Wider World by CS

Author Jahiel Yasha Kamhi

Welcome to the home of the articles written by author Jahiel Yasha Kamhi. Jahiel is a motivational and popular science freelance writer holding a degree, specialist in medical biochemistry, and a bachelor’s degree in chemistry. He is passionate about writing articles that helping people live more empowered life, with knowledge, passion and purpose. Jahiel is contributing writer to many magazines. He also delivers presentations that inspire others to find more meaning and balance in their lives. Yasha can be contacted at jasakamhi AT hotmail.com.

When Life Doesn’t Go the Way You Want

Each of us hopes that our life will go the way we want it to, and that things will turn out the way we think they should. If, however, life doesn’t go the way we want it to, our first response is to try to fix the problem—to gain control of our life and to protect ourselves from uncertainty and trouble. There isn’t anything wrong with that, but only under one condition: This “fixing” strategy should be balanced with an opposite strategy: knowing how to let go of having it “your way.” Real wisdom is knowing when to fight…and when to let go.

When life goes “off track,” don’t feel self-pity, bitterness, a sense of unworthiness, or jealousy. These feelings are a trap that your mind offers you as a means to compensate for your dissatisfaction. You don’t need to latch onto negativity if life temporarily goes a way in which you don't want it to.

In times of adversity, try to keep your basic sense of self-worthiness, self-confidence, and self-understanding intact so that you’ll be equipped to handle whatever life presents to you, and so that you never stop loving yourself unconditionally. What I’ve just described isn’t selfishness—it’s the power of your desire to survive. You can’t survive without love for yourself and for your loved ones. True love is a healing energy and a source of power.

I don’t want to give you false hope that “eventually, everything will be okay.” No life comes with an insurance policy guaranteeing that “bad things won’t happen to good people.” Unfortunately, sometimes your fears do come true, and sometimes your dreams don’t come true.

So what? Are you going to stop living? Of course not! What, then, are you going to do?

All you can do—and what you should do—is this: Live in the present, and live the life your want to live. The present time is the only time when you can do something about your life and your circumstances. The past is gone, and the future has not yet happened.

A number of fears and anxieties are caused from not being able to live up to our own high expectations. Who said that you need to do all things according to your expectations? You can’t be positive and in control at all times; you have to give yourself some space for making mistakes and for getting around, or climbing over, obstacles. Nobody is perfect—why should you be an exception?

Why am I dispensing all this negativity? To protect you from disappointment! I know: When things go the way you don’t want, you will often start to complain how life is not fair. My question to you is this: Who told you that life should be fair? I’m sorry, but that person was just plain wrong. Yes, life is beautiful and amazing but always unpredictable and sometimes unfair.

If life doesn’t go the way you want it to, make sure that you have support from people who’ll be there for you when you feel that life seems too hard to handle—people who’ll remind you to love the life you have and to start creating the life you want.

Is Sleep Deprivation Toxic to Your Health?

Are you having trouble sleeping at night?

If you are, you’re not alone. Public health professionals describe the sleep deprivation many people are currently experiencing as “epidemic,” “alarming,” and “chronic.”

If you’re interested in learning more about insomnia, this article will give you some solid information and get you thinking about your own problems with sleep. You’ll be surprised at the ways in which insomnia can contribute to many health issues, including weight-related problems (for more information, see “How Sleep Loss Leads to Significant Weight Gain” at http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/07/20/sleep-loss-weight-gain/7507503/).

Simply stated, your sleep is more important to your mental, emotional, and physical health than you’ve ever imagined.

Equally toxic to your health is ignoring even short-term insomnia. A common misunderstanding about sleep deprivation is the belief that only long-term sleeplessness is toxic to your body. Wrong! Even one night without adequate sleep has an immediate impact on your health. If you’re experiencing problems with your own sleep, I don’t need to explain to you how you feel the next morning.

I trust that you’re not driving under the influence of alcohol. What if I told you that whenever you don’t get enough sleep, your ability to drive a car or operate any other machinery the next morning is equivalent to driving under the influence of alcohol? It’s true: In terms of the ability to drive, you are literally…drunk. Studies have shown that your mental focus, body coordination, decision-making process, attention, reflexes, and cognitive processes are just as impaired as if you had a blood alcohol content level in the range of 0.1–0.5%! (For more information, see http://oem.bmj.com/content/57/10/649.long).

Do you need more facts to convince you to do something about your lack of sleep?

When your brain doesn’t have adequate time to perform all its necessary functions during sleep (see http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/28/brain-sleep-_n_5863736.html), your predisposition toward anger increases, and your communications skills, as well your memory, decrease. You “read” your surroundings incorrectly, meaning that you’re more likely to incorporate misinformation into your reality. In extreme situations, you can start to hallucinate, to anticipate things that aren’t there, and to see and hear different objects. I know, you’re not insane, but …

Don’t be surprised if, after many nights without adequate sleep, you start to forget words in the middle of a conversation.

When you don’t get an appropriate amount of sleep, your risk of having any kind of an accident increases.

Without a good night’s sleep, you’re not just suffering mentally, you’re suffering physically. People with sleep deprivation problems have decreased immune function. Are you getting sick more and more frequently, and you don’t know why? You may think that your problem with sleepless nights has nothing to do with your frequent illnesses—but you’d be wrong.

Human physiology explains the connection between sickness and sleepless: The human body’s reaction to sleep deprivation is similar to its reaction to sickness, and the consequences are almost the same. Can we say that an organism without adequate sleep is sick? Yes, we can.

Again, it’s correct to say that we, as people in general, are not aware of what a huge mistake it is to overlook sleep deprivation. Sleep deprivation is a factor that can interfere with our optimal general health.

Your life depends literally, among many other factors, on a good night’s rest.

So sleep well…and be healthy!

Is This Damaging Your Brain?
I’m sure you’re aware that there are many things that can damage your brain: for example, illness, accidents, injuries, toxins, infections, and medications.

But did you know that toxic relationships, stress, dissatisfaction with your job, loneliness, fear or a high level of anxiety, and depression are all factors that can damage your brain as well as your body? Your mind influences your mental health as well as your physical health.

The mind and the body are not separate. They work together to help you survive. In other words, a healthy mind equals a healthy body.

Does this topic seem a bit scary?

It shouldn’t be. Reading this article will help you to learn more how to improve your overall health, both physical and mental. But before you can accomplish this, you have to start paying attention to your brain. Why? Because everything starts and ends with it.

The first thing to remember is this: Don’t think “sick” if you don’t want to get sick!

How many people pay attention to the connection between their illness and their unsatisfying or abusive relationships, chronic stress, or fear?

How often has your physician expressed an interest in your present relationships, your social life, your stress level, your fears, or your anxiety? Not much, or perhaps not at all? I understand.

The mind–body connection works, but many medical professionals ignore the knowledge and teachings to be gained from an alternative, non-traditional, holistic, Eastern approach to medical problems. Even worse is the fact that some of them don’t believe in the placebo effect or spontaneous remission, which is defined as “a temporary or permanent decrease of manifestations of a disease.” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/remission).

A pill won’t save your marriage or reduce your stress, but understanding what’s going on in your life can save your relationship, reduce your stress, or even heal your illness.

Problems at home (relationships, spouse, job, kids, financial situation) are actually chronic stress, which negatively influences the immune, metabolic, and cardiovascular systems. Ultimately, it will attack the brain, causing changes to the brain structure. These changes, which result in impaired function, causing problems with memory, decision making, concentration, orientation, and reasoning, are also associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

It’s important to remember, however, that you are the one in control of your health.

Consider the field of epigenetics. The term refers to “external modifications to DNA that turn genes “on” or “off” (http://www.livescience.com/37703-epigenetics.html). Your genes are not fixed; rather, they are influenced by your environment, nutrition, exercise, social life, positive or negative thoughts, and your emotions.

When you accept a fact that changes your thoughts, emotions, and behaviour, you are changing your internal chemistry, either for good or for bad. When these changes occur, you can clearly see the relationship between the mind and the body.

In terms of your health, your mind has only two options: to make you well or to make you sick.

Change your thoughts and your behaviors for the better, and you’ll also change your biochemistry for the better.

Your thoughts could be your medicine, if you know how to properly address the cause of the illness. Sometimes, however, even medicine can’t logically explain everything, such as phenomena like spontaneous remission or the placebo effect.

You need to keep your hopes high and believe that you can heal yourself…just by the ways in which you think and behave.

What you believe is manifested in your body. And what is manifested in your body affects your mind. Make no mistake: The connection between your brain and your body is a strong one. Now it’s up to you to make it a good one.

Change Yourself for the Better

If you say to yourself, “Why would I need to change anything in my life? I’m satisfied with things the way they are,” then this article isn’t for you.

But if you understand that you need to make some changes to achieve a better you—if you believe that you could use some improvement— then you’ll find something of great value in this article.

Personal transformation and a desire for learning play a significant role in our daily lives. Every time you learn a new skill, gather a new bit of information, or grasp a new piece of knowledge, you change your brain structure by encouraging it to make new connections, called synapses (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synapse). The more synapses in your brain, the more “brain power” you have—and a more powerful brain equals a better life.

Science offers many practical ways on how to improve life performance. One of many suggestions is to maintain a high level of interest in learning and to change your life routine, both of whichare crucial for good brain function. What do I mean by life routine? I mean the regular pattern of activities you perform every day—your practical life routine.

One way to challenge your brain is to change your routine: Put simply, activate the other side of your brain by doing the following:

• Make your brain learn something new by making it “uncomfortable,” such as writing, playing a game, or using your computer mouse with your non-dominant hand.
• Simultaneously activate the left and right hemispheres of your brain by doing new things and engaging in different activities. By doing so, you’ll help your brain, a key player in everything you do. Remember…your brain likes to learn, even if you sometimes feel uncomfortable trying something new.
• Stay physically, mentally, and socially active to maintain a happy, productive, and successful life.
• Exercise, good sleep habits, and a healthy diet featuring organic foods are musts for good health. Don’t become too accustomed to your old, familiar life: Doing so will give you a false feeling of comfort and satisfaction.

Whenever your brain is “excited” about something new and interesting, it will release dopamine, known as the “happy hormone” (https://www.psychologytoday.com/basics/dopamine).

Why does dopamine make us so happy? Because it’s a key factor in motivation, concentration, productivity, focus, enjoyment, and even bliss. Low levels of dopamine mean low levels of energy, fatigue, and a lack of motivation: a path to depression, addictions, and anxiety.

Therefore, try to stay motivated and illuminated by learning and changing your routine. Both of these efforts produce neurological changes for the better, meaning that they enable you to change your brain structurally, biochemically, and electrically.

For instance, if you learn how to meditate, you will (no doubt) change the performance of your brain neurologically, and for the better.

Let me make this clear: Making changes in your life and transforming yourself is a challenge, but it’s achievable: All it takes is good preparation, a thorough understanding, and high levels of attention and intention, as well as persistence during the whole process.

If you don’t have time for personal transformation, make the time! (Nobody has more than 24 hours per day to transform their lives, but many do just that.) Don’t try to find “a good excuse” not to transform yourself. You’re the only one who can change your life for the better!

Is Positive Thinking Alone Enough to Change Our Reality?

Written by Yasha

As an author of positive-thinking articles who applies the principles of science, I know that positive thinking works—of that there is no doubt. The question is…how does it work?

The title of this article asks the following question: “Is positive thinking alone enough to change our reality?”

The short and sweet answer is “no.”

Let me explain…

Here’s the reason why we need to always think positive thoughts: Positive thinking equals positive life experience.

But according to whom?

According to the science of psychoneuroimmunology, for one. (To get a general overview of this particular branch of science, visit (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychoneuroimmunology).Another branch of science that supports the positive-thought statement above is quantum physics, which is the topic examined in this article. (For a clear definition and background of quantum physics, you may wish to visit the following site: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/quantum-theory).

Simply stated, quantum physics is the study of the subatomic world, which consists of particles, such as electrons, protons, neutrons and others. Subatomic particles are the building blocks of the physical world.

It may sound a bit strange to hear that quantum physics, among its more technical subjects, teaches about the connections between thoughts, emotions, energy, and destiny.

Think about thoughts and emotions as vibrations and energy. Each type of energy features different vibrations.

Whenever we experience thoughts and emotions, we create what we think about. We create our lives by sending our vibrations into the universe, where they attract similar vibrations.

Everything started with Albert Einstein’s famous equation, E= mc2, which explains that energy and matter are related. They are one and the same, and interchangeable.

Here are some well-known facts that will help us to better understand the relationship between quantum physics and the human mind:

• At the subatomic level, energy responds to the mind and become smatter.
• The subjective mind can change the physical world.
• The mind has effects on energy (matter).

Now we come to the answer as to why thinking positively alone is not enough to enable us to change our reality:

If we want to change or improve something in our lives, we need to send positive energy and positive thoughts into the quantum field. (For some interesting and easy-to-understand information on quantum field theory,see https://www.quora.com/What-is-quantum-field-theory).

At the same time, our thoughts and our feelings must work together on the same course and toward the same end. In other words, they must be in alignment, which means that they should be synchronised. Our minds (actually, our thinking) and our body (actually, our feelings) need to work together toward our goals. We must think and feel the same.

For instance: If we want to be more self-confident (we’re thinking that we want to be more self-confident), and we feel that we don’t deserve it (for any possible reason), the quantum field (the reality of our lives) won’t respond.

Why not?

Because our thoughts and our feelings are in conflict.

How do we solve this conflict?

When we want to change something or to get something, we must feel it, see it, taste it, visualize it, and experience it with all our senses. Doing so supercharges our minds before they send vibrations to the quantum field.

Whatever we bring to life from within ourselves will determine what we receive from the life outside of us.

So, what’s the answer to the question, “Is positive thinking alone enough to change our reality?”

It’s “no.” We need a little help from our friends: our thoughts and feelings. Once we get these two working together, there are no limits to what we can do. As human beings, we’re more powerful than we could ever imagine!

Can Fear Really Kill You?  

The truth is that, yes, fear can make you sick—and yes, it can even kill you. But the news isn’t all bad: Fear can actually help you by sending you the message that you need to take some action and thereby help you to heal your body, mind, and soul.

Let me first clarify: Real fear—the kind of fear that results from real-life events, is a natural survival mechanism that protects you from genuinely threatening situations.

Imaginary fear, which exists only in your imagination, comes from the mental stories you create about fearful life events. But…if you learn how to correctly approach the imaginary fear, this kind of fear can be your teaching tool, as well.

When I say, “Fear can make you sick,” I’m talking about imaginary fear.

Imaginary fear creates a significant amount of pain and unnecessary suffering for many people, as well as preventing them from enjoying healthy, happy, and successful lives. Most individuals don’t even realize the extent to which fear can influence their lives.

There is no doubt: Fear, a companion to stress, is a leading factor in the onset and progression of many diseases. In fact, when you’re stressed, you’re fearful of making mistakes, fearful of causing disappointment, or fearful of experiencing a worst-case scenario for no valid reason.

Fear and stress prompt your body to respond. This response is commonly known as the “fight-or-flight response.” The physiology of fear is complicated. It’s complicated because the whole body, including the mind, reacts very quickly to any fear, real or imagined. Unfortunately, your mind cannot distinguish between the real kind of fear and the imaginary fear; it therefore reacts in the same way to both types of fear by initiating the fight-or-flight response. This response releases many “bad hormones” to the body, such as cortisol, in particular narrows the arteries, supplying an immediate energy, adrenalin, increase blood pressure, and norepinephrine, increases blood pressure and heart rate. Your respiratory rate increases, your metabolism speeds up, and your natural self-protection system decreases. If the fear is real, the stress response will help you to (hopefully) survive a real attack.

If the fear exists only in your imagination, the same protective stress response will make you sick and, at the end, will potentially kill you. The stress response protects you by helping you to survive a fearful event…but only for limited time. If the fear (real or imagined) exists for prolonged periods (i.e., chronic fear) it will damage your body as a whole.

Why?

The human body is not designed to experience frightening situations very often and for long periods of time. If your life is full of fear all the time, you are making yourself extremely sick.

Your physiological response to fear is protective: It helps you to survive, but only when your fear is real and your body needs energy.

In writing these “scary things” about fear, my intention is not to frighten you but to educate you and to give you power and control over your health. You’re the only one who is responsible for the ways in which you react to fear. You’re the only one who can find a way to ignore or to put a stop to your imaginary fear. Now that you know a few things about fear, you’re in a position to do something about it.

The Human Brain is Designed to Help You to...

No, I didn’t forget a key word in the title: I’m asking you to help me complete it by answering the question, “What is the human brain designed to do?”
To think…to remember…to make decisions? Yes, the human brain is designed to do all these things. However, you may be surprised to learn that its most important job is to help you to…survive!

Regardless of whatever else your brain is doing, it wants to keep you safe and to help you to survive. Your brain will do whatever is possible to help you to survive even if it’s called upon to do some very strange things: for example, shutting down your digestive system, your immune system, or some of your cognitive functions just to save energy during very stressful situations. Your brain is always thinking of one thing: how to protect and ensure the safety of…you.

Your brain is exceptional, and it knows what it’s doing. For example, in the case of high chronic stress, the brain is reasoning, “The most important thing I have to do is to not let this person die.” And you won’t die! But you may experience poor digestion, sickness, or mental confusion. You’ll likely start to complain and to ask yourself why you’re experiencing these symptoms.

But here’s the thing…your brain didn’t make you sick—you did! You allowed yourself to become stressed in the first place, and you blamed bad lack, circumstances, or even your genes.

If I tell you to do whatever works for you to change your bad habits, I can predict what your response will be.

How do I know?

I happen to know a little bit about how improvement in cognitive function and mood works. We human beings don’t like change, and this is perfectly understandable and normal.

You are here today, at this stage in your life, because your brain hasn’t been willing to alter its underlying beliefs. Your sophisticated brain is helping you to survive— even if you’re a little bit “dysfunctional” (and who isn’t?). What’s most important is that you’re still alive—dysfunctional, perhaps…but most definitely alive!

We need to understand and to accept how the human brain functions: After many years of constructing your beliefs and habits, it’s not so easy for the brain to turn them off instantly. Depression, anxiety, obsessive–compulsive disorder, phobias—these characteristics, or others like them, have been within us for a long time, so how can we expect to get rid of them overnight? Your old “dysfunctional” synaptic connections have been in your brain for decades (depending upon how old are you), and it will take a lot of energy, time, and persistence to establish a new, and hopefully better, neural circuit.

Does that sound impossible?

Well, it’s not impossible…not at all. Change is both desirable and possible.

What can you do to effect the changes you want to make?

First, determine what you want to change. Then make a strong commitment to make those changes: Motivate yourself and plan exactly how you’re going to execute them. Ask your friends for help (you might even inspire them to make a few positive changes of their own!) and see a professional counselor and following his or her instructions of professionals.

Most importantly, keep your faith and optimism high and take small, steady steps every day toward your goal. You’ll find that your brain will support your desire to change it.

How Stress Suppresses the Brain and Cell Growth  

Someone recently asked me this question: “What is the number one factor affecting human mortality?”

The answer could well be, “Stress,” because stress suppresses (reduce) brain activity and the growth of all cells!

Let me clarify.

There is no doubt that any kind of stress—physiological, cognitive, or emotional—damages an individual’s health. Each stressful moment reduces brain activity, especially frontal lobe activity, which occurs in the part of the brain that stores a person’s intellectual ability to communicate with the outside world. Under stress, intellectual ability is decreased: You can’t work efficiently, communicate properly, or make important decisions.  Motivation is decreased, as well, which may result in your state of happiness dropping to its lowest level.

Stress can prevent you from living a full life: It suppresses your brain, causing it to perform below the maximum level of your intellectual and physiological capacity. Unfortunately, when you experience stress, your body automatically switches to survival mode in an effort to help you survive the “attack,” whether that attack is real or imagined.

So what’s wrong with being in survival mode?

Although survival mode protects you from the stressor, it is not a normal mode with which the human body operates. Once the stress is over, you need to go back to normal mode; if you don’t go back, you’re in a state of chronic stress (persists over a long period of time).

In survival mode, the human body needs to save energy by shutting down all “unnecessary” processes, such as digestion, the immune system, cognitive thinking, or libido. I’m not kidding: The stress response is brutally “honest.” It asks you: “Do you want to survive, or do you want to maintain all these processes? Choose one or the other, because you can’t have both.”

Digestion, immune protection, or intellectual thinking comprise a kind of “wasting energy” when you’re in survival mode. In other words, you don’t need these processes when preparing for a fight or flight situation. All you need at that moment is to save energy and to survive.

Now you know why people dealing with chronic stress are often sick (immunity goes down), why they have digestion problems (the whole process slows down), or why they are confused and can’t seem to concentrate. People experiencing this type of stress are full of stress hormones and, as a result, they influence the people around them to the point that they also feel stressed. Stress is contagious—did you know that?

Under stress, the human body works inadequately, shutting down one of the most important processes in the human body: the process of growing. Human cells have two roles: to protect you from outside threats and to grow. When growing stops, the body collapses. Why? Because you can’t sustain both processes at the same time: protection and growth. Under stress, you’re functioning from a protective mode. When the protective mode is working, the process of growing is supressed. The human brain “knows” this and will always try to protect you first. Eventually, the process of growing will come back, but only when the protection mode is off and you’re once again in a relaxed state.

Yes, stress is a killer. If you want to enjoy a long and healthy life, try to find the best way to reduce the stress in your own life and the sooner the better. The Internet is a helpful source for finding suggestions for stress reduction.

If you think you don’t have the time to explore ways in which to reduce stress in your life, I urge you to reconsider. The truth of the matter is this: You can’t afford not to take the time. Your health, and perhaps your very life, is at stake.

Review of The Fear Cure
Review of The Fear Cure: Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul

Every one of us has some kind of fear: fear of disease, fear of failure, or the fear that some kind of disaster is about to befall us. And each of us wants to be cured of our fears, instantly.

The Fear Cure: Cultivating Courage as Medicine for the Body, Mind, and Soul (2015, Hay House), written by Lissa Rankin, M.D., is an, inspirational, spiritual, and brave book. Its provocative title calls out to each and every one of us: Read me, and I will dispel your fears.

Let me explain why I find this book so appealing, and why I believe you’ll find it to be the same.

First, much of the book reads like a novel. It’s beautifully written, from the heart and with honesty.

I don’t know, and have never met, Lissa Rankin, but since I’ve read all the books she’s written to date, I know her to be an exceptional writer.

Any book that can teach us something is inspirational. And yes, aside from being inspired and touched emotionally by it, you can learn a great deal by reading this book: for example, how fear makes you sick, the physiology of fear, discerning fear, how to conquer the fear of uncertainty, how to change your approach to yourself.

In my decades as a medical biochemist working side by side with physicians, I couldn’t find (sorry!) many medical professionals who were spiritual. I thought I had a simple explanation for that observation: medical doctors are not trained to be spiritual—they are trained to cure, and not to harm, their patients.

This book, however, showed me how wrong I was!

Dr. Rankin is brave. Thanks to her, we now know that medical doctors can be spiritual…if they choose to be. Lissa Rankin is currently not only a medical doctor but also a spiritual leader.

Through all her writings, Dr. Lissa Rankin has changed the overall perception of medical professionals, many of whom are like her, recognize that spirituality is as important to their patients’ overall health as the more common physical considerations.

I believe that many of us have the wrong picture when it comes to medical doctors. For instance, we sometimes believe that they know everything about every disease, that they don’t have any fears or are never faced with dilemmas, that they don’t have feelings, and that they aren’t spiritual people.

This impression is wrong, and I’ll tell you why: Medical doctors are trained to “behave like untouchables.” They need to keep their distance from us; as healers, they need to protect us as well as themselves, and they do a good job of it.

If you read The Fear Cure (and I hope you do!), you’ll be introduced to a woman, a daughter, a wife, and a mother—like you, a real, live person wearing many different hats: Dr. Lissa Rankin. She is not in the midst of any dilemma; she’s not concerned that she may be changing, or even destroying, the image of doctor, as we’ve come to perceive it. She has no qualms about the message she is spreading or any fear of wrongdoing, and I congratulate her for this approach.

Through reading this book, you’ll come to know the real Dr. Lissa Rankin—no mask…only her thoughts and feelings—and be better for it. Of course, she isn’t the only medical doctor who has written in the field of body, mind, and soul; she is, however, one of a few professionals who give us the feeling that we’ve finally found a medical professional who’s “just like us”!

I encourage you to read this book for many reasons. When you’ve finished reading it, you will be inspired, more spiritual, and braver when it comes to taking risks. In the words of Dr. Rankin: “You are not at fear’s mercy. There’s no need to feel helpless in the face of fear. Remember, fear has the potential to free you from suffering, and when you let it, your body will thank you” (2015, p. 14).

Meditation: How to Reprogram Your Unconscious Mind
Recently, I was asked a very interesting question from one of my readers: I know I could try meditation, but how? Do I empty my mind of everything and hope that my conscious mind will come out on top in the end? 

Obviously, this reader was confused and had many questions. Some of these questions most likely were Can I really change my unconscious mind with meditation? or How does the process of changing the unconscious mind work, anyway? 

Let’s learn what the field of neuroscience has to say about people who practice meditation.

There’s no doubt about it: If you want to change yourself for the better, meditation is a good choice. In fact, meditation that is performed properly and for a sufficient period of time can actually change, and even improve, brain structure and performance. The good news is this: Your age is not important. The plasticity and ability of the brain to modify its own structure and function following changes within the body or in the external environment (http://www.brainfacts.org/about-neuroscience) works even if you are 80 years young. 

When you meditate, you create new neural (relating to the nervous system) pathways in the brain, which is crucial. Why? Because creating new neural pathways is the way in which you re-write (change) the programs in your unconscious mind and acquire knowledge in life. Creating neural pathways simply means creating new ways for your neurons (brain cells) to exchange information with each other. Information travels along neural pathways between different parts of the brain. The concept of learning new skills and changing the human mind is actually the concept of making new connections between neurons. 

Meditation is an excellent way to install new “software programs” in your computer (your brain). By meditating, you’re changing yourself in many ways: chemically, biologically, neurologically, and most importantly...genetically. Through meditation, you have the power to make changes to your personality. We know that a new personality means a new personal reality. When you create a new mind you create a new state of you. You think and feel differently. By thinking and feeling differently, you are changing your personal reality. 

Reminder: Your thoughts and feelings distinguish you as an individual and set you apart from others. 

With new feelings and different thinking patterns, you’ll see the entire reality around you in a new way, hopefully in a better way. 

Sound complicated? 

Not at all, really…

If you try to understand this concept, eventually you’ll create new neural connections in your brain. You’ll definitely improve the way in which your brain works. Don’t be afraid to learn something new. It doesn’t matter how old or how young you are. Give your brain a chance to exercise, and it will be grateful to you. 

Remember this: The moment you stop learning, your brain starts to shrink. 

Is meditation the only way to reprogram your mind? 

No, it isn’t. 

What are some other options? 

Hypnotherapy and a method called EFT (emotional freedom technique) are some other good vehicles for reaching and improving brain capability. If you want to make some positive changes in your life, there’s more than one way to reprogram your unconscious mind to achieve them.

How to Re-write Programs in the Unconscious Mind

Can we easily rewrite the programs in our unconscious mind?

No, we can’t.

 Is there any way, even though it may be difficult, to rewrite our unconscious programs?

Yes, there is.

How do we change (re-write) negative behavior or harmful habits programs in our unconscious mind?

Through methods such as hypnosis, repetition, or emotional freedom techniques (a process through which we mentally “tune in” to specific issues while stimulating certain meridian points on the body by tapping on them with our fingertips; http://www.emofree.com/eft-tutorial/tapping-basics/what-is-eft.html).

Why is it so difficult to change the unconscious mind but not so difficult to change the conscious mind?

Our unconscious programs are our habits. By definition, a habit is “a recurrent, often unconscious, pattern of behavior that is acquired through frequent repetition” (dictionary.reference.com/browse/habit).

How did we learn our habits?

Through repetition.

Can you clarify?

To be able to function in life, a person needs habits, such as walking, talking, writing, or any other routine behaviors you use in your daily life. To learn all of these habits, you’ve tried and failed—many times—before finally learning how to do them. Once learned, they are your habits. You do not need to relearn them again every day.

Am I right in saying that habits are programs that are not easy to change, but if we have a strong desire to change them and use repetition or other proven methods, we can eventually change bad habits?

You’re absolutely right.

Why are habits so resistant to change?

If they were not resistant, you’d easily forget (delete from your unconscious programs) how to walk, talk, or write. Your life depends on your routine (habits). You don’t want to change your good habits (the habits that allow you to maintain your life). You want to change only your “bad” habits.

Could you explain the difference between these two minds: the conscious and the unconscious?

Your unconscious mind runs your life. You’re driven by your unconscious mind (programs) 90–95% of the time but only 5–10% of the time by your conscious mind. The conscious mind is the creative mind, while the unconscious mind is the “habit” mind. You can easily change your conscious mind simply by reading, listening, or watching educational programs. I’ve already explained how it isn’t so easy to change your habit (unconscious) mind: This is because the unconscious mind is more powerful than the conscious mind.

More powerful?

Yes. Whenever you choose to change a bad habit with your conscious mind, your unconscious mind will start to “complain.”

Why?

The unconscious mind will “say,” Who’s in charge of changing habits, you—the conscious mind—or “me,” the unconscious mind? I’m the boss! Only when I, the unconscious mind, approve or decide to accept the change will you be able to proceed.

Is the conscious mind always asking for approval from the unconscious mind?

Actually, intentions, desires, and ideas from the conscious mind need to be in alignment with programs stored in the unconscious mind. Remember, unconscious programs are very resistant and basically don’t like change!

Are you saying that the conscious mind is inferior?

Not at all. I simply wanted to explain how neuroscience sees the ways in which both minds work. There’s no such thing as “an inferior human mind”: We need both minds equally.

Thank you. Now I get it!

Good—now the programs in your unconscious mind are in alignment with the science that explains them.