How to change beliefs

[martindv]

I`ve realized that the beliefs we have form our reality, so guys tell me how to change them. If I change the CORE everything will follow it so I don`t want to lose any time

[demk]

You know, I just had this thing where I tried too hard to change my beliefs. I had the idea that it was a case of changing the core beliefs, getting them out of my brain and onto paper and replacing them for ones that would make my life perfect. The process was too overwhelming and resulted in barraging myself with all the negative perceptions I have ever had. When you come up against every negative way of percieving reality you have ever stored up you get depressed, simply because of all the negative thoughts that will swill around in your consciousness. This isnt healthy or productive.

I understand that you dont want to waste any time and the thought of simply replacing negative beliefs can be enticing so you need a natural and healthy way to evolve your belief system. Luckily, your mind will always present you with the most imminant belief to change because it is the negative thought that is on your mind right now. My advice is to not root around too much in an attempt to find beliefs but to let them surface naturally. If you have a certain area that is bothering you most you can explore your thoughts about that aspect of your life, just don't do what I did and write out all your beliefs about every aspect because it will be painful and too much to bare all at once.

Another effective method for understanding your current beliefs/perceptions is to take your goals and ask yourself questions designed to show you how you really feel about them. Think about the process of actually working towards them. What will it involve? what will it be like when I get there? Again, don't do too much at once. The best idea is to trust in yourself and know that you will be presented with what needs to change.

The best way for actually changing beliefs that I have found is to "Enquire" as Byron Katie says. Check out these links...

The Work of Byron Katie - Byron Katie International

and...

ByronKatie.com: The Official Blog for The Work of Byron Katie

Remember that the personal-development/spiritual path is fruitful but not easy. Things get effortless when you get the trick to life but it often takes a while before you really understand. I have read countless books and, although they all contained really good information, they all pointed to the same message in different ways. Sometimes things need to be explained in many different ways until you "get" it.

A good idea is to hold the intention of your beliefs and perceptions being rewired in the best way and for the greater good by a higher power (Universe/God/Source/whatever...) and then to let it happen naturally. Conscious trying can have negative consequences.

Seriosuly, check out Byron Katie because her stuffis great.

Good luck.

[bodhiavttas]

I just got the Paraliminal CD "Belief", which is supposed to help you replace old beliefs with new, better ones.
I've tried it only once but when I get a better idea about it I will let you know. I remember Steve mentioning that it was his favorite.

[AndyMartin]

Originally Posted by martindv

I`ve realized that the beliefs we have form our reality, so guys tell me how to change them. If I change the CORE everything will follow it so I don`t want to lose any time

Then stop believing in belief.

[Smiley]

martindv, I'll give it my best try.

The human brain is a fabulous tool. One of the tasks at which it excels is finding patterns...auditory, visual, etc. It is amazing how well it can scan the environment to find evidence that proves your beliefs to be correct, and ignore all other evidence.

I accept my beliefs as factually incorrect representations of reality. My beliefs are nothing more than my own personal interpretation of "what is". Given that all that I perceive is taken through my own particular set of filters and categorized accordingly, and since I believe that I can never perceive except through my own filters, I've accepted that the resultant beliefs are necessarily factually incorrect. That is, they do not perfectly capture reality. Doing this has allowed me to be more proactive about challenging my own beliefs, whether they be empowering or limiting.

If the brain is scanning the environment to find evidence that your beliefs are correct, then essentially, you get to be right. No matter what, you get to be right. Believe that people are inherently good? Your brain will find evidence to support that. Believe that people are inherently evil? Your brain will find evidence to support that. You get to be right. The question now becomes, what do you want to be right about.

You know that there are beliefs that do not empower you to achieve what it is that you want to achieve. So, since you are already that far down the path, simply imagine yourself in third-person. Take away the emotional and self-defining attachment to the belief. Think, "If I were a person who had beliefs that supported this thing that I want to achieve, what would those beliefs be?" Essentially, decide on some new beliefs to replace the old ones that limited you.

Next, go find evidence. Consciously, deliberately, go find evidence. You're looking for volume here. You must retrain your brain exactly what kind of evidence you're looking for. Write it down. You're looking for something in the order of two billion data points. I mean, you've spent your whole life (or however long) finding evidence that the old belief is correct. So go find all of the evidence that you can.

Say, for example, you're looking to replace some limiting belief that's getting in the way of financial abundance with something that sounds like, "I am abundant and enjoy tremendous financial reward." What would qualify as evidence for this new belief? Well, who bought you a coffee today? Did you pull into a parking spot that had time on the meter? Did you find a penny on the ground?

Am I stretching here? Of course I am! But let's be straight...your brain has been going out of its way to find evidence that supports the old beliefs. Imagine, for a moment, someone who has limiting beliefs about their self-worth. They see someone across a room who looks at them. Person A, the self-worth challenged individual, sees Person B look at them and thinks, "that person looked at me funny". Person A now concocts some story about what Person B must think of them. Person A is now in reaction to Person B, even before having ever spoken to person B. AND, they now have additional evidence that says, "Person B looked at me funny, and thinks I'm a dork, so that's one more person that thinks so." Y'know what just happened in this common scenario? Person A just made all that crap up. Made it up! Just to find evidence to prove their belief about their own limited self-worth correct.

So, as long as you're going to make crap up anyway, make up crap that supports empowering beliefs! You will retrain your brain just what kind of evidence you're looking for. And your brain will respond, the fantastic tool that it is. And, when new opportunities and scenarios pop up that fulfill your desires, you will already have a brain that is trained to spot them.

To summarize: You get to be right. What do you want to be right about? Great! Go find evidence.

[martindv]

Smiley thanks for the feedback, you helped me to put into place my understandings for the beliefs

[Holistic Star]

My healer said to me in response to my impatience to complete a piece of personal development work:

"Impatience is another form of resistance. When you are impatient to complete a change, you are resisting the process of change, and it is during the process that the learning and development takes place."

Not sure if that means anything to you, but I realised it was highly significant to me. I realised I had to slow down and enjoy the changes I was making instead of fighting against what I didn't want to be.

[darkmoon]

Smiley: this is the most practical advice on changing beliefs I've ever read! I never came around to actively search for evidence supporting my new belief. For me this was kind of the missing link, so big thanks to you!