Suggestibility

How suggestible are you?

When I ask people this question, the typical response is "I am not suggestible at all!"  Fortunately that is not true!

Fortunately?  Why am I suggesting that it is a good thing to be suggestible?

The reason I believe it can be a very good thing is that you can take advantage of the suggestible quality of your mind to create changes you really want to see in yourself.

Take creative visualization for example.

Many people, myself included, believe when you use visualization to manifest something, you are using the power of the Universe.  But I also believe that power of the universe is within me if only I will make an effort to use it!  By focusing properly on whatever it is I wish to achieve, by putting it in a setting that generates warmth and happiness and that reminds me I have already achieved it, I am in a sense "tricking" my subconscious mind to utilize that inner Universal power.

When you use affirmations, you are doing the same thing.  You are "tricking" your subconscious and making it believe you have reached your goal and all that remains is to bring this inner reality into the physical world.

In both cases, the main reason this works is because you are suggestible.  If you were not at all suggestible, then your subconscious would ignore your visualizations and affirmations and simply retort that they do not accord with what it sees in the physical world.

Sometimes, though, that DOES happen.  It happens when your subconscious becomes aware that you ARE tricking it.  Allow that to happen and for that moment in time you are no longer suggestible, which means your visualizations and affirmations will not work.

Typically, this will occur when you approach manifesting techniques in a half-hearted manner.  Perhaps you begin affirming but at the same time keep thinking this is probably not going to work.  If you do that, then I can guarantee it is NOT going to work.  Your subconscious is not going to respond, as it knows you are trying to trick it.  It is almost as though you are first sending it a message saying "don't believe what I am going to say next - it isn't true!".

One of the secrets of manifesting properly is to leave all your doubts to one side.  You may simply be able to do this without using any other techniques.  Or you may need to bring those doubts to the surface first, and address them one by one, setting each aside as you answer it.

You should also try to get yourself into a suggestible state.  Relax!  Allow your mind to drift and reach your "safe haven".  This is a place where you know you are perfectly safe no matter what.  Where you are nurtured by the Universe and feel really happy and comfortable.  I cannot describe this place for you, as the reality is we each have our own safe haven which is not going to be exactly the same as anyone else's safe haven.  You should spend some time meditating and exploring your inner world so you can find your own safe haven.

Use these techniques and you will find you are much more suggestible and your visualizations and affirmations work far better.

Be aware, though, that suggestibility can work against you as well.  Not in your safe haven or when you are using these techniques.  But when you are just living your normal life it is possible for others to take advantage of your suggestibility.  I don't want you to worry about this, as your own suggestions will be far more powerful.  But I do want you to be aware so you can counter any negative influence.  Make sure you associate with other positive people, not with any who are negative and will consciously or unconsciously send negative messages to your own subconscious mind.

Recognize that if you are a human being, then by your very nature you are suggestible.  Use that knowledge to reduce the power of negative people to influence you, and use it to harness the extraordinary power of the universe to change you and everything around you to what you really want for yourself.

Subliminal Messaging

A subliminal message is a message that passes under the radar.  It is not intercepted en route by your conscious mind.  To use Freudian terminology, it avoids the super-ego, which might otherwise criticise or reject it.  Think of that super-ego as the little voice that keeps telling you things like "it won't work!", "you shouldn't do it!", "there are too many problems!", "yes, but ..." etc.  If you can get the message in without allowing that voice to intercept it you have a much greater chance of succeeding.

Many people get quite nervous about the idea of subliminal messaging.  They imagine all kinds of instructions going into their unconscious mind and then making them do things they have not chosen to do.  They see it as something that could counter their free will.

The reality, however, is quite different.  Research at the University of Warwick over 10 years ago showed that although subliminal messaging can influence your decisions and actions, it cannot do so in a way which is counter to your original intention.

This not only means you may need to re-evaluate your view on the "dangers" of subliminal messaging, but also need to think very carefully about how you are using it.  If you are using subliminal messaging as a part of your personal development programme you cannot simply set up your subliminal software or listen to some music with underlying subliminal messages and expect this to work immediate powerful changes.  Before you start trying to work subliminally you must first work on a conscious level.

For example, if you listen to a subliminal mp3 designed to make you give up smoking but have not made a conscious decision that you want to give up smoking, that mp3 is not going to be much help.  Make the conscious decision first, though, and if it is well produced it can be very powerful indeed.

Many people leave out this important step, and then wonder why the change is not happening.  Do not fall into this trap.  Decide first on what changes you wish to make.  Don't worry about how you are going to make them or even whether or not you believe they are possible, as if you start doing that you will be inviting your super-ego to sabotage your efforts.  Just decide exactly what it is you want to happen.  Once you have done this, use subliminal techniques to start the inner change process.

You can use subliminal messaging to achieve a very wide range of goals.  These include improving your ability to study, improving your memory, quitting bad habits such as smoking, etc.  It is by no means the "be all and end all" of personal development, but if you include it in an overall programme for change you should find it a great deal of help.

I would like to thank James Stapley (http://www.jamesstapley.com) for supplying the radar image used at the top of this article.

Using Metaphors to Influence and Persuade

by

Linda Cattelan

Did you know that we use about six metaphors per minute in the English language? Are you aware that our unconscious mind thinks and responds best to symbolic language i.e. metaphors? Did you know that all learning and change occurs at the unconscious level?

A metaphor is a story told with a purpose which allows us to bypass conscious resistance in order to make connections at a deeper level. By telling stories you engage the other person's curiosity and thereby create the opportunity for direct dialogue with their unconscious mind.

Milton Erickson, a Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist who specialized in medical hypnosis and family therapy for over 60 years, was famous for his metaphorical approach through storytelling. He was renowned not only for his approach to the unconscious mind as creative and solution generating but also for making a large impact on the developers of NLP.

Milton was a master at using abstract and ambiguous language patterns to match his client's experience by assisting his client in accessing unconscious resources in order to pace and lead his client's behavior through a story.

Most of the time, an effective metaphor will result in the other person totally associating or connecting to the character or event in the story. In this sense, metaphors are effective for inducing and creating a trance-like state. When you induce trance, you are communicating directly to the unconscious mind.

Through the use of metaphors we have a huge opportunity to creatively affect change within others. Therefore becoming artistic in the use of metaphors can really make a difference in helping others to move forward. You are already using metaphors in your language and therefore unconsciously impacting others in ways you may not even be aware of. As previously stated, we use several metaphors per minute in our general language already. Becoming self-aware of the language we use and its impact on others is not only useful but important. NLP teaches us how to intentionally use metaphors and language patterns to create desired change and insights in others.

Language is the middle name in NLP (Neuro Linguistic Programming). So in that sense, NLP is a linguistic way of communicating with others on a regular basis.

I have several metaphors I use with my coaching clients when I am trying to make a point. For example; I like to use the analogy of a hockey game in progress as a metaphor for perspectives work. The hockey player is in total fovial vision focused only on what is before him/her. The view is narrow and at this level, the game is fast moving, decisions are made quickly with no time to fully anticipate the impact. From a Coach's view from the bench, the Coach is able to see a much broader perspective of the game. The game actually appears slower from this standpoint. The Coach is able to anticipate not only the player's probable action but also the chain of reaction the play will cause. Now, imagine moving further out to high in the stands of the hockey arena. From this vantage you can really see what is going on in the bigger picture. The game really slows down and you can be much more objective than when you are right in the middle of the play as the player. Whenever I use this metaphor, clients can really remove themselves from a perspective they are holding when I ask them to become an observer in the stands.

In addition to having a toolkit of metaphors at the ready, designing a specific metaphor to address someone's specific problem or issue is ideal.

Here are 4 steps to consider when designing a metaphor to use with others:

1. Define the person's problem or issue 
2. Determine the person's desired outcome 
3. Ask yourself: "What is this an example of?" You are looking for a story or metaphor that will get the other person from where they are now to their desired outcome without their conscious connection or awareness 
4. Tell your metaphor

Milton Erickson was notorious for telling stories about his vegetable garden when working with weight loss clients. He would speak about how beautiful his tomatoes were and how the tomatoes knew exactly how to take in just the right amount of water, sun and nutrients from the soil in order to grow to just the right size and shape. His clients would hear these stories and sometimes become upset that Milton was using their therapy time to talk about his vegetable garden. However, over time the clients would start to lose weight and reach their goals.

If you are interested in learning more about the unconscious mind and the many ways you can successfully attract your goals, dreams and aspirations, you can join Linda's mailing list at http://www.resultscatalyst.ca/?page=newsletter to receive valuable information on these topics and regular updates about upcoming events and workshops.

Program Yourself for Success

We are being programmed to achieve all the time.  But most of the time what we are being programmed to achieve is not what we WANT to achieve.  We achieve it anyway, as that is what our program tells us to do, even though we probably wanted something quite different.

Take a few minutes to watch this video by Denis Waitley, one of the top authorities in the world on achieving greatness:



So, how can you make sure you are getting the right programming?

There are many ways of doing this.  For example, you should work hard to ensure you have exactly the right goals, and then affirm those goals every day when you awake and before you go to bed.

You can also program yourself for success by using subliminal messaging.

Subliminal messaging is hardly a new concept, yet still it gets misunderstood in the media. This doesn't have to be so though, as in-fact it is pretty simple really. This article will show you in a very down to earth way how it works, and how you too can use it to help shape your subconscious for the better.

The word "subliminal" itself comes from the Latin words "sub" and "limen", which literally translate as "below the threshold". All this means is that a subliminal message can be any piece of information our minds receive below the threshold of our conscious levels of perception.

It can come in many different forms, from sounds moved to a higher sound frequency, to images or text flashed faster than we can see. The most basic example of subliminal messaging is from our every day environment. We are always filtering information out - only processing information that we need in the present moment in time.

When walking in the street we notice the traffic around us, when walking on the path we hardly take notice of cars passing just a few feet away. When we are talking to our friends we focus in on this - hearing nothing else... but if we then hear our name called by someone outside our group this information manages to get through.

You have been unconsciously processing this conversation all the time - only when you hear your name do you fully focus in on itproperly.

Can Subliminal Audio Help?

YES OF COURSE THEY CAN!

This isn't just interesting pop psychology.These principles can be applied in the form of subliminal audio and used to help you in life - help you to boost your confidence, levels of self esteem, boost willpower, develop motivation - the possibilities are almost limitless.

This is all because we are capable of absorbing information we are not consciously aware of.

By using subliminal messages you will gradually receive these positive messages over and over. In time they will build in your mind and start making changes to your self beliefs and ways of thinking

You might still be unsure (many people are before they try it for themselves), if so then you are in luck as SubliminalMP3s.com are the leaders in subliminal audio, and the best part is that you can download 3 free subliminal audio albums along with their email course in subliminal messaging. This way you can experience the benefits of subliminal messaging completely risk free and see for yourself how it works..