~"...Whatever You Do...DO IT with Style..."~
-Freddy Mercury
~"...The Whole world is a Stage, and we all...Actors...each having His role to Play..."~
-Shakespeare
~"If a Man has not found something worth Dying for...He is not Fit to Live."~
-Dr.Martin Luther King
~"If anyone wanted to Imagine a Genius of Culture...what would he look like?"~
-F.N.
He would Cunningly employ Suggestion, misdirection,psychology and showmanship to Artfully manipulate falsehood, force, the most ruthless self-interests as his instruments so skillfully...he would mistakenly be called an 'Evil Demonic Being'...
But His Objetcives...which here and there glimmer through...would be Acts Great and Good...
He would be like a Centaur...Half-Beast...Half-Man...with Angels wings attached to his back and a Blinding Halo above Her...His Head...
Among men who possess a particular gift for friendship Two types Predominate...
One Type...is in a state of Continual Ascent...and for each phase of his development finds a friend precisely appropriate to it...
The succession of friends she acquires in this way are seldom at agreement with one with one another, and sometimes in dissonance and discord, which is in line with the fact that the later phases of her development neutralize or Intrude upon the earlier stages...
Parties tend to feel rather "strange"...
Such a person may be called a "Ladder".
The Other Type...is represented by him...One with fluidity, driven by deeper Passions,fully possessed by Her Muses,sold & committed...
Thus is S(h)e possessed to Be an Attraction to a differing range of Characters,Personalities and Talents...
So that S(h)e gains a Whole 'Circle' of Friends...
They...however..establish friendly relations between one another, going beyond their personal differences, on account of being Her Friend.
You can call Her...that Type...a Circle...
In Her..."... this solidarity between such different natures and dispositions must have in some way Pre-Figured".
We can Only Recognize in others what we can recognize in Our 'Self'.
These Two Leading Spirits Act Out in One of Only Two Ways...
And Consider...
Either they select those who are suited to their Designs with Great care and subtlety...and then leave them relatively great freedoms of movement, Because they Know...that the NATURE of these select people will take them where they themselves want them to Be...
Or...
You Select at Random...taking what Ever happens to be available and at hand...
You shape out of this Clay something that will serve your purpose...
Your Knowledge of People and Human Nature is Less...and Your Dislike for people Greater than the former Type, and you Need more easily subjugated instruments...
The Machine You Construct...though, often can and do work better than does the machine from the former's workshop...
You've got to Be passionate to Observe and Steer away from Everything that confuses and deceives your Certainty and Confidence in Your Own Path...
You Artfully Give to each His Own Conviction for the Sake of their Own Truth in Their Own Path.
~"Give and it shall be Given."~
You... "Become all things to All Men."- St.Paul
Relate able to the Masses...You Be..Come...
You Possess All the Qualities of the Masses, thus the All more Popular You Are...
But Bound By No Man's Opinion Of You...
You have been Liberated from Tradition...in all It's Forms...
You have Become all they Said You Could Never Be...
Be In Action In the World As the Manifestation of Your Values...
Share Yourself as a Miracle...
And Experience a Miraculous Life...
Reverse Engineer...
Challenge the Beliefs of All that Thought they Knew You.
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
The Difference Between 'Suggestion' and Hypnosis.
What is the Difference between 'Suggestion' and Hypnosis?
Where does 'Suggestion' end and Hypnosis begin, or are they quite different?
Suggestion is an Integral part of every single piece of Day to Day communication...
If a Nobel prize winner dressed in a sober suit announced an amazing new technical breakthrough at a scientific conference, you would be more inclined to believe it than if you were told by a scruffy dressed stranger in a pub.
Your mind would be twisted further, If you were to later discover, that the same scruffy dressed pleasant chap you were drinking and talking with in the pub turned out to be a Nobel Prize Winner.
The Medium....is part of the Message.
In all communication...the tone of voice of the speaker, the things he said, and the manner in which he said them, the movement of his hands, his dress, your knowledge of his background(or lack of it)... all suggest information to you over and above the content of his message.
Sometimes the subconscious or subliminal impressions or suggestions reinforce your understanding or memory of the content upon which your 'conscious' attention is focused.
At other times subliminal or peripheral suggestions contradict the message....
Patricia Durovy of the American Society for Training and Development estimates that "90% of all communication is subconscious."
According to the Institute of Noetic Sciences, that could be an underestimate. I've read Anthony Robbins,Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra also echo that statistic.
Although suggestion works very powerfully indeed at the subconscious level, the conscious mind generally continues to act as a Censor.
It will normally reject suggestions that do not accord with our moral values, or with logic, or that threaten our sense of Identity,confidence and security.
The Key Difference between Suggestion and Hypnotism... is that Suggestion Can and Does bring the power of the subconscious to bear, but without relinquishing the censor role of the conscious mind. It can also effectively bring about and cause permanent changes in ability,behavior and sense of Identity.
Under Hypnotism you are Partially...relinquishing control of both your conscious and unconscious mind to someone else. Having many similar brain-wave patterns as those of sleep, and both involve reduced conscious control. That itself being the result of focusing on a Temporary State.
A Constriction of attention to a specific subject,topic or Idea...
Though, it can of course have excellent long-term therapeutic results, as in the Artful & effective Use of Hypno-Analysis.
Suggestion is much more effective in Creating,Re-creating and maintaining long-term measurable results.
An Oklahoma Anesthetist, Mrs. Jean Mabry, regularly waits until her patients are under anesthesia and whispers encouraging and positive instructions to them. Consultant Surgeons working with her report markedly improved recovery rates.
Imagination and Suggestion
Although it is easy to use the words imagination and suggestion interchangeably, there are important distinctions between them.
Imagination...can be described as "the ability to visualize to produce a mental impression of sights,sounds,smells,tastes, and memories of Touch".
You can use Imagination to create strong visual links between two ideas you are trying to remember...
Consciously Used in this way it is a Key to memory and Accelerated Learning.
However,imagination is also needed to create a Suggestion,and suggestion can bring about a permanent and far-reaching change in your sense of Identity,Behaviour,Capabilities and perception of our Environment.
Artfull,purpose-driven suggestion could be used to improve learning effectiveness and increase the speed of learning, as some Institutes have been able to Produce:
-A Japanese had learned English in 10 Days.
-Students at the university of Iowa had learned a Year of Spanish in 3 Months.
-Complete beginners had learned 900 words of French in 1 Day.
Genius...More Made than Born?
In 1800, a German Doctor decided to give his son,Karl Witte, a really rich educational environment.
Karl entered the University of Leipzig at 9 and gained his Ph.D at 14 years of age.
Lord Kelvin's Mother made the same decision. He became one of the 19Century's most successful Physicists.
In 1952, American Aaron Stern determined to give his daughter the best educational environment he could devise.
Classical Music was a continuous background, he talked to her in adult terms and showed her reading cards with numbers and animals on them.
Edith Stern...could talk in simple sentences as age 1, and had read an entire volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica by the age of 5.
She was reading 6 books a day by age 6. At 12 she enrolled in College and was teaching Higher Mathematics at Michigan State University at 15 years Old. She scored 200 on a scale where 155 is Genius.
In England, Ruth Lawrence, who passed her O level maths at 9 and A level at 10(normally 18), was accepted at Oxford University at 12 years of age.
She also was educated in an Intellectually rich environment by her parents.
Much in the same ways my Grandparents offered my Brothers and I.
Identifying Genius Indicators...Nature or Nurture?
The way in which the Brain actually develops enables us to, once and for all, dispose of the question of whether intelligence is a function of heredity(nature/dna) or Environment (Nurture).
The Answer is: Both are equally powerful influencing factors in Genius Production.
The Number of brain cells is a factor, but what is far more significant is the WAY those brain cells are stimulated to make rich connections and associations. Which is primarily an Environmental Factor.
While physical development of the brain is largely complete by age 5, there are further well-established intervals of intellectual developments at ages 6 to 8, 10 to 12, and 14 to 16.
Perhaps if our educational systems & stimuli were so developed and timed to coincide with these Natural periods of development?
It is Scientifically correct and proven to say that almost every normal child is born a potential Genius.
Even if innate intelligence is merely average, a rich intellectual environment during the period of the 2nd Brain Growth Spurt, with plenty of opportunities to learn, can ensure the development of a greater proportion of the Brain potential than would normally be expected
The Clinical &scientific Evidence for this in Humans is now overwhelming.
The Brain, as a Tool, allows us to unconsciously process somewhere around 2,000,000 pieces of information through our Senses, per SECOND, yet we can be aware of only 3,5 7... and the best of us... 9 things at any one present moment, in the here and Now.
The Brain further 'Refines' this raw information we obtained into our perceptions. 'Refine' is Key, as the Brain acts as a reducing valve.
Realize...that this makes our awareness highly selective...
As individuals we each construct a version of reality from within this narrow, subjective band of information.
Our Model of reality will also be Unique as to the meaning we give Our experiences.
While it is certainly an oversimplification to relate intelligence to brain capacity, it is, however interesting to present to you 3 Modern Statistical Facts:
1) The Average IQ is 100
2) The Genius Level is 160
3) The Average Human probably used closer to only 4 Percent of his Potential Brain Power.
Wrap Your Mind around that....
Where does 'Suggestion' end and Hypnosis begin, or are they quite different?
Suggestion is an Integral part of every single piece of Day to Day communication...
If a Nobel prize winner dressed in a sober suit announced an amazing new technical breakthrough at a scientific conference, you would be more inclined to believe it than if you were told by a scruffy dressed stranger in a pub.
Your mind would be twisted further, If you were to later discover, that the same scruffy dressed pleasant chap you were drinking and talking with in the pub turned out to be a Nobel Prize Winner.
The Medium....is part of the Message.
In all communication...the tone of voice of the speaker, the things he said, and the manner in which he said them, the movement of his hands, his dress, your knowledge of his background(or lack of it)... all suggest information to you over and above the content of his message.
Sometimes the subconscious or subliminal impressions or suggestions reinforce your understanding or memory of the content upon which your 'conscious' attention is focused.
At other times subliminal or peripheral suggestions contradict the message....
Patricia Durovy of the American Society for Training and Development estimates that "90% of all communication is subconscious."
According to the Institute of Noetic Sciences, that could be an underestimate. I've read Anthony Robbins,Wayne Dyer and Deepak Chopra also echo that statistic.
Although suggestion works very powerfully indeed at the subconscious level, the conscious mind generally continues to act as a Censor.
It will normally reject suggestions that do not accord with our moral values, or with logic, or that threaten our sense of Identity,confidence and security.
The Key Difference between Suggestion and Hypnotism... is that Suggestion Can and Does bring the power of the subconscious to bear, but without relinquishing the censor role of the conscious mind. It can also effectively bring about and cause permanent changes in ability,behavior and sense of Identity.
Under Hypnotism you are Partially...relinquishing control of both your conscious and unconscious mind to someone else. Having many similar brain-wave patterns as those of sleep, and both involve reduced conscious control. That itself being the result of focusing on a Temporary State.
A Constriction of attention to a specific subject,topic or Idea...
Though, it can of course have excellent long-term therapeutic results, as in the Artful & effective Use of Hypno-Analysis.
Suggestion is much more effective in Creating,Re-creating and maintaining long-term measurable results.
An Oklahoma Anesthetist, Mrs. Jean Mabry, regularly waits until her patients are under anesthesia and whispers encouraging and positive instructions to them. Consultant Surgeons working with her report markedly improved recovery rates.
Imagination and Suggestion
Although it is easy to use the words imagination and suggestion interchangeably, there are important distinctions between them.
Imagination...can be described as "the ability to visualize to produce a mental impression of sights,sounds,smells,tastes, and memories of Touch".
You can use Imagination to create strong visual links between two ideas you are trying to remember...
Consciously Used in this way it is a Key to memory and Accelerated Learning.
However,imagination is also needed to create a Suggestion,and suggestion can bring about a permanent and far-reaching change in your sense of Identity,Behaviour,Capabilities and perception of our Environment.
Artfull,purpose-driven suggestion could be used to improve learning effectiveness and increase the speed of learning, as some Institutes have been able to Produce:
-A Japanese had learned English in 10 Days.
-Students at the university of Iowa had learned a Year of Spanish in 3 Months.
-Complete beginners had learned 900 words of French in 1 Day.
Genius...More Made than Born?
In 1800, a German Doctor decided to give his son,Karl Witte, a really rich educational environment.
Karl entered the University of Leipzig at 9 and gained his Ph.D at 14 years of age.
Lord Kelvin's Mother made the same decision. He became one of the 19Century's most successful Physicists.
In 1952, American Aaron Stern determined to give his daughter the best educational environment he could devise.
Classical Music was a continuous background, he talked to her in adult terms and showed her reading cards with numbers and animals on them.
Edith Stern...could talk in simple sentences as age 1, and had read an entire volume of the Encyclopedia Britannica by the age of 5.
She was reading 6 books a day by age 6. At 12 she enrolled in College and was teaching Higher Mathematics at Michigan State University at 15 years Old. She scored 200 on a scale where 155 is Genius.
In England, Ruth Lawrence, who passed her O level maths at 9 and A level at 10(normally 18), was accepted at Oxford University at 12 years of age.
She also was educated in an Intellectually rich environment by her parents.
Much in the same ways my Grandparents offered my Brothers and I.
Identifying Genius Indicators...Nature or Nurture?
The way in which the Brain actually develops enables us to, once and for all, dispose of the question of whether intelligence is a function of heredity(nature/dna) or Environment (Nurture).
The Answer is: Both are equally powerful influencing factors in Genius Production.
The Number of brain cells is a factor, but what is far more significant is the WAY those brain cells are stimulated to make rich connections and associations. Which is primarily an Environmental Factor.
While physical development of the brain is largely complete by age 5, there are further well-established intervals of intellectual developments at ages 6 to 8, 10 to 12, and 14 to 16.
Perhaps if our educational systems & stimuli were so developed and timed to coincide with these Natural periods of development?
It is Scientifically correct and proven to say that almost every normal child is born a potential Genius.
Even if innate intelligence is merely average, a rich intellectual environment during the period of the 2nd Brain Growth Spurt, with plenty of opportunities to learn, can ensure the development of a greater proportion of the Brain potential than would normally be expected
The Clinical &scientific Evidence for this in Humans is now overwhelming.
The Brain, as a Tool, allows us to unconsciously process somewhere around 2,000,000 pieces of information through our Senses, per SECOND, yet we can be aware of only 3,5 7... and the best of us... 9 things at any one present moment, in the here and Now.
The Brain further 'Refines' this raw information we obtained into our perceptions. 'Refine' is Key, as the Brain acts as a reducing valve.
Realize...that this makes our awareness highly selective...
As individuals we each construct a version of reality from within this narrow, subjective band of information.
Our Model of reality will also be Unique as to the meaning we give Our experiences.
While it is certainly an oversimplification to relate intelligence to brain capacity, it is, however interesting to present to you 3 Modern Statistical Facts:
1) The Average IQ is 100
2) The Genius Level is 160
3) The Average Human probably used closer to only 4 Percent of his Potential Brain Power.
Wrap Your Mind around that....
Monday, August 9, 2010
Expectation vs Conditioning in the Placebo Effect
In My Book How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
I detailed Recent Studies on how the placebo effect has been broken down, and Identified to two specific levels:
1) The level that affects the level of pain or the movements of muscles, and
2) Immune, hormone, and respiratory function.
When a person receives a placebo, believing it to be a real drug, they generally expect that symptoms will change. This is called EXPECTATION and is strongest for level 1 changes; that is, for pain relief or changes in muscle movement (e.g. Parkinsons). Relief often comes on a single administration of a placebo. But for level 2 changes (immune, hormone, or respiratory changes), the effect of this type of placebo is less effective. Patients need to be CONDITIONED over time to believe that something will happen.
For instance, in one experiment volunteers were repeatedly given a drink containing an immunosuppressant known as a cyclosporin A, which would weaken their immune systems. And it did. Over time, by having the drink over and over again, the volunteers were conditioned to believe that the drink would suppress their immune systems. So they were then given the same drink but containing no cyclosporin A. Again, their immune systems weakened and this was because they had built up a belief that the drink would have this effect.
And of course, conditioning also gives relief at level 1 too. Some recent research has shown that placebo analgesia is ‘finely tuned’ by previous experience. So in other words, if you expect a medicine to work or not work, it’s effectiveness will be strongly influenced by whether you expect it to work or not.
For instance, in a recent experiment, volunteers received pain stimulation and then a placebo. But they thought the placebo was an analgesic drug that would reduce the pain. So, over time the researchers gradually reduced the intensity of the pain stimulation so that the patients believed that it was the drug that was reducing the pain. This way they were conditioned to believe that the placebo was a powerful drug.
The experiment found that volunteers who had been so conditioned would receive pain relief within minutes after painful stimulation when they took a placebo and the effect would last for 4-7 days.
From my research over the years I have concluded that the placebo effect mostly boils down to a person’s level of belief. Conditioning simply strengthens belief. Level 1 and 2 (these were my assignments, by the way......researchers simply refer to them as surface or less conscious processes....I thought level 1 and 2 were easier to make sense of) symptoms are simply used as a black and white type method of showing the different effect of expectation vs conditioning. But there are always exceptions to the rules. People are different. Some are more suggestible than others. Some generate much stronger or weaker beliefs. Here’s a real-life example of the power of belief:
A friend of mine had bad hay fever. I suggested they get some locally produced honey because by taking a spoonful a day they should become sensitised to the local pollen. Anyway, it worked and after about 5 days the hay fever symptoms were gone completely. But then about 3 weeks later an expert on TV gave a caller some advice that local honey takes about 3 months before it starts working. Guess what happened? My friend’s hay fever returned.
Recognising the psychological effects, I told him that the expert wasn’t involved in science. It’s not their specialty. It was probably just an off the cuff remark. I also suggested that my friend might have even received one of last year’s batch of local honey, since he did buy it right at the start of the summer. The shop might have been using up last year’s stock so it might contain a different spectrum of pollen. He said he would go get some fresh stuff. Guess what? He did and the hay fever disappeared again.
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
I detailed Recent Studies on how the placebo effect has been broken down, and Identified to two specific levels: 1) The level that affects the level of pain or the movements of muscles, and
2) Immune, hormone, and respiratory function.
When a person receives a placebo, believing it to be a real drug, they generally expect that symptoms will change. This is called EXPECTATION and is strongest for level 1 changes; that is, for pain relief or changes in muscle movement (e.g. Parkinsons). Relief often comes on a single administration of a placebo. But for level 2 changes (immune, hormone, or respiratory changes), the effect of this type of placebo is less effective. Patients need to be CONDITIONED over time to believe that something will happen.
For instance, in one experiment volunteers were repeatedly given a drink containing an immunosuppressant known as a cyclosporin A, which would weaken their immune systems. And it did. Over time, by having the drink over and over again, the volunteers were conditioned to believe that the drink would suppress their immune systems. So they were then given the same drink but containing no cyclosporin A. Again, their immune systems weakened and this was because they had built up a belief that the drink would have this effect.
And of course, conditioning also gives relief at level 1 too. Some recent research has shown that placebo analgesia is ‘finely tuned’ by previous experience. So in other words, if you expect a medicine to work or not work, it’s effectiveness will be strongly influenced by whether you expect it to work or not.
For instance, in a recent experiment, volunteers received pain stimulation and then a placebo. But they thought the placebo was an analgesic drug that would reduce the pain. So, over time the researchers gradually reduced the intensity of the pain stimulation so that the patients believed that it was the drug that was reducing the pain. This way they were conditioned to believe that the placebo was a powerful drug.
The experiment found that volunteers who had been so conditioned would receive pain relief within minutes after painful stimulation when they took a placebo and the effect would last for 4-7 days.
From my research over the years I have concluded that the placebo effect mostly boils down to a person’s level of belief. Conditioning simply strengthens belief. Level 1 and 2 (these were my assignments, by the way......researchers simply refer to them as surface or less conscious processes....I thought level 1 and 2 were easier to make sense of) symptoms are simply used as a black and white type method of showing the different effect of expectation vs conditioning. But there are always exceptions to the rules. People are different. Some are more suggestible than others. Some generate much stronger or weaker beliefs. Here’s a real-life example of the power of belief:
A friend of mine had bad hay fever. I suggested they get some locally produced honey because by taking a spoonful a day they should become sensitised to the local pollen. Anyway, it worked and after about 5 days the hay fever symptoms were gone completely. But then about 3 weeks later an expert on TV gave a caller some advice that local honey takes about 3 months before it starts working. Guess what happened? My friend’s hay fever returned.
Recognising the psychological effects, I told him that the expert wasn’t involved in science. It’s not their specialty. It was probably just an off the cuff remark. I also suggested that my friend might have even received one of last year’s batch of local honey, since he did buy it right at the start of the summer. The shop might have been using up last year’s stock so it might contain a different spectrum of pollen. He said he would go get some fresh stuff. Guess what? He did and the hay fever disappeared again.
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
Can You Erase Pain With Your Mind?
Almost every month, as I read through the latest scientific journals, I discover some new evidence confirming the power of mind over matter. Usually we think of mind over matter as using the mind to make ourselves better, but the mind can also create disease, symptoms and pain.
Research published 6 weeks ago by Oxford University scientists showed that when people who have arm pain imagined themselves moving their arm, they experienced pain, even though they didn't actually move their arms. And tests revealed that there was increased swelling in their arms......just by a thought.
The study involved 37 people with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). When they imagined moving their arms, pain went up and swelling increased by 8%, even though they didn't actually move. It was all in the mind.
People still use the phrase, 'All in the mind' as if the mind is separate from the body. But now we have cast iron scientific evidence showing that the mind and body are so connected that every thought affects the body. You cannot think about anything without causing some chemical changes in your brain and body. The structure of your brain has just changed at the microscopic level as you read this sentence.
The people in the CRPS study created swelling in their arms just by imagining themselves moving their arms. We do this all the time. We create pain and symptoms of illnesses through our thinking. But one of the fascinating conclusions emerging from mind-body science is that we can use our minds in a beneficial way to help ourselves heal.
For instance, research of this type has recently been pioneered in stroke rehabilitation. In one study, stroke patients who are taught 'mental imagery', which is visualising themselves moving the impaired parts of their body for 30 minutes a day, improved much more than patients who didn't visualise.
What you imagine really matters!
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
Research published 6 weeks ago by Oxford University scientists showed that when people who have arm pain imagined themselves moving their arm, they experienced pain, even though they didn't actually move their arms. And tests revealed that there was increased swelling in their arms......just by a thought.
The study involved 37 people with Complex Regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS). When they imagined moving their arms, pain went up and swelling increased by 8%, even though they didn't actually move. It was all in the mind.
People still use the phrase, 'All in the mind' as if the mind is separate from the body. But now we have cast iron scientific evidence showing that the mind and body are so connected that every thought affects the body. You cannot think about anything without causing some chemical changes in your brain and body. The structure of your brain has just changed at the microscopic level as you read this sentence.
The people in the CRPS study created swelling in their arms just by imagining themselves moving their arms. We do this all the time. We create pain and symptoms of illnesses through our thinking. But one of the fascinating conclusions emerging from mind-body science is that we can use our minds in a beneficial way to help ourselves heal.
For instance, research of this type has recently been pioneered in stroke rehabilitation. In one study, stroke patients who are taught 'mental imagery', which is visualising themselves moving the impaired parts of their body for 30 minutes a day, improved much more than patients who didn't visualise.
What you imagine really matters!
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
Mind Over Stroke
There’s emerging strong evidence that the mind can speed up rehabilitation and recovery after a stroke.
A 2009 study of 35 acute poststroke patients showed this. The patients were split into two groups, one that used daily visualization of themselves moving impaired limbs as well as physiotherapy and the other group who received only standard physiotherapy.
Eighteen of the patients were in the visualization group and the 17 were in the physiotherapy group. The visualization group did mental imagery exercises every day for 3 weeks.
At the end the groups were compared in their ability to carry out tasks with the same tasks before the study began. Those in the visualization group performed much better. They showed substantial improvement in 4 out of 5 tasks whereas the physiotherapy group only made substantial improvements in 1 task.
Previous studies in the use of visualization for stroke rehabilitation (See my book, ‘How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body’) have found the same thing. It works because the brain doesn’t distinguish between real movement or imagined movement. When a person imagines moving a muscle, the same area of the brain is stimulated as if they really did move the muscle.
This sends signals out of the brain, down the spinal column to the actual muscle and stimulates the muscle. The more mental work that’s done, the stronger the muscle becomes.
Here’s a link to the scientific paper if you want to read for yourself: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/STROKEAHA.108.540997v1
This article is Copyright © 2010 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
It's the Thought That Counts: Why Mind Over Matter Really Works
A 2009 study of 35 acute poststroke patients showed this. The patients were split into two groups, one that used daily visualization of themselves moving impaired limbs as well as physiotherapy and the other group who received only standard physiotherapy.
Eighteen of the patients were in the visualization group and the 17 were in the physiotherapy group. The visualization group did mental imagery exercises every day for 3 weeks.
At the end the groups were compared in their ability to carry out tasks with the same tasks before the study began. Those in the visualization group performed much better. They showed substantial improvement in 4 out of 5 tasks whereas the physiotherapy group only made substantial improvements in 1 task.
Previous studies in the use of visualization for stroke rehabilitation (See my book, ‘How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body’) have found the same thing. It works because the brain doesn’t distinguish between real movement or imagined movement. When a person imagines moving a muscle, the same area of the brain is stimulated as if they really did move the muscle.
This sends signals out of the brain, down the spinal column to the actual muscle and stimulates the muscle. The more mental work that’s done, the stronger the muscle becomes.
Here’s a link to the scientific paper if you want to read for yourself: http://stroke.ahajournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/STROKEAHA.108.540997v1
This article is Copyright © 2010 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
It's the Thought That Counts: Why Mind Over Matter Really Works
The Placebo Effect is Getting Stronger
From 2002 to 2006, the number of drugs that were axed after Phase-II clinical trials (volunteer trials) increased by 20% because the drugs couldn’t beat the placebos they were compared against.
More recently, in 2008, a new gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease failed against the placebo. Similarly, in March 2009, Eli Lilly withdrew a new drug for schizophrenia because the placebo effect was double that expected. Also in March 2009, Osiris Therapeutics’ new drug for Crohn’s disease was also withdrawn due to a high placebo effect.
What is going on?
There are a few forces that have generated the increase. The first is powerful advertising. Advertising plays on the mind; the very vehicle of the placebo effect.
The Pharmaceutical Industry have hugely increased their advertising expenditure in the past 20 years. Many years ago, drug advertising was little more than a few posters on the walls of surgery waiting rooms. Now, big pharma have created powerful ads that are so effective that patients taking drugs in the west really expect something to happen when they take them.
Now the act of taking any drug in the west brings with it powerful memories as well as even more powerful unconscious associations generated by the advertising that ensure that taking a drug has an effect. But the downside, not for the patients but for the industry, is that the same applies when they take a placebo. Expectancy is a key element of the placebo effect. The same memories and associations are activated that ensure that taking a placebo heals too. Ironically for the drugs industry, as advertising gets better so too does the placebo effect.
The second reason is that there is a growing flux of drug testing now taking place in developing nations. In these trials, poor people who are often deprived of medical care are suddenly able to get the drugs they need. Many are desperate, and have high hopes for the drugs they receive as well as high-level belief in them. Their perception of rich nations is people enjoying state of the art drugs and healthcare into their very old ages.
But hope and belief are also key elements of the placebo effect. Thus, placebos in poor countries often do better than they would do in other countries. And since the global placebo statistics are made up from trials everywhere in the world, the statistics from the poorer nations lift the overall placebo rate up a few points. Thus, as more and more trials are carried out in poor countries, the higher the placebo effect will get.
You could say, with the fancy advertising and trials in developing countries, that the pharmaceutical industry has, ironically, been responsible for elevating the placebo effect. With similar irony, it was my own personal experience as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry that propelled me into studying the power of the mind over the body.
Another reason for the increase is due to an increase in the use of drugs to treat ‘psychological disorders’. In the past 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of conditions being diagnosed as ‘psychological disorders’. Pharmaceutical companies have ploughed increasing millions of dollars into their research and development.
But many of these psychological disorders involve areas of the brain that are also involved with our beliefs, expectations, hopes, thoughts of rewards, and how we understand and relate to each other. And these are the same areas that are active during a placebo response. Thus the placebo effect is unexpectedly high for conditions like depression.
For example, a 2008 study of Prozac (fluoxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), Serzone (nefazodone), and Seroxat (paroxetine) covering 35 clinical trials that involved 5,133 patients found that the placebo effect accounted for 81% of the effect of these drugs.
Thus, as more people are diagnosed with psychological disorders and the number of drugs used to treat them increase, the ratio of drugs for psychological disorders compared with all other drugs increases. And since they have a high placebo effect, the overall placebo effect also increases.
It’s a similar story with cardiovascular diseases. As cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the west, in large part due to western dietary and lifestyle habits, drugs to treat it dominate the drug market. But drugs for cardiovascular diseases also have a high placebo effect, which many believe is due to the strong brain-heart link. So as our diets and lifestyles worsen and our hearts pay the price, the drugs used to treat us ensure that the placebo effect is kept high.
Doctors/physicians have a hand in the increase too. Many are now much more aware that the placebo effect is not just a nuisance, or all in the mind, as was once thought, but that it is a real pharmacological phenomenon that produces physiological change in the brain and body. Thus, many doctors treat patients with more empathy and assurance than before. Empathy and assurance also activate the placebo effect. As doctors show more care and confidence, patients get better faster, even when they are taking inert medication.
Consider, for instance, the results of a British Medical Journal paper that reported on 200 patients who had either been given a positive or a negative consultation by their doctor.
For approximately the same medical conditions, the doctors told the patients what was wrong with them and that they would get better in a few days. Accordingly, 64% of them did get better over the next 2 weeks. But for the other half, the doctors told the patients that they weren’t sure what was wrong with them but to come back if they haven’t got better. Only 39% of this group got better…..64% versus 39% and the only difference was in how the doctor acted. For the first group, there was more empathy and confidence.
There is a last unexpected factor that also increases the placebo effect. It’s difficult to quantify the degree of influence it has, but it’s sure to be exerting an increasing force. It’s us! Or at least, it’s our increasing knowledge of the placebo effect and our growing faith in our own capacity to affect our bodies.
In the past few years, research into the placebo effect has delivered a powerful new message. It is that our thoughts, beliefs, our hopes and our expectations impact our brains and our bodies. MRI studies now show beyond doubt that this is true. Recent brain research shows release of dopamine in the brain when Parkinson’s patients are given placebos, for instance. Other studies show release of the brain’s own version of morphine when people are given placebos instead of painkillers. And MRI scans of patients given placebos instead of Prozac show activation in the same areas of the brain.
One of the leaders in the field of placebo research, Fabrizio Benedetti, a neuroscience professor at the University of Turin School of Medicine and member of the Placebo Study Group centered at Harvard, recently wrote:
“The placebo effect has evolved from being thought of as a nuisance in clinical pharmacological research to a biological phenomenon worthy of scientific investigation in its own right.”
This kind of research is filtering into the public domain through the mainstream press, which raises everyone’s belief in the power of the mind. Popular general-public-focused books that discuss the mind-body connection, like ‘How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body’, ‘It’s the Thought that Counts’, ‘The Biology of Belief’, and ‘Molecules of Emotion’, also add to this.
So as our collective awareness that the mind affects the body increases, it’s sure to elevate the placebo effect even more.
The good news in all this is that we are beginning to recognize that we are not exactly powerless. Our own attitudes and beliefs, our hopes and our expectations, all play a part in our own healing.
A general, healthy way of being, then, is to cultivate a more positive attitude towards all that life throws our way. It might just help us live longer, healthier lives, and when we do get sick it might just help us recover faster.
How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
This article is Copyright © 2010 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
More recently, in 2008, a new gene therapy for Parkinson’s disease failed against the placebo. Similarly, in March 2009, Eli Lilly withdrew a new drug for schizophrenia because the placebo effect was double that expected. Also in March 2009, Osiris Therapeutics’ new drug for Crohn’s disease was also withdrawn due to a high placebo effect.
What is going on?
There are a few forces that have generated the increase. The first is powerful advertising. Advertising plays on the mind; the very vehicle of the placebo effect.
The Pharmaceutical Industry have hugely increased their advertising expenditure in the past 20 years. Many years ago, drug advertising was little more than a few posters on the walls of surgery waiting rooms. Now, big pharma have created powerful ads that are so effective that patients taking drugs in the west really expect something to happen when they take them.
Now the act of taking any drug in the west brings with it powerful memories as well as even more powerful unconscious associations generated by the advertising that ensure that taking a drug has an effect. But the downside, not for the patients but for the industry, is that the same applies when they take a placebo. Expectancy is a key element of the placebo effect. The same memories and associations are activated that ensure that taking a placebo heals too. Ironically for the drugs industry, as advertising gets better so too does the placebo effect.
The second reason is that there is a growing flux of drug testing now taking place in developing nations. In these trials, poor people who are often deprived of medical care are suddenly able to get the drugs they need. Many are desperate, and have high hopes for the drugs they receive as well as high-level belief in them. Their perception of rich nations is people enjoying state of the art drugs and healthcare into their very old ages.
But hope and belief are also key elements of the placebo effect. Thus, placebos in poor countries often do better than they would do in other countries. And since the global placebo statistics are made up from trials everywhere in the world, the statistics from the poorer nations lift the overall placebo rate up a few points. Thus, as more and more trials are carried out in poor countries, the higher the placebo effect will get.
You could say, with the fancy advertising and trials in developing countries, that the pharmaceutical industry has, ironically, been responsible for elevating the placebo effect. With similar irony, it was my own personal experience as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry that propelled me into studying the power of the mind over the body.
Another reason for the increase is due to an increase in the use of drugs to treat ‘psychological disorders’. In the past 20 years, there has been an increase in the number of conditions being diagnosed as ‘psychological disorders’. Pharmaceutical companies have ploughed increasing millions of dollars into their research and development.
But many of these psychological disorders involve areas of the brain that are also involved with our beliefs, expectations, hopes, thoughts of rewards, and how we understand and relate to each other. And these are the same areas that are active during a placebo response. Thus the placebo effect is unexpectedly high for conditions like depression.
For example, a 2008 study of Prozac (fluoxetine), Effexor (venlafaxine), Serzone (nefazodone), and Seroxat (paroxetine) covering 35 clinical trials that involved 5,133 patients found that the placebo effect accounted for 81% of the effect of these drugs.
Thus, as more people are diagnosed with psychological disorders and the number of drugs used to treat them increase, the ratio of drugs for psychological disorders compared with all other drugs increases. And since they have a high placebo effect, the overall placebo effect also increases.
It’s a similar story with cardiovascular diseases. As cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the west, in large part due to western dietary and lifestyle habits, drugs to treat it dominate the drug market. But drugs for cardiovascular diseases also have a high placebo effect, which many believe is due to the strong brain-heart link. So as our diets and lifestyles worsen and our hearts pay the price, the drugs used to treat us ensure that the placebo effect is kept high.
Doctors/physicians have a hand in the increase too. Many are now much more aware that the placebo effect is not just a nuisance, or all in the mind, as was once thought, but that it is a real pharmacological phenomenon that produces physiological change in the brain and body. Thus, many doctors treat patients with more empathy and assurance than before. Empathy and assurance also activate the placebo effect. As doctors show more care and confidence, patients get better faster, even when they are taking inert medication.
Consider, for instance, the results of a British Medical Journal paper that reported on 200 patients who had either been given a positive or a negative consultation by their doctor.
For approximately the same medical conditions, the doctors told the patients what was wrong with them and that they would get better in a few days. Accordingly, 64% of them did get better over the next 2 weeks. But for the other half, the doctors told the patients that they weren’t sure what was wrong with them but to come back if they haven’t got better. Only 39% of this group got better…..64% versus 39% and the only difference was in how the doctor acted. For the first group, there was more empathy and confidence.
There is a last unexpected factor that also increases the placebo effect. It’s difficult to quantify the degree of influence it has, but it’s sure to be exerting an increasing force. It’s us! Or at least, it’s our increasing knowledge of the placebo effect and our growing faith in our own capacity to affect our bodies.
In the past few years, research into the placebo effect has delivered a powerful new message. It is that our thoughts, beliefs, our hopes and our expectations impact our brains and our bodies. MRI studies now show beyond doubt that this is true. Recent brain research shows release of dopamine in the brain when Parkinson’s patients are given placebos, for instance. Other studies show release of the brain’s own version of morphine when people are given placebos instead of painkillers. And MRI scans of patients given placebos instead of Prozac show activation in the same areas of the brain.
One of the leaders in the field of placebo research, Fabrizio Benedetti, a neuroscience professor at the University of Turin School of Medicine and member of the Placebo Study Group centered at Harvard, recently wrote:
“The placebo effect has evolved from being thought of as a nuisance in clinical pharmacological research to a biological phenomenon worthy of scientific investigation in its own right.”
This kind of research is filtering into the public domain through the mainstream press, which raises everyone’s belief in the power of the mind. Popular general-public-focused books that discuss the mind-body connection, like ‘How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body’, ‘It’s the Thought that Counts’, ‘The Biology of Belief’, and ‘Molecules of Emotion’, also add to this.
So as our collective awareness that the mind affects the body increases, it’s sure to elevate the placebo effect even more.
The good news in all this is that we are beginning to recognize that we are not exactly powerless. Our own attitudes and beliefs, our hopes and our expectations, all play a part in our own healing.
A general, healthy way of being, then, is to cultivate a more positive attitude towards all that life throws our way. It might just help us live longer, healthier lives, and when we do get sick it might just help us recover faster.
How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
This article is Copyright © 2010 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
Our Beliefs Make Chemistry
I spoke at a Mind-Body-Spirit Fair in Derby recently on How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body...
Wandering around some of the stalls before my talks got me thinking. Some people have asked me if I thought most of the therapies on offer at these fairs are rubbish, just all in the mind. I sometimes reply, ‘What would it matter if they were?’
People go to fairs like these and they feel good when they get treatments, when they talk with stall holders, and when they hear talks.
It wouldn’t matter if the benefits of the therapies on offer were just placebo (For the record, they’re not). If they work for people, then great.
There’s going to come a time in Medicine where it is widely accepted that the mind plays a really important role in, well, just about everything. If a patient believes that something will be good for them, then should it not be encouraged providing it can’t do any harm?
I remember someone even say to me once that visualizing ourselves getting better from an illness is rubbish, that’s its just all in the mind. Of course it is. Is that not the point?
If you believe that a therapy is good for you then it will be. Take a fictitious therapy called ‘X’, for example.
If you have learned that ‘X’ creates a feeling of relaxation and that this will reduce your stress, which will also have a positive impact upon many illnesses, then you will probably receive a lot of benefit from it. Yes, some of the benefit would be placebo – your belief in the therapy. But who cares whether it is or not? That’s just academic.
The bottom line is that the person receiving the therapy is benefiting.
If, on the other hand, a person had been told by someone that there are no real benefits, that’s it’s all in the mind, then they might not have the therapy and so miss out on the benefits, just because a study might have shown that it was no better than placebo. But by receiving the therapy, they are getting benefits, even if much of it is created by the mind.
That’s the thing with the mind. Our beliefs make chemistry! And quite often, that chemistry benefits us.
The mind creates chemical changes in the brain and around the body. Hormone levels change, cells change, and genes express themselves, producing proteins all around the brain and body. In a 2005 paper, Eric Kandel, 2000 Nobel Prizewinner in Medicine, even wrote, ‘There’s no longer any doubt that psychotherapy can result in detectable changes in the brain.’ A new way of thinking about something activates different brain regions from before, encouraging blood flow in a new direction, leading to actual structural changes in the brain, often in the region of the prefrontal cortex.
Getting therapy ‘X’, whatever it is, allows the person’s mind to create healing change in the body, regardless of whether the therapy was any good in and of itself. It really shouldn’t matter if ‘X’ was no better than placebo. Placebo heals in and of itself. That was one of my greatest learnings when I worked as a scientist with one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
Time and again, I learned about clinical trials (for drugs that are currently on the market) that showed a large number of people improve because they believed they were getting a medicine when, in reality, they were getting a small white tablet made of chalk or sugar – a fake drug. Belief makes chemistry!
I think many criticisms are purely academic. The evidence in mind-body science is compelling. We also now know that thinking causes structural changes in the brain, for instance. We’ve reached a point where we can no longer say, ‘it’s all in the mind’, because our own thinking is not inert. You can’t have a thought or hold a belief without affecting your brain and body.
So if a person believes that a particular therapy can help them on their healing journey then, providing it can’t actually do any harm, it should be encouraged.
I would always recommend, however, that you talk to your doctor/physician about your intentions. Many physicians are open to the use of alternatives and it can be good to have your physician on board, in support of what you’re doing. It can make you feel better about what you’re doing.
If they are not, then it is your right to seek a second opinion, or a third.
This article is Copyright © 2009 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left entirely Unedited for this Blog
...Wandering around some of the stalls before my talks got me thinking. Some people have asked me if I thought most of the therapies on offer at these fairs are rubbish, just all in the mind. I sometimes reply, ‘What would it matter if they were?’
People go to fairs like these and they feel good when they get treatments, when they talk with stall holders, and when they hear talks.
It wouldn’t matter if the benefits of the therapies on offer were just placebo (For the record, they’re not). If they work for people, then great.
There’s going to come a time in Medicine where it is widely accepted that the mind plays a really important role in, well, just about everything. If a patient believes that something will be good for them, then should it not be encouraged providing it can’t do any harm?
I remember someone even say to me once that visualizing ourselves getting better from an illness is rubbish, that’s its just all in the mind. Of course it is. Is that not the point?
If you believe that a therapy is good for you then it will be. Take a fictitious therapy called ‘X’, for example.
If you have learned that ‘X’ creates a feeling of relaxation and that this will reduce your stress, which will also have a positive impact upon many illnesses, then you will probably receive a lot of benefit from it. Yes, some of the benefit would be placebo – your belief in the therapy. But who cares whether it is or not? That’s just academic.
The bottom line is that the person receiving the therapy is benefiting.
If, on the other hand, a person had been told by someone that there are no real benefits, that’s it’s all in the mind, then they might not have the therapy and so miss out on the benefits, just because a study might have shown that it was no better than placebo. But by receiving the therapy, they are getting benefits, even if much of it is created by the mind.
That’s the thing with the mind. Our beliefs make chemistry! And quite often, that chemistry benefits us.
The mind creates chemical changes in the brain and around the body. Hormone levels change, cells change, and genes express themselves, producing proteins all around the brain and body. In a 2005 paper, Eric Kandel, 2000 Nobel Prizewinner in Medicine, even wrote, ‘There’s no longer any doubt that psychotherapy can result in detectable changes in the brain.’ A new way of thinking about something activates different brain regions from before, encouraging blood flow in a new direction, leading to actual structural changes in the brain, often in the region of the prefrontal cortex.
Getting therapy ‘X’, whatever it is, allows the person’s mind to create healing change in the body, regardless of whether the therapy was any good in and of itself. It really shouldn’t matter if ‘X’ was no better than placebo. Placebo heals in and of itself. That was one of my greatest learnings when I worked as a scientist with one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
Time and again, I learned about clinical trials (for drugs that are currently on the market) that showed a large number of people improve because they believed they were getting a medicine when, in reality, they were getting a small white tablet made of chalk or sugar – a fake drug. Belief makes chemistry!
I think many criticisms are purely academic. The evidence in mind-body science is compelling. We also now know that thinking causes structural changes in the brain, for instance. We’ve reached a point where we can no longer say, ‘it’s all in the mind’, because our own thinking is not inert. You can’t have a thought or hold a belief without affecting your brain and body.
So if a person believes that a particular therapy can help them on their healing journey then, providing it can’t actually do any harm, it should be encouraged.
I would always recommend, however, that you talk to your doctor/physician about your intentions. Many physicians are open to the use of alternatives and it can be good to have your physician on board, in support of what you’re doing. It can make you feel better about what you’re doing.
If they are not, then it is your right to seek a second opinion, or a third.
This article is Copyright © 2009 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left entirely Unedited for this Blog
Think Yourself Well - Scientific Evidence for the Power of Visualisation
A 2008 study at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak demonstrated the power of visualisation for the treatment of interstitial cystitis. Fifteen women visualised for 25 minutes, twice a day, for a total of 8 weeks, where they pictured healing the bladder, relaxing the pelvic-floor muscles and quietening the nerves involved. Fifteen women in a control group rested during these times so that the scientists could compare visualisation vs. non-visualisation.
After the 8 weeks, the women who visualised had significantly reduced symptoms and pain than those who didn't.
A 2008 study published in the Journal for the Society of Integrative Oncology demonstrated that visualisation reduced the risk of reoccurrence of breast cancer. The study involved 34 women who participated in an 8-week imagery program. It found that the women who visualised had reduced stress and improved quality of life. It also found that cortisol rhythm, which is an indicator of the probability of the reoccurrence of cancer, was improved and thus the likelihood of cancer returning was reduced.
Visualisation even affects wound healing, which was shown in a 2007 study at Southeastern Louisiana University School of Nursing, involving 24 patients undergoing surgery to remove their gallbladders. The study found that, not only did visualisation reduce levels of anxiety and stress hormone levels but those who used it had much lower levels of surgical wound erythema, which is redness around a wound that's usually associated with infection or inflammation. In effect, visualisation speeds up the healing of our wounds.
These 3 studies, and many more, can also be found in my new book, 'How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body', which is published by Hay House UK on 27 th November 2008.
It's the Thought That Counts: Why Mind Over Matter Really Works
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left entirely unedited for this Blog.
After the 8 weeks, the women who visualised had significantly reduced symptoms and pain than those who didn't.
A 2008 study published in the Journal for the Society of Integrative Oncology demonstrated that visualisation reduced the risk of reoccurrence of breast cancer. The study involved 34 women who participated in an 8-week imagery program. It found that the women who visualised had reduced stress and improved quality of life. It also found that cortisol rhythm, which is an indicator of the probability of the reoccurrence of cancer, was improved and thus the likelihood of cancer returning was reduced.
Visualisation even affects wound healing, which was shown in a 2007 study at Southeastern Louisiana University School of Nursing, involving 24 patients undergoing surgery to remove their gallbladders. The study found that, not only did visualisation reduce levels of anxiety and stress hormone levels but those who used it had much lower levels of surgical wound erythema, which is redness around a wound that's usually associated with infection or inflammation. In effect, visualisation speeds up the healing of our wounds.
These 3 studies, and many more, can also be found in my new book, 'How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body', which is published by Hay House UK on 27 th November 2008.
It's the Thought That Counts: Why Mind Over Matter Really Works
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left entirely unedited for this Blog.
The Science of Mind Over Matter
Imagine that scientists discovered a new drug that could cure or improve the symptoms of most known diseases. Just one pill! Wouldn't it make headline news all around the world, and become the greatest selling drug of all time?
Such a thing already exists. Let me introduce to you - The Placebo!
" The placebo effect has evolved from being thought of as a nuisance in clinical pharmacological research to a biological phenomenon worthy of scientific investigation in its own right. "
These are the words of Professor Fabrizio Benedetti, a neuroscience professor at the University of Turin School of Medicine, a world authority on the placebo effect, and member of the 'Placebo Study Group' of the Mind/Brain/Behaviour initiative at Harvard University.
A placebo is a dummy drug that is made to look just like a real drug. It is used in medical trials so that the drug can be tested against a control. Being a control, it is not supposed to heal but it does, because patients believe that it's a real drug. Their mind heals them.
For years the cures were dismissed as 'just placebo' but new evidence has conclusively proven that there is no such thing as 'just' placebo. When you think you are receiving a medicine, you change the structure of your brain on a microscopic level and chemicals are released in several different areas.
For instance, a recent study into Parkinson's disease saw patients given an antiparkinson's drug (apomorphine). MRI brain scans then showed dopamine released in an area of the brain known as the striatum. When patients were given a placebo instead, there was also release of dopamine in the striatum. The brain didn't seem to know the difference between actually getting apomorphine and just believing that the drug was apomorphine.
Much of the effect of many modern drugs is due to the placebo effect. Of course, drugs work in their own right. When I was a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry I worked with them. They work in test tubes. But a test tube doesn't have a mind. When you give a drug to an actual person, their thoughts about the drug become important. If they think the drug will work, it is likely to. If they think that it won't, then it won't work as well.
This is often influenced by what a doctor tells them. Studies have shown that if a doctor is enthusiastic about a treatment then it works much better than if they have their doubts.
In a 1954 study, for instance, patients with bleeding ulcers were given water injections but told either that the injections would cure them, or that they were being given experimental injections of undetermined effectiveness. Of the patients who were told that the injections would cure them, 70% showed excellent improvement, but of the group who were told that it was an experimental injection, only 25% improved.
In another study, some patients were given a positive consultation (for minor ailments) along the lines of, "you will be better soon," and some were given a negative consultation, along the lines of, "I'm not sure what's wrong with you." After 2 weeks, 64% of those who received a positive consultation were better but only 39% of those who received the negative one were better.
So some of the effects of drugs are caused by our belief in the doctor or our belief in the drug. Recent analysis of the bestselling antidepressants on the market revealed that the placebo effect accounts for 81% of their effectiveness.
It was a meta-analysis (summary of a number of scientific studies) of Fluoxetine (Prozac), Venlafaxine (Effexor), Nefazodone (Serzone), and Paroxetine (Seroxat), covering 35 clinical trials involving 5,133 patients.
But as I've pointed out, this doesn't mean that the drugs don't work. It really just means that, for depression, the placebo effect is very high. With heart medicines, there is also a very high placebo effect. A number of heart medicines have a placebo effect around 60-70%. The drugs work, but so do our thoughts about the drugs. So great power to heal lies within us, we just need to believe it.
And it's not just thoughts around whether we are receiving a medicine or not that affect us. Every thought, regardless what it is a thought of, causes changes in the brain and releases chemicals throughout it.
This is how paralysed people are able to walk down a virtual reality street or move a cursor on a computer screen by thought alone, as recent news reports have described. These things are possible because a thought to move, say, a foot causes electrical activity in the 'foot' part of the brain. Implants measure the electrical activity (as brain waves) coming from the foot part of the brain and send a signal to a computer. The computer then makes a virtual character take a step.
In a similar way, paralysed people can make a cursor go left or right, up or down, on a computer screen and point to certain letter so that they can type e-mails with their thoughts. Sounds like science fiction, but it is science fact and it all relies on the simple fact that thoughts change the brain. In other words, that the mind affects the body.
These recent advances, as the forefront of science, are sure to lay to rest, once and for all, any scepticism that exists around whether mind affects body.
How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
Such a thing already exists. Let me introduce to you - The Placebo!
" The placebo effect has evolved from being thought of as a nuisance in clinical pharmacological research to a biological phenomenon worthy of scientific investigation in its own right. "
These are the words of Professor Fabrizio Benedetti, a neuroscience professor at the University of Turin School of Medicine, a world authority on the placebo effect, and member of the 'Placebo Study Group' of the Mind/Brain/Behaviour initiative at Harvard University.
A placebo is a dummy drug that is made to look just like a real drug. It is used in medical trials so that the drug can be tested against a control. Being a control, it is not supposed to heal but it does, because patients believe that it's a real drug. Their mind heals them.
For years the cures were dismissed as 'just placebo' but new evidence has conclusively proven that there is no such thing as 'just' placebo. When you think you are receiving a medicine, you change the structure of your brain on a microscopic level and chemicals are released in several different areas.
For instance, a recent study into Parkinson's disease saw patients given an antiparkinson's drug (apomorphine). MRI brain scans then showed dopamine released in an area of the brain known as the striatum. When patients were given a placebo instead, there was also release of dopamine in the striatum. The brain didn't seem to know the difference between actually getting apomorphine and just believing that the drug was apomorphine.
Much of the effect of many modern drugs is due to the placebo effect. Of course, drugs work in their own right. When I was a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry I worked with them. They work in test tubes. But a test tube doesn't have a mind. When you give a drug to an actual person, their thoughts about the drug become important. If they think the drug will work, it is likely to. If they think that it won't, then it won't work as well.
This is often influenced by what a doctor tells them. Studies have shown that if a doctor is enthusiastic about a treatment then it works much better than if they have their doubts.
In a 1954 study, for instance, patients with bleeding ulcers were given water injections but told either that the injections would cure them, or that they were being given experimental injections of undetermined effectiveness. Of the patients who were told that the injections would cure them, 70% showed excellent improvement, but of the group who were told that it was an experimental injection, only 25% improved.
In another study, some patients were given a positive consultation (for minor ailments) along the lines of, "you will be better soon," and some were given a negative consultation, along the lines of, "I'm not sure what's wrong with you." After 2 weeks, 64% of those who received a positive consultation were better but only 39% of those who received the negative one were better.
So some of the effects of drugs are caused by our belief in the doctor or our belief in the drug. Recent analysis of the bestselling antidepressants on the market revealed that the placebo effect accounts for 81% of their effectiveness.
It was a meta-analysis (summary of a number of scientific studies) of Fluoxetine (Prozac), Venlafaxine (Effexor), Nefazodone (Serzone), and Paroxetine (Seroxat), covering 35 clinical trials involving 5,133 patients.
But as I've pointed out, this doesn't mean that the drugs don't work. It really just means that, for depression, the placebo effect is very high. With heart medicines, there is also a very high placebo effect. A number of heart medicines have a placebo effect around 60-70%. The drugs work, but so do our thoughts about the drugs. So great power to heal lies within us, we just need to believe it.
And it's not just thoughts around whether we are receiving a medicine or not that affect us. Every thought, regardless what it is a thought of, causes changes in the brain and releases chemicals throughout it.
This is how paralysed people are able to walk down a virtual reality street or move a cursor on a computer screen by thought alone, as recent news reports have described. These things are possible because a thought to move, say, a foot causes electrical activity in the 'foot' part of the brain. Implants measure the electrical activity (as brain waves) coming from the foot part of the brain and send a signal to a computer. The computer then makes a virtual character take a step.
In a similar way, paralysed people can make a cursor go left or right, up or down, on a computer screen and point to certain letter so that they can type e-mails with their thoughts. Sounds like science fiction, but it is science fact and it all relies on the simple fact that thoughts change the brain. In other words, that the mind affects the body.
These recent advances, as the forefront of science, are sure to lay to rest, once and for all, any scepticism that exists around whether mind affects body.
How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has been left Unedited for this Blog.
A Calm Mind Accelerates the Healing of a Wound.....Stress slows it down
Scientists at Ohio State University, Ronald Glaser and Janice Kiecolt-Glaser, created small blisters on the skin of volunteers who were married to each other. First they asked the married couples to discuss a neutral topic, then the scientists monitored the levels of a protein that is produced during wound healing over the next 3 weeks.
Then they asked them to discuss something that they disagreed upon; that would create stress in them both. Again, the scientists monitored the levels of the wound-healing protein.
Astonishingly, the levels of the wound-healing protein were lower when the couples had disagreed - when they had been stressed.
The effects of calm and stress work at the genetic level. For the wound-healing proteins to be made in the body, a gene must be switched on. So calm and stress affect the switching on or off of genes on our DNA. Most states of mind have genetic effects, and studies in epigenetics have shown that prolonged emotional states have genetic effects that can be passed on to the next generation.
My personal philosophy is that if I strive to be the best person I can; that is, the most kind, caring, understanding, and tolerant then any positive genetic effects that come from these prolonged states in me might be passed on to my children. And don’t worry if you are not in the place right now where you can focus in this way. I have had prolonged times in my past when I’ve been depressed and it’s just been so hard. I believe that we are constantly re-writing parts of our genetic code, in terms of which genes are switched on and off. And so any biological effects at that time will now be over-written. All things eventually change. You have plenty of time!
And the effects on the next generation are not going to determine their destiny. Epigenetic effects act more like a gentle wind. Their own free will, and choices in how to live their lives, are the overwhelming authors of their own genetic evolution.
How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
This article is Copyright © 2010 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
Only Title has been Edited for this Blog.
Then they asked them to discuss something that they disagreed upon; that would create stress in them both. Again, the scientists monitored the levels of the wound-healing protein.
Astonishingly, the levels of the wound-healing protein were lower when the couples had disagreed - when they had been stressed.
The effects of calm and stress work at the genetic level. For the wound-healing proteins to be made in the body, a gene must be switched on. So calm and stress affect the switching on or off of genes on our DNA. Most states of mind have genetic effects, and studies in epigenetics have shown that prolonged emotional states have genetic effects that can be passed on to the next generation.
My personal philosophy is that if I strive to be the best person I can; that is, the most kind, caring, understanding, and tolerant then any positive genetic effects that come from these prolonged states in me might be passed on to my children. And don’t worry if you are not in the place right now where you can focus in this way. I have had prolonged times in my past when I’ve been depressed and it’s just been so hard. I believe that we are constantly re-writing parts of our genetic code, in terms of which genes are switched on and off. And so any biological effects at that time will now be over-written. All things eventually change. You have plenty of time!
And the effects on the next generation are not going to determine their destiny. Epigenetic effects act more like a gentle wind. Their own free will, and choices in how to live their lives, are the overwhelming authors of their own genetic evolution.
How Your Mind Can Heal Your Body
This article is Copyright © 2010 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
Only Title has been Edited for this Blog.
Destiny, Free Will and Attraction
As well as giving us heat and light, the Sun periodically sends out bursts of radiation towards the Earth that bounce off our atmosphere and cause magnetic storms. And some alignments of planets can affect these bursts. For instance, Venus, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn almost in a straight line with the Sun causes them.
And the bursts affect us. Scientists have shown that they can affect the rhythms of the heart and even the release of melatonin from the pineal gland.
Even though this isn't classic astrology it goes some way to lending it credibility.
And the positions of the planets are predestined. We can count on them aligning in particular ways at particular times so there are real cosmic forces of destiny that act upon us.
There are spiritual forces too.
I believe that our ultimate destiny is to come to know ourselves as All That Is, and so our Soul chooses (although not always) for us to be born into certain conditions where we'll meet certain people, and have certain influences, that will offer us the best opportunity for this.
We always have free will though.
Most people nowadays have heard of the Law of Attraction; that we attract what we focus upon. By holding the image or intent of what we want in our mind we can attract it into our lives. And at those times when 'stuff just happens' it is sometimes the forces of destiny calling.
I use an analogy of life as like sitting in a canoe on a big wide river. Free will is our paddle. As we use the Law of Attraction we paddle our canoe where we want to take it. Forces of destiny act like winds, sometimes gentle and sometimes forceful, which blow our canoe left and right, forwards and backwards. Sometimes we're in the flow, and everything is working for us, but sometimes we're trying to attract against a strong wind and it feels like we're not getting the things we want. These are times when we just need to wait out the storm, so to speak.
I believe that humanity has a destiny, but that it's not set in stone. I believe that through our free will we can create the type of world that we choose. If we want a world of peace, sharing, kindness, and love, then we can create it. If you think it will take a miracle, then I invite you, today, to Be the miracle.
It's the Thought That Counts: Why Mind Over Matter Really Works
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has not been Edited for this Blog Post.
And the bursts affect us. Scientists have shown that they can affect the rhythms of the heart and even the release of melatonin from the pineal gland.
Even though this isn't classic astrology it goes some way to lending it credibility.
And the positions of the planets are predestined. We can count on them aligning in particular ways at particular times so there are real cosmic forces of destiny that act upon us.
There are spiritual forces too.
I believe that our ultimate destiny is to come to know ourselves as All That Is, and so our Soul chooses (although not always) for us to be born into certain conditions where we'll meet certain people, and have certain influences, that will offer us the best opportunity for this.
We always have free will though.
Most people nowadays have heard of the Law of Attraction; that we attract what we focus upon. By holding the image or intent of what we want in our mind we can attract it into our lives. And at those times when 'stuff just happens' it is sometimes the forces of destiny calling.
I use an analogy of life as like sitting in a canoe on a big wide river. Free will is our paddle. As we use the Law of Attraction we paddle our canoe where we want to take it. Forces of destiny act like winds, sometimes gentle and sometimes forceful, which blow our canoe left and right, forwards and backwards. Sometimes we're in the flow, and everything is working for us, but sometimes we're trying to attract against a strong wind and it feels like we're not getting the things we want. These are times when we just need to wait out the storm, so to speak.
I believe that humanity has a destiny, but that it's not set in stone. I believe that through our free will we can create the type of world that we choose. If we want a world of peace, sharing, kindness, and love, then we can create it. If you think it will take a miracle, then I invite you, today, to Be the miracle.
It's the Thought That Counts: Why Mind Over Matter Really Works
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
It has not been Edited for this Blog Post.
Friday, June 4, 2010
Dissolving Sexual Worker Dependence
~"Every Addiction arises from an unconscious refusal to face and move through Your Own pain. Whatever the substance you are addicted to - alcohol,food, legal or illegal drugs, People or Sex-You are using Something or Somobody to cover up Your Own pain."~
-Dissolving Sexual Worker Dependence- The Seminar
CASE 1: A 28-year-old homosexual man spent evenings "cruising" local parks, public restrooms for sexual contacts. This activity consumed several hours a day. His primary outlet was sex with multiple anonymous partners. When he learned that the majority of gay men in his city had tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), he began to worry constantly about his risk of contracting AIDS. Still, he was unable to change his unsafe sexual practices despite repeated promises to himself to do so.
CASE 2: A 52-year-old married minister had a 10-year history of sexual involvement with female parishioners who came to him for counseling. He experienced marital stress because he was often away from home in the evenings "counseling" rather than spending rime with his family. Overcome by remorse and guilt, he promised to break off with the women. However, he was unable to avoid new involvements. After several women came forward with their stories, the minister was fired, evicted from his church-owned house, and publicly humiliated. He and his wife moved away, where she supported them with her teaching income.
CASE 3: A 32-year-old woman from a rigidly religious family married an alcoholic. After 2 years of marriage, she became involved in what was to be the first of many extramarital affairs. To prevent detection by her husband, she withdrew from him emotionally and neglected the marital relationship. She recognized that she was not spending enough time with her children. Despite feelings of guilt, she did not seek help until she cheated on her new lover.
CASE 4: A 50-year-old married business executive neglected sales calls when out of town and visited massage parlors and prostitutes, despite knowledge that he was risking HIV infection. He was once an effective salesman, but his work performance suffered because of his sexual pursuits. He took alternative routes on trips in an effort to avoid massage parlors, but he was unable to control his urge to visit these establishments. His wife learned about his sexual activities when he was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover policewoman posing as a prostitute. At that point, his marriage was in jeopardy, his children and friends shocked, and his job future uncertain.
HELP!! IAM ADDICTED TO HOOKERS
I have a serious problem and addiction to hookers. It started out as fun and spending a wild evening with the guys, but now i cant be a day without picking up a hooker and sometimes twice a day. I have been with a whole range of them from the $2000 high class to the $30 street hookers. Its ruining me not only emotionally but financially too. I just love the adventure and adrenaline involved with being with a hooker. Is There any kind of treatment for hooker addiction? Pls Help.
Why would seemingly balanced, rational and reasonable men go to great lengths and risks just for a momentary thrill?
~"Whoso is simple, let him turn and head in her direction, and as for him that lacks understanding, she said to him: 'stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant'. But he does not know that the Dead are there...and that her guests are in the Depths of Hell."~
-Proverb 9:16
When sexual behavior is compulsive and continued despite serious adverse consequences, it is addiction. Sex addicts tend to sexualize other people and situations, finding sexual connotations in the most ordinary incident or remark. They spend great amounts of time and/or money in pursuit of a "quick fix." Any sexual behavior can be part of the addictive cycle: The context of the behavior must be considered to ascertain whether the behavior is compulsive. What is healthy sexual behavior for many people may be unhealthy for others, just as the use of alcohol causes no adverse consequences for most people but severe problems for some.
Sex addicts describe a euphoria with sex similar to that described by drug addicts with drug use. This may be an effect of endorphins and other endogenous brain chemicals, whereas the drug-induced state is externally produced. Milkman and Sunderwirth(6) have classified sexual addiction as an arousal addiction because its effects on the brain are similar to the effects of cocaine, amphetamines, compulsive gambling, and risk-taking behaviors. In contrast, addiction to alcohol, sedatives or hypnotics, and food are considered satiation addictions.
Like alcoholics and other drug addicts, sex addicts behavior engage in distorted thinking, rationalizing, and defending and justifying their behavior while blaming others for resulting problems. They deny having a problem and make excuses for their behavior.
~"It is a stroke of Good fortune to find One who is worth seducing...Most people rush ahead, become engaged or do other stupid things, and in a turn of the hand everything is over, and they know neither what they have won nor what they have lost."
-Soren KierkeGaard
~"They who are happy with What they have and Who they Are...are Not easily Seduced."~
-My Dad
On the basis of a survey of about 600 self-identified sex addicts, Sex addicts usually participate compulsively in more than one type of sexual behavior. For example, they may masturbate compulsively in addition to viewing pornography and patronizing prostitutes. Although some sex addicts are hyper-sexual, seeking sexual intercourse or orgasm several times daily, most are not. For the addict who has affairs, the euphoria may come from the thrill of the chase and conquest rather than £from the sexual experience itself. Many sex addicts report progression of their addiction; that is, they have to take increasing risks or try new sexual behaviors to maintain the same euphoric effect.
Sexual difficulties are common in families of sex addicts. The great majority of sex addicts (82% of almost 900 addicts in Carnes' survey had been sexually abused in childhood). Among the male addicts, 3% were forced to have sex by their fathers and 11% by their mothers. Others (41%) were abused by neighbors, business associates of their parents, or strangers, while 8% were molested by other adults in authority.
In some families, there was no overt incest, but a heightened sense of sexuality was present. Sexually explicit material may have been available, or sexual comments (eg, a father remarking on his daughter's anatomy) were made repeatedly. Privacy in the bathroom and bedroom may have been lacking. - Children who come from families that lack emotional support and nurturing tend to be vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Children who are sexually abused may grow up fearing sex, confusing sex with love, or believing that the only way to relate to others is sexually. Others may be troubled by "repetition compulsion," in which they become perpetrators of sexual abuse.
More than half of sex addicts surveyed come from a rigid, emotionally disengaged family. In such families, discussion of sex may be taboo or sex may be considered disgusting. As a result, children grow up lacking accurate information about sex and believing that sex is powerful and dangerous.
Like chemical dependency, sexual addiction is a family disease. Spouses of sex addicts, or "co-addicts," usually grew up in a dysfunctional family, where they acquired a set of core beliefs that resulted in low self-esteem and difficulty in relationships. They may believe that they are not worthwhile, that no one could love them for themselves, that they can control and are responsible for others, and that sex is the most important sign of love.
Spouses of sex addicts were often sexually abused in childhood and thus have fear or confusion about sex. They tend to be attracted to individuals who are needy, which describes most addicts. Co-addicts usually fear abandonment, often cannot imagine life without their partner, and are willing to accept behaviors that healthier persons may find unacceptable. For example, in a survey of 78 recovering co-addicts, 52 (66%) said that they had participated in sexual activities that they found uncomfortable. These included viewing pornography, swapping sexual partners, and having sex in public places.
~"I do not approach her, I merely skirt the periphery of her Existence...This is the First Web into which she must be spun."~
-Soren KierkeGaard
~"A person will desire any object so long as he is convinced that it is desired by another person whom he admires."~
-Rene Girard
Many coaddicts fear refusing sex; others use sex to control and manipulate. Those whose sexually addicted partner prefers other sexual outlets (eg, compulsive masturbation, hiring of prostitutes) may go for years with out conjugal relations, often at great cost to their emotional well-being. Since the sex addict's primary relationship is with the addiction, the partner justifiably feels unimportant and unloved.
All too often, couples who seek marriage counseling because of sexual problems are advised to add variety to their sexual repertoire or to do more to please each other sexually. Some marriage counselors may not understand that the sexual problems are an addictive pattern, not a marital issue. Often, the co-addict takes responsibility for the marital discord and fruitlessly works at finding a solution, as illustrated in the following case.
Case 5: A 36-year-old woman, the mother of three small children, was raised by a rageful alcoholic father and a dependent mother. She married a man who also had an alcoholic parent. Over the course of their marriage, he had multiple affairs. He denied the most blatant evidence of his philandering until she at times doubted her own sanity. Although she knew he was having sex with other women, she did not dare deny him sex for fear he would leave.
Frightened of confronting her husband and expressing her anger, she had bouts of depression and periods of overeating. During her second pregnancy, she contracted gonorrhea from her husband. Although she felt intense guilt about risking her fetus's health, she continued having sex with her husband. She expressed intense shame when she disclosed her home situation to her physician.
She became progressively obsessed with her husband's infidelity and would drive around town at night, with her three small children, looking for her husband's car. When she found his car-at a girlfriend's house-she would send one of the children to ring the doorbell and ask daddy to come home.Despite her recognition of how hurtful this behavior was to her children, she was unable to stop.
Eventually she sought counseling, joined a self-help group for spouses of sex addicts, and later divorced her husband.
In Life...Creating and Choosing Relationships is commonly done Irresponsibly and Unconsciously, and almost random procedure.
In This Seminar we will remove this Quality of Unconscious randomness, and Discover...Your Real, Until Now unknown, purpose in Being with a Particular person.
There are certain assumptions we have about Men ad Women of which we usually are not aware, and we live as If these assumptions were So True as not to rate conscious Review.
Instead of examining these assumptions...We Live them Out.
You will be shown the Unconscious methods You use to Create a person into Your Life, thereby leaving you with the ability to allow this to be done by Intention rather than by waiting for "It" to Happen..
The Power of Hearing these Items verbalized manifests itself in the freedom to Be how We are, as Women and Men.
Without apology. Without regret.
At the Core of our Lives...the Original Restriction in the Experience of Being Loved, is derived from the primal relationship with Parents.
Through Lecture, Process and Sharing...be Prepared to take the Relationship with parents to its Core.
Break Free from Your Dependence on Sexual Workers.
Take back Your Power to Transform your Reality.
Explore and Embrace Monogamy with a Renewed sense of Purpose.
This program is not for everyone...It may not Be for you, but for someone You Know...
Reach out and have a Conversation...
-Dissolving Sexual Worker Dependence- The Seminar
CASE 1: A 28-year-old homosexual man spent evenings "cruising" local parks, public restrooms for sexual contacts. This activity consumed several hours a day. His primary outlet was sex with multiple anonymous partners. When he learned that the majority of gay men in his city had tested positive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), he began to worry constantly about his risk of contracting AIDS. Still, he was unable to change his unsafe sexual practices despite repeated promises to himself to do so.
CASE 2: A 52-year-old married minister had a 10-year history of sexual involvement with female parishioners who came to him for counseling. He experienced marital stress because he was often away from home in the evenings "counseling" rather than spending rime with his family. Overcome by remorse and guilt, he promised to break off with the women. However, he was unable to avoid new involvements. After several women came forward with their stories, the minister was fired, evicted from his church-owned house, and publicly humiliated. He and his wife moved away, where she supported them with her teaching income.
CASE 3: A 32-year-old woman from a rigidly religious family married an alcoholic. After 2 years of marriage, she became involved in what was to be the first of many extramarital affairs. To prevent detection by her husband, she withdrew from him emotionally and neglected the marital relationship. She recognized that she was not spending enough time with her children. Despite feelings of guilt, she did not seek help until she cheated on her new lover.
CASE 4: A 50-year-old married business executive neglected sales calls when out of town and visited massage parlors and prostitutes, despite knowledge that he was risking HIV infection. He was once an effective salesman, but his work performance suffered because of his sexual pursuits. He took alternative routes on trips in an effort to avoid massage parlors, but he was unable to control his urge to visit these establishments. His wife learned about his sexual activities when he was arrested for soliciting sex from an undercover policewoman posing as a prostitute. At that point, his marriage was in jeopardy, his children and friends shocked, and his job future uncertain.
HELP!! IAM ADDICTED TO HOOKERS
I have a serious problem and addiction to hookers. It started out as fun and spending a wild evening with the guys, but now i cant be a day without picking up a hooker and sometimes twice a day. I have been with a whole range of them from the $2000 high class to the $30 street hookers. Its ruining me not only emotionally but financially too. I just love the adventure and adrenaline involved with being with a hooker. Is There any kind of treatment for hooker addiction? Pls Help.
Why would seemingly balanced, rational and reasonable men go to great lengths and risks just for a momentary thrill?
~"Whoso is simple, let him turn and head in her direction, and as for him that lacks understanding, she said to him: 'stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant'. But he does not know that the Dead are there...and that her guests are in the Depths of Hell."~
-Proverb 9:16
When sexual behavior is compulsive and continued despite serious adverse consequences, it is addiction. Sex addicts tend to sexualize other people and situations, finding sexual connotations in the most ordinary incident or remark. They spend great amounts of time and/or money in pursuit of a "quick fix." Any sexual behavior can be part of the addictive cycle: The context of the behavior must be considered to ascertain whether the behavior is compulsive. What is healthy sexual behavior for many people may be unhealthy for others, just as the use of alcohol causes no adverse consequences for most people but severe problems for some.
Sex addicts describe a euphoria with sex similar to that described by drug addicts with drug use. This may be an effect of endorphins and other endogenous brain chemicals, whereas the drug-induced state is externally produced. Milkman and Sunderwirth(6) have classified sexual addiction as an arousal addiction because its effects on the brain are similar to the effects of cocaine, amphetamines, compulsive gambling, and risk-taking behaviors. In contrast, addiction to alcohol, sedatives or hypnotics, and food are considered satiation addictions.
Like alcoholics and other drug addicts, sex addicts behavior engage in distorted thinking, rationalizing, and defending and justifying their behavior while blaming others for resulting problems. They deny having a problem and make excuses for their behavior.
~"It is a stroke of Good fortune to find One who is worth seducing...Most people rush ahead, become engaged or do other stupid things, and in a turn of the hand everything is over, and they know neither what they have won nor what they have lost."
-Soren KierkeGaard
~"They who are happy with What they have and Who they Are...are Not easily Seduced."~
-My Dad
On the basis of a survey of about 600 self-identified sex addicts, Sex addicts usually participate compulsively in more than one type of sexual behavior. For example, they may masturbate compulsively in addition to viewing pornography and patronizing prostitutes. Although some sex addicts are hyper-sexual, seeking sexual intercourse or orgasm several times daily, most are not. For the addict who has affairs, the euphoria may come from the thrill of the chase and conquest rather than £from the sexual experience itself. Many sex addicts report progression of their addiction; that is, they have to take increasing risks or try new sexual behaviors to maintain the same euphoric effect.
Sexual difficulties are common in families of sex addicts. The great majority of sex addicts (82% of almost 900 addicts in Carnes' survey had been sexually abused in childhood). Among the male addicts, 3% were forced to have sex by their fathers and 11% by their mothers. Others (41%) were abused by neighbors, business associates of their parents, or strangers, while 8% were molested by other adults in authority.
In some families, there was no overt incest, but a heightened sense of sexuality was present. Sexually explicit material may have been available, or sexual comments (eg, a father remarking on his daughter's anatomy) were made repeatedly. Privacy in the bathroom and bedroom may have been lacking. - Children who come from families that lack emotional support and nurturing tend to be vulnerable to sexual exploitation. Children who are sexually abused may grow up fearing sex, confusing sex with love, or believing that the only way to relate to others is sexually. Others may be troubled by "repetition compulsion," in which they become perpetrators of sexual abuse.
More than half of sex addicts surveyed come from a rigid, emotionally disengaged family. In such families, discussion of sex may be taboo or sex may be considered disgusting. As a result, children grow up lacking accurate information about sex and believing that sex is powerful and dangerous.
Like chemical dependency, sexual addiction is a family disease. Spouses of sex addicts, or "co-addicts," usually grew up in a dysfunctional family, where they acquired a set of core beliefs that resulted in low self-esteem and difficulty in relationships. They may believe that they are not worthwhile, that no one could love them for themselves, that they can control and are responsible for others, and that sex is the most important sign of love.
Spouses of sex addicts were often sexually abused in childhood and thus have fear or confusion about sex. They tend to be attracted to individuals who are needy, which describes most addicts. Co-addicts usually fear abandonment, often cannot imagine life without their partner, and are willing to accept behaviors that healthier persons may find unacceptable. For example, in a survey of 78 recovering co-addicts, 52 (66%) said that they had participated in sexual activities that they found uncomfortable. These included viewing pornography, swapping sexual partners, and having sex in public places.
~"I do not approach her, I merely skirt the periphery of her Existence...This is the First Web into which she must be spun."~
-Soren KierkeGaard
~"A person will desire any object so long as he is convinced that it is desired by another person whom he admires."~
-Rene Girard
Many coaddicts fear refusing sex; others use sex to control and manipulate. Those whose sexually addicted partner prefers other sexual outlets (eg, compulsive masturbation, hiring of prostitutes) may go for years with out conjugal relations, often at great cost to their emotional well-being. Since the sex addict's primary relationship is with the addiction, the partner justifiably feels unimportant and unloved.
All too often, couples who seek marriage counseling because of sexual problems are advised to add variety to their sexual repertoire or to do more to please each other sexually. Some marriage counselors may not understand that the sexual problems are an addictive pattern, not a marital issue. Often, the co-addict takes responsibility for the marital discord and fruitlessly works at finding a solution, as illustrated in the following case.
Case 5: A 36-year-old woman, the mother of three small children, was raised by a rageful alcoholic father and a dependent mother. She married a man who also had an alcoholic parent. Over the course of their marriage, he had multiple affairs. He denied the most blatant evidence of his philandering until she at times doubted her own sanity. Although she knew he was having sex with other women, she did not dare deny him sex for fear he would leave.
Frightened of confronting her husband and expressing her anger, she had bouts of depression and periods of overeating. During her second pregnancy, she contracted gonorrhea from her husband. Although she felt intense guilt about risking her fetus's health, she continued having sex with her husband. She expressed intense shame when she disclosed her home situation to her physician.
She became progressively obsessed with her husband's infidelity and would drive around town at night, with her three small children, looking for her husband's car. When she found his car-at a girlfriend's house-she would send one of the children to ring the doorbell and ask daddy to come home.Despite her recognition of how hurtful this behavior was to her children, she was unable to stop.
Eventually she sought counseling, joined a self-help group for spouses of sex addicts, and later divorced her husband.
In Life...Creating and Choosing Relationships is commonly done Irresponsibly and Unconsciously, and almost random procedure.
In This Seminar we will remove this Quality of Unconscious randomness, and Discover...Your Real, Until Now unknown, purpose in Being with a Particular person.
There are certain assumptions we have about Men ad Women of which we usually are not aware, and we live as If these assumptions were So True as not to rate conscious Review.
Instead of examining these assumptions...We Live them Out.
You will be shown the Unconscious methods You use to Create a person into Your Life, thereby leaving you with the ability to allow this to be done by Intention rather than by waiting for "It" to Happen..
The Power of Hearing these Items verbalized manifests itself in the freedom to Be how We are, as Women and Men.
Without apology. Without regret.
At the Core of our Lives...the Original Restriction in the Experience of Being Loved, is derived from the primal relationship with Parents.
Through Lecture, Process and Sharing...be Prepared to take the Relationship with parents to its Core.
Break Free from Your Dependence on Sexual Workers.
Take back Your Power to Transform your Reality.
Explore and Embrace Monogamy with a Renewed sense of Purpose.
This program is not for everyone...It may not Be for you, but for someone You Know...
Reach out and have a Conversation...
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Choosing a Hypnotherapist to Stop Smoking and Regression Theraphy
Choosing A Hypnotherapist To Stop Smoking
There are still just a Few Hypnotherapists out there,Here in Aruba, so how do you find one that works for you?
When Should I See a Hypnotherapist?
If you are struggling with giving up smoking and feel you need a helping hand, then hypnosis may well help you. If you feel you just need that little bit extra to quit and become free from tobacco, then this could work for you.
Will It Work?
No hypnotherapist can Guarantee you that the session will work! Unfortunately, Hypnosis is not a replacement for the DESIRE to quit smoking. If you are going along looking for the Hypnotherapist to make you stop smoking then save your money.
Hypnosis will only work to supplement your willpower and help you to give up. If you go for hypnosis because you feel you ought to or because your partner/ family are pushing you to, then again, save your money and stay at home.
If you genuinely want to give up smoking and are willing to use some willpower then Hypnosis will more than likely work for you.
Where Can I Find A Hypnotherapist?
There are a number of ways you can do this:
* Contact a professional hypnotherapist body to find some in your area
* Look in the yellow pages
* Look in the local papers
* Ask friends / co workers for personal recommendations (this is the best method)
*You can Contact: G_Thode@yahoo.co.uk
What Can I Expect?
A stop smoking hypnosis session will last anything from an hour to two hours, depending on the therapist.
They will use a variety of different techniques and processes on you.
Usually it will involve entering trance, relaxed and altered states.
This is a simple process where you relax as if you were almost asleep. In Hypnosis you are in control the whole of the time, which is why you have to want the result. No hypnotherapist can make you do anything you don't want to do.
What Will They Charge Me?
The price varies greatly from therapist to therapist. It is probably a good idea to contact a few in your area to determine pricing. In the UK it can be anywhere for £40 to £500(and in the US that same rate is in Dollars $,and in Europe it's in Euro's) and beyond.
However, the price is no indication of quality in this case.
Anyone can charge any figure you want, which is why personal recommendation is always best.
How Will I Know They Are Good For Me?
Most Hypnotherapists will offer you a Free consultation before going for Therapy. Use this to ask questions and to get to know the therapist.
If you are not comfortable with them, then move on and find a different Therapist. Some questions you might want to ask are:
* What success rate have you had in the past?
* What follow up's do you offer?
And anything else you feel you need to know in order to be comfortable proceeding with the therapy.
What Qualifies Them?
There are three types of hypnotherapists:
1. Those who have done a Correspondence Course
2. Those who have solely trained in stopping smoking (sometimes they will have trained in weight control and stress management too)
3. Those who have taken a full training course, including practical experience
If possible, find one that falls into the third category.
No disrespect to the first two...I myself started with several correspondence Courses,and investing $1000's on every book on the Topic I could find, but Hypnosis requires interaction with people, so how can you learn it properly by post? I invested in doing Internships to get that practical experience while combining it with Vacation time.
I was lucky it was so much cheaper for me, being able to stay Free of Charge at many family homes(for weeks on end), because of Contacts I had created while working as a Tour Guide and Narrator for Atlantis Adventures for 8 years.
(The Practical application of Hypnosis in the Art of Tour Guiding is still sadly overlooked!)
As to the second category, sometimes the desire to smoke may be due to other issues in your life and as such, they will not be able to help you with anything else. Often this type of therapist will be inflexible in their approach due to their limited training.
Regression Theraphy
The Object of Regression or Analytical work is to discover the underlying cause of an individual's Symptom Pattern and Satisfactorily resolve the associated internal conflicts.
There are Two distinctly separate, though related, methods of achieving this that may be Employed:
1)Regression to Cause. Which seeks to follow a memory path down to the first time the symptom pattern or associated emotional response(or damage) was experienced, during the Originating Cause. For example; the first time you experienced the Emotion of Fear. Can You remember?
The Conflicts generated may then be worked through so that negative emotions may be released.
2)Free Association, the Freudian method of Analysis.
Here, the object of the therapeutic exercise is the same, but the route is far less direct, taking in a wider area of your Life and usually concentrating on Childhood.
Each system has its own particular strengths and weaknesses and the Professional Therapist should be familiar, practiced, and confident with both.
You can always check the Therapists Qualifications with the appropriate Professional bodies if you are in any doubt. Remember though that personal recommendation is the best possible way forwards with Hypnosis.
There are still just a Few Hypnotherapists out there,Here in Aruba, so how do you find one that works for you?
When Should I See a Hypnotherapist?
If you are struggling with giving up smoking and feel you need a helping hand, then hypnosis may well help you. If you feel you just need that little bit extra to quit and become free from tobacco, then this could work for you.
Will It Work?
No hypnotherapist can Guarantee you that the session will work! Unfortunately, Hypnosis is not a replacement for the DESIRE to quit smoking. If you are going along looking for the Hypnotherapist to make you stop smoking then save your money.
Hypnosis will only work to supplement your willpower and help you to give up. If you go for hypnosis because you feel you ought to or because your partner/ family are pushing you to, then again, save your money and stay at home.
If you genuinely want to give up smoking and are willing to use some willpower then Hypnosis will more than likely work for you.
Where Can I Find A Hypnotherapist?
There are a number of ways you can do this:
* Contact a professional hypnotherapist body to find some in your area
* Look in the yellow pages
* Look in the local papers
* Ask friends / co workers for personal recommendations (this is the best method)
*You can Contact: G_Thode@yahoo.co.uk
What Can I Expect?
A stop smoking hypnosis session will last anything from an hour to two hours, depending on the therapist.
They will use a variety of different techniques and processes on you.
Usually it will involve entering trance, relaxed and altered states.
This is a simple process where you relax as if you were almost asleep. In Hypnosis you are in control the whole of the time, which is why you have to want the result. No hypnotherapist can make you do anything you don't want to do.
What Will They Charge Me?
The price varies greatly from therapist to therapist. It is probably a good idea to contact a few in your area to determine pricing. In the UK it can be anywhere for £40 to £500(and in the US that same rate is in Dollars $,and in Europe it's in Euro's) and beyond.
However, the price is no indication of quality in this case.
Anyone can charge any figure you want, which is why personal recommendation is always best.
How Will I Know They Are Good For Me?
Most Hypnotherapists will offer you a Free consultation before going for Therapy. Use this to ask questions and to get to know the therapist.
If you are not comfortable with them, then move on and find a different Therapist. Some questions you might want to ask are:
* What success rate have you had in the past?
* What follow up's do you offer?
And anything else you feel you need to know in order to be comfortable proceeding with the therapy.
What Qualifies Them?
There are three types of hypnotherapists:
1. Those who have done a Correspondence Course
2. Those who have solely trained in stopping smoking (sometimes they will have trained in weight control and stress management too)
3. Those who have taken a full training course, including practical experience
If possible, find one that falls into the third category.
No disrespect to the first two...I myself started with several correspondence Courses,and investing $1000's on every book on the Topic I could find, but Hypnosis requires interaction with people, so how can you learn it properly by post? I invested in doing Internships to get that practical experience while combining it with Vacation time.
I was lucky it was so much cheaper for me, being able to stay Free of Charge at many family homes(for weeks on end), because of Contacts I had created while working as a Tour Guide and Narrator for Atlantis Adventures for 8 years.
(The Practical application of Hypnosis in the Art of Tour Guiding is still sadly overlooked!)
As to the second category, sometimes the desire to smoke may be due to other issues in your life and as such, they will not be able to help you with anything else. Often this type of therapist will be inflexible in their approach due to their limited training.
Regression Theraphy
The Object of Regression or Analytical work is to discover the underlying cause of an individual's Symptom Pattern and Satisfactorily resolve the associated internal conflicts.
There are Two distinctly separate, though related, methods of achieving this that may be Employed:
1)Regression to Cause. Which seeks to follow a memory path down to the first time the symptom pattern or associated emotional response(or damage) was experienced, during the Originating Cause. For example; the first time you experienced the Emotion of Fear. Can You remember?
The Conflicts generated may then be worked through so that negative emotions may be released.
2)Free Association, the Freudian method of Analysis.
Here, the object of the therapeutic exercise is the same, but the route is far less direct, taking in a wider area of your Life and usually concentrating on Childhood.
Each system has its own particular strengths and weaknesses and the Professional Therapist should be familiar, practiced, and confident with both.
You can always check the Therapists Qualifications with the appropriate Professional bodies if you are in any doubt. Remember though that personal recommendation is the best possible way forwards with Hypnosis.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Finding Your Ideal Career
In the current climate, many people are looking away from the traditional job market towards working for themselves. The massive redundancies and job-insecurity has caused many people to radically rethink their career plans. With the ever rising cost of living, many would be happy just earning extra money to support their family and to pay the bills.
In this article, you will discover what you really enjoy in life and how to turn it into a money making opportunity, and perhaps even a full-time career. Your only limitations are those you impose upon yourself! At the very least, what you learn will help you to be happier with your current job.
First of all, a little exercise to get you started. Make a list of everything and anything you really enjoy and are passionate about. This can be anything at all, from playing with Lego through to planning projects or programming in Cobol. Write down everything you think of, no matter how silly or pointless you think it may be. They are all important and must be included on your list.
Go through the list and ask yourself whether you truly are passionate about each one. Ask the question, “If someone offered to pay me to do this, would I be happy?” If you would not, then cross it off your list.
Look at each item on your list and ask yourself what you enjoy about it. You may enjoy the peace and tranquillity of gardening, or the fast paced life style of project management. Write this down too by each item.
The why you enjoy it is very important because it gives you an insight into your inner workings. When you understand what it is that you enjoy about something, you can look at applying that quality specifically to your life and current job to improve your happiness. If you like peace and tranquillity but your job is hectic, you could take time out for a walk in a park or to meditate to bring into your job peace and tranquillity. You could make sure you take a lunch break and switch off your phone.
Once you have identified the things you are passionate about, write down next to each one how much time a month you currently spend doing them. You may love surfboarding but only manage to go once a month or you may be passionate about cooking yet have to live on fast food because of your lifestyle.
From now on, make a commitment to yourself to spend time doing the things you are passionate about every single month. You will find that not only does your level of happiness improves, but your energy increases and life feels so much better because you are doing things that you love.
Carry your list around with you for at least a fortnight, adding to it each time you think of something you are passionate about. Then repeat the process above for each new item, analyzing it and understanding what it is you like about it.
"We will either find a way, or make One..."-Hannibal
Whatever your current job situation, working for yourself can be a very appealing option. But the question is, ‘do you have what it takes to work for yourself?’ Not everyone does, but the good news is that the necessary skills can be learnt by anyone.
To successfully work for yourself you need to have all of the following skills to some degree. The better you are at each skill, the more chance you have of being successful on your own.
Motivation: You must be able to motivate yourself and to not rely on others to push you along. When you work for yourself, there is no boss telling you what you need to do, when you need to do it by, and providing you support and guidance when you need it. You are the boss! Working for yourself, it is all your responsibility. If you cannot take the responsibility, then you are best off staying in employment.
Belief: You must believe in yourself and in your business and / or product. It is very difficult to do well at something you do not fully believe in. Your belief and passion about what you do comes across to your customers. This has a positive effect in building their confidence and in turn, your business. Before starting any business or selling any product ask yourself if you believe in the product and business.
Development Time: It is important to spend time developing yourself and increasing your skills. Many technical people forget to develop soft skills, and vice versa. Aim to attend at least two courses or workshops a year. Also regularly read relevant books to develop these skills. You have to stay one step ahead of the competition in order to be a phenomenal success.
Determination: You must be determined to succeed and not to give up. There are times when it will be tough, but you are the boss and the one solely responsible for making it good again. You may get knocked back on occasion, but a true success just keeps on going in the face of set-backs.
Inter-personal skills: Working for yourself does not mean you will be locked in a room alone. You will often have to interact with other people; your customers. Good inter-personal skills will make this experience more rewarding and help you get the best from people. They will help ensure you have a successful business.
Communication skills: Both written and spoken communication skills are important. Often in the market place today, words are the key to the success of your business. Therefore, spend time developing your skills in this area - it will pay you back many times over to do so.
How many of the above skills do you currently have? Do you feel you are weak in any of these areas? If so, then strengthen them by attending courses or reading some relevant books. Being strong in all the above areas is not necessary for personal success, but will help to make it much easier.
Look at the list of things you are passionate about, and think about how the above skills can be applied to and compliment these.
Finding your ideal career
Now, back to the list of things you are passionate about. Take a new sheet of paper and write the first item on your list at the top of this new paper. Underneath it, brainstorm all the jobs you can think of that involve your passion. Let your imagination run riot and be as creative as you can. Each item you have written down offers you many possibilities. Also use the reasons you enjoy the item to help in this exercise.
Using gardening as an example, you could write down: gardener, author, teacher, TV presenter, landscape designer, tree doctor, and farmer, park ranger, and so on, just to mention a few.
Still on the same item from your list, write down all the ways you can think of to make money from it.
With our gardening example this may be growing and selling plants or vegetables, or doing gardening for people in your neighbourhood. There are of course many other opportunities here. Be creative and imaginative and think outside of your normal box.
Look at all these ways of making money and note the ones you can start right now and ones that you would really like to do. Perhaps you could start on one or two of these now, whilst still working in your current job.
Repeat the above exercise for each item that is on your list. Over the next few weeks keep adding to these lists. This exercise stimulates your mind to be creative, which results in creating many more great ideas – often when you least expect it, so make sure you write them all down.
The results of these exercises will be a list of what you enjoy doing, why you enjoy doing and a list of possible careers and money making opportunities that you would gain pleasure from. You do not have to make a massive move and quit your job right now. You can take your time, and slowly begin building your own business, or just earn a bit of extra money to help pay the bills whilst keeping your current job. You can also use this list to determine what career is best for you and begin planning a move to this new career.
Ask yourself the questions...
“Who would I Be If I knew No Limits?,”
"Who Would I Be if I Knew No Fear?"
"Who Would I Be if everything was Possible and Nothing was Impossible?"
The answer to these questions will help you determine and Identify which of the items on your list to pursue first. It is important not to spread yourself too thinly otherwise you may find that nothing ever gets done. Once you have decided which way to go you must do a goal setting exercise and work out your route to your target.
Reverse Engineering.
Pursuing your passion means living life to the full. It means waking up each morning and looking forward to working. It means more energy, more fun and feeling more alive. Sadly today many of us are working jobs we would rather not be doing. Perhaps it is time that you took advantage of the shifting economy and lived your passion instead of dreaming it?
Thursday, April 29, 2010
The Origin of Genius.
~"As a man thinks so is He..."~Hebrew Proverb
Origin of Genius
Compared with him who has tradition on his side, Trapped in the Matrix of Social Conditioning, and requires no reason for his actions, the Free Spirit is always weak, especially in actions; for he is aware of too many motives and points of view and therefore possesses an uncertain and unpracticed hand.
How does the Free Spirit become relatively strong, so that he shall at least make his way and not perish?
How does a Strong Spirit come into Being?
It’s kind of like … Someone who has completely lost his way in a forest but strives with uncommon energy to get out of it again sometimes discovers a new path which no one knows…
Or The way in which a prisoner, with the greatest desire to free himself, uses his wits in search for a means of escape, the most cold-blooded and tedious employment of every little advantage, are the instruments we will make use of that can teach us how to bring into existence…
Genius…
A word I ask you to be understood without any flavor of the Mythological, Metaphysical or Religious…
It is now a fact that a mutilation, crippling, a serious deficiency in an organ offers the occasion for an uncommonly successful development of another organ, the reason being that it has to discharge its own function but anothers as well.
That is how those Geniuses come about who are famed for originality.
It is in this way one can suppose that many a glittering talent to have originated.
He is called a Free Spirit who THINKS differently from what, on the basis of his Origin, Environment, his Class/Caste and Profession, or on the basis of the dominant views of the Age, would have been expected of him.
He is the Exception.
The fettered and conditioned spirits are the Rule...
Sometimes you have got to ignore what anyone else tells you about your purpose.
Your Genius is in your very Existence…Awaiting the right circumstances to express itself!
Each of us must seek to go beyond our resignations, cynicisms, fear, doubts and disbeliefs, and dare to remove any resistance to actualizing your Genius.
What characterizes the Free Spirit is not that his opinions are the more correct but that he has liberated himself from Tradition, whether the outcome has been successful or a failure. He will at least have the Spirit of Inquiry after Truth.
Your Truth. Your Personal Legend. Your Vision.
In the case of the knowledge of Truth the point is whether or not You possess it.
Not from what Motives you first sought it, or along what Paths you found it.
Demand Reason and Faith of Yourself.
If anyone wanted to Imagine a Genius of Culture, a Social Genius…what would he look like?
For some…things may sound a little shocking and controversial beyond this point, but please bear in mind that I am trying to the best of my ability to articulate and describe something that is hard to describe, and in the process trying to simplify a complex Paradigm for the Masses to get a glimpse of…
And trying to do so free of mythological, metaphysical/spiritual and religious vocabulary& terminologies…
Demand Reason and Faith of Yourself…not of others.
We have nothing to expect of anyone but ourselves…
You must recognize that… get what you get…
It is Only Your Own. It is what you added unto whatever was told you.
And with this in mind, let us explore further the attempt to describe the external appearances of a Social Genius…
~”Definition is Creation”~ Anthony Robbins
You Create…by the Simple act of Defining…
Let that sink in and bounce around for while…
This Social Genius…this great Man of the Masses possesses all the qualities of the Masses, thus are they all the less embarrassed in his presence, thus he is all the more popular.
It is sadly true that he is violent, envious, exploitative, scheming, fawning, cringing, arrogant…but in his defense…all really according to circumstance.
~“To deny our impulses is to deny the very thing that makes us human”~ Mouse to Neo
Going deeper down the “Rabbit hole” we could describe him also as being able to manipulate falsehood, force and the most ruthless self-interests as his instruments so skillfully…that he could only be called an Evil demonic Being.
It is the way of this kind of Genius to avoid with passionate indignation everything that confuses and deceives us in our judgment of things, for he wants to give to each his own, whether that thing be dead or living, real or imaginary.
He seeks to set all views in the best light by illuminating it from all sides, and reveal a clearer knowledge of things.
But His Objectives…which here and there shine through…would be Great and Good.
He would be like a Centaur, half beast, half man, with Angels wings attached to his back and a Glowing Halo over his head…
One only has to take a few days studying the Life and Genius Works of Michael Jackson, and end your research with “This Is It!” to drive that point home, and dissolve your doubts in that description.
So Go…
Be Your Genius...
Be in Action in the World as the Living Breathing Manifestation of the Experience of the Talents & Works you were brought into this Earth to Do…
To Be…
Dare Something Worthy…
Who would You Be If You Knew No Fear?
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Decisions. Decisions. Decisions.
When you look back there will be things you will regret.
You made the Wrong decision.
Wrong...
You made the Right Decision.
Life is about Decisions.
Am I going to have the practical car or the fast car?
Shall I go to College or get a Job?
Will I have Wine, Beer or Water?
Whatever Decision you make is the Only One you could make.
...Otherwise you would make a different One...
Everything we Do We Choose.
So what is there to Regret?
You are the Person You chose to Be...
Keeping Yourself Driven!
Let us Start off on the Right Foot By making some Wrong Decisions...
Steal.
Steal from anywhere that resonates with inspiration or fuels your imagination.
Devour films, music,books, paintings, poems, photographs,conversations,dreams,trees,architecture,street signs,clouds, light and shadows...
Select only things to steal from that speak directly to your Soul.
If you do this, your work(and theft)will be authentic.
Authenticity is invaluable.
Originality is Non-Existent.
Don't bother concealing your thievery - Celebrate it if you feel like it.
Remember what Jean-Luc Godard said:
'It's not where you take things from - it's where you take them to.'
Imagine
Every One wants an exciting Life, but most people are afraid to take the Bull by the Horns.
So they take an Easy Option for an Exciting Life.
They Live their excitement through other people.
By aligning themselves with famous rebels, a little bit of glamour rubs off on them.
They Imagine they're like John Lennon,Ernest Hemingway,George Best, Liam Gallagher, Lenny Bruce,Janis Joplin, Damien Hirst,Andy Warhol, Johnny Depp...
The Difference being, these people when faced with a decision took the outrageous One, not knowing were it might lead them, but knowing that the safe decision had danger written all over it...
Are You Being Reasonable?
Salomon Brothers, the well known New York Investment House, met with prospective clients not once a month, or once a day...But Three 3 Times a Day.
That is Unreasonable...
But it Works...
Most people are Reasonable, that's why they only do reasonably well.
~'The Reasonable man adapts himself to the World. The Unreasonable Man adapts the World to Himself. All progress depends upon the Unreasonable man.'~George Bernard Shaw
Do It, Then Fix It as you Go!
Too many people spend too much time trying to perfect something before they actually Do it.
Instead of Waiting for perfection, run with what You've got, and fix it as You go...
Beat This!
A Young Man worked as a runner for an advertising firm.
One day he said to his manager,
'I'm leaving. I'm going to be a Drummer.'
The Manager said, 'I didn't know you played the drums.'
He replied, 'I don't, but I'm going to.'
A few years later that young man played in a band with Eric Clapton and Jack Bruce, and it was called Cream, and the Young Man's name was Ginger Baker.
He became what he wanted to become before he knew he could do it.
He had a Goal.
Simply Change Your Life.
The World is what You Think of It.
So Think of it Differently and Your Life will change.
Final Thoughts.
For a Creative person starting out on a Career, try not thinking about film or media or whatever...
Think about Money.
It's Honest...
I stole this from Paul Arden.
He in turn stole it from Jim Jarmusch
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Fear Fuelled Awakening.
"Need is the Mother of Invention. Desperation is the Father of Creativity."
The path that leads to heaven
When they asked Abbot Antonio if the path of sacrifice led to heaven, he answered:
- There are two paths of sacrifice. The first is taken by the man who mortifies the flesh and pays penance because he believes that we are condemned. The man who follows this path feels guilty and judges himself unworthy of living happily.
- The second path is taken by the man who, even though he knows that the world is not as perfect as we would like, prays, does penance and offers up his time and toil to improve the world around him. So he understands that the word sacrifice comes from Sacro Ofício, Holy Work. In this case the Divine Presence helps him all the time and he obtains results in heaven."
Breakdown. The Awakening.
That the World is not what it appears to be, is something all Religions have insisted upon.
Something that Myths have hinted at, and something that Science has finally established in this last Century, beyond all reasonable, or even unreasonable, doubt.
That perhaps the entire Western Civilization is playing the game of consensus reality whether they are aware of it or not.
And are playing by rules which they neither invented, nor even consciously agreed to.
In most cases, in fact, we are grossly unaware that such rules even exist.
"We are caught in the 'superstition of materialism'...the Hypnosis of Social Conditioning." ~ Dr.Deepak Chopra
Oddly enough, the ‘Matrix’ of consensus reality has been set up in such a way that it is necessary to first understand the rules before you can begin changing, bending,warping or breaking them.
An Option which the vast majority of humans never become aware of...
::::GROUPTHINK::::
Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas.
Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of Group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a Group.
During Groupthink , members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of Consensus thinking.
A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group.
Groupthink may cause groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts are set aside, for fear of upsetting the groups balance.
The term is frequently used pejoratively, with hindsight...
~Inspired by Erykah Badu
Who would you be if you knew no Limits?
Who would you be if you knew you could not fail?
Who would you be if everything was possible, and nothing was impossible?
Who would you Be...If You were Fearless?
Almost everything we know argues...that Living powerfully is accomplished by skillfully building on the past.
We learn, expand, grow, building on our experiences, our education, our upbringing, our successes and failures.
We tend to look at what we do to determine who we are.
How we Perform in the present and what we see as possible in the future, then, are largely determined by how effectively we build on the past.
This Idea of building on the foundation of the past is so fundamental to our Thinking, that we can hardly imagine a reality Different from the Past...
Suppose, However...that Living Powerfully - Living an Extraordinary Life - works in Exactly the Opposite Way.
Suppose that the Possibilities available to us Today... are not those given by our past, but those given by our Future.
If You could be Free of your Past...Who would you Be?
We all get stuck in our belief systems, however sensible we think they are.
What we believe is not necessarily Real.
And with this in Mind I'd like to have a conversation with you...
Whether we believe in psychic ability, crystal energy, alien abduction, talking to the dead, or Christianity, we are rightly or wrongly buying into a very powerful belief system.
Its all about questioning...
As intelligent human beings we should be prepared to question our Beliefs.
But there are beliefs we are not encouraged to question... and these are often the Beliefs upon which we are asked to make important Life's decisions.
These are the areas where we should test and look for mis-information, because often we are making Life decisions based upon information we are getting from seeming authority figures representing different Religious Belief Systems.
The path that leads to heaven
When they asked Abbot Antonio if the path of sacrifice led to heaven, he answered:
- There are two paths of sacrifice. The first is taken by the man who mortifies the flesh and pays penance because he believes that we are condemned. The man who follows this path feels guilty and judges himself unworthy of living happily.
- The second path is taken by the man who, even though he knows that the world is not as perfect as we would like, prays, does penance and offers up his time and toil to improve the world around him. So he understands that the word sacrifice comes from Sacro Ofício, Holy Work. In this case the Divine Presence helps him all the time and he obtains results in heaven."
Breakdown. The Awakening.
That the World is not what it appears to be, is something all Religions have insisted upon.
Something that Myths have hinted at, and something that Science has finally established in this last Century, beyond all reasonable, or even unreasonable, doubt.
That perhaps the entire Western Civilization is playing the game of consensus reality whether they are aware of it or not.
And are playing by rules which they neither invented, nor even consciously agreed to.
In most cases, in fact, we are grossly unaware that such rules even exist.
"We are caught in the 'superstition of materialism'...the Hypnosis of Social Conditioning." ~ Dr.Deepak Chopra
Oddly enough, the ‘Matrix’ of consensus reality has been set up in such a way that it is necessary to first understand the rules before you can begin changing, bending,warping or breaking them.
An Option which the vast majority of humans never become aware of...
::::GROUPTHINK::::
Groupthink is a type of thought exhibited by group members who try to minimize conflict and reach consensus without critically testing, analyzing, and evaluating ideas.
Individual creativity, uniqueness, and independent thinking are lost in the pursuit of Group cohesiveness, as are the advantages of reasonable balance in choice and thought that might normally be obtained by making decisions as a Group.
During Groupthink , members of the group avoid promoting viewpoints outside the comfort zone of Consensus thinking.
A variety of motives for this may exist such as a desire to avoid being seen as foolish, or a desire to avoid embarrassing or angering other members of the group.
Groupthink may cause groups to make hasty, irrational decisions, where individual doubts are set aside, for fear of upsetting the groups balance.
The term is frequently used pejoratively, with hindsight...
~Inspired by Erykah Badu
Who would you be if you knew no Limits?
Who would you be if you knew you could not fail?
Who would you be if everything was possible, and nothing was impossible?
Who would you Be...If You were Fearless?
Almost everything we know argues...that Living powerfully is accomplished by skillfully building on the past.
We learn, expand, grow, building on our experiences, our education, our upbringing, our successes and failures.
We tend to look at what we do to determine who we are.
How we Perform in the present and what we see as possible in the future, then, are largely determined by how effectively we build on the past.
This Idea of building on the foundation of the past is so fundamental to our Thinking, that we can hardly imagine a reality Different from the Past...
Suppose, However...that Living Powerfully - Living an Extraordinary Life - works in Exactly the Opposite Way.
Suppose that the Possibilities available to us Today... are not those given by our past, but those given by our Future.
If You could be Free of your Past...Who would you Be?
We all get stuck in our belief systems, however sensible we think they are.
What we believe is not necessarily Real.
And with this in Mind I'd like to have a conversation with you...
Whether we believe in psychic ability, crystal energy, alien abduction, talking to the dead, or Christianity, we are rightly or wrongly buying into a very powerful belief system.
Its all about questioning...
As intelligent human beings we should be prepared to question our Beliefs.
But there are beliefs we are not encouraged to question... and these are often the Beliefs upon which we are asked to make important Life's decisions.
These are the areas where we should test and look for mis-information, because often we are making Life decisions based upon information we are getting from seeming authority figures representing different Religious Belief Systems.
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