Center for Personal Power
....Helping enrich lives through Hypnosis!!
Remembering the Eight Rules of the Mindby W. John Page, BCH, CI
It is important to stand back and remind ourselves of some of the basic concepts of our work. In many trainings I have taken over the years, the concept of the "eight rules of the mind" has come up often, and from different sources. No single source seems to have originated all of them, and they have become part of our fundamental knowledge in working with people. I find them very useful in "change work" with clients. Rule #1 - Every Thought or Idea Causes a Physical Reaction Monday morning is a killer. There are more heart attacks and suicides on Mondays before noon than at any other time of the week. Why? Because people go back to work thinking how bad their job is. The reality is that the job is the same Tuesday through Friday than it is on Monday; it is just the thought of the job that changes. The immune system, blood pressure, stomach acid, and many other measurable facets of the body reflect and respond to the changes in thoughts. The most basic physical reaction, facial expressions, give clues to success in negotiating and working with clients. And they are vital in knowing when to hold'em and when to fold'em. Rule #2 - What is Expected Tends To Be Realized Thirty years ago, when I was in training for the ministry, in one of the classrooms there was a huge sign bearing the letters P.M.A. We were later to find they stood for Positive Mental Attitude. As the class work progressed, these letters and the words they stood for became very important to me. "As a man thinks, so he is." If a person has a positive outlook on going to heaven, he will probably act like a person going to heaven. The brain and the nervous system respond to mental images. It does not matter if the image is self-induced or from the external world. The mental image formed becomes the blueprint, and the subconscious mind uses every means as its disposal to carry out the plan. I have seen people ruin their lives allowing a "self-fulfilling prophesy" to rule in mental, spiritual, physical, and emotional areas. Rule #3 - Imagination is More Powerful Than Knowledge and Reason A poster in my office displays this rule, attributed to Albert Einstein. It is the last thing my clients see before they close their eyes to go into hypnosis. It is a powerful part of the process. Reason is easily overruled by imagination. This explains why people do unreasonable things in their lives, and why they are blind to their supersitions, prejudices, and limiting beliefs. It is why wars are waged. It also explains how we can create positive change. With hypnosis, we can use our imaginations to form new images in the subconscious which free the mind, and remove or amend old ideas. Rule #4 - Once An Idea Has Been Accepted By The Subconscious Mind, It Remains Until It Is Replaced By Another Idea, And The Longer The Idea Remains, The More Opposition There Is To Replacing It With A New Idea. In the dark ages, man believed that the earth was flat. When the Renaissance began and the mathematicians made the scientific determination that the world had to be round, for the most part they were ridiculed and persecuted. The flat-earth idea had been accepted, and so it remained - until someone sailed away in a boat and did not fall off the end of the earth. It is an old and very widespread belief; multiple voyages and many years were required to change it for the masses. With hypnosis we advance new ideas to replace old ideas; with reinforcement and encouragement, soon the opposition is removed from the subconscious, and the mind accepts the new idea. Rule #5 - Each Suggestion Acted Upon Creates Less Opposition To Successful Suggestions. As in the flat-earth illustration, after the first sailors came back and had not fallen off, one by one the others started to explore what was out there. Our minds are much the same; once we find out we can change a small thought, we are able to move to more complex thought change. That is why when we do depth testing we don't start with negative hallucinations. We start with small muscle catalepsy. Rule #6 - Opposing Ideas Cannot Be Held At One And The Same Time Mark Twain, in his book Huckleberry Finn, made the statement "I can't live a lie." The young man in the book was at odds with himself, and could not get on with life until the "lie" was resolved. A person may believe in honesty and expect their family to be honest, and all the while not completely honest in the way they conduct their affairs in the business world, saying "I have to do this; it's just the way it is done." Sooner or later this has its effect upon their thought processes and their nervous system. With hypnosis we can assist our clients get rid of the "lies" in their lives. "And the truth shall make you free." Rule #7 - An Emotionally Induced Symptom Tends to Cause Organic Change If Persisted in Long Enough There are real diseases caused by viruses, germs, parasites, and other things attacking the body. However, reputable medical authorities understand that more than seventy percent of human ailments are functional, rather than organic. This means that the function of an organ or other part of the body has been disturbed by the reaction of the nervous system to negative ideas held in the subconscious mind. So if a person lives in fear of ill health and constantly talks about what is wrong with them, in time organic change must occur because of the inseparable mind-body. Rule #8 - When Dealing With The Subconscious Mind and Its Functions, The Greater The Conscious Effort, The Lower The Subconscious Response The subconscious mind accepts thoughts and experiences without judgement, so it takes everything literally. This deep reservoir is not subject to "forced" quick and easy change. If we learn to "just let it happen" our subconscious mind will take control and change our behavior. "Will power" doesn't really exist, in the sense that it represents trying to do something we do not really want to do. However, developing a positive mental expectancy that problems can be, and will be, solved - and they will!!
John Page is National Guild of Hypnotists (NGH) Board Certified and a Guild Certified Instructor located in Salt Lake City, Utah. As director of the hypnosis seminars for Lifeworkswest Hypnosis Group and as a presenter at many civic conferences, John is able to assist others in gaining a greater understanding of hypnotism as a profession
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What clients are saying about their experiences with Center for Personal Power:
“I cannot thank you enough for the session. My negative self-talk has been replaced with positive self-talk. I am free!” J.G.
“I felt stuck, fat, ugly, scared and meaningless when I walked through Carole’s door. Now I feel pride, hope, beauty in life and a clear sense of direction. I received the gift of my life back – in addition to guidance for weight control. L.O.
"I respond well to hypnosis. The nice thing about this program (smoking cessation) is its completeness...not just one or two sessions, then when needed...but a complete program with a determined number of visits. It's spread out over an extended period which , I think is really helpful, so as to identify my times more closely when I might be tempted to smoke again. Another really nice feature of this program is that it is individually tailored to the client. I think this is very important. It has worked for me! I recommend it!" W.K.
“The experience was unbelievable – to smoke as long as I did and be rid of the bad habit smoothly and easily – as if I had never smoked – truly amazing!” M.P.
“I had such a great experience with Carole. I can’t tell you how much she has helped me. God bless her.” G.A.
“After a few sessions with Paul, my pain began to diminish….On an hour to hour basis, I consider myself pain free….It has been a wonderful experience, not only because I am pain free, but because I feel that I am a better and happier person, too!” L.S.
" Paul: I came to you at an extremely low point in my life. I had lost my beloved husband after a fierce fight with cancer, and then my brother a year later with the same disease. I was anxiety ridden, grieving and angry. I felt I had lost the most meaningful part of my life. My children are grown, I'm retired and the rest of my life had been predicated on my husband and I being together. I didn't know what to do to stop the pain. Working with you for the past few months has been a pleasure and a privilege. I have come so far toward being a functioning, happy human being. I am more relaxed, calmer and, dare I say, more rational. You have guided me through many exercises in self-awareness that have enabled me to attain a more positive and balanced attitude toward my life, my family, and my friends. I have gone deep into hypnosis and come out more peaceful, more internally calm, and centered than I could have thought possible. I look forward to seeing you occasionally for 'tune ups' but know that I can move foreward in life on my own. Thank you so very much for guiding and mentoring me to a healthy and happy place in life. With deep gratitude, ' P.B.
“Over the years I have been blessed in that I have met people in my life that have been there for me at just the right time. Paul is one of those people….I will remain forever thankful and would recommend him and the process he uses to anyone who really wants to make needed changes in their life. P.Y.
"My experience with Paul during these sessions has been eye opening. At first as much as I wanted to believe, that little voice kept a small nagging thought of doubt. But as I experienced the changes of thought and perception, doubt was overcome by trust and belief. The choices Paul has taught me to make for myself have empowered me to make positive choices and reactions to the negative elements in my life. I started out with heavy feelings of doubt, no confidence, and unsurety with the want of success and wealth. Now I have the confidence, determination, and goals to make success and wealth step out of the dream and into reality.... Thanks to these sessions, I feel more alive, serene, and confident than I ever could imagine. Thank you from my heart." C.R.
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