Rules of the Mind
Do you know how to tap into the power of your mind more easily?
Although we largely identify with our conscious level of awareness, our mind comprises three levels of awareness: conscious, subconscious and superconscious. This article focuses on how to be effective at creating positive change in your life experience, based on attributes of the subconscious, which drives our experiences. To learn more about all three levels of awareness you can read Your Amazing Mind.
Your subconscious level of awareness is continuously recording and storing, 24/7. It hears, sees and feels everything. Therefore, everything in your environment is potentially “programming” your subconscious mind, and always has been. The word “programming” relates to our subconscious because that’s how it operates. It operates very similarly to a core computer program – it stores and retrieves data, and it responds exactly the way it is programmed. It is very literal. It is keen on making associations and continually strives to fulfill the agenda for which it is programmed by making everything you perceive, think, say and do fit a pattern consistent with your core programming. It is always recording and stores all of your memories, beliefs and scripts. Thus, we are all already "programmed" by our society, parents, teachers, siblings, peers, what we watch on TV, and everything in our environment. Everything in our environment is potentially programming our subconscious because unconsciously we record all that is happening in the world around us.
This can be limiting or it can be empowering. Issues arise when our existing programs drive unhealthy behaviors, limit our abilities and impede our joy. In hypnotherapy we work together to alter the existing programs that are limiting you and keeping you from reaching your highest potentials so that you can be free and unencumbered in creating the life you desire.
The following Rules of the Mind are helpful concepts in re-programming your own mind so that you can choose the quality of your life experience, and they are essential to you having a sustained therapeutic response to hypnotherapy. They are an adaptation and elaboration of information provided by the late hypnotherapist, Gil Boyne.
"Imagination is more powerful than knowledge when dealing with the mind." Imagination is the language of the subconscious mind. It is an innate ability to form mental images and associated sensations, and it is fundamental to integrating experience and learning processes as well as forming a rich inner map of where you want to go. Functional neuroimaging using MRI (fMRI) demonstrates increased brain activation during imagery processes. Imagination is often undervalued and misunderstood in our Western culture, which tends to emphasize conscious logic or analysis, or the linear sequential processes of the left brain. A more "whole brained" approach will get your further.
"Opposite ideas cannot be held at the same time." Thinking both "I'll be successful" and "I don't deserve it" will cancel each other out. Counter-resonance cancels out manifestation. Generally what happens is people have an affirmation or mantra such as “I am successful,” while at the same time they have a deep seated, unconscious limiting belief that is in direct opposition to the new affirmation. This is why it is important to unearth underlying limiting beliefs buried in the subconscious, and then consciously choose new thought patterns and beliefs. Counter-resonance explains why “affirmations” are sometimes ineffective and not enough! The affirmation of “I’m a success” is conscious, while the belief that “I don’t deserve it” can be subconscious or unconscious. Affirmations empower beliefs and help integrate new beliefs, but if an opposite idea exists at a subconscious level and you aren’t aware of it, the affirmation won’t create the changes you’re seeking. It’s important to keep noticing and witnessing your own thoughts, ideas, beliefs and the meanings you place on things – that gives you the power to choose and transform! There are many ways to access the subconscious. Hypnotherapists specialize in this and can help you unearth buried limiting beliefs and instill new ones at a deep level, while coaching you through establishing new thought patterns.
"Every thought or idea causes a physical reaction." Dr. Émile Coué, held that “any idea exclusively occupying the mind, turns into reality” (physical and mental manifestation). The subconscious level of awareness drives the body (breathing, heart rate, blood pressure, etc.), and research shows again and again that thoughts affect every function of the body. Thoughts affect neurotransmitters, which effect the nervous system, modulate hormones, deal with stress and influence our emotions. Our thoughts can trigger a nervous system activation and stress response – and they can also calm us down and help us to be more stress-resilient.
"What is expected tends to be realized." The brain and nervous system respond to mental images. It does not matter if the image is self-induced or from the external world. The vividly imagined mental image becomes the blueprint and the subconscious mind uses every means at its disposal to carry out the plan. Olympic athletes successfully and routinely use visualization, specifically Visual Motor Rehearsal (VMR) as part of their training regimens.
"Once an idea or belief has been accepted by the subconscious mind, it remains until it can be replaced by another idea or belief (re-programmed)." The longer an idea has been held at the subconscious level of awareness, the greater the opposition to replace it because the subconscious mind has a need to be right. Saturate your mind with the new, desired idea or affirmation by repeatedly focusing on what it is that you do want (as opposed to what you don’t want, or what you fear). It takes time and perseverance. The hypnotherapist’s credo is: “Pretend until you believe, believe until you experience.”
"An emotionally induced symptom tends to cause organic change if persisted in long enough." Be persistently positive.
"Each suggestion acted upon creates less and less opposition to each successive suggestion." If you want to feel more self-confident and meet more people, then standing with a slumped posture or isolating yourself are not actions that are consistent with your desired outcomes. Carefully chosen actions which are in alignment with your goals significantly reinforce the new beliefs that you are endeavoring to instill at the subconscious level. The reinforcing actions you do throughout each day, including your patterns of self talk, thought and emotions, are essential to your success and are vital to your experiencing a sustained therapeutic response with hypnotherapy.
“Imagination is more important than knowledge.For knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand,while imagination embraces the entire world,and all there will ever be to know and understand.”
Peace,
Lisa