autosuggestion – Page 10 – Empowering Your Mind

Am I lying to subconscious with declarative affirmation?

April 3, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Shouldn’t a person say “I’m becoming/getting/…” at the beginning of an affirmation, rather than “I am/have…,” because the latter is actually lying to the subconscious?

Answer: An affirmation gives the subconscious instructions on where you want it to go. Like driving a car. When you have your attention down the road, you automatically steer the car in that direction. If you look over to the side and keep your attention there, you automatically begin to steer in the direction of your vision.

An affirmation doesn’t lie to the subconscious, it tells it the results that you expect from it. There’s a classic auto-suggestion that states, “Every day, in every way, I’m getting better and better.” An affirmation can be stated in the present, “I am/have (your goal)” or “I am getting/becoming (your goal),” which tells the subconscious which direction to go.

“I want…” or “I have…” affirmation?

March 17, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Is it better to write an affirmation or statement of desire as “I want…” or “I have…?”

Answer: Write the statement as if it is happening now (present tense) or has already happened (past tense) (whichever you can accept as an affirmation). The subconscious is very literal, so if you state “I want…” the subconscious will think you want to continue to want it. It will always remain in the future, like a carrot in front of a donkey to keep it moving forward.

If you state, “I have found the perfect car for me,” or “I am being guided to the perfect car for me,” (and believe it) then the subconscious must manifest that. This is one of the most important lessons to learn about writing affirmations.

Using self-hypnosis to eliminate specific thoughts

February 19, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How do I use self-hypnosis to eliminate specific negative thoughts?

Answer: A person is always hypnotizing themselves with various beliefs and thoughts. For instance, “I’m a klutz” will be a self-fulfilling prophecy. Self-hypnosis helps to re-focus the attention onto something that you want.

To eliminate specific negative thoughts, I’d suggest that every time you have that particular thought, say ‘stop’ and imagine a stop sign, then substitute a pleasant thought or positive idea.

Practicing this in self-hypnosis will begin to make the changes, then reinforcing it during the day every time you have those thoughts will help to change them.

Hypnosis isn’t magic, but it can make positive changes fairly quickly, if you’re truly committed and persistent in following through.

Guided Visualization or Affirmations?

February 4, 2014 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: What’s the main advantage of self hypnosis and guided visualization over affirmations?

Answer: Affirmations and suggestions are essentially the same thing. They’re both statements designed to change old mental patterns in your subconscious mind. The advantage of self-hypnosis is that you’re in a state that is more receptive to the positive statements you’re affirming.

When you add visualization to self-hypnosis and affirmations, it helps to give the subconscious more information on what you want and helps to make it real for you. The subconscious cannot tell the difference between a strong image and reality.

But the real power behind any re-programming is feeling. If you can FEEL it to be true, the subconscious mind accepts that and creates it. That also is the main reason for visualization. It’s a mental rehearsal that gives the subconscious a pattern to follow in those situations.

How long does it take to release outdated beliefs?

November 5, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How long does it take for the subconscious mind to release outdated beliefs?

Answer: I could be facetious and honest if I said “It takes as long as it takes.” But that wouldn’t be very helpful. Actually, there are a lot of factors that go into how long it takes. How badly do you want to make the change? Do you keep your mind focused on the change, knowing that it’s possible? Do you flood your mind with affirmations and statements of the change? Do you take actions that ground the change?

For example, if it would be for smoking, do you cut down, change the places you smoke, etc? For self-esteem, do you treat yourself well, do things that build your feelings of self-worth?

The subconscious will only release its old patterns when it realizes that you don’t need or want them anymore. Your conscious mind must convince your subconscious through the conscious mind’s focus and commitment. And the length of time it takes is in direct proportion to the amount of energy you use for the change. It could be overnight, or it could take years of small changes in that direction.

However, in general, any idea, thought, or belief that your conscious mind stays completely focused on for a month becomes a part of you by becoming part of your subconscious belief patterns.

Guided Meditation to Discover Clarity

October 16, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

If you keep saying that you’re confused, you’re blocking any possibility of discovering your direction. When you imagine that you know what to do, you open to the wise part of you that knows. Here’s a guided meditation to engage your imagination to access that wise part to help you find your direction.

~ Linda-Ann Stewart

What pronoun do you use with affirmations?

July 29, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: Which is the best pronoun to use when saying an affirmation: I, you, or he/she?

Answer: You ask an excellent question. The answer, unfortunately, isn’t cut and dried. All three ways of phrasing affirmations have their uses. I most often use the first person (I), so that I identify with what I’m affirming. We tend to become what we identify with, and this is the way most affirmations are worded. This gives the subconscious guidance on what you want it to do.

However, when an affirmation is hard to accept, or our subconscious has some resistance to the affirmation, using a more objective pronoun is very helpful. Using “you” when stating the affirmation becomes a command to the subconscious. This pronoun is especially helpful when you want to directly order the subconscious on what to do. It forcefully breaks up any opposition to the affirmation. If you state and affirmation this way while looking at yourself in the mirror, it becomes very powerful.

When you’re too emotionally involved in the issue the affirmation is dealing with, the use of the third person pronoun “he/she/your name” is called for. Speaking of yourself in the third person helps when you need to deal with the issue a bit more objectively. It’s especially helpful when you need to improve your self-approval to accept the affirmation.

If you state an affirmation in each of these ways, you’ll notice a difference in the way you respond to it. Pick the way that seems to resonate with you the most at the time.

How do I use self-hypnosis to change a habit?

March 19, 2013 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How do I use self-hypnosis to change a habit?

Answer: Congratulations on wanting to change your life. Self-hypnosis can help you change a habit or quit something, but it takes dedication and commitment on your part.

For instance, I’ve had many smokers come to see me, saying “I really don’t want to quit. I want to want to quit.” In this case, they don’t have the commitment to stop smoking. They want a magic pill that will make it go away. Self-hypnosis makes the process of changing or quitting easier, it doesn’t make the choices for you.

Whatever it is that you want to change, you could decide what it is that you want instead of it. You could use an abstract, like greater self-respect or pride, or you could substitute something more concrete, like a carrot stick or green tea.

Once a day, in self-hypnosis, you imagine the desire for ‘whatever’ transferred to what you really want, and imagine yourself satisfied and delighted with the new substitute or abstract. Then, during your waking hours, whenever you think of the ‘whatever,’ you say to yourself, “No, I don’t do that anymore. Instead, I’m choosing ….”

The change won’t happen overnight, and you will have to dedicate yourself wholeheartedly to letting go of the habit or making the change, no matter what happens. And you may have to practice your self-hypnosis up to three times a day in the beginning.

What can I do to cope with the stress?

November 13, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: I have an extremely stressful job, supervising many people, with schedule changes every few hours or days. What can I do to cope with the stress?

Answer: I’ve given seminars on stress reduction, and define stress as “any adjustment that has to be done to the normal routine.” So if your schedule changes several times a day, just the having to adjust to something new will create stress.

Doing meditation, relaxation, or self-hypnosis will help to reduce the stress. Any of these mimics the end process of the stress response, namely the “let-down” period. By doing self-hypnosis, you’re telling the mind that all is well now, and it’s safe to let go and relax. It doesn’t have to take long, just 15 minutes a day.

I know that when I do this after a stressful day, it gives me a lift, and I feel much more refreshed. My clients and the seminar attendees also say the same. You’ll be amazed. You can find the instructions to do self-hypnosis on my site at
Self-Hypnosis Steps.

In the space where you are to put in your suggestions, just imagine yourself in a special place of peace and comfort. It may be someplace you enjoy visiting, or someplace imaginary. And it may change from time to time. You’re giving yourself a mental vacation.

How do I block extraneous thoughts during meditation?

October 16, 2012 Linda-Ann Stewart

Question: How do I block extraneous thoughts during meditation, visualization, or self-hypnosis?

Answer: Extraneous thoughts are normal when you meditate, visualize, or do self-hypnosis. It takes time and lots of practice to learn to not let them distract you during your spiritual and/or mental practice.

When other thoughts come into your mind during your practice, you don’t have to let them interfere. I know that sounds odd, but the more you resent or resist those thoughts, the more attention they’ll get. The more attention they get, the more often they’ll interfere. When they come into your mind (and come they will, it’s the nature of the mind), just acknowledge them then put your attention back on your practice.

When I’m working with a hypnotherapy client, I say something like “other thoughts won’t interfere,” because the more a person is concerned about those thoughts, or resists them, the more they take attention away from the goal of the session. Therefore, I subliminally give them permission to have other thoughts, but then suggest that they won’t have any power to distract.

The essence of this idea works with any individual’s spiritual and/or mental practice. Give the thoughts permission to be there, but don’t get emotionally involved with them. It’s part of spiritual/mental practice to watch them objectively. This objectivity then translates into the rest of your life.

Empowering Your Mind

Mindset, Motivation and Empowerment

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