").
• They are not shy in letting it be known what they need.

Imagine for a moment that it was just the term "Indigo Child" that got discovered in 1999 and not the phenomenon itself. What if being Indigo has been a reality for decades or even centuries? What if you - like me - were born in the sixties, or any time in history, even the 1860's, and are down with the ten attributes? And what if you were a man and you felt like that? What if, as the "Metagifted Education Resource Organization" says, you also displayed many of the following?

• Have strong self esteem, connection to source
• Have an obvious sense of self
• Refuse to follow orders or directions
• Get bored rather easily with assigned tasks
• Are rather creative
• Display strong intuition
• Have either strong or no empathy for others
• Develop abstract thinking very young
• Are gifted and/or talented, highly intelligent
• Are often identified or suspected of having ADHD
• Are frequent daydreamers
• Have very old, deep, wise looking eyes

Before we get hung up on the terminology and the traits, let's get back to the point. Could the repression of these abilities and qualities be the reason why men are so lost? Have all the false starts and scratches on the surface - like the "new man" of the eighties and the "man-in-touch-with-his-feminine-side" of the nineties be pointing us towards the birth of the new, new man?

I certainly hope so. Whilst the "Indigo Man" is a graspable concept, I'm steering clear of the speculation and hype around the Indigo phenomenon (we could easily get lost in all of that). For me it's about helping the indigo-tinged misfits, like me, find a place, their rightful place, in a troubled world that really needs their insight, creativity and depth.

If you ever thought that our forefathers' idea of "being a man" was not that manly at all; if you thought their treatment of women was no good, and if you thought that feminism and equal rights was not the answer - I'm talking to you. If this beautiful earth is to be saved from the worst excesses of modern man, the new, new men will have to step forward. Are you ready?

I'm putting together a book: "What Now Indigo Boy?" (a blueprint for the new, new man). If you are an Indigo Man, I'd like to hear about your experiences (500 words-ish would be great) for inclusion. The more fellas who share their experiences - the more likely this new type of man will emerge and make his rightful contribution. Please email me, Carl Munson.

Daring to be Yourself The aim of this book is to help you achieve a 'wide-awake' state of consciousness, with integrated use of left and right brain abilities, forming the bedrock for breakthroughs in personal consciousness and spiritual insight. The practice is based on the premise that we have learned disabilities which set boundaries to our action and knowing. But no one need accept that they must remain as they were shaped by their hereditary body-mind and by the conditioning of their childhood and culture. This 264-page paperback book is like a "best of" the trans4mind site - that you can read snuggled up on the sofa, away from the computer! But much more than that, it's also an incredibly powerful program for personal growth. Remove the barriers to self-knowledge and reveal your full potential with this step-by-step approach. Our Blog features excerpts from the book plus current news, views and links. "I realize many people use praise in ways that sound frivolous...but I must tell you that your book has changed my life AND I mean that in all ways. I found the entire work wonderfully upbeat, readable and valuable! It really was quite a wakeup call. In the midst of my "trials and tribulations" I had failed to be "me." Anyway, this "talk with you" really did change my life. Thank you! I needed this kind of "kick in the pants." It worked. WOW! You made a huge difference in my world."–Becky, USA