PSYCHOCYBERNETICS
–Maltz
Self Image
Mental picture of self–most unconsciously formed
All actions, beliefs, abilities consistent with despite conscious
effort or will power
It can be changed
Determined by identification with successes or failures
Must have adequate and realistic self-image
Must be a reasonable basis for a good self image
Cybernetics
Subconscious “mind” is not a mind
A goal-striving servo mechanism directed by the mind
Has no direct link to outer world
Works automatically to achieve programmed goals
Must have clear goal- -good or bad–to work on
See goal so clearly it is real to subconscious
Goals are fed in by imagination
Underlying goal is self image
Learn, practice, experience, and act to program subconscious
Develop self image; achieve conscious goals
Imagery, act out, act as if
Success Mechanism
Creative imagination allows conscious choice of goals
2 types of servo mechanisms
Target known–go forward, make/correct errors
Once successful response, it is remembered—forget failures
Target unknown
Must assume answer exists somewhere–and set out to find
“Impossible” is only an opinion–not a fact
Operation
1. Must be a goal, which must be conceived of as presently in
existence
2. Need only conceive of end, not means
3. Do not fear mistakes–servo-mechanism works this way
4. Once have had a success mechanism has learned
remember success, forget failures
5. Do not jam creative mechanism by over-anxiety
“Let it” don’t “make it” work
No guarantees–it operates on faith
Imagination
We act due to imagination, not will
Always act by what imagine to be true about self, environment
Imagination always beats will
CNS cannot distinguish reality from imagination
Reacts automatically and appropriately to programming received
Mental pictures allow real practice
Imagine situations, then solve them in mind
Must have clear mental picture of correct thing
“See” result and “know” it will work
To change (self-image, behavior, skill) must see self in new role
Relax and let creative mechanism perform
e.g. mentally ill instructed to answer, act as normal person
Have to imagine this to do–and begin to feel adjusted
Consciously hold desired self-image 30 minutes daily
Relax. and make it as vivid as possible–much detail
Effort has adverse affect
Builds new “memories” consistent with goals
False Beliefs
If convinced something true, has same power as hypnosis
People live down to self-image–95% do this
e.g. Physical strength–can work against yourself
Knowledge of inferior ability does not limit, feeling does
Striving to be superior exacerbates–use own standard
Dehypnotize through relaxation and imagination
Hypnosis proves power to change instantly
Rational Thinking
Fallacy that rational, conscious thinking has no power over
unconscious
No need to dredge up unconscious from past
Do not give power to the past
Present thinking must be controlled
Negative experiences useful to provide negative feedback
As soon as correction made, forget error–do not dwell on
Quit thinking about them–do think about positives
Ideas changed not by will, but by other ideas
Therapy: look for inconsistent ideas; recognize, replace
Show negative concepts inconsistent–mind rejects
Wrestle with, emotionally, questions and work hard:
1) rational reason to believe? 2) could be mistaken? 3) same conclusion if someone else in circumstances? 4) would I continue to feel, act this way if no good reason?
Rational thought must be accompanied by deep desire
Use enthusiasm, anger
Decide what want, not what don’t want
Pay strict attention to the goal
Rational mind sets goal but does not “do” the job
Do work, let results take care of themselves
Successful Relaxation
Forebrain “1” is conscious mind
Gathers info, evaluates, judges, poses problems, sets goals
Cannot create, “do” work, solve problems
Dependence of forebrain causes excess care
Too result oriented
Once decision reached, dismiss responsibility re outcome
Creative thinking comes automatically after intense effort
Gather info, evaluate, etc., then relax
Keep alert w/o stress to avoid jamming creativity
Rules for creativity
Do worrying before the decision
Concentrate on the present
Plan future, but don’t plan how to react to it
Live in daytight compartments
When start to worry, ask “what going on right now I
need to respond to?”
Do one thing at a time–concentrate on it
Sleep on it–go over in mind before sleeping
Relax while working
Habit of Happiness
State in which thinking pleasant good deal of time
Habit, attitude–must be learned and practiced
Practice in cold-blooded manner–make conscious decision
Do not allow dominance of mind by outside conditions
Natural state is positive, i.e. striving for a goal
Happiness simply symptom of normal functioning
Happiness requires problems–react aggressively and positively
Bravery results from practicing danger–actually or in
imagination
Good is as real as evil
Practice: cheerfulness, friendliness, tolerance, smiling, calm
Act as if success inevitable
Successful Personality–A Model
Deal effectively, appropriately with reality, environment
Sense of direction–once goal reached must have another
Understanding–perceptions, communication, fact v. opinion
Must be a truth seeker
Courage–must act aggressively. Pick alternative. Guidance system
Works only when moving. Constant exposure to fear immunizes
Charity–respect for others aids self-respect
Esteem
Self-confidence–remember successes, forget failures
Self-acceptance–recognize lack of perfection–and start from there
Put Failure to Work
Use failure symptoms for negative feedback–and move away
“Master Teachers” Glance at negatives, focus on positives
Take immediate corrective action
Substitute the opposite success characteristic
Each negative seen as a way to solve a problem
Have “meaning” and “purpose” but not realistic
Must consciously recognize don’t work
Frustration–works for infants, hope life will take pity
Aggression–follows uncontrolled frustration.
Must control and direct it. It gives power
Insecurity–results from comparison with perfection.
Get moving to break
Loneliness–
Uncertainty–learn more from mistakes than success
Resentment–deadly poison, causes spiral down. Martyrdom.
Self-pity is worst possible habit. Caused by own response to
circumstances. Destroys self-determination.
Emptiness–lose capacity to enjoy–nothing is enough. Result of
not using creative abilities. Way of avoiding effort and re-
sponsibility. Must strive for own–not others–view of success.
Emotional Scars
Like physical, form emotional self-protective “scars”; emotional
wall. Also lead to marred self-image
Functional people: 1) see selves as liked, wanted, acceptable, able
2) accept selves as are 3) feel oneness with others 4) have
store of info and knowledge
Immunize v. emotional hurt
Be too big to feel threatened–toughen up (don’t get hard)
People with low self-esteem easily hurt
Be self-reliant and responsible
Give affection, approval, acceptance–let people know you like them
Be a little vulnerable
Relax–Have to “do something” to feel fear, anger, hurt
Keeps scars from forming
Feeling hurt is our response–relax and make no response
To remove old hurts, forgive
The forgiveness, as well as the wrong, must be forgotten
Occurs only when accept that there is nothing to forgive
Emotions work when help deal with present, not past
Must accept, not blame, self also
Personality
“Personality”: freed creative power and self expression
Symptoms of inhibition: shy, self-conscious, hostile, guilt, etc.
Frustration in all areas
Excess negative feed back causes–i.e. self criticism
Feedback should modify action, not stop it or overcorrect
Trying too hard causes “purpose tremor”
Poise: immunity to strangers and strange situations
Practice being less careful, less concerned, less conscientious.
Speak and act without thinking
Don’t “stutter all over”
Tranquilizers
Tranquilizers work by reducing response to stimuli
Over-response is a habit which can be cured
Outside stimuli have no power except what you give them
We are conditioned to respond, like telephone ring
Simply decide to do nothing as a response
React only in a way which gets you to your goal
To assist this, decide to delay response
Do not feel emotion if muscles relaxed
One has emotional thermostat just like physical one
Build a quiet place in your mind–in detail
Use at times during day and to sleep at night
Clear mind with between projects
Do not react to strawmen– “what ifs”–react only to present
Crisis Into Opportunity
Crisis can either increase or decrease capability
Difference is how one learns to react to crisis
Crisis performance: 1) learn skills while not under pressure 2)
react to crisis aggressively, not defensively 3) keep perspective
Practice in advance: no pressure, relaxed
Practice in mind
Think what you will do, what you want to happen
Not about what others will do or what might happen to you
Aggressive reaction brings power–act to generate strength
Keep your positive goal in mind–most crises are opportunities
Only one emotion: excitement. Depends on how we interpret.
Interpretation is determined by the goal
Success reinforces positive use of emotion
Use only as much emotion as required
Excess harms performance: “jitters”
Winning Feeling
When feel successful and self confident, will act successfully
Creative mechanism set for success
Picture goal and its achievement vividly enough to catch feeling
Replay successes in mind
Skill learning is trial and error until number of success register
in mind
Successful pattern is stored in subconscious (engram)
Unsuccessful engrams can be modified by recall with change
of attitude
To repeat, must reactivate feeling and pattern–“relive”
Must remember in great detail–more “played”, stronger gets
After succeeding, lower sights from time to time
Start with “suppose”, then “possible”, then imagery in more and
more detail
Never take counsel of fears–attitudes, not facts
Worry is a habit
If react to negative feelings aggressively, power is developed
Cannot control by willpower–displace wlpositives
With habit negative thought triggers displacement
Conditioned response
Negatives then increase positive response
Since programming/reprogramming up to you, you are responsible
“overbeliefs” in selected “truths” directs the program