Why Affirmations Don't Work

When I was a young man I read the book "Think and Grow Rich" by Napoleon Hill which was written after the author interviewed 500 successful industrialists, philosophers and invertors during the industrial revolution. That book had a big influence on my life. However, implementing it's techniques seemed to never happen at that time.

Now I have realized just what my problem was. It was belief. Mr. Hill told me how to get money, he also said I could get any amount of money I wanted. Of course, I wanted a million dollars. Then that seemed to be very difficult to believe so I decided on having $100,000 of course I couldn't believe that either, that was also a big number in the 60's. I would do the affirmations as he suggested, then afterwards I would feel getting that money was not possible for me. Of course it didn't happen.

When I had to recover my health, I tried affirmations of being well and I just couldn't "see" it or feel it during or after that process. Of course it didn't happen at that time. Since I recovered using guided visualization, I went back and reread "Think And Grow Rich". Then I realized why I hadn't been successful.

Here is what Mr. Hill says.
"The subconscious mind takes any orders given it in a spirit of absolute faith, and acts upon those orders, although the orders have to be presented over and over again, through repetition, before they are interpreted by the subconscious mind. Consider the possibility of playing a perfectly legitimate trick on your subconscious mind, by making it believe, because you believe it, that you must have the amount of money you are visualizing, that this money is already waiting for you, that the subconscious mind must hand over to you practical plans for acquiring the money which is yours.
Send that thought to your imagination, and see what your imagination can, or will do, to create practical plans for the accumulation of money through transmutation of your desire.
Begin at once to see yourself in possession of the money, demanding and expecting meanwhile, that your subconscious mind will hand over the plan, or plans you need. Be on the alert for those plans, and when they appear, put them into actions immediately. When the plans appear, they will probably flash into your mind through the sixth sense in the form of “inspiration.” Treat it with respect, and act upon it as soon as you receive it.
Don’t trust to your “reason” when creating your plan for accumulating money through the transmutation of desire. Your reason is faulty. Moreover, your reasoning faculty may be lazy, and , if you depend on it to serve you, it may disappoint you. When visualizing the money you intend to accumulate, see yourself rendering the service, or delivering the merchandise you intend to give in return for the money. Be specific in your visualization."
“More gold has been mined from the thoughts of men than has been taken from the earth.”
- Napoleon Hill

Progress has been made in the scientific field concerning the mind and how it works. It has been shown that we create the same brainwaves when we visualize something happening and when we actually do the deed. This has been used extensively in sports. It has been shown that our minds can't tell the difference and our subconscious mind accepts the belief that our vision is really happening.

Belief is the important thing in getting your unconscious autopilot to respond. How do you get belief? Repetition is the key. Advertisers have known and used this for years. They know that the first time we hear a new idea our mind will search our data banks (memory) and most likely reject the idea as untrue. The second time, when the data banks are searched the idea is found and we might think I have heard that before but I don't think it is right. The third time, we might think I have heard that before or that is what they say. The forth time, we might say I have heard that all my life. The fifth time, we will say I know that is true. After the sixth or seventh time we will not only believe it we will tell our friends what we know.

This is what I learned from my experience. Visualization is very powerful in changing your belief of what is possible for you. Visualization while in a meditative state is even more powerful because it bypasses your conscious mind and the information goes into your long term memory thus changing your beliefs automatically.
It is important to refrain from thinking about your vision in a negative way outside of your practice. Your subconscious mind also will respond to that negative instruction and cancel your ideal you are creating.

When I was young I tried affirmations without the feeling of belief and I didn't get what I affirmed. When I first started using guided visualization with meditation it was fun and I started putting the positive memories in my long term data banks (memory) and I started believing I was getting well. When my belief changed I could feel it. Now I know that if you can visualize what you want, repeat the process over and over, have fun doing it and you will change your belief. Then look out.

For a life and death example of the power of visualization visit my site at http://www.learningtodanceintherain.com