Part
2 of MIND TOOLS
REPROGRAMMING
Autosuggestion is one
of the most effective tools for changing our belief systems, and reprogram our
body and mind. It can be practiced in various forms. At the level of normal
consciousness we can use affirmations. More effective are suggestions given in
an altered state of consciousness and then we call it self-hypnosis. We may
also use suggestions during sleep. Finally, suggestions may be given in the
form of inner pictures and even motion pictures and then we call it
visualization, guided imagery or reverie.
Reprogramming is
much more effective if we have a strong positive feeling or emotional
outpouring at the same time.
Emotional Freedom
Technique
The EFT technique, mainly developed by Gary Craig, is very effective to overcome
negative emotions and disturbing memories and their harmful effects on body and
mind. You may be able to eliminate most of these disturbing problems within
minutes yourself. I know that sounds unbelievable. Such claims are usually only
made by people who want to sell you something.
The basic principle of this method is to combine consciousness with
energy flows. The fundamental discovery of this therapy is stated as: "The
cause of all negative emotions is a disruption of the body’s energy
system." It is claimed that single aspect problems, such as fear of public
speaking, of heights, of snakes or spiders, can often be overcome within
minutes. Also many physical problems seem to yield to the same formula. This is
not entirely surprising as most physical problems have an emotional component.
However, in addition we can expect a direct beneficial effect on the physical
body by balancing the energy system, especially if this is combined with
conscious awareness.
You may select a health problem or a memory that still evokes a negative
emotion when you think of it or feel into it. Gary Craig used the following
formula: "Even though I have this ___________, I deeply and completely
love and accept myself." For instance, if you have been negatively
affected by the diagnosis of cancer, then you may say: "Even though I have
this fear of cancer, I deeply and completely love and accept myself." You
may also try variations such as: “Despite my fear of cancer, I fully expect to
overcome it.” Therefore, you first state the problem that you want to overcome
and then your expected goal or solution.
However, the more specific you can be in selecting this statement, the
more effective it will be. Your fear of cancer may be a composite of multiple
aspects, such as the fear of dying, a fear of pain or suffering, a fear of
having to leave your family behind, perhaps just fear of the unknown, the
emotional impact of the original diagnosis, apprehension of financial hardship,
of becoming incapacitated and a burden on your family and many others. You need
to address each of these different aspects separately and say, for instance,
"In spite of my fear of dying ..." or "Although I am shocked by
my cancer diagnosis ..."
In order to make the selected affirmation effective, you tap on selected
acupuncture points. This temporarily normalizes the energy flow of the tapped
meridian. Each time, while saying your affirmation you tap each selected point
about 7 times. Do this firmly with the tips of the index and middle fingers of
either hand on one side of the body or better still, use all slightly curled
fingers on both sides of the body. These meridian points are:
1.
At the top of the head
2.
At the inner end of each eyebrow
3.
On the bony ridge at the outside of
the eyes
4.
On the bone under the eyes
5.
Between the bottom of the nose and
the top of the upper lip
6.
Midway between the point of the chin
and the lower lip
7.
Where the breastbone, collarbone and
first rib meet
8.
On the side of the body level with
the nipple of a men or the bra strap
9.
On the inside of each wrist.
At the beginning of the
procedure and again after a series of tapping assess the emotional intensity of
the stressful memory or fear by imagining the corresponding situation. Assign
to it a number from 0 to 10 whereby you do not feel any emotional content at 0
but it is overwhelming at 10. If the intensity has lessened but not returned to
0, repeat it with an adjusted affirmation. Now you may say, for instance:
"Although I still have some of this fear of cancer, I deeply and completely
love and accept myself." Later you may adjust this still further and
say: "Even though I still have some
of this remaining fear of cancer …."
If your negative memory is not easily put into words, then you may just
imagine a movie scene lasting for several seconds and repeat this when tapping
each point. This may be suitable in abuse situation with many different aspects
to address. In addition to performing the tapping on yourself, you may also
work on a friend or relative. If you do not get results, then you may need to
re-formulate your affirmation to address a different aspect of the problem, or
make your affirmation more specific.
With some problems, especially of a physical nature, it may help to
repeat the procedure many times during the day for an extended period. To
overcome a strong addiction, such as for drugs or smoking, it may need to be
repeated every half waking hour for several days.
Some individuals may also be blocked by what has been called
"Energy Toxins". These may be due to electromagnetic pollution,
chemical sensitivity, food allergy and especially medical drugs. If no progress
can be made with different affirmations, then try to perform it in a different
and preferably unpolluted place. If this does not help, clean yourself
thoroughly in a bath or shower but without any soap and then test before
putting any cloths on. Stand on a tiled or hardwood floor instead of a carpet.
If that does not help either you may need to go on an elimination diet as described
elsewhere.
The most common energy toxins are often the foods that we love most, in
addition to perfume, herbs and spices, wheat, corn, sugar, coffee, tea,
caffeine, alcohol, nicotine and dairy products. You may also try muscle testing
to find the source of your problem.
While you may experiment with these instructions and already achieve
good results, I suggest that you visit Gary Craig’s website www.emofree.com. From here you can get a lot
of useful information, plenty of case histories, a free instruction manual and
much more. In addition, you may visit www.emotionalrelief.org
for descriptions of similar techniques. Also Dr Mercola has a good EFT protocol
for beginners on http://www.mercola.com/forms/eftcourse.htm.
As an extension of
this method, I suggest that after freeing yourself of negative memories, you
may also experiment with positive affirmations, especially for improving body
conditions. While you may start out formulating your phrase as given above and
say: "Even though I still have some remaining weakness in my immune
system, I deeply and completely love and accept myself", you may
eventually rephrase it to: "Every day in every way my immune system is
stronger and stronger". In the same way you may augment any other positive
affirmations.
Affirmations
Look through your
list of beliefs that you want to change and select one or two that have the
most immediate importance. Often this will be a health problem or an
emotional difficulty. Then work out a short statement to describe your goal.
While making each
statement, try to feel it at the same time; in our example feel your breath
flowing freely.
Another good
general affirmation was used extensively by Emile Coue, the originator of
autosuggestion therapy: "With every day in every way I am better and
better." Note the rhythm and poetic sound of this suggestion. In this
way the right half of our brain, which requires artistic stimulation, can
accept a verbal suggestion which it otherwise might ignore. The right brain is
intimately linked to our subconscious mind.
Making the message
acceptable to the right brain is the key to success reprogramming. I also like
to say: "My days are filled with love and joy." You may say this
right after the Coue affirmation, feel the joy and love while you say it.
Affirmations are
statements of goals or intentions that you imprint on the mental level with the
aim of getting them accepted by the inner self. When this is achieved, when the
Inner self believes your statement, it is as good as done. As with prayer, the
key to success is your faith that your request has already been granted at the
spiritual level and just takes some time to become manifest in your existence.
Self-Hypnosis
Instead of clothing
a suggestion in an artistic dress in order to make it acceptable to the right
side of the brain, we may achieve a similar result by switching off the
analytical left side of our brain.
In addition it is
recommended that you mentally wander through your body and give a positive
suggestion to each organ and system. At the same time, try to feel a
strengthening flow of energy into each part.
Mention also the
blood circulation, the immune system, reproductive system and the lymph
circulation.
Before opening the
eyes after awakening or when finishing your meditation or a relaxation
exercise, give yourself a positive suggestion. You may say: "When I
count to five my eyes will open and I feel refreshed, energized and
joyful." Then count slowly and try to feel the sensation of being
refreshed, energetic and joyful. In addition, give yourself helpful suggestions
for a restful sleep or for solving specific problems just before falling asleep.
Children, and even
adults with their consent, may be given helpful suggestions during their sleep.
Start by telling them to continue sleeping, that all is well and that you love
them. Then repeat the special message about ten times in very simple words.
With children this frequently may involve bedwetting, behavioral problems or
school activity. For yourself you may also use tape-recorded messages that
automatically switch on and off.
Guided Imagery
For many problems
guided imager is the most powerful autosuggestion method. Visualisation or
mental imagery is an effective form of guided imagery. After entering a state
of deep relaxation, visualize your goal or the desired solution to your
problem, hold the picture in a vivid form for as long as possible. Try to feel
it at the same time. Visualising a solution is like providing a mould or shape
while feeling supplies the necessary energy to manifest the imagined condition.
Alternatively, you
may produce a mental movie, also called guided reverie. Even if not producing a
moving scene, visualization is usually more effective if you do not try to hold
on to a still picture, but rather make it in some way dynamic as with changes
or fluctuations in color, size, intensity of feeling or by breathing into it.
Picture various scenes eventually leading to the desired solution. See yourself
as you would like to be, with natural hair color, smooth skin, ideal weight,
joyfully dancing, overflowing with energy while running up a hill, and so forth.
Try to visualize
your health problem. For instance, if there is a tumor inside your body,
visualize it as a black or gray mass. Then do breathing exercises: with each
inhalation see your body being flooded with a golden-yellow energy. See how
this energy gradually dissolves and washes away the dark tumor mass. With each
breath it becomes somewhat smaller. The dissolved mass is then expelled with
the outgoing breath.
As an additional
exercise, see your immune cells charging into the growth and destroying the
cancer cells. Invent a picture with a strong emotional impact. You may, for
instance, see your immune cells as white mice nibbling away at a cheese, which
represents the tumor, or you may see them as star-war spaceships shooting down
ugly enemy space ships, which symbolize individual cancer cells.
For different
conditions invent your own visualizations. For cataracts, for instance, see a
gray film over your eyes slowly disappearing. If there is a severe pain, see it
as a fireball that is gradually extinguished by a flood of deep blue,
water-like energy, drawn in with the breath. For a paralyzed body part see an
orange or fiery red stream of energy enter the limb with each breath, causing
it to become more and more hot, tingling and gently moving with each renewed
burst of energy.
The following
exercise may show you the power of imagination. Sit relaxed, turn your head
without moving the shoulders as far as possible to each side and note how far
you can see the wall behind your back from each side. Perform a short
relaxation exercise and then imagine that your head turns effortlessly almost
180 degrees to each side so that you can see the whole wall at your back.
Repeat this imaginary turning of the head several times to each side but
without moving the head physically. Finally, open your eyes and actually turn
your head to each side and note how far you can now see behind your back.
Use your
imagination to create a mental picture suitable for your specific problems.
There is no limit to what you can achieve.
Body Talk
Guided imagery is even
more effective if you combine it with talking to your body. Imagine that the
body has many different layers or levels of consciousness. Your mind usually
works at the mental level while your subconscious mind is in charge of the
emotional level. Below that is the life-force level and that is where your
body-self operates. However, I have reasons to assume that each organ in our
body and even each cell has its own distinct consciousness. You were already
enlisting the cooperation of all these individual consciousnesses with your
guided imagery. Now imagine that you can talk to them as well and that they are
willing and eager to comply with your wishes.
First talk to the
body self that is in charge of all the different organs and body parts. You may
give it a name, as for instance your unused middle name and talk to it as you
would to a child with a problem. Tell it repeatedly what you want it to do,
such as shrinking a tumour, putting on weight, strengthening the immune system,
removing toxins and so forth. Give it enthusiastic encouragement and convince
it that it is able to do it. If, for instance, you have a breast tumour then
ask it to heal the breast and to support the breast in its efforts to heal
itself.
Then in the same
way talk to the affected breast. Tell it what you want it to do. Tell it that
it is strong enough to heal the tumour and heal any lesions. Ask it to turn to
the body self for help. Assure your breast that you love it and promise
frequently to send it love energy and any other support that it may need. Then
do not forget to do as you said. Tell you body self as well as your breast to
let you know what you can do better to support them and in a relaxed state
listen for an answer. A helpful idea may unexpectedly cross your mind.
Talk audibly to
your body and frequently repeat talking to it, art least once a day. After the initial
contact you do not always need to be in a relaxed state but can talk whenever
you feel like it. You may find it very effective talking in front of a mirror.
You may also directly talk to your army of immune cells, giving it a pep talk
as their commander in chief or ask the red blood cells to carry more oxygen or
the lymph fluid to remove waste products more efficiently.