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It’s All in Your Mind | July 9, 2014

Dr. Barry

Sure I read the big journals to keep up…JAMA, New England Journal of Medicine, Table Hopping, etc…I want to be reasonably up to date with the “scientific” literature but I also try to keep an open mind (albeit attached to a somewhat skeptical eye) about the out of box subjects like energy fields, coherent rhythms, intuitive information systems, field versus particle psychics…as Einstein is said to have put it the particle is wholly responsive to the field. Are we really “particles” dependent on the energy fields around us? What about the energy fields each of our bodies generate. Can you have an effect on these fields…does it make a difference to your health?

There is a lot of talk…scientific and otherwise on this subject right now. University level talk. This isn’t about psychic fairs and palm readings anymore. This is using the concept of physics and metamorphosis to try and explain the universe around us we can’t see but know exists. I have been reading a lot about this recently…from a variety of sources. Maybe it’s just because I want to believe that with the power of your mind you can change things. Maybe you can’t bend a spoon but can you break a habit? I have always said attitude is everything…will it turn out the Power of Positive Thinking can affect your health? Well, I sure believe the opposite. That you can will yourself into poor health. That you can let stress really affect your health. That depressed people are generally sicker people than those who aren’t depressed. There are a lot of people who think that you can affect your health positively with just your mind. Either these people are the paradigm shift ahead of the rest of us or they are kooks…however well intentioned…but kooks nonetheless. I am hoping for and betting on the paradigm shift but that doesn’t mean I won’t “hedge my bets” by looking for the real science behind this stuff as it becomes available. There are people out there who think they can affect your energy fields with their energy fields as well…giving you a psychic energy manipulation to fix your fields. In this area we have some “real” science to guide us…referring to the practice of reiki now…there have been two reviews published in the International Journal of Clinical Practice and the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine that conclude that reiki “is not an effective treatment to any illness.” Astonishing as it may seem a nine-year-old student named Emily Rosi published in the Journal of the American Medical Association study where she showed that “Therapeutic Touch”, which is reiki by another name, could not be shown to exist. The practitioners specifically trained to feel and manipulate energy fields could not do so when under controlled circumstances. Don’t get me wrong…I know the body puts out electrical fields…what I don’t know is whether you can externally manipulate these fields – especially not with the power of your mind. But I certainly do feel you can manipulate your own energy fields! I do think the power of your mind cannot be underestimated. Obviously a lot of coaches, trainers, etc. would agree with me.

I found out about Quantum Jumping when I responded to an email from Mind Valley Academy. There were many courses on self-growth, personal improvement physically, mentally and spiritually. Obviously I haven’t taken all the courses but I am in the midst of several series including the one on Quantum Jumping…Burt Goldman formulated the technique he labeled Quantum Jumping using a meditative and visualization technique to “jump” within your mind to an alternative universe where you meet a better you…you know the better you if I just went to the gym more, I just kept my weight down more, if I only reached out to my friends more…THAT better you…in your mind you now hang out in that alternative universe with your best self….you spend some time with him or her…if follow what they do…how they act…it’s you after all so the stuff they are doing is what you could be doing yourself…now jump back to this world and try to follow the same techniques and habits here. Bring the habits and patterns of your perfect self into this world. This is obviously only my poor paraphrasing of only one aspect of his technique but it could be really positive stuff if you let it and are open to it. Aren’t all the great athletes supposed to use visualization techniques to improve performance? Absolutely no reason you can’t either. And the great thing is that all it takes is your mind. No expensive equipment. No special uniform. No special time or schedule you have to keep. No need for a partner or group.

It’s about Mindfulness…living your life examined not going through the motions. I know the term Mindfulness is a little “soft”…a little psychobabble sounding but regardless of the baggage I do think it refers to a life examined….living 50 years not one year 50 times. I like that concept and it’s no better represented than in the movie Groundhog Day…this poor guy lives the same day over and over until he “gets it right” and can move forward. It’s one of my favorite movies because it’s both funny and thought provoking (at least to me) without being preachy.

In the same vein I also enjoyed the movie About Time. It’s about a guy with the ability to go back in time and fix mistakes. He doesn’t kiss the girl at midnight on New Year’s Eve the first time around so, if he wants to he can go back and relive it and kiss her this time. His father from whom he inherited the ability tells him his personal little secret is to relive each and every day. Didn’t make the right move on the date? Didn’t stand up to the bully? Mindfully he would monitor what he did/what he said/how he acted each day so he could improve it on the “repeat” day. In a great twist the son improves on his father’s technique by living so alertly and mindfully that when he encounters whatever situation he would want to possible do-over, he was alert and mindful enough to do it “right” the first time.

You want to feel better? Try going on YouTube and watching one of the over 100,000 motivational videos…they are usually pretty short and super positive. Best to do this early in the day so you can use the positive energy that same day. Better than any pill from a bottle.
Let me finish with a little humor. Adam is in the Garden of Eden but he is a little lonely. He petitions the Lord for a mate…the Lord tells him he can make a perfect mate in every way…a great partner in bed, in life, perfect match in every way…Adam says, “Sounds great! What will this cost me?” The Lord responds, “The perfect mate will cost you an arm and a leg.” Adam then responds, “Well, what can I get for a rib?!”