Written in the Stars

When I was a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry from 1995-1999 I must confess that whenever I heard talk of astrology I would dismiss it as unscientific or ‘pseudoscience’, even though I had a keen interest in the power of the mind over the body, which was also sometimes labelled pseudoscience at that time. What I notice now is that most people who dismiss it, like I did, have never properly investigated it. We just hear someone else saying it and copy them…not very scientific.!

It was only when I finished writing ‘It’s the Thought that Counts’ that I was suddenly inspired with the title, ‘Destiny vs Free Will”, which was published by Hay House UK last week. I was suddenly drawn to astrology.

I was fascinated to learn that the Moon affects hormones, but stunned to learn that magnetic activity on the surface of the sun could also affect hormone levels. Every now and then the sun ejects masses of radiation outwards, some of which strikes the Earth’s magnetic field resulting in magnetic storms in our atmosphere. These can be seen if you go far enough north or south. The aurora borealis (northern lights) is an example of a visible magnetic storm.

But studies have shown that magnetic storms affect our biology. Scientists have shown that they can affect the heart and also the release of melatonin from the pineal gland. Melatonin is a natural antidepressant and helps regulate sleep cycles. If it’s release is suppressed then surely depression could result in some people. That is exactly what some scientists have found.

Ronald Kay, a consultant psychiatrist at the Westbank Clinic in Falkirk, Scotland, examined records of magnetic storms from 1976-1986 and found that there was a correlation between admissions for manic depression and the time of these storms. Of course, only some people are affected in this way so don’t worry that you are suddenly going to feel depressed during the next magnetic storm.

The sun goes through cycles of approximately 11 years, called the sunspot cycle, where the number and severity of magnetic storms increases. The next peak is due in 2012 and is known as sunspot cycle 24.

What I also found interesting was that there was scientific evidence for suggesting that some alignments of planets could cause magnetic storms, and therefore some alignments of planets could affect melatonin levels and heart rhythms in humans.

For instance, a 1965 scientific paper in the astrophysical journal showed that violent magnetic storms sometimes occurred when Venus, Earth, Jupiter and Saturn were nearly in a straight line with the sun. The evidence for the planetary effect on magnetic storms is not conclusive but I believe that it does point towards a real phenomenon.

This is not astrology, but it does demonstrate that cosmic forces affect biology. And it did lead me into investigating real astrology.

The signs of the zodiac have myths associated with them, which have become archetypes (symbols) in the human psyche….in our unconscious minds. For instance, Taurus is the bull and steadily and dependably pulls the plough across the field. Similarly, the planets have myths associated with them too. Mars is the Roman God of war, for instance.

When a planet enters a constellation there is an interaction between two myths. The ‘personality’ of Mars becomes coloured by the dependableness of Taurus. And even though most people don’t know what’s going on in the sky, their unconscious mind does. It processes far, far, far more information than the daily, waking conscious mind does. For astrology to be real then this new story, absorbed at an unconscious level, would have to somehow influence behaviour. And of course it does.

The unconscious mind is continuously affecting our behaviour and biology. Hypnosis clearly demonstrates this. And, as an another example, just seeing the red cross symbol on an aspirin tablet can make it work better than one without the symbol. It’s the person’s unconscious recognition of the symbol that activates their own body’s healing capacity. It influences their biology. And one scientific study showed that reading the words, ‘old’, ‘grey’, ‘wrinkle’ and ‘bingo’ in a language proficiency test would make people walk more slowly, which is known as a ‘priming’ experiment. And so I believe that what’s ‘written in the stars’ influences human behaviour and biology. How much so? It probably varies from one individual to another.

An astrological birth chart is a highly accurate map of the precise positions of the planets of our solar system and the constellations of the zodiac at the time of a person’s birth, and so it indicates the types of cosmic cycles that might influence a person’s unconscious mind during their life.

Could it be that astrology doesn’t describe some external supernatural ‘psuedoscientific’ force acting upon us, but a very real and scientifically measurable force from within? I’m definitely not an expert, merely curious. It seems to me that it is the effect of the unconscious mind on behaviour. So maybe astrology isn’t so unscientific but actually, if we think of it in terms of symbols, then it might potentially be a very powerful science and maybe we should take it much more seriously.

So cosmic forces, then, might act like forces of destiny that can incline a person’s behaviour in a particular direction. As the symbols in the sky change, so our unconscious minds may receive a tweak now and then.

But I don’t believe that destiny is set in stone. I believe that these forces only act like gentle winds most of the time. I believe that we still have free will to choose our own way. Just as if you were paddling down a river in a canoe, a gentle wind might blow you to the left or the right, but free will is like a paddle that can take you wherever you want to go.

I investigated these forces of destiny in the first two chapters of ‘Destiny vs Free Will’. Later in the book is describe 9 principles for attracting what you want using free will.

This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
Please feel free to share it with friends, but please credit the author (Dr David R. Hamilton) and the source, http://www.drdavidhamilton.com

Visualisation Changes the Brain

Did you know that visualization changes structures within your brain?

Recent scientific studies involved people being shown photographs that would provoke an emotion. A photo of an Andrex puppy, for instance, would generate a warm feeling but an image of war might generate anger.

The scientists discovered that the people could alter structures in their brain by simply changing how they felt about certain images. For instance, on being shown an image of a burns victim most people felt a negative emotion. But if the scientists then told them that it was actually a photograph of an actor wearing make-up to film a scene then their emotion changed. But here’s where it gets amazing…When the people reframed the picture in their minds in this way, MRI scans of their brains revealed that parts of their brains actually changed .

How many times in life do we make assumptions regarding, say, people’s behavior, or what they say, of even about stuff that’s happening in our lives without knowing the real truth? Each time we make an assumption, the feelings we generate become physically imprinted into our brains, and also throughout the body.

Next time you make an assumption, ask yourself, as Byron Katie says, “Can I absolutely know this to be true?” Almost always you can’t. So, give people a chance. Give yourself a chance! Make an effort to see the best in people. It can be hard but it gets easier with practice. Especially when the positive feelings you generate get built into the structure of your brain.
This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
Please feel free to share it with friends, but please credit the author (Dr David R. Hamilton) and the source, www.drdavidhamilton.com

Sort Out Your Crap life..

Check out the fab new book review from our founders debut book – With the January New year resolutions coming up it makes for a great xmas present

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Snowed In & Bored: Download the banned book that inspired ‘The Secret

Stuck at home due to the snow – or stuck in work not playing snow balls – Whatever your current predicament weather like this either brings out the best or the worst in our character.. Xmas is crap – You don’t have enough money for gifts, your single and it sucks – everyone else is so happy and your life stinks.. December brings on so many emotions.. But with January around the corner let’s make today the day for resolutions and take a leap towards some good stuff. Why wait for january when you can change your life now. This is the focus of the Vintage Wisdom team today and we would like you to join us.  What is it they say ‘Today is the first day of the rest of my life’??

‘The Secret’ is a movie and book phenononum  – which you may or may not of heard about (if the latter – where the heck have you been??). In short it is all about the power we all have within us, an energy that can enable us to create the life of our dreams when channel it properly. Have you ever thought of a person and then they have rung you or you have bumped into them? This is an example of this energy in action. How exciting will life become when you are so tuned in that you can think of something and then make it happen. Your thoughts really can become things. It is a science and we would like you to know it so that you can get what you desire in your life. 

The Master Key System By Charles F. Haanel is a book so powerful it was previously banned by the church. It has changed the lives of millions, its theories and system inspired ‘The Secret’ and its legendary methods are now available to you.

We wanted to give you the actual book that many teachers refer to and talk about today – you are your best teacher so it is our pleasure to give you an iconic tool to get you started.

‘When we understand that mind is the great creative power, what does not become possible? With Desire as the great creative energy, can we not see why Desire should be cultivated, controlled and directed in our lives and destinies? Men and women of strong mentality, who dominate those around them, and often those far removed from them, really emanate currents charged with power which, coming in contact with the minds of others, causes the desires of the latter to be in accord with the mind of the strong individuality. Great masters of men possess this power to a marked degree. Their influence is felt far and near, and they secure compliance with their wishes by making others “want” to act in accord with them. In this way men of strong Desire and Imagination may and do exert powerful influence over the minds of others, leading the latter in the way desired. The magnetic persons attract, allure and draw. They are emotional, and capture the will of others.’

‘No man is ever created without the inherent power in himself to help himself. The personality that understands its own intellectual and moral power of conquest will certainly assert itself. It is this truth which an enfamined world craves to-day. The possibility of asserting a slumbering intellectual courage that clearly discerns, and a moral courage that grandly undertakes is open to all. There is a divine potency in every human being.’  exert from The Master Key System

Ok so the style is written in a very ‘vintage’ way but we love that. It may sounds odd at first but this style is so worth getting your head around as it will change the way you think about life and its obstacles forever.

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Life’s a bitch…until you’ve read this book

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‘Sort out your crap life’ can change your outlook forever. Claire Anstey’s new book provides powerful and emotional content as edgy and to the point as its title. This is no traditional self-help book, just a truly remarkable woman who tells it like it is, how to cut the ‘crap’ and take control. Anstey has been to hell and back; her book includes diary entry insights into her once collapsing world and truly inspirational quotes from those who inspired her, to help motivate and remind her readers why life is so worth it. With over 30 engaging techniques and an enlightening 21-day plan to help reach your goals, Claire Anstey’s new book ‘Sort out your crap life’ is a lifeline.

In her late twenties she battled drink and drugs and mourned her ex-partner’s suicide. She fought for work and indirectly through it gained access to methods of NLP and other techniques, which then gave her the platform she needed to claim control of her life. After waking up to reality, she embarked on an admirable journey that has changed her life for the better. Helping those who are facing a life of crisis is a cause that is close to the author’s heart. Anstey dedicates her book to Aaron and is donating 10% of print sales and 20% of eBook sales to the charity C.A.L.M, which strives to help in particular young men aged 18-35 who share similar troubles. 

A powerful message from the author: “I can see so many lost people around me and it doesn’t have to be this way…I was totally confused about life…We all have bad times, I am no different from anyone else I was just lucky to found out about techniques that helped me and they need to be shared…I ask of you just one thing: Do not wait for tragedy to wake you up.”

Claire Anstey boasts an impressive CV. She’s a proficient interviewer and programme guest and has had various experiences working in television including Nickelodeon, GMTV and she currently works as the voice for MTV. She was the face of Virgin in 2006, modelled in adverts for Bodyform and Coca-Cola and has also worked for Radio 1 and the Discovery Channel. 

A treat for yourself or something to hand that friend whom is concerning you -This book is fun, relatable and is breaking free from all self help naffness

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Notes -Claire Anstey is an ambassador for C.A.L.M: Campaign Against Living Miserably, a service provided to those who need guidance, support and advice in times of despair – thecalmzone.net -‘Sort Out Your Crap Life’ is available in print and eBook format. Print ISBN: 978-0-9565178-0-7 eBook ISBN: 978-0-9565178-1-4. Suppliers include: amazon.com, amazon.co.uk, powells.com, flipkart.com, booksonboard.com. Website: sortoutyourcraplife.com -NLP: Neuro-Linguistic Programming is a controversial psychiatric method that aims to provide individuals with the control to alter their mind’s subconscious programming for the better

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The Power of Intention

The Power of Intention
(www.drdavidhamilton.com)

Every thought and feeling changes something in your body. Think of a time when you got embarrassed. Your face went red didn’t it? This is the power of your mind to affect your body. It is your thoughts about yourself or about what people might be thinking of you that do it.

The placebo effect is another example of this. If a person is given a fake medicine but believes that it’s a real medicine then he or she will usually get better.

Some studies have shown the benefits of positive states of mind. It has been shown that thinking thoughts and feeling the feelings of gratitude or compassion, for instance, can make heart rhythms more coherent and boost the body’s immune system.

In other words, if you intend for your immune system to get a little boost, just spend five or ten minutes thinking nice thoughts about someone.

The mind even affects DNA. Our 25,000 or so genes are in a continual state of switching on and off, like light bulbs, as the body grows and repairs itself. But scientists now know that many of these genes respond to their environment. In other words, to what you eat, how much exercise you take, what you are thinking about, and how you feel. There is now a clearly defined link between emotions and biology. Thoughts and feelings change the chemical balance all throughout the body, producing chemicals and hormones called neuropeptides, which switch our internal systems, and our genes, on and off. So the body is hardwired to respond to your mind.

Ever since Dr Bernard Grad in the 1960’s showed that a healer could speed up the rate of healing of skin wounds on mice, there has been a lot of research into our ability to mentally intend positive changes in our bodies, and in the bodies of others. One explanation for how it works, in addition to the production of neuropeptides, is that mental intention sets direction for the flow of qi (chee, prana) around the body.

For thousands of years, eastern doctors have taught that qi travels around the body, following the acupuncture meridian system. If you have an injury somewhere in your body then the key to healing is to imagine it healed, or being healed. Qi will flow there, providing energy sustenance as well as vital nutrients for the tissue. And neuropeptides will also be produced that will boost the body’s healing capacity.

There’s a well-known story of a man who damaged his liver beyond repair in an accident. After spending a while in hospital he was sent home with tubes connected to his body. This was for life. But after learning about visualisation he spent hours visualising his damaged liver cells being repaired.

At first he saw the cells in his mind as black and shrivelled, but he imagined cleaning them, one by one, with an imaginary toothbrush, watching each turn a healthy pink colour.

After three months of visualisation he had an accident at home and one of the tubes was torn out of his body. He was rushed to hospital and x-rayed to survey the damage prior to an operation, where the doctors discovered that his liver was completely renewed.

Some scientists have taken the research even further. Recognising that a healer can affect a person’s body without touching it, they have taken biological material from inside the body and tested the power of intention to affect it.

In 2004, for instance, scientists from the California Pacific Medical Centre, the Institute of Noetic Sciences and MD Anderson Cancer Centre at the University of Texas found that practitioners of qigong could influence the growth of cultured human brain cells. Each practitioner, for a period of 20 minutes, directed healing intentions towards the cells and was able to increase their rate of growth.

Where it gets really interesting is when our thoughts affect things much further outside of the body.

Some research has shown that a thought about a person registers in their body. While hooked up to devices measuring electrical resistance in the skin, scientists measured changes in people depending on the thoughts held about them by people in another room.

In a few other experiments, the brainwaves of two people were monitored. When the scientists startled one of them, the brainwaves showed a peak, but so did the brainwaves of the other person. This is why we often have a sense of who is on the other end of the phone, even before we answer. Through over 60 separate scientific studies on this and related phenomena, the success rate of ‘guessing’ was 54.5%, when chance said it should be 50%. This doesn’t sound much, but considering it involved 33,357 individual trials, the odds of this just being chance are 200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 to 1. That’s a 2 with 59 zero’s after it (202 octodecillion to 1!). People really do sense what others are thinking. I believe that this is why the law of attraction works. It is the law that says you attract what you focus on.

If you ask someone for help, more often or not they will. When you visualise something happening in your life, it is like sending out a call for help that is picked up unconsciously by people. Then, people who can help you are unconsciously drawn to you. Have you ever noticed that someone new has come into your life after you started hoping, praying, or visualising for something in particular to happen, or that someone you knew gave you new information or assistance. You also attract intuitions and suddenly get inspired with new ideas.

Quantum physics has revealed an interconnectedness to all things. And Carl Jung suggested that we share a collective unconscious mind. It has parallels with the Internet. Computers are separate from each other as they sit on our desks, but they are connected via the Internet, which is a shared repository of information. Similarly, the collective unconscious mind is a shared hive of information that all of us are connected to. When you hope, pray, or dream of something you want, your intention is felt by people at an unconscious level. Then the people who can help are drawn to be in the same place at the same time as you.

I often describe it using the metaphor of a spider’s web. How does a spider know that a fly is trapped in its web? It feels the vibrations. So in the same way, people feel the vibrations (at deep unconscious and quantum levels) of your hopes, prayers, dreams, and intentions, as you do theirs.

So when you want something in your life, imagine it clearly. And imagine it as if it is happening now. Your thoughts will attract it, either as intuitions and ideas or as people showing up in your life.

Most of us are experts at what I call the law of repulsion. I was a master of it for years. Whenever I wanted something, I must have invoked the law because I always seemed to get the opposite. Things got worse. It led me, when I was growing up, to conclude that if I wanted something there was no chance I could have it. I could only have the things I didn’t want, which was a bit of a bummer.

But the law of repulsion is really the law of attraction in disguise. We sometimes repel our goals because we spend more time complaining about how bad things are at the moment or that ‘ it’s not happened yet ‘, than we do actually imagining what we want. And just as energy flows to where attention goes inside the body, so reality flows in the direction of what you put your attention on in your life too.

The key is to keep your intention, periodically, on what you want instead of the opposite, which is what is happening now. When faced with current reality, just affirm that it is changing. What you want is coming to you. Play pretend, like a child does, every day or so for a couple of minutes.

For some people, change is rapid when they do this. For others, it’s a more gradual process and it takes discipline. But it’s worth it.

You can even wish the best for other people. I have noticed that good stuff happens in their life when I do this. People often show up in their life too, or little miracles happen in their life. All you are doing is giving them a little unconscious mental assistance, like you’re an angel I suppose.

I am a great believer in using the power of intention to make a positive difference in the lives of others, and in the world. I believe that we are far more powerful than we have ever believed ourselves to be. I believe that we have the ability to change the world. All we need to do is try.

Every act with a genuine heartfelt intent behind it sends out vibrations throughout the web that attracts new realities. So it’s not so much what you do, it’s the heartfelt intention behind it that’s matters. In other words, it’s the Thought that Counts!

This article is Copyright © 2008 by David R. Hamilton Ph.D.
Please feel free to share it with friends, but please credit the author (Dr David R. Hamilton) and the source, www.drdavidhamilton.com