Remember when the internet was young and few people had online companies, and everything had a shady feel to it? That’s how self-help must have felt in the 1960s. The genre has existed for books since the start of the twentieth century, but it only became popular in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Much of what came before it was booed off the shelves.
One of the rare exceptions is The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind, which is likely due to two things. First, the author, Joseph Murphy, was a well-known preacher of the Church of Divine Science, and second, his work was influential in both science and religion. From today’s viewpoint, the book appears woo-woo, yet it touched the exact right chord at the time.
Lesson 1: Visualization is a technique for maximizing the placebo effect.
The book’s main thesis is that you may utilize your imagination to offer ideas to your subconscious to acquire what you desire. Unknown to you, your mind will shift your actions more towards making those beliefs a reality if you repeat them enough times. There are several techniques to do this, but most of them can be summed up as visualization – imagining oneself attaining a certain objective or outcome.
The scientific concept on which this is based is known as the placebo effect. A placebo is a pill that has no actual, chemical, or biological effect and is typically comprised of sugar. However, if patients feel they are receiving powerful treatment, they may still experience some of the advantages. While the impact has been found in several research, I would not classify this as hard science because how effectively it works is highly subjective and dependent on the individual.
Lesson 2: If you’re not sure, sleep on it. After a good night’s sleep, you can often make more confident judgments.
When you’re having trouble deciding, another approach to employing your subconscious is to simply sleep on it.
Murphy uses the example of a lady who was given a job on the other side of the nation. It paid twice her present pay, but she was unclear whether she wanted to go across the country for it. She fell asleep while meditating in the evening. Her gut instinct validated her earlier concerns, and she chose not to accept the offer. She discovered that the firm had gone bankrupt a few months later.
Now, hindsight is 20/20, and it’s difficult to tell how things would have turned out if she had taken the job, but the underlying principle is sound. The subconscious mind processes information faster and in different ways than the conscious mind. Allowing it to work while you sleep can result in clearer thinking and a more confident viewpoint the next day.
Lesson 3: Wish people well, since envy will only keep you from obtaining what you desire.
While your subconscious may be quite valuable if directed correctly, it can also cause you to get in your way.
Murphy tells the story of a salesperson who never appeared to be recognized at work. Despite exceeding all of his peers, he did not advance in the ranks. As it turned out, he had a feeling his employer didn’t like him. As a result, he unconsciously acted in fairly aggressive ways himself. He quickly obtained a raise after changing his attitude and wishing his employer true success.
Final Book Review
It is critical to evaluate the background of any literature that is more than 50 years old. In this situation, the book goes a little too far in terms of what we can anticipate from visualization. The law of attraction is genuine, but it only works if you believe in it. However, with some perspective, you may glean numerous important principles from The Power Of Your Subconscious Mind.
Power of Subconscious Mind E-Book Download (Dr. Joseph Murphy)