Chapter 9 – The New Edge (Brain Nutrients)

Program Modification – Redesigning The Self

Performing serious brain surgery on yourself with pen and paper

We come now to the closing of the book. This section on subconscious psychology will be the final presentation on advanced technologies for the mind. I organized it to be part of the last chapter in order to wrap up our discussion. In the very beginning of the book, I mentioned passion to be the critical motive force behind our endeavours. Although the concept was touched upon, it was not investigated with very much depth. The reason was that I wanted to show you all the tools first, before teaching you how to acquire the motivation to use them. Now that you know the what, when, where, and how of peak mental performance, it is time to know the why behind it all.

The Subconscious

A Mind Within

Perhaps you are already itching to try out some of the advanced techniques. On the other hand, perhaps you are still undecided about taking action. In our chapter on military strategy, we designed our master battleplan, and within it we defined our ultimate goals, and our reasoning behind why we needed to achieve them. In a similar vein, motivation for any activity stems from the fact that our subconscious minds believe that it is in our best interests to undertake certain tasks, or adopt certain attitudes. Evolution, and the survival instinct, has endowed us with this subconscious intelligence so that we have a fundamental guidance in our lives. Regardless of the activity, deep down we believe that whatever we are doing will ultimately benefit us. Even if certain tasks seem harmful, we believe subconsciously that they are the best possible choices to take, given our circumstances.

Without going into technical details in the science of psychology, suffice to say that our subconscious acts in our best interests by minimizing harm, and maximizing safety. In other words, we try to avoid pain, and embrace pleasure. An important point to take note of is that the pain and pleasure can take either physical or psychological form. That is, we can suffer actual physical pain as in stubbing our toes against a door, or suffer emotional hurt from someone slamming a door in our face. In fact, physical pain is relatively easy to identify. It is obvious, and explicit. Few people have trouble recognizing physical danger and harm. The complicated part is figuring out the emotional aspect. It is not as easy to identify and deal with psychological danger. Our minds are equipped with highly developed psychological defense mechanisms that are constantly at work minimizing the damage to our psyche from daily experiences. In effect, we are relying on these innate psychological defenses to keep us functioning properly. It is actually a very precarious situation indeed. Every stimulus or experience we encounter has the potential to either empower or depower us. Most of the time we go through life without regard for this background process, and throw ourselves to the winds of chance encounters. We hope that our personalities will somehow be strong enough to deal with the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune.”

Strength of character will indeed protect us. That is why people who have gone through more trials and tests in life are more successful at dealing with crisis and pressures in the face of danger. But strength of character takes time to develop. Most training comes to us haphazardly via trial and error. It has been said that success comes from the ability to make good decisions; good decisions are a result of experience; and experience comes by way of mistakes! Even people who deliberately train their characters through controlled experiences, such as the wilderness survival courses offered the world over by the Outward Bound schools, have to endure great physical and mental demands over a significant period of time. One does not overnight become a fully-armoured cyborg. However, in addition to real-life experience, we can conscientiously boost our character strength and will by way of inner psychological work that we perform on our subconscious minds.

Two Masters of the Mind

Freud and Pavlov

The existence of the subconscious mind was first suggested by the great Sigmund Freud, the father of all subconscious (or unconscious) psychology. He believed that there was a “hidden” part of us that acts without our conscious knowledge, and in fact was the key determinant of our destinies. Unfortunately, Freud was rather much the proverbial pessimist. He did not believe that people could change their destinies, and the totality of their lives was centred entirely on childhood experiences.

In another branch of psychology, we encounter the proponents of conditioning. These psychologists believe that all animals can be conditioned by associating a natural reaction to an artificial stimulus. For example, Pavlov showed us how dogs could be made to salivate upon hearing the ring of a bell. Conditioning denies to a large extent the existence of the mind, whether subconscious or not. Subconscious, and conditioning, psychology seem to be diametrically opposed. One stresses the power of the subconscious mind, while the other builds its theory simply on innate animal instinct. However, I consider both views equally valid, and we can use these powerful psychological theories to our advantages. When I refer to the “subconscious” I will mean, in the context of this section, the part of us which operates in the “background,” and which can be affected either by intelligent design or simple instinctive reaction.

Integrated Circuits

Modifying Conditioned Responses

We can peform “modifications” on our subconscious in several ways. For starters, we can extract our subconscious feelings into the open, analyze them, and redefine them consciously. This takes considerable effort and much psychoanalytical work. Another possibility is to design a conscious plan that is so compelling, that it evokes an emotional response from us, typically fear or passion, and induces the subconscious to operate towards the achievement of that goal. Finally, we can apply conditioning principles to manage our emotional states by creating conscious links to objects or experiences. In a sense, revamping our “response matrix.”

Let us look at the latter method. It is the simplest to implement, yet perhaps not the simplest to understand. The theory, however, requires merely that we associate a certain basic natural response such as hunger, fear or joy, to an artificial stimulus, or cue. This process actually happens to us on a daily basis. We learn to associate the sound of a police siren or fire alarm with the possibility of danger, and thus we elicit a fear and alert reaction whenever we hear these sounds. Likewise, most people are conditioned to associate commercial produts such as Coca-Cola with joyful and exciting states of emotion, through the presentation of images of people having fun when they are drinking Coca-Cola. The method of association can either be conscious, or subconscious. We can be aware of the association, as in the usual television commercial, or we can be oblivious to the attempt at conditioning. If the latter, the process is referred to as subliminal programming. We can thus be influenced regardless of our knowledge about the attempts. A classical example of subliminal programming is in the form of the story about a New Jersey theatre owner who flashed the words “Drink Coca-Cola” on the screen during a movie, and enjoyed a 58 per cent increase in sales of the drink over a six-week period.19 It is a tenacious existence indeed, when we realise that we are exposed every second to stimuli with the potential to be associated with certain states of mind within us.

Thus far, the ability to be conditioned seems to resemble more of an Orwellian psychological nightmare than anything else. On the contrary, it was probably a survival trait. If our ancestors learned to associate the potential of injury or death with specific cues related to danger, and the possibility of food with its respective cues, their chances of continued existence would be greatly increased, especially since the conditioned reaction is provided in an instant, without the delays of rationalization. On the other hand, conditioning can become maldaptive. People with phobias, or unreasonable fears about certain things, have learned to associate panic and discomfort with specific conditions or items. This unfortunate phobic reaction was probably formed during early childhood. Therapists treat phobics by exposing them to the fear-producing stimuli under controlled conditions. However, it is not an easy task, for the conditioned stimulus is able to produce states of mind in the person even without the original conditions that evoked the emotional response in the first place. In other words, the person who fears large bodies of water can experience panic even if they are on dry land, and totally safe, because of a childhood experience of drowning. The panic they experience is bad enough to be self-sufficient and serves to maintain the phobic reaction. Likewise, cigarette smokers have associated the act of smoking initially with peer approval, and yet as time progresses, they elicit emotional reactions of relaxation and luxury by smoking (encouraged, no doubt, by the myriad of cigarette advertisments that induce such links).

If we, as cyborgs, need to modify our internal processing, we must apply proper conditioning to maximize beneficial mind states, and minimize maldaptive ones. We achieve this by consciously envisioning a specific mental image, whenever we want to associate a certain cue to that emotion. The key here is the subjective emotion we feel in the mental image. We associate emotions to cues. For example, if we want to reduce our smoking, we must associate the physical cue of holding a cigarette, or drawing on the cigarette, with a totally horrible and disgusting emotion such as that experienced while on the verge of vomiting. Some of my friends have successfully cut down, or eliminated altogether, their smoking by inducing themselves to vomit (using some very ingenious ways, I might add!) whenever they felt the desire to smoke. Conscious and rational modification of your conditioned links requires a lot of good planning, patience while the links are being modified, and faith in the results. As surely as your knee will jerk when hit properly, your conditioned responses will be modified eventually. The actual duration depends on the severity of the link, and the amount of emotion involved. People can become phobically sensitized to certain cues by a single traumatic event. Others become programmed to do certain things out of the accumulated reinforcement of daily habit.

Please go now, and write down a list of all the conditioned responses in your life that you can think of, and pick the ones you need to modify or eliminate. This is no easy task. Because of their hidden nature, conditioned links are sometimes hard to fathom. But take your time, and over the next few days write down all the links you can think of. Then devise new links for them, and recondition yourself. The cigarette-smoking example above is probably something that a lot of people may want to attempt. In order to make it most effective, you should create very specific and vivid mental images. While suffering from the physical discomfort, really feel in your mind the every nuance of smoking, really feel each breath you draw, and the pressure between your fingers of the cigarette filter. The keys to effectiveness are frequency of association, attention to detail, and magnitude of emotional response.

Prime Directives – Modifying Our Programming

On-site upgrades for the software in your brain

The next method of subconscious programming that I want to discuss is related to simple conditioning. This time, we will look at a more rational and thought-out way of modifying our internal behavior.

Recall that our subconscious can be influenced by external conditions. Although we usually think of external events as comprised of experiences, we can also modify our internal programming by conscious and rational thought. We do this by creating a compelling rationale for doing something, and this will create the appropriate emotional reaction to induce our subconscious to awaken to the new directive. When both our conscious and subconscious minds are focussed on a certain objective, there’s no stopping us.

To begin, we must identify an objective, and the reasons why we must achieve it. If the reasoning is not adequate, we will not be subconsciously compelled to achieve that objective. No matter how much logic is involved, if we are not emotionally aroused by the idea, we will not likely take adequate action to see to its fruition. The subconscious is performing its energy-saving functioning. In effect, it is telling us to take it easy, and really think about whether or not it is absolutely necessary we embark on a certain course of action. Most people stop at this stage, and don’t exhaust the train of thought. Unless you believe that it is absolutely necessary you do something, chances are you probably won’t do it.

Take a writing instrument and some lined paper, or fire up your word-processor. Now, referring to your master battleplan, write down your BigT and/or any other objective. Perhaps you feel that you are sufficiently empowered and compelled to achieving your BigT already. In that case, pick an objective that you’re not that sure about. The best way of identifiing these objectives are seeing which ones you’ve been procrastinating or putting-off. Perhaps it’s a specific assignment you have to complete, or a client you have to confront.

Now write down, with as much detail as possible, the reasons why you have to achieve this objective. Be very specific, and through. Exhaust completely the line of questioning. When you are finished, write down the consequences of not achieving the objective. Again, be precise in your language.

Now, looking at the results of the latter exercise, imagine what your life would be like in exactly one year from now, if you did not perform your task. Where will you be? What kind of person will you be viewed as? Will you be happy? Above all, write down the level of possibility of fixing the mistake. As long as your mind believes that you can still do something to change the consequences of non-action, it will not be totally compelled to take action. When you are finished with projecting ahead one year, repeat the exercise for a projection of five years, and then ten years. Really think about all the things that can happen because you were “lazy” now. If you are not going to your classes as often as you really should, think about the consequences of not being qualified for a well-paying job in the future. Think about all the hardships you will have to endure because of this. Perhaps you won’t be able to support yourself, or you will be unable to help your loved ones financially. What if your spouse, or a member of your family, needed money for an operation? What if you could not give your children a proper education? What if you had to perform monotonous and menial tasks all your life just to get by? This exercise in future projection is not futile and irrelevant. It will become your reality, if you continue on your present trajectory. You are doing yourself a favour now, by time-travelling into the future, and placing yourself in the upcoming situation. If you find that your future self would probably have much cause for regret, be thankful that you are still in the here and now, and that you can do something about it all. Do not neglect this very important mental exercise.

When you have finished with this powerful session, take your master battleplan and modify it. Reconsider objectives and methods. Streamline the plan by eliminating the unnecessary.

The Subliminals

Beyond The Limits

Striking up a conversation with the “little voice” inside us Scientists have determined that there is a “threshold” between the conscious and subconscious minds. Above this threshold, stimuli are perceived by the conscious mind. Below it, the information is processed only by the subconscious. By targetting information at the level just below the threshold of perception, the subconscious mind can be optimally influenced. This can be achieved in the form of visual images flashed at fractions of a second, a speed too fast for the conscious mind to perceive, yet slow enough for the subconscious to acknowledge. Information can also be in an audio form, by presenting it just below the threshold of conscious hearing. Most subliminal products on the market today use either of these two methods. Unique are those that utilize both.

The value of subliminals is that it provides a direct “gateway” into your subconscious mind. Analogous to the computer programmer who can edit the program listing directly, we now have the technology to edit the core “program” of a person. Subliminals implant specific beliefs into your subconscious mind. The process is direct. You are “rescripting” your internal dialogue without the time and effort involved in the above mental exercises. When your subconscious mind receives the new information, it will adopt the new beliefs. The important point to note is that the subconscious mind cannot differentiate between reality and fantasy. The responsibility of identifying reality falls on your conscious mind. However, when the subconscious is rescripted, it will induce the conscious mind find reasons for its beliefs. In other words, whatever your subconscious mind believes is true, your conscious mind will evoke action to prove that the subconscious is correct.

To take an example, if you subconsciously believe that you are a failure, you will have the paradigm of constantly seeing bad luck happen to you. On the other hand, if you believe that you are a successful person, you will find that you can identify numerous examples that support your belief. Think of the subconscious mind as a filtering system, through which you perceive life. But filtering isn’t the only thing the subconscious does. If you believe, for example, that you are successful, then that affects your self-esteem and your confidence. If you are confident about yourself, you will take intelligent risks, and dedicate yourself to achieving your goals. However, if you lack the belief that you are able to do the job, you will not have enough confidence to keep you going when you run into difficulties. As a result, you may abandon your projects. In this manner, you are perpetuating a self-fulfilling prophecy: Once you believe you cannot do something, you will stop your attempts, and ultimately prove yourself correct. It has been said that whether you believe you can or cannot, you are correct.

To summarize, subliminal programming cuts through the conscious pathways and accesses directly your subconscious mind. In effect, your subconscious paradigms are restructured. By doing so, it provides your conscious mind the fundamental beliefs it requires to prove the subconscious correct. In this manner, you will be internally and intrinsically motivated. People who have reservations about the possibility of deliberate manipulation of the subconscious mind should take note of the irrational behaviours of millions of people who daily smoke or otherwise perform activities detrimental to good health. Remember, the combination of proper subliminal programming and conscious mental work will guarantee maximization of self-confidence and secure your total success. There are many subliminal products available commercially. Uses range from cigarette smoking reduction, to stress management, to higher brain function. Because the quality of subliminal products is virtually impossible to ascertain by the general consumer, there are unfortunately a lot of subliminals that don’t work. As a result, they can contribute to decreased public confidence in the effacy of subliminal technology. However, I firmly believe that subliminals are powerful, and when properly executed can help even the most unmotivated individual to succeed.

The only ways in which a person can rate subliminal products currently on the market, are through word of mouth by satisfied customers, and by looking at the manufacturer. Promising attributes include a large scale of operation, and a considerable length of time the firm has stayed in business. However, the best yardstick is still customer testimony.

I do not profess that they are the best manufacturer for subliminals on this planet, but Zygon International seems to put out very high quality products. I have had the best results from their material, compared with the technology from other companies. Their information is listed in Appendix B.

Your subconscious is being bombarded by subliminal influence every day, from a multiple of sources. It is your responsibility to put a check on the amount of randomness you allow this bombardment. By using subliminals, and performing “brain surgery” on yourself through the above mental exercises, you ensure that you remain the captain of your ship, and allow your body to “boldy go,” without fear or lack of confidence.

True Cybernetics – The Human/Machine Interface

A power tool for the mind

Subliminals are only one type of mind-enhancement product from the high-tech world. Companies such as Zygon have made available devices that can induce specific mind states. That is to say, you can change your emotions at the push of a button.

One such product is the InnerQuest machine. It stimulates your brain via subliminal signals produced over a pair of headphones. By varying the pattern in which the signals are presented, the machine can induce your brain to go into the various alpha, beta, delta, and theta modes that we discussed in the section on sleep. Therefore, you have the possibility of “forcing” your mind to do as you wish. This is a way of establishing conscious control over your natural and subconscious urges. Some brain units combine the use of audio and visual stimulation, by providing an additional visor which stimulates the eyes via flashing LED lights.

Brain machines can work in conjunction with subliminal programming, to enhance the programming effect. By creating a mind state that is most conducive to learning, for example, it can accelerate education by remarkable factors. Unfortunately, this powerful technology does not come cheap. Most brain machines cost about $300 and not all of them are effective. Specialty hobby and consumer electronics stores should carry them. They epitomize the true cybernetic connection between the human and the machine.

Thus ends our discussion of the tools and skills towards maximization of cognitive power. Your brain is the most valuable component of your organic body. Both the conscious and subconscious aspects must be recognized and catered to. Careful attention to detail and a conscientious programme of maintenance and tuneups will ensure peak peformance.

In the next and final chapter, we will chart a course towards…

1. Stahl, Jerry. Invasion of the Brain People. Playboy. July ‘92. P. 87
2. Stahl, Jerry. Invasion of the Brain People. Playboy. July ‘92. P. 88
3. Erlich, Julie. Brain Gain: Drugs that Boost Intelligence. Omni. Sept ‘92. P. 67
4. Rose, Steven. No Way to Treat the Mind. New Scientist. April 17 ‘93. P. 20
5. Lsmbert, Victor. Using Smart Drugs and Drinks may not be so Smart. FDA Consumer. April ‘93. P.26
6. Ward, Dean & Morgenthaler, John. Smart Drugs & Nutrients. P. 83
7. Friend, Tim. Smart Drugs Flunk Safety Test. American Health. December ‘92. P. 7
8. Rose, Steven. No Way to Treat the Mind. New Scientist. April 17 ‘93. P. 25
9. Rose, Steven. No Way to Treat the Mind. New Scientist. April 17 ‘93. P. 21
10. Lambert, Victor. Using Smart Drugs and Drinks may not be so Smart. FDA Consumer. April ‘93. P.25
11. Lambert, Victor. Using Smart Drugs and Drinks may not be so Smart. FDA Consumer. April ‘93. P.25
12. Concar, David & Coghlan, Andy. Is there Money in Lost Memories? New Scientist. April 17 ‘93. P. 21
13. Erlich, Julie. Brain Gain: Drugs that Boost Intelligence. Omni. Sept ‘92. P. 44
14. Erlich, Julie. Brain Gain: Drugs that Boost Intelligence. Omni. Sept ‘92. P.44
15. Ward, Dean & Morgenthaler, John. Smart Drugs & Nutrients. Pp. 118-119
16. Stahl, Jerry. Invasion of the Brain People. Playboy. July ‘92. P. 150
17. Stahl, Jerry. Invasion of the Brain People. Playboy. July ‘92. P. 88
18. Rose, Steven. No Way to Treat the Mind. New Scientist. April 17 ‘93. P. 26
19. Taylor, Eldon. Subliminal Learning. p. 18

Pages: 1 2 3