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Intuition as a Personal Development Tool – Part 1

Inner strength, Mental Training, Personal Develpoment, Personal Empowerment, Unconscious Mind 2 Responses »

Jan 082013

I think that I can presume that if you’re reading this that you are a student of personal development or self-improvement of some kind.

I think it’s also safe to presume that you’re looking for a better way to live, to live with power, purpose and passion!

If you stop and look outside yourself you’ll see a significant amount of people living their lives out of harmony with their inmate feeling nature.

There is a major disconnect between what people say they want in their life and what they get. My theory is that we are all madly running around taking action but not stopping to consider whether it is right action.

I propose that as part of a personal development plan that before you take any action that you stop and connect with your intuitive wisdom. This will be VERY foreign to you and I hope that by end of this series that you’ll see the benefits of trusting your intuition and yourself.

To begin our exploration we need to look at how science and intuition are connected?

My research into neuroscience and how the brain works has shown me that the way the brain is structured makes accessing intuition an unnatural and difficult process.

What is intuition?

Intuition can be defined as the act or faculty of knowing or sensing without the use of rational processes. Let’s now compare this with how the brain works.

The brain is made up of many tiny brain cells often referred to as neurons. Basically the brain works by neurons connecting with other neurons to form groups. The brain has about 100 billion neurons.

To give you an idea of its size if every brain cell or neuron was to equal 1 second then the number of neurons you have would equal 3171 years. This shows us the massive potential and power our brains have, which can either be a blessing or a curse depending on how you understand and use it.

There are many different types of neural connections (groups of neurons) which do different things. For example some look after breathing, others chewing food, walking, learning a language or playing a computer game these are just a few examples.

Everything that you do stems from your brain cells or neurons forming connections with each other. For those who like to understand how things work let me give you a quick overview of how neurons work.

All neurons have a cell body which includes a nucleus. Extending out from the cell body are little branches called dendrites. These connect with other brain cells and carry information into the cell body and nucleus. The cell body then sends the information via an electrical current (similar to that of a light bulb) through a string like cable called an axon.

The axon string then sends the information out through the axon terminals to other neurons. Axons can vary in length from a fraction of a centimeter to as long as several meters as is the case of the brain sending messages to the toes to move.

The axon’s terminals can have as many as 10,000 branches spread out towards the dendrites of other neurons. When an electrical impulse reaches an axon terminal it communicates across a tiny gap called a synapse. This is referred to as synaptic firing and this is how brain cells or neurons communicate with one another.

To give you an example when a child learns to walk a group of neurons team up together and communicate with one another by synaptic firing. When the child first starts to walk they usually walk a little and then fall down. However after a while the child learns to walk without falling down or holding onto anything. What is happening in the brain is that a group of neurons are forming so the child can learn to walk.

At first because the neurons are not used to working together the child finds that it can only maintain the action for a short period of time. As the neurons get used to teaming up the child begins to walk much more fluidly. The neurons through repeated contact with one are now known as team of neurons that when activated allow the child to walk.

All the child needs to do now is think I would like to go from the lounge room to the bedroom and the body automatically responds. It is the same for everything whether it be learning to drive a car or playing a computer game.

At first you have to focus and concentrate on what you are doing but after a while the neurons form a team and you find it happens automatically.

To recap at the beginning of a task/situation you have to consciously think about it but with repeated action teams of neurons form at an unconscious level. Basically everything you do, say, think and feel works like this.

Now comes the interesting part. Every thought that you have is linked to a group of neurons forming a connection. Let’s say for example someone has a thought that they can’t do something; that life is difficult or money is scarce. Unfortunately the brain doesn’t say that’s a silly thought it just takes on every thought as if it were true.

If you think you can’t do something a group of neurons are going to form which will prevent you from being able to do that. Henry ford said it best in his famous quotation ‘whether you think you can or you think you can’t you are right.’ As you are probably aware Henry Ford was responsible for the invention of the T model ford something that his engineers told him on 3 separate occasions was impossible to build.

On the 3rd occasion Henry Ford told them not to come back to him until they had figured out how to build it and the rest is history.

It is also important to be aware that in the first six years of life the brain is in a fully hypnotic state. This means that it will literally take on with very little censoring most of the information from its environment. The reason the brain does this is that it is programmed to form lots of neural connections during the early part of life so that you can grow and develop at a rapid rate. Also between the ages of 6-12 the brain is in a semi hypnotic state.

Therefore a child will take on most of what they interact it with during the first 12 years of their life. This includes what they are told, how they are treated and their perception of events. For example someone may have said they were stupid or silly or they couldn’t draw and their brains being in a highly suggestible state take that on as being the truth.

The good news is that the brain is very plastic meaning that it has the capacity to form new neural connections and pathways any time someone chooses to do so. To give you an idea of its amazing ability to form connections our brains have the capacity to form hundreds of trillion of neural connections with one another.

To understand how vast that is, that number of connections adds up to more than all the grains of sand on all the beaches in the entire world. This gives people the opportunity to do anything that they set their minds to, so they don’t have to stay stuck in the past.

What you think determines how you perform and behave. You cannot separate what you think from who you are because who you are comes from your brain. Your brain cannot work until connections are made between neurons. All that you know, all that you are, comes from the way neurons connect and form teams.

Given this we can see that brains work on the premise of repetition, what you focus on and reinforce determines your dominate thinking and behavioral patterns. In order to awaken your intuition you need to move out of your brains rational and structured way of processing information.

It is important to realize that unless people are prepared to step out of the well-worn paths of neural connections and entertain different thoughts then the old established ways of thinking and behaving are going to continue. Even scarier is the fact that because these old ways are primarily unconscious people are usually unaware of their thoughts, behaviors and actions.

If you’d like to start to enhance your intuition and create your own personal development plan then pick up a copy of Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior today.

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Achieving Superior Mental Strength Power

Mens Stuff, Mental Training, Personal Empowerment, Physical Strength No Responses »

Nov 072012

We’ve all heard it thousands of times,” use it or lose it.”

This phrase applies equally to the physical body and the mental body. Maintaining active mental abilities is one thing, and then there’s the objective achieving superior mental strength power.

These are two points along the same continuum, two goals along the same line. Applying various mental strength techniques can accomplish both goals and help you reach and even exceed your human potential.

Something as simple as doing a crossword puzzle, figuring out a riddle or playing a trivia game can help the brain grow new neurons. Scientific studies reveal that mental and physical exercise stimulates neurogenesis, the process of producing neurons in the brain. Walking for exercise and puzzling out crosswords work to maintain active mental powers, but what about achieving superior mental strength and agility?

Science has known of the many benefits of meditation for years. Daily meditation brings a wealth of rewards such as better health, more focused thinking ability, improved memory, simple happiness and contentment and can even aid in defeating disease. Beginning meditators, however, often find the practice difficult at first and true mastery may take years of dedicated discipline. In response to this problem, researchers developed various mind training techniques and technologies.

Self-hypnosis, trained visualization, brainwave synchronization through sound frequencies and meditation all serve to increase the power of the mind. With the use of these techniques, accomplishing superior mind power becomes possible.

However, the brain is an organ, and it has certain basic needs that must also be met. Good nutrition feeds the nutritional needs of an active, growing brain. Good hydration with clean water benefits every organ in the body, including the brain. Fresh oxygen must flow to the brain for it to produce new neurons, so getting vigorous exercise to get the blood flowing aids the brain.

While a little stress is natural and beneficial, chronic stress destroys good health and lives. Managing stress through whatever means increases mental agility and focus. With these essentials for an active brain, exercise, hypnotherapy, visualization, meditation and brainwave training can then work to achieve superior mental powers.

Even without delving into complex or expensive brainwave technologies, those wishing to become mentally stronger and more focused can practice other ways to enhance mental abilities. Learning a new language or learning to play a musical instrument challenges the brain to create new neuronal connections. Working with ambidexterity, using one’s off hand for primary tasks reroutes brain connections, keeping the brain adjusting to new stimuli. Playing with sensory input, thinking about what the color yellow might taste like or the aroma of sunshine creates new ways for the brain to learn and grow.

Certain foods enhance brain power more than others. Nuts, especially walnuts, seeds, deeply colored fruits and vegetables, green tea and chocolate all provide the brain with essential nutrients. Eating more of these foods gives the brain an extra boost. Combining brain foods with an active exercise program provides the brain with all it needs to not only function well, but to grow in mental power and focus.

Here’s a fun “workout” to tax you mentally and physically. Select 10 exercises, make then a good variety, i.e. upper body, lower body, core, balance, aerobic conditioning. Now, perform each exercise as hard/fast as you can for 1 minute. Take a 1 minute break. Here’s the fun part, during the 1 minute break do a crossword puzzle, Sudoku or math problems. Do as many as you can in the 1 minute break, then get back to the workout.

This will not only condition your body, it will force you think under stress, and this in turn will develop superior mental strength!

If you’d like to dig deeper into creating mental strength, pick up a copy of Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior today!

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Mind Dynamics And Quantum Theory

Inner strength, Mental Training, Personal Empowerment No Responses »

Sep 212012

I’m continuing our exploration on quantum physics and how, when understand the power we have to exceed our human potential; we will become empowered in our life.

A first question confronting a classically biased mind-brain researcher is this: How can two things so differently described and conceived as substantive matter and conscious thoughts interact in any rationally controlled and scientifically acceptable way. Within the classical framework this is impossible.

Therefore the usual tack has been to abandon or modify the classical conception of mind while clinging tenaciously to the “scientifically established” classical idea of matter, even in the face of knowledge that the classical idea of matter is now known by scientists to be profoundly and fundamentally mistaken, and mistaken not only on the microscopic scale, but on the scale of meters and kilometers as well (Tittel, 1998).

Experiments show that our experiences of instruments cannot possibly be just the passive witnessing of macroscopic physical realities that exist and behave in the way that the ideas of classical physical theory say that macroscopic physical realities ought to exist and behave.

Scientists and philosophers intent on clinging to familiar classical concepts normally argue at this point that whereas long-range quantum effects can be exhibited under rigorous conditions of isolation and control, all quantum effects will be wiped out in warm wet brains on a very small scale, and hence classical concepts will be completely adequate to deal with the question of the relationship between our conscious thoughts and the large-scale brain activities with which they are almost certainly associated.

That argument is incorrect.

The emergence of classical-type relationships arises from interactions between a system and its environment. These interactions induce correlations between this system and its environment that make certain typical quantum interference effects difficult to observe in practice, and that allow certain practical computations to be simplified by substituting a classical system for a quantum one.

However, these correlation (decoherence) effects definitely do not entail the true emergence – even approximately – of a single classically describable system. (Zurek, 1986, p.89 and Joos, 1986, p.12). In particular, if the subsystem of interest is a brain then interactions between its parts produce a gigantic jumble of partially interfering classical-type states: no single approximately classical reality emerges.

Yet if no – even-approximate – single classical reality emerges at any macroscopic scale, but only a jumble of partially interfering quantum states, then the investigation of an issue as basic as the nature of the mind-brain connection ought in principle to be pursued within an exact framework, rather than crippling the investigation from the outset by replacing correct principles by concepts known to be fundamentally and grossly false, just because they allow certain practical computations to be simplified.

This general argument is augmented by a more detailed examination of the present case. The usual argument for the approximate pragmatic validity of a classical conceptualization of a system is based on assumptions about the nature of the question that is put to nature. The assumption in the usual case is that this question will be about something like the position of a visible object.

Then one has a clear separation of the world into its pertinent parts: the unobservable atomic subsystem, the observable features of the instrument, and unobserved features of the environment, including unobserved micro-features of the instrument. The empirical question is about the observable features of the instrument. These features are essentially just the overall position and orientation of a visible object.

But the central issue in the present context is precisely the character of the brain states that are associated with conscious experiences. It is not known a priori whether or how a self-observing quantum system separates into these various parts. It is not clear, a priori, that a self-observing brain can be separated into components analogous to observer, observee, and environment.

Consequently, one cannot rationally impose prejudicial assumptions – based on pragmatic utility in simple cases in which the quantum system and measuring instrument are two distinct systems both external to the human observer, and strongly coupled to an unobservable environment – in this vastly different present case, in which the quantum system being measured, the observing instrument, and “the observer” are aspects of one unified body/brain/mind system observing itself.

In short, the practical utility of classical concepts in certain special situations arises from the very special forms of the empirical questions that are to be asked in those situations. Consequently, one must revert to the basic physical principles in this case where the special conditions of separation fail, and the nature of the questions put to nature can therefore be quite different.

The issue here is not whether distinct objects that we observe via our senses can be treated as classical objects. It is whether in the description of the complex inner workings of a thinking human brain it is justifiable to assume – not just for certain simple practical purposes, but as a matter of principle – that this brain is made up of tiny interacting parts of a kind known not to exist.

The only rational scientific way to proceed in this case of a mind/brain observing itself is to start from basic quantum theory, not from a theory that is known to be profoundly incorrect.

The vonNeumann/Wigner “orthodox” quantum formalism that I employ automatically and neatly encompasses all quantum and classical predictions, including the transition domains between them. It automatically incorporates all decoherence effects, and the partial “classicalization” effects that they engender.

Reference:

Attention, Intention, and Will in Quantum Physics – Henry P. Stapp, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

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Quantum Consciousness and Human Potential – Part 3

Inner strength, Personal Develpoment, Personal Empowerment, Unconscious Mind No Responses »

Sep 122012

Last week we continued the discussion on human potential and quantum consciousness.

During the last two posts I mentioned that one of the biggest aspects we need to consider is what limits we consciously or unconsciously put on ourselves. That we need to think greater than our current state of being and think outside our limited view to see the potential we have. Once we “see” our human potential we can then set about exceeding it.

This requires us to be aware, especially to be aware of our limiting beliefs and thinking.

You see, we have been programmed to look at our human potential as being finite.

Well it’s time to change that!

We’re now going to upgrade your awareness, and look at the new consciousness from a quantum physics perspective. Not being a quantum scientist, I will make this as simple and as basic as possible.

Here are the last three basic building blocks of Quantum Physics that you should know about:

8. You Create Your Reality

“Your beliefs become your thoughts.

Your thoughts become your words.

Your words become your actions.

Your actions become your habits.

Your habits become your values.

Your values become your destiny.”

- Mahatma Gandhi

You are creating your Reality all of the time. You are manifesting all of the time. In fact, it’s impossible not to manifest. Your observations alter your reality, just as a scientist alters a photon, simply by observing it.

Physicist John Wheeler calls this a “Participatory Universe”. Reality doesn’t even exist until it’s observed.

Whoa!

What does this mean?

This means that your thoughts and emotions are infinitely more powerful than you can imagine…in a sense, your human potential is unlimited!

Most of the time, our observations are unconscious. We construct mental fables around the events of our lives, when we aren’t even thinking about it. These fables become the energetic blueprints for our future experiences.

Here’s the mind-boggling part. What you are experiencing in your life today is the direct result of what you were thinking about in your recent past. You literally created the Reality you are living in right now. You are now harvesting the dream seeds (good and bad) that were planted in your brain a few hours, weeks or months ago.

Reality is an “inside job.” You create your Reality, through your thoughts, feelings and beliefs. Some call this the Law of Attraction. The Law of Attraction states that your thoughts and beliefs are powerful magnets, attracting similar thoughts to them. Thought is the most powerful force in the known Universe. Quantum Physics grounds the Law of Attraction scientifically, by verifying all of this under a microscope.

9. Collapsing the Wave

Here’s another way of looking at all of this. Each of us exists in our own Quantum Pond. Remember, we aren’t talking about a real pond of water here. We’re talking about a field of energy.

You are the pebble, thrown into the center of your own quantum pond. The ripples that form are your thought waves, coming out from your own consciousness. But your quantum pond is part of a greater Quantum Ocean. There are Wave Patterns in the greater common ocean, which intersect with your personal thought waves.

When these external wave patterns intersect with your own thought waves, they are called Interference Patterns.

When Galileo put forth his own thought wave – that the world is round and that it rotates around the sun – his thought wave ran into an interference pattern with the popular belief that the earth was flat. He was told to recant his theory or face execution. Galileo complied…9-11 sent some huge thought waves into motion. 300 million people believed, based on what they “saw”, that 9-11 was the act of a few Muslim terrorists. This thought wave became a massive tidal wave of emotion, big enough to propel us into war. 9-11 was the “point of conception”, when a lot of our current paradigms were born. How do you collapse a wave (or in this case, a tsunami) that massive?

The more people there are who share a common belief, the bigger the wave pattern behind that belief becomes. The more people there are who share a common paradigm, the bigger the interference pattern is, if your thoughts and beliefs collide with the collective paradigm.

The New State of Collapse is about collapsing old thought waves and belief patterns that no longer serve us. This can be done in several ways:

Telling the truth can collapse a wave of deceit. Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr. used truth and logic to collapse the false paradigms of their time.

Emotional release. Both laughing and crying break up dense energies connected with negative thought patterns and belief structures.

Bringing in a higher thought vibration and collapsing dense frequency waves with focused intention. Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Theresa used focused intention, to bring in higher vibratory states of love, non-violence and service to humanity.

What you are learning to do is collapse the quantum wave function, beyond the grid of three-dimensional space and time. Just by reading these posts, you have begun to do this.

10. You are the One.

Let me share a story with you. There was a psychologist named Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len, who worked at Hawaii State Hospital for four years. While he worked there, Dr. Hew Len cured an entire ward of criminally insane patients without seeing any of them.

How did he do it?

He’d review an inmate’s chart and while he was looking at the chart, he’d look within himself to see how he created that person’s illness. As he healed himself, the patient began to heal.

In “Zero Limits”, author Joe Vitale writes, “that ward where they kept the criminally insane was dangerous. Psychologists quit on a monthly basis. The staff called in sick a lot or simply quit. People would walk through that ward with their backs against the wall, afraid of being attacked by patients. It was not a pleasant place to live, work, or visit.”

But Dr. Hew Len says that, “After a few months, patients that had to be shackled were being allowed to walk freely. Others who had to be heavily medicated were getting off their medications. And those who had no chance of ever being released were being freed.

“Not only that, but the staff began to enjoy coming to work. Absenteeism and turnover disappeared. We ended up with more staff than we needed because patients were being released, and all the staff was showing up to work. Today, that ward is closed.”

What did Dr. Hew Len say to himself, over and over again to heal his patients? “I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.” That’s all.

“I was simply healing the part of me that created them,” he said.

Dr. Hew Len was applying an ancient practice called Ho’oponopono. Ho’oponopono means, “to make right.”

In the quantum sense, everything in this “Participatory Universe” is your own creation. It’s all a holographic projection. Reality is a movie and the projector is inside your brain. Everything in existence came out of your own thoughts, emotions and beliefs.

This means that everything in the Concrete Universe is a holographic projection. None of it exists, except as a projection from inside of you. Therefore, it’s up to you to heal them.

You are the One. Loving yourself is the key. According to Ho’oponopono , it’s that simple. As you love yourself, you heal yourself and as you heal yourself, you improve the world. Love collapses the tsunami wave of fear, division and reactivity.

You are the One doesn’t mean that you are more special or more important than the next person. It doesn’t mean that the world’s problems are all your fault. It simply means that there is no out there. If I’m angry with you, I’m angry with myself. If I love you, I love myself.

You are a holographic projection of my own consciousness. Self is Universe. There’s no distinction between you and me, or between self and Universe. It’s all in here.

Now, we can understand the effect that a Mahatma Gandhi or a Mother Theresa had on their “quantum pond”. Each recognized that they were “The One”. It was up to them to change the Universe that they created. And they did. Now, it’s up to you.

I hope you enjoyed this series on. To go more in-depth on this, pick up a copy of Develop The Mental Strength of a Warrior today.

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Quantum Consciousness And Human Potential – Part 1

Peak Performance, Personal Develpoment, Personal Empowerment, Personal Performance No Responses »

Aug 292012

Human potential is an interesting concept, even more so, how do we exceed our human potential.

I think one of the biggest aspects we need to consider is what limits we consciously or unconsciously put on ourselves. When we can think greater than our current state of being and think outside our limited view of potential we can then begin to move towards achieving our human potential and then exceeding it.

All this takes awareness, awareness of our limited beliefs and thinking. We have been programmed to look at our human potential as being finite.

Well it’s time to change that!

We’re now going to upgrade your awareness, and look at the new consciousness from a quantum physics perspective. Not being a quantum scientist, I will make this as simple and as basic as possible. Here are the first five basic building blocks of Quantum Physics that you should know about:

1. We All Come From The Same Source

The Universe is made up of particles and waves. If we go back 13.7 billion years to the moment before the Big Bang, all of the particles in the known Universe were squished together into a single particle the size of a green pea. This means that you, me, your best friend and your worst enemy, were once a part of that same pea sized particle that gave birth to this expanding Universe.

The particles that make up the Universe are now separate and expanding, but energetically, we are all still linked. Everyone on this planet – all life and all physical existence – emerged from a single point of oneness and unity. We all come from and we are all still a part of one unified, quantum field of energy.

In 1944, Max Plank identified the existence of this Unified Field. He called it the Matrix. He believed that, underlying everything we can see, our bodies included, there’s an intelligent and conscious mind. Gregg Braden calls this The Divine Matrix. I call this Source. Others call it God. Whatever you call it, the Divine Matrix is much larger and infinitely more powerful than the Global Matrix that rules your material existence.

2. We’re All Connected

Gregg Braden tells this fascinating story: In 1997, there was a documented experiment in Geneva Switzerland, in which one sub-atomic particle of matter was split into two parts. The two parts were then separated. One half was sent seven miles in one direction and the other half was sent seven miles in the other direction. The two parts were now 14 miles apart. Scientists discovered that, although the two particles were separated physically, they were still connected energetically. When one particle was disturbed, the other particle responded, as if it was having the same experience. This tells us that, once matter is physically joined, even if it’s physically separated, it’s still connected energetically.

Why is this significant? Everything in the Universe was physically joined together in a single particle the size of a green pea 13.7 billion years ago. This means that, although you and I are now physically separated, we are still connected energetically.

All of us.

Our heart brains are also connected energetically to one another. Our heart brains are the

Satellite Dishes described on the 4DQ website. We are all in constant communication with one another, through the Divine Matrix, which acts as a collective heart brain.

We are all connected, in ways that we are only beginning to understand.

3. All Matter is Energy

“Energy and matter are so deeply entangled, it is impossible to consider them as independent elements.”- Bruce Lipton, The Biology of Belief

Energy and matter are one and the same. E=MC2. But let’s take this one step further. The

Universe isn’t even solid. The Universe is mostly empty. We tend to think of space as empty and matter as solid. But in fact, there’s nothing solid about matter either. Matter is composed mostly of space. It’s completely unsubstantial.

Look inside an atom. You might think that an atom is a solid ball. But most of the atom is empty space. Certainly, you could say, the nucleus at the center of an atom is solid. But no, even the nucleus jumps in and out of existence, just as photons and electrons do. The most solid thing you can say about sub-atomic matter is, it’s composed of information. Sub-atomic particles are bits of data. Atoms aren’t things. They are only tendencies. All matter is energy and all energy is thought.

This is stunning information, because it forces each of us to reconsider what Reality really is.

Reality isn’t solid or concrete. Reality is particles and waves of light and information.

More than this, we aren’t solid or concrete either. We are made up of pure energy. We are concentrated waves of consciousness and light. If you can really feel and grasp this, it will change your life forever. On the quantum, microscopic level, you and I are pure light and information. This is what we are. You might say that we are spiritual beings first and physical beings second.

In the scene below, from the movie, “The Matrix”, Neo sees past the dense, physical world of the Matrix. What he sees is that everything is data and light. All matter is energy.

At this moment, Neo transcends the physical limitations of the Reality Grid we call the Global Matrix. Symbolically, he experiences a spiritual transformation. He no longer identifies with the temporal fears that define the physical world. Matter is no longer matter. Matter is data and light.

4. Energy is Information

“What is real? How do you define real? If you’re talking about what you can feel, what you can smell, what you can taste and see, then real is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain.” – Morpheus, in the movie, The Matrix

Your brain doesn’t know the difference between reality and perception. Your brain can’t tell the difference between what’s taking place “out there” in the physical environment and what’s taking place “in here”, within your mind. What’s happening within you creates what’s happening outside of you.

Scientific experiments have shown that, if we hook your brain up to a computer and ask you to close your eyes and imagine an object, the same area of your brain lights up, as if you were actually looking at that object. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between seeing with the eyes and imagining with the brain.

So, what is Reality? Is Reality what you’re imagining with your brain or is Reality what you’re seeing with your eyes? The truth is, the brain doesn’t know the difference between what it sees in its environment and what it remembers, because the same specific neural nets are firing.

More than this, everything you see, hear, smell, taste and touch is filtered through your brain and its Reality Constructs. Did you really see a rabbit come out of a hat? Did you really see a hijacked plane hit the world trade centers? What is real? What is perception? Perhaps hypnosis is far more common than any of us imagine. Media literacy takes on a whole new meaning, when filtered through quantum mechanics.

Your brain is an interpreter of information. Everything that your five senses take in from the world is filtered through your brain. So, what you are experiencing in this moment is not reality, but your brain’s interpretation of reality. Reality is what you believe you see.

This is intense stuff, when you really think about it. What you consider real isn’t necessarily real at all. It’s your brain interpreting Reality through the filter of your thoughts, emotions and beliefs. Reality is a projection that we are making, onto a unified field of Infinite possibilities.

This includes your emotional brain. If you are fearful that someone close to you is going to betray you, your emotional brain will behave as if you have already been betrayed. Your brain doesn’t know the difference. Because emotion is vibrational by nature, you will then send out a vibration that resonates with – and attracts – betrayal.

This is true for your reptilian brain as well. If, during the coming era, you imagine that you will be penniless, homeless or starving, your reptilian brain will react to this stimulus, as if your survival is threatened. Whether or not your survival is actually threatened isn’t important. If you live in a state of terror, panic or fear, your brain may behave as if your life is threatened.

By the same token, if you really believe that infinite possibilities and opportunities are in front of you, your heart brain will resonate with the joy of unlimited possibility. Understanding these principles inside and out, can change your Reality Constructs during the coming era.

5. Thoughts Become Forms

“The new physics tells us that matter is no more than a state of information.” – J. Robert Oppenheimer

We have established that all matter is energy and that energy is information. What does this mean? This means that all matter is ultimately data. You are living in a world that has been generated by the constructs of your own mind. Everything that you think of as real is only a holographic projection of your thoughts, emotions and beliefs.

Information creates form. In fact, everything is “information coding”. Whether you call it cancer, success, a nose or a chair, it’s still information coding. Healing is the transformation of information. Healing is the re-coding of information. This is beautifully illustrated by the work of Dr. Masaru Emoto.

Since 1999, Dr. Emoto has published several collections of photographs called Messages from Water. Because water is the most receptive of the four elements, Dr. Emoto figured that water might respond to thoughts.

So Dr. Emoto printed out words and then he taped the various words to bottles filled with distilled water. He left the bottled water out overnight. He then photographed the water with a dark field microscope the next day.

The first word used was the Japanese word for “thank you”. The result was the formation of a beautiful crystal structure. The bottle labeled “You make me sick. I want to kill you.” produced a murky yellow sample that resembled pond scum. When you give your thought to something, you alter its molecular structure. Your conscious and unconscious thoughts are creating the Universe that you’re sitting on.

Thoughts become form. Does this mean that you can change a chair into a table with your thoughts? Does this mean that you can change iron into gold, by believing you can? We are only beginning to understand these principles. But we do know this: 90% of your body is water. Water is the most receptive of the four elements.

We know that body fluids are altered by thought. This is clear when you are upset and you get an acid stomach. How does a thought create acid? Studies also show that house plants grow better when their owners express loving thoughts towards them. How far you can take this is anyone’s guess.

The hard science of how our thoughts affect water molecules is unknown. But if thoughts can alter the molecular form of water, imagine what our thoughts are doing to our bodies every day.

Next week I’ll finish up with this. In the meantime I go over this subject in more detail in Develop The Mental Strength of a Warrior.

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How Obesity Changes Your Brain

Mental Strength, Peak Performance, Warrior Mind No Responses »

May 302012

Can a steady diet of cheeseburgers change your brain?

It might just be possible, according to a 2012 study from Nature Neuroscience that linked high fat diets to neurogenesis and obesity in mice.

High Fat Diets Change The Brain

The study put mice into two groups: those fed a normal diet and those who feasted regularly on high fat foods. After 1 month of chowing down, adult mice on high fat diets had quadruple the rate of new brain cell growth in the hypothalamus, a part of the brain responsible for regulating many metabolic processes.

But did neurogenesis also cause obesity?

To answer this question, researchers irradiated the newly created portions of rats’ brains. Not only did radiation inhibit 85% of neurogenesis, but irradiated mice gained significantly less weight and fat mass compared to the group that kept their new neural growth—even though all of them stayed on the same high fat diet. Furthermore, irradiated mice used more energy and were more active despite their unhealthy diet.

Fighting Obesity: Current Methods

The link between diet, obesity, and the brain is thought-provoking. But take it with a grain of salt: the connection has yet to be confirmed in humans. As we wait for more research, consider some current methods that could help change your eating habits.

Many scientists have pointed out that obesity often functions like an addiction to food in the brain. And a 2012 study from the University of Amsterdam found that challenging cognitive training lowered addiction symptoms in individuals with a drinking problem. People who trained not only drank less—they actually improved memory capacity as well.

As research continues to show that your behaviors change your brain, cognitive training becomes ever more important. Try strengthening your willpower today: exercises similar to offer from Lumosity’s were used in the University of Amsterdam study to great effect.

Unlock full access today to try out all 35+ games and promote positive change in your brain by going to Lumosity now!

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How Does the Mental Strength & Brain Training Work?

Mental Training, Warrior Mind No Responses »

Dec 292011

I’m a big believer in any tool that helps improve mental strength. But here’s the thing…mental strength comes from a fit, healthy and strong brain.

Following is information on mental/brain training from a company, Posit Science, that I think you’ll find VERY interesting.

Sharpness starts with the senses

Our eyes, ears, and other sensory organs constantly send information to the brain. Our brains use this information to construct our experiences and memories, from the magnificent—a loved one’s face, a once-in-a-lifetime vacation, a wedding proposal—to the mundane—an acquaintance’s name, a grocery list, a drive to a nearby store.

The better we absorb this information, the better we can respond to it and store it, so that we can remember it and use it later. That’s what mental sharpness is all about— having strong brain function that supports a variety of cognitive skills.

Posit Science programs increase the quantity of sensory information the brain takes in and improves the quality with which the brain processes and records this information. This improvement has a ripple effect, improving “higher” functions of the brain that work with that information.

Think of it like a tree: healthy roots able to absorb plentiful nutrients and water make for a stronger trunk, shinier leaves, and more fruit.

Posit Science programs strengthen the brain from the roots up. This approach is different from many others, which provide compensatory strategies, teach the brain “tricks” to remember, or drill the brain on memory tasks. Many scientific studies demonstrate that such a focus on caring for the fruit while ignoring the roots has limited benefits.

Root problems

Throughout life, our brains successfully absorb a lot of information from our senses. But for most of us, including almost everyone over age 40, our brains could do better. When we’re in our 30s, three core trends begin to affect brain function. Over time, these have noticeable impacts on our memory, thinking, and focus. They include:

Speed: Slower processing
Our brains gradually slow down—but the speed of information coming in from the senses (sights and sounds happening in our lives) does not. Over time, the brain begins to miss details, making it more difficult to react to and remember what we saw or heard.

Accuracy: “Fuzzier” processing
Like the grooves of an old record, the brain’s neural pathways often get fuzzier, scratchier, or even distorted. When the brain records the static along with the important sensory information, memories are fuzzier and more difficult to process in higher cognitive functions.

Recording: Fewer neuromodulators
The brain uses chemicals called neuromodulators to determine what information is important to record and process. With each passing decade, our brains produce fewer neuromodulators. A deficit of neuromodulators hinders the brain’s ability to record new information—in other words, its ability to learn and remember.

At first, people don’t notice problems in the moment because they (unknowingly) use context to fill in what they missed. In other words, we draw on our extensive life experience to “fill in the blanks” and make sense of information that is incomplete.

Although this compensatory behavior helps us in the immediate situation, it doesn’t improve the quality of the recording (the memory). As the years pass, the gaps can become too big for context to fill in. When this occurs, it can be hard to catch and respond to the information even at the moment.

Caring for the roots

Posit Science programs (and the SAAGE protocol they are built on) are designed to reverse these three root problems. Their primary goals are to:

Speed up brain processing

Sharpen processing accuracy

Stimulate the neuromodulatory machinery that controls recording

You can read about their design approach to learn more about how our programs achieve these goals HERE.

Where does neuroplasticity fit in?

Their programs harness the brain’s inherent plasticity—its ongoing remodeling throughout life—and direct it in ways that enhance overall performance. Given that the brain is the most complex machine on earth, this is no simple task.

Posit Science has invested in a Scientific Advisory Board of more than 50 scientists from leading universities because each one brings his or a unique expertise to the team. Their collected contributions enable our programs to work on several levels, so that the brain changes in ways that contribute to a better functioning—and ultimately, better quality of life.

Generalization for a better life

The Posit Science roots-up approach emphasizes “generalization,” or the extension of benefits beyond the trained task. Here’s an example: Using a program in which you practice remembering a grocery list may help you get better at remembering grocery lists. With Posit Science programs, you may not ever practice grocery lists.

By exercising the roots of memory, however, you will likely find that not only can you remember grocery lists better, you can also remember conversations with your neighbor, tasks at work, a movie you saw over the weekend, that word that is on the tip of your tongue and where you left your keys. These “generalized” changes are what improve quality of life.

Published studies

You don’t have to take our word for the effectiveness of our approach. Each of our programs has been subjected to thorough clinical testing and the results have been published in leading peer-reviewed journals. View a summary of clinical results HERE

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10 Great Articles About Developing Power Of The Mind

Personal Develpoment, Personal Empowerment No Responses »

May 242011

I was scanning over some of my favorite articles about the mind and wanted to share 10 of them with you.

When you look at these articles it will become clear that they all have one thing in common…you! You decide to meditate or not, your decide to exercise or not, you decide to eat sweets or not. I hope that by you’re done reading these articles that you will appreciate that you and only you are in control of creating your mental strength. Once you do, you will be able to reach your personal goals and personal success with ease.

1 – Mindfulness Meditation Training Changes Brain Structure in Eight Weeks

ScienceDaily (Jan. 21, 2011) — Participating in an 8-week mindfulness meditation program appears to make measurable changes in brain regions associated with memory, sense of self, empathy and stress. In a study that will appear in the January 30 issue of Psychiatry Research: Neuroimaging, a team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers report the results of their study, the first to document meditation-produced changes over time in the brain’s grey matter. More at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110121144007.htm

2 – Brain Waves and Meditation

ScienceDaily (Mar. 31, 2010) — Forget about crystals and candles, and about sitting and breathing in awkward ways. Meditation research explores how the brain works when we refrain from concentration, rumination and intentional thinking. Electrical brain waves suggest that mental activity during meditation is wakeful and relaxed. More at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/03/100319210631.htm

3 – Brain Differences Found Between Believers In God And Non-believers

ScienceDaily (Mar. 5, 2009) — Believing in God can help block anxiety and minimize stress, according to new University of Toronto research that shows distinct brain differences between believers and non-believers. More at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090304160400.htm

4 – Fit Body, Fit Mind? Your Workout Makes You Smarter

How can you stay sharp into old age? It is not just a matter of winning the genetic lottery. What you do can make a difference. More at:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=fit-body-fit-mind&prin

5 – Perception of Our Heartbeat Influences Our Body Image

ScienceDaily (Jan. 7, 2011) — A new study, led by Dr Manos Tsakiris from Royal Holloway, University of London, suggests that the way we experience the internal state of our body may also influence how we perceive our body from the outside, as for example in the mirror. More at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110105071151.htm

6 – High-fat, High-sugar Foods Alter Brain Receptors

ScienceDaily (Aug. 6, 2009) — Overconsumption of fatty, sugary foods leads to changes in brain receptors, according to new animal research at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The new research results are being presented at the

2009 annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB). The results have implications for understanding bulimia and other binge eating disorders. More at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102024.htm

7 – Learning by Imagining: How Mental Imagery Training Aids Perceptual Learning

ScienceDaily (Dec. 4, 2009) — Practice makes perfect. But imaginary practice? Elisa Tartaglia of the Laboratory of Psychophysics at Switzerland’s Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) and team show that perceptual learning – learning by repeated exposure to a stimulus — can occur by mental imagery as much as by the real thing. The results, published in Current Biology, suggest that thinking about something over and over again could actually be as good as doing it. More at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/12/091203132153.htm

8 – Long Term Thinkers Make Better Health Decisions

Two US psychologists found that people who tend to think in the long term, who focus on later rewards rather than immediate payoffs, are more likely to make better and positive decisions concerning their health, such as what and how much to eat and drink, exercise regularly, and use sunscreen. More at:

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/printerfriendlynews.php?newsid=174845

9 – Meditation Helps Increase Attention Span

ScienceDaily (July 16, 2010) — It’s nearly impossible to pay attention to one thing for a long time. A new study looks at whether Buddhist meditation can improve a person’s ability to be attentive and finds that meditation training helps people do better at focusing for a long time on a task that requires them to distinguish small differences between things they see. More at:

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/07/100714121737.htm

10 – People Who Wear Rose-Colored Glasses See More, Study Shows

ScienceDaily (June 6, 2009) — A University of Toronto study provides the first direct evidence that our mood literally changes the way our visual system filters our perceptual experience suggesting that seeing the world through rose-colored glasses is more biological reality than metaphor. More at :

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090603103807.htm

It appears that if we mediate, look at the bright side of life, exercise, avoid sweets, believe, use visualization and think long term life will become easier. Funny…this is exactly what I help my clients do to reach their personal goals and achieve personal success.

Curious? Find out more by asking for your Introductory Consultation

OK…what did you think about the articles? Please let me know in the comments below.

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What the Bleep Does Joe Dispenza Know?

Mental Strength, Personal Develpoment 3 Responses »

Oct 222010

The left frontal lobe (red), the forward porti...

Image via Wikipedia

Dr. Joe Dispenza is an amazing individual! My mental strength coaching has come about directly from his message and science.

Last night I was watching “Evolve Your Brain” and it (again) is amazing! Every time I watch it I pick up something new.

One key topic I picked up from last nights viewing is at the end of the lecture he asked the audience (including those watching the DVD) if they understood the information and see how powerful it is?

Everyone (including myself) all agreed. Then he asked the big question. If we see how powerful the information is, why don’t we do the exercises/process? His answer…simply we don’t belief it works.

WOW! This hit me right between the eyes. Not that I don’t understand, trust and see how powerful the information is, but at some level I don’t 100% believe it.

Sure, I practice what I preach, coach and write about…and there’s another level I can take my practice to. So, after hearing this challenge I’m even more committed to demonstrating the power of what I call “mental strength” in the achievement of personal success, personal performance and personal empowerment.

Who wants to join me?

To give you a taste of what Dr. Joe Dispenza discusses in his lectures, DVD and books I’ve provide some excerpts from a paper of his “The Throne of Our Divinity.” (downlink provided)

“The frontal lobe of the brain is what we use for focused consciousness attention. When we change what is in our frontal lobe, we change our awareness of the environment around us by changing how we perceive it and thus respond to it.”

“The metaphor of an open mind never meant so much. Think of awareness in this vast sea of potentials as if you were walking in the dark with a flashlight and shining your light on the reality that has been there all along.”

“Our human brain processes 400 billion bits of information every second; however, we are only aware of about 2000 of those billions of bits of data. We therefore are not aware of all of that information because we literally are not attending to those stimuli.”

“Until recently, scientists knew very little about the frontal lobe. They considered it ‘the quiet area’ because most of the measurements of brain activity using instrumentation gave them little data as to what was really taking place there.”

“However, with the advancement of technology, we now know more about its true function. It is the seat of inspiration of a human being.”

“Brain researchers have now proven, through the use of sophisticated technology, that truly focused individuals can calm down all the areas of the neocortex are associated only with the awareness of the body and the environment. Therefore, the illusionary separation of an individual from the environment becomes a loose, thin membrane when one is truly focused. That is, one stops using the part of the brain that is the associative memory bank that reaffirms us to people, places, things, time, and past events. We literally become one with an idea. The throne of our divinity is the frontal lobe and its sword is focused concentration. The free will of the human being allows us the privilege to choose where we put our awareness. As we now know, our reality is where awareness is.”

I hope you’ve gotten a sense of just how powerful you are!

If you’d like to explore your personal power further request an Introductory Consolation to see if mental strength coaching will help in achieve personal success and peak personal performance.

Also, my e-book “Develop the Mental Strength of a Warrior” can assist you tremendously in tapping into your true personal power.

Let me know how you feel about this information in the comments below.

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Do You Have G.A.S?

Mental Strength No Responses »

May 032010

: Image via Wikipedia

No…not that kind of gas…this kind of G.A.S. (General adaptation syndrome).

When we’re exposed to a “stress” most of us react in a specific way or stages.

Stress is how our and mind and body reacts to a stressor. This could real like getting chased by a lion, or imagined – like worrying about something- to the mind it’s all the same.

Short term stress can actually be healthy while chronic long term stress can lead to unhealthy situations.

Here are the stages of stress during that we experience.

Alarm is the first stage. When the threat or stressor is recognized the body’s stress response is a state of alarm. During this stage adrenaline will be produced in order to bring about the fight-or-flight response.
Resistance is the second stage. If the stressor persists the body begins to try to adapt to the strains or demands of the environment, the body cannot keep this up indefinitely, so its resources are gradually depleted.
Exhaustion is the third and final stage in the GAS model. At this point, all of the body’s resources are eventually depleted and the body is unable to maintain normal function.

“So what…how does this affect me?” You ask.

Let’s presume that most of us are in the second stage most of the time. Yea, most of don’t have to run away from lions, but think about your daily activities:

Commuting to work (traffic)
Meeting deadlines
Business meetings
Putting out “fires” at work
The commute back home
Family matters

These are all stressors. Get the picture?

Most of us have been in Stage Two for so long that it feels normal. The only reason many of us don’t slip into Stage Three – Exhaustion – is the weekend!

S.A.I.D What!

This brings us to S.A.I.D or Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand

In physical fitness there is a principle – the SAID principle. It states that the human body adapts specifically to imposed demands. That is, certain stressors on the human system, whether biomechanical or neurological will create a Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID).

SAID is a training principle that explains that a certain exercise or type of training produces adaptations specific to the activity performed and only in the muscles (and energy systems) that are stressed by the activity.

The more the stress the efficient the muscles become at performing the task. This is one reason to mix-up any fitness routine. The benefits start to diminish as the body becomes more efficient.

You Largest Under Utilized Muscle

You brain is a muscle as well. Sure, in most cases it doesn’t grow like a skeletal muscle, but it does grow by making more neural connection. The connection, the more it grows.

If we don’t give the mind a variety of actives to cope with, the brain cannot make more connections. This is the foundation of mental strength development, to face an imposed “stressful” situation head-on and succeed at the task.

Let’s say that you’ve wanted to start a business for sometime now but have been afraid to move forward. You’ve decided not taking action, in others words you’ve adapted to the stress (Stage Two in G.A.S). And because you haven’t taken any action your body has adapted to the imposed demand (S.A.I.D) of doing nothing VERY efficiently.

To overcome this you MUST impose MORE stress, but just for a short period of time. This could as simple as calling City Hall and asking what’s required to start a business. You don’t even have to give them your name, just make the call.

Before the call you’ll feel a spike of adrenaline due to the perceived stress. The when the call is over you’ll feel great about what you just accomplished. You “spiked” your stress and were in Stage One of G.A.S. for a short period time and then moved back to “recovery.” And look…it wasn’t even the weekend yet

When you keep building on this everyday and add short bursts of “stress” you’ll soon condition your mind to “fight” instead of “flight.” Then when S.A.I.D. kicks in you’ll become so comfortable with moving out of your comfort zone that you will see all the possibilities that are in front of you.

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