Psychological 'Crap'

[Jonathan Steele]

I found this article on a physical fitness site that I wanted to share with the group. Without a doubt it also applies to $uccessful handicapping of horse races, i.e., parimutuel fund investing.

Can You Think Yourself Thin?
www.burnthefat.com

On recently broadcast special edition of CNN's Larry King Live, Mr. King interviewed a panel of "mind experts" about how the thoughts you think literally turn into the events you experience, the material things you possess... AND even the health of your body.

For years, "positive thinking" and goal-setting were often criticized as "pollyanna" and "the law of attraction" was relegated into the category of "new age" fluff.

On the recent Larry King show, panel experts Bob Proctor, John Assaraf and others who were featured in the movie 'The Secret' explained that recent breakthroughs in neuroscience along with understanding mental laws, reveal why goal setting, the "law of attraction" and "positive thinking" all work, regardless of whether you look at them from a metaphysical or a scientific perspective.

Scientists have even identified specific parts of the brain, such as the reticular activating system (RAS), which works with the visual parts of our brain to call our conscious attention to things that are important to reaching our goals and to filter out those things that are unimportant.

The RAS is activated by "programming" goals into our sub-conscious minds. Our sub concscious mind is the "power center" and THIS is the mechanism that explains why goal setting and positive thinking are now being accepted as scientific methods for change.

We are discovering that our brain is cybernetic in nature, which means that it is literally like a computer, waiting for a program to be installed.

Here's the kicker - the subconcsious is completely neutral and impartial - it will carry out any instructions you give it. (my emphasis--Jon)

Unfortunately, many of us are still running negative programs we picked up from others as children when our non-conscious minds were totally open and impressionable, or which we developed over the years as a result of repetition of our own negative thinking. (hmmm....where did I hear that before?--Jon )

As it turns out, our own thoughts, repeated daily, are one of the primary ways that our "mental computer" is programmed on a sub-conscious level, which is the level of beliefs, habits and automatic behavior.

To change your results, you must overwrite old negative programming and install positive new programming into your subconscious.

This can be achived through such techniques as written goal setting, positive self-talk (affirmations), and mental imagery (visualization).

In the 1970's, the Soviets and East Germans were the first to formally use structured mental rehearsal, and at that time, they dominated in several olympic sports. This was reported in great detail in Charles Garfield's landmark book, "Peak Performance." Today, virtually all elite athletes use visualization extensively, as we now know that the brain cannot differentiate between real practice and practice that is vividly imagined.

If you are getting more of the same negative results in your life - such as the same health problems, or the same body fat continues to return even after you lose it, then you have probably been un-consciously running old negative programs and re-inforcing them with negative thought patterns.

You can begin the positive mental reprogramming process by writing down your goals, changing your internal dialogue and taking a few minutes to relax, quiet your mind and perform a session of visualization or mental rehearsal every day (seeing yourself in your "mind's eye" not as you currently are, but as you ideally would like to be).

These methods, repeated often enough, will begin to program the non- conscious portion of the mind, which is the same part of the mind that controls your heart beat, digestion and new cell production, all on "automatic pilot."

In the last decade, neuroscientists discovered that you have the capacity to create an almost infinite number of new neural connections in your brain when you run new thought patterns.

The Old neural pathways are like grooves in a record, and if you are struggling with your health related behaviors or behaviors in any other area of your life, you have been playing the "old records" over and over again.

If you were to carve a new groove into that record, it would never play the same way again. the old pattern would weaken and the new one would take over. Brand new, positive thoughts, feelings and images begin to create new neural patterns.

Psychologists estimate that it takes 21 to 30 days to establish a new pattern in your brain. During this time, the focus on sticking with your practice and repeating your new thought patterns is critical. (my emphasis--Jon)

Is this easy? For most people, no it's not. In fact, controlling your thinking and keeping it constructive may be one of the most difficult challenges you have ever faced. Fortunately, writing goals and reading affirmations can help get you started.

You can take some of the pressure off yourself by simply accepting that negative thoughts and self criticisms will pop up from time to time. Just observe them, without mulling over them or adding to them, and change the polarity of the thought by quickly repeating one of your positive affirmations or by changing your mental pictures.

So is there something to this whole "positive thinking" thing?

The philosophers and theologians have been saying yes for the entire span of recorded history: "As you think, so shall you be." Variations on this proverb can be found in every spiritual and philosophical tradition.

But... if you are the left-brained, "prove-it-to-me" type, you dont have to go on faith anymore. Scientists are beginning to prove more and more convincingly that thoughts are powerful things. Even Larry King seemed impressed with what his panel of "mind mentors" had to say. In fact, I just found out that larry will be airing part two of this "Power of positive thinking" show next week on CNN.

So how soon are you going to begin your mental training right alongside your physical training? When are you going to learn how to harness this power locked up inside your mind?

Guess what? You're already using this force every day because you cannot turn it off. Whatever you are thinking and picturing in your mind repeatedly on a daily basis is already on it's way to you, so it's simply a matter of HOW you are using it, not IF you are using it.

What do you say to yourself every day? Do you say, "I am becoming leaner, healthier and more muscular every day?"... or do you say "I am a fat person - Ive tried everything, nothing ever works?"

The fact is - you can think yourself thin and healthy or you can think yourself obese and ill. Maybe not in the literal sense...but most certainly as the critical part in the chain of causation...

You see, there's a lot of talk these days in the personal improvement world about law of attraction, manifesting, intention, visualization, affirmations and of course, positive thinking.

Without understanding that there is an orderly, scientific basis underneath all of these things, many people will simply remain skeptics, while on the opposite extreme, others may get the idea that you can sit around meditating and visualizing, then expect a mystical "law of attraction" to kick in and then "poof!" a great body materializes out of thin air... along with the perfect relationship, a nice bank account and fantastic career success.

What really happens is "Positive thinking" and related methods quite literally re-program your brain, which in turn creates new behaviors that move you physically toward whatever you have been thinking about and focusing on.

So success is achieved through positive thinking + positive doing.... attraction + action. There are two sides to the coin. Without paying attention to both, you may continue to struggle... often against nothing but yourself.

If you want to transform your body or any other aspect of your life, then you have to change on the inside (the mind) first and then everything else will follow.

Train hard and expect success,

Tom Venuto, NSCA-CPT, CSCS
Author, Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle

---end---

Like someone once said: "If you think you can, or if you think you can't--you're right!" Of course, you have to apply yourself too...and do so using the correct handicapping tools.

Regards,

Jon

[emilio840]

Hi Jon. I do agree with what you are saying because I learned the Alph Meditation about 24 years ago. If a person knows the Alpha Meditation he could change some of the things that HE WANTS TO CHANGE. It is very important that the person wants to change what he wants to change.

I wanted to quite smoking cigars for the winter months. So, what I did was meditated for 30 days and see myself as a non smoker and when November the 4th would come around I become a non-smoker. So, I don't smoke from November the 4th into the middle of April than I start smoking again until November 4th than I quite again. I have been doing this for 5 years now. (When November comes around I forget cigars period. I do not have any urges either.) I smoke in the other months because I enjoy sitting outside having a coffee while smoking a cigar in the evening or during the day.

I also have not had a COLD for 10 years. The reason is because my belief is when I do the Alpha meditation is that I don't believe in Colds. Some people would say that I stayed away from people that had colds. To prove my point is that I told those people that when they catch a cold to call me and I would go over to their house and stay there for a couple hours and they will see that I could not catch their cold. I have won many bets from people and I have won them all. YOU SEE MY BELIEVE IS THAT IF I AM BESIDE ANYONE WITH A COLD, THATS ALL I HAVE TO DO IS EAT A RAW ONION WITH BREAD AND I DO NOT CATCH THE COLD.

And it does work.

Now I am working on using this skill to help with my hcping. And it has started to work.

By the way Bob Proctor is from Toronto and the person who has taught me the Alpha also works with Bob Proctor.

emilio

[Turbulator]

"You become exactly what you think about."

Earl Nightingale


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0vRa3KiUEU

[chris]

Great article Jonathan, thanks for posting it.

When I joined the methodology - about the time Pace Launcher was introduced - was apprehensive of what I perceived to be Howard Sartins missguided emphasis on the psycological aspects of handicapping. I've since learned better.

I could win long before I met Howard Sartin, what I couldn't do, was win consistently. Visualization, self-talk, and mantras, are just a few of his sugggestions I've taken seriously. What bemuses me is that I still have to conciously bring these factors into play, they're not on auto-pilot.

About a month ago I booked a three day escape to Las Vegas. A family member was going to come up and take care of our aged mother. She needs constant supervision, and has been my charge for the last few years. There was a change in plans and the trip was cancelled. The airline ticket and hotel reservation were of course, non-refundable! These things happen, and I consoled myself with the old bromide, that it was only money.

That evening, in bed, the thought of the lost money dominated my conciousness - after all, money is still money. Crowding that thought came the realization that I know how to replace that money and much more - I would get it back at the races. I didn't know the who, what, or when, but I did know the HOW. I was preparing my mind (sub-concious mind) to find a way. And then I went to sleep.

The Ohio Derby, one of our contest races, was there waiting for me. Was half way through the handicapping before it hit me, this was it, this was the race. It was just a matter of structuring the bets beyond win and place; these ripe pickings don't pop up every day, so I grab every piece of fruit I can.

Miss those Sartin psychologica articles.

Regards,
Chirs

[froggy]

Jon,

GREAT POST.

Froggy

[thelyingthief]

i have found the material written to assist traders with their psychology very good resources.

"trading in the zone" by douglas is good to very good;
"the psychology of trading" by steenbarger is very good to excellent.

two titles i have ordered but not received are worth a look, too:

"what to say when you talk to yourself" (helmstetter) and "the law of success--complete" (napoleon hill).

read up on them at Amazon.

ultimately, the psychology side must be addressed. i remember one interview by schwager in "market wizards", and his target said that, when he began, he addressed first the need to find a method to make money; then he found the necessity for money management was more important; and that, lastly, psychology had to be addressed, as the others were futile without it. this billionaire then states, if he had it to do over he would reverse the order, starting out with psychology.

since most horse players are losers, learning to win is all about, well, learning what a winner IS.

tlt

ps: i used that burnthefat guide to lose 7% bodyfat in 2 months. it WORKS!

[Jonathan Steele]

Gentlemen,

Thanks. I'm glad that it was of use to you. I also found your comments very interesting and thank you for them.

"i used that burnthefat guide to lose 7% bodyfat in 2 months. it WORKS!"

Even though I am not fat, I still want/need to get my total bodyfat percentage down,* as there is more of it on me than what I'd like to have and what is necessary for optimal health. Thanks for assuring me I am on the right path.

All the best,

Jon

*I suggest all my friends here do the same to whatever degree you can, as your true wealth is your health. Just ask the Doc.

[Dr Win]

http://jamesray.com/popup_info.php?a...ive%20Part%201

http://jamesray.com/popup_info.php?a...%20King%20Live

[admin]

Hi I clicked the link The video comes up
but it won't play
anybody else?
GS
Bill

[Dr Win]

it is playing ok
pres PLAY in left down corner of player

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Beyond Positive Thinking on Larry King Live Part 1

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The Secret: Is It For Real? on Larry King Live

http://jamesray.com/popup_info.php?a...%20King%20Live

or go to James Ray web:

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and or for videos:

http://jamesray.com/resources/larry-king-live.php