Reality Upgrade

Belief is a powerful thing, and it is amazing how subconscious expectations can affect our performance on so many levels. Simply by believing that a given outcome is going to happen drastically improves the likelihood of that outcome. I have talked about this before, in the context of body language.

This article from Bad Science talks about an amazing study on the effects of lucky charms. Test subjects were given a series of tests along the lines of this one: One group was given a golf ball and told that it was the “lucky ball” and the other group was given a ball that “everyone uses”. The test was to get a hole in one at 100 cm, with 10 tries per subject. The group with the “lucky ball” performed more than 35% better on the test, with an average of 6.42 versus an average of 4.75 for the group with the ball “everyone uses”.

The article talks about quite a few more tests, but the results all seem to indicate that our subconscious beliefs really do influence reality.

Cool, huh?

I first understood the power of the body to affect the mind when I was sitting in a yoga class many years ago. I was in the class after a very long day, I was tired, and I did not want to be there. I was grumpy, annoyed, distracted, and sleepy. Not the best disposition for a class about relaxation.

The teacher said “Take a deep breath.” I did not really want to, since I was feeling somewhat rebellious. But I was already there, so…..

I took a deep breath, and like magic, I calmed down. My frustration and tension and distraction melted away, and suddenly I was ready to do yoga.

The best way for you to know what I felt is to try it yourself. So take a deep breath.

Go ahead. I’ll wait.

See how that felt? It had nothing to do with your mind…that was your body taking over, relaxing for you.

The deep breath is a great example of how breathing can contribute to relaxation, but there is much more to this concept. By understanding how the subconscious mind uses the body to communicate,

Nervousness, confidence, shyness, anger, fear, discomfort, sexual attraction; all of these are communicated by body language, and for many of us this happens without our even being aware of it. But for those of us who are aware of it…knowledge is power.

Not only is it possible to bypass the subconscious signals and intercept that communication, but it is even possible to change our own moods and feelings. Act confident, and you will become confident. Act fearful, and you will be fearful. More than what you eat, you are what you do.

In this series on body language, we will explore together several aspects of body language, the subconscious signals that each bit of body language demonstrates…and how to fake it till you make it.

After all, in the words of the great psycologist Carl Jung: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.”

Direct your own life. Be your own fate.