Psycho-Cybernetics

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Book by Maxwell Maltz

#book #psychology

This is #toproofread and is likely to contain errors

Psycho-Cybernetics is a branch of psychology that deals with how our brain controls what we do. Under the framework of Psycho-Cybernetics, human have a self-image, viz. the sort of person we picture ourselves to be. Subconsciously, our brains always try to prove to ourselves that our self-image is correct and thus make we tend to behave and feel according to the image. Therefore, if we can change our self image, we can become a different version of ourselves.

“You can imagine your future.”
—page 36

Each human brain has a goal striving mechanism that work subconsciously. There are two type of servo-mechanisms and our brains operate both ways. The first type is when we reach for a known goal or answer, while the second type involves discovering an unknown target. Given a clearly-defined goal to reach for or a problem to solve, such mechanism works very well. The former involves subconsciously checking our brain’s memory for successful experience. The latter works best if we are convinced that the solution already exist in our brain waiting for us to find and recognise it. Sometimes, trials and errors is the way.

Studies show that our brains cannot differentiate between real and imagined experience. It is simply what we think or imagined to be true that our brains respond to. In other words, what we believe to be reality is heavily based on imagination. In a sense, reality is how we imagine the world to be based on our observations. Through imagination, we can change how the world is like or what we are like ourselves. It is indeed the case that imagine ourselves practising appropriately has the same effects as actually practising. Artur Schnabel practised playing the piano this way, so did I practise the flute this way.

“Your suggestions (ideal goals) must be made without effort if they are to be effective”
—Émile Coué

Negative beliefs limit our potential to achieve. To overcome the limitation we must learn the truth that we are capable of achieving. To do so, we need to relax so we can overcome negative self image led by stress and pick up new ones. To relax, we can use mental pictures, such as imagining ourselves sinking into a bed, imagining ourselves to be loose marionette dolls, imagining ourselves to be balloons leaking air, or imagining ourselves back in a relaxing situation in memory.

The goal achieving mechanism built into our human brain depends on our beliefs and assumptions. In order to achieve our goals, we must think rational and believe in what’s reasonable and beneficial. Conscious rational thinking is the input of our subconscious servo-mechanisms. Therefore, in order to solve a problem, we must study consciously and intensely about the problem and think hard about it. However, struggling or worrying about solving a problem does not help. Once we have done the intensive thinking, our subconsciousness will take over the problem solving process.

Our brain’s creative mechanism works spontaneously, and it works best when we are relaxed. When trying to solve a problem, start by thinking hard about it consciously so that the subconscious brain can start working. Then, forget about what we are doing and ideas should come automatically.

“Live today as best you can. By living today well you do the most within your power to make tomorrow better.”
—Dr. William Osler

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.
— Abraham Lincoln

Men are disturbed not by the things that happen, but by their opinion of the things that happen.
— Epictetus

Unhappiness is not caused by certain things that happen in our life, it is rather our negative opinion about things that happen that causes unhappiness. Therefore, we can ignore negative opinion and recall happy moments to be happy. To negative events that happens, simply remind ourselves of our goal and enjoy attacking adversities.

A positive self-image that can help us succeed must also help to realise our purpose and value in society. We need to learn from the past and not let failures change who we are and how we approach goals and challenges.

While building a positive self-image and responding to feedback positively can lead to success, responding to negative feedback negatively causes our success mechanism to fail.

“No man is hurt but by himself”
—Diogenes

Human beings inevitably run into struggles in life. However, depending on how we choose to react to them, they may or may not hurt us. To prevent getting hurt, we can try to relax and not let events hinder our emotion. True forgiveness is when we see that there is nothing for us to forgive.

Humans automatically correct themselves using negative feedback. However, being too self-conscious and trying too hard to avoid making errors in advance rather than reacting spontaneously would likely limit our ability to act. To unleash our true personality and full potential, we can try to ignore what others will think and thus express or act freely. Sometimes, being indifferent to the outcome can boost our performance.

Negative feedback, whether real or imagined, can sometimes be disturbing and not worth responding to. In such case, it helps to relax and ignore what’s going on. Luckily, there are things we can do to make ourselves calm simply by imagining things in our mind.

When facing disturbing stimuli, we can change our response rather than the stimuli. When we choose, we can totally ignore, for example, a ringing phone, a storm, a fire, etc. We can practise ignoring disturbing signals by picturing ourselves doing so as in earlier chapters on self-image.

An imagined room, moreover, can be a place where we rest mentally. When building such room, try to make it detailed, familiar, peaceful and detached from the chaotic real world.

Take as much care in building this room in your imagination as you would in building an actual room. Be thoroughly familiar with every detail.

Also, there is a cost to switching between tasks. This is because our brain is still think about the previous task while we are physically working on a new task, as the context switch tradeoff discussed in Prioritising like a computer scheduler. If we let the old problems carry over, they can even unmake our rests. To reduce the effect of context switch, an imagined room helps too.

When preparing to deal with a certain crisis, such as an interview or a debate tournament, we learn best if we are relaxed and pressure-free. Shadowboxing, in which we drill a future crisis privately in imagination, offers such condition. Similarly, dry-shooting, i.e. doing without a result like shooting an empty gun at a target, can help us to overcome the anxiety when using a loaded gun. When a real crisis eventually strike, we often feel excited, but this brings fear or courage depend on how we make use of this excitement.

It is much easier and more effective to simply define your goal or end result. Picture it to yourself clearly and vividly. Then simply capture the feeling you would experience if the desirable goal were already an accomplished fact. Then you are acting spontaneously and creatively. Then you are using the powers of your subconscious mind. Then your internal machinery is geared for success

We are more likely to succeed when we think that we are going to succeed. With a clear image of ourselves being successful, our subconscious brain automatically set course for success. While negative feelings like worries and anxiety can sometimes be motivating (if taken as a challenge), they can be replaced by positive feelings by recalling or imagining positive situations.