What are you thinking about right now? Are your thoughts on the moment or are they ruminating about the past? Is your focus trained towards the future? There is little argument that human minds are filled with what William James called our “stream of consciousness.” Do our thoughts have anything to do with what we call our reality? In other words, do we somehow create our own reality and if so, how? Let’s look at this…

What is reality? Is it already “out there” waiting to be discovered by our senses or do we play a part in creating the reality we perceive? Does it matter what I am focusing on and am I aware of how those thoughts and moods affect me?

Is it possible to create change in our lives simply by thinking differently? What if we considered that the filters we use to see the world—the beliefs that we hold about others and ourselves, both positive and negative—actually impact our mind, bodies and spirit? When we catch ourselves in a negative thought, we can counteract those effects by developing a counteracting affirmation—a positive affirmation, if you will. We can begin to be kinder to ourselves. So if I catch myself saying say to myself, “I’ll never be able to do this” I will stop myself, say “Delete that!” then say something to counter that earlier thought. I could be my best friend and say to myself, “I am confident and competent. I trust myself.” That is so much more gentle.

Each day we are learning more and more about the interconnection between our thoughts and our health, both physical and mental. The simple power of suggestion, whether it comes from ourselves or from another, can serve to alter our physiology for better or worse depending on how we engage with it. Do we buy into it or do we get angry, hurt, or sad?

We have more control over our health and body than was once believed. It is clear that the mind and body are not separate as dualists believed, but that our mind and body share an intimate relationship of interconnection. Dualism, or the belief that the mind and body are separate, does not accurately describe what we now know. Knowing of the important role that we each have to achieve health and well-being may require us to think differently. If we take a pro-active approach to achieving good health and well-being, we empower ourselves. It’s up to us to train our minds to be thoughtful and positive. When we see the interconnected nature between our body, mind, and soul, we become more mindful of what our attention is focused upon.

We are an integrated system. All aspects of self are interconnected. Have we erroneously believed that there are multiple and separate parts making up the whole of who we are instead of viewing the gestalt, the totality of who we are? We are so much more than the sum of our parts. Western medicine has made great strides in understanding the mechanics and physiology of being human, but in our eagerness to know and understand we seem to have forgotten to reassemble what we have taken apart or dissected. We are a system. When we look at what this means, we begin to see the importance of exploring how we can and do influence our reality.

When I worry or become anxious about the future, I signal to my “system” to go into hyperdrive. That causes my blood pressure to rise and my heart to beat faster. Cortisol is released and my autonomic nervous system prepares me for self preservation. But if I focus on more positive ways of seeing the situation, a different physiological response is summoned and my parasympathetic system maintains a calm composure with less stress to my body. Less stress, better health. It’s as if what we suggest to ourselves, or our beliefs, creates our body’s ability to respond depending on what we are focusing upon.

And we can’t forget the power of suggestion. The self-fulfilling prophecy implies that our beliefs often drive our reality. If I believe in my abilities and have confidence in my competence, I will act accordingly. If I believe what others tell me when they are being negative or critical, I can find myself walking that path too, Which do I prefer? The former seems like a better life.

We need to stay conscious of what we are thinking or saying, or what comes blurting out of our mouths. Being mindful of our focus can lead to feeling more in control. It is our mind that takes us here or there. By making it a habit to consciously train our thoughts and words towards what we want, instead of what we don’t want, will no doubt remove much of the weight we carry.

What beliefs guide your thoughts and behavior? Do you dare to challenge any of those beliefs to see if they still fit, or if they ever did fit you? When we hold negative beliefs about ourselves, such as “I never get anything right!” or “I’m a failure,” we often find that our beliefs will be verified by our future actions! We create our reality. We also tend to treat others according to our beliefs about them and thus risk missing the opportunity to truly know the other person.

Sometimes we behave in ways because we’ve been shaped to behave that way, not that it really fits us. But it may have helped us to “fit in.” How much did we have to stretch ourselves to fit in, or conversely, how much did we have to cut off? Is my self-image authentic or fabricated? Is it truly me, the inner me or am I simply acting out a version of who I think I should be? Recall the power of suggestion and the self-fulfilling prophecy. We do impact the reality we experience.

What are some steps that we can take to change our reality if we are not content with the one we seem to be living out? Watching our thoughts is an empowerment tool that will help us attract what we want instead of what we fear or dread. Our thoughts are powerful, there is no doubt about that. We just have to remember that. When we worry or replay painful experiences in our mind, we bring that past into our reality. We make it current once again. If we want to attract happiness into our lives, we have to focus more on ideas, thoughts, memories and dreams that make us happy—not sad, angry or anxious.

When you catch yourself slipping into a gloomy, negative thinking path, just say out loud, “STOP!” Let it go. Take that thought and delete it. Instead, develop an affirmation that will draw positive energy towards you. After you identify a negative belief, create a positive, counteracting belief or affirmation that you will tell yourself every time that negative thought or emotion arises.

For example, imagine that you are having difficulties with your significant other or another important person in your life. What do you say to yourself about the tension you are experiencing? Do you tell yourself negative things over and over, or can you simply step back from the situation and tell it to just “be”? Or are you saying to yourself, “This always happens! He doesn’t care about me. He is self-centered and selfish. All he cares about is himself!” You get the picture. Can you just let it go for now? Give yourself some time and space to calm down, then focus on what you want.

Thinking and It’s Physiological Effects

Can you imagine how these thoughts are interacting with your physiology? Your heart beats faster, your palms sweat, your breathing becomes shallower, your blood pressure rises and you have set the stage for illness. But what if you stop the negative thoughts before they start, step back and just observe yourself? You won’t activate a stress response.

You can then instead focus on what is positive about the relationship. It is important to address the feelings of not being cared for, but by not reacting and instead, responding through consciously looking at the gestalt, or the whole picture of the relationship, you can put things in better perspective. This keeps you from reacting from past trauma because you are present, in the moment with the experience you are having. There is no need to add any “stories” to your perception. By stories, I mean those old stories from past traumas that are triggered. Now you can let the current experience become.

So we turn our negative thoughts into thoughts that nurture the reality we want to experience. We learn to communicate with each other rather than blame one another about who is right or who’s wrong. If we can start with ourselves, change the tapes that keep running through our minds, we can live more presently and harmoniously.

Experiment and keep track of negative thoughts you have and then counter them with positive affirmations. It’s interesting how repeating positive affirmations, day after day, changes so much. If I act “as if” I am confident, or if I smile more, will I actually be more confident and feel happier? Hmmmmm….I wonder?

Don’t give up. Persevere. If you have told yourself negative statements over and over, and others have done the same to you, it will take some time for the belief to change the reality you perceive. But, don’t be surprised if the positive affirmations actually cause you to behave differently than you did before which will in turn, change your reality. One of my favorite affirmations that I said to myself for years was, “I am at peace with myself, the world and everyone in it.”

Tapping Into the Power of the Mind to Heal

With the rising cost of medicine and medical care, dissatisfaction with traditional medicine is driving people to seek alternative ways of being healthy. Yoga provides many physical, physiological, and mental benefits. Not only does your body become more flexible, but your mind will respond in kind. You will feel calmer and more centered through a daily practice of stretching and assuming yoga postures that also help drain toxins from your lymph glands and tissues.

Traditional western medicine often only provides symptom relief, but many people want to go beyond treatment. There are alternative approaches to getting and staying healthy that reflect a pro-active movement towards preventative medicine. Growing interest in psychoneuroimmunology can be seen at the federal level of government. With the establishment of the Office of Complementary and Integrative Health, a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), research dollars have been channeled toward studies that help us better understand what is involved in a preventative approach to health. When the government begins to spend tax dollars investigating these approaches, it becomes evident that the people in our society want more than simply “popping pills” or to having surgery performed. What if insurance paid for more preventative approaches? I think that would motivate more people to learn preventative medicine. Do we want to use a proactive approach that ensures greater health, or would we rather opt for prescription medicine?

In 1998, I attended The First International Congress of Tibetan Medicine, sponsored by the George Washington School of Medicine in Washington, D.C. This was a joining of the East with the West so they could put their heads together in hopes of meeting the medical challenges presented by modern day living. The western doctors knew that western medicine was very good at addressing bacterial infections but did poorly when it came to viral infections. The eastern doctors were good with viruses, but not so good with bacterial infections. It was a great combination of innovation and openness where eastern and western approaches to medicine were presented, discussed, explored and questioned. There were numerous workshops, lectures, symposiums and presentations that explored the interface of western and eastern approaches to healing and health. Not surprisingly, meditation, yoga, chi kung, tai chi are now a normal part of exercise programs for many.

At that conference I watched a film that focused on the power of the mind. They followed the practice of Toumo Meditation, a Tibetan skill that monks learn. In this form of meditation, the meditator is taught to raise his or her body temperature through the power of the mind and breathwork. It demonstrates that we have the ability to control what we always thought was uncontrollable – our autonomic and physiological systems. For many years these Tibetan monks practice this form of meditation, advancing when they are consciously able to raise their body temperature enough to dry soaking wet sheets in a freezing room! This is an amazing documentary where you will actually see the steam rising from the drying sheets draped on the monks bodies.

When the monks have mastered this skill, they then trek up the Himalayas to spend the entire night in the raw elements as a rite of passage, wearing only their thin robes and sandals. Upon attainment of a mastery level of this ability, they ascend into the freezing temperatures for the night only to descend in the morning without frostbite or harm. Watch a clip of this documentary here: Tuomo Meditation

Our society is ready for new knowledge, especially knowledge that empowers us as individuals to take charge of our own health. The growing practices of massage therapy, hypnosis, acupuncture, natural medicine, chi kung, Rolfing, martial arts, and yoga indicate that individuals are striving to move beyond a “band-aid” approach to health and well being.

Integrative strategies blending these alternative approaches are pointing researchers in a direction that will add to the body of knowledge regarding the bodymind connection. As we learn more about consciousness states and our ability to use this interconnection between the body and the mind, it is possible that we will gain greater control over our lives and health. Larry Dossey, one of the leading practitioners in alternative medicine wrote that when we “focus toward a principle of relatedness and oneness, and away from fragmentation and isolation, health ensues.”

How Effective Is Visual Imagery?

If you are ready to learn more about the power of our mind to heal, read The Holographic Universe by Michael Talbot. Talbot provides us with many plausible cases of healing against all odds. He also shares an interesting study that demonstrates the power of positive “thinking” and imagery.

This study explored the effects of using imagery versus actual physical performance. In one study, this was used to compare these two ways to improve one’s free throw scores in basketball. For a designated period of time, the experimental group were told to simply sit with their eyes closed and to imagine, or visualize that they were shooting a free-throw and to actually envision, or see the ball go through the hoop. The other group practiced as usual— physically shooting free throws.

At the end of the study, the group that had only used imagery completed more successful free throws than those in the group that had actually practiced making free throws. What does this tell us about the power of the mind to shape reality? And what are the implications for our own ability to heal from illness and to stay healthy?

These examples suggest that the body responds not to the reality of a situation necessarily, but the connection between our mind and body is so intertwined that our physiology will react to a thought or visualization of something happening in the same way as if it was actually happening. What we believe or visualize to be true, has a corresponding affect on us. Talbot warns us to be mindful of “the images upon which we meditate, our hopes and fears, the attitudes of our doctors, our unconscious prejudices, our individual and cultural beliefs, and our faith in things both spiritual and technological.” We are powerful. Our thoughts can activate our physiology. The implications are astounding.

Can we begin now to catch ourselves in “Negative Self-Talk” and change that focus towards the POSITIVE? The glass is half full; not half empty. We catch ourselves when we slip into a victim mentality and instead empower our minds with imagery and the use of positive self-talk, focusing on what we DO want instead of filling our consciousness with stories of what we DO NOT want.

Can we change our lives through our intentions? We do so everyday, but may not realize it. Once we become mindful of what we are filling our minds with, we can begin to be conscious co-creators of our reality.

What do you want to have come into your life? What would your life look like if you dropped the fear, anxiety, and negative self talk? It’s worth a try to see.

Namaste

Dr. Sharon

Thanks for reading The Awakened Self. Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work.

Music Credit Acknowledgment:

- Music from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!):

https://uppbeat.io/t/rahul-popawala/north-indian-alleys

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sjoyng611.substack.com