You are about to DISCOVER - the power of your subconscious mind to break through self-limitations and to whomever you want to help achieve their personal goals and lead a happy life.

In this lessons to follow you will learn how to be a Hypnotist and perform amazing and astounding feats of mind control that will make you the envy of your family & friends.

Now that you are stepping into a world of Hypnosis, let me take you back to the days when I ventured into this alien world. Listen carefully!!!

It all started when I was a 16-year-old kid when I first saw a stage show. I was literally mesmerized with what I witnessed. A dozen people all strangers, being instantly hypnotized.

In the HOT summer Sunday afternoon the hypnotist told a young man that he is in ice cold room, guess what, that young man started shivering, literally.

Then suddenly one man got up from the audience and said, "I have a problem with public speaking, and can Hypnosis help me?" What followed it totally mesmerized me. I was dump with SHOCK. This man who wasshivering when he was invited on stage, and in a matter of minutes, was transformed into an outstanding orator. He literally grabbed the mike and started speaking. My eyes popped out and jaws dropped, Wow!

I was bewildered; I couldn't come out of the shock for the next one week, what I witnessed that day.

How could this person have so much control over these people? He used the same language as we all do. But then how could these apparently sensible people have so easily succumbed to his charms?

The question that lingered in my mind for many weeks and months that followed is - Can anybody do that? Can I do that? Can I hypnotize someone just like that?

I DID. And when I did it for the first time. I was thrilled to no end. Today when I go down the memory lane in nostalgia, I still feel the 'FEELING' I felt when I Hypnotized for the first time. And I'm convinced you too can do that.

Mind you this was more than 3 decades ago. And that was the beginning of my journey into Hypnosis. In this following few weeks what you will learn, will change your life, for better. And mark my words you will help many people who may have some problem or the other like - public speaking, fear, phobia, negative thoughts etc.

I will hold your hand to take you STEP BY STEP into the journey of Hypnosis.

I know you are now itching, I know you want to learn it fast. And I can see, YOU CAN'T WAIT.

And I also know, you are now VISUALIZING how it feels when you HYPNOTIZE SOMEONE.

I am also waiting for you to write me about your experience when you hypnotize the first time.

So welcome again to the wonderful world of Hypnosis.

Introduction to Hypnosis

To the average man, 'Hypnosis' is a technique used only for mysterious purposes, by people with strange skills and special powers. Much of our perception and understanding of this science is a result of either wrong information, or absolutely no information.

Today, the most common source for knowledge of this subject are stage hypnosis programs on television.

Their primary purpose of these programs is to entertain and thereby make money, and therefore they don't seem to care about the importance of presenting the true nature of this science. Personally, I am not against this medium, but the sad part is that a lot of people refrain from trying out hypnosis because of the fear generated by these programs.

Hypnosis is a highly scientific process to program the subconscious mind to achieve unlimited success in life. Under Hypnosis, the mind and body are deeply relaxed, and the barrier between the conscious and subconscious minds is removed, thereby facilitating a high degree of communication between the two. In such a state, the subconscious mind becomes highly receptive to positive constructive suggestions, thus assisting us in achieving greater success, happiness and satisfaction.

Hypnosis employs the immense powers of the subconscious mind to bring about the desired changes in our lives. The subconscious mind does just what it is told to do, and in the process shapes our character and influences our behavior.

Children are highly susceptible to external suggestions, because their brain functions primarily in the frequency range where the subconscious mind is exposed and unprotected.

A subject that has often been misunderstood because of the shroud of mystery surrounding it, hypnosis is a science, which can be of immense value to us in the area of Human potential development. Acknowledged and approved as a legitimate therapeutic tool by the British Medical Association, the American Medical Association, and even the Vatican, hypnosis is widely used in the US, Europe, the former Soviet bloc countries and other developed nations. Practiced by Doctors, Psychiatrists, Dentists, Gynecologists, Social Workers and Business persons in their professional lives, the powers of hypnosis can also be employed by the general public for a number of purposes, from improving their health, to attaining their goals, to overcoming undesirable habits or phobias.

Hypnosis is one of the most valuable tools in the world today for the enrichment of our lives. With Hypnosis you can break undesirable habits, create desirable habits, and constructively deal with and resolve most of the human problems. You can also instill true happiness and replace unhappiness.

If all this is true, then why isn't everyone engaged in daily hypnosis? Lack of education and knowledge are the main reasons. Most people lack good knowledge and possess a great deal of misinformation about hypnosis.

The purpose behind this e-course is to remove the misconception and bring to light the true picture of hypnosis and its benefits. And in the chapters to follow you will learn everything about hypnosis help others and yourself for better living.

Hypnosis: Myths, Mysteries & Realities

Movies hype would have us believe that a hypnotist can control and direct our actions, and that we can be made to do all sorts of unimaginable things under hypnosis. Following is a list of some of these common myths, which must be clarified before we proceed

further.

The hypnotist can make you do things against your will.

Absolutely False. The hypnotist has no powers over you at all, and cannot make you do things against your will. All Hypnosis is really self-directed and self-controlled. The hypnotist merely guides you into a hypnotic state, and feeds your mind with carefully worded suggestions. If you feel uncomfortable with these suggestions, you may reject them at will. Hypnosis is essentially a matter of cooperation between the hypnotist and his subject, not some form of power the hypnotist possesses which will compel the subject to submit to his or her will.

Once under Hypnosis, one can't come out of the state on his own.

If you are under hypnosis and the hypnotist suddenly left the room, two things may happen. You will either realize that the hypnotist is no longer talking to you, and will open your eyes, feeling fresh and alert. Or, you may drift into natural sleep, in which case you will wake up after a few minutes (or hours). It means the person comes out of the trance on his own.

Only weak-minded people can be hypnotized.

False. Hypnosis has nothing to do with will power. People often confuse hypnotibility with gullibility. There is no connection between the two. On the contrary, the more intelligent a person is, the easier it is for him to be hypnotized. To be hypnotized, one needs the abilities of concentration, imagination and vivid visualization.

Under hypnosis, one can be made to reveal his secrets.

As mentioned above, under hypnosis, the subject is fully alert, in fact more alert than usual. The hypnotist can only guide the subject to remember forgotten memories. Whether the subject will reveal them to the hypnotist is entirely at his own discretion.

Hypnosis is dangerous.

Untrue. It is quite the opposite. Hypnosis is a safe and natural process. One fact that most people are unaware of is that we undergo Hypnosis several times in our daily lives.

One needs special powers to be hypnotized.

Any average person with the willingness and patience to learn, can master the skills of hypnosis. Like other skills such as playing the piano, or learning a foreign language, some people are "naturals", and become accomplished with little training while others can increase their abilities through regular practice. A good, confident voice is an advantage, but not a must.

The user might become dependent on hypnosis.

You cannot become dependent upon hypnosis because it has no physical effects on the body. However, many people look forward to their daily hypnosis exercises because they become totally relaxed and awaken refreshed.

Definition of Hypnosis:

Hypnosis (or Hypnotism) is the science of how the human mind functions. Hypnosis is an art, too, because, while there are a few widely accepted theories, hypnosis is the study and use of the Hidden Powers of the Mind.

Psychologists and Hypnotherapists from all over the world have different opinion on Hypnosis. Here I have put together some of the different definitions from respectable sources and professional who practice Hypnosis:

Webster's Dictionary (1876) defines hypnosis as:

1. A state that resembles sleep but is induced by a person whose suggestions are readily accepted by the subject.

2. Any various conditions that resemble sleep

The Skeptic's Dictionary:

Hypnosis is a process involving a hypnotist and a subject who agrees to be hypnotized. Being hypnotized is usually characterized by:

a. Intense concentration

b. Extreme relaxation

c. High suggestibility

Hypnosis is commonly used in behavior modification therapy to assist clients in overcoming phobias or bad habits.

A Dictionary of Psychology and Psychiatry:

Defines hypnosis as follows: "A superficial or deep trance state resembling sleep induced by suggestions of relaxation and concentrated attention to a single object. The subject becomes highly suggestible and responsive to the hypnotist's influence, and can be induced to recall forgotten events, becomes insensitive to pain in the hands of experienced hypnotherapist, gain relief from tensions, anxieties and other psychological symptoms." (Goldenson, 1984, Page 358).

1990 Grolier Encyclopedia: "Hypnosis refers to a state or condition in which the subject becomes highly responsive to suggestions. The hypnotized subject seems to follow instructions in an uncritical, automatic fashion and attends closely only to those aspects of the environment made relevant by the hypnotist. If the subject is profoundly responsive, he or she hears, sees, feels, smells, and tastes in accordance with the suggestions given.

Weitzenhoffer, 1953: "An artificially inducted state, usually (though not always) resembling sleep, but physiologically distinct from it, which is characterized by heightened suggestibility, and as a result of which certain sensory, motor and memory

abnormalities may be induced more readily than in normal state.

More briefly, hypnosis has been defined as follows:

"Altered state of mind; [Hilgard, 1965; Orne, 1959]

"A trance"; [Erickson, 1967]

"A controlled dissociated state", [West, 1960]

"Intensified concentration"; [Debetz & Sunnen, 1985;

Frankel, 1976; Spiegel & Spiegel, 1978]

"Concentrated Awareness"; [Morgan, 1983]

"Atavism"; [Meares, 1960]

"A non-state explainable by experimental and relationship

characteristics"; [Barber, 1969]

These are some of the widely used definitions for Hypnosis. But the most widely accepted definition is by Dave Elman -

"The bypass of the critical faculties and the establishment of selective acceptable ideas, concepts, and thought"

To sum it up:

Hypnosis is a state of mind that we use as a vehicle to communicate with the subconscious mind. In this state, the subconscious mind is more open and receptive to suggestions.

By combining the power of suggestion with the power of imagination in the hypnotic state, we create a powerful environment for change and growth. Conscious Mind - Subconscious Mind and their POWERS

The conscious mind is the LEFT BRAIN.

The subconscious mind is the RIGHT BRAIN.

Our conscious mind, the left brain processes information logically in straight line like 1,2,3,4,5,6 in a very organized manner. The left brain also controls our nervous system. The conscious mind is the place where we develop will power. And this is the function of the conscious decision making capability.

The subconscious mind or the right brain, on the other hand stores memory, organizes, recollects incidents and processes experience. The subconscious mind is creative and emotional.

Through physical movements, or behavior in response to an idea or thought in the mind, we can speed up or slow down our heart, and even alter the chemical balance in our body to fight off disease. If we attempt to create any change, it has to be done on the level of the subconscious mind where memory, programming and habits reside.

The two sides of the brain communicate with each other constantly, mixing logical, rational thoughts with the abstract and emotional, with emphasis in one hemisphere.

Mathematicians are generally left brain people. Artists are generally right hand brain. People of true genius know how to use both, greater resilience on the right brain.

What are the Functions of the Conscious Mind?

The conscious mind makes all our decisions. It analyzes information that we receive judges, accepts and rejects ideas and or suggestions.

What are the Functions of the Subconscious Mind?

Runs automatically all bodily functions - heartbeat, blood pressure, digestion and endocrine systems, etc. Stores all memory (Automatic behavior, i.e., habits, are also memory).

Acts out, automatically - without question or hesitation - any ideas, images or thoughts that are allowed in (akin to a computer executing a program).

The following chart outlines the current understanding of functions attributed to our two-part mind model:

Conscious Mind Subconscious Mind

1) Analyzes and evaluates sensory input 1) Takes actions without

Criticizes, judges, accepts, or rejects. questioning, analyzing or judging.

2) Processes information serially, 2) Capable of multitasking;

Runs only one issue at a time. All bodily functions.

3) Short-term memory. 3) Long-term memory.

4) The seat of willpower. 4) The seat of habits.

5) Understands humor, sarcasm, 5) Literal. Does not understand innuendo and negation. humor, sarcasm, innuendo and negation.

6) Slow and imprecise. 6) Quick and accurate.

7) Eager to try and learn new things. 7) Slow to change.

8) Ego, self-importance. 8) Self-preservation mechanism

9) Past - Present - Future. 9) Singular time frame: Now

10) Logic, reasoning and rational 10) Seat of emotions. Decision-making.

11) Awareness 11) Unawareness

Are you LEFT or RIGHT Brain? An easy test.

There is a simple test you can take to determine if you are a left-brain or right brain person.

Try this to find out...

Interlock your fingers and thumbs, as if you are going to pray. After you this, read the next paragraph. However don't read ahead until you interlock your fingers.

Now that your fingers and thumbs interlocked, look at the position of your thumbs.

If your left thumb is on top, you are a right-brain person. And if your right thumb is on top, you are a left-brain person.

Why? Your right brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa. The dominant hemisphere of your brain will always take charge.

What do you know about Hypnosis?

For your amusement and education, please take a moment to answer the following quiz.

(Circle True or False)

1. Hypnosis is a paranormal, supernatural phenomenon. T F

2. Hypnosis is sleep. T F

3. A hypnotized person has a weak willpower and surrenders to the strong will of the hypnotist. T F

4. Hypnotized people involuntarily reveal secrets. T F

5. Relaxation is not necessary for hypnosis. T F

6. People cannot get stuck in hypnosis and never emerge. T F

7. Hypnotized people do not remember what happened during the session. T F

8. People of certain personality types are more likely to be hypnotized. T F

9. Hypnosis can enable people to perform impossible feats of strength, endurance and sensory acuity. T F

10. Hypnosis is not dangerous. T F

11. Responding to hypnosis is responding to a placebo. T F

12. Only about 33% of all people are hypnotizable. T F

13. A person's ability to enter the state of hypnosis depends on the technique used and the skill of the hypnotist. T F

14. How many hypnotists does it take to change a light bulb?

The correct answers to the above quiz in the next part of this e-course.

You can watch and learn All the POWERFUL TECHNIQUES of Hypnosis with demonstrations in my Home Study Video Course that can make you a Master Hypnotist.

The Power of the Subconscious Mind

Your subconscious mind is far more powerful than your conscious mind. By learning how to train and use your subconscious mind you will be able to control your behavior, break bad habits, get rid of unwanted emotions and fix your belief system.

To use the power of your subconscious mind you must first know how the subconscious mind works. The subconscious mind has many rules that govern it. The following is an explanation of each of these rules:

Rules of the Subconscious Mind

The subconscious mind does not differentiate between visualizations and real situations: Have you been to a horror movie lately? If you have, then you must have noticed how your pulse raced in fear and horror despite facing no real danger.In simpler words because your subconscious mind does not differentiate between real and imagery situations it assumed that you are facing a real threat rather than an imagery one. Suppose you had to give a presentation. If you properly visualized your presentation a couple of times before you actually gave it then your subconscious mind will believe

that you've performed so well in your previous 'presentations' and as a result you might do well in the real presentation

Your subconscious feels that time passes faster: Have you ever wondered why time always seems to fly whenever you're doing something interesting? It's because you don't keep looking at your watch every few minutes. Something you would have probably done if you were in a situation where you were feeling bored. Because the subconscious mind doesn’t have a sharp sense of time you'd feel like you've hardly spent any time while doing a joyful activity. The same happens when you fall asleep. When you go to sleep your conscious mind becomes dormant while your subconscious mind stays awake. That’s why time passes quickly while you are unconscious.

The longer the subconscious mind believes something, the harder will it be to alter this belief in any way: If you have a longstanding belief it will definitely be more difficult to alter it than a recently formed one.

Every thought causes a physical reaction: If you thought that you are going to perform badly in a presentation then your pulse and breathing rate will start to race as soon as you start talking. These physical changes are caused by that one thing; the belief or the thought.

What you expect tends to be realized: If you are sure that you are going to fail an exam then you will indeed fail even if you have all what it takes to succeed. Your thoughts and expectations serve as the master plan for your subconscious mind. So whenever you think of something your subconscious mind will do its best to make it come true.

Finding proofs to your beliefs strengthens them:If you believe that you were not good-looking and someone made a remark confirming your suspicion you will probably believe even more that you are not good looking.

The subconscious mind always prevails in conflicts with the conscious one:: If you are achluophobic (afraid of the dark) and you passed into a dark room you will definitely feel afraid and anxious even if you tried to consciously convince yourself that there is nothing to be afraid of. This happens because the subconscious mind is more powerful than the conscious mind.

An idea, once accepted, will remain firmly in place until it is replaced by another: For example, up until the fifteenth century people believed that the earth was flat. When it was proven that the earth was a round the people of that time simply accepted this new fact replacing the old belief with the new one.

The greater the conscious effort the lesser the subconscious response: This can be best explained by the example of someone who suffers from insomnia(inability to sleep). Consciously trying to sleep will only make this person even more awake. By avoiding conscious effort and thinking of anything else instead he will find it easier to sleep

Suggestions can be used to "program" the subconscious mind: This is the main idea behind hypnosis. Namely sending suggestions to the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind accepts all suggestions that are sent to it provided that the conscious mind's supervision is absent. For more information on that make sure you check the hypnosis section

Conscious vs Subcoscious Mind

What is the conscious mind?

The conscious mind is the part of your mind that is responsible for logic and reasoning. If i asked you about the sum of one plus one it's your conscious mind that is going to be used to make that addition.

The conscious mind also controls all the actions that you do on intention while being conscious. For example, When you decide to make any voluntary action like moving your hand or leg it is done by the conscious mind.

So whenever you are aware of the thing you're doing you can be confident that you are doing it by your conscious mind. If currently there is a cup of coffee beside you and you decided to take a sip then all of this process will be done by your conscious mind because you were 100% conscious while doing it.

The conscious mind is also known to be the gate keeper for the mind. If someone tried to present you with a belief that doesn't match your belief system then your conscious mind will filter that belief. The same will happen when someone criticizes you or call you names.

If for example, someone told you that you are "dumb" your conscious mind will filter this statement and let you realize that you are not really dumb.

What is the subconscious mind?

The subconscious mind is the part of your mind responsible for all of your involuntary actions. Your breathing rate and heart beats are controlled by your subconscious mind.

If you started to control your breath on intention then know that your conscious mind took charge while if you were breathing without being conscious of the breathing process then know that your subconscious mind is in charge.

Your emotions are also controlled by your subconscious mind. That's why you sometimes might feel afraid, anxious or down without wanting to experience such a feeling.

Your subconscious mind is also the place where your beliefs and memories are stored. That's why affirmations make no sense and can never improve your beliefs. Affirmations are done on a conscious level and are always filtered by the subconscious mind because they usually don't match your belief system.

The right way to change a limiting belief is to convince the conscious mind logically to accept it so that it can pass to the subconscious mind and reside there. (see How to change limiting beliefs)

How to use the conscious and the subconscious mind together

There is a simple exercise that you can do in order to perfectly understand the difference between the conscious and the unconscious mind.

I want you now to start controlling your breathing rate as if you are going to apply a relaxation technique. While you were controlling your breath your conscious mind was in charge.

Now stop controlling your breath and let it flow naturally. When you forget about this exercise you will notice how your subconscious mind returns your breathing rate back to its norms.

In order to achieve personal growth the best thing you can do to yourself is to understand how both the conscious and the unconscious mind work together and then take advantage of their combined power.

One great example that explains how both can be used together is how emotions can be controlled. Since emotions are triggered by the unconscious mind its impossible to stop them but knowing that the conscious mind processes thoughts, which are the primary trigger for emotions, you can easily control your thoughts and in turn your emotions.

The subconscious mind:

Think of the subconscious mind as the storage room of everything that is currently not in your conscious mind.

The subconscious mind stores all of your previous life experiences, your beliefs, your memories, you skills, all situations you've been through and all images you've ever seen.

The best way to understand the subconscious mind is to look at the example of the person who wants to learn how to drive a car. At the beginning he wouldn't be able to hold a conversation with anyone while driving as he would be focusing on the different moves involved. That's because he's still using his conscious mind to drive.

The subconscious mind; your Autopilot!

Few weeks later driving becomes a natural habit that happens automatically without needing to think about it. That person could even start using his cell phone or talking to his friends while driving.

This happened because the driving habit has been transferred to his subconscious mind and so the conscious mind becomes free. This allowed him to use it to talk in his cell phone.

The subconscious mind is responsible for the automatically triggered feelings and emotions that you suddenly experience upon facing a new situation. If you were about to give a presentation then all the fear and anxiety feelings you might experience are in fact launched and controlled by your subconscious mind.

The conscious mind is, on the other hand, responsible for logic, calculations and all actions that are performed while you are conscious. The subconscious mind also controls other functions in your body like breathing and heart beats.

Another good example that can help you better understand the subconscious mind is the process of breathing. Before you started reading the previous line your breathing was controlled by your subconscious.

I want you now to try and control your breathing for one minute. You will be able to do so of course. This time it was the conscious mind that was controlling your breathing,but when you let go of your focus your subconscious mind will takeover again.

How you can you program your subconscious mind

When the information about driving is stored into your subconscious mind it's stored as a program. Think of your mind as a computer and the driving information as software that can be run automatically whenever needed.

The same goes for lots of other activities and emotions. If someone annoyed you the installed program of anger is going to be launched and the result will be a behavior that you may regret later.

By programming the subconscious mind with new programs you can fix many problems in your personality. Just make sure that your autopilot is capable of running your system without ruining your life or causing you any problems.

Programming your subconscious can be done through hypnosis. The subconscious mind learns by repetition and not by logic. This is why you can convince someone to believe in something by repeating your argument again and again rather than using logic.

Rules of the subconscious mind

In order to best use the power of your subconscious mind you must first know how the subconscious mind works. The subconscious mind is governed by many rules. Learning about these rules will allow you to make the best use out of your subconscious mind with the least effort.

Ego defense mechanisms

Just like your body has got its defenses against physical wounds and injuries your subconscious mind has got its defenses against emotional shocks and wounds.

These are called ego defense mechanisms or unconscious defense mechanisms. The ego defense mechanisms' main function is to protect your well-being and to help you overcome emotional shocks.

The subconscious mind and forgetting about someone

The main reason people stay broken after breakups is that they have false beliefs about relationships stored in their subconscious minds. But by getting rid of beliefs like "the one" or "the soul mate", it can help you forget about anybody in a few days.

As soon as someone gets rid of these beliefs he will realize that he can one day find another person who replaces the one who left him and so recovery happens.

Using your conscious and subconscious mind together

The conscious and the subconscious mind can make a great team if you used them together. The first can handle some tasks then assigns them to the second while the second can send feedback and messages about the task in the form of emotions to the first.

Emotions are no more than messages sent by your subconscious mind in order to notify you about something.

By learning how to make the best use of the cooperation between your conscious and subconscious mind your life skills will improve and you will have much more control over your emotion

What Are Ego Defense Mechanisms?

When you accidentally injure yourself your body automatically begins several healing processes with the aim of restoring your body to its original healthy state.

But what if you were emotionally hurt? What if you faced a sudden shock or a tremendous amount of stress? What if your anxiety becomes more than you can handle? What if you lost a close person?

Just like your body has defenses against physical wounds and injuries it also has its defenses against emotional shocks and wounds. These mechanisms are called "Ego Defense Mechanisms" or "Unconscious Defense Mechanisms".

Ego Defense Mechanisms:

The following is an explanation of each of the ego defense mechanisms:

Denial: Denial is the act of refusing to acknowledge the presence of the threat or the occurrence of the unpleasant event. Examples of denial would be refusing to acknowledge the death of a person or questioning the qualifications of the doctor who diagnosed the disease. The problem with denial is that it blocks the road to acceptance. You won’t be able to get over that event until you first accept it.

Displacement: Displacement is transferring or discharging your emotions on a less threatening object. For example, shouting at your children or having a fight with your neighbor right after your boss shouts at is an example of displacement. You are angry at your boss but you are shouting at your kids instead. If your displacement ego defense mechanism gets fired then try to control yourself a bit and then work on identifying your real enemy. Don’t attack innocent people just because someone you can't harm has emotionally hurt you.

Repression: Repression is the complete memory loss of a painful event. In this case, your subconscious mind doesn’t want you to remember what happened because it may negatively affect your mood.

Projection: Projection is throwing the blame for the unwanted event upon others. For example saying that you failed an exam because the teacher is a racist.

Rationalization: Rationalization is the act of rationalizing your wrong actions and creating a self serving explanation for what you did. Saying “I have the right to cheat in the exam because the lessons weren’t well explained” is a basic example of rationalization.

Suppression: Avoiding thinking about the unwanted event and burring it deep. Suppressed emotions can result in mood swings that come out of nowhere and in severe depression. In my book In my book, The ultimate guide to getting over depression i explained how ignoring your problems and allowing them to accumulate can be the primary source for depression. Some people face problems as soon as they encounter them while others bury them deeply in their subconscious minds or throw them behind their backs. When they do so their subconscious minds usually responds back with depression.

Sublimation: Sublimation is satisfying your socially unacceptable needs in a socially accepted way. For example becoming a boxer in order to satisfy your hidden need for violence.

Regression: Regression is returning to a previous state of development. Crying instead of taking actions to solve your problems means you have returned to the stage of childhood.

Identification: By identifying with something or someone else you can increase your sense of self-worth. Saying that a famous singer is a friend of yours can make you feel good about yourself

Undoing: This means trying to fix your mistake, like sending a SMS to apologize to a friend you've recently had a fight with.

Fantasy: It's pretty much self-explanatory. Imagining yourself beating up your boss with a chair after he shouts at you is a perfect example of fantasizing

Reaction Formation: Taking actions that are the opposite of your real desires, like for example greeting one of your enemies warmly just to show that you don’t hate him.

Humor: Looking at the funny side of a situation can help you forget about the real problem.

Compensation: Hiding your weaknesses by acting as a beacon of strength; saying something like “I'm never scared” after watching a horror movie.

Affiliation: Affiliation is to seek the help of another person in getting over your problem.

Dissociation: Dissociating yourself from reality is another famous defense mechanism

So, Are Ego Defense Mechanisms Effective?

Sometimes they are healthy and sometimes not. Some of them can help you, while others can make the problem even worse; whenever possible, try to consciously detect the presence of the defense mechanism and see if it is really beneficial or not.

If you find that it is not beneficial then try to avoid it or use a better one.

How to change limiting beliefs

How to change limiting beliefs?

Limiting beliefs wont only force you to live below your potential but they can ruin your life completely. Limiting beliefs are usually disguised in the form of real beliefs and that's why spotting them is sometimes really hard.

In this article i will tell you how to change limiting beliefs so that you can reach your full potential and live a better life.

Steps to change limiting beliefs

The following step will help you change any limiting belief:

Admit the presence of the limiting belief: There is no way on earth you can change a limiting belief before you admit that you carry it in your belief system. Some people insist that life is unfair and that they are not lucky then wonder why can't they succeed. The first step to changing limiting beliefs is to admit that they are wrong even if you don't have a proof yet

Beware of your mind's tricks: Limiting beliefs are usually well hidden in the belief system and in addition your mind will play some tricks to make them less visible. Self deception is one of the most common tricks your mind can use to bury a limiting belief further in your belief system. For example a belief such as i don't have time to socialize can only be present just to prevent you from examining your beliefs about your ability to socialize and make friends.

Beware of the mind's bias: Once you locate a limiting belief you must pay attention to your mind's bias towards that belief. Your mind will always keep collecting evidence that supports its existing beliefs even if some of them were wrong and that's why changing a limiting belief might appear so difficult. Monitor your self talk closley so that you can spot this bias and eliminate it when needed

Attempt to prove the opposite: That's the hardest and the most important step in changing a limiting belief. This step involves trying to prove the exact opposite of the belief by going against it. For example if believe that all people hate you then its time to develop your social skills and get to know new people until you find some people who like you. Its not as easy as it sounds but if you did it you will change your limiting belief forever.

Why you should change limiting beliefs

Most of the psychological problems people face are rooted in limiting beliefs!! It’s a conditioning of the mind which has become so ingrained in their psyche that it’s difficult to eradicate. Difficult but not impossible. It’s essential to tackle the beliefs at the very root levels, so as to enable a person to live upto the full potential of his life.

Self confidence can be built by just changing your beliefs about your abilities and skills.

Trust issues can be fixed by changing limiting beliefs that you acquired as a result of being mistreated in your past.

Self image issues can be fixed by removing the incorrect limiting belief you formed about your looks long ago.

The list goes on and on. Practise the steps for how to change your limiting beliefs, for a few days with dedication, and you will live a much better life.