Archive for March, 2009
Realtionships & Visualisations
Posted by: | CommentsAre you a certified member of the NBSB organization? You know, the No Boyfriend Since Birth group who often wonder why they can’t seem to hook a guy. Or maybe your case is not that extreme. Maybe your problem involves difficulty in maintaining intimate relationships with your significant others, breaking off engagements, getting cold feet, filing for annulment or maybe even begging for a divorce. Or it could be that tumultuous relationship you have with your parents that you want to set on the right track.
Whatever it is, the secret can help you change this aspect of your life.
First, understand your part in the relationship. How can you expect others to enjoy your company if you cannot enjoy your company? It is essential that you treat yourself right. Do not neglect your inner needs or wants. Indulge yourself in little pleasures. If going to a spa is what will make your day, then go for it. If you just want a quick makeover and change in look, purchasing a few items at a trendy boutique could lift your spirits a few notches higher. Play with your little nephews and nieces. Surround yourself with things and people who can make you feel great.
Finding fullness in yourself will help you to gain a realistic perspective on your relationships. When you are filled with goodness, you will overflow and people will be attracted to you, like bees to honey.
Take note of your positive aspects and allow people to see them. Once you have taken this step, the rest will just follow.
It takes two to tango, as they say. But if you are secure in yourself, in your capabilities and in your values, you will find it easier to deal with others who are on a different level.
Supposing you like someone. You can perform creative visualization that he/she will reciprocate your feelings. However, you have to be honest with yourself too. Do you like that person only because he is popular, or rich, or good-looking? Cultivate relationships not because they are to be used for selfish motives. Cultivate them to allow you to grow as a mature and levelheaded individual. Such selfless acts will thrust you to greater heights.
With regards to troubled relationships, it is interesting to point out that such trouble occurs when the people involved are both immature. So again, go back to what I’ve mentioned earlier.
Fill yourself to completion first and when that happens, you will be in a better physical, psychological, emotional and spiritual condition to discuss the reasons for your conflicts. You may be surprised to learn that you can actually converse with the other person without raising your voice or losing your temper.
Trust me, it will be an easier time for both of you to make critical decisions in your lives.
Creative Visualisation & Money
Posted by: | CommentsAre you familiar with the name Jack Canfield? Most probably you associate him with the bestselling book, Chicken Soup for the Soul because the inspirational stories struck a chord and resonated in your heart. Did you know that the book almost never made it to a publishing house? Thankfully, by learning the value of creative visualization, he was able to overcome the initial challenges that were thrown in his way.
This is what happened.
Growing up as a poor kid, Jack grew up imbibing the knowledge that money is hard to come by, that it doesn’t grow on trees, that it should be kept and stretched to its limit. The usual clincher that Jack would hear from his father whenever he asked for money to buy sweets is this: “Who do you think I am, Rockefeller?” Of course, that would shut Jack up and end the verbal tussle with his Dad.
Decades later, he learned the secret of creative visualization when a friend coached him. He wanted to earn extra cash to fund the needs of his growing family so he decided to take the plunge. One day, he declared his intention of earning $100,000 that year. He believed and accepted it to be true, so he visualized it every single day.
For 30 days, nothing happened. Then, while he was in the shower, a major idea hit him. He was struck by the knowledge that if he could sell the manuscript of Chicken Soup for the Soul to a publisher who could sell it to 400, 000 people at the price of a quarter each, then he would have enough cash to last for some time.
Take note that the manuscript was there all that time. He just did not notice it.
While doing grocery shopping that day, the newspaper rack of the National Enquirer jumped out at him. He imagined that if he were to advertise in that magazine, it would be read by millions of people, and out of those millions, hundred of thousands could be potential buyers of Chicken Soup for the Soul. Although he stored this fact in his mind, he was not able to pursue it as he was busy giving talks and symposiums on inspiring stories, some of which were in the book.
Coincidentally, after giving a lecture at New York University, he was approached by a woman impressed with his topic. She wanted to interview him and when he asked who she worked for, she replied,”I’m a freelancer, but I send most of my stuff to the National Enquirer. The proverbial light bulb lit on top of Jack’s head, and the rest as they say, is history.
Though Jack Canfield wasn’t able to rake in exactly $100,000, he did manage to earn $92, 327 that year. Today, he publishes books which earn millions, receives the royalty checks and enjoys the good life together with his family. All this he achieved with the help of creative visualization.
Success Made Easy
Posted by: | CommentsLet me guess. You are grinning like a Cheshire cat upon reading the title of this chapter, right? Sure, every person on earth wants to be successful, wants to be somebody that others can look up to and emulate. More often than not, if you are successful, you learn how to pursue your dreams and live life to the fullest. You also have the greater responsibility of “paying forward” everything that you have accumulated.
There is nothing wrong with hankering for success. It only becomes a mistake if you let it go to your head and allow it to make you an arrogant fool.
In whatever field of endeavor you choose, success is the mark of excellence. It is the distinction which separates you from ordinary individuals. It is the delineation between the mediocre and the best.
If you want to be a smashing success, follow these tips:
Pay close attention to the thoughts in your mind. Try to distinguish whether the thoughts are mostly reflecting optimistic or pessimistic views. Are you happy with what you’ve discovered? If your often-repeated thoughts are constructive, well and good. If not, don’t fret. It’s not the end of the world yet. Review what you have learned earlier. Like attracts like. If you think of breakdowns in the workplace and a miserable life everyday, that’s what will come to you.
Again, your predominant thoughts are the key to success or failure. Use this knowledge consciously and in a positive way.
Unlike most people, you already know that creative visualization is a portal to success. Use it to your advantage. Utilize certain traits of characters and skills that you have such as faith in yourself and in your abilities. Add to these limitless patience, perseverance, powerful concentration, willpower, intense discipline and strong ambition.
Success is within your grasp, if you believe it to be so. What you imagine is the seed of what you will experience. Every success starts in YOUR mind. The mental images you have attract the corresponding situations and circumstances into your life. Believe that you can impress the big boss. Trust your potential to meet the deadline. Carry on in completing the seemingly insurmountable paperwork. Do your work without hesitation. Use your faculties to bring out the best in every situation.
By following the tips given above, you will find out what your true goals in life are. You will have more joyful, more satisfying and rewarding experiences. Make the necessary changes in your life. Do not be afraid to prune the unwanted aspects because it will ultimately help you attain your goal of being successful.
The Simonton Process of Visualization For Cancer
Posted by: | CommentsDr. Carl Simonton, a radiation cancer specialist, and his wife, Stephanie Matthews-Simonton, a psychotherapist and counselor specializing in cancer patients, have developed a special visualization or imaging technique for the treatment of cancer which is now popularly known as the Simonton process. Ridiculed at first by the medical profession, the Simonton process is now being used in at least five hospitals across the United States to fight cancer.
The technique itself is the height of simplicity and utilizes the tremendous powers of the mind, specifically its faculty for visualization and imagination, to control cancer. First, the patient is shown what a normal healthy cell looks like. Next, he is asked to imagine a battle going on between the cancer cell and the normal cell. He is asked to visualize a concrete image that will represent the cancer cell and another image of the normal cell. Then he is asked to see the normal cell winning the battle against the cancer cell.
One youngster represented the normal cell as the video game character Pacman and the cancer cell as the “ghosts” (enemies of Pacman), and then he saw Pacman eating up the ghosts until they were all gone.
A housewife saw her cancer cell as dirt and the normal cell as a vacuum cleaner. She visualized the vacuum cleaner swallowing up all the dirt until everything was smooth and clean.
Patients are asked to do this type of visualization three times a day for 15 minutes each time. And the results of the initial experiments in visualization to cure cancer were nothing short of miraculous. Of course, being medical practitioners, Dr. Simonton and his psychologist wife were aware of the placebo effect and spontaneous remission of illness. As long as they were getting good results with the technique, it didn’t seem to matter whether it was placebo or spontaneous remission.
The Simontons also noticed that those who got cured had a distinct personality. They all had a strong will to live and did everything to get well. Those who didn’t succeed had resigned themselves to their fate.
While the Simontons were exploring the motivation of cancer patients, they were also looking into two interesting areas of research at that time: biofeedback and the surveillance theory. Both areas had something to do with the influence of the mind over body processes. Stephanie Simonton explains in her book TheHealing Family:
In biofeedback training, an individual is hooked up to a device that feeds back information on his physiological processes. A patient with tachycardia, an irregular heartbeat, might be hooked up to an oscilloscope, which will give a constant visual readout of the heartbeat. The patient watches the monitor while attempting to relax…when he succeeds in slowing his heartbeat through his thinking, he is rewarded immediately by seeing that fact on visual display.
The surveillance theory holds that the immune system does in fact produce ‘killer cells’ which seek out and destroy stray cancer cells many times in our lives, and it is when this system breaks down, that the disease can take hold. When most patients are diagnosed with cancer, surgery, radiation and/or chemotherapy are used to destroy as much of the tumor as possible. But once the cancer is reduced, we wondered if the immune system could be reactivated to seek out and destroy the remaining cancer cells.
The Simontons reasoned that since people can learn how to influence their blood flow and heart rate by using their minds, they could also learn to influence their immune system. Later research proved their approach to be valid.
Your Mind Can Keep You Well
Posted by: | CommentsDid you know that it is only recently that medical doctors have accepted how important the power of the mind is in influencing the immune system of the human body? Many decades passed before these men of science decided to test the proposition that the brain is involved in the optimum functioning of the different body systems. Recent research shows the undeniable connection –the link– between mind and body, which challenged the long-held medical assumption. A new science called psychoneuroimmunology or PNI, the study of how the mind affects health and bodily functions, has come out of such research.
A psychologist at the University of Texas Health Science Center, Lean Achterberg, suggests that emotion may form the link between mind and immunity. “Many of the autonomic functions connected with health and disease,” she explains,” are emotionally triggered.”
Exercises which encourage relaxation and mental activities such as creative visualization, positive thinking, and guided imagery produce subtle changes in the emotions which can trigger either a positive or a negative effect on the immune system. This explains why positive imaging techniques have resulted in dramatic healings in people with very serious illnesses, including cancer.
OMNI magazine claims (February, 1989), in a cover article entitled “Mind Exercises That Boost Your Immune System”:
“As far back as the Thirties, Edmund Jacobson found that if you imagine or visualize yourself doing a particular action – say, lifting an object with your right arm – the muscles in that arm show increased electrical activity. Other scientists have found that imagining an object moving across the sky produces more eye movements than visualizing a stationary object.”
One of the most dramatic applications of imagery in coping with illness is the work of Dr. Carl Simonton, a radiation cancer specialist in Dallas, Texas. “By combining relaxation with personalized images,” reports OMNI magazine, “he has helped terminal cancer patients reduce the size of their tumors and sometimes experience complete remission of the disease.”
Many of his patients have benefited from this technique. It simply shows how positive visualization can help alleviate – if not totally cure – various diseases including systemic lupus erythomatosus, migraine, chronic back pain, hyperthyroidism, high blood pressure, hyper-acidity, etc.
However, individual differences have to be taken into consideration when discussing each patient’s progress. It’s understandable that individuals have varying abilities to visualize or create mental images clearly; some people will benefit more from positive-imagery techniques than others
Nevertheless, if visualization can help people overcome diseases, it could possibly help healthy individuals keep their immune system in top shape. Says OMNI magazine: “Practicing daily positive-imaging techniques may, like a balanced diet and physical exercise routine, tip the scales of health toward wellness.”
What Is An Emotional Guidance System?
Posted by: | CommentsYou know that thoughts cause feelings, right? Read the headlines on the papers and if you saturate yourself with articles reporting about terrorist activities, genocide, hate crimes, poor political will or government inefficiencies, you will feel depressed, angry and desperate.
On the other hand, if you surround yourself with good news like astounding human interest stories, inspiring real-life tales and amazing feats or discoveries, you will be upbeat, projecting a certain glow sure to be noticed by people around you.
What the emotional guidance system does is to classify your feelings into two categories: the good and the bad. As you can see in the illustration, good feelings include hope, belief, abundance, prosperity, passion, love, enthusiasm and joy. The bad feelings, on the other hand, are comprised of despair, pessimism, fear, guilt, jealousy, hatred, anger and shame. Knowing your feelings will help you act in a way that is in alignment with your desired goal.
In the case above of the good and bad newspaper articles, what do you think should be done? Of course, this doesn’t mean that you have to disregard the negative news and focus solely on the good news. What you should do is to celebrate the worthy write-ups and spread them to other people. Like a pebble being tossed into a pond, this will create a ripple effect and many lives will be blessed with the knowledge of such good and wonderful news. For the bad news, consider taking positive action. Instead of lamenting about the war on terrorism, support peace campaigns. Enjoin others to participate in inter-faith dialogues to promote harmonious coexistence. Encourage your friends and relatives to attend interracial meetings to break down the barrier of animosity and suspicion. Do not allow stereotypes to hinder you from reaching your goals. Break it down with the power of visualization and positive gestures.
Always find ways to be in or around a positive force. If possible, be the source of positive feelings yourself. Start a gratitude journal. At the end of the day, list all the things that you are thankful for, no matter how trivial they may seem. If somebody offered you a cup of coffee in the workplace, or a friend dropped by unexpectedly just to say hi, or a neighbor volunteered to take your beloved Dalmatian for a walk, be grateful. You do not need earth-shattering miracles to jolt you into a thanksgiving mode. Little acts of kindness are what really matters.
You can also help out at a local charity. Leading a fund-raising committee, helping out at a local soup kitchen, putting your hobbies to good use – all these contribute to the attraction of positive vibrations towards you. Do good.
The universe merely corresponds to the nature of your inner feelings. Always remember this: What you think, what you feel and what manifests are always a match.
Life can be absolutely phenomenal, and it should be.
The Visualization Process
Posted by: | CommentsAll of that preparation does seem a bit long, but now that it’s all ready, your daily visualizations will go smoothly.
1 – Relax
Use the method you have prepared. If you’re using binaural beats, you can keep listening to them during the rest of the process.
2 – Visualize
Using the pictures, images, and written notes that you have gathered, imagine the thing that you desire as if it was already realized in the here and now, in the order of being, then doing, then having. Enjoy the positive feelings. Note your physical sensations related to your feelings. Remember that these positive feelings come from anticipation of something that is on its way to your reality, not just idle dreaming. The physical support of pictures and written notes will help keep you from getting distracted, but if you do find your attention wandering, just bring it back gently.
Do it for about ten to fifteen minutes once or twice a day. One ideal time is just after you wake up, because you are likely to be in an alpha state then. Another good time is just before you go to bed. Here too, the alpha state will be easier to attain. Moreover, you can reinforce the effect by instructing your subconscious mind to continue working on this question while you are sleeping.
3 – Let go
Yes, when you’ve finished your visualization, just let go of the whole thing and turn you attention to your daily activities. If you have a spirit of serenity, as discussed earlier, this will not be difficult.
4 – Take some kind of action
You can do this at any time of the day. Do something concrete related to your desire. Do an Internet search on the country you want to visit, clean out your clothes closet to make room for the new clothes you will be able to buy, start taking singing lessons to prepare for your singing career. You do not need to spend money at this time, and stretching your budget would be unreasonable and putting the cart before the horse. But doing something, even a symbolic gesture, will show that you mean business.
If you have negative thoughts at any time, shoo them out the door, as you would to a cat that was showing too much interest in the fish you’re having for dinner. It’s understandable to have negative thoughts, just as it’s understandable that your cat will take advantage of a lack of vigilance on your part, but you’re not going to let either of them get the upper hand.
However, if this process causes a great deal of anxiety, or if you find yourself forgetting to do it altogether, there is likely to be a subconscious conflict that has not been resolved, and you would do well to re-examine your beliefs, with outside help if necessary.
Figuring Out The Faces Of Happiness
Posted by: | CommentsWhat is happiness? Is it the absence of tears, abundance of smiles, or love, love, love? Can happiness even be defined?
The main fault of those who try to define happiness is that they end up with a circular definition. Often, happiness is defined as a state in which a human being is content because the person has received something good. But what is that “something good?” The definition comes back full circle: it is something that makes the person happy.
To define happiness, one would need to describe it in terms of the way different societies, religions, or individuals have done. The concept of happiness began with the Greeks, who defined happiness as a life filled with reason and virtue – the so-called eudaimonia, or the state of being “well-souled.”
This definition of happiness, however, has veered away from defining the state of the person during one point in time, to a holistic approach that defines a person as a product of his or her past, and happiness as the product of many emotions and achievements. This is particularly prevalent in North America, where happiness is equated with the so-called “American Dream”: a successful, healthy family; more monetary wealth than can be calculated or known; beauty from the cradle to the coffin; and unflinching, unending wit and intelligence.
Not all families are successful – and the definition of success can vary from person to person, and culture to culture. Money cannot buy everything – and having too much of it can be the source of problems. Beauty, as the adage goes, is in the eye of the beholder. Wit and intelligence, moreover, can be, in some degrees, feeble, and in others, annoying.
So where is the happiness in all this? Is the American Dream really the embodiment of happiness?
More recent writers correlate authentic happiness with the marriage of positive emotions to positive activities. Positive emotions may arise because of something remembered in the past: contentment at having come so far, after so much work and effort; pride at having achieved so much after despairing; satisfaction; and serenity of spirit.
Positive emotions may also result from contentment and satisfaction in the present. Happiness coming from such emotions may be due to the satisfaction of bodily pleasures, such as enjoying the aroma and taste of food; the satisfaction of higher pleasures, such as watching an intellectually stimulating play; and gratifications, such as absorption in reading and study.
Last, positive emotions may also come from faith in the future. Happiness can arise from optimism and confidence, as well as hope and trust that tomorrow will come, and everything will set itself aright.
All these positives, however, still seem to speak in the abstract. After all, happiness is obviously the product of so many more things than personal gratification or awe; and one’s smile contains so many more emotions and faces than can be defined in a single moment. Besides, dogs like being patted and caressed, birds can sing and recognize each others’ tunes, and cats are actually smarter than they look. What sets our definition apart from those of animals?
With that in mind, do animals really feel happiness? According to experts, animals have little or none of the reasoning power of humans. What animals do have, however, are motivation and drive. For carnivores, this may be a successful hunt and fresh meat at the end of the day. For prey, this may be a successful hideout, and another escape from a hungry predator. For a dog with an itch, this may be a chance to scratch itself. That is, if an animal’s immediate needs are met, a goal is achieved, and an “animal happiness” ensues.
This, then, is what sets humans apart from animals: happiness in humans is not merely the achievement of goals, but the reveling and relishing of that achievement, and the optimism that comes with the reassurance that things can be better.
So, what is happiness?
Apparently, like most other emotions, what it is, and how you can achieve it, is up to you.
