we can reprogramme our thoughts - is it true?

[Guest guest]

-Dear warren

I appreciate you giving a summary to ginea, and as I read it I remembered saying that we can't drop/change thoughts, they drop us - or they don't. And going in with a motive, even one so apperently praiseworthy, could still influence our process and/or set up subtle lines of internal defense. I've done this so much of my life, been so upset about how 'retrograde' my thoughts are that I've been willing to do anything to change them - it seems thats what fuelled my'spiritual search' (but of course I can't know that either!!!) , and it was only recently that I felt the pain of how I abandon myself everytime I have a thought that I think shouldn't be there.

Below I've put in capitals some places where I try to remember to ask myself 'is it true' when i am particularly desparate to change a thought which I don't like or think I shouldn't be having?

suzanne

-- Original Message ----- From: warrenc_chicago

Subject: Re: starter

ginea2000 wrote:> I don't understand how answering the 6 questions can bring in a change in anyone.Let's see if I can explain it.The basis of The Work is that we aren't disturbed by what happens to us, but by our thoughts about what happens to us. In order to relieve our stress, we need to change the thoughts that are causing the stress. IS IT TRUE THAT WE NEED TO CHANGE THE THOUGHTS?But we can't change a thought merely by deciding to. Our thoughts aren't in our conscious control. To put it in somewhat Freudian terms, they're produced by our subconscious. (IS THIS TRUE?) To change our thoughts, we have to convince the subconscious that the thoughts aren't in our best interest. THERE IS A SUBCONSCIOUS: IS IT TRUE;

WE CAN CONVINCE IT - IS THAT TRUE?

THE THOUGHTS AREN'T IN OUR BEST INTEREST: IS IT TRUE?.So, that's what the four questions do. The first two open our minds to the possibility that our thoughts don't represent absolute truth. The third shows us that the thoughts turn us into someone we don't want to be, and the fourth shows us an alternative---how much happier we would be without these stressful thoughts. The turnarounds give us some thoughts to replace the stressful ones.By doing all this in a relaxed, somewhat meditative state, perhaps closing our eyes when we answer the questions, we can 'reprogram' the subconscious to stop producing the stressful thoughts.That's it in a nutshell. My explanations tend to be brief. Fell free to ask followup questions if I've been too brief.Peace and love,Warren