Monthly Mind Power Questions & Answers

A It's actually easier in many ways. Here's why. When you're travelling through different time zones you're often tired and want to sleep when you should be awake. And you're awake when you should be asleep. Your sleep patterns are all mixed up. You often have time on your hands and don't know what to do. This is a perfect time to do your affirmations. Often when travelling you find you have more time and opportunities to do your exercises than you ordinarily do.

A Your subconscious will pick up your intent and feeling as well as your words. Use whatever language you're most comfortable with. If you're comfortable with more than one, use the one that you usually dream in.

A This reminds me of a quote I recently heard: "Every story has three sides. Yours, mine, and the truth. And no one is lying."

This saying contains more wisdom and is more profound than appears on the surface, and is essentially true. Understanding this allows us to be more accepting of others' views and perspectives because we understand that they too have their value. This being the case, it is unwise to hold a belief that your views are better or more accurate. Of course we all think that, or why would we believe what we do. But understanding this quote gives us more tolerance.

A Telling the difference between intuition and negative thoughts is really a matter of practice. For example, if one is driving along in a car at ninety miles an hour on a winding road and it is dark and the thought comes to you, "If I don't slow down I might have an accident," this is not necessarily a negative thought. This is an insight from your mind. What you'll find is that in most cases you will be able to recognize negative thoughts. Ask yourself, "Is this just a negative thought?"

Intuition tends to have a clarity to it, a feeling of peacefulness. Even if it's a warning, negative thoughts usually bring all kinds of anxiety. Also you must look within yourself and recognize your own habitual patterns. Get to know yourself. For example, are you generally a negative person? If you are then you can learn to recognize those negatives. The more that you work with your subconscious and the more that you work with Mind Powers, the more your intuition will come through clearer. So really it's just a matter of practice and trusting and learning to tell the difference through working with your intuition regularly and consistently.

A The subconscious receives impressions from our conscious mind in two main ways. Number one is repetition, and this is why I advise Mind Power students that it is very important that they repeat the images or affirmations over and over and over again. Repetition will definitely allow the subconscious mind to pick up what's happening on a conscious level.

The second aspect of reaching the subconscious is, as you put it, "There is an emotional charge." Anything that is emotional, anything that is traumatic, anything that inflames the imagination, all these things are picked up very keenly by the subconscious mind. So with these two keys and with regular practice, you will be able to program your subconscious with any image, any thought, or any belief. And, as we know, once something is imprinted into the subconscious, it will then act as a vibration of energy that will attract to you the people, the circumstances, the events, the synchronicity that matches the images you have on a subconscious level. All the success.

A In your sleep there is a tremendous amount of mental activity going on. Each of us dreams on average between five and six times every evening. You might not always remember your dreams, but nonetheless, through research and the monitoring of people during sleep, it has been established conclusively that on average we do have at least five or six dreams per night. What happens during these dreams is that the subconscious is doing one of two things:

1) It is processing the activities you encountered that particular day, or perhaps something that happened over the previous few days.

2) It is transmitting a message from the subconscious that is informing and guiding us in different aspects of our life. If we have had a particularly traumatic dream, a nightmare for example, we could wake up and feel negatively affected by that. Conversely, if we have had a dream that is very pleasing to us, that is very nourishing and empowering, we could wake up and feel great from that. So certainly there are reasons why we wake up in the moods that we do wake up in, and it has everything to do with what is happening within our mind.

For further information, I suggest you read the chapter on "Dreams" in the book Mind Power Into the 21st Century.

A You can never defy the laws of nature. Mind Power is working within the sometimes unexplainable and misunderstood laws that constantly exist for us. Everything in the world is made up of vibrations of energy, and our thoughts are also vibrations of energy, and so Mind Power works well within the laws of the universe. Things like magic and telekinesis, even though we don't understand them, also work within the laws of nature, working with different dimensions and vibrations.

A Mental telepathy is the ability to mentally both send and receive messages to and from other people. How it works is that we are all connected subconsciously. While our conscious mind is separate and independent from other people's, we have both a personal subconscious and a collective subconscious. And in the collective subconscious we are all plugged into the same energy field. So when you focus on another individual you can actually transmit messages and images to that other person and they will pick them up subconsciously. Now, notice I say pick it up subconsciously. It doesn't mean that they will pick them up consciously. You must be in tune. Developing telepathy takes much practice and much work with mind powers. However, anybody who wishes to pursue it and who is willing to practice the techniques I have outlined in my books can learn how to work with this energy to both send and receive these messages.

A Whatever messages are repeated over and over again in our consciousness will have an effect. If these messages are negative then that is what we are feeding our mind with. While we don't have to censor what we listen to, we do need to feed our mind with beliefs and thoughts of the highest quality. So if you listening habits tend toward depressing, negative lyrics, you should counter this with positive messages using Mind Power.

A You don't have to limit yourself to only one goal. You can work on several at a time, just don't try to accomplish everything all at once. Having twenty Mind Power goals going at the same time almost always proves ineffective.

A In the early 1970s I began reading books about positive thinking. I read The Power of Positive Thinking by Norman Vincent Peale and Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. These two books really were my initial exposure to the subject. I wanted to know more and there seemed to be little more available. I began reading about psychology, religion, physics, shamanism, anything that had to do with the mind. In 1975, I of British Columbia, built myself a cabin and spent three years putting together my own Mind Power system. In 1978 I began teaching that system.

A I wish I did. It would be wonderful if we could instantly change our circumstances. But no, usually physical reality is changed and altered through a steady process of Mind Power. However, having said this, there are always exceptions. I do believe in miracles. When I speak of miracles I'm not talking about divine intervention, though this is a possibility too. I'm speaking of the great mysterious force of life that defies logic and understanding. I've experienced miracles and most people have too, if they stop to think about it. But, unfortunately, I don't have any techniques to suggest for conjuring them up.

A You don't have to write or type in order to do the imprinting techniques. Whatever belief you're trying to imprint use your mind to think about it. Affirm the belief to yourself over and over again. Contemplate the power of what you're saying to yourself. Think about the truth and possibility of what you're saying to yourself. Claim it as real in your mind. Lose yourself in the feeling of that belief being true for you. You can of course also type or write these beliefs but this is only to help your mind focus upon it. It is not a necessary part of imprinting.

A This is a question which many first-time users of Mind Power wonder. Am I doing it right? What exactly do I visualize, etc. Firstly, never visualize winning a lottery. The odds are too stacked against you, and besides, why limit yourself to that method? There are hundreds of methods to acquire the money you need. Instead imagine yourself having the money and using it to take your course, without limiting how you will get it. It will come. Reread, in the chapter on Visualization in Mind Power Into the 21st Century, how it came to Carol Burnett. Watch how synchronicity comes to your assistance. "A thousand unseen hands will come to help you," as Joseph Campbell says.

You are right to break your ultimate goal of trading stocks and being a successful broker into subgoals. First you need the money, then you have to pass the exam, then you have to get a job in the trade, then be successful at it. You can put all these into one visualization, seeing all the steps happening, then into one big one focusing on the step in front of you. Right now you need the money - be creative, go to your subconscious and begin to create it. The ways and means always follow the thoughts, but first come the thoughts.

A You can do both or either. Working with the "feeling" while visualizing can add to its power. Simply seeding the "feeling" is very good too. You decide which way you want to do it.

A Thank you for letting me know how important this information is to you. I love teaching it. Regarding your question, affirmations can be done anytime, any place. You can do them for one minute or five minutes, whenever the opportunity arises. I suggest that you choose three or four affirmations maximum to do in any given week. This way you gain an intensity to them that only comes with repetition. If you do ten different ones this gets too diluted. Now you might have ten different areas you want to work on, and to do this you have several options. One is to do a general affirmation that covers many areas, such as "Great things happen to me," or "Fabulous success." The second option is to change your affirmations week by week. This week I'll do these three, the next week a different three, and so on. One success builds upon another and you will find a spillover effect happening from one area to another. All the best.

A Ah... matters of the heart can be so confusing. You cannot force someone to love you. Each of us has the opportunity of attracting many suitable partners into our life. Sometimes they are the ones we are attracted to from the people we have met, and other times they appear seemingly out of nowhere, in chance encounters that change our life.

You never know how or when you will meet that special person, but meet him/her you will if you remain faithful to your mind power practices.

If you feel that this is the girl for you, then use your mind power techniques to deepen the relationship. If it is meant to be, this energy will draw the two of you closer. If it is not meant to be it will not. You must have the wisdom and maturity to know the difference. Easier said than done, I know, but relationships require honesty and flexibility, and in the grand scheme of your life unfolding there are probably hundreds if not thousands of appropriate partners for you.

Look within and flow effortlessly in your life. All will work out for the best when you understand and practice mind power.

A There is a Buddhist principle which says that the monk goes alone and in the privacy of monastery perfects himself. However, it is only when he re-enters daily life and interacts with others via love and kindness that his practice is considered complete.

Think of your interaction with others as an accurate mirror of your own self-worth and awareness. If you get annoyed by others, where are you annoyed with yourself? If you are hurt by others, what wound have you not healed within yourself?

Welcome your interaction with others as valuable information about yourself.

A Your question is very appropriate, and I can assure you that many others share the same dilemma. The mind very easily strays away from the desired subject of focus to totally unrelated thoughts, fantasises, problems etc. This is one of the first steps in developing your powers of concentration - being aware of the mind's ability to be distracted. When you notice yourself drifting, gently but firmly bring the mind back to the subject of focus. You might have to do this five or ten times during a five-minute exercise. With practice your mind will be more disciplined and develop the ability to focus with very little drifting.

If you want to do a few extra minutes to compensate in the beginning, feel free to do so, but don't call it "penalty time." Call it "determination time" or "extra time" or something that makes you feel good about what you're doing.

A It is wonderful to discover an occupation that you have a passion for. Following your passion is the key to a full and interesting life.

It would be ideal if your soul mate/future wife supported your decision, but that she doesn't is valuable information for you. What does it mean? Well, it could mean many different things. Perhaps it means she sees and understands something about your new project that you don't. Perhaps it is revealing differences in the goals and objectives that you each have. Maybe it means you're not using your creative imagination sufficiently in order to come up with a solution. Maybe this conflict is the best thing to happen to you both, for in resolving it you will learn much about each other.

Harness the wisdom of your subconscious to reveal these answers to you. It will always provide you with the answers you require.

A You change a habit permanently by three methods. First by recognizing exactly what it is you want to change and why. Once this is clear, you can then harness your will and determination to assist you. Second: begin visualizing the "new you" without the habit, or with an opposite or complimentary habit. Use your many mind power techniques to support this change. Third: act daily on this new vision. One habit can easily be replaced by another with daily practice.

A Thank you for the feedback. I love hearing about my students' successes. You have also demonstrated the power of persistence in doing the exercises so regularly.

A Thank you for the feedback. I love hearing from those of you who are getting results.

A Absolutely. That is the beauty and wonder of the system. You also raise a good point in your question. Never "force" it. When you try too hard, too desperately, in trying to manifest your goals, you often hinder your progress. Just do the exercises as taught and relax. The desired results will manifest for you quite naturally.

A I have sometimes had Christians tell me that Mind Power is un-Christian, and therefore to be avoided. I don't know where they get that idea. My students come from all walks of life and a lot of different religions. Many of them are Christians.

Following is a quote from the Bible. Notice the change of tense in the sentence. Jesus is speaking to his disciples.

"Whatsoever things ye pray for and ask for, believing ye have received it, ye will receive it."

First you believe you have it, and then you receive it. That sounds like visualization to me. Tell your girlfriend the Bible is filled with examples of mind power.

A The reason I advise not visualizing a specific face is to open up as many possibilities as you can, to not limit yourself in any way. Having said that, if you do a have a person very clear in your mind and are absolutely certain this is the person you want to be with, then by all means use your exercises to focus on that person.

A The practices of Eckhart Tolle as set out in The Power of Now are actually very compatible with Mind Power. I have followed the teachings of Zen now for over twenty years. Zen teaches us to live in the now, to be present and aware and live moment by moment. It is very different than Mind Power, which teaches you to use your thoughts to create future realities, but actually a combination of both practices brings balance, and one doesn't have to choose one system or another. Create a life that encompasses the best of both. Enjoy the present moment, appreciating it fully, and do your thirty minutes daily of Mind Power exercises. This way you gain the best of both systems.

A Yes, it is very possible. Your subconscious mind will manifest according to the predominant thoughts and images that your conscious mind dwells upon. Focusing on what went wrong "to a point of obsession" is imprinting powerful negative messages in your subconscious. Unfortunately, Mind Power works just as effectively against us as for us. It all depends upon the images we choose to dwell upon.

You're also correct in assuming that there is a relationship between a mental image and a strong accompanying emotion. Emotions add energy to the image, and again these emotions can be either advantageous or harmful to us, depending upon what they are. That is why I suggest eliminating fears and negative thoughts and emotions, and replacing them with confidence, positive expectations and images of what you desire.

Looking at your particular situation you might find that you actually played a role in creating your unfortunate situations. If indeed this is the case, learn from this mistake and begin to create a new life with new thoughts.

A This is a timely question, as this month's topic is on the soul. Firstly you are absolutely correct in saying that often in our lives what the soul wants and what the ego wants are different. They have different perspectives and different agendas. The soul is interested in harmony and wholeness and having a functioning and clear relationship with the conscious mind, the subconscious, the body, and itself. Whatever circumstances help to achieve this goal are to its advantage. The ego on the other hand wants pleasure and happiness, and as you so clearly put it, "more, more, more."

That is one of the neuroses of the ego. More money, more success, more sex, more health, more interesting circumstances, the ego always wants more and is never satisfied with what it has. I write about this in The Practice of Happiness.

The solution to this ongoing problem is to align the ego and soul (see this month's topic) so they understand each other's needs. It is in the harmonious relationship between all aspects of ourselves that true happiness and success happen.

Thanks for your question.

A Fear of failure and lack of confidence are more common than you would imagine. Fortunately Mind Power very effectively offers a solution to both. The root of both of these problems is the thoughts you are thinking. Fear of failure comes because you are "thinking" about failure. Lack of confidence is the result of "thinking" about yourself in a negative way. It all has to do with your thoughts. The solution: It is deceptively simple. Change your thoughts. Set up a daily program where you feed your mind with images of success, where you see yourself as confident and performing successful tasks. Get control of your thoughts. Mind Power gives you numerous techniques to do this.

I sense from your email that you may be new to this site. I suggest you go through the past monthly topics, starting with the very first one, "Eliminating Negatives." There is more than enough information here to put you back on track and turn your life around. However, let me remind you as well as those reading these questions, Mind Power is a practice, not a philosophy. You will achieve the results if you put in the work of doing the exercises, but you have to do the exercises.

A Why not? Theoretically Toronto is a bigger and better market for your talents, since there is so much happening there. True, you're starting from scratch, but your experiences in Vancouver and your talent should get you noticed. Sounds like you need to get your Mind Power working.