The Genie Within: Your Subconscious Mind (12 page)

Each of us has thousands of programs in our subconscious minds. Most of them are useful and even essential. But many are counterproductive to a happy life. You will learn how to overcome these counterproductive programs in later lessons.

INDUCTIVE PROCESSING:
GOAL SEEKING

Your subconscious computer takes thoughts from the conscious mind and works them out inductively to a conclusion. It operates from specifics to generalities. Your subconscious mind is a
GOAL-SEEKING computer. Your subconscious mind will act to achieve whatever goal it is given
, whether the goal is well thought out, haphazard, or provided by an outside source.

This is why monitoring what you feed your subconscious mind is important. Have you ever said to yourself, “I’m stupid”? If you said it enough and said it with emotion, your genie responded by replying, “Yes, master, I can make you look stupid. No problem. I can do it easily and effortlessly.” Then, say, you took a test on a subject that you knew cold, but during the test, your mind went blank. Could it have been your subconscious mind simply obeying your command?

Ever told yourself that you are clumsy? Your genie responded by saying, “Yes, master. I can make you clumsy. That is easy and effortless.” Then, for no reason, you tripped, or dropped an easy fly ball, and embarrassed yourself.

Ever say to yourself that you are shy and unpopular? If you said it often and with emotion, your genie responded, “Yes master, I can make you shy and unpopular by having you behave in unsocial ways. No problem. That is easy and effortless. You do not have to think about it. I will just do it
for you.” Then after acting like a dork, you say to yourself, “Why did I act that way?” Well, now you know why. You asked for it; you programmed it.

Maxwell Maltz, M.D., a plastic surgeon, wrote a classic book,
Psycho-Cybernetics
, on this subject. Dr. Maltz observed that when he corrected grotesque features, his patients behaved in one of two ways. Some changed their personality and became more outgoing and successful. Conversely, some did not change. They still had an inferiority complex and were failure-oriented.

Dr. Maltz then found he could change some patients from feeling inferior and being failure-oriented
without
surgery.
He concluded that a person’s actions, feelings, behaviors, and even abilities, are consistent with his or her self-image
. Therefore, change the self-image and you change the personality and behavior! In other words,
you will act like the sort of person you think you are
. The key to personality change is not physical; it is your self-image.

Dr. Maltz went on to say that the change is not made by intellect, and not by intelligence; change is brought about by
experience
. Remember, experiencing is the same to the subconscious mind as
imagining
. The subconscious mind does not know the difference between real and unreal. It accepts what you feed it. Like the saying, “You are what you eat”; “You are also what you think!” Think of your self-image as the software in your brain, and your neural system as your hardware. Your printout, then, in computer parlance, is your body and your personality.

Your subconscious mind is a goal-seeking computer and will seek whatever you feed it. There are dozens of books on this subject. A classic is
As A Man Thinketh
by James Allen.

It is not so much what you are. More important, it is what you
think
you are. If you continually think of success, your subconscious mind will guide you to success. If you
continually think loving thoughts, your subconscious mind will guide you to loving relationships.

William James said, “The greatest revolution in our generation is the discovery that human beings, by changing the inner attitudes of their minds, can change the outer aspects of their lives.”

GOALS

Your goals must be clear, otherwise your subconscious mind will flounder. If you flit from one goal to another, your effort will be inefficient and counterproductive. To keep your goals clear and well thought out, write them down. Keep a record. List short-, medium-, and long-term goals. Suggestions include:

       •   Better job

       •   Self-image

       •   Better place to live

       •   New house

       •   Financial independence

       •   Mental skills

       •   Physical skills

       •   Health

Review and revise your goals regularly. I suggest you review them as often as you think of it, even if only for a few seconds. Review them in the alpha state. The entire review will only take a few seconds. Do not share them with anybody. You will likely get negative feedback from well-intentioned friends and family reminding you that you cannot do that, be that, or get that. You will also put pressure on yourself to produce or look foolish. Such pressure will inhibit your success.

ADMONITION

Be certain they are
your
goals. Goals should make
you
happy, while not making anyone else unhappy. Be certain that each sub goal leads to your ultimate goal. Your ultimate goal should be something like: peace of mind, health, and harmony in your life, happiness, and self-fulfillment.

Emerson said, “Be careful what you wish for with all your heart (subconscious mind), for you will surely get it.” Your first thought for a goal might be to make lots of money. While making lots of money, you might lose your friends, family, and health, leaving you rich but miserable and lonely. So lots of money may not be the best goal for you. Think your goals out carefully and strike a balance. Always have a clear, definite list that you can refer to (in the alpha state).

SUMMARY OF IMPORTANT
SUBCONSCIOUS MIND
CHARACTERISTICS

         
1.
    Does not know real from imagined.

         
2.
    Is always seeking goals.

         
3.
    Can be controlled by your conscious mind.

         
4.
    Communicates with images and feelings.

         
5.
    Communication to the subconscious mind is enhanced with emotion.

         
6.
    The alpha state opens the door to the subconscious mind.

         
7.
    Keep your conscious mind out of the way:

                  •   Use no effort

                  •   Practice detached acceptance

                  •   Let go!

EXERCISE

SELF-IMAGE

Divide a piece of paper into two vertical columns. Label the left column “Self-Image” and label the right column “Visualization.” List three traits in the left column that you want to become. Leave space between. In the right column, list scenarios of what you would be doing provided you had that type of personality. Following is an example:

SELF-IMAGE VISUALIZATION

President of a company

Keep this piece of paper by your bedside. Just before you lie down to sleep, look at the list and visualize yourself
as already having
these traits. See yourself in action doing those activities and being that person. Do not think of it during the day unless you are in alpha.

Now you have given your genie goals and it will work to see that you successfully achieve them, easily and effortlessly.

THETA CONDITIONING—EXERCISE

The theta state is deep meditation associated with sudden insights where the solution to a problem or a creative effort is often visualized in its entirety. Many examples are described in the literature in which people were working futilely on a problem until they finally gave up (consciously)
and went on a walk, soaked in the bathtub, or engaged in some activity that relaxed them and took their minds off the problem. While they were relaxed and in this meditative state, the solution came to them in a flash. Examples are given in
Higher Creativity
, by W. Harman and other books.

The famous surrealist artist Salvador Dali would sit in a chair, relax, and go in the theta state where he saw the surreal images he painted. Dali would hold some object in his hand so when he reached this inspirational state, his grip would relax and the object would drop. The noise would bring him to a state where he could remember the images he visualized in the theta state.

You do not have to go to that trouble to get into the theta state. You can condition yourself to go into theta anytime you wish by practicing the following exercise. Before you do the theta routine, however, become proficient in going into alpha using the exercise in Lesson Two.
⁵

THE INSPIRATIONAL GARDEN ROUTINE