Mind Over Matter

Mind over matter  means mind can control matter! It's the mind that rules the roost! Everything has to first exist in the mind before it is manifested.

In 19 B.C., the classical Greek poet Virgil wrote in “The Aeneid”: “Mind moves matter”.

Today every successful sportstar first `sees` his victory in his mind and then repeats it on the field.

Medical science says that most of the illnesses in the world are psychosomatic, i.e. they are caused by the mind. People who worry too much normally end up with ulcers as their agitated mental state has a dramatic effect on the production of acid in their stomach.

A distinct example of mind over matter is visualization, which has been used very effectively in combating the dreaded disease cancer.

In one approach, patients think of cancer cells as the bad guys, dressed in black. Then they picture the white cells in our body as the good guys, dressed in white. The good guys then kill the bad guys. Incredulous, isn't it? But many terminal patients have made amazing recoveries using this technique.

If you are in charge of your thoughts, you can be in charge of your life.

Every person radiates thoughts. Similar thoughts attract each other. When similar thoughts meet, two things happen. First, you attract people generating similar thoughts. Second, you attract circumstances that nurture such thoughts. So, if your thoughts are miserable, your circumstances will be miserable and you will associate with miserable, pathetic people. Positive thoughts, positive people, positive circumstances. Mind over matter!

Our mind is like an all absorbing computer. It stores all the data that we come across in life, right from the time of our birth. (According to Indian philosophy, the subconscious also has records of our past lives).

Every incident, every emotion that we experience, as well as that happens around us, is stored by the subconscious. Experiments have proved this.

In the book “I am O.K., You are O.K.” by Thomas Harris, MD, it is given that brain surgeon Wilder Penfield, when experimenting found that when certain parts of the human brain are touched with electrodes, they evoke past memories so vividly, that the patient feels as if he is actually living those memories.

It is this database in our subconscious that helps us throughout our life. The following is an example of mind over matter.

Suppose you were born poor, and have remained poor till now. And now you have gotten to know what wealth is and how comfortable a wealthy life can be, you decide to become wealthy. So, now you start thinking of how to become wealthy. The conscious mind naturally turns to its subconscious counterpart for information on wealth. But what`s this? The subconscious does not have any information on wealth or on how to become wealthy? Does this mean that you can never become wealthy?

Fortunately, there are two ways out. The first is long winded and may take years. In this method, you read about wealth, wealthy people and how to become wealthy. You associate with wealthy people, study their ways and then try to figure out how to become wealthy yourself.

The second and more convenient way is creative visualization, an example of mind over matter. When you employ creative visualization, it is the subconscious that goes to work, while in the first method, most of the work was done by the conscious mind.

One warning given with regards to creative visualization is that is should never be used for wrong purposes or to harm others. This is because, as the Dalai Lama says, “Whatever you wish unto others, will also come true for you.”

Thus, think good for others, good happens to you, think bad for others, bad happens to you.