Even If It IS a Placebo, That Doesn't Mean It Won't Work

We've all heard the term "self fulfilling prophecy" which like the "placebo effect" is a testament to the power of our beliefs to create reality.  In fact, AA encourages its members to "Fake it 'til you make it."

In the end, it may not matter whether any of the signs, symbols, "omens" or synchronistic events you make note of are deemed "real" according to some outside object source (like your spouse, your parents or the Pope).  But it does matter a great deal whether they are real to YOU. The significance YOU place on the events in your life will determine your attitude, and how you move forward or stay stuck in your daily actions.

I'm not encouraging psychosis here so please keep one foot in responsible daily behaviors, if you don't mind.  You may hear your favorite song playing in the car just as you see a white deer in a field on the way to work as you make every green light, but I'd hold off on spending all your money on lotto tickets at the nearest gas station.

Please do consider the point, however.  If we know, and have had it demonstrated to us over and over again, that the mind has incredible powers to "create" our reality, that alone suggests that one would be wise to train one's brain to attend to those things which feed it in a positive way.  Doing so does not erase the fact that there is a lot of negative, horrible stuff happening in the world but it can go a long way toward keeping us positive and focused on what we CAN influence.  And you don't need to have the least belief in anything "supernatural" if you aren't so inclined.  You don't need to think the Universe is paying the least bit of attention to you. All you have to do is realize and take responsibility for what YOU pay attention to.

Simply notice when your worldview is supporting your life moving in a direction that you are pleased with and when it isn't.  Further, notice that not everyone sees the world the way you do.  If, for example, you tend toward the cynical, curmudgeonly or just simply disenchanted end of the spectrum, you can look out at the world and draw the conclusion that "everyone is on the make and nobody cares anymore". You'll be able to cite many examples in support of your argument.

Conversely, you can notice that some people seem to be happy despite all this, even in the wake of profound losses and challenges and you can let yourself be just a little bit curious about that. Just the simple act of adding "everybody, except that guy...nobody, except there was that one lady" to your theories about life creates room and the possiblity for growth and change.

We're just working on creating that "okay, so what if?" space for growth to occur. Just a tiny bit of wiggle room for hope. Not asking you to believe in anything "other worldly".

That being said, noticing things that you can't quite explain CAN be a source of "chutzpah" when you need it.  Taking the example above, if you DID make every green light, hear your favorite song and see a white deer on the way to work, you'd walk in to your office a little differently than if you hit every red light, almost hit a deer and had your radio stuck on a station you don't enjoy, right?  And if you added that little "Okay, so what IF things were actually working in my favor?"  to the green light day, what might you be inclined to do as a result? 

Action you can take:

Making note of unusual events (especially capturing it in a journal), particularly during significant times of transition can serve as an excellent point of reflection. You can also go one step further and make an attempt to work actively in the symbolic realm. Keeping a dream journal handy can be a plus. If you aren't accustomed to remembering or recording your dreams, taking some time before you fall asleep to simply posing a question to yourself and asking yourself to remember your dream can be very effective (particularly if you do this consistently).

Recruit your brain as a collaborator, give your subconscious some credit for knowing a thing or two that it hasn't shared with you yet and ask it to spill the beans.  If your dreams are just too weird to interpret, then ask your brain to be a little more straightforward until you get the dream lingo down.  Do this sincerely and keep your promise to write down your dreams as much as you can recall and you may be surprised to find what comes up.

Then you can play in your journal with your junior Freud/little Jung dream interpretations and do a little "Okay, so what if this means that?". Toy with the possibilities and implications, it may lead you some very interesting places.

You don't have to believe in predictions here. You can simply use this as a tool for reflection.

Action you can take for even more fun and intrigue...

In no way will I tell you that I am an expert in the Tarot, but I do find it to be a very compelling tool. I'll get into this topic more in other posts but using a divinatory method like Tarot, I Ching or casting Runes can also serve as a point of reflection at times of transition.

Over the last several years I, myself, have been in the habit at times of mental "swirl" when I needed to get some perspective, of drawing a single Tarot card, with a question not much more sophisticated that "Okay, is there something you think I should know here?" or "What's this next chapter about? What's my next task in this?"  Many have been the time when I have laughed out loud at how I was blasted on some crap I was trying to avoid.  My deck seems to have a sense of humor, I will say that.  Even times when I didn't understand how the card was relevant, usually within 24-48 hours something would occur to shed light on how appropriate it really was.

Self-fulfilling prophecy? Psychic placebo?  I personally don't think so, but even if it is, I firmly believe that entering into a time of transition with the question "What might I be learning about in this next chapter?" can only serve one well.  Right away you have set the stage to be grown and developed in a positive way, regardless of what the external situation gives you.

A Working Example:

When I started putting the NSD site and this blog together, I drew a card. I got the Ace of Pentacles which is a very positive card of the exact nature you would like to see at the start of a new venture.  The next day I had the RARE occassion to see a full double rainbow from it's very first emergence to its final fade on the first full day I was working on this blog.  Good omens?  I don't know. The next week I had to take my car in for $2,000 worth of unexpected and unbudgeted repairs.  Needless to say, this was stressful, particularly in the current economy where everything is taking its bite lately. 

I had a choice. Focus on the stress or go back to my intention of what I want to create here for and with you? Pay attention to what showed up when I focused on that intention or pass it off as malarchy? I chose to go with the card and the double rainbow. THAT is the True North and that got me writing today.  It got me in action just by saying, "Okay, so what if that was a test? Just how dedicated am I to this?  If I want those favorable signs to be true, what is my part in this? What is the next thing that I can do?"

It made all the difference to me. And I hope the difference it made to me allows me to make a difference for you. 

Comments

[Peter]

Hey, are you talking to me? I'm only a part-time curmudgeon, you know!

Actually, there is not a word in this post that I can disagree with, and this sums it up nicely:

"You don't need to think the Universe is paying the least bit of attention to you. All you have to do is realize and take responsibility for what YOU pay attention to."

Recruiting your brain as a collaborator is a good idea in most things you do. It might surprise you that I've been working on the subconcious for a while now. Unfortunately I've let that slide and need to get back to it.

And as for remembering that not all adults in America are sticking their fingers in their ears and singing, "La,la,la,la..." Well...that's why I hang out here.