Wednesday, November 05, 2008

Improving Your Reality

Your brain creates your reality. How much time do you spend thinking about your brain? Do you ever pay attention to your brain? Today we're going to discuss your brain's role in perception and reality. We'll also see if you have A.N.T.s in your brain.

John Milton in Paradise Lost wrote, "The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell, a hell of heaven."

In life, it is not what happens to you that determines what you do or how you feel; it is how your mind perceives reality that makes it so. So, how has your mind been making your reality?

Most people are unaware of how their thinking clouds their reality. They are unaware that they are not controlled by events or other people but by the perceptions their brains make of those events and people.

Take the stock markets across the world... some people are saddened, depressed and even angry over the falling stock prices. They see the value of their portfolios or 401k accounts dropping by 40% and react to their perception that the stock market is too risky so they pull their funds out of the market and put it in 'safer' investments (or under their mattress). Compare that to the people who saw the same drop of 40% in their investments and are excited. They are looking for cash to BUY more stocks because they view the current situation as a SALE... everything is 40% off!!

What's the difference? "Reality" is still reality... the stock market is down. But, their brains see the same situation from different perspectives and they will obtain different results. Understand that the view your brain takes of a situation, event or person has more reality in it than the actual situation itself.

Reality & Perception

Your perceptions bear witness to your state of mind and the state of your brain. What you see in life is based on your INNER view of the world formed by the neural connections of your mind. As your brain functions, so you perceive.

Dr. Daniel Amen in his book, Making a Good Brain Great, talks about a formula that he writes out for his patients:

A + B = C

A = Actual Event

B = Brain's interpretation or perception of the event

C = Conclusion or how you react to the event Most people think that the A things that happen to you determine your (C) behavior. Actually, it is the B part (your brain's interpretation or perception of the event) that largely determines how you respond. You spend a lot of your time, energy and money trying to change A thinking that it will change C. Other people and events (A) cannot make you do anything. It is your brain's interpretation or perception (B) that causes your behavior (C).

You should seek not only to change your outside world by learning different tips and techniques to manipulate and influence, but also (and more importantly) seek to change your inside world or how your brain perceives situations.

Here's a key point: Just as your brain can distort reality, it can also improve it!!

Read the rest of this article by clicking here.