ALTERING THE BELIEF SYSTEM
By Edward J Longo
Holding The Elephant Captive Our minds, including our thoughts, can hold us captive. Because of certain conditioning our beliefs can become set, depriving us of all hope, of ever attempting to change our ways. Conditioning can go both ways – it can either hold us captive, or it can release us from our bondage. One way to become released from bondage is to practice repetition so positive the mind will come to believe it as being the truth. Positive repetitions, faithfully practiced, will eventually come to be accepted by the mind and become manifest into reality. For an example of such conditioning consider the circus elephant. When wild elephants are first captured in Africa they are placed in a holding pen with an impenetrable fence and held there for a certain period of time. This is the beginning of the process of “brainwashing” whereby the elephant's behavior becomes modified. When they are subsequently sent to the circus environment they are shackled to the ground by one leg for long periods. Now considerably tamed, the only movement they are able to make is within the confines allocated by the length of the chain tied to a wooden stake.
In time, they grow accustomed to their limitations, accepting that they cannot break loose from the chain that held them for so long. Through repetition, they come to believe they can never escape their bondage. Weighing in at several tons it is obvious to anyone that with a simple tug the elephant could uproot the stake and be off and running. But these elephants do not know this – they have become conditioned to believe that freedom is not possible, so eventually, they give up trying. And so, we too, tend to give up when things seem fruitless – when we cannot seem to break away from the chain that binds us. That chain can be broken; the chain that holds us down is our belief system, or more appropriately, our conscious mind. And the way it can be broken is, not by brainwashing, but by brain conditioning, sending positive suggestions directly to the subconscious mind through the power of hypnosis. Negative thoughts cause pessimistic behavior patterns, just as pessimistic behavior patterns cause negative thoughts. People say, “sticks and stones shall break your bones, but names shall never hurt you.” Well, words can stick in your head; thoughts can stick in your mind. Negative things your parents, your friends, your enemies, and even total strangers have told you can become etched in the subconscious mind. Like a recording, it replays at the weakest moments, sitting there waiting for the opportunity to strike. Things you wouldn’t dream of thinking consciously can be sitting there undermining your thoughts, sabotaging your very ideals. The consequences can result in inner conflicts, turmoil, utter confusion and oftentimes, mental illness.
THE MIND CAN ACTUALLY ALTER THE BRAIN! (continued)
Self-Hypnosis and Behavior Modification
Infiltrating the subconscious mind by bombarding it with new truths enables us the power to change for the betterment of our lives. Words are especially powerful when spoken audibly. They can instill belief or discredit belief, creating positive or negative energy. The most effective way to instill belief is to bypass the conscious mind, which criticizes, and deliver messages into the subconscious, where they become accepted without reasoning.
Through the practice of hypnosis, it is feasible to break a bad habit, which is a negative, degenerative habit, by replacing it with a good habit – which becomes a beneficial, positive habit. Everyone develops habits, but some are positive, while others are negative. The problems rise when our negative habits control us - for they begin inducing demoralizing, and abusive, self-defeating traits. They are called “bad habits” because they are bad for us, personally, and sometimes just as bad for those around us. Whether falling into patterns of negative conditioning, or self-destruction – reprogramming our thoughts can be successfully used to alter the defeatist personality. Through the practice of Mind-Altering Suggestions, persons can actually become enabled to alter their personality traits.
Mind-altering Suggestions and Affirmations:
The only truth the conscious mind knows is what it has received from its subconscious. Since everything delivered into the subconscious has become recognized as the truth many persons could actually be living their lives falsely – accepting lies as being their truth. This is why hypnotherapy is so valuable – the professional hypnotherapist is capable of replacing the lies that often sabotage the mind by implanting suggestions containing the truth..EJL
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