Just on the Faith of what the people on this site have said, I made a list of affirmations. I read them, aloud, twice a day. Here are some of the affirmations I made up to read:

I am in a state of joy.

I am calm and alert.

My diabetes will disappear.

I can change my reality.

I release my past.

God loves me infinitely.

I will think positively about myself.

I will meditate each day....

And so on

These statements have had a very great effect on me, and I read them whether I want to or not! My behavior has changed a lot. I quit smoking. I feel good about myself for the first time in my life. All of this is great! But...

How do they work??? I know I do not need to know how electricity works in order to use it. But this is like electricity for the soul, I I do wonder what I am doing to myself. Can anyone explain this?

By the way, I really recommend this most strongly!! It is really helping me change my behavior!

Blessings, Jai...and HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010!!!

~~~~>>>>>>!!!!!!%%%%%%%%%%%POP!

asked 01 Jan '10, 21:56

Jaianniah's gravatar image

Jaianniah
37.8k13104607


We run on autopilot.

The brain has a thing called neuroplasticity. (Which Wade Casaldi begun to go into.) To add a small bit for where I am going with my answer - the brain fires neurons (and thus thoughts, feelings etc) easier when they have already been fired before. So, when you have thought or felt something repeatedly, the brain has an easier time thinking it again and will quickly do it even without our awareness. People get stuck into these groves.

The brain can change though. The use of affirmations has us thinking new thoughts, which leads to what Wade mentioned (new neuron connections etc) Thus, we can change our grooves to new grooves - ones that will serve us better. That is the physical part.

There is something more to it, though. Some part of us, actively resists these changes. What we have been all our lives is working, so why change? See - part of us is primed purely for survival. It does not care how happy you are. So long as you are alive, then it wants us to stay that way!

This resistance is what leads to the "dripping effect" that LeeAnn mentioned in her answer here. and is also a result of neuroplasticity and as another side explanation - the needing to convince the subconscious blueprint as Michaela mentioned here.

Many people try and change - but they do not alter their thoughts enough, or their 'subconscious blueprint'. This can work so long as they remain conscious of what they are doing. Like I said though, we run on autopilot - and eventually we all fall back into it. As soon as that happens - we resort to what we have always done, what thoughts we have always thought in the past. We "fall off the wagon." Changing our behavior with willpower is the hard way - the dumb way, because of this.

Changing what thoughts we automatically think, through affirmations is the easy way. Because of the active resistance though, most of the "affirmations" do not affect the subconscious as much as possible - we are not fully involved with them. So, it is not entirely easy because of that damned "dripping effect".

We can make it even easier though, if we can leave out the resistance to change. This happens when we enter into a complete state of allowing - into a trance state such as done through self-hypnosis. Affirmations done from that state avoid the dripping effect and can change us very quickly in comparison - and with even less effort (and frankly, I'm lazy - I want the biggest bang for my buck)

Another way to help avoid the dripping effect is mentioned in The Message of a Master. Avoiding the use of "I am" which your consciousness can argue with - and just focus on the essence of what you want. i.e. Vitality. This is valuable because it focuses on the feelings - many times people (me included) get into a state where they will repeat affirmations on autopilot (!) without the feeling - and this method helps keep us more focused.

link

answered 05 Jan '10, 07:22

Liam's gravatar image

Liam
6.2k21023

edited 05 Jan '10, 07:27

excellent answer, yes very detailed too and expanded on what I learned but didn't have full expression over. very good +1 from me!

(05 Jan '10, 07:58) Wade Casaldi

Great explanation.

(06 Jan '10, 02:18) Michaela

Good one, very well explained!

(17 May '10, 13:08) BridgetJones09
showing 2 of 3 show 1 more comments

With me, repeating affirmations is like water dripping on a rock long enough to actually make an indentation, in time they make a difference. And the more persistent I am, the better they work.

link

answered 02 Jan '10, 00:07

LeeAnn%201's gravatar image

LeeAnn 1
17.0k1519

The affirmations, when said repeatedly, convince the subconscious mind, which is the part that needs convincing. When we decide to make a change our conscious mind is already on board but often our subconscious is holding on to old limited beliefs so we have to convince it to let go of these old beliefs and affirmations are one way of helping with this. Your affirmations are great Jaianniah but maybe just change the few that you wrote in the future tense,affirmations are much more powerful when said in the present tense -'my diabetes is disappearing' 'I think positvely about myself' etc. I guess this is because we are stating a truth that is already within.

link

answered 02 Jan '10, 01:34

Michaela's gravatar image

Michaela
35.0k22277

That's a good point Michaela!

(02 Jan '10, 02:47) LeeAnn 1

before I answer this I need point out a few things to change in your affirmations that are undefined.

I will, when?

I can, that is a statement of possibility without the need for effort, Example: "I can climb a mountain", does that mean I am going to or am now? "I will" is better but still not definite, kind of like a husband said, "I will fix that", then the wife asks, "when", the husband answers, "I don't know, when I get the time I guess." Then she asks, "what about now, you aren't doing anything now?" to which he replies, "alright, alright, I'll get my tools!"

The universe does not ask questions it just patiently waits for I can or I will to turn into okay I am ready to start now.

The Sedona Method works like this. Can I release this (yes/no), Will I release this (yes/no), When will I release this?, If not now when?

It puts the mind into a must do state of mind instead of dreamy possibilities of maybe someday that take no effort state of mind.

Have you ever noticed how what you own you want to keep? This is mine, that is mine, my house, my car, my computer, my disease, my pain, my depression, my problem etc...?

Don't own what you want to get rid of, you can not even get rid of what you own until you give it up, meaning you no longer own it! Try having a yard sale and selling things you call mine, you can't do it! But when you say to someone, "here is a nice lamp it works great I used to use this all the time." That doesn't seem as hard as, "here is MY lamp I used to use this all the time as a matter of fact I changed my mind I am not selling it!" There is a work around as in saying "My Old" kind of like saying I am ready to release this, but better to release entirely and say this instead of my.

So for example I will release my cancer turns into I release cancer now, or I am releasing cancer now.

Look at the difference in POWER at those two statements.

Imagine you are a general in the army and troupes are attacking and you say "We Will Charge Them!!!"

What did that achieve?

Now imagine the same scenario, troupes are attacking and you shout, "Charge Them!!!!!!"

What did that achieve?

One is passive and sounds great and important without actually having to do or make any real decisions. The other takes action, command, and makes decisions without timidity boldly saying here is what we do!

So we must think do we want action now? Do we want our affirmations to work for us now, or maybe some time later when they get around to it?

Now for the answer of how they work

There are paths in our brains for every thought, and when we introduce new ways of thought our brains start rewiring finding new neuro paths in the brain to accommodate the New Thought. When this is repeated enough the old pathways die off and disintegrate, like making a new brain, kind of like a brain transplant at a cellular level. Imagine replacing our thought pathways for wealth with lets say "Rockefeller" what the results would bring!

link

answered 02 Jan '10, 21:41

Wade%20Casaldi's gravatar image

Wade Casaldi
36.9k428102

edited 03 Jan '10, 10:22

What about the affirmation that Charles Haanel recommends then: "I can be what I will to be." How that can be imporoved if "can" is no good and "will" either???

(17 May '10, 13:03) BridgetJones09

Will is two words, that will is "desire or command" not "going to be" that is the other will. I like better myself "I am now becoming what will to be."

(20 May '10, 05:18) Wade Casaldi
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