Power of the Mind
The power of the mind, and how to increase it are topics I
cover repeatedly in the Brainpower Newsletter, and I get a lot
of questions emailed to me from subscribers. Here are some of
them, along with my answers (edited for clarity and privacy and
grammar, of course).
Q: Have you ever heard of the 'Morphogenetic Field'
(a sort of collective subconscious)? And do you think it is the
reason so many inventions arise simultaneously in different inventors'
minds?
A: Being more of a skeptic, I think the explanation for the
multiple-source inventions is just that there are lot of people
who have similar ideas because they come from the same premises/problems/logical
connections. For example, it seems natural that many people all
over the world would consider combining the concept of a bicycle
with boat, and probably thousands did before one finally made
a pedal-boat. In the end, it is the rare individual that does
more than dream up these ideas, so most things (or at least simple
innovations and new combinations of things) are probably invented
mentally a hundred times or more before anyone builds a prototype.
Q: Why do you have so much unproven and un-cited suggestions
and information in your newsletter?
A: I note the source of information for much of the content
in the newsletter and on the site. Other times I simply report
on what has worked for me and others. That is anecdotal evidence,
but I am a big believer in trying things that have some evidence
for them as long as they are safe. Science naturally doesn't
bother to investigate nor prove anything until there are such
stories to suggest there is a reason to look into something.
For example, only because people used limes and other foods to
prevent scurvy without scientific proof did science finally look
into what caused the beneficial effects of some foods and so
discovered Vitamin C.
Some of the suggestions are so simple (such as sitting up
and breathing deeply) that with or without scientific proof,
why wouldn't I give readers the opportunity to try them out and
prove them for themselves? I test many things myself (I'm taking
a brain supplement right now and will report on my results in
a month or so), but I also report on any relevant research I
can find.
You are right to be skeptical, but I hope you enjoy the newsletter
anyhow and can prove a few things for yourself.
Q: Can a person with an IQ level of 120-130 be capable
of thinking as fluently as a person with an IQ level of say around
140 or more?
A: There isn't necessarily much of a difference between a
person with an IQ of 120 versus one with an IQ of 140. IQ really
only measures potential, and in the end it's about how you use
your intelligence. So, yes you can think as fluently or even
better than a person with a higher IQ if you learn better ways
of thinking. Good habits like asking "What other perspectives
can this be seen from?" or "What premises are implied
here and are they the only ones that make sense?" can make
you a more powerful thinker whether or not this shows up in your
IQ score. Intelligence matters, but it isn't the only part of
brainpower.
Q: Is it necessary to have a high IQ level to be able
to think more efficiently?
A: No, a high IQ is not necessary for efficient thinking,
but having too low of an IQ might present a problem. In my opinion,
anyone with an IQ of 90 or higher can have a good mind with practice,
and anyone with any IQ can increase the power of the mind with
a bit of work.
Q: I have read about programs on the net which claim
can increase your IQ level tremendously
in a span of 4 months or more... one program says it can raise
your IQ to as high as 180. Is this really possible?
A: IQ can be raised, but I doubt many people could raise it
to 180 using any program unless they were close to that to start
with (and an IQ that high or even near that is very rare).
Q: Do you put much faith in the subliminal messaging
technology you advertised in your newsletter? Have you used it?
A: That's one which I haven't tried, and no I don't have much
faith in subliminals. I include the link in the newsletter because
so many people are interested in it and it has a money back guarantee
in any case. That particular product also allows you to make
your own recordings, so you can make them audible instead of
subliminal. I have tried the the CDs from Think Right Now, which
I also advertise. They are not subliminal, but are plainly audible
affirmations that are repeated over and over in various forms.
Those seemed to get my wife and I more motivated (we tried the
one for motivation). Our limited subjective experience is not
the greatest evidence, but they're harmless enough.
Q: You talk about mental telepathy being unproven, but
I have had experiences that have no other explanation. Isn't
it closed-minded to rule it out?
A: Yes, to rule it out entirely would be closed-minded, as
would ruling out other, more mundane explanations like intuition
based on unconsciously absorbed information. In any case, I really
can't deny the experiences others have since I don't have the
"inside information" they have. It would be especially
wonderful to consistently have the ability to use such "sensing"
or power or whatever we call it. If you can do that it doesn't
matter how anyone explains it (or if I don't explain it).
I certainly have had experiences which others haven't had,
and although they are more of what I would call spiritual rather
than psychic, I know that skepticism from others is common until
a person shares such an experience. In any case, if you have
certain experiences that are useful to you it doesn't necessarily
have to matter if I or anyone else believes in any particular
explanation.
Q: What do you think of the Zox Training System (a product
that is meant to help you develop photo-memory ability and other
mind powers) on the Internet?
A: I haven't tried the product, but I just visited the sale's
page, and the first line read: "Underground Secret Testing
Lab Reveals: Most people use less than 2% of their total brain
capacity..."
"Underground Secret Testing Lab?" Sounds like hype
to me. In any case, the idea that we can say with any accuracy
how much of our brain is used questionable. We can guess that
we use a lot less than our total capacity, but all the various
areas of the brain are used for something, so how do we measure
how much is used? Any way it is done is arbitrary. Measure the
amount of neurons activated in a day? Or how many bits of knowledge
we have in there versus how many we could have - and how do we
measure that?
On the other hand the hype doesn't mean it isn't a decent
product. Even the good ones need a sales page, and exaggerations
along with unproven claims seem to be the norm. It is one of
the more expensive brainpower-related products I've seen online,
but I noticed that it is sold through ClickBank. I've never heard
of anyone having trouble getting a refund for a ClickBank product
as long as they ask in the first eight weeks after buying. So
if you do decide to buy it, you can easily get a refund if it
doesn't work. And if you do, let me know what kind of results
you get.
For more questions and answers on the mind and related topics,
see the pages: Brain and Mind
and Improve Brainpower,
and watch the new pages section on the homepage as well.
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