First off, my question would begin with a bit of clarification as to what a belief is. I'm puzzled because there appear to be two solid definitions

1) In Abrahams perception, a belief is merely a thought you habitually think over and over again, until the thought becomes familiar emotioanlly and in the brain (am I correct?)

2) The other definition, I would describe as a more worldwide definition as to what a belief is. I mean not beliefs as in thoughts just thought over and over- i mean real beliefs, like how the world works, how to meet people, how to do things with physics etc....

So with this in mind, now onto the thing I'd really like to share:

Lisa Nicols, featured teacher in the secret, really promotes the general idea of one believing in themselves. After watching a few videos on youtube about here, I've noticed that her routine is simply this: "are you ready, right now, to accept yourself as you are?" This whole believing in oneself thing appears to be more of a choice in the spur of the moment given, as opposed to something that is gradully, steadily reinforced into the mind.

So here it is, is belieivng, in anything (manifesting, oneself, love) just a choice you can make right now? Or is it, as I've explained just in the above paragraph, the opposite?

Thankyou Inward Quest, appreciate all the answers I look forward to seeing them :)

asked 06 Dec '11, 14:45

Nikulas's gravatar image

Nikulas
5.4k539158

i would say know your self or know the truth about you. it is not a belief or a desire it is needed.

(06 Dec '11, 18:39) white tiger

how can you understand other if you do not understand your self first? that is why it is needed. experience and enjoy.

(06 Dec '11, 18:44) white tiger

Replace the word belief with the word expectation because that is what a belief is. The routine you describe has nothing to do with beliefs.

(17 Jan '13, 17:12) flowsurfer

Belief is like a lie desperately labeled as the truth that provides sense of identity and meaning. All created from fear having none, from fear of emptiness/death. When you embrace emptiness, the need for beliefs will disappear and so will beliefs themselves.

(18 Jan '13, 02:38) CalonLan
1

@flowsurfer - I prefer to have a general expectancy (which is belief), rather than having a specific expectation. The subtle difference is this:

When you live by 'Expectancy' you know because you believe that sooner or later (it doesn't matter when) your desire must show up, so it will show up.

Whereas, by having expectation of something specific, perhaps within the timing that your ego demands, then you're setting yourself up for dis-appointment, so your desire remains unfulfilled.

(18 Jan '13, 19:28) Eddie
2

@CalonLan - do you not believe what you wrote above? If going into the silence works for you then it's perfect for you. However, it seems strange to deny that we live in a belief driven Universe...

(18 Jan '13, 19:32) Eddie

A belief is not a general expectancy. Your beliefs may be vague/general or they may be specific. I believe I can move my arm. That means I expect that my arm will move according to my intention. I don't believe "sooner or later" the arm will move, I expect it to move instantly. If for some reason the arm doesn't move (say I wake up from an accident and the arm was amputated) that expectation is frustrated. At first you'll still have the belief/expectation but it will probably go away with time.

(18 Jan '13, 19:51) flowsurfer

That is what disappointment means, having an expectation frustrated. If it is frustrated continually the belief (expectation) begins to shift. Perhaps that is the value in not setting any kind of "deadline", you'll still feel a sense of disappointment the longer it takes but it's not as sharp.

(18 Jan '13, 19:54) flowsurfer

All that you're really saying is that you don't expect the "universe" to respond to you promptly. That's a belief. You believe the universe is kind hearted but essentially unreliable. It will get to your requests eventually but in the meantime, it will let you hang.

(18 Jan '13, 19:56) flowsurfer

lol, your words not mine :) Actually it's all about vibrational alignment, it has nothing to do with the Universe being kind hearted or unreliable. The Universe is impersonal and it simply and unerringly responds to our vibrational state-of-being; and this in turn is determined by our beliefs...

(18 Jan '13, 20:08) Eddie

So why this fear of expecting something specific, with a specific timing demanded by your ego? I expect the sun to come up at a pretty specific time, for tv shows to start at specific times, for the train to work at specific times, etc. In general, those expectations are fulfilled. So what's the problem?

(18 Jan '13, 21:03) flowsurfer

Again, your words not mine. I do not live in fear, guilt or any kind of doubt and I label problems as challenges.

If you're able to say: OK, I demand US$1,000 at 2pm next Friday, and every time you do so your demand is met as expected; then you've cracked it. Is it working in that way for you?

If you can reach the point of knowing, beyond doubt, that you'll receive your desire, in the same way you know what time the sun will rise, great! If not, your expectation may lead to dis-appointment...

(18 Jan '13, 21:29) Eddie
showing 1 of 12 show 11 more comments

11

The thing that most helped me to grasp the idea of belief and believing is that by its very nature, any belief is self-fulfilling and self-perpetuating. Therefore, any belief you hold will, automatically, make it seem as though your belief is true and you will see evidence in your life to confirm this.

Look around you. The world you have personally created (chosen) is representative of the beliefs you hold most strongly. You have created that world through the filters of your beliefs. If you’re not happy with it in any way, simply change your beliefs and then, over time, your world must change because that is how it works.

In answer to 1) above: A belief is simply a thought that you keep thinking, until you eventually convince yourself of its truth. Then it will BE your truth.

In answer to 2) above: Can you really separate belief from thought? Can there be a belief without thought first? All world beliefs are still beliefs. The conclusions of scientific inquiry are basically scientific agreements, which are the collective consensus beliefs of scientists.

I’m not familiar with Lisa Nicol’s work, but from that paragraph your wrote, it seems as though she’s referring to the idea of self-love, by believing in yourself you are loving yourself. Self-love is a huge catalyst for positive change.

Is ‘believing’ merely a decision or a built up skill?

Is there a particular reason that it must be one thing or the other? The question itself seems divisive to me as opposed to integrative. Can you not integrate these ideas to serve you in some way?

You have the ability to change any belief you hold right now. For instance, if you say something like:

I know I have this belief and I know that changing it will benefit me in some way,
but it is hard to change my belief!

Recognize here that you have uncovered another belief, i.e., It is hard to change my belief.

And then realize that it is only hard to change any belief because you say it is. In other words, it is not empirically true that it is hard to change a belief, it is only your own estimation that it is hard.

So in a sense, getting to grips with and understanding the nature of beliefs and how they can control you if you’re unaware of them, is a skill that you can teach yourself and in that process, learn more about yourself and how your mind works.

link

answered 07 Dec '11, 03:06

Eddie's gravatar image

Eddie
20.9k12368

1

there's still a LOT here I need to ask. Hope you dont mind if I email you?...

(07 Dec '11, 13:56) Nikulas

No problem Nikulas, if you have a specific question. Although most stuff I write here is covered on my website...

(07 Dec '11, 14:58) Eddie
1

@Eddie, nice comment :)

(17 Jan '13, 16:06) figure8shape
2

Great Stuff Eddie , thank you :-) "Therefore, any belief you hold will, automatically, make it seem as though your belief is true and you will see evidence in your life to confirm this." Is it possible to have this tattooed behind ones eyelids ;-)

(17 Jan '13, 18:07) Starlight
1

Eddie , given your answer , may I please ask , do you personally give any merit to subliminal computer programmes to change beliefs or effortlessly install new ones ?

(17 Jan '13, 18:22) Starlight
3

Hi Starlight, my answer to those kinds of questions will always be the same: If something you've attracted to you resonates with you, then it will work for you, that's why you attracted it to you.

Any and all systems and processes, etc, are tools that we use to allow ourselves to re-member or re-connect to the greater parts of our being; to BE more of our self. There's no right or wrong way to do it, there's only the way you're doing it that works for you.

Freedom :)

(18 Jan '13, 19:18) Eddie
2

Thanks Eddie , I value your perspective always I'm using Afformations now and am so pleased at the ease and speed with which things are happening, little happy dance here and once more , you are appreciated ♥♥♥

(18 Jan '13, 20:50) Starlight
1

Thanks Starlight, I'm happy to be of service ♥

(18 Jan '13, 21:18) Eddie
1

@Eddie You nailed another answer square on the head yet again Eddie. I can never read enough of your opinions when it comes to beliefs and how they function. Thank you for sharing your wisdom:)

(19 Jan '13, 01:49) Cory

Thanks Cory, you're welcome. Once we start to actually use this knowledge in our daily lives it becomes more of an observation than an opinion :)

(19 Jan '13, 02:49) Eddie
showing 2 of 10 show 8 more comments

I totally agree with Wade when he says that the examination of your personal beliefs is where awakening is happening, because there is where the limitations are being held that control your life.

Here is my take on Beliefs.

Beliefs are mind-sets that we harbor in our Subconscious mind. By that I mean that they are the filters that our mind is running at any given time.

These filters color our experience of life, and therefore are the key to creating a more fulfilling life.

An example of this is our experience in driving on the freeway; If we believe that "BMW drivers always drive aggressively", what we experience on the freeway will be exactly that... If we change that belief, and say that we always fine that BMW drivers are the most polite, then that is what we will experience. (Its not as easy as just saying it though!)

Here's the tricky part; we can have life-changing moments that instill beliefs in our mind instantly, (Wade's World Lessons) and we can build beliefs up over time by noticing things that happen in our experience repeatedly. Or, we can build beliefs by using our imagination and consciously creating a scenario in our inner worlds and focusing on that repeatedly. (Like when Dr. Wayne Dyer talks about the training of Olympic Athletes by training mentally. If they also saw themselves winning their event it would build the belief that they would win...)

So, beliefs are scripts, running in our Subconscious, that run our lives. You believe you need a certain amount of sleep; you feel tired if you don't get it.. If you change that belief, you find you don't need so much sleep. Or visa versa....

The not so obvious aspect of beliefs is that they are there in your Subconscious, and your Subconscious is very protective of your beliefs, because the bulk of them have helped you stay alive, and the Subconscious doesn't judge your beliefs, it just preserves them and acts on them, making sure that you survive by following the beliefs...

If you should become aware of a limiting belief that you would like to change, it may be so strong as to continue even after we decide that it is no longer useful. This is where we have to get busy using positive affirmations,EFT, or Hypnosis, or some other method of neutralizing the belief and installing another, more useful one.

link

answered 06 Dec '11, 19:37

Carl's gravatar image

Carl
13114

Well developed details here. Thankyou

(07 Dec '11, 13:49) Nikulas

@Carl, nice answer :)

(17 Jan '13, 16:06) figure8shape

Avatar says we have two beliefs there is the indoctrinated word lessons and and the are world lessons.

The following is quoted from Harry Palmer

by Harry Palmer

“There are word lessons and there are world lessons. A word lesson is an effort to convey an experience via spoken or written symbols. A word lesson can be informative or enjoyable or inspiring. A word lesson is an expression of someone’s belief. A word lesson can be a very nice thing, but it should not be confused with a world lesson.

“A world lesson is something that you live through. It’s something you encounter and deal with in life, and from the world lesson you emerge changed, more experienced, wiser. A world lesson is an experience. It does not require translation into symbols or sounds for you to remember it. It becomes part of what you know, of how you define yourself to yourself. A word lesson seldom has this impact.” From ReSurfacing®

It is from these lessons we learn beliefs, but the beliefs are influenced by these lessons. It is in the examination of these beliefs that we awaken.

link

answered 06 Dec '11, 16:10

Wade%20Casaldi's gravatar image

Wade Casaldi
36.9k429107

With this information here, it makes sense as to, like yourself, experienced martial artists (not necessarily UFC fighters) appear to vibrate differently....You're a developed martial artist, and I'll bet you've never attracted a fight after, say 10+ years of training.

(07 Dec '11, 13:45) Nikulas

Yes that is very true, I haven't since grade school.

(18 Jan '13, 05:57) Wade Casaldi

We develop our beliefs two ways- by teaching (and learning) and by experience.

For example, I was taught in High School that snakes were an important part of our ecosystem, and that they are one of the primary protectors of our crops from rodents and insects. I saw snakes in my biology room, and discovered that they were not mean or slimy or evil.

Now, in 2008, I was bitten by a Cottonmouth. I developed a huge, festering wound and spent a long time in the ER, waiting to see if I needed any anti-venom. It was a painful experience, and cost me in terms of permanent damage to my left arm. But am I now afraid of snakes? No! Why? Because I startled the snake by dropping my keys through my steps. I was then stupid enough to reach down and go for my keys and did not think that a snake might be there.

I know a woman who is terrified of snakes. She has developed this belief despite the fact that she has never held a snake as I have, nor was even bitten by one. Somehow,my beliefs about snakes ended up being very different than hers. Why? I was educated about them, exposed to them at a young age, and knew that they were not as dreadful as they seemed. But this woman maintains that snakes are very, very bad creatures, and I do not, despite being bitten by a poisonous snake.

This story demonstrates how beliefs can form in a human in different ways, and that it is very hard to change those beliefs once they are set in a person's mind.

But it can be done, provided that enough evidence and experience and education happen to that person.

Our primary weapon to fight wrong beliefs is education. Another weapon is exposure and experience.

But, you can lead a horse to water, but you cannot make him drink.

So, I contend that beliefs are both built-up skills, and also decisions to believe. When we get evidence that our beliefs are wrong, we have a choice to change. That choice to change is up to us.

Blessings,

Jai

link

answered 06 Dec '11, 23:26

Jaianniah's gravatar image

Jaianniah
37.8k13124610

In other words, her belief that snakes are dangerous protects her from being attacked by one while your belief that they are good did not protect you and resulted in permanent damage to your left arm. Great story.

(17 Jan '13, 16:57) flowsurfer

beliefs may be of those we recognized
as important of them by whom we grew,
might it also be intuition nudging
around mind for will recognition

link

answered 07 Dec '11, 01:04

fred's gravatar image

fred
19.7k176

Click here to create a free account

If you are seeing this message then the Inward Quest system has noticed that your web browser is behaving in an unusual way and is now blocking your active participation in this site for security reasons. As a result, among other things, you may find that you are unable to answer any questions or leave any comments. Unusual browser behavior is often caused by add-ons (ad-blocking, privacy etc) that interfere with the operation of our website. If you have installed these kinds of add-ons, we suggest you disable them for this website




Related Questions