CINE-MIND: Direct Your Mental Movies

By: Dr. John P. DeMann

Go to the bookstore and notice the number of books on the shelf under personal development, there are hundreds. Go to the business section and notice how many books there are dealing with personal development, hundreds if not thousands. Everyone seems to know the answer to attaining fulfillment and performing at your best. Most of the books come at achievement from different angles claiming they have the answer. Have you ever wondered if there was one way to make sure you reached the top in your profession or just to be able to experience a life of joy and happiness? Most of the clients I speak with are frustrated and confused about what really works. In fact, many were about to give up and just let life happen and let the chips fall where they may. However, I have good news; these clients are now cause, not the effect, in their life and experiencing more than they ever dreamed possible.

Personal and professional development should not be difficult; in fact it should be easy. Why would our creator make it so difficult to know how to succeed? The answer is that our creator did not make it hard to understand how to achieve our true potential; it only seems hard because of all the confusion. Please understand, in order to achieve any level of achievement there will be a need for consistency and effort, but I can assure you that after reading this article your confusions will be cleared up and the only effort that you will have to produce will be the will to implement the information.

Our brains function like a movie cinema, creating images of all we experience. We think in pictures using several modalities; visual, auditory, kinesthetic, gustatory and olfactory, which we call our primary representations. These modalities are our senses and our mind has the ability to create from its memory banks any outcome we desire. In other words, we see pictures and movies in our mind and we have the ability to add to these picture and movies any sense we want to. We also have the ability to change the intensity of images we create in our mind; the colors, sounds, feelings, smells and tastes. These we call Submodalities and it is in these Submodalities we can manipulate and change the intensity of the images we create.

Some say they have a hard time seeing pictures let alone movies in their mind; some even go as far as to say they can't see images in their mind at all. This is simply not the case, we all think in images. The problem is that many times we think so fast that we do not notice the images we create, but if you take your time you will see that you too can create images with extraordinary intensity. If I ask you to picture a dog, do you see the word dog or do you get an image of a dog in your mind’s eye? The answer is that you see the image of a dog. What if I ask you to see a car, do you see the word car or do you see the image of a car? Chances are you see not only an image of a car but the image of your own car. If you question the fact that humans think in pictures remember that early man communicated using pictures on the cave walls not words. It was images that early man knew how to use instinctively.

When we think we trigger what is called the Reticular Activation System, RAS, in the brain which is really a mechanism that causes you to focus on what you are thinking about. In other words, if you are thinking about food then the RAS will create in the mind a lazar like focus on anything we experience that relates to food. When someone is depressed they are focused on or creating images in the mind that are depressing. This causes them to only notice those experiences that back up their depressing thoughts. When someone is happy they are creating images of happiness in their mind and the RAS then causes the mind to focus on the experiences that support their thoughts or images of happiness.

This tells us that we have the ability to create any experience we want to. It also tells us that we can change any negative experience we want to. However, we tend to create habits of thought which cause us to think or create images that are consistent. To break the habit we will need to become conscious of the images we create and change the negative ones to more empowering images that support our desired outcomes. We will also need to do this consistently so we can create new habits where we will be able to experience more empowering thoughts unconsciously and automatically.

Let’s look at an example: You want to lose weight/fat and are having a hard time. Think about the images you have of the outcome. Are they represented as an image only or is their sound, smells, tastes, do you get a feeling? Most would say they get a faint image, but nothing else. Some will say they never noticed any image at all. This tells us that the RAS was never activated and is why they probably never experienced the outcome they desired. In order to get the outcomes we desire we will need to activate the RAS so we will have an automatic pilot helping us along the way. To activate the RAS we will need to get a full image of what we want with the intensity of the Submodalities turned way up.

To change this and to experience how powerful the mind really is lets create a new image of what you want to look like if your goal was to lose weight/fat. Get a clear image in your mind of the outcome you desire. Using the Submodalities add color to the image; make it bright like an HD picture. In great detail see the body you want from head to toe. What sounds are associated to the image? Can you hear others saying great things about your physique? Do you hear the sounds of the gym? Are the sounds loud or soft? Generate imaginary sounds that will support you. Hear your friends saying wonderful things about your body. Hear people on the street saying positive statements about the body you have created. What feelings do you have internally about the image? Feel the emotions running through your body. Increase the intensity of the feelings and make them surge throughout your body.

When you do this you will experience massive state changes and this should help you understand the power of images you create in your mind. The key is to hold these images as long as you can. In the beginning you will find this difficult, but as you practice this technique you will be able to hold the empowering image for longer periods of time. Most people cannot hold an image for more than 30 seconds, but if you can get a quick snapshot of the image and the Submodalities you will experience the power of the mind and will attain your desired outcome. The hard part will be to do this consistently. This is where most people fail; they are not committed to consistency. The good news is that once you perform this for about a week on a daily basis you will notice that your behaviors will be more consistent with achieving the image you have created.

The best time to perform this is first thing in the morning and just before you go to bed for about 3 to 5 minutes. It would be even more powerful if you add another during the day just before lunch and one before diner. Try to do this before every meal, even before a snack or when you are faced with having food in front of you. You will find that it will help you overcome the urges to over eat or to eat unhealthy foods.

Once you begin seeing the image in its full intensity you will find that your desire to continue will get stronger. It is important to understand that you will need to change your behaviors, eating habits and exercise habits, on your own in the beginning, but once you get going eating healthy and exercising regularly will become a habit as well. Imagery is a supportive tool which will help curb unhealthy choices or choices that will not take you to your goal. No one said change would be easy, but now that you understand how the mind works the hard part will be your ability to consistently get yourself to perform the visualization exercise. The exercise will help direct your behavior and will help motivate you to achieve your goal. This process can be done for any goal. To enhance your understanding and to help others reach their goals teach it to a friend or a work associate, your efforts will provide a gift that can help change lives!

BECOME CAUSE
By: Dr. John Paul DeMann

How would you like to access that part of you that allows you to have complete control, to be cause, not effect in your life? To be cause means to be in control of your life. Many of us feel that we are being manipulated by some outside force and this brings on a feeling of being stuck! I know I have and many of my clients have as well experienced this horrible state. For the past 20 plus years I have recognized one of the most common states clients have is feeling stuck.

Today, more than any time in history, we are experiencing change so rapidly we often feel like we cannot catch up. This environment is creating even more complaints in my practice with regards to the feeling of being stuck. In fact 91% of my new clients experience this state. More than ever in this environment it is important to have control of your life and this is the reason for this entry. I want to share some of the tips that have helped me take control of my life and have helped my clients take control of theirs.

I have been flooded with new clients all experiencing the same symptoms. These include: fear, worry, anxiety, depression, and the feeling that they have no control. Some may tell you the best ways to deal with this experience are to let go or roll with the punches etc… In my opinion and experience with my clients this is exactly the wrong reaction that should be taken. It may help in the short run, but to let go or to roll with the punches means that you are letting go of being cause in your life. You literally become a response to the experiences you face.

One of the important differences between humans and animals is that animals are specifically response oriented organisms and humans are able to create the stimulus required to cause a response. I tell my dog Drag to sit and it is as if his back legs automatically give out. The stimulus of “sit” causes Drag to drop his rear end. It is as if there is some force that controls Drag. Humans experience this as well, but the difference is humans can control it, if they want to. The problem is that we often become lazy because it is easier to just respond to the stimulus’s we experience. To take control or to be cause in life requires effort requires us to think, to think ahead and determine what our actions will do to the future we face.

The difference between success, no matter how you define it and failure is how we respond to the environment. Your response can be one that only focuses on dealing with the stimulus at hand or it can be one that deals with the stimulus and creates a cause further down the road. When we create an outcome consciously we begin to feel free. When we respond in a way that limits the outcome to only dealing with the initial stimulus we create nothing more then what is required to deal with the initial experience. When we consciously look at what our actions will do in terms of cause and we choose an action that creates a desired response we achieve the ultimate experience of control and creation.

A typical example that I see often is with regards to work. Many express the feeling that they are in a dead end job or that their job does not allow any freedom of expression. Another example I see is in the area of personal fulfillment. Here many say that they are unable to do the things they really enjoy doing; rock climbing, golf, exercise, home projects, camping, fishing etc… because they feel pulled in different directions which brings us to the popular statement that "I just don’t have the time!" All of these examples are common among those who are not creating, who are not being cause in their own life.

It is not abnormal to have these feelings; in fact it is the norm in many of the clients I have worked with. It is important to understand that you will never eliminate being an effect in your life; you will always be required to respond to the cause of others. The key is to look at the stimulus’s you face differently. Look at all experiences as an opportunity to cause and create something from your response.

You can begin doing this with simple situations you face. For example, if you feel like you are out of control commit to cleaning one room in your house or apartment. One exercise I have my clients do when they are feeling depressed is to clean something they own, why? Cleaning allows them to get physical and allows them to take control of something. Physical movement allows your body to respond chemically by producing the "feel good" chemical bath of endorphins. When we see change that occurs from our own actions we also tend to speak to ourselves in more positive ways. I have had some clients who were clinically depressed that literally cured their depression by cleaning something every day. They did not have to clean their whole house; they just needed to change something by through their actions.

Once you recognize the power of being cause in your environment via cleaning you can begin doing it in other areas of your life. Organizing your home, car or work area can have tremendous effect on how you feel. By understanding that all actions produce an effect you can become more responsible to the experiences you have. Of course we all will experience others having some control over what we do, but we ultimately have the final say in how we will respond. Commit today to taking control in some small way in your life by cleaning something or organizing some area. Get in the habit of doing something consistently and then consciously begin adding to your habits in such a way that will have lasting effects on your environment. Eventually you will experience a life most only dream of, a life of creation.

A FULLY-FUNCTIONING PSYCHOLOGY

By: Dr. John P. DeMann

Much of psychology as we see it today has been developed with the doctrines of Freud. This has created a focus on what is wrong with the client (Seligman, 2002, 2003). Positive Psychology has as one of its premises that psychological well-being is best achieved by practicing a person’s strengths, not weaknesses (Linley, Joseph, 2004). Positive Psychology was an attempt to counter the twentieth century orientation of mainstream psychology, the disease medical model (Linley, Joseph, 2004). Although this may be a move in the right direction it still does not address the missing link, an integrated approach. The medical model has much to offer and trying to replace it may not be the answer. The Positive Psychology model has much to offer, but replacing it is not the complete answer either. Using an eclectic approach, in terms of skill and philosophy, seems to be a possible direction where a client is treated for illness and guided to strive for experiencing self-actualization to create a fully-functioning person. The problem seems to be that psychology has focused on individual aspects of human nature and in this approach has failed to produce a fully-functioning psychology that treats not only illness, but also promotes self-actualization and a fully-functioning person.

Seligman says that psychology has done well in finding cures in psychological illnesses. He states that out of a few hundred psychological illnesses 13 of them can be cured and most can have the symptoms removed partly using proper medication and therapy (Seligman, 2002). This does not show much in terms of improvement or growth in the field of therapy or psychology as a whole. I am not saying the current medical model of psychology is not working; it is to a point, but it is ignoring some important aspects of the nature of man/women. Psychology on a practical level is ignoring what Rogers called the fully-functioning person. Because of this we see only a portion of psychology being practiced fully and much of what psychology can offer in terms of growth, development and genuine happiness is being ignored. If psychology could integrate, for example Positive Psychology and the medical model, it could become a dominating force in all areas of life. For example, business and other fields could benefit from a fully-functioning psychology by not just focusing on the problem, but also deal with the strengths of the individual. Communities are another example where a fully-functioning psychology could be beneficial. In other words, there is much to be gained if psychology could find an integrated approach where focus is given to the medical model and the Positive Psychology model. The problem seems not to be with the ideas researchers come up with in terms of individual concepts and theories, but with the neglect of the self-actualization aspect of the client to create the fully-functioning person, organization or community. This approach would not only help the client, but psychology as a whole by creating a broader focus in the field in treating the client fully.

There is a move in the medical field and in the insurance industry to a more preventative model of medical care. They are not ignoring the illness and cure aspect; however they are bringing more focus on the importance of prevention. Psychology seems to have a problem today doing this where therapy and even industrial and organizational approaches focus on what is wrong with people, ignoring the part behavior plays, for example, responsibility of choice, in illness and low productivity (Glasser, 2003). Many illnesses, including some of the more prevalent psychological illnesses are caused by behavior (Hatfield, 2004), for example, smoking, poor nutrition, lack of appropriate levels of exercise to name just a few. Many of these behaviors have been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity (Hatfield, 2004). Some of these may have a genetic factor that play a role, but many are triggered by lifestyle or treatment. Glasser (2003) suggests that psychiatry can be the cause of mental illness in some cases. He suggests that many who seek help are not suffering from mental illness, their brain is functioning normally. When the client is given medication to deal with mental issues he suggests that the drug can often create real mental disabilities (Glasser, 2003). This means that sometimes using medication to treat many of the psychological illnesses places the client at risk for other health issues (Glasser, 2003). In this approach many times we are only covering up the symptoms, but we are also creating new problems and other symptoms from the medications being prescribed (Glasser, 2003). This is not to deny medication is not needed, but research has shown that we depend on medication too much and in many cases these psychological drugs are not being prescribed appropriately (Linley, Joseph, 2004). Many times they are prescribed by our general healthcare practitioner who has had no training or at best limited training in mental illness causing even more confusion and low levels of care (Glasser, 2003).

One area that psychology and psychiatry have completely ignored in the area of treatment is the benefits of diet and exercise. The truth is that many psychologists and psychiatrists are not even trained in exercise physiology or nutrition. Much research has shown the benefits of proper nutrition and diet (Linley, Joseph, 2004; Glasser, 2003; Seligman, 2002; Hatfield, 2004). Diet and exercise are powerful natural forces that could in some cases take the place of medication. Our bodies have the most powerful pharmacy in the world and it rarely fails to prescribe the perfect amount of medication needed. Whenever we experience symptoms of illness of any kind the body is trying to tell us something. Take for example obesity. Obesity is an epidemic that in most cases could be prevented through proper diet and nutrition (Hatfield, 2004). Some may suggest that this illness is a behavior or choice problem and psychology could play a major role in helping clients overcome this deadly disease by helping clients make more responsible choices using psychology’s many tools. This could and should in most cases be done without medication creating a more “clear” mental environment to deal with the problem. Some psychologists suggest that most of us who experience illness in any form could have prevented it by changing our lifestyle or behavior (Linley, Joseph, 2004; Glasser, 2003; Seligman, 2002).

Health and wellness, mental and physical, also play a role in organizations. An example where well-being plays a major role in business can be seen in job related well-being (Linley, Joseph, 2004). This can be defined as the promotion of physical and psychological health at work and can create positive results in many areas of business (Linley, Joseph, 2004). There seems to be a need for a complete approach that can help in prevention of illness and helping organizations become more productive. What Rogers (1961) called the fully-functioning person and Maslow (1968) called a self-actualizing person could be the model for all employees. One way to do this could be through an integrated approach that takes individuals or organizations from illness to well-being using ideas from the medical model, humanistic model and the Positive Psychology model as examples to strive for a fully-functioning human being or organization.

Another way to look at a fully-functioning approach would be to consider psychological illness to well-being as existing on a continuum. Consider for a moment a scale from -10 to +10. The scale can be broken down into three main sections, psychosis, un-psychosis and self-actualization. Starting with -10 to -1 we see all forms of psychological illness or psychosis. On the scale 0 represents a neutral state what could be considered un-psychosis, the client is not suffering from mental illness, but they are not fulfilled either. From +1 to +10 we can see psychological well-being or self-actualization. Today psychology focuses mainly on the -10 to -1 portion of the scale relieving individuals from symptoms of mental illness (Linley, Joseph, 2004). This leaves the client at 0 on the scale where some will continue to improve the quality of their life, but many do not and fall back into mental illness or psychosis having to repeat the process over and over (Linley, Joseph, 2004). Another way to look at this example is to suggest that the there are four stages of psychological treatment and well-being. The first stage can be called the stage of needs where the client must meet her basic needs to be able to experience mental health. The second stage could be called the transition stage where the client has met her basic needs and are ready to grow. The third stage would be called the self-actualization stage where the client seeks growth actively. The final or fourth stage could be called the fully-functioning person who can meet any one of the stages on their own recognizing life fluctuates in and out of happiness and unhappiness.

Psychology can do much in terms of dealing with psychosis or illness and it can do much focusing on the self-actualization part of the above scale, but it can do much more if a model can be developed that uses all the stages mentioned above. Positive Psychology is a move in the right direction and provides a great deal of research in the third or fourth stage of the above scale, but because it fails to recognize fully the effectiveness of the disease model it is not a fully-functioning psychology. The bottom line is that the medical model and models like the Positive Psychology model fall short in creating a workable solution to psychological well-being. My goal is to bring to the table information and research that can support a “fully-functioning” psychology where all the stages of the scale above are integrated. It is important to note that the scale can be entered anywhere; the fully-functioning person moves in and out of all the stages successfully. The difference is that they can do it on their own providing a more fulfilling life which in itself can help prevent mental illness and physical illness as well.

Glasser, William. (2003). Warning: Psychiatry can be hazardous to your mental health. New York, NY: HarperCollins Publishers.
Hatfield, Fredrick, C. (2004). Fitness: The complete guide. Santa Barbara, CA: International Sports Sciences Association.
Linley, P., Alex & Joseph, Stephen. (2004). Positive psychology in practice. New Jersey, Hoboken: John Wiley & Sons.
Maslow, Abraham, H. (1999). Toward a psychology of being (3rd ed.). New York, NY: John Wiley & Sons.
Rogers, Carl, R. (1995). On becoming a person. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.
Seligman, Martin, E. P. (2002). Authentic happiness: using the new positive psychology to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.