Psych-K
PSYCH-K
The Missing
Peace
In
Your Life!
Robert M. Williams, M.A.
Third Edition
A Myrddin Publication
Copyright © 2004-2009 by The Myrddin Corporation
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from The Myrddin Corporation.
For information contact:
The Myrddin Corporation
P.O. Box 548, Crestone, CO 81131 • www.psych-k.com
Library of Congress Control Number: 2004108873
Library of Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data (CIP)
PSYCH-K … The Missing Piece Peace in Your Life! / by Robert M. Williams
PSYCH-K is a registered trademark of the Myrddin Corporation
All Rights Reserved
ISBN 978-0-9759354-0-8
1. Self-Help 2. Psychology 3. Spirituality
Printed in the United States of America
This book is dedicated to the Divinity in each of us.
May you recognize your Divinity,
discover your greatness, and
become the peace you seek.
“Peace is the key to
all knowledge,
all mystery,
all life.”
From the Essene Gospels of Peace
Contents
Foreword
Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D.
The Biology of Belief
Preface:
Trying Smarter, Not Harder
Introduction:
Making Wisdom a Habit Instead of an Effort
Chapter 1
The Roots of PSYCH-K
Is This As Good As It Gets?
Chapter 2
When Getting There Isn’t Half the Fun
Letting Go of the Struggle
Chapter 3
The Mind/Body Connection
Communicating with the Subconscious Mind
Chapter 4
Whole-Brain Integration
Left-Brain/Right-Brain/Whole-Brain
Chapter 5
The Power and Biology of Beliefs
Toxic Beliefs Can Be Hazardous to Your Health
Chapter 6
Conscious vs. Subconscious Beliefs
Two Minds Are Better Than One
Chapter 7
Putting It All Together
The Differences That Make a Difference
Chapter 8
Real People … Real Results
Where the Rubber Meets the Road
Chapter 9
Testing Your Subconscious Beliefs
What You Don’t Know Can Hurt You!
Chapter 10
The Myths About Change
The Truth Is Not Determined By a Show of Hands
Chapter 11
The Magic of Believing
Pay No Attention to That Man Behind the Curtain
Chapter 12
It’s Just the Beginning
Where Do You Go from Here?
Afterword
PSYCH-K and the Big Picture
Have You Noticed That Things Seem to Be Speeding Up a Little?
Foreword
The perception that our lives are controlled by our genes is so fundamental to our civilization, that this dogma is incorporated into the most elemental level of a child’s education. The “genes control life” message is continuously repeated through every level of higher education, from grade school up through graduate and medical school. The general public has been conditioned to believe that the human body represents an exquisite genetically controlled automaton. In support of this belief, we attribute our abilities, and more importantly, our disabilities, to the character of our inherited gene codes.
Since genes apparently control the traits of an individual’s life, and since we had no say in which genes we were provided at conception, we might rightly consider ourselves victims of heredity.
We have been programmed to accept that we are subservient to the power of our genes in creating the experience of our lives. The world is filled with people who are in constant fear that, on some unsuspecting day, their genes are going to turn on them. Consider the masses of people who perceive their genes as ticking time bombs, waiting for cancer, or some other life-threatening catastrophic disease to explode in their life. Millions of others attribute their failing health issues, such as cardiovascular disease, to inadequacies of their body’s biochemical mechanisms. Distraught parents readily blame unruly behavior on “chemical imbalances” in their child’s brain.
The current mainstream scientific dogma insists that we are recipients of hand-me-down genetic codes that we are apparently unable to change. Consequently, we find ourselves not only victims of heredity, but powerless with regard to our ability to “reprogram” our fate. In assuming the role of powerless victims, we may rightfully deny responsibility for our ill health, both physical and mental. Unfortunately, this denial results in a tremendous amount of human suffering and disease.
So much for the bad news.
The good news is that, in fact, we are not victims of our genes. Astonishing advances in physics and cell biology have recently toppled the philosophical underpinnings of conventional biomedicine. A radically new understanding emerging at the cutting edge of cell science recognizes that the environment, and more specifically, our perception of the environment, directly controls our behavior and the activity of our genes. Since our “perceptions” may be accurate or inaccurate, we may more appropriately refer to them as—beliefs. Rather than your genes, it is your beliefs that control your biology.
The new advances in physics and biology lead us to a future of hope and self-determination. Rob Williams’ simple and profoundly empowering book sheds new light on an important shift in our understanding of the human mind and its affect on biology and behavior. The psychology of personal change presented in the following pages represents a giant step forward toward freeing ourselves from the limitations of outdated concepts about personal growth and development. It points the way toward becoming masters of our destiny instead of victims of our genes. When applied, these principles can dramatically accelerate the expression of our true nature as spiritual beings of unlimited potential.
Bruce H. Lipton, Ph.D. – Cellular Biologist
Author of The Biology of Belief
___________________
For more information about Dr. Lipton’s publications and presentations, visit his web site at www.brucelipton.com.
Third Edition Update
Since its inception in 1988, much has changed for PSYCH-K. In the beginning it was used primarily to address psychological obstacles to happiness among those individuals who were seeking a better life. It was often described as a psychological process that could be used to improve life, mentally and physically. It has been a popular tool for change with lay people and mental health care professionals alike. Over time it has evolved beyond its earlier designation, to reflect the evolving needs of humanity. The ever increasing awareness of the role of spirituality in our lives has become paramount. The fact that many people have discovered the use of PSYCH-K for accelerating one’s spiritual evolution is fast becoming the most popular application of this amazing method for change. Hence, today PSYCH-K is popularly characterized as a spiritual process with psychological benefits. As the originator of PSYCH-K, I concur. I believe that in the final analysis, all problems are spiritual problems with physical side effects. The ability to change limiting beliefs that keep us from recognizing our Divinity, discovering our greatness, and becoming the peace we seek is the gr
eatest gift of PSYCH-K for all who are ready to make the leap.
Together we can make a difference.
Originator of PSYCH-K
February 11, 2009
Preface
Trying Smarter, Not Harder
If you are like many people, you have tried hard to become a better person over the years. But, when it comes to accomplishing your goals in life, sometimes it can feel like you are your own worst enemy instead of your own best friend. This inner conflict can keep you from having a life filled with joy, happiness, and peace. Most people meet this inner conflict by doubling their efforts to overcome the resistance they feel inside. But, sometimes trying harder isn’t the answer. The following story illustrates the point.
I’m sitting in a quiet room at the Millcroft Inn, a peaceful little place hidden back among the pine trees about an hour out of Toronto. It’s just past noon, late July, and I’m listening to the desperate sounds of a life-or-death struggle going on a few feet away.
There’s a small fly burning out the last of its short life’s energies in a futile attempt to fly through the glass of the windowpane. The whining wings tell the poignant story of the fly’s strategy: Try harder. But it’s not working.
His frenzied effort offers no hope for survival. Ironically, the struggle is part of the trap. It is impossible for the fly to try hard enough to succeed at breaking through the glass. Nevertheless, this little insect has staked its life on reaching its goal through raw effort and determination.
This fly is doomed. It will die there on the windowsill.
Across the room, ten steps away, the door is open. Ten seconds of flying time and this small creature could reach the outside world it seeks. With only a fraction of the effort now being wasted, it could be free of this self-imposed trap. The breakthrough possibility is there. It would be so easy.
Why doesn’t the fly try another approach, something dramatically different? How did it get so locked in on the idea that this particular route and determined effort offer the most promise for success? What logic is there in continuing until death to seek a breakthrough with more of the same?
No doubt this approach makes sense to the fly.
Regrettably, it’s an idea that will kill.
Trying harder isn’t necessarily the solution to achieving more. It may not offer any real promise for getting what you want out of life. Sometimes, in fact, it’s a big part of the problem.
If you stake your hopes for a breakthrough on trying harder than ever, you may kill your chances for success.1
As the saying goes, “If you keep doing what you’ve been doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve been getting.”
There is a better way to find the missing peace in your life than to double your efforts and try harder. That’s what this book is about.
___________________
1 This story is used with full permission of Pritchett Rummler-Brache. It first appeared in a booklet called You2. All rights are reserved.
Introduction
Sayings remain meaningless until
they are embodied in habits.
–Kahlil Gibran
Making Wisdom a Habit Instead of an Effort
Ever wonder why your life doesn’t look like the wisdom and inspiration you’ve gleaned from all those self-help books you’ve read, the workshops and lectures you’ve attended, the audiotapes you’ve listened to, or the therapy sessions you’ve had? Okay, let’s assume you’ve read all the right books, attended countless workshops, and listened to the most powerful “gurus” on the planet. Why is there a nagging suspicion that things are pretty much the same as they’ve always been? You know: the relationship-prosperity-self-esteem-weight-loss-job-burnout-can’t seem-to-get-my-life-together issues! It’s not something most of us want to admit because we often invest a lot of time and money in self-improvement and still end up blaming ourselves for not having enough willpower or commitment to accomplish our goals. In short, we just aren’t trying hard enough! Or, if we decide that we aren’t the problem, then it must be the fault of other people, like a spouse, a boss, our parents, the society, even God. And, if those explanations don’t satisfactorily sidestep the real issue, we can always count on bad luck, bad Karma, bad genes, or fate as “can’t-do-anything-about-it” excuses to settle for a life of quiet resignation, resentment, and hopelessness. Sure, most of us put on a “happy face” every day, but who are we kidding?
Making Peace with Yourself
This book is about the missing piece (peace) between trying harder and trying smarter, between great insights and a great life, between acquiring wisdom and putting that wisdom into action in your life. It explains why the wisdom you possess doesn’t always show up in your life the way you want it to, and why doing more of what you have been doing may be part of the problem rather than part of the solution. Finally, it explains how this frustration, when turned into knowledge, can free you from the tyranny of trying harder. The information in this book changed my life. Based on years of experience using PSYCH-K® (pronounced sigh-kay) with others and myself, I am confident this new understanding about the process of change, coupled with the skills to put it into action, holds the same potential for you.
What You Can Expect from This Book
“Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.”
–Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
Because you are reading this book, chances are you are interested in improving your life and becoming a better human being. I hope the information and insights you find here will be compelling enough for you to take the next step, to learn how to put this information into action so you can create the life you really want and deserve. Reading the book is an important first step in a two-step transformational process.
Step one is getting the necessary information to decide why to take the actions suggested here. Step two is learning how to put the information into action, and is an interactive, experiential process. The PSYCH-K belief change processes referred to in this book can best be experienced by way of private sessions or workshops taught by Certified PSYCH-K® Instructors, nationally and internationally. 2
Imagine trying to learn how to swim by reading a book. Sure, you can learn about swimming, but it’s not like actually getting in the water. Books are excellent vehicles for conveying information, insights, and inspiration, but they aren’t as good at conveying knowledge based on direct interactive experience. For that reason, this book is more about “why-to-do” PSYCH-K than “how-to-do” PSYCH-K.
Despite the intrinsic limitations of a book format to facilitate experiences best learned through an interactive group setting, a few significant exceptions to the rule exist and are included in the book. For instance, you will learn a simple, direct, and verifiable process for communicating directly with your subconscious mind in order to discover preprogrammed, hidden beliefs from your past that may be sabotaging your success and happiness. Also, you will learn how to set life goals in such a way that they can become more like self-fulfilling prophecies than day-to-day struggles!
In addition, I set out the essential information and insights necessary to understand what is missing in many of the most popular self-help approaches you may have already tried, including visualization, affirmations, positive thinking, willpower, and so on. I am suggesting a new and more effective method of achieving your personal goals-a process that gives you the know-how and tools you need to create the life you really want. A process that can free your mind from the prison of limiting beliefs.
Welcome to the real world of possibilities instead of the pre-programmed world of limitations!
___________________
2 Visit the PSYCH-K Web site at www.psych-k.com for a list of Certified Instructors in your area. For the business complement of PSYCH-K, see www.per-k.com.
Chapter 1
The Roots of PSYCH-K
People wish to be settled. Only as far as they are
unsettled is there
any hope for them.
–Ralph Waldo Emerson
Is This As Good As It Gets?
It was 1983. I don’t remember the month, or even the season. I recall only the circumstances. Sitting in my office at the cable television company, I stared into space. For the last couple of years I’d pushed thoughts of “How much longer?” and “Something’s got to give!” far into a back room of my awareness. The door to that room had been ajar for some time, and I’d sneaked glimpses into its dim recesses. Why, I’d wondered, was I now earning three times the money I had made in my first job yet feeling three times worse? Certainly one of the main reasons I’d taken my current job was to reduce my commuting time from several hours a day to just a few minutes, but a convenient commute was no longer a satisfactory trade-off for my need to contribute something more to people’s lives than I could managing a cable TV system. The fat-wallet, thin-life feeling became overwhelming, putting me in one of those life-assessment moments, where in the privacy of my own mind I could be completely honest. This was not unfamiliar territory to me, having known such moments more than a few times in the previous several years. The social trappings for happiness were all there: a wife, two children, a home in the suburbs, and a combined income that afforded the creature comforts of middle class America. And yet, something vital was missing.
Until that moment, my ability to reason had been my most effective tool for navigating through the whitewater of life. Indeed, reason and logic were responsible for most of what I had created, and yet simultaneously I knew these seemingly all-important faculties were no match for the deep feelings of emptiness sitting in my belly. Logic, in fact, was making things worse, reminding me that I should be happy, because I had what most people wanted. Who was I to complain? The real issue wasn’t about me rocking the boat, because the boat was rocking me!