Use thoughts to change your life

When we are able to focus =that thought can become reality. In psychology, there is a ’17-second law’ – if you focus on a thought for 17 seconds, it starts to become reality. This is the power of focused thinking. The space between our thoughts determines how powerful they are. The larger that space, the more powerful thoughts are. Nowadays, people think too much and there is no gap between their thoughts, so they lack power.

Why is it that some people think positively while others brood on the darker side of life? The reason is that the mind functions at different levels – the conscious, subconscious and unconscious ones. The subconscious and unconscious levels of consciousness control the mind most of the time and influence our thinking. It is as if we are on an automatic mode in which we do not create our thoughts, but they arise out of what is stored at the subconscious and unconscious levels.

A lot of people complain that they do not want to think negatively but are unable to stop doing so. One manifestation of this is obsessive-compulsive disorder, which is a common condition now. Those suffering from it say that they cannot stop having certain kinds of thoughts, which compel them to act irrationally, such as repeatedly washing their hands even when they are clean. The problem lies at the unconscious and subconscious levels.

How do things get imprinted on the subconscious mind? When something happens in our life and we think about it emotionally, and do this repeatedly, it becomes a part of the subconscious mind. Our feelings can be negative or positive; the key is that some emotion is attached to the memory of that incident or experience.

Suppose someone was brought up lovingly by their parents, who accepted the child as he or she was. The child develops the feeling that they are accepted by most people. This leads to a positive outlook. On the other hand, if a child repeatedly experiences criticism and rejection, they start believing that no one loves them, and this belief remains even after they grow up.

This does not mean that our circumstances decide the quality of our consciousness and our world view. The situations may not change, but if we change the way we look at them, and develop mechanisms to cope with them, it can make a big difference. By adopting the right perspective, we can reprogramme the mind so that we think and act differently.

For example, I was once stuck in a lift that suddenly stopped working. They managed to get the lift working again and I was out of it in about 20 minutes. Some people then advised me, “Don’t use the lift”. I said that was the first thing I was going to do, and I got into the same lift again. Why? Because I did not want to develop a fear of using lifts.

Suppose you are swindled by someone; you need to learn your lessons from the experience so that it does not happen again, and remember that it is not something that happens all the time.

You do not start thinking that everyone is out to swindle you. You can even help others by sharing your experience and the lessons from it. With the right approach, you can not only face problems with a positive frame of mind, but also help others become positive.

Dr. Girish Patel is a well-known psychiatrist based in Mumbai, and a student of Rajyoga with the Brahma Kumaris.