Individuals often do not know their own mind. Most thinking is automatic and frequently unchecked. During waking hours, the separation between mind and consciousness is not often discernible. The character of consciousness makes the mind both simple and complex at the same time. Simple in that if a person has awareness, they are in charge of what they are thinking, feeling, and doing. Complex in that seeming awareness is often compromised, clouded by an unconscious (subconscious) mind.

1. Mind over Matter<br />Developing Watchful Awareness<br />Statement of the Problem – Chapter I<br />Many of today’s personal growth guru’s and experts in the field of thought, motivation, metaphysics and the like, present the idea that thoughts become things, what you think about you bring about. No argument there. The Secret did a great service in expanding the general publics’ awareness of the power of thought and the universal Law of Attraction. The Secret has been a significant contributor in the field of personal growth. Many people have benefited as a result of the teachings. Many others have been discouraged unbelievers as they tried and it didn’t work or they could not sustain the initial momentum, or it worked on small things, but not the most sought after. If there were greater exposure and understanding of the Laws of the Universe and more specifically the Law of Attraction and the Laws of Thoughts, could a person benefit more consistently from the laws, intentionally improving the quality of their life in the physical world?<br />Thought is at the center of the Law of Attraction. The Mind contains all the thoughts a person thinks and is frequently considered as one and the same with thought. Yet thought is only one aspect of mind. There is no single answer explaining exactly what the mind is or how it works that satisfies everyone. The contemporary views of philosophy, psychology, neuroscience, and cybernetics all come up with different interpretations of mind and consciousness. (The Big View) The American Heritage Dictionary defines mind as: quot;
The collective conscious and unconscious processes in a sentient organism that direct and influence mental and physical behavior.quot;
<br />The wakeful mind of thought is the known, touchable facet of consciousness. Yet external actions and self fulfilling results are not sustainable without internal awareness and connection with Source. Understanding the precision of thought, noticing and paying attention to them can create changes in experience, action, and interaction, altering what shows up in a person’s life. Consequently, greater emphasis on the recognition and management of personal power is needed if the Law is to serve in a substantial and affirmative manner. (Churchland, 1995)<br />Ironically, individuals often do not know their own mind. Most thinking is automatic and frequently unchecked. During waking hours, the separation between mind and consciousness is not often discernible. The character of consciousness makes the mind both simple and complex at the same time. Simple in that if a person has awareness, they are in charge of what they are thinking, feeling, and doing. Complex in that seeming awareness is often compromised, clouded by an unconscious (subconscious) mind. As a consequence, what a person fears or doesn’t want often comes into being. Unidentified by the conscious mind, the subconscious mind becomes responsible for the majority of tribulations, disappointments, and heartaches. When awareness of self sabotaging thoughts is recognized, changes in thinking can be made; doubt and resignation can be replaced with certainty, personal energy expands, conviction turns to action and intentional thinking transports desires into reality. “As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.”(Proverbs 23:7)<br />Watchful awareness, paying attention to clues buried in the subconscious mind, begins the journey of deliberate self creation, minimizing a life left to chance. Learning how to recognize inadvertent violation of our life’s purpose is at the heart of becoming all we were meant to be. Unrecognized, negative internal belief systems are self sabotaging. Automatic thinking rather than intentional thought can facilitate disappointment, emotional pain and reinforce more cyclical negative thinking. The combination of thoughts, feelings, and actions interprets the life experienced, courtesy of the Universal Law of Attraction, (Amen, 1998) Thoughts have energy and they take form. “Thoughts are like electrical currents which, although unseen, can be felt and produce internal effects.” (Knapp, 2002) Negative thoughts create negative results. Positive thoughts create positive results. The energy of thought is either stored in physical structures or is transmitted into the universe, although the energy of thought never dies. Thought is the source for all that human beings perceive and experience. Thought is the function of the conscious mind. Thoughts, actions, and feelings are inversely proportional, intimately linked, and intermingled with one another. The thoughts a person has become the current of energy exchanged within the universe; thoughts are always in play. (Martin, 2007) Everything that happens in an individual’s life has a direct connection with the corresponding positive or negative energy transference they are exchanging with the universe. “Each individual is responsible for the type of energy they create in their life”. (Knapp, 2002)<br />Men are disturbed, not by things, but by the view they take of them. (Epictetus) All too often people’s attitudes are a by-product of their experiences in a world that seems out of control, and in turn, can make the person feel helpless and out of control. Put together with outer world perceptions and internal negative dialogs (self-talk), frustration follows and the person may feel fated to their lot in life. (Doyle, 1997)<br />Most people relate the cause of how they feel to the events and circumstances in their lives. People have been taught to believe that feelings and emotions are determined by the events in their lives. The truth is that emotions and behavior are not dependent on what is happening. Cognitive theorists suggest the additional factor is thought, or the belief system which converts to self talk. (Stoop, 1996) The Laws of the Universe, particularly the Law of Thought, supports and solidifies this theory. “We can let circumstances rule us or we can take charge and rule our lives from within.” (www.worldofquotes.com/ Nightingale) <br />The Universal Laws of Attraction, Thought, and Allowing impact lives whether people are conscious of them or not. If individuals could learn to make the connection amongst their thoughts, feelings, and actions and connect them to the outcomes they are experiencing could their quality of life be improved and changed? Is it possible for people to re-write the life screenplay they have become conditioned to? When exposed to the Laws in a relevant way, can the benefits be taken in, sustained and personal expansion continued?<br />REVIEW OF LITERATURE – Chapter II<br /> “You can change the course of your future through awareness of what’s inside you and what you decide to do with inner impulse and treasure” (Ohotto, 2008) On the surface it often seems that our lives are structured by conscious thought, but the truth is, individuals are really more influenced by what is missing from their lives. A person’s belief system takes the form of private speech, thoughts, and the words spoken aloud which result in the actions taken or not taken. (Stone, 2005)<br />Consciousness is the sum of all the person is. The mind that lies within the human experience is the key to consciousness. The human brain is unique. It gives individuals the power to think, plan, speak, and imagine. The brain is the physical component of consciousness, with a constant streaming of thoughts and ideas. Mental consciousness indicates an awareness of something: an image, a sound, an emotion. (www.thismatter.com) <br />The idea that the brain functions as an intermediary between the mind and the body is an ancient one. Hippocrates described the brain as “the messenger to consciousness” and as “the interpreter for consciousness.” (Carter, 2010) The connection between the brain and consciousness has been artfully described by G. Schulman, quot;
You can think of consciousness not as a property of the brain, but of the person.quot;
(Sciencedaily.com/brain energy use)<br />Mind and brain are often used interchangeable; but consciousness is much more than the brain. The 17th century philosopher, Rene Descartes, said “ No matter to what extent our senses might be deceived there would still remain a something which could be called quot;
myselfquot;
even if it were utterly deceived as to the existence of any one or anything else”. Present day scientific evidence remains unable to discount this conviction. Despite neurological details of the brain, knowing about circuits and connections, or the chemical metabolism going on inside the brain, neuroscientists, physicists and others are willing to concede that while the brain is necessary, the brain is not sufficient for consciousness. (Amen, 1998)<br />People tend to think of consciousness in terms of “Iquot;
or the quot;
selfquot;
. Individuals view and interact with the world from a personal perspective. Everything a person knows is gathered from experience and education. The sum total of all that a person has said, done, felt, thought, hoped for and believed creates their personality (individuality). Personalities are formed by life experiences and the individual’s reaction to those experiences. Their development is the cumulative effect of everything and anything that enters consciousness and the response to it. Each person is the result of their experiences. (quantumconsciousness.org/Our Life and Consciousness Connected) “We are what we are and where we are because of the nature of our accumulated consciousness.” (Holmes, 1926)<br />The mind begins expanding and recording information at birth. An individual’s knowledge is linked to their particular understanding of reality. The perceived reality is a combination of the objective mind using the five senses of hearing, sight, taste, touch, and smell to make sense of things which then become subjectively integrated into what the person believes to be true. (Drummond, 1987)<br />“John Locke described it as being born a 'blank slate'.”Let us then suppose the Mind to be, as we say, white Paper, void of all characters, without any Ideas; How comes it to be furnished? ....To this I answer, in one word, from Experience... Our observation employed either about External sensible objects; or about the Internal Operations of our Minds, perceived and reflected by ourselves. These two are the Fountains of Knowledge from whence all the ideas we have, or can naturally have, do spring. (Martin, 2007)<br />Human development occurs through what is known as the ego, commonly considered to be a person's idea of his or her own importance or worth. Ego is involved with controlling, planning, and conforming to reality, however that reality may be perceived and stored in the mind. Philosophically, ego is enduring and the conscious element that knows experience. (Encarta dictionary of North America) A person’s life operates on a continuum of their ego-based, ‘I’ or ‘self’ consciousness and their spirit-based, Source Consciousness. “The ego based consciousness is centered and dependant on the ego. The ego, in turn, is centered and dependent upon the sense of self or body. The spirit-based consciousness is centered and dependant on the Spirit within, or for non-believers, character or moral fiber. The Spirit, in turn, is centered and dependent upon the God Source, Higher Self. Simply stated, this continuum appears to range from subconscious to self-conscious to superconscious. (www.imprint.co.uk/ The Great Chain of Being and Consciousness)<br />Consciousness is pure awareness. It is the origin of the individuated human being; it has no physical origin. The physical mind provides the opportunity for that non-physical entity (Consciousness) to learn and live in the physical world. Consciousness remains unchanged no matter what the mind does or does not produce. This is the divide between Consciousness and the brain or operation of the mind. This separation is essential in appreciating human existence. “It points directly at pure consciousness as who you are, and not what the mind functions produce. What your mind functions produce is what consciousness can see and know. You take that production as who you are, as it can be witnessed. It is a deception that controls your life without you being aware of that deceit. This is your shadow-world.” (buzzle.com/ Separation of Mind and Consciousness)<br />Ego sees itself as separate from God and humanity. When threatened, feeling powerless, or less than it goes into defensive modes of behavior. The ego represents an individual’s personal identity; it is the ‘me’ the individual is conscious of. If the identity feels attacked, the intensity of fear based response increases in an effort to protect the’ me- self’. (Martin, 2007). In essence, it Eases God Out (EGO). (Unk)<br />The state of consciousness is always in flux, reacting or responding to experiences in its immediate sphere of awareness. The mind is selective as to what it pays attention to. It uses ego to protect itself and to make itself stand out (Church land, 1995) Ego has a tendency to see its owner through rose colored glasses. When weighed through the eyes of pure ego, most people will favor themselves. (Marcum, 2007) A person tends to use ego as a measure of their own value, believing that happiness depends on outside approval, a belief that sets the person up for unhappiness as the ego is rarely satisfied for long. (Coleman, 2006)<br />The subconscious mind operates below the level of awareness imprinting every experience into the psyche. The subconscious is the ultimate guardian of the self-concept, the ego. The self concept is intimately connected to emotions. Emotions are an unconscious idea powered by either a pleasant or unpleasant feeling. Emotions are the result of feelings. Emotions are experienced outwardly as harmony or discord. (Viscott, 1996) Feelings and emotions are terms used interchangeably, much as the mind and consciousness are.<br />The subconscious determines if an emotion is good or bad, and then generates feelings and actions accordingly. There are essentially three basic feelings: love, anger, and fear. Each of these has a polar opposite: love/hate, anger/peace, and fear/faith. (Stoop, 2005). Feelings are transient; they oscillate back and forth between positive and negative. There are literally hundreds of words used to describe feelings; all can be traced to the movement occurring inside the self. (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993) Love always moves the person toward something or someone; it feels good and engenders joy. Fear always drives the person away from something or someone; it feels dire and tends to block movement. Anger drives the person both toward and against from something or someone at the same time; it feels dominant and attempts to control. (Doyle, 1997) <br />The felt emotion reflects the thinking being done and the status of alignment or centeredness within self. The greater the vibrational difference between what a person wants and their current thinking the more disharmonies they will feel. “You must understand that you are a Being with two points of perspective that are continually relating to each other... your emotions indicate the vibrational relationship between the vibration of who you really have become and who you allowing yourself to be right now because of the thoughts you are thinking.” (Hicks, 2009, Vortex) <br />Behavior is the expressed response to the perceived situation or stimulus and the feeling accompanying it. Behaviors tend to be engrained and trigger automatically based on past experience and belief system. (suite101.com/ What is Behavior) The subconscious is spontaneous; it does not think; it receives, retains, and reproduces. It knows every detail of what is in the conscious mind It creates based on conscious experience, spurred by emotionally charged stimulus. It is impersonal and is always responsible for automatic reactions. It is not concerned with truth or falsity; it just reacts, proceeding on assumptions. It will, however, acquiescent to suggestions. (Martin, 2007) When there is an imbalance between what is being experienced and what is wanted, emotional discord takes place and behaviors become self sabotaging. “Everything that you are living is about your physical and Non-physical points of view and how they interplay with one another… you always know more clearly what you do want when you are faced with what you do not want... whether you are consciously aware of it or not, all day, every day you are giving birth to new desires born from the details of the life you are living…you have the option of aligning with the idea or resisting it. (Hicks, 2009, Astonishing Power of Emotions)<br /> The arsenal of behaviors to combat unpleasant, unacceptable, or threatening feelings is demonstrated in many ways. The ego uses two main tactics to protect itself. One is a defensive mechanism, intended to keep unpleasant or unacceptable thoughts or feelings out of conscious awareness. The other is an inhibitory defense, which attempts to hide unpleasant thoughts or feelings by disavowing or negating reality in some way. (suite101.com/what is behavior)<br />The ego can divide the world into black and white, into good people and bad people and make snap, inaccurate judgments in an effort to feel better. A person may devalue another by insulting them, labeling them negatively, or dismissing them as unworthy in an effort to inflate or protect the ego. The ego can redirect its owner when unacceptable feelings are present, projecting them on to others to avoid taking responsibility for their perceived failures, shortcomings or actions. Ego can deal with conflict in a cold and unemotional, intellectual way, ignoring feelings or verbally brutalizing the challenger. Intellectualizing is the mind’s attempt to replace difficult emotions with rational thinking, rather than expressing a feeling or feeling it, the person will ‘reason’ with the other person or even with themselves to avoid the painful emotion. An individual’s ego might identify with another person or a group, thinking and feeling as they do so the ego can take in their worthy qualities as part of itself and therefore feel bigger and better. People use defenses to protect their personal identity. Ego defenses are really barricades, resulting in separating the soul (body) from its true self. The impact of these ego protective strategies can negatively affect the person’s sense of well being. Recognizing that the ego’s protective behaviors are a matter of automatic thinking, and learning to pay attention to any unpleasant results they create, can be empowering and facilitate intentional choice which allows for a different kind of thinking. (Marcum, 2007)<br />There is an irony about ego. While it can be a liability in reaching for dreams and feeling peaceful and happy, it can also be a valuable asset. In the right amount ego can be positive and provide a healthy level of confidence, driving out insecurity, fear and indifference. A strong, balanced ego is necessary for getting along in this world. A weak, imbalanced ego that is either over-inflated or under-inflated disconnects the self from its true source of power. (Crenshaw, 2009) The ego’s power is pervasive and relentless but never neutral in how it affects presentation of the self. When the intense power of the ego is not understood and its motivations not questioned it controls rather than supports personal destiny. (Marcum, 2007)<br />The unconscious is filled with beliefs about self as a worthy or unworthy, deserving or undeserving person. Ideas about the self come from experiences and the influence of others. As years go by, a person judges themselves against some externally imposed standard or value. Praise and criticism are internalized and stored by the subconscious creating beliefs and habits. The more the beliefs and habits become engrained, the greater the strength of the belief system in the unconscious mind. Recurring self-limiting beliefs and habits become self fulfilling prophecies; faith in self becomes compromised or destroyed and contraction of self occurs. Ingrained self-expanding beliefs and habits also become self fulfilling prophecies creating synergy, expansion and harmony. (Ohotto, 2008)<br />Not many people understand the tremendous power of thought, either for good or for ill. Interwoven programs become triggered by thought and powered by emotion which materializes results. (Holmes, 1926) If a person is to learn and grow and become all they are capable of, they must continually challenge the veracity of the ego in order to allow their inner authority to align with their soul’s fate and destiny. (Ohotto, 2008)<br />The Law of Thought is part of the unrestricted energy force of the universe. Everything in the universe is comprised of positive and negative energy charges in constant motion. With the advances in quantum physics, it is now known that everything in our reality is comprised of energy in motion from the concrete things we can see, to the invisible thoughts of the subconscious mind. (McArthur, 2007)) “Thoughts are energy and act like magnets, drawing to them thoughts of similar vibration.” (MacLean, 2004)<br />The law encompasses creative thought, each thought having three parts: the kind of thought either constructive or destructive, the direction of the thought either empowering or disempowering and the intensity of the thought. Every thought is a tiny pulse of energy which when it leaves the person goes out and is absorbed into the universe. Basically, positive thought creates higher vibrations than negative thought. (Pratt, 1999) <br />“You are what you think”. The Law of Thought corresponds in kind to the Law of Attraction, like attracting like. The Law of Attraction, when combined with intentional thinking, can become a tool for creating a rich life; a rich life as defined by the individual creating it. (Marcum, 2007)) The spirit of human beings is also made of energy. To become conscious of the innate spiritual power, to give a free rein to natural creativity, to evolve, human beings must look at how they exchange energy with everything around them every moment of every day. God is an energy force effortlessly reflecting all the life in the universe. Human beings are a conduit to this energy. Everything we think, say, or do transmits God’s energy into everyday life. (Pratt, 1999)<br />Thought, motivation, intent, feelings and emotions create the canvas of consciousness. But painting consciousness to fit the color of your thoughts does not alter consciousness. It simply becomes the visible picture you have created. Consciousness never interferes or objects to the color your unfettered free will chooses to paint it with. This is another pointer at the separation of mind and consciousness, although each depends upon the other to give it observable existence. Consciousness is the non-biological existent personality. It is who you are. The picture you paint upon it is your character. It is your mind functions that paint the canvas with colors that illuminate that innate purity or veil it in disharmonious colors that restrict what the canvas is. If you restrict the substance of consciousness you unknowingly have restricted your existence. And that restriction will always come back to bite you, in forms where the causation may not even be recognizable, as being initiated from your own self-created restrictive thought-forms. Whatever you choose, the canvas never interferes by objecting or approving (buzzle.com/ Separation of Mind and Consciousness)<br />The conscious mind does the intellectual, analytical thinking. The conscious mind is associated with the waking, thinking state. It is deliberate, verbal and responsible for self-talk. When the facts line up it tells the person they are right. It thinks of the past, exaggerating or diminishing pleasure; it thinks about the future; without conscious effort it may spend little time in the moment. The unconscious mind does the perceiving and feeling; if something feels right it will tell the person they are right. The unconscious mind is automatic, nonverbal and literal. It knows no past or future; it is always in the moment, the now. (Shah, 2004) <br />“The subjective mind is the difference between my consciousness and a consciousness. I do, I see, I hear, I dream, I love: these are all functions of the brain. The I is that which is aware and that which does. Without the brain, there would seem to be no subjectivity, no I.” (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993) The soul and the spirit are connected, but separable. (Hebrews 4:12) The soul is the essence of humanity’s being; it is who the person is. The spirit is the aspect of humanity that connects with God. The experiences that life brings allow for the expansion of the Spirit. “Life constantly causes you to become more; you are in a constant stage of becoming.” (Hicks, 2008, Astonishing Power of Emotions)<br />When the soul and the spirit are resonating, a person’s well being flourishes; thoughts are positive and flexible; the God within flourishes. When an unpleasant feeling is triggered, it commands the individual’s attention, threatening their ego and compromising their sense of well being. The person may begin dwelling in the past or in the future. They have a sense of pressure coming from within and outside them all at the same time. It is in these moments that conscious choice can be compromised and thoughtless actions can occur. (Coleman, 2006) When a person focuses on what they don’t have or don’t want, internal turmoil ensues, and expresses itself in some unwanted manner in the external world. The person is out of alignment with their essence. Their thinking is misaligned with their desire. They experience fear or anger on a continuum of those two feelings, ultimately pulling them further away from what they want. Yet, at the same time, the expression of what is not wanted clarifies what is wanted within the unconscious Higher Self. (Hicks, 2008, Vortex)<br />The cyclical nature of thoughts that capture the person’s attention reinforce the emotion attached to it. The stronger the emotion, the stronger the behavioral action will be. Like attracts like. The more powerful the emotions the more quickly the thoughts creating them will convert them into the life experience; emotional intensity amplifies the thought. Just as the emotion of love creates positivity and expansion, the emotion of negativity brings more negativity and contraction of self. The more struggle, demand, force or attempt to control, the more resistance is encountered and the more discomfort and pain is felt by the owner. (Hicks, 2008, Vortex) Paying attention to feelings, recognizing the thoughts that serve and those that don’t begins the process of inclusion, returning to the Self that knows love, peace and prosperity. (Williamson, 1992)<br />Emotions are the human being’s sixth sense. Emotions are energy in action. They are the indicator of alignment within oneself; they create vibrations. The emotions felt at any given moment indicate how well the person is thinking. Emotions are the gift of enlightenment. Emotions let a person know if they are out of sync with their soul’s purpose. Pleasant emotions equal alignment; they move the person towards harmony and connection within self; they expand Consciousness. Unpleasant emotions signal an imbalance in the psyche; they create vibrational disharmony as the ego and the Source collide, rather than commune. (Hicks, 2008, Astonishing Power of Emotion)<br />Ester and Jerry hicks, authors of The Astonishing Power of Emotion explain the function of emotions as ‘Everything that you are living is about your physical and Non-physical points of view and how they interplay with one another… you always know more clearly what you do want when you are faced with what you do not want. .. whether you are consciously aware of it or not, all day, every day you are giving birth to new desires born from the details of the life you are living…it is through contrast that you inner being expands…no contrast, no need to grow…you have the option of aligning with the idea or resisting it…you must allow yourself to keep up with that which you are becoming if you are to live the joyful life that you have come forth to live…to mold your life into what pleases you is a mental process, not an action…it is about aligning your thoughts and allowing yourself to become who-you-really-are. <br />METHODS– Chapter III- N/A<br />FINDINGS – Chapter IV<br />Human beings are the weavers of their own lives. Each experience a person has becomes a cord attached to their mind, creating or denying their desires, dreams and connections with one another. The Law of Attraction is a reflection of thought, which creates what is felt and ultimately determines what is done, resulting in an outward physical manifestation of that prevalent thought. When a person has never been exposed to or consciously experienced the power of thought or the law of attraction there life occurs by happenstance. http://www.law-of-attraction-info.com/law-of-attraction. (Maclean, 2004)<br />Thoughts are the private conversations that go on within ourselves 24 hours a day. Because we can never completely speak our experiences, something always remains unsaid and unconscious. On top of this, whatever feelings and experiences we are afraid to express openly and honestly are added to the mix of our unconscious. Freud envisioned the unconscious as a “sort of garbage dump for wishful impulses that we would rather not admit to ourselves”. (ayrmetes.com/ Consciousness and Unconsciousness)<br />A person’s hope may rise and fall, but with each setback and disappointment, there is a renewed sense of defeat to obtain what is wanted, reinforcing what is known or believed about the self. The mind makes its choices on a moment by moment basis trying to justify everything it does. The intellect mixes, matches, merges, sifts, and sorts concepts, perceptions, and experience. The conscious mind uses logic to make sense about what is happening. (sciencedaily.com/ Brain Energy Use) When the outcome is outside of what is wanted; the mind creates reasons and excuses to off load personal responsibility for the results. The ego works overtime to protect itself, blaming others or circumstances for its feelings, behavior, and outcomes. (Coleman, 2006) The emotions are influenced by the value the individual places on an experience as good or bad. A person either likes or dislikes what is presented to them. If they pay heed to the emotion presenting itself, a larger picture can be considered expanding choice rather than contracting it based on a limited perspective. (Marcum, 2007)<br />Recurring self-limiting beliefs and habits become self fulfilling prophecies. Faith in self becomes compromised or destroyed. Many find themselves prisoners of their thinking, unknowing of the subconscious’s influence. They find it hard to move ahead. They may be happy and successful in many areas, but there are other areas where they experience an ongoing emptiness, absence or a sense of being thwarted. A person may be troubled by anxious feelings that promote the experience of fear or anger for reasons they do not understand. The person falsely assumes the events and circumstances of their life are at the root of their displeasure. They find themselves caught in emotional cycles of unpleasantness, repeatedly moving back towards that which they want to avoid. (Salzburg, 2007)<br />Each of us has within ourselves the power to be successful, happy, productive and enlightened beings. For this to happen, the seemingly endless loop of self limiting beliefs has to be recognized. A person cannot address nor change what they are not aware of. Many people are conditioned to believe that their life is fated or that what they are experiencing is their destiny. Fate is defined as something that unavoidably befalls a person; the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events. Destiny is defined as something that will happen or has happened to a particular person or thing; the power or agency that determines the course of events. (Dictionary.com) Fate and destiny are often used as synonymous, interchangeable terms. Fate can be thought of as unchangeable, the factors in life over which a person has no control such as the color of their skin, the family they were born into, etc. A more pessimistic view implies that what happens to a person is their fate, indicating that the person has no control, no choice of what they do with what is presented to them, engendering helplessness and hopelessness. The later reflects misalignment with Source. Fate is for those too weak to determine their own destiny. Destiny indicates that the individual is in charge of their life that they are the creator of their own destiny; destiny implies that the choices made, consciously or unconsciously determine the life experienced. (Ohotto, 2008) “Destiny is no matter of chance. It is a matter of choice. It is not a thing to be waited for; it is a thing to be achieved.” (worldofquotes.com/Bryant) <br />The power or agency to transform fate into destiny lies in the ability to make conscious choices and decisions. The ability to think, consider and choose creates the destiny, fortune and providence a person experiences in their life. The results depend on whether the individual is reacting automatically, that is, not conscious of what is driving their decisions and choices or whether they are responding, that is having awareness about the choices and decision they are making. (May, 1969) The key to knowing the difference lies in the emotions experienced. When a person feels bad, angry and fearful, they are in conflict with their better self and experiencing both internal and external chaos. When out of alignment, it is a sure sign that the choices made were done so without thought, without first pausing and honoring the internal feelings that were occurring. When the emotion is one of contentment, peace, understanding, and love the person is in sync with their choices; they are in harmony, their internal and external value systems are in alignment, their vibrational field radiates energy and manifestation of what is wanted comes about. (Hicks, 2008, Vortex)<br />“Fate brings us everything we need to fulfill our life purpose.” (Ohotto, 2008) It is what a person does with their unchangeable fate, using the power of choice and free will that creates their destiny. When there is awareness, conscious choice is in play, addressing life’s events, and tapping into the gifts hidden within that fate. “It's choice--not chance--that determines your destiny.” (worldofquotes.com/ Nidetch) “A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances.” (Martin, 2007)<br />The idea that human beings can take responsibility for their thoughts, actions and outcomes can be at once intimidating and liberating, as individuals mull over the possibility: What if it’s true? The good news is that it frees the person to create and explore and move forward; the bad news is the reality of it means there are no longer excuses for what the person does or how they feel, no more blaming, scapegoating, self martyrdom or justification. Breaking free of the ego’s grip and the insidious actions of the subconscious mind, becoming and maintaining awareness is an ongoing process which humans will continue to contend with throughout their lives. (Rinchen, 1997)<br />“Every thought interacts with the energy of the universe. Negative thought looks for other negatives thought energies to bind with. Eventually a matrix of negative thought energy is created and forms a thought wave. These powerful negative thought waves manifest themselves in our lives in the form of poverty, crime, war, plagues and natural disasters. Negative energy creates a vacuum, it detracts from the life giving nature of the universe Negative thought waves come in many sizes and have been known by many names, bad luck, misfortune, disaster, evil, curses, etc. Call them what you will, the source of their energy is the same. The source is us.”(Palmer, 1999)<br />In my own journey there have been peaks and valleys in the process of awareness. I have grown, regressed, and grown again. Two steps forward and one back, however, is progress. As a child I felt unprotected, uncared for, isolated, and abandoned; of course it was dispersed with some happy moments, usually followed by more negative and frightening events. I was always fearful; I felt very alone. I often rationalized that it wasn’t so bad; others had it worse than me. I carried this belief into adulthood, in retrospect to avoid the deep, aching pain and absence I felt. As a child, whenever something went wrong I was told it as my fault and I learned to believe it. I held onto to this unconscious belief. As a result of my exposure and work in metaphysics I found I was living my present life from the past I came from. My subconscious program of un-lovability and sense of abandonment carried me into three marriages. I jokingly told others that I was married to the same man with a different name three times. My outer ego pretended to feel secure and invincible, laughing it off, pretending I didn’t feel inadequate. I unwittingly covered the intense pain filled emotions with aggressive, dominating and self righteous, my way or the highway behavior patterns. I had a repeating pattern of familiar pain filled emotions; still I had not made the connection. What I consciously thought was that I wanted to feel connected, that I wanted to be in an intimate and caring relationship. I wanted to feel safe. Early in each of these relationships there were situations or conversations when I felt a phantom like fear which I chose to ignore, because I wanted what I wanted and not what I had, so I squashed those feelings. I ignored the emotional warning signs, those all too familiar feelings of being less than, left out, and left alone. The more I demanded my holes be filled, the deeper the hole became. When these relationships became unsustainable, I espoused it was their fault;(interestingly they had not changed, I was now focusing on what I had chosen to ignore early on) nonetheless, I ranted about the injustices I felt and how they were the problem and that despite my sacrifices, I did everything and still it did not work. In these three marriages, I made myself the mind reader, and no doubt the reading was very jaded based on my internal programs in which I had unwittingly set myself up for failure. I attached myself to what I knew, emotional disconnect. At the time I had no awareness of my own inability to trust in myself or to open myself to love. My judgmental self talk confirmed the internal belief, it was my fault; mentally reviewing comments made or actions taken, I managed to match my own internal self-defeating premises and surmising, “Ten thousand people can’t be wrong. It must be me, I’m the problem.” <br />Our tendency is to judge ourselves as well as the words and actions of others. The truth is no one but the owner of the thoughts has access to them. We can interpret what is consciously or unconsciously communicated, but we cannot know the inner workings of a another person’s mind or their motivation, though we surely convince ourselves we can. Judging requires we think ourselves or others as superior or inferior. My personal experience certainly underscores this. Judgment in many ways is a result of poor thinking, brought about by the internal log book of the subconscious mind. Disabling judgments are obstacles to growth and pathways to failure. (http://bjp.rcpsych.org/Mind, brain and consciousness)<br />The truth is that all of us look for evidence to support whatever our beliefs are, even when they are untrue and destructive. Even when on a conscious level we may espouse a particular desire, internally the belief system we are holding onto may be exactly opposite. (Stone, 2005) In my own case, I somehow disconnected the painful emotions from myself, became self insulated and self protected as an adult.<br /> I unwittingly paired myself with persons who attracted my fears; and not my professed desires; rather, they gave me exactly what my internal programs generated: sadness, isolation, and abandonment. It is my subconscious scripts that have drawn me to certain people; it is my choices brought about by my feelings, both spawned by automatic thinking that created my circumstance. The important point is that I am paying attention to my emotional self and thoughts a great deal more these days. Now when I feel like I am solely responsible for everything that goes poorly, and the negative self defeating thoughts come over me, I recognize them as a warning bell. I stop and think; I come to the present moment and ask: Is it true? I have a choice. A choice with intentional thought creates a sense of empowerment and allowing, which is a great deal better than its opposite. (May, 1967) As my journey continues, I spend more time in the present moment, enjoying my life and appreciating the many blessings I am offered each day. When unpleasantness comes calling, I remember I have a choice in what I choose to think and do, and the peace comes softly, if not immediately, eventually. (Tolle, 1999)<br />A majority of the population remain enslaved to the unconscious, outmoded beliefs buried in their subconscious. Hidden emotions attached to those beliefs trap the individual in a current of external circumstance which seals their fate. When the subconscious is running the show, everything from mood to level of success lies within the hands of someone else as personal power is lost to reactive behaviors. In these circumstances, a person can’t conceive that control of their fortune resides within them. They are not so much victims as they are unconscious volunteers until they are exposed to and begin to understand the power of thought and the emotions that attend them. (Viscott, 1996) <br /> It is your mind functions that paint the canvas with colors that illuminate that innate purity or veil it in disharmonious colors that restrict what the canvas is. If you restrict the substance of consciousness you unknowingly have restricted your existence. And that restriction will always come back to bite you, in forms where the causation may not even be recognizable, as being initiated from your own self-created restrictive thought-forms. Whatever you choose, the canvas never interferes by objecting or approving. The picture formed upon the canvas of consciousness is what you see and know as yourself. It is the observable and knowable character of your consciousness-personality. The picture is your painting that attracts some and repels others. It is how you are recognized: a self-created picture that people admire or dismiss. But the picture is only the superficial color upon the reality of the canvas. Even if the picture fades, is disfigured or totally washed away, the canvas still remains. The canvas of consciousness perpetually remains consistent, never altering. The interior dimensions of a person seem to be composed of a spectrum of consciousness, running from sensation to perception to impulse to image to symbol to concept to rule to formal to vision-logic to psychic to subtle to causal to nondual states. In simplified form, this spectrum appears to range from subconscious to self-conscious to superconscious. (imprint.co.uk/ The Great Chain of Being and Consciousness) <br />Learning to understanding how consciousness operates, particularly the subconscious, can little by little move an individual further into the truth that they are something much greater than the thoughts they think or the body they inhabit. (Crenshaw, 2009)<br />What is felt, thought, or done forms the basis of our experience. These experiences are stored as subtle impressions in our subconscious mind. These impressions interact with one another and give rise to certain inclination. As a consequence, a particular reaction occurs in response to a particular situation or stimulus depending upon the subconscious tendencies. The subconscious will then react automatically creating feelings of love, anger, or fear. (Stone, 2005) If a person’s life is operating on auto pilot most of the time, it is no wonder their life seems lacking and out of control. Virtually no one human being (with the possible exceptions of enlightened beings such as the Christ) has escaped repeating events and unpleasant, often pain filled experiences. (Marcum, 2007)<br />Focusing on life’s ordeals prevents experiencing what truly matters. When what is wanted and what is present do not line up, internal conflict surges, emotions escalate, and ineffective or inappropriate behavior occurs. Emotions do not lie. When emotions are ignored, when the ego is calling the shots, authenticity suffers and a disconnect within the self occurs. While ego strategies may temporarily work to stifle painful, guilt-inducing or unwanted thoughts and unacceptable impulses from the conscious mind, its impact on the wholeness of the individual does not serve, but fragments their sense of self from the spirit that lies within. (Marcum, 2007) There are times in all of our lives when we don’t like what is happening, when our experiences make us feel, anxious, stressed, frightened, or less important than we would like, when reality is just not to our liking. Most of us, at least some of the time, automatically filter reality to make it feel better to us and to help us uphold a good opinion of ourselves. These defenses are designed to protect us from anxiety, fear, and all sorts of inner and outer stressors by allowing us to deny, falsify, or alter reality. We distort both our inner and outer worlds to help us cope. While the motivation for one’s behavior may be unconscious, awareness of the behavior itself is conscious which can provide a window of opportunity for self evaluation. (Stone, 2005) <br />While consciousness defines our existence and reality, how the brain generates thoughts and feelings remains unknown. “Most people believe that consciousness resides in the brain, or that it is somehow based on the brain and the nervous system. Science postulates a materialist understanding of consciousness. There is increasing evidence that this may not be correct. To think that consciousness resides in the brain is akin to thinking that the images on a TV screen reside inside the TV set. Obviously, the TV images are neither local to the TV set, nor do they have a life of their own. We might then posit that the same is true for consciousness. The brain is a receiver and modulator of consciousness, just like the TV set is a receiver and modulator of electromagnetic signals. The images and thoughts in our mind are the brain-mediated results of consciousness, just like the TV images on the screen. (thebigview.com)<br />A comparison of how the computer operates can serve as a blueprint for how the mind operates, allowing a more diverse audience to relate to the science of thought in the creation of experienced reality. The brain and the computer are similar in operation. Any computer system comprises three stages: input-process-output, everything we tell the computer (brain) is input. Particulars given to the computer become information generating a set of instructions based on the internal operating program (subconscious). The computer program begins processing and directs the operating system to generate a specific result. In the computer this is called processing and in the brain it is called thinking. What a person sees, hears, touches and feels is the data input. The latest input combines with what is already known, looks for how it all fits together, and takes action which then determines the output. If the computer program (thought) is corrupt the expected output is not achieved and setbacks and complications occur. The corrupt program (thought) must be reprogrammed or restored to do what it was designed to do. The same is true for the person. Information comes in and a program begins running. That program may result in additional input to execute the program, like opening a file menu and making a specific selection to get the desired outcome. In people, this is the logical, conscious mind operating. An application is another word for a program running on the computer. Whether or not it is a good application depends on how well it performs the tasks it is designed to do and how easy it is to use. (jegsworks.com/computer basics) In people the application program is the unconscious mind. <br />“The brain is the hardware of the soul; it is the essence, the spirit of who a person is.” The brain holds the intelligence, will, and feelings of an individual. When a person lacks knowledge of the mind’s thinking, when they are not connected within themselves, they can’t be who they want to be or have what they want to have; the desired outcome is just not there and the program needs to be corrected or changed. (Amen, 1998)<br />In a computer system the hard drive is the central processing unit. The hard disk drive inside the computer system can't be removed, nor can it be seen. Everything in the computer is stored on that hard disk. In people, the unconscious is the central processing unit. It cannot be seen, nor can it be removed. It retains everything from the conscious, subconscious and the higher conscious. Both the brain and the computer respond to input. In each, the quality of input determines the quality of output. (Knapp, 2002)<br />Thinking involves manipulation of information, forming concepts, engaging in problem solving, reasoning and decision making. Too often the thinker and actor of the thought have no idea as to what motivated them to act or speak in a certain manner. Just as in a computer program, the result is seen but the inner workings that created the result are not obvious. This typically results in feelings of guilt, self deprecation, isolation and or feelings of being less than, not good enough and similar unpleasant emotions; the direct cause of which is in the unseen subconscious. Unconscious thinking creates repeating patterns resulting in a person experiencing similar results over and over. (Marcum, 2007) The fact is the conscious mind cannot make use of what it does not know. Consequently the person falls victim to automatic thinking followed by repetitious behavior patterns and further engrains faulty thinking. Becoming aware of and familiar with the unpleasant feeling can begin to forge the connection with the subconscious mind. Consciously using the mental process of thought allows human beings to model the world, and to deal with it successfully according to their goals, plans, and desires. (Atwood, 2007)<br />Like any other natural force, subjective mind was not created by man and he cannot change its mode of operation; but, while he may not change a natural force, he may change his manner of approach to it. Man cannot change his own inherent nature; but he can, and should, learn to make the best use of all his forces. Subjective mind will never change its own nature, but will always reflect to the thinker what he thinks into it. Man did not make this law nor can he change it; but, like any other law, once understood, it becomes an obedient servant. The use of this law is entirely mental and is within the grasp of every one; it is so simple that all can understand; it is the law of mind in action, and this law is set in motion by correct thinking and knowing. ( Holmes, 1926)<br />When the soul and the spirit are connected, the person’s well being flourishes, thoughts are positive and flexible and all is right with the world. When a negative feeling is triggered, it commands the individual’s attention threatening their sense of well being. The person begins dwelling in the past or in the future. They have a sense of pressure coming from within and outside them at the same time. Negative feelings begin to escalate, everything seems difficult; nothing goes well.. (Viscott, 1996)<br />Conflict always comes from negative, fear based thinking. To move towards better energy the person must be willing to examine the thought process that created the conflict. Behavior stemming from fear based thinking creates suffering for the individual and those affected by it. That which is focused upon is attracted, whether it is wanted or not. (MacLean, 2004) By cultivating an awareness of thoughts and feelings, energy flow can be shifted away from the negative and reinforce the presence of positive energy. Because the subconscious readily accepts suggestions, whether true or false, it is possible to intentionally re-program what it does. As a result, conscious thought can impress whatever it choose on the subconscious mind; it is a matter of focus, attention and repetition; it is a matter of cultivating a conscious habit of recognizing and releasing thoughts that create a sense of contraction or resistance within one’s self. Cultivating and widening the habit of self awareness takes practice. While it is a simple concept, the actual practice takes persistence to establish results. (habitsofmind.com) Consequently, trying to pay attention verses intending to pay attention makes the difference between success and failure in achieving desired results; it is a matter of commitment. It means, regrouping and starting over as many times as necessary to maintain the commitment; it is necessary to keep the end goal in mind, particularly when doubt creeps in and emotional resistance is felt. (Covey, 1989) The subconscious is re-programmable. It is 30,000 more powerful than the conscious mind. It generates greater than 85% of thought. Taking control of these thoughts takes awareness and practice. (Stone 2005)<br />A simple rule of thumb to determine state of consciousness is to look at the feelings being experienced. When experiencing joy all things seem right with the world, it is reasonable to believe you are in your higher self. When the experience is pain, hurt, sadness, aloneness, it is reasonable to assume you are in your lower, physically based ego driven false self that has you believing you are independent from others. (Hicks, 2008, Astonishing Power Emotion) The themes and patterns of discomfort and emotional resistance that continually surface and sabotage from within can be changed. Beliefs must be challenged. <br />Fate is a frequent scapegoat for unhappiness and discontent. Fate can be a self fulfilling prophecy based on things beyond an individual’s control such as where they are born, the color of their skin, or the circumstances they were born into. Fate can also be of a person’s own doing, caused by the unconsciously created ego driven self made trials. Self fate is the by-product of going against our inner design. Whether the fate occurs by one’s own design or occurs as a result of things outside their control, there is one constant. Human beings have free will and therefore the ability to make choices. If the individual believes that they have no options, they won’t. If the individual learns to believe that they alone control their choices many options avail themselves. What is formed with what is given is the key to creating a life that is lived on purpose. Fate gives each person the stage on which to enact their life’s lessons. There are infinite possibilities between the fate the individual is confronted with and the future they choose to create. “Fate is the being and destiny is the doing.” (Ohotto, 2008)<br />We are in this life for two reasons. The first is to experience and the second is to create. The soul is the conscious part of the personality; it is the container of the spirit or life force. For creation to occur the spirit and the soul have to work together, neither can get far without the other. When there is resistance between the two, opposition and vibration disharmony occurs. The resistance felt is the distance between the soul’s ego demands and the inner Being’s desire to create and connect for its highest good. To achieve the highest good, an awareness of how one unconsciously violates their life’s purpose is necessary. Awareness of emotions, creation and practice of thoughts that serve, letting go of resistance, allowing the self to expand moves the individual into harmony.(Hicks, 2008, Emotions) “If you don’t access direction from within yourself, your life will be directed from outside you. You will derail your destiny.” (Ohotto, 2008)<br />When we try to be something other than what our inner design dictates, we consign ourselves to an unfulfilled life that must be endured. To change this we must allow ourselves to develop an awareness of what we are thinking, feeling and doing, particularly when challenges present themselves and the risk for automatic reactions is highest. In so doing we can begin to see and benefit from the Law of Attraction. (McArthur, 2007)<br />To change your life experience, alter your thoughts about it before going into action. Altering your vibration (equals thought, equals energy)can be 95% of the change process, resulting in an alignment of your energy with what is wanted, leading to action along the path of least resistance… Every single thing that is in your life experience is attracted by you, and is a reflection of your thoughts and emotions, there are no exceptions. Your present reality is the result of all of your prior thoughts and feelings. (Maclean, 2004)<br />Discussion - Chapter V<br />Improving the quality of life and the conditions under which a person live requires exposure to the origin and impact of thoughts. Given that most thinking is below the level of consciousness, people have to learn to recognize clues to cultivate an awareness of the thinking creating the feelings and actions, and begin to nurture new habits that will allow the Law of Attraction to materialize desired results. <br />Consciousness is the awareness of thinking, feeling, and doing. Impulses arising from the subconscious mind occur without awareness. Individuals become prone to react in a particular way to a particular situation or stimulus depending upon the predispositions in their subconscious mind. Unconscious, impaired choices and decisions create havoc and unhappiness in a person’s life. (sciencedaily.com/Brain Energy Use)<br />The conscious mind is the primary reality; through it, people perceive themselves and the world that surrounds them. When the individual is unhappy with results and experiences, it seeks to make sense of what is happening using a cause and effect approach by means of external information or facts to make sense of what has transpired while preserving its ego. It spends much of its time thinking about the past and the future creating reasons for its circumstance or what is or has happened. The idea that a person is responsible for the choices presents as a new concept for many, particularly for those who have been surrounded by negativity and the fated circumstances they were born into. Once a person recognizes that they have a choice in what they do or how they respond to what presents itself, it is at once liberating and then quickly followed by anger, fear, and guilt as the ego goes into overdrive to disprove the truth of it. (Rinchen, 1997)<br />Minimal attention has been given to people as creators of what they are experiencing or how their emotions, more often than not, are running the show. The uneducated, poorly educated, inadequately educated person has little concept that the mind below the surface, the subconscious, has permanently cataloged every thought, experience, and action with no regard for good, bad, right, wrong, appropriate or inappropriate responses to the present situation. The untrained mind does not realize that the unconscious is instinctive and freely associates information and as a consequence may be reacting to past event as if they are occurring in the present moment. Uncomfortable, sometimes hollow feelings and emotions continue to reoccur leaving the person feeling that they have little or no control over their life or what happens to them. They become resigned to their fate; feel helpless, disempowered and sometimes resentful of those who have more. Their life experiences become a cycle of never-ending disappointments. Their sense of well being becomes compromised and too often they feel that something is missing within them. (Church land, 1995)<br />The subconscious mind guards the human ego. It protects and defend the individual, to keep them safe and to distinguish them from everyone else. This can be readily demonstrated when an individual rationalizes reasons outside of themselves for their present circumstances, oblivious to the fact that they have choices, and are therefore responsible for what they do related to the circumstance they find themselves in. The subconscious gathers all information relating to the individual’s experiences and computes it to create a system that will protect the person. As a person learns and grows, much of the data in the subconscious no longer serves them. Unresolved emotions relentlessly cause problems because they remain active despite being out of date. Becoming aware of destructive emotions and releasing them is essential for growth and wholeness. Problems continue to occur because the subconscious has no ability to add, change, or modify the content it holds without conscious intervention and reprogramming. (bjp.rcpssych.org/Mind brain consciousness) <br />Once a person becomes aware of the negative thought energy they are carrying it becomes possible to eliminate it and replace it with beneficial energy. “It is as simple as noticing it and dismissing it with our minds. A thought enters our mind that we recognize as negative, we simply dismiss it. By dismissing negativity we take away its power by not allowing it to manifest further negativity in our lives.” (Palmer, 1995 ) <br />People can be taught to bring into conscious awareness the threatening thoughts, feelings, memories, wishes, and fears pushed out of consciousness by their defenses. Although it seems simple and the action itself is uncomplicated, the insidious and habitual nature of thought creates an ongoing challenge. The stronger the subconscious hold on a thought the more difficult it is to release. Once inner experiences are properly understood consciously, the person can begin to intentionally make better choices which will create better results. Just as more negative thinking engenders more negative thinking, the same is true of positive thinking. Whatever an individual pays attention to; they will always find more of. It is a matter of re-conditioning the mind to create belief systems that serves the person. (web-us.com/brain/theory conscience) There is a way out of self sabotaging thoughts, feelings and actions. The individual needs to begin clearing their mind of all unwanted thoughts and emotions. While changing the contents of mind is not easy, it is possible with intention and persistence. In order to not do something, or change subconscious content, the conscious mind has to create a better thought. A suggestion cannot impose itself on the subconscious mind against the will of the conscious mind. Using the intensity, frequency and prevalence of unpleasant emotions that create unwanted results begins the process of awareness and change that allows the Law of Attraction to bring abundance into the life of the individual. It Is a matter of retraining the mind. (Knapp, 2002) <br />I had the privilege of teaching non-traditional, lower-socio economic college students about the Laws of the Universe, particular the Laws of Attraction, Allowing and Thought as part of an entry level program on college and career skills at a proprietary college. The dean of students allowed me to create a new program in an effort to lower the dropout rate and increase student confidence in their ability to succeed. After laying the foundation for the course and its content the students viewed the movie, “The Secret” which was then dissected as part of critical thinking skills. Articles and research papers were assigned that dealt with Universal Laws and similar topics to enhance reading skills and ability to extract information and make arguments supporting or negating what they read. One of several challenges students were given was to create a positive self affirming statement. The purpose was two-fold. The first designed to improve public speaking confidence and the second to challenge and change self defeating thoughts about self. Each student was required to identify three or four qualities and characteristics outside their comfort zone that they inwardly wished they possessed. They were instructed to create a short and pithy, positive, present tense statement that gave them an internal boost when they considered the possibility of truth it held for them. They were also asked to create a mental image that matched the statement and to visualize that image whenever they silently recited their affirmation. They were further told to use any lapses in their ability to remember as possible subconscious blocking and to keep visualizing and or repeating their affirmation until they felt resistance fade. Students were instructed to listen their self talk and challenge the value of it when negativity about they wanted or felt crept or washed over them. Throughout the semester, twice a week each student was required to present their affirmation in front of the class. The rest of the class would provide input about the believability of what they said. Students became genuinely engaged and involved in helping each other and themselves to overcome any unpleasant or anxious emotions they might experience in front of their audience. Remarkably, by the end of the term changes in the way a student stood or spoke and presented themselves was markedly improved. quot;
We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act but a habit.quot;
(worldofquotes.com/ Aristotle) Of the approximately 100 students who participated in the course 90% went on to graduate. These students expressed excitement and gratitude about they learned and experienced. They became more confident in themselves and rather than becoming victims of their circumstance they became conscious creators of their futures. The students were given an exam using a summary of Universal Laws as a means to assess their learning, reading skills and critical thinking. The results were nothing short of amazing. A sampling of student work is presented in the appendices as they reflect the value the Laws can produce when there is awareness of their presence and application in one’s life.<br />Human beings have the capacity to lift their mind from wherever it may find itself. The mind can shift its attention from defeating thoughts to uplifting thoughts. Shifting thoughts gradually and incrementally is less of a struggle than trying to go in the complete opposite direction all at once. Incremental shifts in thinking create positive energy and improve what is being experienced, reinforcing confidence and building faith in self, not circumstance, ultimately transforming the direction of their lives. (Hicks, 2009, Vortex)<br />Thoughts redirected towards kindness and loving intention create a higher vibrational frequency and resonance with the true Self occurs. Thoughts that are pessimistic or with selfish intent transmit and multiply low energy. Moving intention in a spiritual direction, that is one of improvement, will always sustain a high vibratory level of consciousness. To avoid undesirable outcomes, individuals must learn to recognize and then control their thinking, especially when they are experiencing emotional stress. Stress and emotion are forms of thought energy which fuel the creation of the image being held in the mind. (buzzle.com/ An illuminating Connective Experience) “When thought is aligned with a person’s inherently divine nature, positive feeling is the result. When thought is in opposition or contradiction to one's inherently divine nature, negative feeling or emotion is felt.” (Knapp, 2002)<br />The decision to think and function in a positive mode is the first step in transforming energy to a higher level, raising its vibratory rate. Energy transmuted in this way attracts more positive energy, producing a snowball effect which assists in advancing the creation of a new, happier and more desirable future. Controlling thought energies is the difference between success and failure for the individual and can also affect those around them. When individuals become aware and make an active decision to improve how they are thinking, acting, and feeling they are contributing to the quality of life for themselves and those in their sphere of influence; they are allowing connection with their higher Self. When a person associates with and surrounds themselves with positive like minded people the energy evoked sparks imagination and everyday miracles occur. (Covey, 1989) <br />Mind is an energy force that has the ability to take any form instantly. It has the capacity to feed on itself. “As a thought or a feeling or an emotion it can express itself only as a mixture of matter and consciousness. Consciousness is the only spiritual basis of Existence; it is our true nature, the Self. Thus mind can be separated from Consciousness, and in fact this separation of spirit from the false identification with matter is the goal of human life.” (Broughton, 2005) In order to grow and become more, to understand one’s Self, fulfill dreams and accomplish the soul’s life purpose, bad information must be deleted from the mind, just as a bad programs must be eliminated from a computer to operate effectively. Ironically, the process of becoming enlightened requires help from the mind, regardless of how defiant and unwilling it might be in the beginning. Cultivating the habit of mindfulness requires being present in the moment. With awareness it allows the individual to intentionally plan and accomplish their actions and evaluate them through the vehicle of thought. (buzzle.com/The Separation of Mind and Consciousness) <br />To allow the Law of Attraction to work in our lives, the qualities of the mind must be engaged to change deep seated emotions and the habitual draining thoughts that preceded them. Even when there is difficulty controlling thinking because of intense emotional duress, taking any action in a more positive direction will immediately begin to change into something more positive and uplifting. Changing habitual patterns is hard work but not nearly as difficult as living an unfulfilled life. (Knapp, 2002)<br />Accomplishments are achieved by coming out of one’s ego driven comfort zone, taking calculated risks, and going after desires and dreams. Change can be intimidating and difficult no matter how good it may be. New habits require dedication and persistence to change the belief. Developing the skill of thinking and speaking about the self in a better way creates energy shifts that feed upon its self, generating affirmative emotions and actions that, with conscious intention, will produce the desired results. “Whatever we plant in our subconscious mind and nourish with repetition and emotion will one day become a reality.” (worldofquotes.com/Nightingale ) quot;
You affect your subconscious mind by verbal repetition.quot;
(worldofquotes.com /Stone) <br />Developing new thought patterns and habits of thinking allows energy to flow in a positive direction without resistance, generating intelligent, thoughtful behaviors that allow goodness to materialize and the spirit to expand. “Employing quot;
Habits of Mindquot;
requires a composite of many skills, attitudes cues, past experiences and proclivities. It means that we value one pattern of thinking over another and therefore it implies choice making about which pattern should be employed at this time.” When we draw upon our intellectual resources, the results that are produced through it are more powerful, of higher quality and greater significance than if we fail to employ those patterns of thoughtful behaviors which create the outcomes experienced. (instituteforhabitsofmind.com) <br />Individuals can become distinctly better people in this world. As a person becomes familiar with their internal world, they can connect to the gentle force and forgiving self. Focusing on the internal thought dynamics and asking, “Is it serving or harming?” can go a long way in attracting what is wanted. “We cannot expect the Law of Attraction to do for us what it can only do through us, and so we must use our intelligence with knowledge that it acting as an instrument of a greater intelligence.” (Marcum, 2007)<br />In order to become conscious of the spiritual power within and utilize its endless possibilities, human beings must pay attention to how they exchange their energy with everything around them. Energy can be constructive or destructive. Negative energy destroys, positive energy creates. “To understand God, one must first understand energy. Energy is a simple natural power vigorously exerted. Everything in the universe is comprised of energy – of positive and negative charges in constant motion. Today, with the advances in quantum physics, we realize everything in our reality is, in fact, comprised of energy in motion, including the chair in which you sit and the car that you drive. Our spirits are made of energy as well.” (Crenshaw, 2009)<br />When energy flows freely within and through and around us, when our energy is not obstructed or impeded or cut off or diminished by our ego driven human self we experience moments of wholeness and connection. Life is improved and self-motivated possibilities and capacities are manifested. The Law of Attraction will respond at its best when resistance is relinquished, allowing the grace and the power of the individual to actualize in a way that benefits self and all around them. (McArthur, 2007)<br />Powerlessness is the feeling that comes when a person feels they have little or no control over their life. People all over the world struggle on a daily basis to find comfort, connection, and a sense of completeness within themselves. The irony is that each of us is complete within ourselves. Life’s journey is about becoming one with Source. The challenges that life provides to each of us is the path to self discovery. Understanding how energy works, knowing that thoughts become things, and that emotions are a key to understanding and changing our reality is a gift each human being is worthy to receive.<br />“Life is like a classroom with lessons that allow you to advance and learn more about yourself and spiritual Truth. The lessons can be a smooth flow of progress or a difficult transition due to your reluctance to let go and be malleable to what the universe, fate, destiny, or God want you to do and learn. Just like school, if you fail the grade, you simply keep going through the same class until you finally pass the test. Yet that is the great thing about spiritual progress: You simply keep going until you make the grade, in how many ever years or lifetimes it takes. No one really fails; some just take it slower or need more time than others.” (Knapp, 2002)<br />Each of us has the ability to change our life’s course. Exposure to the Laws of Thought, Allowing and Attraction and connecting it to an individual’s life experiences can be a powerful tool to transform not only the individual, but the collective consciousness as well. Although exposure to the universal laws and spirituality has grown over the last several decades, it remains elusive to the mass population. Misidentification of who and what we really are in this world produces fear, suffering, and anxiety. As long as human beings believe their physical existence is their real identity and chase after happiness in the external world they will always feel a lack within themselves. Understanding how the universal laws work, implementing the teachings and improving thoughts moves each of us closer to our center. Bringing knowledge of the soul’s purpose and its connection to a higher power can diminish the misconceptions we have about ourselves, and bring us out of the false impression of separateness this world creates. <br />In the secular culture of which many people live, the connection between humanity and a higher power is discouraged and to be kept separate. If the metaphysician could develop and foster educational programs at the academic level in grade schools, high schools and universities in a non-secular way using thought energy as the vehicle, wouldn’t vibrational harmony for one and many be elevated? Would not the same irony the mind presents as inhibitor and facilitator of connection with Source be the same as cloaking the Source in the paradigm of secularism by presenting the connection with Source in a non-spiritual way using the more intellectual model of critical thinking skills combined with the quantum physics theory of energy? Could not each of us then come to the Source of our well being using our intellectual capacities? What vehicle can be created to move the teachings into structured educational systems already in place? If the mind can conceive it, it can be done.<br />Summary and Conclusions - Chapter VI <br />Through movies like The Secret and books by authors such as Esther and Jerry Hicks, Wayne Dywer and the like, many people have gained a basic understanding of the Law of Attraction. Simply defined, this universal law states that like attracts like and we create our reality through our thoughts and emotions. Every thought or emotion we have offers a vibration, and that vibration attracts the experienced reality and creates the world as we know it. Positive thoughts and emotions create positive life experiences, while negative thoughts and self limiting beliefs create negative, unwanted life experiences. <br />There is a link between spiritual and emotional well-being. Who and what we are is strongly tied to our beliefs of what is possible. In Zen, there is a saying, “Be master of mind rather than be mastered by mind.”<br />All thoughts and actions are based in an individual’s perception, reality and belief system. Because the human mind does not record things objectively everything that is seen, heard and felt is translated according to the current beliefs, emotional state, and previous experience and knowledge of the subject before it is stored in memory. Consequently, there is most often a discrepancy between what is actually happening and a person’s perception of what is happening which becomes an obstruction to achieving what is wanted. (Csikszentmihalyi, 1993)<br />Emotions drive decision making and behavior. Learning to recognize feelings, learning to pay attention to the self talk accompanying the emotion affords an opportunity to intentionally decide the next action. Just as a person has become conditioned to react to thoughtless decisions during emotional moments, with practice and intention, new habits can be formed and a person can develop a new conditioned response. (Viscott, 1996)<br />Change begins with awareness. Awareness begins with learning how a belief systems and emotional reaction can support or destroy what is desired. Beliefs are readily formed from emotional reactions. The emotions attached to the belief system reinforce the belief which may or may not be rooted in truth. Beliefs become stored when they initially occurred. Some remain in consciousness, but most are hidden in the subconscious. It is important to remember that most behavior is driven by unconscious motivators. When outcomes, desires and wishes are consistently thwarted, when pain rather than pleasure is a common phenomenon for a person, it is a warning sign that thinking is out of alignment with purpose. Emotional discord is always an indication that the vibrational energy of thought and knowing are out of synch. While negative thoughts drain energy and stifle creativity, positive thoughts empower, create higher energy, and allow innate creativity and abundance to flourish. Cultivating an awareness of recurring unpleasant emotions allows the individual the opportunity to pause and examine the veracity of the motivating thoughts in the present moment and consciously choose the next action. (Attwood)<br />Emotional wisdom is essential to a person’s well being; emotions are not always rational nor are they indicators of truth. Emotions are the chosen response to something which is based on the individual’s interpretation of the event clouded by their perception, ego, and subconscious life scripts. Learning to pay attention to self talk and emotions provides a space to make intentional choices. (Marcum, 2007) When conscious intention is ignited, the quality of thinking can be directed and improved, and individuals have the power to create their own grace. (Hicks, 2008, Vortex)<br />The first step to improving life circumstance is to become aware of belief systems interfering with what is wanted. As long as a mistaken conviction is present results are blocked and progress is at best short lived. The reality is that negative beliefs are rarely based in fact; more often than not they are based on misperceptions and outgrown beliefs connected to emotional distress stored away in the subconscious. These beliefs are rarely about what is occurring in the present moment. Subsequently reality becomes distorted and ultimately re-enforces the faulty belief(s) as the same outcomes, the same set of distressing emotions reoccur. ( Tolle, 1999)<br />Each person decides for themselves what is true for them. It is estimated that between 80% to 95% of the choices a person makes are occurring spontaneously based on emotions evoked from a faulty subconscious memory. Human beings are always making decisions, choosing either consciously or unconsciously to believe something as factual or not. Just as human beings can decide to accept something as true, they can also decide to disbelieve information. Habitual patterns of actions that do not serve are a direct result of faulty thought patterns. Learning how and why beliefs take shape, cultivating the habit of awareness when pleasant or unpleasant sensations trigger within gives the individual the power to consider beliefs and change or fortify them. (sciencedaily.com/ Brain Energy Use) Coming to know that unconscious messages have a powerful influence allows for the thought to be challenged, prompting the question, “Is this really true, right here and right now?” Once the unproductive thought is recognized it can be replaced with a better thought that is more aligned with the present self. <br />Understanding the science behind thinking combined with education can lessen emotional turmoil and distress creating a better life for people. People need to learn that all their power and ability lie in the present moment. They must come to understand that past thought and future thinking cloaked in fear become self fulfilling prophecies. Sensitivity to one’s own emotions in the present moment generates thoughtful and considerate choices. (emotional Resilience) “He who has conquered doubt and fear has conquered failure. Thought with purpose becomes creative force.” (Martin, 2007)<br />Most people trying for better life balance work hard to overcome the factors causing disparity. Efforts to overcome difficulty can inadvertently attract more of what isn't wanted. When a person focuses on overcoming something, the thought and emotional energy expended will bring more of what it is centered on. This is the Law of Attraction in action. It's commonly believed that achievements result from taking action and overcoming obstacles. This is true to a point, but it may be the least helpful way to achieve what one is after. The Universe functions on attraction, which means that what people achieve results more from the vibrations of their energy than their actions. (Hicks, 2008, Attraction)<br />A simple rule of thumb to determine state of consciousness can be to look at the feelings being experienced. When experiencing joy, all things seem right with the world, it is reasonable to believe you are in your higher self. When the experience is pain, hurt, sadness, aloneness, it is reasonable to assume you are in your lower, physically based ego driven self that has you believing you are independent from others. <br />Awareness of the thought is the critical first step to allowing wholeness and contentment to be felt within one’s self. “Errors in thinking are clearly evident if something is stopping you from achieving your dreams, if you are not at peace with yourself and others, if you experience problems in many of your relationships, if how your actions, responses, or thoughts is not getting you the results you want – then there is likely to be a glitch (a thought virus) in one of your programs.” (Palmer,1999.) When thought is in accord with divine nature of the soul, uplifting emotion is the result. When thought contradicts the divine nature of the soul, negative emotion is felt. 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