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Hypnosis For Success - Project Overview

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

“Though often denigrated as fakery or wishful thinking, hypnosis has been shown to be a real phenomenon with a variety of therapeutic uses…”

-Scientific American


Here is an overview of our project on Hypnosis For Success. This post provides links to pertinent aspects of this project for those of you who are interested in exploring it, as well as a complete listing of everything we explored.

This was a very ambitious project. In addition to 30 days of hypnosis videos, we also have a great selection of MP3's (see the widget in the sidebar), quite a lot of general information about hypnosis, techniques to improve your hypnosis experience, and some self hypnosis scripts and how-to's for those of you who like to do it yourself. We even have a post on How To Control People With Your Mind, as well as an article about why this works. To make it easier for those of us who like to go back and re-explore completed projects, I've divided the list of posts into categories - those lists can be found at the bottom of this page.

If you are curious about the results that we experienced, you can find feedback, comments, and other insights at Well? How did we do? If you are curious to see why we thought this would be a good idea, you can read the article Hypnosis - Change Your Mind and Change Your Life! If hypnosis is new to you, it might be helpful to watch this Short Hypnosis Session first. If you would like to try this project for yourself, feel free to browse the videos. And, as always, how you work the project is up to you. You can either pick one video or MP3 and stick with it for 30 days, or try something new every day. Here's a short list of some of our favorites:

This is an active blog, and if you post, we will notice and reply.. and give you the benefit of our own experience and our support if it seems pertinent or appropriate. Feel free to post your thoughts, ideas, results, joys and disappointments as you go. Even though we love you, comment spam is deleted when discovered. Anonymous posting is discouraged, but if you have problems with the comment box, feel free to use that option.

We do have a recommended reading list if you are interested in expanding your understanding. I don't know how up to date it is, but there are a lot of really good books listed. Feel free to add titles and authors that you would recommend. We have a nice collection of quotes posted here on the project, and you can also visit Way Cool Quotes and find a bunch more.

As promised, here is the complete listing of all the posts for our Hypnosis For Success project:

Hypnosis Videos:

Posts About Hypnosis:

Self Hypnosis Scripts and How-To's:

Techniques To Improve Your Hypnosis Experience:

Posts About the Hypnosis Project:

Well? How did we do?

Saturday, July 17, 2010

And so we've come to the end of 30 days of hypnotising ourselves into more prosperous lives. For me, this was one of the most enjoyable projects we've done. I thoroughly enjoyed the videos, and I really do think it had an effect on my state of mind. As for my finances... I'm not so sure. I don't see anything tangible, but there does seem to be an undercurrent of hope.

I would really love it if we could get some good feedback on this project. What I'd like to know is how you would rate this project.

  • On a scale of one to five, five being the highest, how would you rate hypnosis as a means to achieving prosperity, success, and/or peace and happiness?
  • Do you think hypnosis works for you?
  • Did you feel it had a positive effect on your finances?
  • if so - how? if not - how not?
  • What were your favorite videos?
  • Did you learn anything? if so - what?
  • Do you have any insights, experiences, or other stuff you'd like to share?
  • What did you like about it?
  • What did you NOT like about it?
  • Would you recommend self-hypnosis, or hypnosis downloads to friends and family?

Over the next few days I'll be compiling a wrap-up of this project and throwing out ideas for the next one. I might even put together a poll if I can't make up my mind what to focus on next. If anyone has any suggestions for what they'd like to explore for our upcoming project, now's the time to put your two cents in.

The Supreme Optimist

Friday, July 16, 2010



Use stereo headphones to experience the relaxation effect properly.

From Instant Self Hypnosis, the following audio uses affirmations, relaxing sounds and binaural beats and you will relax deeper than you ever have before. If you focus on the affirmations your mind will be in a good state to implement the changes you desire.

Do NOT operate machinery while listening to this recording as it will relax you deeply. For best results sit in a relaxing chair, use stereo headphones and close your eyes to help your body relax deeply.

Multi-purpose Pemissive Script

In the Advanced Hypnotherapy classes I teach, one of the things that students often ask me for is new and different scripts. I developed one that I think you may find has many possible applications because of it's 'process instructions.' I invite you to read it, and adapt it as you wish for your own use.


"You may begin by taking a few deep relaxing breaths and orienting yourself to the experience of relaxing... you're able to explore within yourself... your thoughts, your feelings and many other things that you've come to know about yourself... I don't know just when the last time was that you spent time just sitting quietly with your eyes closed, drifting off to no place in particular... but I do know right now that there really isn't anything else that you have to do... why not allow yourself the luxury... of being able to just drift along, listening and not listening. that's right... just a little bit at a time... maybe your conscious mind expects to be able to experience comfort... and your unconscious can expect something even deeper... so it really won't matter whether you consciously allow yourself the experience of a very deep light trance... or unconsciously allow yourself a lighter state of deep trance... you really don't have to know just what to expect, but when you take the time to go inside... just like you're doing now... it's easy to notice how there's a part of you that knows how to breathe deeply... and you can expect that part to always be there... so that those deep and comforting breaths just seem to come...


and there's a part of you aware of this moment, now... and a part of you that knows about later... and sooner or later... you can have the confidence of knowing over time... that change is inevitable.., some people seem to work so hard at staying the same... as if that was even possible... you know... and I know... that change always happens.., and important things.., that are quite unexpected... can change your life for the better... a new friend... a new experience... and you really don't know whether you can expect... to be feeling the sides of that chair you're sitting in, the softness of the seat... and when you first sat down to listen to my words, you really didn't know what to expect... that you'd be thinking about your future and your present... and the present that you can give yourself... of a wonderful future but today always precedes tomorrow... you probably knew that yesterday... when you were thinking about tomorrow... that you would be here today... learning something at a much deeper level.., than you're even aware of... it's interesting to experience... what happens... when someone makes an important change..,


now, I know folks who talk about planting seeds... even to the point of growing their own food... just to be able to independently nourish the self... you know how it works... you just dig the hole in the ground... sprinkle in some seeds... there's nothing more to see just yet... but there's a feeling... a very strong positive feeling.., that there's something important about to happen.., and it may seem to take a while... but you can anticipate with enthusiasm... that the seeds you planted... will surely yield something quite valuable.., now, there's a part of you... that can be oriented to future possibilities.., on the basis of the choices you make now... and the actions you take now... the now which becomes the future... and you might even be able to feel that powerful sense of expectancy... that something important is growing... something valuable and necessary is happening within you... and it can feel really good to think about that... and to look forward in time... to when you'll be able to look back over things that you did before... to make things so good now... when later is now... and it did involve a lot of good planning... and you can plan... and you can even expect the unexpected, too... and spontaneously discover things that you thought you could never expect... which then turn out even better...


after all... sometimes we just can't know... how well... things can turn out... but if you remember... and you can remember... when you were a very young child... it was very difficult to know... that one day you were going to be a grown up... the expectation you had as a child seemed so uncertain.... about when that would happen... and I remember a friend of mine.., who just the other day... remembered a... delightful surprise... learning one day... when he was very young... that he would one day be... a grown up... and it came about in a very amusing way... he was only five or six... and was playing with one of his toys... and his father offhandedly remarked... when I was your age... I had a toy just like that... he was shocked, and replied... Daddy, you were a little boy once? ....


He really just couldn't believe it... and it's difficult... and amusing... to remember... so vividly that sometimes there are no expectations... and changes happen anyway... like growing from a child... into an adult... and it's not something that you have to know... to much about... and if I had all the time in the world... II would talk about self-fulfilling prophecies and unconscious expectations... but I really don't need to mention those things right now... perhaps later something will occur to you... about them... at a deeper level.


but I can wonder whether you've noticed that your breathing has changed... and I don't remember ... saying anything about that... and your pulse rate has changed... did you expect that to happen?. . And sometimes the most soothing changes occur... with no expectations at all... but with the knowledge.... the deep knowledge.., that every change has a consequence... and have you noticed... how much more relaxed you are... how your feelings are so much lighter.., and your thoughts so much more comforting... and you're looking forward to the many ways of change that you know will occur...


and there's a therapist friend of mine.., who has a sign in his office... the sign has two sides... one side says tradition gets in the way of progress... and on the other side it says progress gets in the way of tradition... and two sides, tradition and progress... progress and tradition... and it's traditional to progress... and that's what planting seeds is all about... you know things are going to be changing... over the next few months and years... things you can look forward to... doing differently... and you can anticipate some of those changes quite well... but there's something even more profound that I'd like you to know about... there's a part of you... that really knows well... how to adjust to changes of the expected type... and perhaps even more important... of the unexpected type... and I don't know... if you have a name for that particular capability.., a name or a label... or maybe it's a feeling that is familiar to you... maybe even an image or something that you say to yourself... but it's a part of you... a resource that you can use... and have used quite successfully... to manage changes of all sorts... and you probably know what that resource is that I'm talking about... don't you?... and now you can know how to enjoy that feeling.., and how to get to that feeling.., the confidence... that things can change... and at the times that you most want to... or need to... you really can expect... that feeling to be so strong... and present in your awareness... and it will occur in lots of places, lots of times... perhaps while listening to music... perhaps while thinking about things that you want more experience for in the future...


perhaps while closing your eyes.., to take in a few deep breaths... perhaps while planting seeds... in the fertile ground of your own thoughts... so you can expect the expected... and you can expect the unexpected... and you can expect consciously what your unconscious cannot expect... the expectation within you... of what the future is all about... as you live it today... and tomorrow... and when tomorrow becomes today.., a day at a time.., and you have all the building blocks.., for lots of wonderful future experiences.., and perhaps you can feel quite comfortable... quite energized... and you might even expect... a smile or two arising from the good feelings within you... and so you can take whatever time you'd like to process your thoughts and feelings.., to enjoy the comfort... and then you can begin to reorient yourself... at a gradual and comfortable rate.., and then when you feel like you're ready to... and you want to... you can reorient fully... and allow your eyes to open..."

(Originally printed in The American Board of Hypnotherapy's excellent Journal) American Board of Hypnotherapy 16842 Von Karman, Suite 475, Irvine, CA 92606 The telephone number is (714) 261-6400 or (800) 872-9996. The fax number is (714) 251-4632 e-mail address is aih@hypnosis.com. © R.A. Neves, Ph.D., ABH President

Create Self Hypnosis Scripts - 6 Simple Tips

Self-hypnosis is so easy to learn and if used correctly superbly effective. There are numerous ways to hypnotize yourself and you have probably done so without even realising it.

The following method is a six-step visualisation process. Using this process,  you will be able to create a simple script that includes all of the following six criteria.


Self Hypnosis Scripts – Six Essential criteria

1 • Make it Simple

Make sure you create a simple script that is easy to remember whilst in hypnosis. Short simple sentences are the most effective. When writing your script, try to imagine that you are writing for a four-year-old child. This will help you to keep it simple.

2 • Make it Believable

Your script must feel as though the goal you have chosen is attainable. You must really believe that you can actually achieve the goal- whether it be losing weight, stop smoking, dealing with a fear or phobia etc.

3 • Make it Measurable

Your goal needs to be stated in specific, measurable terms. The more detail you can place into a suggestion, the more attainable it will actually feel. If your goal relates to something that can be measured by time periods, ounces, pounds, miles, or some other specific identifier break it down to those specific measurements. An example might be " every weekday morning at 7.00am, I am running two miles on my treadmill.

4 • Make it Positive and Pleasurable

Human nature responds to the positive and pleasurable. Do not place negative suggestions within your scripts – instead accentuate the positive. Avoid negative statements, scare tactics or threats e.g. "eating cakes taste like lard and will cause a heart attack."  Instead try to make your suggestions really positive – "every day I love eating healthy, nutritious foods".  With really positive statements, you will notice an enormous difference in your motivation to achieve your goals as well as your actual success in doing so.

5 • Make Suggestions in the Present Tense

Always make suggestions in the present tense. Present tense statements carry action with them. You can actually visualise yourself engaged in the desired action. Focus directly on what you do want, rather than what you don't. Using the present tense assists greatly in imagining and visualising your goal and makes achieving it much more likely.

6 • Make Sure Suggestions Carry a Reward

Ensure that every suggestion carries a reward with it – something that you can reward yourself with once you have accomplished the task. The subconscious is like a four-year-old child – and four year old children like positive interaction and rewards! Your subconscious works in very much the same way – if you give yourself a reward, you will be far more likely to work towards a goal.

Putting Yourself Under:
  • Find a comfortable place where you will not be disturbed, close your eyes and take five deep breaths.
  • Once your eyes are closed, and you feel totally relaxed, recite your script repeatedly. It is important that your script is one that is easy to visualise or imagine within your mind.
  • Use as many of your imaginative faculties to really bring the script alive in your mind.
  • Replay the script several times in your mind, for approximately five minutes, after which you will come back out of hypnosis, by counting up to five and then opening your eyes.

Positive Thinking

Thursday, July 15, 2010

I've been enjoying the MP3 quite a bit throughout this project. Then today, I found the video on YouTube. So... enjoy!


Increase your positivity with this free positive thinking hypnosis video recorded by Jon Rhodes DHyp. This session will quieten any negative thoughts that may be in your mind and replace them with positive thoughts and feelings.

For best results and maximum positivity use this positive thinking hypnosis video once a day for a month.

You can download the Positive Thinking Hypnosis MP3 at FreeHypnosisTreatment.com

Does the Unconscious Mind Hear Negatives?

Hypnotherapists are told not to use negatives in their hypnotic suggestions, because, we are told, "the subconscious mind doesn't "hear" negatives". The theory is (and remember it is only a theory) that we are not to say "don't" or "will not" or "no longer" or any other negative form of suggestion when we are talking to clients with the intent of helping them make positive changes in their lives. This, we are told, is because the subconscious mind does not hear the negative and therefore any negative suggestion will be heard in the positive; it will be heard, by the client's subconscious mind, as the therapist giving the client permission to carry on doing whatever they said they wanted to change! Students are taught this, they take it as "a given" (factual). And, so, it is perpetuated without question.

I find this whole concept rather strange (to say the least). In fact, I believe that only hypnotherapists believe the subconscious mind cannot hear negatives! Who said that that this is so? How do they know this? I find it quite extraordinary - how many people are so sure of what goes on in the subconscious mind. I am amazed by such people, because - whatever is in MY subconscious is usually out of my conscious awareness! Isn't that the definition of the sub/unconscious mind - whatever is in it is out of our conscious awareness? So how can anyone be so sure what the unconscious mind hears - or doesn't hear?

It is my understanding that the conscious mind is the analytical, critical, judgmental, thinking mind, and the subconscious mind accepts what is put into it WITHOUT QUESTION because it is the non-analytical, non-critical, non-judgmental, non-thinking mind. This is what I was taught in various modes of study, and this is what is repeatedly said in many books, and this is what is taught in hypnotherapy schools. Surely, therefore, this points out the contradiction in believing the subconscious mind does not hear or accept negative language?

For the subconscious mind to negate negative language, it must first of all hear the negativity, and then it must have some process of understanding it to be negative, and of negating it. This would imply that the subconscious mind hears the negative, then thinks about, judges or analyzes it, and decides to ignore it, and strengthen the material it was aimed at changing! Unless, of course, the idea is that the subconscious mind is aware of the subject matter being dealt with and simply "absorbs" the energy of anything remotely connected to that subject thereby increasing the strength of the material the person is trying to change?

If this is so, how does that relate to the concept that my un/subconscious mind is wise, and smart, and its role is to protect me? If this latter concept is true, why would it ignore something I want, something I know is for my "highest good", something that will have positive consequences on my life - just because the suggestions were given in the so called "negative"? We simply cannot say both concepts are true. The unconscious mind either is non-thinking and accepts whatever is put into it - no matter how it is presented, or it is there for my benefit, and it's role is to do what it needs to do for my "highest good" - which means it has the capacity to "think, judge, analyze, decide".

Whilst I personally prefer to put my suggestions to clients into the positive form, there are times when I cannot think of how to say something (the reverse of the negative) when I need it. I have therefore been known to give so-called "negative" suggestions to clients - and guess what? They worked - they had a positive effect! The client changed the behaviour, despite hearing me (at some level) saying "don't" or "no longer" or "will not". I also know other hypnotherapists who report the same phenomena. So, how can this be accounted for in the light of what we are taught is not possible?

Unlike trained hypnotherapists, most of my clients have never heard of the concept (and that's all it is) that the subconscious mind cannot hear a negative. The clients (and their subconscious minds) therefore accept my suggestions - even when they are occasionally presented in a negative format. I personally believe that people make changes to the level of their own "Intent". They come to me because they have decided they need help to achieve a specific goal, and if they are fully committed to the Intent to Change, then they will accept that help - however it is verbalized to them. The subconscious mind may need to be reminded of the need to change, and the positive reasons for the desired change, but once that is achieved, the suggestions - whether presented in the so called "positive" or "negative" format - will be accepted - because they are perceived (and received) as being aimed at helping the person to achieve that positive change.

I think we do the unconscious mind a gross disservice by limiting its manner of understanding and knowing to the words it hears. I believe that building rapport with the client is a priority, and that when that is achieved the energy of the client's unconscious mind joins with the energy of the therapist in relation to the changes being discussed or worked on. When rapport is established the client knows, and trusts, both consciously and unconsciously, that the therapist's "Intent" is to assist in achieving the positive change required. That's what rapport is! It's at this higher energetic level that the unconscious mind accepts suggestions given, whether they are expressed in "positive" or in "negative" ways - because it accepts they are aimed at positive change. In this sense, to speak of "negative" or "positive" words is nonsense - the unconscious mind takes - I believe - the INTENT of the therapist. It absorbs not only the words, but the overall MEANING of the sentences TOGETHER WITH the energetic INTENT within the verbalized suggestions.

This article is not written to encourage people to go ahead and use whatever words come to mind. One the contrary - words are extremely powerful, but it has to be remembered they represent only 7% of communication. What I am arguing is that it is overly simplistic to teach that the unconscious mind does not accept negatives, especially when there are obviously many cases where this is seen to be untrue. The unconscious mind is far greater than we can imagine, and in hypnosis it is open to suggestion and that suggestion is accepted if there is a "joining" of energies (a rapport) between the client and the therapist. Use powerful words, draw verbal pictures, energetically "urge" your client towards achieving the positive goals, and the unconscious mind will "hear" what is being INTENDED - even if it is sometimes expressed with less elegant, and sometimes so called "negative" words.

Article by: Irene Colville of Sydney, Australia.

Increased Motivation

Wednesday, July 14, 2010


This hypnosis session has been recorded by Jon Rhodes DHyp on behalf of HypnoBusters and Free Hypnosis Treatment. After listening to the session you will find that your levels of motivation will increase and you will be ready to take on any challenge life may bring. So, sit back, relax, and allow the hypnotic images and suggestions to guide you into a deep state of hypnosis.

You can download the MP3 which accompanies this video at Free Hypnosis Treatment

Eight Laws Of Mind and Thought That Affect Change

We know as we begin the process of change, our own healing journey, that each one of us is and individual, unique to our own, with our own set of schemas, personal issues, and perception of how life has treated us. True? Perhaps not. Perceived fairness, or unfairness, good and bad memories, guilt, adaptive or maladaptive patterns do indeed all play into the factors that can either increase or decrease our chances for healing, but we can also look at common behaviors that we all fall into and from there begin to develop a guideline that can provide a basis for expectant behavior if we are to heal ourselves or facilitate a healing process in others. Some of these guides to facilitate or promote the healing process are:

The Eight Laws of Mind and Thought that Affect Change.

  1. Law Of Desire To make a change in our lives, we must TRULY want the outcome we claim to seek. Not passively, but truly a burning desire for the positive outcome. If there is a pattern of secondary benefit, that is, a subconscious reason for an existing condition, such as attention, love, monetary reward, sympathy etc. these can create obstacles to healing. Developing a belief in ourselves as independent and able people can result in an altogether different positive outcomes.

  2. Law Of Harmonious Attraction This is by far the most important law of thought; and it can be the easiest to apply once the simple concept is understood. Imagine a time when you thought about a desired result, saw yourself taking the steps to achieve the result and ACTUALLY ACHIEVED THE GOAL!! We have all done this to a certain extent. When we begin to understand the law of attraction, we can constantly attract what we desire. The Law of Manifestation implies that all we need to do is think of the result and we achieve it. Wouldn't't it be amazing if the universe worked that way? That theory has but one vital flaw, and that is we have to DO SOMETHING, do what it takes to reach our goal. No "new age"concepts here, it is pure and simple science.

    When we can imagine a goal, visualize taking the steps necessary to gain that goal, a part of the Limbic system of the brain called the Reticular Activating system takes over and we guides us to do what it takes to achieve the desired result. The Reticular Activating System is the attention center in the brain. It is the key to "turning on your brain," and seems to be the center of motivation. The Reticular Activating System is connected at its base to the spinal cord where it receives information projected directly from the ascending sensory tracts. The brain stem reticular formation runs all the way up to the mid brain. As a result, the Reticular Activating System is a very complex collection of neurons, which serve as a point of convergence for signals from the external world and from interior environment. In other words, it is the part of your brain where the world outside of you, and your thoughts and feelings from "inside" of you, meet.

    Professional athletes have known this for years, and we know that our clients will continue to attract conditions and situations that are in harmony with their thinking. It is important that what is NOT wanted be avoided in thinking. What our minds can imagine, our bodies can produce, both positive AND negative. Take time to examine your self-talk, is it filled with negative words such as "try", "should" "can't"? If so, consider changes in your language patterns to develop a positive outlook, imagine the results and watch yourself take the steps to achieve them. Do yourself a favor; take moment and "RAISE YOUR RETICULAR"!!!

  3. Law of Expectancy/Belief Success/Healing is achieved when the mind TRULY believes and sincerely EXPECTS the imagined result to happen. The old adage "Seeing is Believing", may work for some, but for making life changes we have to think in a different paradigm. A much better line of thinking would be the phrase, "Believing is SEEING". Success is achieved only with the trust and belief that it can be done. What we expect to happen does indeed happen. When we have faith and expectancy, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that we will get better, make more money, have a better relationship etc.; we can succeed in achieving that goal. This again also holds true for negative behavior as well. As a therapist, my clients come to me with a certain expectations that I will be able to help them overcome their issues. With this positive image and belief system set in place, the odds for success are greatly increased.

  4. Law Of Relaxation This is also the law of opposite effort. If we are doing manual work, we must put all our effort into it to be successful. When approaching mental work, we must step aside and allow it to come naturally. Desired outcomes cannot be forced or manipulated. Imagery is the tool; thought is the technique. If you consider thoughts as entities, therefore, they have the energy and ability to bring about a desired change.

  5. Law Of Visualization With guidance, we can generally be helped to see the positive end result. Negatives can be released and a new positive image is imprinted. This new positive image has to be a product of our own mind, our own positive self-images, one that we can relate to and above all, it must, BE BELIEVABLE!!!! If the image isn't believable, it will not bypass the critical factor in the brain and it will not become reality. Once we, begin to easily see ourselves becoming part of that believable new physical visual image, we become part of the positive resolution.

  6.  Law of Substitution Since the mind can only hold one thought at a time, and we choose what that thought will be at any given moment, it is essential that negative thoughts be cancelled out and the empty space filled with substituted positive thoughts, imagery and impressions. It is not enough to simply identify seed thoughts that create fear, or issues in our lives, those negative self-thoughts and self-talk must be eliminated and substituted. This procedure is one of the major differences between "talk therapy" and hypnosis. Using hypnosis, we can provide the imagery that provides a positive substitution.

  7. Law of Repetition The importance of repetition cannot be understated. We humans are creatures of habit, and therefore most of us aren't willing to make major life changes easily. Although we may tell ourselves, trying to convince ourselves that we accept change readily, our deep subconscious, the very place where change happens, gets stuck in past memories, frameworks, and schemas, and until we make the changes at the subconscious level, those changes will not stay in place. Luckily since humans are "meaning making machines", that is we have to place meaning on all aspects of behavior, and we CAN be essentially "reprogrammed" or "rewired", we CAN be successful if we use the simple technique of repetition. Habits are made and broken in a span of 21 to 30 days as a rule. Repetition for that length of time can greatly increase the odds of making permanent change.

  8. Law of Self Concept This is so very important. This law is the key to making positive changes in our lives. We must be able to feel deserving, worthy, and capable of achieving their desired outcome. If others; our parents, friends, spouses, siblings, are occupying rent -free space in our minds, these areas of control need to be released and reclaimed. We must begin to feel self-empowered, able to take responsibility for OUR OWN HEALING, or no such healing will ever take place. The need to end the self-defeating behavior and empty the bag of limiting thoughts and actions must take place to begin to become empowered individuals. For too long we may have been made to feel inferior, inadequate or deficient. We may have been told that we were fat, ugly, and stupid, that no one would want us; or others such words designed to imprison us in a shell and take away our natural born power. Only by building the self-esteem, the self worth can these issues be overcome and our personal power, our sacred space, our own self worth, be taken back. We need to feel safe that our anger is justified when appropriate, that it is OKAY to SHOW and FEEL emotions, not stuff them away, that we are worthy, deserving individuals that have a right to happiness, health, prosperity and love. Then, and only then can the change, the healing, which we all deserve, can begin.


Ron Stubbs is a Registered Certified Advanced Clinical Hypnotherapist in the Greater Seattle/San Juan Island area. He has become one of the most well respected hypnotherapists in the Pacific Northwest Area. He is a national speaker, teaches nationally with Dr. Kevin Hogan PHD and Marie Mongan (Hypnobirthing Founder), an expert on Tinnitus (ringing in the ears), Chronic Illness/Pain, Fibromyalgia, Depression, Adult Sexual Abuse Issues, Pediatric (Child) Hypnosis, Hypnobirthing, Past Life Regression as well as General Hypnotherapy for issues such as Weight Management and Stop Smoking, giving lectures, teaching classes and seminars on hypnosis. He has helped clients reach their goals of wellness from ages 4 to 90. He is currently teaching Basic thru Master Level Hypnosis/Hypnotherapy certification classes Skagit Valley College in Mount Vernon, Washington. He is also in the process of writing various articles for publication on hypnosis and related subjects. He is the co-owner of Islelife Hypnosis, located on beautiful Camano Island, and can be reached at 360-387-1197 or by email at Islelife@Camano.net.© Ron Stubbs

Clear Your Way to Wealth & Money

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

I almost didn't include this one because of the blatant sales pitch... and then I decided to post it anyway because after I watched it, I noticed that I did feel more open to the idea of being wealthy versus simply having enough and getting by. So... What do you think, guys? Did you like it? Or not?



Here is a Subliminal Video for you to Clear your way to Wealth and Money
Created by Dr. Joe Vitale and Mark J. Ryan

source

How To Quickly Relax With Breath-Watching Technique

Because self hypnosis tends to depend on relaxation, and the scripts often use breathing to foster a state of relaxation and calm, I thought it might be helpful to post a little something from Mind Power Classified about the breath and breathing.


Our mind and breath are attached by special bond or connection, invisible to the normal eye. we need to control only one among the two; control one automatically leads to control on the other.

The Prandharna (learn the technique here) is the method through which we can relax our physical body and our mind. the basic relaxation technique is the big step in our journey to attempt to know our inner world. We have to learn to focus on our breathing to prevent our conscious mind from wandering in to different areas. this method helps you up from inside.

This method requires you to closely note and observe and pay attention to the inflow and outflow of your breathing. You have to take this stance before every relaxation activity that you attempt. Our focus on something "moving" like our breath helps us to focus more than focusing on something stationery as is normally understood.

BENEFITS
  • This method is the first step to reach "alpha" stage.
  • This helps to build a bridge between the conscious and subconscious mind.
  • You learn it live in the "present"-now.
  • It helps you to increase your concentration.
  • It also helps you to get good sleep.
  • It helps you remove stress.

Prandharna - Fixation of the mind on the breath

Pranadharna is a compound word, a combination of two words – Prana and Dharna. Prana means breath and dharna means fixation of mind. While practicing Pranadharna, the Yoga aspirant has to fix his/her mind on the incoming and outgoing breath. The mind is thus trained and conditioned. Generally, the practice of Pranadharna is done in three graded steps. If the mind of any person is under the spell of strong emotion or if it is wavering in emotional imbalance or if a person is suffering from an acute disease or pain, he or she should avoid Pranadharna.

Prandharna First Step. Sit at ease in a comfortable posture. Close the eyes. Count the breaths. Count exhalation and inhalation together as one breath. Breathing natural. In case the mind has wandered away and you have forgotten the count, do not try hard to recall the last counted number. Persuade your mind to count a fresh; do not force your self. Practice one round daily of 10 to 45 breaths. Coming out of the practice: Stop counting the breaths and allow normal mental activities. Open the eyes.
Prandharna Second Step. Sit in any comfortable sitting posture. Close eyes. Start counting the breaths. Now feel the touch of incoming and out going breaths at the wall of the nose. Feel the touch continually. Attach the mind to the soft touch of the incoming and out going breaths. Engage the mind in this feeling and enjoy it. Breathing natural and normal. Practice one round daily of 15 to 60 breaths. If mind is distracted from experiencing the touch of the breath and starts thinking of other things, do not compel the mind to feel the touch. Persuade it by expressing only an ardent wish. Coming out of the practice: Get the mind away from the touch of the breath and start counting the breaths. Afterwards, allow normal mental activities. Open the eyes.
Prandharna Third Step. Sit in any comfortable posture preferably on the ground. If convenient, crossed legged (sukhasana) or on the folded legs, toes touching the ground with sole upwards, bottom resting on the heels and knee closed and touching each other in the crotched position (Vazrasana). The sitting posture should be with back resting and the spinal cord in the erect position and both hands with elbows straight, resting on the knee.

Close the eyes. Start counting the breaths. Then start feeling the breaths. Feel the touch of the air for 5 to 10 breaths. Afterwards take the mind on the soft palate and think and feel the thermal sensations, which are produced there because of the touch of the incoming (cool) and the out going (warm) air. Breathing natural and normal. Keep the eyes closed. Enjoy the thermal sensation of the breath at the soft palate.

Practice one round daily of 30 to 75 breaths. If the mind starts thinking of other things. If it does not perceive the sensation at the soft palate, it loses the concentration. Very gently persuade the mind to come back to the specific activity of feeling the sensation of the breath at the soft palate. Many times it is found difficult to perceive the thermal sensations at the soft palate and some times, the mind gets tired in search of the sensation. In such cases, it is advisable to practice the Pranadharna step two for longer time.

Only after the regular and long practice does one succeed in mastering the Pranadharna step three. Coming out of practice: Take the mind away from the sensation at the soft palate to touch of the breaths at the walls of the nostrils. Then start counting the breaths and lastly allow normal mental activities. Open the eyes.

Benefits of Pranadharna. The mind becomes very sharp and more controllable. Capacity for concentration of the mind increases. It prepares the aspirant for meditation.

I Am A Money Magnet

Monday, July 12, 2010

I wish we would have had this one for our "Chanting For Prosperity" project. It would have been perfect! So, while it's not technically a hypnosis video, I'm uploading it anyway!




You can download the Money Song by following this link. Listen to it on your ipod or burn onto a CD set up as your alarm clock as your positive prosperous wake up call!

Watch this for the next 30 days straight and see for yourself what happens to you arround money ... like the song I just heard said "live your life with your arms wide open" ...Expect Miracles

Tap Into The Energy of The Universe

Sunday, July 11, 2010



You can tap into the energy of the universe and power yourself to achieve anything you set your mind to do with self hypnosis. This self hypnosis session has been recorded by leading UK hypnotherapist Jon Rhodes of HypnoBusters.

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Is Self-Hypnosis Really Possible?


Is self-hypnosis really possible? This question is one asked by thousands of people each year who want to use self-hypnosis to quit smoking, lose weight or conquer some other challenge in life. So, what is the answer? The answer is ‘yes’. Self-hypnosis can work as long as you follow a few steps. Below are five key ones. They will help you maximize the technique of self-hypnosis.

Step 1: Learn what self-hypnosis is. Hypnosis is the act of artificially inducing an altered state of conscious through suggestion. In layman’s terms, hypnosis is a way for you to change the way you look at the world by using a man-made trigger. Fortunately, this process doesn’t have to include another person (or couch and watch). As a result, you can induce yourself and achieve self-hypnosis without having anyone else in the room.

Step 2: Take a self-hypnosis course. As a novice, you won’t be able induce self-hypnosis without help. You will need to take a course or two from a professional. Start by visiting SelfHypnosis.com. On this site, you can order audios, CD’s and learn more about the positive effects of self-hypnosis. Keep in mind that without being educated on how to do it, self-hypnosis won’t work. For this reason, taking the time to learn how to do it is vital.

Step 3: Practice self-hypnosis daily. Naturally, the more you do anything, the better you get at it. Therefore, after you learn how to do self-hypnosis, you have to practice doing it. Until you get comfortable and start seeing results, you should do it daily. Trying self-hypnosis on the fly without practice will end up in disaster.

Step 4: Try a variety of techniques. Just as with traditional hypnosis, there are various techniques to induce self-hypnosis. Some techniques include visual cues while others trigger words. Try at least three self-hypnosis techniques before you settle on just one. They key is to pick the technique that gives you quick, long lasting results.

Step 5: Use other self-help methods. In order to successfully overcome a difficult challenge, you should use self-hypnosis with another self-help method. For example, if you want to lose fifty pounds, you should diet, exercise and use self-hypnosis. By doing all three, you increase your chances of success. Of course, you can do it by using only one of the three, but the road to reaching your goal will be a long and arduous one.

Step 6: Join a social group of like minds. This last step is the one that will help you stay inspired and on track with your self-hypnosis. As with any change in life, it’s easy to stop doing it if you have no support. As a result, you need to be around like minds. Find a self-hypnosis group in your area by visiting Hypnosis.Meetup.com. Then, meet, greet and get the support your need in your life.

If you follow these six steps, you will find that self-hypnosis works well for you. It can end up being the key that turns to lock that opens the door to all of your dreams.

via edubook.com

Daily Affirmations

Saturday, July 10, 2010



Here's what the author has to say about this video:
I put this together as my daily affirmations video. I watch it every morning and every night, and whenever else I have the chance to watch it. When you say things like the statements in this clip, your subconcious mind will begin to believe it (that's what "second nature" means) and you won't have to conciously think these things anymore! How wonderful!
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Self Hypnosis The Easy Way

According to Wikipedia, self hypnosis can be best defined as "a form of hypnosis which is self-induced, and normally makes use of self-suggestion or more commonly known as autosuggestion". Usually autosuggestion is closely related to affirmation in teaching someone how to do self hypnosis. In this article, I 'm going to focus more on explaining about the benefits of affirmation and how it can help to boost your life.

Affirmation is a combination of verbal and visual techniques of a preferred state of mind of a person. Powerful affirmations can be very effective and beneficial for you. It can be used by anybody to achieve goals and fulfill desires. It is merely an assertion made by a person, about something or about a state of being. To make things simple, you can say that affirmation is futuristic goals and ambitions that a person wants to achieve in future or how that person wants to be in life. Being healthy in mind, body, and spirit can also be made possible through affirmation as this is one of the best self hypnosis techniques for you.

Positive affirmations can help to boost one's subconscious. Once the subconscious is disciplined to believe a person's affirmation, the latter is converted into a positive action for the conscious mind to conceive. This technique will make you to believe in yourself and to put your thoughts into action. This will improve your self confidence or performance and therefore will lead to more rewards. The rewards could be in the form of physical things or satisfaction of personal needs. That's why I highly recommend you to learn how to do self hypnosis.

An affirmation will be strong and super effective when it's stated in present tense. An affirmation of "I am now a rich person" is more effective than an affirmation saying, "I am going to become a rich person." Affirmation should always be in positive terms because it is supposed to work for you and not against you. Instead of saying "I am not sad", why not make an affirmation saying "I am happy."

There you go. I have explained a simple technique on how to do self hypnosis properly and boost your life for good. There are many good self hypnosis courses around the Internet and please go and get one for you now. You'll be surprised to see the massive changes that you will have in life and lead a better life without suffering from stress, addiction to bad habits,improve relationship with people around you and guide you to achieve goals easily.

Author Resource:-> By: Ravivaarman Batumalai. For other articles see: How to Do Self Hypnosis Properly and Boost Your Life With the Power of Affirmation Article From Hypnosis Articles Directory

Be Happy

Friday, July 09, 2010


This Be Happy Hypnosis video contains a multitude of different techniques, all concentrated on making you feel happy and joyous. Not only does Be Happy Hypnosis make use of hypnosis, there are also subliminal messages and binaural brainwaves...all of which work on the subconscious mind to give you that enjoyable happy feeling.

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Self hypnosis vs. meditation


Many of us have heard of the benefits of meditation: a calmer, more focused mind; feeling less emotional; a reduction in anxiety; feeling happier because of the cascade of beta-endorphins and serotonin (“feel good chemicals”) that is produced. But how do we achieve that? Isn’t a meditation practice time consuming and frustrating? How does it differ from self hypnosis, since both practices take you into trance? Why would you choose one over the other? These are some of the questions we will look at here.

Self hypnosis, or auto hypnosis, is defined as entering the state of hypnosis on one’s own, without the assistance and guidance of a hypnotist or hypnotherapist. The benefits of self hypnosis are similar to those of meditation, because the same brain wave states, alpha and theta, can be achieved in self hypnosis. Therefore, if one is choosing a method to reach these brain wave states to experience their beneficial effects, the choice of self hypnosis or meditation is an individual one. Self hypnosis is more commonly associated with providing suggestion to the subconscious mind with the goal of changing behavior than meditation is; however, meditation upon a given phrase or desired goal can also provide a type of suggestion, so in some ways the lines between the two techniques blur here as well.

Meditation is most often a practice entered to calm and focus one’s mind, to release one’s mind of thought. Meditation, like self hypnosis, brings the mind into a trance brainwave state, alpha or theta. These are much calmer and quieter brainwave states than beta, which is our waking, thinking state. Alpha and theta states are associated with creativity and intuition, and with super learning.

The chief differences between self hypnosis and meditation lie in the primary goal and the method of achieving the trance state. The primary goal of self hypnosis most often is to provide positive suggestions for change to the subconscious, while the primary goal for meditation is usually to achieve a relaxed, thought-free state in alpha or theta, with the goal of training the mind.

There are a variety of different techniques to achieve either self hypnosis or meditation, such as following a count-down or a proscribed method of tiring the conscious mind by counting objects, etc. Trance in meditation or self hypnosis can be achieved by closing one’s eyes and repeatedly bringing the focus back to the breathing or focusing on a point such as a flame, while gently releasing thought. If analyzed carefully, someone experienced in both meditation and self hypnosis will recognize that all methods of entering the trance state involve the same mechanisms of tiring the conscious mind, through eye fixation or confusion, etc.

A beneficial practice does not need to be time consuming. Many people are reluctant to begin meditation or self hypnosis practices because they think they need to spend an hour every morning in the state. That isn’t true. The benefits can be achieved with much briefer periods of time, and I encourage clients to start with 20 to 25 minutes, four or five times a week. With practice and consistency, the time required to get into the state will shorten considerably, and then you can reduce the overall time to 15 or 20 minutes, and still gain benefits. The time of day to practice is individual as well. Fit it into your schedule, and listen to your mind and body to determine the right time of day for you.

Consistency is important. Practicing every day is wonderful, but not absolutely necessary if it isn’t realistic for your lifestyle. Four or five days a week is a good goal. The beneficial changes will remain with you as long as you continue your practice. Just like exercising a muscle, if you stop working out it gets flabby. If you stop your trance practice (self hypnosis or meditation) then eventually you will find the old thought patterns and emotional reactions creeping back into your life.

Since the benefits of entering the trance state through either technique are similar, the choice of meditation or self-hypnosis is really an individual one. Often this choice comes down to which method works best for the individual to enter the trance state quickly, easily and reliably, and what their goals are: releasing thought to experience the space between thoughts, or the application of positive suggestions. Try each method, and remember whatever method you are trying, to give it time. It may feel awkward at first, but with time you will enter the trance state more quickly, more deeply and more easily.

Regular practice of meditation or self hypnosis has beneficial effects on many conditions and situations, including ADD/ADHD, anxiety and depression, nervous conditions, psoriasis, headaches and migraines, insomnia and more. Benefits come quickly and grow over time. With a regular, on-going practice, you will feel calmer, become more creative and intuitive, more relaxed and focused.

Article by: Cindy Locher, Minneapolis Hypnosis Examiner

Eyes To The Soul

Thursday, July 08, 2010



Eyes To The Soul is the fourth and final hypnosis session in a series of Youtube videos which has included Drifting Clouds, Garden of Relaxation and Universal Energy.

In Eyes To The Soul you are put into a deeply relaxing hypnotic state by our in-house hypnotherapist Jon Rhodes. While in this hypnotic state your subconscious mind is open to suggestion. During this particular session we will work together to improve your skills of intuition and your ability to read people, and of course you will be left feeling incredibly relaxed.

This is a great session to use if you deal in business or indeed any walk of life that requires you to be able to judge people's true intentions quickly. Eyes To The Soul hypnosis clocks in at just over 7 minutes, so you can fit it in everyday that you feel you need that boost.

How To Control People With Your Mind


Do you ever wish you could just control other people for awhile … just long enough to get a raise, get promoted, make a sale, let them get to know you, or just get ahead?

Conversational hypnosis is one way to do exactly that; you can literally control other people with your mind. Conversational hypnosis is a set of people tools that lets you read a person, identify how they think, instantly create rapport, and actually command their subconscious mind to do what you want them to do.

Conversational hypnosis is not like regular hypnosis where you put the subject into a trance with their cooperation; instead, it’s done while the subject is fully awake, interactive, and unaware that you are side-stepping their conscious mind with subtle commands while you are also carrying on a normal conversation.

Many salespeople, writers, other business people use these techniques; some know what they are doing while others do several conversational hypnosis techniques naturally. Rather than dwelling on how to do covert conversational hypnosis, this article focuses on how to control people with your mind using normal overt techniques.

These overt techniques can be used for your advantage and simultaneously you will become sensitized and aware of when the techniques are used on you.

* Select image words in your discussion and writing. Image words are words or phrases that immediately create a picture in the mind’s eye.

* Notice how the subject sits, stands, moves, what he does with his hands, etc., and do the same basic things. Don’t be obvious; don’t do the exact same thing at the same time. The subject will subconsciously identify with your mimicking and think you are “one of us”.

* When you want someone to do something for you or agree with you, approach them just after they have already completed something requiring heavy, intense thought or concentration. People tend to be more agreeable and submissive at these times.

* Create a feeling of scarcity. In other words, indicate this deal, offer, or opportunity will expire, may no longer be available, etc. Even when people are used to this tactic, they still think in the back of their mind, “Maybe this time I really will miss out.”

* Do something for (or give something to) the subject “without obligation.” When you do something or give something to someone, most people tend to feel like they should reciprocate and do what you want in return.

* Offer the subject a warm drink. As they hold the warm drink and converse with you, they will tend to project the warmness in their hands to you … thinking of you as a warm, open, amiable person.

* Begin your conversations with questions that generate a “yes” response to get them into an agreeable disposition.

* Touch the subject by shaking hands, patting on the shoulder, nudging with your shoulder, … whatever is appropriate to the situation. This initiates the subconscious desire to bond and relate to others.

These are just a handful of techniques you can use to control other people with your mind. Conversational hypnosis includes many more techniques not only to control other people with your mind, but also to read and covertly inspire and command people as well.

Written by Dr. Bryan Stoker

Oops!

Wednesday, July 07, 2010


Hey guys - I thought the following articles had been posted - but found them today still hanging around as drafts. I went ahead and posted them on the days I had planned for them to post, and unfortunately, they won't come via the email subscription. You'll have to come and look at them here. So, here's a list of the links so you can see what you missed:

Feeling Stuck?


Feeling stuck? Change it fast. Hypnosis quickie session for fast success. Your brain gets stuck in a failure loop and it needs a firm nudge to get out. Do this 3 minute trance session to understand how it is so powerful to make a fast state change and anchor it in.

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Who’s Minding the Mind?

I found this really interesting article by Benedict Carey in the New York Times. It was published July 31, 2007.


In a recent experiment, psychologists at Yale altered people’s judgments of a stranger by handing them a cup of coffee.

The study participants, college students, had no idea that their social instincts were being deliberately manipulated. On the way to the laboratory, they had bumped into a laboratory assistant, who was holding textbooks, a clipboard, papers and a cup of hot or iced coffee — and asked for a hand with the cup.

That was all it took: The students who held a cup of iced coffee rated a hypothetical person they later read about as being much colder, less social and more selfish than did their fellow students, who had momentarily held a cup of hot java.

Findings like this one, as improbable as they seem, have poured forth in psychological research over the last few years. New studies have found that people tidy up more thoroughly when there’s a faint tang of cleaning liquid in the air; they become more competitive if there’s a briefcase in sight, or more cooperative if they glimpse words like “dependable” and “support” — all without being aware of the change, or what prompted it.

Psychologists say that “priming” people in this way is not some form of hypnotism, or even subliminal seduction; rather, it’s a demonstration of how everyday sights, smells and sounds can selectively activate goals or motives that people already have.

More fundamentally, the new studies reveal a subconscious brain that is far more active, purposeful and independent than previously known. Goals, whether to eat, mate or devour an iced latte, are like neural software programs that can only be run one at a time, and the unconscious is perfectly capable of running the program it chooses.

The give and take between these unconscious choices and our rational, conscious aims can help explain some of the more mystifying realities of behavior, like how we can be generous one moment and petty the next, or act rudely at a dinner party when convinced we are emanating charm.

“When it comes to our behavior from moment to moment, the big question is, ‘What to do next?’ ” said John A. Bargh, a professor of psychology at Yale and a co-author, with Lawrence Williams, of the coffee study, which was presented at a recent psychology conference. “Well, we’re finding that we have these unconscious behavioral guidance systems that are continually furnishing suggestions through the day about what to do next, and the brain is considering and often acting on those, all before conscious awareness.”

Dr. Bargh added: “Sometimes those goals are in line with our conscious intentions and purposes, and sometimes they’re not.”

Priming the Unconscious

The idea of subliminal influence has a mixed reputation among scientists because of a history of advertising hype and apparent fraud. In 1957, an ad man named James Vicary claimed to have increased sales of Coca-Cola and popcorn at a movie theater in Fort Lee, N.J., by secretly flashing the words “Eat popcorn” and “Drink Coke” during the film, too quickly to be consciously noticed. But advertisers and regulators doubted his story from the beginning, and in a 1962 interview, Mr. Vicary acknowledged that he had trumped up the findings to gain attention for his business.

Later studies of products promising subliminal improvement, for things like memory and self-esteem, found no effect.

Some scientists also caution against overstating the implications of the latest research on priming unconscious goals. The new research “doesn’t prove that consciousness never does anything,” wrote Roy Baumeister, a professor of psychology at Florida State University, in an e-mail message. “It’s rather like showing you can hot-wire a car to start the ignition without keys. That’s important and potentially useful information, but it doesn’t prove that keys don’t exist or that keys are useless.”

Yet he and most in the field now agree that the evidence for psychological hot-wiring has become overwhelming. In one 2004 experiment, psychologists led by Aaron Kay, then at Stanford University and now at the University of Waterloo, had students take part in a one-on-one investment game with another, unseen player.

Half the students played while sitting at a large table, at the other end of which was a briefcase and a black leather portfolio. These students were far stingier with their money than the others, who played in an identical room, but with a backpack on the table instead.

The mere presence of the briefcase, noticed but not consciously registered, generated business-related associations and expectations, the authors argue, leading the brain to run the most appropriate goal program: compete. The students had no sense of whether they had acted selfishly or generously.

In another experiment, published in 2005, Dutch psychologists had undergraduates sit in a cubicle and fill out a questionnaire. Hidden in the room was a bucket of water with a splash of citrus-scented cleaning fluid, giving off a faint odor. After completing the questionnaire, the young men and women had a snack, a crumbly biscuit provided by laboratory staff members.

The researchers covertly filmed the snack time and found that these students cleared away crumbs three times more often than a comparison group, who had taken the same questionnaire in a room with no cleaning scent. “That is a very big effect, and they really had no idea they were doing it,” said Henk Aarts, a psychologist at Utrecht University and the senior author of the study.

The Same Brain Circuits

The real-world evidence for these unconscious effects is clear to anyone who has ever run out to the car to avoid the rain and ended up driving too fast, or rushed off to pick up dry cleaning and returned with wine and cigarettes — but no pressed slacks.

The brain appears to use the very same neural circuits to execute an unconscious act as it does a conscious one. In a study that appeared in the journal Science in May, a team of English and French neuroscientists performed brain imaging on 18 men and women who were playing a computer game for money. The players held a handgrip and were told that the tighter they squeezed when an image of money flashed on the screen, the more of the loot they could keep.

As expected, the players squeezed harder when the image of a British pound flashed by than when the image of a penny did — regardless of whether they consciously perceived the pictures, many of which flew by subliminally. But the circuits activated in their brains were similar as well: an area called the ventral pallidum was particularly active whenever the participants responded.

“This area is located in what used to be called the reptilian brain, well below the conscious areas of the brain,” said the study’s senior author, Chris Frith, a professor in neuropsychology at University College London who wrote the book “Making Up The Mind: How the Brain Creates our Mental World.”

The results suggest a “bottom-up” decision-making process, in which the ventral pallidum is part of a circuit that first weighs the reward and decides, then interacts with the higher-level, conscious regions later, if at all, Dr. Frith said.

Scientists have spent years trying to pinpoint the exact neural regions that support conscious awareness, so far in vain. But there’s little doubt it involves the prefrontal cortex, the thin outer layer of brain tissue behind the forehead, and experiments like this one show that it can be one of the last neural areas to know when a decision is made.

This bottom-up order makes sense from an evolutionary perspective. The subcortical areas of the brain evolved first and would have had to help individuals fight, flee and scavenge well before conscious, distinctly human layers were added later in evolutionary history. In this sense, Dr. Bargh argues, unconscious goals can be seen as open-ended, adaptive agents acting on behalf of the broad, genetically encoded aims — automatic survival systems.

In several studies, researchers have also shown that, once covertly activated, an unconscious goal persists with the same determination that is evident in our conscious pursuits. Study participants primed to be cooperative are assiduous in their teamwork, for instance, helping others and sharing resources in games that last 20 minutes or longer. Ditto for those set up to be aggressive.

This may help explain how someone can show up at a party in good spirits and then for some unknown reason — the host’s loafers? the family portrait on the wall? some political comment? — turn a little sour, without realizing the change until later, when a friend remarks on it. “I was rude? Really? When?”

Mark Schaller, a psychologist at the University of British Columbia, in Vancouver, has done research showing that when self-protective instincts are primed — simply by turning down the lights in a room, for instance — white people who are normally tolerant become unconsciously more likely to detect hostility in the faces of black men with neutral expressions.

“Sometimes nonconscious effects can be bigger in sheer magnitude than conscious ones,” Dr. Schaller said, “because we can’t moderate stuff we don’t have conscious access to, and the goal stays active.”

Until it is satisfied, that is, when the program is subsequently suppressed, research suggests. In one 2006 study, for instance, researchers had Northwestern University undergraduates recall an unethical deed from their past, like betraying a friend, or a virtuous one, like returning lost property. Afterward, the students had their choice of a gift, an antiseptic wipe or a pencil; and those who had recalled bad behavior were twice as likely as the others to take the wipe. They had been primed to psychologically “cleanse” their consciences.

Once their hands were wiped, the students became less likely to agree to volunteer their time to help with a graduate school project. Their hands were clean: the unconscious goal had been satisfied and now was being suppressed, the findings suggest.

What You Don’t Know

Using subtle cues for self-improvement is something like trying to tickle yourself, Dr. Bargh said: priming doesn’t work if you’re aware of it. Manipulating others, while possible, is dicey. “We know that as soon as people feel they’re being manipulated, they do the opposite; it backfires,” he said.

And researchers do not yet know how or when, exactly, unconscious drives may suddenly become conscious; or under which circumstances people are able to override hidden urges by force of will. Millions have quit smoking, for instance, and uncounted numbers have resisted darker urges to misbehave that they don’t even fully understand.

Yet the new research on priming makes it clear that we are not alone in our own consciousness. We have company, an invisible partner who has strong reactions about the world that don’t always agree with our own, but whose instincts, these studies clearly show, are at least as likely to be helpful, and attentive to others, as they are to be disruptive.

Giving Your Self Approval

Tuesday, July 06, 2010


Along with control and survival, approval is one of the three basic human wants that keep us entrapped as the ego.

It's astonishing how far people will go for approval. The multi-billion dollar cosmetic industry is just one example. The clothing industry is another. The list goes on and on.

People pattern their behavior based on what they think will get approval. And yes it's common to subject ourselves to control to get approval.

The amazing thing is that it's incredibly effective to give ourselves approval. There's no need to seek it anywhere else.

This is amazingly powerful stuff.

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Confidence Building Technique

This Technique helps you to get back your lost internal self confidence. You can turn back to this method whenever you require the power and self-confidence. The successful people in this world have one thing in common - tremendous power and self confidence. They have the capacity to convert their thoughts to action through their power and self confidence.

What is Power?

From the many meanings that can be given to the word, one of them is the person's ability to convert thoughts to action. Through this exercise you will be able to generate a solid power within you that will help you to use all the knowledge lying inside you.

Confidence Building Technique

  • You have to create a circle of confidence in front of you. Stand up straight on your feet and imagine the existence of a powerful circle in front of you. Stand firm and tall.

  • Focus on your inhalation and exhalation of breath. Imagine a liquid inside that circle in front of your body to be of any color of your choice. Recall any past incident of your life when you felt powerful and confident.

  • Just imagining this powerful and confident state will develop tremendous power and self confidence within your body. Slowly this state of power and self-confidence will increase in its intensity and you will strongly feel the increase.

  • A time will come when this state of tremendous power and self-confidence will reach its PEAK. When it reaches the peak, immediately close your fists and hit a punch in air. Shout in the loudest tone "YES".

  • Take a step ahead and come in the imagined circle. Once you are in the circle imagine that the colored liquid filled with confidence in entering your whole body. This liquid is increasing your power and confidence tremendously. You will have a totally new and "charged-up" experience. You can repeat if needed. Count 1,2, and 3 and then slowly open your eyes.

Advice
  • If you practice this technique two or three times a day for 21 days continuously then you will surely experience tremendous boost in your power and self-confidence.

  • Once you have practiced the technique enough, just close your eyes, remember a past incident where you felt powerful and self confident and which bring power in you. just when you remember that incident, shout "YES" loudly

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