05-11-2011, 12:00 AM
The notion that unconscious mind only understands and follows positive
suggestions minus the negation makes very good sense when talking about
"sensory" related suggestions such as, "don't think of a purple
elephant", "don't get scared", "don't pay attention to the noises",
etc... The person will probably see, feel, hear those things if they're
actually processing those suggestions. But how about suggestions that are more behavior and planning oriented, or more abstract?
Such as: 1. Don't forget to clean your room.
2. You don't need to fill out the paperwork right now.
3. X does not mean y.
4. You can't succeed.
See what I am saying? The concept works in some instances, but not in others. It depends more on how the idea is presented, the words that are used, combined with the intent of the speaker, with the intent being the major factor, if the speaker has much personal power.
So for the purpose of manipulation, certainly we can choose our words such that, the listener hears the opposite of what we say, but that is not a real strong argument that the mind does not process negatives. It processes the negative, then sees it is irrelevant. And moves beyond it.
Would these suggestions be commands to the unconscious to "forget to
clean", "fill out the paperwork", "equate x to y", "be able to succeed"
suggestions minus the negation makes very good sense when talking about
"sensory" related suggestions such as, "don't think of a purple
elephant", "don't get scared", "don't pay attention to the noises",
etc... The person will probably see, feel, hear those things if they're
actually processing those suggestions. But how about suggestions that are more behavior and planning oriented, or more abstract?
Such as: 1. Don't forget to clean your room.
2. You don't need to fill out the paperwork right now.
3. X does not mean y.
4. You can't succeed.
See what I am saying? The concept works in some instances, but not in others. It depends more on how the idea is presented, the words that are used, combined with the intent of the speaker, with the intent being the major factor, if the speaker has much personal power.
So for the purpose of manipulation, certainly we can choose our words such that, the listener hears the opposite of what we say, but that is not a real strong argument that the mind does not process negatives. It processes the negative, then sees it is irrelevant. And moves beyond it.
Would these suggestions be commands to the unconscious to "forget to
clean", "fill out the paperwork", "equate x to y", "be able to succeed"