law of attraction

Placebo or Nocebo?

/ Steve Lakey / 11 Comments

medical-pills

Photo: Medical Pills by Vera Kratochvil

Placebo (Latin: “I will please”) Nocebo (Latin: “I will harm”)

Most people are familiar with the “Placebo Effect”, positive health benefits brought about purely by a person’s belief in the healing effects of their medication. A placebo, or “sugar pill” contains only an inert substance that has no independent healing properties.

It is purely the person’s belief in the medication, often coupled with the reassurance of a trusted medical professional, that kick-starts the healing process.

The effects of this process are so significant that it is commonly factored into the testing of new drugs, before they are released onto the market.

Less well known is the “Nocebo Effect”, where people receiving a placebo report negative effects – worsening of their symptoms. This is not through any chemical side effects, but purely through their belief that the tablet will not be effective in treating their condition.

The evidence shows that the key to our physical wellbeing lies with our mental attitude, brought about by our thoughts and feelings. If we don’t direct our thoughts, they may drift between positive and negative, or be predominantly one or the other.

We can choose our thoughts by practice and repetition. No matter what our current circumstances, the answer lies within us.

Which effect do you choose to nurture: placebo or nocebo?

Have a Nice Trip?

/ Steve Lakey / 2 Comments

snow scene

Photo: Snow Storm by Peter Griffin

A few days ago, we had a heavy snowfall, during the afternoon. As I drove from work, I had a couple of near misses with cars skidding to a halt in front of me. My engine then started cutting out. Closer to home, my car lost traction climbing a steep hill, and I ended up blocking traffic on a narrow stretch of road. Nothing I tried could get me moving forwards. There was no let-up in the snow or high winds.

From nowhere, a man with a shovel started digging my wheels out. Others came to help, and soon three people were pushing my car up the hill until I got moving again.

Three more times on the way home, I got stuck in deep snow. Three more times, people came and gave me a push to get me started. What is normally a twenty-minute journey had taken me about two hours. I was completely stressed, and couldn’t wait to get home and close the front door. The thought of driving back to work in the morning didn’t exactly fill me with joy…

It was only later when I reflected on my experiences. Was it really the nightmare journey I’d thought?

I was safe, as was my car. Several groups of perfect strangers had come to my aid, unprompted and got me moving again. They expected no recognition or reward; they’d just seen someone in trouble and gone to help out. I never got the chance to speak to anyone and give them my thanks. Without their intervention, I would’ve had to abandon my car in a dangerous position, and walk home through the snowstorm.

As for the weather – heavy rain during the night cleared the roads, and the sun was shining on my drive to work in the morning.

All in all, I consider myself quite lucky.

Thought Bubble

/ Steve Lakey / Leave a comment

bubbles

Photo: Bubbles by George Hodan

 

I believe we are all living in our own ‘thought bubble’ – a ‘bubble’ of consciousness. Nothing can enter without us first creating it on some level. We allow all our experiences to enter either consciously or unconsciously.

How do we monitor what’s in our bubble? It would be draining to try and analyse even our conscious thoughts. It can even be counter-productive. Once you realise that you have created negative thoughts, how does that make you feel? Even worse! How do you ‘dig out’ those negative thoughts anyway?

But in any given moment you know how you feel. If you’re not comfortable with where you are, you can do something to change it. You have a choice here. You’re the one who created the thoughts. So, re-create them. If you’re confronted with a situation you don’t like, re-frame it or shift your focus. Often, it is our resistance to the problem that makes it worse. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, you’re not going to find a solution. If something is draining your energy, put your focus elsewhere. Maybe have a cup of tea. Then come back to your original problem with fresh eyes. Winston Churchill said “If you’re going through hell, keep going.”

You won’t be able to improve the economy single-handed, so worrying about it can’t move you forward. You might feel better reminding yourself that you know how to budget, so whatever happens, you won’t go under. Or you may prefer to play a round of golf, because that’s where you relax and have your best ideas, free from the clutter of day-to-day thinking.

So, escapism rules? Lets head for the hills? It’s not about avoiding the issues, it’s about facing them in the frame of mind that gives us the edge. Author Jack London wrote, “Life is not always a matter of holding good cards, but sometimes, playing a poor hand well.” But there has to be more to it than thinking and feeling your way to happiness. You still have to take action.

It’s by taking action that the things you want will come to you. It’s no good expecting to win the lottery if you don’t buy a ticket. As they say, “You’ve got to be in it to win it!” But if working harder was the key to success, there would be a lot more successful people out there. Don’t work harder – work smarter.

The bottom line is: the only meaning that any incident has, is the one we assign to it. Is it a ‘disaster’ or a ‘learning experience’? Which do you prefer?

Positive Action

/ Steve Lakey / 1 Comment

woman-and-bicycle

Photo: Woman-on-Bicycle by George Hodan

Studies have shown that we each have an individual happiness level. Remarkably, even after life-changing events, the vast majority of us tend to return to that same level within twelve months. No matter what we’ve been through. Whether it is winning the lottery or experiencing one of life’s traumas.

How many people dream of winning the lottery, in order to feel happy? But it’s not having money that makes you happy. It’s your attitude towards the money – or anything else for that matter. As author Anaïs Nin wrote, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”

You set your own happiness level, either consciously, or subconsciously by default. Our brain is structured to think in certain ways. Until recently, scientists thought that once you reached adulthood your brain programming was permanently set. But research has shown that it is possible to literally reconfigure your brain’s wiring by changing your thinking.

Habitual thoughts strengthen associated neural pathways. If you think positive thoughts about yourself, those pathways will grow stronger, while the pathways associated with negative self-image will weaken. And vice versa. So, if you generally see things negatively, your brain is essentially hard-wired to make those types of thoughts ‘stick’.

If you want to change your thinking, how do you raise your happiness level? It’s not enough just to want to be happy. You need to take habitual action. This may seem like hard work – but this is about feeling good. It should be fun, or it won’t succeed. As with many forms of taking action, often it’s the starting that is the hard part. But once you’re in the flow, it feels great.

But in the same way you wouldn’t go the gym once, and expect to have a chiselled physique, it takes regular workouts – or habitual thinking.

Over time, the positive self-image will replace the negative one. This is true for positive and negative thoughts. You are changing how you “see” yourself or the world in general. Using your senses and emotions, you can “feel” your desired experience. The more this is repeated, and the stronger you link your emotions to it, the greater impact it will have.

Sing to your favourite tunes, go jogging, have a lie-in, watch a movie or read a book. Again, how you improve your mood is your own choice.

Why not give it a try? All you have to lose is your negativity.

Positive Thinking

/ Steve Lakey / 2 Comments

Bright Idea

Photo: Bright Idea by zaldy icaonapo

Positive Thinking is mentally focusing on the best possible outcome from any situation. In whatever form it may appear, all our positive thinking comes down to one thing. Wanting to find happiness.

Creative Visualisation is the technique of mentally picturing an outcome. Using this technique, athletes run the race in their mind, before they leave the starting blocks. Studies by Russian scientists indicated that those who spent 25% of their time training physically and 75% of their time engaged in mental training had more success than those who spent 100% of their time in purely physical training. Visualisation is now considered an essential part of top-level preparation in the world of sport and beyond.

What successful outcomes can be created? Success is subjective, so you get to choose. You decide what success means for you. You are the one creating your own reality with your thoughts and actions. It may be making your first million or taking your last cigarette – whatever matters the most to you. It certainly helps if the desired outcome is closer to your current level of thinking – as there will be less resistance to overcome – but that shouldn’t rule out thinking big… The stronger the emotions linked to the outcome, the more powerful the results.

How does this work? Over time, thoughts become beliefs, and beliefs become actions. Basically, our beliefs are thoughts that we have repeated until they become our truths. Psychologists have found that we tend to act in ways that support our attitudes. If someone assumes they are “stupid”, then they subconsciously behave in a way that confirms that belief.

Our mind also filters our experiences to fit our internal self-image. If you have a positive mind-set, then you tend to accept positive situations and not dismiss them as “flukes”. You will also see negative experiences as temporary obstacles, rather than as evidence of a flawed character.

You don’t have to ignore challenges to overcome them. In fact it can be harmful and counter-productive to do so. But you can re-frame them. The inventor Thomas Edison said “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” He chose to see what others would call a set-back, as part of the pathway to his success.

So, should you be wearing a smiley face and chanting “Om”? If all you’re doing is suppressing natural emotions; this is not a healthy place to be. It may be appropriate and necessary to work through negative feelings. But positive thinking gives you an alternative. Think of it as having a new toolkit in the garage.

So, is the glass half full or half empty? You get to choose!