Harnessing the Power of Your Own Mind

by Michael Corthell

Autosuggestion is a mind altering technique much like the placebo effect, developed by pharmacist Émile Coué at the beginning of the 20th century. It is a form of self-induced hypnosis in which persons guide their own thoughts, feelings, or behavior. It is the process of repeating words, ideas and images—telling yourself that these things are true—for the expressed purpose of changing your perception, behavior, and mindset.

This self-suggestion is a self-development method used to create new, positive beliefs about yourself as well as an effective method for ending bad habits, but beware, like any tool, auto-suggestion can be used in a negative way as well.

''Every day, in every way, I'm getting better and better.''
—Émile Coué

'You are what you think' is the essence of auto-suggestion. We can voluntarily change the way we think starting with the decision to think in a positive way. Once we do that, we can be more specific in telling our subconscious mind what exactly it is we want.

It is all about choice, choosing:

To focus on a positive – rather than negative – outcome. For example, “I am going to be healthy,” rather than, “I am not going to be sick.”

To choose a positive narrative and, in some cases, a positive image.

To keep repeating the positive narrative and/or focusing on the positive image.

For example, my chief purpose in life is to successfully teach positive thought to all the world. I tell myself this daily; ''I will teach the world, the human race how to think positive—every single human being. I will find a way to do that.'' My repeating images are smiling, happy people.

Not only do I repeat this desire to myself over and over everyday, I mix it with passion and a burning desire to achieve my goal.

This process of mixing emotion, faith and message facilitates the awareness of the subconscious mind to accept the information as absolutely true. Once that happens, my subconscious mind in effect, directs the Infinite Intelligence of the Universe (God) to help us make it so. This method works. It will fully take hold in you when you commit to it with a burning desire to succeed and have the Faith that it will indeed happen.

This scripture was my first exposure and is the source of a positive mindset:

Jesus (God incarnate) said, “Have faith in God. The truth is, you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, mountain, fall into the sea.’ And if you have no doubts in your mind and believe that what you say will happen, then God will do it for you. So, I tell you to ask for what you want in prayer. And if you believe that you have received those things, then they will be yours.'' 
 —Mark 11:22-24

I encourage you to plant positive seeds in your mind, rather than negative seeds. I and others like me believe in the power of imagination to envision and achieve success.

You can and you will do what has to be done in your life. You will be fed by the joy and inner happiness of just being alive.

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Change your mindset, change the game | Dr. Alia Crum | TEDxTraverseCity

Dr. Crum says the biggest game changer is “YOU, by harnessing the power of your mind." She explores scientific results that show the influence of the mindset on the body, and how changing the subjective mindset produced different outcomes. Dr. Crum's work is inspired in part by the placebo effect, and has implications that stretch far beyond the realm of medicine.