“OK, so I have negative thoughts. So what?!?  Why should I care?”

Your thoughts have an amazing affect, not only on your life, your environment, and the world you create around you, but also on your body.

The first thing that happens when you have any thought is that it causes actual microscopic structural changes in the brain.

You have billions and billions of brain cells, and these cells reach out and form connections, simply because of the thoughts you are having.  Imagine a huge oak tree with branches extending out in all directions.  With each thought, those branches reach out and lock arms, and form connections between brain cells purely because of what you are thinking.

So the more you think a certain type of thought, the more connections are formed in that direction.  The more positive thoughts, the more positive connections your brain creates.

Another thing that happens is your brain releases different types of biochemicals that float down through the bloodstream into your body. So in a very real way your thoughts have biochemical changes throughout the body.

Biochemically, the brain does not know the difference between positive and negative thoughts.  Either way it will send biochemicals.  If you have positive thoughts it will send one type of chemical and affect the body one way, and if you have negative thoughts it will send another type of chemical and affect the body another way.

Studies have shown that if you take a group of people and categorize them, into positive people or negative people, and then give them nasal drops containing the cold or flu virus, the positive people overall are less affected by the  virus. The positive people have less symptoms, and get better much faster.

Fearful thoughts block energy flow to the body.  While negative thoughts can physically alter your body and cause harmful results, positive thoughts can have a powerful impact to improve your life.

Notice the placebo effect, where people experience healing because of their thoughts. They actually think they are receiving a powerful healing drug and they get well.  Not only can thoughts improve your health but by now you may be familiar with the Law of Attraction.  The Law of Attraction basically states you attract into your life what you are thinking about, what you focus on, and what you believe.

The last part of that statement is key: What you BELIEVE.

You can stand around and make positive statements all day long, but if you do not believe them, if your unconscious mind is in conflict, if there are beliefs stored deep within that disagree, those unconscious beliefs will work to sabotage your plans. This is where NLP and Hypnosis become quite useful. They can change those unconscious beliefs, so your unconscious becomes aligned with your conscious thinking.

A good test for discovering unconscious beliefs is to stand in front of the mirror, look at yourself, and state your positive affirmation out loud. Such as: “I am a success” or

“I love and accept myself”.

Many self-help books recommend this technique, and it can be useful.  But when you do this exercise, standing, looking in the mirror, as you speak your desire, pause, and notice what happens.

 

 Look at yourself. Can you make the statement without ‘wincing’ or making a face?  When you state the affirmation: “I am a success” is there another voice that instantly replies and counters: “What do you mean success, who are you kidding?”

Be aware of any sensations. As you make this desired statement, do you ‘feel’ anything unpleasant:  A knot in your stomach, tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, constricted throat, tense muscles?

This is feedback. If your unconscious is harboring limiting beliefs that are in conflict with your conscious desires, those beliefs will show up in various ways. This ‘mirror test’ is a good way to discover any hidden programs that are running within your unconscious. Until you get your conscious and unconscious in alignment, there will be an ongoing battle between the two.

However, once your unconscious is aligned with your conscious desires, it is like being in the flow of a river. You move easily without effort. You don’t even have to paddle; the current simply takes you along for the ride!

Hypnosis and NLP can eliminate those conflicting beliefs, and install new, more powerful programs.  Once your conscious and unconscious are aligned, it becomes much easier to ‘think positive’, allowing you to create a healthier lifestyle!

Becky Hays has offered remote sessions with clients since 2007, teaching them how to apply the tools of Hypnosis and NLP for positive change.

References:  Dr. David Hamilton https://beyondbeliefthemovie.com/your-plastic-brain-by-david-hamilton-phd/