How To Be Quiet and Stop Thinking

Posted on 02/18/2009 by Ivan Campuzano 17 Comments

When youre with stillness, you merge with everything around you. You cant pin-
point where its coming from. From inside? From outside? Where? It just is. Sri
Swami Sai Premananda

Awakening The Mind: Meditation 101
In todays fast paced modern world it seems that many have come to find that the one
thing that stands between their happiness is not materialistic wants, but their own
mind.
We live each day with thousands of things demanding our minds precious attention.
We think incessantly about a million things that many of us become slaves to our
minds. In fact, we think so much that as soon as we have time to be still we dont even
know how to enjoy being quiet.
The only way you will ever experience peace of mind is by learning to drop the
analytical thinking mind. Meditation is a way to help you on the journey of achieving
mental clarity and peace. Its time for you to awaken your mind to its potential.
Through mediation you will discover and catch glimpses of a state of consciousness
that is truly aware and alert. Meditation will be your tool for deep introspection of
your inner being, and will prove to be very valuable in your day to day life.
It will help you develop an intimate relationship with your true self. As you develop
your inner being you will become valuable to those around you, because you will be
more in touch to who you really are. An intimate intuitive knowing beyond any
mental conception you have of yourself.
You can only truly help others when you have become the master of your mind, free
of false illusions. Many people feel that just because they have the urge to help that
they are able to help. Unless you really know what your true identity is, which is not
your ego, you will only be trying to offer help from something that is an illusion.
The beauty of proper meditation is that it helps you create immense distance in your
inner space. It gives you perspective, your level of consciousness changes. It helps
you create distance between your thoughts and the witness who watches your
thoughts. The problem for most is that they remain too close to their thoughts, being
close means being identified. This is why psychoanalysis never actually solves the
causes of your problems, it may help you function more efficiently in society, but you
remain on the same level. Your problem is in your thinking, and you try to solve it
with thinking, you still remain within the field of thought. Meditation gives you
vertical growth, it gives you a birds eye perspective to see your problems, an
awareness to freely observe your conditioning. You become an impartial observer,
being impartial you will see the causes, you gain understanding. There is no need to
solve the problem, you just need more understanding. It simply exists because you
lack sufficient understanding, not enough awareness.
Thats why we are always able to give someone else great advice, we are far from the
problem, we are impartial, we have clarity to see. The person with the problem is too
close to it, too identified, he will say, easy for you to say, this isnt your problem.
Meditation helps you create the distance for you to see clearly.
Many say that it would be nice to have peace of mind, to learn to be calm no matter
what goes on around them. But as long as you make those things objects of your
desire, you have already identified yourself as lacking them, thus keeping your self
from experiencing peace.
When people begin to attempt meditating they say that is difficult and boring. When
you learn to watch whats going on inside you, if those thoughts of boredom come up,
just watch them. Explore why you are telling yourself this is boring, pay attention to
your feelings, where is it coming from? There is a huge growing experience hidden,
you just need to explore it. There are strange moments in life when the mind rests
without any kind of worries. When our mind is quiet, when our mind is in silence, then
the new arrives.- Samael Aun Weor
Meditation is the act of allowing the thoughts in your mind to cease. When you drop
your mind you will experience oneness with the universe. You will realize that
everything really is intimately interconnected and multi-dimensional.
The only thing that keeps you thinking you are separate is your body and mind. When
you are asleep and disconnect your mind from your body your consciousness is one
with the universal consciousness. Mediation is your key in transcending the confines
of your body and mind to consciously experience a higher state of universal
awareness.
Through a daily discipline of meditation you will become more mindful and calm.
Calmness is the ideal state in which you should receive and take part in your lifes
experiences. Some one who is calm has the mental clarity to handle any situation that
life throws at him. Even mindedness should be your goal, learning to maintain a clear
headed mind state helps you with enjoying and dealing with a fast paced lifestyle.
The more that you focus your attention within, you will begin to feel a new power
and new peace rise up within you. Meditation is the ability to stay actively calm.
Meditation does not even have to be what many associate meditation with, which is to
get into a lotus position and start chanting a mantra.
Any activity that you enjoy can be meditation; you just need to learn to be watchful of
whatever you are doing. Learning to be fully present in any activity is meditation.
Jogging through the forest and being observant of everything going on inside you
without judgment is meditation. It is however important to incorporate a daily routine
of meditation and do it earnestly and consistently if you are to reap the rewarding
effects.
Awakening Your Mind Daily
1. Pick a nice comfortable place where to meditate..
2. Find a comfortable position to sit. Sitting on a chair or on the floor, does not really
matter as long as it is comfortable for you.
3. Cross your legs, clasp your hands together. (This helps make your own energy
circuit and gives stability)
4. Close your eyes, than stop inner and outer chatter.
5. Relax; begin thinking that your whole body is becoming extremely relaxed.
6. Eyes should be closed. With your eyes closed focus your gaze and attention as if
you are looking through a point between your eyebrows. Try and not to cross or strain
your eyes; the upward gaze should come naturally when you are relaxed and calmly
concentrated. What is important to keep in mind is to be able to fix your whole
attention at the point between the eyebrows.
7. You will notice that your mind is full of many thoughts. Your mind will than begin
to ask questions to those thoughts and try and come up with answers whether they are
known or unknown.
8. You will need to transcend your mind and thoughts in order to meditate. Your mind
and thoughts are what separate you from your higher self, you can also think of your
higher self as your subconscious/unconscious mind, dont worry about the labels.
9. You transcend your mind by simply observing your breath. Dont inhale/exhale
consciously just observe your natural breathing. Dont go behind your thoughts; if you
catch your self drifting just always come back to your breathing. Slowly the amount
of thoughts reduces and your breathing becomes thinner and shorter.
If you are able to keep all your focus on your breath, you will get to the point of no
thought and no breath. This state of no thought is your connection to your divine
being and energy body. Continue to concentrate between the eyebrows until you begin
to achieve peacefulness. The more you meditate the more benefits and energy that you
will receive. Your own self-awareness and consciousness will also expand.
10. You will feel a very pleasurable feeling meditating. If you feel any discomfort in
your body these can be possible areas of disease or illness. If you meditate everyday
you can possibly heal your body naturally.
11. Now that you are in a state of no thought and total relaxation. Begin to think only
on your intention. Your intent and can the feeling of love, creativity, a problem you
may have, or any object that becomes your sole focus. Remember whatever you think
now is in a state that will be impregnated directly into your subconscious.
Example: Whenever I dont have any ideas of what I should write about, I initially
think of just a headline, topic, or problem than meditate on it. After about 30 minutes I
am able to get on my computer, and the words just flow out of me.
I really hope you enjoyed this introduction on the topic of meditation; I really
encourage you to take the time to incorporate it into your daily life. Identify what are
your essential needs and quit being possessed by your possessions. Remember that
happiness lies in giving yourself time to deeply ponder, something that our modern
society is in dire need of.
For additional insights into meditation and solutions to some common problems check
out this post here:
Problems With My Meditation Practice
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them in the comments section.
How To Develop Your 6th Sense: Intuition
Posted on 01/16/2009 by Ivan Campuzano 33 Comments
The only real valuable thing is intuition.- Albert Einstein

Awakening Consciousness
Reality on earth can be categorized into three aspects, the known, the unknown, and
the unknowable. The known is what we have proven with science thus far. The
unknown is what science has yet to discover. The unknowable is the mystery of our
universe, that which can never be known, it gives our life meaning. The unknowable
is what keeps us inspired, we are here on earth to experience life fully and make
known the unknown.
We use logic, reason, and science to try and unlock the mysteries of life. Logic,
reason, and science can only take us to a certain point; the unknowable is beyond all
this. We can catch glimpses of the unknowable through our intuition. We only get to
experience glimpses of the unknowable but we are not able to explain it, it is beyond
explanation.
We cant solve problems by using the same kind of thinking we used when we
created them. Albert Einstein
Nature has given the role of all your bodys functions to your instincts. Your instincts
have innate knowledge passed down through thousands of years of evolution. You
dont need to consciously breathe, it is all done automatically.
Your mind is not grounded in reality, therefore your intellect is blind. You pose it
with questions and it comes up with answers based on your memory bank. The
answers it gives you can be creative or destructive but to the mind it makes no
difference.
The main problem with the mind is that because it makes its interpretations from
memory, it does not know how to deal with the new and unknown, the mind has no
reference for it.
Modern man has been conditioned to look for answers outside of himself.
Therefore, most people live their whole lives never really getting to know who they
really are or their true nature. Many people just think they are their name, physical
appearance, interests, likes, dislikes, ethnicity, nationality, none of which is really
you.
Your true self and inner master is hidden behind your body, mind, and heart. The
problem is that modern society never goes inward.
Your inner knowing comes from first your instincts, second your intellect, and third
from your intuition. Most people only operate from the level of the intellect. If you get
a hunch from your instincts the intellect is great at rationalizing therefore negating an
intelligence that is grounded in a deeper reality. Your instincts have a higher
intelligence that comes from the past that allowed you to survive. Your intuition
comes from a higher cosmic intelligence that simply just knows and does not require
logic.
You need to be able trust your instincts and intuition so that you can use yourintellect
for the right purpose. You can begin by learning to pay attention and trusting the
inherit wisdom in your instincts; develop your instinct as a stepping stone to your
intuition and higher self.
You need to create experiences that will help you grow them, there is no way to grow
them with outside help. Only through your own direct experiences will you be able to
accumulate the wisdom to have the clarity to see properly.
In getting to know your true nature and inner space you will encounter memories that
you have repressed. Do not keep them repressed, doing so is to not learn about a
certain aspect of your being. Keeping things repressed also leads to build up in your
subconscious, until enough pressure builds and one day it explodes. Learn to
acknowledge your negative tendencies, learn from them, then let them go from your
being.
Your intuition is pure intelligence. Intellect and intelligence are only similar on the
surface. There are many people who are of a high intellect but do not demonstrate
intelligence. Just as there are people who possess intelligence but do not have a high
intellect.
Intellect is dependent on knowledge, knowledge is simply just theory. Intuition comes
from a higher knowing not dependent on knowledge but can be felt through
experience. You need to be able to experience what I am saying, not only learn what I
am saying, otherwise you will not be able to see. If you dont experience it for
yourself your intellect will use this new information to still keep you separate from the
truth.
If you are able to really see you will develop insight. Insight has the power to
transform your being. Transformation entails no effort. If you still ask how you did
not get the point, how just means you need more knowledge to be able to see it
through your own eyes.
You need to become the master of your mind, so that you can let knowledge work
through your mind, and not let your mind work through your knowledge. If you
become the servant and not the master of your mind, you will have a closed mind
because your knowledge will bind you. You need to use your intellect to rise above
your knowledge.
Insight is a state of no thought, when people say they have an epiphany it comes from
being able to see when there is no thought involved. Thats why you hear people say
that all of a sudden an epiphany struck them out of thin air. The insight came from a
higher intelligence that dwells in the realm of your inner silence. These glimpses, if
you are able to grasp them, will leave the feeling of amazing connection. You
experienced truth, your own personal truth of pure intelligence.
To Develop Your Intuition You Will Need To Overcome
1. The Physical Senses: We now live in a society where we are less dependent on our
senses for our survival that many people have become dull and unaware. Your sense
of vision, hearing, touch, smell, and taste through the modern world have gotten out of
tune. To get in tune with your senses begin by immersing your self in nature. Just by
being in nature you will make your senses come alive.

2. Conditioning: Through your life you develop beliefs that help you filter and make
sense of the world. This world is all about communication and it includes both the
seen and unseen mediums, but your beliefs are the very thing that keep you from
communication. If you are Christian and I am a Buddhist you will not accept an Idea
if it challenges your beliefs, even if the idea has nothing to do with Christianity. You
need to learn to suspend disbelief and judgment if you are ever to expand your
awareness. You need to learn to listen attentively, intelligently, and openly if you are
to derive wisdom from an experience.

3. Rationalization: It is not what you say but who you are that matters. The mind is
very cunning; it will do everything in its power to keep you from who you really are.
You will need to transcend your mind in order to take the actions necessary to become
the person you desire to be.

4. Emotions: You need to not be governed and consumed by your emotions. You
need to be able to distinguish a real feeling. If you feel it in your heart it will
transform you because you will take action. If you become consumed by your feelings
but only remains a feeling with no action, then you will know it is pseudo. You should
not go against your heart; otherwise you are just a person who pretends.

5. Repression: You need to learn to watch and observe your inner mechanisms and
not let them overlap each other, because this will corrupt them. Let your mind play its
role of logic and reason. Let your heart function for its purpose of feeling. You need
to learn to let everything function in its own natural way or else your judgment gets
clouded. For example when one is in love, you know your in love because in your
heart you feel it, yet many people say I think I love you. If you trust your feelings
you will simply tell the person I love you. Do not let them mix into each other, the
side effects are that you will begin to have corrupted instincts and will not be able to
make a good decision.
Growing Your Intuition Through Meditation
Whenever you feel a hunch that is simply a fragment of intuition. If you learn to
usemeditation to drop the reasoning mind, your intuition will begin to grow. If you
cultivate your intuition any problem you have can be solved by your inner self.
The role that meditation can help you with is learning to go from thinking to feeling.
We live in a society in which we think excessively, the problem with thinking is that it
needs time to formulate an answer. Being able to feel requires no time because it
already knows, because by its very nature it is intuitive.
The more you develop a mind that has clarity and intelligence with any situation you
will be able to see what is really there with no filters. Here is an example to give you a
better idea of what I mean. As a small child your intuitive abilities are much higher
because you have yet to develop the filters to block them out, you are still trying to
make sense of the world. When I was younger my favorite thing was to go play in the
forest in the backyard of my home in Mexico.
One day on a very rocky hill I saw a coyote. I became frightened and immediately ran
down the rocky hill as fast as my little feet could move. In those moments its as if
time slows down and another intelligence takes over. I was able to dart from rock to
rock with amazing accuracy. If I stopped to think of what I needed to do, I would have
missed the stones, slipped and broken my ankles. Even worse, if I waited to formulate
an answer the coyote might have had a great breakfast.
Being able to develop and trust your intuition will prove to be worthwhile because it
will assist you in your journey to a fulfilling life. When people think of things they
want to accomplish in life they make it a destination in their mind. A destination
belongs to your ego, it does not know how to get you there.
You need direction in life, direction belongs to your being. Use your intuition to know
what direction in life you need to take. When you come to a crossroads in your life
your intuition can mean all the difference between living a fulfilling life or not.
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Pay it forward:
How To Increase Your Awareness and
Expand Your Consciousness
Posted on 02/05/2009 by Ivan Campuzano 120 Comments
Me in front
of the Berlin Wall.
The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education. Albert Einstein
Awakening Consciousness
When I take a look at our society as a whole and think about the stage of evolution
that we are at, it amazes me how many problems still exist on earth. We have
advanced tremendously in technology and commerce, but one thing we have
neglected to advance is the worlds consciousness, the ability to be awake in the
world.
Any problems we have come from a lack of awareness. If our politicians were really
conscious there would be no question about right and wrong, they would be able to
make the right decision. In pure awareness there is no dark only light. In fact, if
everyone was really awake and conscious, the role of government would be very
limited, because people would not depend on someone else to lead them.
We live in the age of information, but even with all the knowledge of the world at our
fingertips, what good does it really do us if we are not conscious and awake?
The problem is that knowledge essentially binds us, the more knowledge a person
gains, the more psychologically asleep that he becomes. The more knowledge he
gains the more entrenched his mind becomes in a certain way of thinking. He may
think he is thinking outside of the box, its the same box; he just makes it look
different.
When I examine myself and my methods of thought, I come to the conclusion that the
gift of fantasy has meant more to me than my talent for absorbing positive
knowledge.- Albert Einstein
Just really take a good look at the world around you; you will realize that most of the
population is operating from a level where they are psychologically asleep. Todays
society has become extremely efficient at doing things with little to no awareness, we
just run on auto pilot. Once you realize how much you really are operating on auto
pilot in your day-to-day life, you will be able to search for ways to become more
aware.
Think about the very first time you were learning to drive, remember how engaged
you were? You could feel every movement you made, you were fully present in what
you were doing, you were in a state of heightened awareness. After a few weeks all
your motions were effortless, you could look at your rear view mirror, adjust your
stereo, and change gears with very little awareness.
Levels Of Consciousness
Your mind has different levels of consciousness. First is your conscious mind, then
behind your conscious mind is the subconscious mind. If you learn to pay close
attention you can hear the subconsciousness whispers. Then behind the subconscious
mind is the unconscious. The unconscious is who you really are, behind your thinking
mind, behind your body, the essence of your very nature. Behind the unconscious is
what Dr. Jung called the collective unconscious, which is the whole of humanitys
evolution until now.
In order to become more conscious and aware and rise above the unconscious state,
you need to experience being alert and awake. This is something you cannot just
simply understand logically or philosophically, because it will only remain as
an intellectual understanding.
the intuitive mind is a sacred gift and the rational mind is a faithful servant. We have
created a society that honors the servant and has forgotten the gift.- Albert Einstein
It is going to take a real effort to wake yourself up, to discover your true potential, to
become aware that you are far more than what you appear to be.
How Do You Start Becoming More Aware?
You have to learn to become observant and watchful. Learn to observe and be a
witness to every act you do, every thought that passes your mind. Watch every desire
that bubbles up within you. Observe even seemingly little things like your gestures,
walking, talking, breathing, eating, everything can be an opportunity to watch.
You will realize that the more watchful that you become, that your internal chatter
will become less and less. Your thoughts become more manageable and you gain a
new clarity. A clear mind is a happy mind. As you grow in your awareness, your inner
growth will explode because you begin to let the deepest parts of your being rise to
the surface.
You will also come to notice how much of your growth was being suppressed by the
awareness of the whole (society) and dependent on others. At this lower level of
awareness you observe how people mostly try and grow by means of arguing, simply
trying to outwit, and out smart others on pure logic.
One day while drinking some coffee I observed two people arguing, the person who
feels that he came out on top is puffed up in his ego, and all he did was make a
brilliant logical explanation to satisfy his own desires. The other person now feels
bitter towards the other, did not accept the other persons point of view, and still
chooses to keep his own beliefs.
I can see that both are oblivious to what actually happened. Nothing was
accomplished, but in their minds they felt something was achieved. They were simply
not aware of what was going on inside themselves, being lost on the inside is being
lost on the outside.
Awareness Steps to Achieve Spiritual Growth
Step 1: The Body learn to become aware of your body first. Learn to place your
attention and sense your bodys energy from the inside out. Learn to feel its presence,
its aliveness. You can begin by starting in small parts of the body, such as your hands,
until your attention can encompass your whole body.
Step 2: Your Thoughts - Once you become observant of your body, expand your
awareness to observe and watch your thoughts.
Step 3: Feelings and Emotions When you are able to watch your thoughts, learn to
watch your feelings and emotions.
When you are watchful of your body, thoughts, feelings, and emotions your
awareness will begin to operate from a state of inner harmony.
Step 4: Aware of your own awareness - When you live a life of inner harmony, that
harmony allows you to be in a position to become of aware of your own awareness.
When you are able to be aware of your own awareness you will realize how cunning
the mind is, and how great it is at rationalizing. Rationalizing is not awareness,
awareness means that whatsoever is happening in the moment is happening with
complete consciousness, that you are fully present.
The problem lies in that all the mind can do is think of the past and imagine the future.
To be present and totally aware is to be in the space of no thought, dropping your
analytical mind. Also try and understand that dropping the mind does not mean to be
in a vegetative state, it is simply a space where you move into a deeper depth of
understanding and perspective.
Your mind is only able to work linearly, from point A to point B, from one thought to
the next. If you move vertically that is a movement of consciousness, which is
awareness.
Learn to continually bring your self to the present. When you catch yourself living in
the past or imagining the future, bring your awareness back to the present moment. Do
not feel bad when you realize you are not in the present, this is just a habit you need to
gradually get out of until your new habit is being more in the present.
One important thing to remember also is to not make the mistake of constantly
thinking how can I be in the present moment, because this involves thinking; this is
a very delicate line.
Just learn to be a passive witness, which means you observe without judgment, and
slowly you will fall into moments of beautiful silence. By constantly being in a state
witnessing you will fall into the gaps between your thoughts.
The important thing is not to stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for
existing.One cannot help but be in awe when he contemplates the mysteries of
eternity, of life, of the marvelous structure of reality.It is enough if one tries merely to
comprehend a little of this mystery every day.Never lose a holy curiosity. Albert
Einstein
Communist Statue in
Prague
Awareness is Key to Spiritual Transformation
With whatever you find yourself doing, learn to continuously be aware of whatever is
going on inside you. The more you become aware of yourself doing what ever it is
that you are doing, the more you become centered in your inner being.
Once you begin to be stronger inside, you will develop a deeper feeling of the inner
presence that you are. Your energies will become concentrated around this centered
presence, and your true self is born. Ego is only a false sense of self, but if you dont
awaken your inner self you will go on believing that you have a self that is only your
ego.
When you have little or no awareness of your inner world, you are a victim of
circumstances because you operate only by reaction. From this level your physical
senses rule, your physical senses only job is to respond. You only take action when
something has been done to you.
When you are grounded in your inner being you create a distance between your inner
being and your physical senses. Something can affect your physical sense but cannot
touch your inner self. When you take actions from the center, your actions are total
and complete, inspired actions not hindered by past and future.
You will come to find that becoming a witness of your life will be something that
should be done passively. Learn to do what you are doing non-verbally; verbalization
is escaping from the experience.
When you look at the Stars in the sky with awe and admiration you feel a deep
connection of beauty within you. As soon as you try to verbalize what you are feeling,
you remove yourself from it, because to verbalize is to think, and to think is to not be
fully present.
Learning to be non verbal in your internal world will make you the witness of your
inner world. Language is only needed to communicate with others, but language is not
needed to communicate with ones self.
Thoughts come and go, think of your mind as the host and your thoughts as the guests.
Once you learn to watch, witness, and observe your thoughts, you will be in a position
of mastering your mind.
Your thoughts are there but you are no longer a slave to your thoughts, you are the
master of your thoughts. Dont try and control your mind, this is impossible, just learn
to become centered in your consciousness. Just watch, dont try and stop your mind,
just observe it and allow it to happen on its own.
Being aware and clear headed will allow you to take responsible actions, because any
action you take born out of awareness is total and complete. Any action you take will
be action that arises from your watching.
With Awareness You Can Be Decisive
Only awareness can be decisive because your mind only conceives possibilities and is
constantly in a state of indecisiveness.
Many people strive to be a man or woman of character, but a man or woman of
character only reacts. Character is mechanical because it operates from memory;moral
conditioning on what is right and wrong.
The problem with this is that life is constantly changing, it is never the same. But a
man of character always responds with the same answers. A man of consciousness
simply takes action, and whatever action he takes in the moment is natural and perfect
for the situation.
Becoming a man of awareness will also allow you in seeing your own faults. The
moment you become aware of your faults they will begin to disappear. They were
only allowed to exist because you where unconscious of it.
So dont be worried about errors and mistakes in your life. Put all your energy and
effort into becoming a more conscious awake being. In a state of pure awareness your
faults cant exist. Someone who tries to be a good person requires great effort. A
conscious person needs no effort, living a conscious life makes you a good person.
Someone trying to be good is constantly judging himself and others, his inner world is
one of continuous conflict. He condemns and represses and learns to hide it in the
deepest parts of his being.
You are good by just being aware. There is no question of whether what you do is
good or bad, from awareness whatever you do is good. A person of awareness is calm,
relaxed, quite, serene, creative, only good can come from these states of being.
You will know when you become a person of awareness because you will quit
watching others, thats what everybody else does; all you need to do is watch yourself.
apping Into Your Subconscious Mind To
Get What You Want
Posted on 06/22/2010 by Ivan Campuzano 27 Comments
Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent
one Albert Einstein

Creating Your Vision
I feel that one of the most important ingredients in your formula for personal
fulfillment is having a clearly defined vivid vision of where you want to be. At first
the how is not that important, you need to create a vision that gets you so
excited that you will stop at nothing to get what you truly want.
Many people first focus on the how than very quickly find themselves overwhelmed
with too many details and just as quickly talk them selves out of pursuing their goals.
You have to take a leap of faith and trust that the how will be shown to you as you go
along. Do you remember the days as a kid with dreams of epic proportions? What
happened those dreams? You got older and conditioned by a society that says that
having those dreams is foolish. I think thats nonsense, I encourage you to dream like
you once used to.
Shoot for the mooneven if you miss youll still be amongst them stars
One way I keep my vision alive is through my picture book. In my book I have many
of the things I want to experience in life. Go right now and get some magazines and
cut out every picture of the things you want to do and places you want to visit, dont
be thinking if you can actually do those things now, dare to dream.
Remember your mind thinks in pictures, look at your picture book until in becomes as
vivid as possible in the theater of your mind. Your brain cant tell the difference
between something you are remembering or something you experience in real time.
Tapping Into Your Subconscious Mind Power

You can think of meditation as conscious sleeping. Just as you sleep to gain energy
for your daily functioning, meditation is conscious sleeping that gives you all the
energy (creative abilities) you need, for what you intend to accomplish. This is how
you will consciously tap into the power of your subconscious mind.
Use the power of meditation to help you achieve your goals. Strive to everyday
meditate one minute for each year of your current age. I am 26, so everyday I try and
meditate at least 26 minutes. There are many techniques find something that feels
good to you.
Daily Routine
1. Pick a nice comfortable place where to meditate. Have an intention on what you
plan to meditate on before hand. Ex. A destination you want to visit or a feeling like
love.
2. Find a comfortable position to sit. Sitting on a chair or on the floor, does not
really matter as long as it is comfortable for you.
3. Cross your legs, clasp your hands together : This helps make your own energy
circuit and gives stability.
4.Close your eyes, than stop inner and outer chatter.
5. Relax, begin thinking that your whole body is becoming extremely relaxed.
6. Eyes should be closed. With your eyes closed focus your gaze and attention as if
you are looking through a point between your eyebrows. Try and not to cross or strain
your eyes; the upward gaze should come naturally when you are relaxed and calmly
concentrated. What is important to keep in mind is to be able to fix your whole
attention at the point between the eyebrows.
7. You will notice that your mind is full of many thoughts. Your mind will than
begin to ask questions to those thoughts and try and come up with answers whether
they are known or unknown. This is why your mind(ego) can be your enemy if it
mostly thinks in negative terms.
8. You will need to transcend your mind and thoughts in order to meditate. Your
mind and thoughts are what separate you from your higher self, consciousness itself.
9. You transcend your mind by simply observing your breath. Dont inhale/exhale
consciously just observe your natural breathing. Dont go behind your thoughts, if you
catch your self drifting just always come back to your breathing. Slowly the amount
of thoughts reduces and your breathing becomes thinner and shorter.
If you are able to keep all your awareness on your breath, you will get to the point of
no thought and no breath. This state of no thought is your connection to your divine
being and energy body. The more you meditate the more benefits and energy that you
will receive. Your own self awareness and consciousness will also expand.
10. You will feel a very pleasurable feeling meditating. If you feel any discomfort
in your body these can be possible areas of disease or illness. If you meditate
everyday you may even heal your body naturally.
11. Now that you are in a state of no thought and total relaxation, bring your
focused attention to your intention. Remember whatever you focus on now is in a
space that will be impressed directly into your subconscious. It is important that
youdont color any of your thoughts with any lack, limitation, dis belief or
doubt. This is why almost all self help material does not produce the results people
expect.
Wishing for more money(or anything else) never works, the thought of wanting more
money also has the thought of doubt attached to it. Ask your self how many thoughts
that you think about have been modified in a way that is not beneficial to you. You
just never realize that you are programming your sub conscious all day.
This is why meditation is so powerful. You are able to make suggestions to your
subconscious where the thought is not modified in any way shape or form. So if you
want to make things happen fast you need to get rid of the concept of attaching time to
your thoughts.
You have to remember that almost everything you get in your life comes based on the
conditions that you set up, and time is usually one condition that cuases the most
frustration with people. Just as a computer programmer gives a computer instructions
to complete a task, you program the most powerful computer you have which is your
subconscious.
Your conscious mind acts as the gate keeper as to what thoughts you let in. Now that
you know this choose to become more aware and conscious about what you think all
day long. Learn to see the world in a non linear way, remove time from your
consiousness and watch how things show up in your life faster than you ever
thought.
Thoughts = feelings = actions = results (just like that you can begin to shape your life)
12. Mentally rehearse every moment of it with all your senses. Dare to be like
Peter Pan.
13. Visualize in vivid detail, your intention as established fact. Also make sure you
meditate only on days you feel good. Remember you want your thoughts to be as pure
as possible. This also means that you really find out what you want, make sure its
not something you want solely for ego purposes. Thoughts that involve the ego are
usually always colored with negativity.
14. With time you will begin to be able to hold vivid pictures of anything(you will
develop you third eye). The more you are able to hold onto an image in your mind the
more power you give it.
15. Get up and go have a great day, notice how much energy you have the rest of
the day.
I also use lucid dreaming as another way to increase my creativity or come up with
new ideas. (Lucid dreaming is when you actually become aware in your dream that
you are dreaming, once properly trained you can control your dreams)
Well I hope you enjoyed my article and that It may assist you in achieving some of
your goals. I would also love to hear any of your tips or ideas on how we can all
accomplish our goals in a harmonious way, leave your comments below. Thank you
and have a great day!
How to Develop Charisma: Twelve Key
Moves
Posted on 12/25/2008 by Ivan Campuzano 1 Comment
Debra Benton
My good friend and mentor Debra Benton author of New York Times best
selling How To Think Like a CEO , has spent her life teaching some of the
nations top CEOs how to be more effective and charismatic, so when she speaks I
listen.
Youve seen them. People like John Edwards or Carly Fiorina whose personal
magnetism makes them stand out and propels them up the ladder of success.
But is charisma that powerful personal magic that attracts people and promotions
like a magnet something you are born with or something you can learn?
Its common knowledge, for example, that the late president John F. Kennedy exuded
charisma. Yet historians say his style was so carefully rehearsed that before running
for president he even commissioned a study to determine the most effective
handshake!
Those who study the phenomenon of charisma say while some people are innately
more charismatic than others, there are certain things everyone can do to boost their
charisma quotient. Debra Benton, author of Executive Charisma: Six Steps to
Mastering the Art of Leadership offers the following pointers:

Expect acceptance.
Regardless of rank, expect to be treated as an equal. If you expect acceptance, you just
might get it. If you dont expect it, you definitely wont get it.

Control your attitude.
Success in business is based more on mental attitude than on mental capabilities. Be
optimistic toward yourself, others and life. Walk in to a room with a spring in your
step and a smile on your face.
Perfect your posture.
Pull your ribcage away from your pelvis, roll your shoulders back and down, pull your
stomach in and tuck your bottom toward your spine. Breathe deeply. Youll not only
look better, but feel more energized, alert and in control.

Think before you talk.
Think fast, pause, then speak purposefully. One CEO practices saying everything to
himself before he says it out loud so that he will hear how it sounds and can change it
if he needs to.
Slow down.
Speed in speaking, moving, gesturing and walking looks nervous and scared. Scared
people get passed over, not hired or promoted. Learn to speak in a comfortable,
easygoing and welcoming way. Dont waste time, but do speak as if you have all the
time in the world for those you are speaking to.

Shoot straight.
Everything you say or write can be done in a simple, straightforward manner. Just do
it.

Be a good storyteller.
People understand you better, remember what you say longer, and find you smarter
and more interesting if you use anecdotes to make your points.

Be aware of your style.
Clothes dont make the man but they do make a difference. Wear well-tailored, good
quality clothes that make you look like you are in charge. But remember, it isnt as
much about your look as how you look at things and what people see when they look
at you.

Admit your mistakes.
If you are error-free, youre likely effort-free.

Dont be bullied.
If you are unjustly criticized, dont take the bait and get into an argument. Instead
calmly ask: Why do you think that? What do you mean? or Whats that based
on?
Be flexible.
Be able to stand out while still fitting in with the crowd.

Be at ease with yourself and others.
Look others straight in the eye, eliminate any defensiveness and take the edge off your
voice. Never let them see you sweat!
To get in touch with Debra Benton visit: DebraBenton.com

How To Master Your Mind
Posted on 08/29/2009 by Ivan Campuzano 34 Comments
All that we are is the result of what we have thought.
The mind is everything. What we think we become.
Buddha

Mastering Your Mind
Unless you learn to be the master of your mind, you will never find the peace of mind
that you so dearly want. The mind is an amazing tool, but just like with any tool you
need to learn to use it. The mind is a great servant but a horrible master. Many come
to think that their mind is something they cannot control, but with proper
discipline you will prove to your self that this is untrue.
There is one law of the mind, this law is that whatever you pay attention to is what
you become conscious of. So if you never really pay any attention to how your mind
works, you will never have conscious control over it. Once you begin to try and
understand and pay attention to your mind, you come to see its positive and negative
tendencies. You come to realize that your identity is not your thoughts and
mind, your true nature is beyond that.
You realize that you are pure consciousness and not what your consciousness had
identified itself with (thoughts and mind). This is why people who are not aware of
this, their life experience is determined by the quality of thoughts they have. People
who are not conscious of their thoughts will just keep recycling the same internal
dialogue. If you constantly have thoughts of worry and anxiety, your mind will be
robbed of its vital energy.
The Quality of Your Mind Is Determined by The
Quality of Your Thoughts
You must learn to consciously choose which thoughts you allow into your mind. On
average we have 50,000 to 60,000 thoughts that run through our mind. If you really
pay attention you will see that about 95% of those thoughts are thoughts that you had
from the day before. This will help you realize that how you think is simply a
function of habit and conditioning. If you are always worrying this is simply from a
negative thinking habit. Reality reflects back to you what you think commonly,
change your common thought, and change your life.
You just need to take full responsibility and understand that mind management is
essential to life management. Here is the amazing thing about being conscious human
being, you have free will. You are the one who ultimately gets to decide what you
pay attention to. The problem is that if you are not the master of your mind, your
current mental habits will be the one to choose.
I n all circumstances your free will boils down to what you choose to pay attention
to. Learn to watch at all times where your mind is placing its attention. If you find that
it is not conducive to your growth, change it. The more you do this the stronger your
will power will become. You will have the power to direct your mind towards your
intention. When you know your personal intent, it helps you stay centered and lets
you know when you are not centered.
Cultivate Your Mind
The way you think stems from habit, so your mental mastery will come from the
conditioning you give it. No matter what happens in your life, you alone have the
power to choose how you respond to it. Learn to form the mental habit of looking for
the positive in every experience you have. This will develop the habit that will allow
you to overcome challenges and support your inner growth.
Just remember that in life there are no mistakes only lessons. Learn not to judge
situations as either good or bad, but just as a learning experience. If you truly learn
from it you will not commit the same thing you label as a mistake. I f you keep
committing the same mistake you will know you have really not learned from the
experience. You are still allowing your old ways of thinking dictate how you act in a
given situation.
Techniques On How To Master Your Mind To Get Rid
of Worry and Anxiety
1. Concentrate on an object: Pick an object that you will use for your daily ritual. As
an example you can use a flower or a statue. Everyday take some time to just observe
it. Learn to keep your minds attention only on the object. Notice everything you can
about it. When your mind wonders off and thinks of something else bring your
attention back to the object.
Your goal here is to each day be able to increase the time you are able to concentrate
solely on the object with out deviation from it. At first this will be very difficult for
many. Dont get discouraged just realize that the more you exercise the easier it will
get. This is a mental exercise for your mind. Just like with your body if you dont
exercise the mind it becomes lazy and unfocused.
You either control your mind or it controls you. Once you have the power to
concentrate through your will power, you will be able to banish the thoughts of worry.
As soon as you notice negative thoughts bubble up within you, you will have the
power to refocus your attention on thoughts that will better serve you.
2. Opposition thinking: By nature the way that our brains are wired, we are only able
to focus on one thought at a time. Learn watch every negative thought that comes into
your mind. Before you give any power to it, unclutch from it and replace it with an
opposite positive thought. Learn to mother good thoughts. Carry a notebook with you,
each time you become aware of your negative thinking, write it down. This will
simply be a friendly reminder of how many negative thoughts you had in a day.
Take the Time to reflect on your day: Every night make it a habit of running through
your day in your mind. What was the general theme? How were you thinking? How
did this influence your day and ultimately your interpretation of it? This is very
important because if we dont take the time to analyze our thinking we will not be
conscious of any problems and then make the appropriate changes.
3. Magnetic Visualization: the difference between your imagination and
visualization is this, in visualization you can see it in your mind, but in your heart you
also believe it is possible. Take out the list of all the negative thoughts you had for the
day. What was the opposite positive thought to counteract it? Now visualize that
thought in the theater of your mind, live it out in as much detail as possible. If you had
a sad thought and than replaced it with a happy thought, mentally see how you act and
feel when you are truly happy. What kind of things do you do? What kind of energy
do you feel?
Try to really live it in your mind. Your mind thinks in pictures, your goal is to get
your thoughts in alignment with your positive mental slide show. Your mental
pictures serve as a target; remember that without a target we cant focus our
energies towards a specific outcome. When we can clearly see it in our mind, we will
find a way to bring about its fulfillment.
The best times to visualize are when you wake up in the morning and are in a
drowsy state. Dont wake up fully, stay in this drowsy state where your brain is on a
slower Alpha wave length. In this state you are able to impregnate your subconscious
mind directly with your visualization. Do this each morning and see how your
visualization affects your day. Did this influence the theme of your day? I think you
will have many lovely surprises from this technique.
4. Daily Meditation: Make it a habit to mediate once in the morning and before going
to sleep. Mediation will help you develop a calm mind. It will help you become a
witness to your inner world. It will help you to dis identify yourself from your
thoughts and mind and allow you to question all your thoughts.
Practice these techniques without fail for one month, one month should be enough to
make it a habit. If you skip a day, start all over. Making this commitment to yourself
will yield amazing results.
How Mastering Your Mind Will Create Your Destiny
Once you are able to direct where you place your minds attention through your free
will, you will be able to concentrate all your energies on one task at a time, until you
see it to completion. Through your mental habit of opposition thinking you will be
able to maintain a positive mindset. It will direct your attitude and ultimately how you
respond to situations and decisions that shape your life. Through your magnetic
visualization each time you summon a positive thought, in your minds eye you will
see it in its entirety and keep you focused on your target.
So the secret of your happiness is to find what you truly love to do and then direct
your minds focused concentrated energy to its attainment. I am sure you see how
important it is to learn how to master your mind. Once you are able to direct your
mind you are able to direct the path you take in life.
Thank you so much for reading my article; If you find my site valuable please pass it
along to your friends and family. I really appreciate you helping me in my personal
mission to self empower as many people as I can.

The Shawshank Redemption Guide To
Freedom
Posted on 07/26/2010 by Ivan Campuzano 18 Comments
Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free- The Shawshank Redemption

Escaping The Matrix
Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do
they deserve, either one.- Benjamin Franklin
F-R-E-E-D-O-Mahhhjust say it out loud to yourselfjust by saying it you feel
an exhilarating feeling of boundlessness. This has to be the most beautiful word in
any language.
Freedom is the central theme around the movieThe Shawshank Redemption, it Is a
classic film filled with wisdom and universal messages that almost everyone can
relate to. I want to show what we can all learn from the movie because while most of
us may not be locked up in prison, many of us are living in a prison that we are not
aware of. I f you are not aware that you are in a prison you will not bother in trying
to escape. You may not be physically imprisoned, but psychologically we are
prisoners of our minds.
Physical freedom is only one aspect of freedom, this is freedom from. Freedom
from could be financial freedom, being free from a job, this is what most people
associate freedom to, but this is not real freedom. Its a start, it gives a glimpse of
whats possible. This is why people who win the lottery remain unfulfilled, they are
still not free of their own prison. Inner freedom cannot be given to you by anyone or
any amount of money.
To know how to free oneself is nothing; the arduous thing is to know what to do with
ones freedom- Andre Gide
Freedom from is still dependent on external circumstances. You need from for,
this is psychological inner freedom. This is having a mind free of its conditioning, free
from its own limitations. Freedom for is the ability to respond to life without having
the past or future interfere in your actions. Freedom from your incessant inner
chattering. Having freedom from and freedom for, now this is ultimate
freedom.
The Plot:The film portrays the story of Andy Dufresne, a banker who spends nearly
two decades in Shawshank State Prison for the murder of his wife (wrongfully
sentenced). During his time at the prison, he befriends a fellow inmate, Ellis Red
Redding and finds himself protected by the guards after the warden begins using him
in his money laundering operation. Wikipedia.org
The Essential Wisdom of The Shawshank Redemption
Provide service to others without expecting anything in return: Andy was a very
smart person, but he was not arrogant towards others who where not on his level
intellectually. He took the time to teach and empower others. He received great
fulfillment in seeing one his students get his GED from prison. Serving others and
being a part of their growth is one of the greatest forms of fulfillment that you can
experience.
Hope + hard work + baby steps + commitment = Freedom: Andy ultimately
escapes the Shashank prison because it started with a little hope. One night In his
prison cell a small part of the wall chipped off, this was the little spark of hope he
needed. He then proceeds to dig a hole for the next 20+ years of his life, behind the
poster of a beautiful woman.

Hope: Think of the times you felt truly great, truly free, this is your hope that you
know other states of being are possible.

Hard work: study yourself all the time, study great books, practice yoga, meditate,
and find a school or group of like minded people you can work with.
Baby steps: If you work hard enough and have a definite aim, you will create
experiences for you to know that your work is paying off. If your work is real and
meaningful you will change the way you feel, you will change your state of being.
Commitment: You need to commit, you cant work for one month, then take a month
off. If you are not ready to commit dont even start because then you may create even
more problems for yourself. You may even lose faith in certain methods and close
yourself off from them in the future.
When I first played around with meditation in my teenage years I did not get it my
efforts where partial and infrequent. What I thought mediation was, was me only
thinking I was meditating, which was not meditating at all, just a superficial feeling
of calmness was as far as I got.
It would be years until I finally understood what the great teachers meant in having a
timeless mind. It took years to get through my layers of conditioning and previous
ideas I had about meditation, until I finally got my first taste of going beyond my
inner chattering. This is a journey that only continues to grow into deeper states of
meditation. If I would have not stayed committed I would have never known what is
possible, it was inconceivable.
You can always be creative and continue learning even while in prison: No matter
what your circumstances may be, there is always something new to learn. If you learn
to become integrated within yourself, you can always find a creative solution to any of
your problems.
Making Genuine Connections: Be open to anyone new you meet, you really never
know when you might meet a once in a life time friend and ally.
Enduring Extreme Pain and Suffering: What doesnt kill you will only make you
stronger, thats if you approach things with the right attitude. If you have
a definite aim in your life, it will serve as motivation for you to get back on track
when you encounter obstacles in your life.
Life is not fair: Life does not discriminate, there is neither good nor bad in the eyes
of the universe, it is up to you on how you decide to approach and live your life.
Becoming attached to your environment, even if it is a prison:Anything you
become attached to will create pain when it changes or is taken away from you.
Realize that if you do not have a certain understanding of how you work internally,
you will always live a life of attachment. You need to live a life of awareness, so that
you do not make unconscious decisions that will then become an attachment and keep
you in bondage.
On Being Institutionalized:
This is all he knows, In here he is somebody, out there he is nobody(prison walls)
first you hate them, then you get comfortable, then you begin to love them, you depend
on them Ellis Redding

One of the oldest inmates Brooks gets released after spending the majority of his
life in prison. Once he has his physical freedom back, he does not know what to do
with it. He has forgotten what it means to be outside of the prison walls, he doesnt
know how to function, so he decides to kill himself. This is what happens to many of
us, we get comfortable with the familiar, we know we are miserable but at least its
something we know.
In his apartment he engraves Brooks was here, just like Brooks we all have this fear
that we will not be remembered. We want to know that our lives meant something, we
want people to acknowledge our existence.
We all want to leave our mark on this planet. The best way to leave your mark is just
to find work that is meaningful to you, dedicate yourself to the work, and do it in a
selfless way, contributing your work for the betterment of the whole.
Persistence: While in prison Andy had the desire to make knowledge freely available
to the inmates, he wanted to start a prison library, but needed to get funding from the
state. He asked the warden if he could write a letter requesting the necessary funds.
Andy ends up getting his wish, it just took him six years of writing letters to the state .
It only took six years, now I just might write two times a week Andy
Music is Proof that there is god: When one donation to the library provides Andy
with the opera The Marriage of Figaro, he plays it over the public address system
for all the inmates to hear, well-aware of the punishment of solitary confinement he
will receive for the brief moment of bliss. For the briefest of moments all the men at
Shawshank felt free.In the movie Andy says solitary confinement was worth it
because you need music so that you dont forget theres a place inside you they
cant touch. To know that something exists besides the material world.This is
beautiful, meditation if done with earnestness and unshakable determination will give
you the experience of this place that no one can touch.This space is being in the
essence of that which is really you. Freedom is an inner phenomenon. Beautiful music
is a reminder that life is illogical, that we are able to feel a reality that is beyond our
minds comprehension.
Prison Time Is Slow Time:
A man in prison will do almost anything to keep his mind occupied Shawshank
Redemption
This is not true of only people who are in jail, but all people who escape with
entertainment. In your slow time learn to be with your silence, this is how you will
break free from your mind. You will come to understand your mind, you will see all
of its negative tendencies. If you stay in your silence long enough you will come to
realize that you are not your mind.
You will be able to see that your mind does not function in a logical manner, most of
your thoughts are just random, the problem is that when our thoughts bubble up
within us, we are always looking for meaning. We try and connect one thought with
the next. Our minds crave certainty and always want to understand everything.
When you are able to see that your mind does not function in a linear manner, you
will stop trying to control or look for meaning in your random thought process. This
leads to a great increase in energy, much energy is wasted in trying to control and
suppress our thought process. This will allow you to have enough mental energy to
see things as they are.
Having a Timeless Mind:
You know what Mexicans say about the Pacific? That It has no memory -Andy
If you are able to experience a mind that has become empty, you will understand what
it means to have a timeless mind. Your thoughts create your sense of time, all your
thoughts come from memory. Freedom from your mind means freedom from your
memory. This is not to say that you no longer use your memory and are in a state of
amnesia, but that your memory no longer conditions and influences you in the
present.
It all just comes down to a simple decisionyou get busy living or get busy dieing-
The Shawshank Redemption
All You Need is Pressure and Time:
Everyman has a breaking point
Pressure: Freedom is your choice, but youre going to have to work hard to get it. You
have to realize what your main aim in life is, if its to discover real freedom, you are
going to have to give everything you got. But first you need to realize that you are
living in a prison in the first place, you need to get a glimpse of whats possible. Once
you experience what true freedom tastes like, there is no going back, heaven is
possible in this life time.
Time: It takes time to change, but true change is instant. Once you re examine your
relationship to time, you will see that change can happen this instant. Depending on
your own level of being and understanding it may take a long time and a lot of work
to get to the point where change can become instantaneous, when you are acting from
a timeless space.
Living With Fear:
I just want to be back to a place where I am not afraid all the time- Ellis Redding
Fear is the one thing that may be keeping you stuck in your life. You need to
understand that only a mind that is free from the past is the only state of mind that is
free of fear. Fear cant exist in a mind that is grounded in the present.
Some birds arent meant to be caged, their feathers are just too bright-Ellis
Redding
Life is too short, make sure you realize that freedom is not something to be achieved
but something that you need to rediscover. You came into this world free, now its
time to spread your wings and reclaim your freedom.
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