Article: 20341 of alt.self-improve
From: tom@transcore.com (Thomas Wong)
Newsgroups: alt.self-improve
Subject: alt.self-improve FAQ (part 1)
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 22:24:39 GMT
Organization: NetGate Communications
Archive-name: self-impr-faq/part1
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alt.self-improve FAQ
Version 2.7 (3-15-1997)
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DISCLAIMER
This document is a collection of Frequently Asked Questions from the
alt.self-improve newsgroup. It is created by the editors for public use.
The information here is not guaranteed to be accurate and may not reflect
the opinions of the editors or their associates. This FAQ may be freely
distributed provided this disclaimer is included with all copies. All
contributions and suggestions for improvement are welcomed. Please direct all
your inquiries to the editors:
Loren Larsen
lul@ix.netcom.com
Thomas Wong
tom@transcore.com
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This FAQ is posted on the 17th of every month. A how-to-find-the-FAQ article
is posted on the 7th and 27th of every month. It's also available on the
World Wide Web at http://www.transcore.com and via FTP from
ftp://rtfm.mit.edu:/pub/usenet/news.answers/self-impr-faq /part [1,2] (version 2.0).
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Changes since version 2.6
- Removal of Tad James Section
- Revision of Marshall Sylver
Changes since version 2.5
- Update on speed-reading and photo-reading information
- Update on NLP information
- Addition of a section on Design Human Engineering (DHE)
- Updates to resource links
Changes since version 2.4
- Personal Power II Update
- Section E "Hot Topics of the Month" is now "Sample Hot Topics for 1996"
- Removal of Kevin Trudeau's lawsuit story
- Addition of some new resource links
Changes since version 2.3
- More on NLP Resources
Changes since version 2.2
- More on "Anti-Cult Movements"
- More on "NLP"
- $500,000 Psychic Challenge by The Amazing Randi
- Addition of "Success Vs Money"
- New links in "Resources and References"
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Introduction to alt.self-improve
The alt.self-improve group provides a forum for discussing strategies,
techniques, and principles for self-improvement. The table of contents gives
a good overview of the breadth of topics discussed. This FAQ has been
created to provide a single document that contains a sort of history of what
has been discussed in the newsgroup. New readers may find the answers to
many of their questions already answered in this document. We have attempted
to categorize questions by topic for easy access, but many issues don't fit
neatly into a single category. The contents of this document are collected
by the editors from past postings in alt.self-improve, personal e-mail
correspondence, and outside sources. All suggestions and contributions are
welcome. The newsgroup is not intended for commercial uses or promotion of,
commercial products; however, you may submit information for inclusion in the
"References and Resources" section. Only those companies whose products,
seminars, or books are discussed in this newsgroup will be accepted.
This document is constantly being revised and improved. Most of the materials
collected so far has been summarized based on past postings to the newsgroup.
Therefore, there may be errors due to the source or the deletion of certain
information. Also, some of the information presented may be biased toward the
interests and perspectives of the editors. Hopefully both of these errors and
bias can be eliminated with your feedback. Please help to expand and perfect
this document by contributing your knowledge.
Quoted articles are acknowledged by placing the poster's name in
parentheses, e.g. (From: lul@ix.netcom.edu). Information which is not
explicitly acknowledged has been compiled by the editors from a variety of
sources including past postings, external sources, and reader responses to
the editors.
We are considering different methods of compactly recording comments from
a wide variety of sources. One suggestion is to create a rating system
for books, seminars, etc. For example if you have attended a particular
speed reading course or a Tony Robbins seminar, send us your opinion by
rating it on a scale of 1-10. The average could be used as opposed to
a huge collection of personal responses. Any other suggestions are welcome.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
A/ Self-Improvement Methods
1. Career
- Information Management
- Sales and Negotiation
- Time Management
2. Emotional
- Morris Acting / Method Acting
- NLP
3. Financial
- Savings and Investment
- Real Estate
- Get-Rich-Quick Scams
- Success Vs Money
4. Mental
- Accelerated Learning
- Creativity Enhancement
- Hypnosis
- Meditation
- Memory Systems
- Mind Machines
- Speed Reading
- Beyond Speed Reading
- Virus of the Mind
5. Physical
- Baldness Cures and Consequences
- Body Work
- Eye Sight Improvement
- Health Food
- Voice Work
6. Relationship / Social
- Men and Women
7. Spiritual
- Religion and Self-Esteem
- Magic and Pseudo-Paranormal Phenomena
B/ Established Disciplines
1. Anti-Cult Movements
2. Design Human Engineering (DHE) (TM)
3. Est
4. Landmark (The Forum)
5. Life-Long Learning Association
6. Lifespring
7. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
8. The People's Network
9. Scientology / Dianetics
C/ Popular People and Media
1. Richard Bandler & John Grinder
2. Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.)
3. Anthony Robbins
4. Marshall Sylver
D/ References and Resources
1. Resource List
2. Software Packages
3. Reader Ratings of Books/Audiotapes/Seminars
4. Who's Who Listing of Professionals in alt.self-improve
E/ Sample Hot Topics for 1996
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FAQ CONTENTS
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A/ Self-Improvement Methods
1. Career
- Information Management (reprinted from Sharing Ideas)
"Put a World of Information at Your Fingertips"
Bill Gates's mission to "put a world of information at your fingertips" is
taking on a new meaning as he ventures into TV broadcasting. His recent
partnership with NBC promises to create a new cable channel called MSNBC
by fall 1996. Microsoft will pay $220 million over five years to own half
of this cable channel. The formation of this cable channel suggests the
construction of a new phase on the "Information Superhighway."
The world is moving fast into the "Information Age." Part of the
communication that we do every day will be involved in exchanging information.
Those who are in business will need to be able to gather and
provide information on consumer trends, economic data, legal issues, financial
sources, networking opportunities, and many other things to succeed in your
venture.
Lack of a piece of important information can cost you time and money.
The ability to manage information is equally important to an engineer,
a musician, a real estate agent, a nurse, or a teacher. Just think back on your
own experiences and on those of people you know. How often have you erred or
made a poor decision because you didn't have the right information in advance?
Perhaps you've wasted time driving in the wrong direction because you thought
you could find the destination. Perhaps you're being passed over for a
promotion because you don't seem to "know much," according to your boss.
While many have little awareness of information's vital role, they often
simultaneously suffer from a feeling of information overload. Reports, books,
mailings, and memos seem overwhelming. Implementation of the "Information
Superhighway" further adds massive information data.
Some may think that this is a problem of too much information, but in reality,
it is due a lack of information consciousness and of the ability to find and
manage the appropriate information effectively. The solution is to increase
information awareness. Ask specific questions to identify and find the most
useful and relevant information.
This information-gathering process has been eased in recent years by advances
in computer technology and high-speed communication. One way to think about
using data retrieval, whether online or off, is to compare it to a shopping
mall. Within the information mall, there are many specialty stores, such as
databases, periodicals, books, news sources, government documents, microfilm,
and data on people and organizations. Each store offers unique information,
so you must learn to choose selectively when researching.
The ideal way to manage information is to become an information specialist
who is thoroughly familiar with the hundreds of sources of information. This
may not be practical or necessary for now. Nevertheless, you should be able
to utilize the following six basic reference sources of information in
the U.S.:
-1- Libraries and Educational Institutions
-2- Online and CD-ROM Databases
-3- U.S. Government
-4- Nonprofit Associations
-5- Street-Smart Directories
-6- Commercial Services
* Good books to read on this subject are:
"Information Anxiety" by Richard Saul Wurman
"Managing the Information Age" by Michael McCarthy
"The Art of Being Well-Informed" by Andrew Garvin
"The Road Ahead" by Bill Gates
"Trends Tracking" by Gerald Celente
"Techno Trends" by Daniel Burrus
"Megatrends 2000" and "Megatrends Asia" by John Naisbitt
"Clicking" by Faith Popcorn
* Stanford University and InReference provides excellent references
on the Internet at http://www.reference.com. The content includes
6+ month archive of more than 13,000 newsgroups and publicly-accessible
lists. Send an email to info@reference.com if you don't have web access.
- Sales and Negotiation
(Modified from: imarks@cix.compulink.co.uk)
You have touched on a subject that is very important to me. Negotiation
and NLP are so closely linked that they almost become one subject.
The "ethical outcomes" and "win-win" approaches that both require naturally
complement each other. I have done much training in negotiation, but am self-
trained in NLP techniques, concentrating more on the results I can achieve,
than the technical reasons as to how it works.
Some effective negotiation techniques are those explained in "Getting to Yes"
by Roger Fisher and William Ury, and the follow-up books by the same authors,
who work with the Harvard Negotiation Project. Simple guidelines, no "aren't
I smart" techniques, and an easy set of principles to remember. Because they
are based on relationships and long term outcomes, using NLP to build rapport
can only aid the process.
Another well-known source is Karrass's Negotiation Seminars which are being
advertised in airline magazines. His book is called "Negotiation to Close."
You might also want to read "Getting What You Want" by Kare Anderson and
listen to "The Win-Win Negotiator" by Ross Reck & Brian Long and "The Secrets
of Power Negotiating" by Roger Dawson. These books and tapes are available
at your local bookstores.
Lastly, for intercultural negotiation with Asians, read "Understanding the
Asian Mind Game" and "Thick Face, Black Heart" by Chin-Ning Chu. Both books
are #1 best-sellers in Asia.
+++
- Time Management
One book that has been highly recommended by a number of readers is
"Time Power" by Charles Hobbs. The books helps you explore your belief
systems and work towards achieving "congruence" so that your fundamental
beliefs, goals, and actions are as free from conflict or contradiction as
possible.
Some other suggestions are:
"How to Get Control of your Time and Your Life" by Alan Lakein
"Getting Organized" by Stephanie Winston
"Overcoming Procrastination" by Albert Ellis
"Executive Time Management" by H. Reynolds and Mary Trammel
"The Organized Executive" by Stephanie Winston
Although some of these cater to business folks, if you grasp the
principle ideas, then you should be able to apply them to any situation.
Alan Lakein's six simple but powerful ideas are helpful:
1. List goals
2. Make a Daily To-Do list
3. Start with the A priorities, not the C's
4. Ask yourself "What is the Best use of my time right now?"
5. Handle each piece of paper only once.
6. Do it now!!!
You really don't need anything else except your own motivation.
Happy Reading!
(From: hughes@atlanta.emna.slb.com (Jeff Hughes))
Q. Is there time management software available?
A. One program for time management is ASCEND 4.0 for Windows. This
product is from Franklin Quest. A 60-day evaluation copy is
available on CompuServe. Enter "GO FRANKLIN". The filename is
ASCNEV.EXE
jbuchhei@spd.dsccc.com (Jerry Buchheit) writes:
"I would like to recommend the Day-Planner by Franklin Quest.
The organization of it allows me to maintain a wealth of information
in ONE place. I used to be 'organized' with several methods -
computer based one at work, a small notebook pocket one for
portability, a larger notebook one for space, and a calendar
type for appointments. I found I was 'thrashing' - organizing
without really being organized for productivity. Now that I have
placed all of my information in ONE location, I have facts and data
at my fingertips. I am much more organized and, I hope, productive."
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2. Emotional
Have you ever wondered how you can manage your emotions from this minute to
the next? I have, and I think the answer is a combination of Method Acting/
Morris Acting and NLP techniques.
- Morris Acting / Method Acting
Method Acting is a controversial approach developed by a Russian called
Stanislavsky. It takes years to master this approach at the famous Actor's
Studio in New York because there's no structure to it. Actors who did master
this approach through massive exercises had the ability to create magical
reality on stage. Some of these actors include Marilyn Monroe, Marlo Brando,
James Dean, Dustin Hoffman, Paul Newman, and Brandon Lee.
Bill Moyers describes the benefits of Method Acting in his book and public
television series: "Healing and the Mind." A more comprehensive
work is done by Dale Anderson, the President of Medical Speakers
Association. He describes the concepts and benefits of Method Acting and
acting in general in his 1995 book, "Act Now." Unfortunately, he doesn't
teach you how to practice Method Acting.
What Eric Morris did to Method Acting was what Richard Bandler did to
Erickson Hypnosis. He found/created a structure to practice Method Acting
and then expanded on it. I first witnessed his most impressive work at his
5-day acting Jamboree in 1994. It was the most exhilarating and meaningful
experience I've ever had, not to mention the high quality of his students.
All of them are warm and caring and have learned to be self-accepting
and non-judgemental about others. A few of his former students are
Jack Nicholson, Melanie Griffith, Terri Garr, and Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Morris Acting can be divided into two parts: (1) Instrumental work and
(2) Craft work. Instrumental work is about dealing with yourself. He has
developed hundreds of exercises to eliminate your emotional blocks and
conditioned responses to achieve an authentic being state. I've heard a lot
of advice on "be yourself" but no one except Eric Morris really teaches you
how to "be your authentic self" by removing excessive social obligations and
family conditioning. Craft work is about managing your emotional
states, and there are twenty-seven choice approaches.
Examples of Choice Approaches:
(1) Sense Memory - Training your five senses to memorize an experience so
that you can re-create the experience later by recalling the senses.
Self-directed sensory responses (external state)
--> mental hallucination (internal state)
(2) Imaginary Monologue - Talk to someone meaningful in your life about
meaningful things to get yourself affected in the way you want.
(3) Sub-Personalities - Find, elicit, and use the different selves that you
have: a pusher, a critic, a parent, a lover, etc. Not the same as NLP
parts.
(4) External - Model the essence of people, animals, and inanimate objects.
Have you seen "Wolf" played by Jack Nicholson. It's that real.
Eric's work is summarized in his four books: (1) Being and Doing, (2) No
Acting Please, (3) Irreverent Acting, and (4) Acting from the Ultimate
Consciousness. You can get these books from your local bookstore.
- NLP
NLP emphasizes the use of submodalities, anchoring, and association/
dissociation to deal with your emotions. These patterns work well when you
are open and emotionally available.
The phobia cure pattern is the trademark of NLP. The principle behind this
pattern is to detach yourself from a fearful experience by using multiple
dissociations. A simple dissociate state is when you can see yourself or
a just-like-you person in your experience. In other words, you take an
"observer" position as if you're watching a movie of yourself. The next
step might involve playing with the submodalities of your experience.
For example, you can move the picture of your fear 20 feet from where it used
to be, turn it upside down, tune it into black and white,
put sweet music into it, and etc.
Another NLP pattern is called "collapsing anchors". An anchor is
a conditioned physiological response to a stimulus. For example, you respond
to a stop sign by stopping because it's an anchor that triggers your reflex
to step on the brake. To collapse an emotional anchor, you access
another strong emotion simultaneously so that you diffuse the other anchor.
* In my opinion, the differences between acting and NLP are:
(1) Acting is about experiencing and accepting emotions so that you
become comfortable with who you are and how you feel. NLP, on the other
hand, takes a problem solving approach, and its outcome is to move from
a "present state" to a "desired state." NLP asks you to identify the right
state for a certain task, such as that associated with doing math or playing
golf, so that you can become a peak performer.
(2) Acting focuses on accessing information, while NLP works to
process the accessed information. For example, doing an imaginary monologue
with a dead uncle is a choice approach (acting). How you manipulate the
sensory responses--the sounds that you hear, pictures that you see,
the feelings in your body--is NLP.
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3. Financial Management
- Savings and Investment
The most well known source of information about personal finance information
is probably Charles Givens. He gives seminars around the country and is the
author of the best-selling books, "Wealth Without Risk" and "Financial Self-
Defense." He is also the founder of the "Charles J. Givens Organization"
which is supposedly the largest organization of its type in the world, that
is dissiminator of personal finance information and advice. His organization
was recently sued in Iowa for giving misleading financial advice. See
Newsweek (May 17, 1993) for more details. The whole thing was later settled
out of court for a large amount of money.
Charles Givens has also reportedly lied about the story he often tells of
losing and regaining his millionaire fortune three times. He also claims that
he made his riches in real estates. Some critics argue that he made more money
by selling his organization memberships ($500 and $1,000) and from his
get-rich-quick real estate and business investment programs.
tom@transcore.com has taken his real estate seminar and feels that it's
worth the money. However, he feels that everything else is overpriced and
oversold. The comprehensive real estate investor program, for example, is
priced at $10,000.
To be fair, a significant number of people have benefited from his books.
As an example, tom@transcore.com had two minor rental car accidents
over the last four years and he suffered no financial losses even though he
never bought any of the rental car insurances. The key is to choose the right
information and adapt it to your personal situation. Givens's books can help
you save money, but no readers of this group have reported gaining great
wealth from following his advice.
* Other resources for financial management:
(a) One excellent place to look is in the misc.invest FAQ.
(b) A good book to read is called "Your Money Or Your Life" by Joseph
Dominguez and Vicki Robin. This book takes a "holistic" approach to financial
success, meaning that it treats finances as an integral part of your entire
life, not one separable part that can be talked about separately. It discusses
attitudes toward money, spiritual feelings about money, whether how you are
making money is consistent with your values, etc.
(3) Another book recommended by a Canadian reader is "The Wealthy Barber."
(4) Another great book is "4 Laws of Debt-Free Prosperity" by Blaine Harris
and Charles Coonradt. The book tells through a parable set of skills, rules,
and ideas for not only getting out of debt but building wealth for yourself
that will last. It's great fun to read and gives sound advice.
- Real Estate
Robert Allen gives a lot of street-smart advice in his book, "Nothing Down."
Basically, it's about how to buy properties by negotiating with the buyers
for everything except cash payment (unless you can buy the properties at a
wholesale price). The key is to find a "motivated seller."
In real estate, the key to a good buy is its location. It's much better to
buy the worst property in a good neighborhood than to buy the best property
in a poor neighborhood. The value of a property depends on its neighborhood.
In short, Robert has some solid advice for seasoned investors as well as
first-time home buyers. Good use of his book can save you lots of $$$.
- Get-Rich-Quick Scams
Here's a humorous article posted by Michael Nugent (mnugent@internet-eireann.ie)
to counteract the spread of get-rich-quick chain letters.
!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Make Money Fast !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!! This really does work !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Just send All Your Possessions to the person at the top of the list below and
add your own name to the bottom of the list. It's that simple!!! Then send
this post to 5 other people!!! Within less than a very short time you will
have all of the possessions of 5 other people: 5 houses, 5 cars, 20 or so
computers, some food, and other goodies. This is all legal!!! Very soon after
that 25 different people will have sent you everything that they own!!! And
then you can do the sums. It works. You will get all of the possessions of
125 people from different cultures and backgrounds, then over 600 people, and
then over 3000 people!!! You will be RICH BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS!!! You
will be HAPPY EVERY DAY OF YOUR LIFE and you will have sex more often than
poor people who do not get involved with this fully legal scheme!!! So send
me all of your possessions NOW. This instant or you will die a horrible death
with maggotty things eating your inside as you fry from the inside out in a
very hot microwave oven!!! It's really that simple--and it really works!!!
Yes. I'M CONVINCED! What do I do now?
Just send all your possessions to the first person on this list then add
your name to the bottom and move each other name up one place. Then just
wait by your mailbox TO BECOME RICH!!!
1. Michael Nugent at my address
2. Mick Nugent c/o Michael Nugent
3. Mike Nugent c/o Mick Nugent
4. Mikey Nugent c/o Mike Nugent
5. Mr. M Nugent c/o Mikey Nugent
- Success Vs Money
Many self-help programs (especially of the "infomercial" type)
seem to confuse success with wealth. There is considerable
evidence that, regardless of what you want the money for, it's
actually easier to go for it directly instead of going to all the
trouble of getting rich first. People who concentrate on the
money tend to forget why they wanted it in the first place (they
aren't necessarily unhappy, but they aren't the same person anymore).
I highly recommend the book "The Seven Laws of Money" by
Michael Phillips. Among other things, he points out that most people
have the financial means to accomplish specific goals that may seem to
be out of reach, *if* they're willing to make sacrifices in other areas
of their lives. When he points this out to people (using their own
financial statements), they can't use lack of money as an excuse
anymore, and they're forced to re-evaluate their goals.
The current edition is a pocket-sized paperback from Shambala Press
(they publish those little books you see by the checkout counter in
bookstores). It looks a bit like Mao's "little red book", except that
it's green :-). The earlier edition from 1974 had some additional
commentary by other people that's not in the current one.
[The First Law is "Money will come when you are doing the
right thing". Marsha Sinetar later rephrased this in her book "Do
What You Love, The Money Will Follow". Note the underlying
assumption that "what you love" is actually "the right thing".
This comes from the Zen concept of "right livelihood", which is
discussed in a number of popular "career" books.]
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4. Mental
- Accelerated Learning
Accelerated learning is a technique that was pioneered by a Bulgarian
psychologist named Lozanov during the 1950's/60's. A typical session involves
two stages: learning while in deep relaxation, and consolidating through play.
In the first stage of a session, pupils are seated (or sit on cushions) in a
comfortable room and are encouraged to relax, get themselves into a positive
frame of mind and visualize a time when they experienced real joy at
successfully learning something.
Once everyone is relaxed, the teacher will start some music. The best music
has been found to be Baroque music, by composers like Bach, Handel and
Vivaldi, at a tempo of about sixty beats per minute (60bpm). The students are
asked to breath in time to the music to increase their relaxation - a common
method is to breath in for four seconds, hold it for four seconds, breathe out
for four seconds and pause, in time with the music.
The teacher then reads the material to be learned, again in time with the
music, and varying the tone and volume of his/her voice. If the material is,
for example, the basic vocabulary of German, the teacher will read an English
word, followed four seconds later by the German equivalent. The idea is the
material will "imprint" itself on the minds of the students, with little
conscious effort by them.
The second stage involves revising the material through play, the idea again
is to make the session as relaxed and enjoyable as possible.
The editors have no experience of the techniques themselves, so we cannot say
if they are of any value. Reports of the technique have varied from wild
claims of learning 2000+ foreign words in a day, to murmurs of disappointment
from people who found the sessions boring and repetitive. Many people have
commented that people who are good auditory learners seem to have more success
than those who are good visual learners, so Anthony Robbins fans might want to
check this out.
The only audio material being produced at the moment (as far as we know) is
by Colin Rose, who has also written a book on the subject (called, strangely
enough, "Accelerated Learning"). You also might want to dig out a copy of
"Superlearning" by Maria Ostrand, which describes the history of Accelerated
Learning in detail and gives a complete guide to doing it yourself.
* In recent years, whole-brain learning has emerged as an alternative to
Lozanov's concept of accelerated learning. Here's an introduction of whole-
brain learning from "Beginner's Mind."
Dr. Roger Sperry was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on the "split-brain
theory" in 1981. According to his study, the brain has two hemispheres
with different but overlapping qualitative functions. The left and right
hemispheres share and communicate their information through a nerve bundle
called the corpus callosum. According to this theory, the left hemisphere
digitizes the content and organizes the logic while the right hemisphere
handles emotional impressions and responses. The left hemisphere is basically
"fact friendly," while the right hemisphere is more "idea friendly." This
distribution of mental functions brings about some qualities that are
specifically associated with each hemisphere.
Qualities Associated with the Left and Right Hemispheres
--------------------------------------------------------
Left Hemisphere Right Hemisphere
--------------------------------------------------------
Right body control Left body control
Logic Feelings
Rules Imagination
Vertical Lateral
Language Music
Sequences Randomness/Spontaneity
A great deal of human behavior is asymmetrical. Laterality is demonstrated
whenever an action demands more from one side of the body than the other.
Every time you wink, shake a fist, or kick a dog, you tend to favor one side
more than the other. What you can do to heighten your whole-brain usage is to
activate the nondominant parts of your body. You may feel a bit uncomfortable
at first, but the payoff will be worthwhile.
Leonardo da Vinci, a great historic inventor, recognized the value of
stimulating his nondominant hemisphere for creative problem solving. He wrote
with his nondominant hand to come up with unconventional ideas. To test this
out, think of a conflict that you've had recently. Then write down five words
to describe that situation using your dominant hand (for most people, this is
your right hand). Relax and focus on your rate of breathing for one minute.
Then write down another five words using your other hand. Check to see if there
are any similarities and differences between them. For some people, it may be
easier to draw or make sketches to describe the situation. Try it both ways
and see which way gives you a better response.
Your hands are only one of your body parts that you can use to help
stimulate a fresh perspective. Exercising other nondominant parts of
your body will greatly enhance the whole experience. Next time, when
you're watching a movie, sit on the side of the theater that you
would normally avoid. If you like to wink with your right eye, try
using your left eye. Dr. Robert-Michael Kaplan, an eye vision fitness
trainer and author of Seeing Beyond 20/20, has also suggested wearing
an eye patch over your dominant eye. Do this for a few hours a day to
improve your overall vision. It will teach you about seeing instead
of just looking at things.
You can also selectively stimulate the hemispheres of your brain by
alternating breathing across your nostrils. Pay attention to your
breathing right now to find out which nostril is being used more than
the other. You can close off one nostril and breath, then close off
the other and breath. It requires a greater effort to breathe through
the nondominant nostril. Research has shown that you will favor one
nostril over the other for about ninety minutes and then switch to
the other side. When you selectively use the nondominant nostril, you
stimulate the less active hemisphere of your brain. This change is
particularly useful when you need to switch your way of thinking from
the analytical to intuitive, or from random association to structured
thinking.
Both Zygon and the Learning Strategies use a combination of accelerated
learning and whole-brain learning techniques in their popular audio tapes.
Betty Edwards, author of "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain," used
art to elicit the power of your other brain. Finally, accelerated and
whole-brain learning techniques have been applied extensively in many
self-improvement disciplines, from Design Human Engineering to speed reading.
- Creativity Enhancement
The best books to start in creativity enhancement are "A Kick in the Seat of
the Pants" by Roger von Oech and "What A Great Idea!" by Charles Thompson.
Roger will introduce you to the four stages of creativity, namely EXPLORER,
ARTIST, JUDGE, and WARRIOR. Charles will teach you techniques used by the
world's most creative people, such as Dr. Yoshiro NakaMats. Yoshiro is the
inventor of the digital watch, the floppy disk, and the CD. Known as the
Edison of Japan, he has over 2,300 patents, more than double the 1093 held
by Thomas Edison.
Charles also emphasizes the importance of a creativity-friendly environment.
You can make the lightning, background noise, temperature work for you instead
of against you. He also suggests that you find those places and times where
you are most free to come out with ideas. These can be when you're exercising,
listening to a church sermon, falling asleep, waking up, commuting to work,
looking out the window, or sitting on the toilet!
* For those in science, you'll love "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!" and
"What Do You Care What Other People Think?" by Richard Feynman. Richard was
the most wacky character in physics: he cracked the safe containing atomic
bomb secrets in the 40s, got his Nobel prize because of his PLAYFUL CURIOSITY
in calculating the relationship between the rotation and up-and-down wobbling
of a plate, and identified the cause for Challenger space shuttle explosion
by dropping a rubber bend into a glass of ice water.
* Another well-known speaker in this area is Edward deBono, who has coined the
term "lateral thinking" and written half a dozen of books on it. The basic
idea of lateral thinking is that instead of moving directly and automatically
from a goal to a solution, the mind searches in many different directions to
find a solution. It involves avoiding solving problems in the most familiar
or obvious way. His books are quite readable and enjoyable. Personally, the
editor finds that there are too many exercises and not enough substance for
real world applications.
* Other good books are:
"99% Inspiration" by Bryan Mattimore (excellent new approaches in creativity)
"108 Ways to Get a Bright Idea" by Arthur VanGundy (practical techniques)
"Breakthroughs" by P. Nayak and M. Ketteringham (dull writing, good cases)
"Crackpot or Genius" by Francis Feynolds (about physical inventions)
"Creativity in Business" by Michael Ray and Rochelle Myers (new age)
"Future Edge" by Joel Arthur Barker (about shifting paradigms)
"Idea Power" by Arthur VanGundy (excellent software references)
"It Only Takes One" by John Emmerling (one specific approach: S.T.R.I.K.E.)
"What's the Big Idea?" by George Lois (about great ads like Xerox's Monkey)
* Mindmapping. This is a specific creativity enhancement technique developed
by Tony Buzan for "associatively" recording ideas on paper. Most notetaking
methods on paper are linear; that is you start at the top of the page and
record information in the order presented from top to bottom. Buzan recognized
that this isn't consistent with the way the human mind works, which is
"associately" by creating associations between items that are not necessarily
related to some predefined order. A mindmap works by beginning at the center
of the page with a main idea and work outward producing a growing and organized
structure composed of keywords and images. Complete sentences or even phrases
are not allowed because they're redundant and inefficient. Mindmaps are useful
in organizing information, taking notes, outlining talks or written material,
brainstorming for creating new ideas and seeing new connections between
things.
They require a more active involvement in taking notes because the location of
the next item must be decided upon based on what is already there. Traditional
"verbatim" approaches simply state that "what will come will follow what has
come." Mind maps are easier to remember and easier to review because each
one is visually different and because no two will have the exact same
structures, colors, clusters, symbols, etc. Mindmapping is described by
Tony Buzan in "The Mind Map Book" as well as several of his other books.
Another good book is called "Mindmapping" by Joyce Wycoff. There's also
several software for mind mapping. A good one is "Inspiration."
- Hypnosis
Hypnosis is used by many different forms of therapy. Self-hypnosis
is also possible and many people report positive experiences with hypnosis.
This topic is not often discussed in much detail in alt.self-improve.
Hypnosis can be used in many ways for self-improvement. It can allow the
mind to utilize its resources in new ways and to change behavior and create
new desired behaviors. To learn more about hypnosis, read the newsgroup
"alt.hypnosis," which has a very good FAQ. There is also web site at
http://www.hypnosis.com describing hypnosis training by Tad James as well as
dozens of hypnosis scripts. (See References and Resources for more info).
NLP also utilizes hypnosis in various ways. An excellent book on hypnosis is
"Trance-formations" by John Grinder and Richard Bandler.
- Meditation
Many people in this group have had some experience with meditation. Some
reported very good results, while others didn't. The topic is not often
discussed in detail in alt.self-improve although it does seem relevant.
A better place might be "alt.meditation."
- Memory Systems
(Contributed by: r.follmer@genie.geis.com)
Quite often the question comes up regarding memory systems. One has either
read a book, or has seen an infomercial concerning it. Do they work and are
they worth the money?
A quick bit of history. Recorded history concerning memory systems is
documented to about 500 B.C. There are indications that these were in
existence as early as 1500 B.C., but only fragments exist supporting this
claim. The ancient orators used these systems to help deliver their famous
speeches.
In modern times we have books, audio cassettes, and video recordings all
teaching memory systems. One cannot really compare one system to another.
All have some good features to them. All are taught by people who have been
in the business or have studied it. Most of the systems utilize a principle
called mnemonics. Simply stated, this means assisting the human memory
by artificially adding mental pictures or images attached to the item to be
retained in our mind.
These systems do work, but you have to put in some time and effort to learn
the basics. Once you do this, you will find the systems learned will be
invaluable to you for the rest of your life.
Virtually anything you wish to remember can be memorized by utilizing these
systems. They are not a waste of your time. Often the question of cost is
raised. The books cost a few dollars while the book + audio/video combinations
are much more expensive. Usually this is in the area today of $200 - $300 or
more. Obviously the utilization of the audio/video is more effective due to
the learning principles involved. Our retention is greater and our learning
time is shortened. Books, on the other hand, are less expensive, but take a
bit longer to learn from. An on-site seminar is the best possible way to learn
these systems.
Books on the retail market by Harry Lorayne and Tony Buzan are among the best
available, although others are equally effective.
One of the best background texts I have ever run across is by Kenneth Higbee
of Brigham Young University. He is the only one that has done the homework
in this business although others are now coming on line with more current
study findings. His book is titled "Your Memory - How it Works and How to
Improve it."
- Mind Machines
Mind machines are devices used for relaxation or to attempt to alter brain
states. These devices are usually worn on the head and use light or sound
effects. The scientific validity of their effectiveness has been debated
in the group with no conclusive answers.
One positive comment is from lydiapolk@aol.com (Lydia Polk): "I bought a
Theta Technologies Voyager XL since they dropped the price from $350 to $200.
It works as claimed. It comes with 50 built-in sessions and an additional 25.
I use it primarily to get into delta sleep. But you can buy audio tapes
that are designed to work with it and download session paramaters into the
machine. You can get tapes for all kinds of self-improvement."
Another popular supplier is Zygon which ads have appeared in Airline magazines
and TV infomercials. Their machines and tapes are fun to use, but their claims
are way out of line. They don't match up to their promises.
* Editors' Note: The best reference on this subject is "Mega Brain Power"
by Michael Hutchison. It has a complete review on just about every device on
the market. Some of these devices are:
(1) Biofeedback: Mind Pyramid, EEG Devices, Mind Mirror III,
NeuroSearch 24, Brain Tracer, GSR Systems, Antense EMG System.
(2) Light Power: Ott Full Spectrum Light System, Color Receptivity Trainer,
Relaxmate.
(3) Light & Sound: David Paradise, Photosonix Galaxy, Mastermind DLS.
(4) Electric Power: Alpha Stim 100, Nustar.
(5) Motion: Integrated Motion System, Symmetron Chair.
(6) Senses: Vibrasound, Genesis, Prosonic Induction, Discovery Sound Bed.
(7) Many more, including Richard Bandler's Neurosonic Tapes.
- Speed Reading
The most famous speed reading method is called "Evelyn Wood's Reading
Dynamics". You can learn this method through a number mediums including
seminars, books, cassette tapes, or computer software (1-800-447-READ). A book
is also available called "The Evelyn Wood 7 Day Reading & Learning Program",
ISBN 0380 715775, $4.99.
Most speed reading courses focus on a number of similar principles. One major
impediment to speed reading is subvocalizing (saying words to yourself while
reading). The motion of the eye is another key factor. Instead of reading just
one word at a time, you are taught to pick up phrases, sentences, lines, or
groups of lines in a single glance (depending on the method being taught).
In order to increase comprehension, some methods try to make the user more
active in the reading process by having the user take notes in a specific way,
ask questions before and after reading, etc.
jimw@netcom.com (Jim Whitaker) writes: "Speed Reading Made EZ"
(1) Sit down at a well lit table and sit up straight.
(2) Take a hardcover book with big-easy-to-read print; preferably not a novel,
but some kind of no-brainer non-fiction works best.
(3) Take your finger or a pen and underline the words as you read them.
Get used to pacing with your finger for a few minutes.
(4) Now speed up. Simply move your finger faster than you can sound out
the words. You may not be able to understand what you read at all.
In fact, if you think you can comprehend what you are reading, speed up
till you simply see a blur of words that you recognize. If you are having
problems and keeps sounding out the words compulsively--hum a tune.
This disables your brain's capacity or habit for verbalizing words.
(5) Aim your eyes above the line of text you are reading, as if you were
trying to read "between the lines". This makes it easy to focus your
attention on groups of words rather than your eye stopping on individual
words, which slows you down. At first you are not aiming to understand;
you are trying to train your brain to accept that it can see and know what
phrases of words mean simply by looking at them.
(6) Practice this exercise for no more than 15 minutes at a sitting, no more
than one sitting per day, usually after your morning wake-up ritual when
you are at your prime. If you try to push too hard or too fast, your brain
hardware will resist you.
(7) After 8 or so sessions, your brain will start to abandon trying to
comprehend what you read as "sounds" and instead will visually grab words
and process them in parallel, instead of one at a time. Typical reading
speeds at this point in time are around 800 to 1500 words per minute.
(8) The ultimate key to speed reading is realizing that your brain is learning
to process words with the process of seeing them in groups, then
processing their meaning. We are taught to read by seeing words, sounding
them out, and then using our spoken speech hardware to comprehend what we
read. The brain doesn't need this slow speech step.
(9) After a number of sessions in which you are comfortable with this
technique, get rid of the finger and use a small brown index card with
three black semicircular dots along one edge on it. The black dots tell
you where to position your eyes as you read across the page. Take this
card, and drag it down the page, scanning each line 123 123 123 123 with
your eyes fixating either on the dots or above the text lines. With your
finger out of the way, you can pick up some serious speed. As with before,
don't expect perfect comprehension right away.
(10) Lose the card. Get in the habit of just scanning with your eyes.
(If I'm tired, sometimes I still pull out the card. It's a great crutch.)
There are more techniques for speed than just these. I used to crank along at
30K WPM. This 10 step plan is good for about 3K WPM or sometimes a little more.
The fantastic rates come from learning to scan in text essentially out of
order, grabbing entire paragraphs as your eyes pop around them almost at
random.
As you read, try to ask questions to yourself about what is going on, or who
the material is suitable for, or something to allow you to "correlate" it.
If you are not reading with need or potential purpose in mind, your brain
won't remember it. In fact, your brain will not even process it. It will just
see words flying by. The purpose of studying for an exam just doesn't cut it.
You have to try to imagine using the material in the real world, or sifting
it for "junk" or planning something to do with it, and considering what effect
what you are reading will have on your plan or your needs. In short, your brain
will slowly get in the habit of "asking questions" at lightning speeds. It
won't even bother to sound these questions out or formulate them--just
instantly come up with them and compare them relative to the material being
read.
The success of speed reading varies from individual to individual and is
likely dependent on commitment and practice. The average reader reads about
350 words/minute. After speed reading training, speeds of 500-2000 words/minute
are possible. It is difficult to measure exactly how this effects
comprehension. I am not currently aware of scientific studies that show the
effectiveness of speed reading programs.
- Beyond Speed Reading
There are a few companies that are teaching techniques that claim to go beyond
photo-reading. The basic premise is that books can be photographed, a page at
time, say at 1 second per page. So a 360 page book would take 6 minutes...
It is usually stated that although after processing a book in this manner you
won't have much conscious knowledge of what you read, it has been processed
unconsciously.
One technique taught by Learning Stategies Corporation is called Photo-reading.
The Photo-reading process involves learning how to mentally photograph the
printed page and techniques for accessing what has been processed. Many people
have reported in this newsgroup great success with Photo-reading, including
that they are able to read much more much faster, that reading has come fun
again, and that they comprehend far more of what they read.
Learning Strategies Corporation publishes a book called "Photo-reading" by
Paul Scheele. The book is short and simple and uniquely designed to allow you
to learn the Photo-reading process very very quickly. It can be ordered by
calling LSC at 1-800-735-8273. They also have available a home study course
which includes a course manual and audio cassettes, and live trainings in the
method are available around the world.
Another similar approach is called Subliminal Photography and is taught by
Subliminal Dynamics (http://www.subdyn.com). There approach is somewhat
similar although they have been more secretive about the process they teach.
Recently though, they have begun offering a home study course so people can
learn their process without attending a course. For more information see
their web page.
- Virus of the Mind
This work by Richard Brodie (RBrodie@aol.com), the inventor of Microsoft Word,
is about the science of memetics, a controversial new field that transcends
psychology, biology, anthropology, and cognitive science. A working definition
of meme is that it's a unit of information in a mind whose existence influences
events such that more copies of itself get created in other minds.
A virus of the mind is something out in the world that infects people with
memes. Those memes, in turn, influence the infected people's behavior so that
they help perpetuate and spread the virus.
If you currently believe in any concepts or subcultures or dogmas that meet
these requirements: (1) a method of penetration, (2) a way of reproducing
itself faithfully, and (3) a means to spread itself to other minds, and you
didn't consciously choose to program yourself with these memes, you are
inflected with a mind virus.
(1) Penetration
- Repetition
Hearing a similar message repeatedly on television.
Being in a group where something is read constantly.
Hearing a point of view repeatedly, e.g. gun control.
- Cognitive Dissonance
Going through an initiation or test.
Taking a confrontational or uncomfortable seminar that gives
a sense of relief at the end.
Reaching some goal or reward after a struggle or being told that you
are not good enough.
- Trojan Horse
Listening to a concept that mostly seems right, but has a few components
that kind of rub you the wrong way.
Hearing appeals to help children, resolve a crisis, feed hunger.
Being presented opportunities to get more sex or money by adopting
new beliefs.
(2) Faithful Reproduction
- By instilling a belief that tradition is important. The way things
have been said and done in the past is the way they ought to be done.
- By saying that a set of memes is the Truth.
- By setting up a structure that rewards copying and punishes modification
(the Army?)
(3) Spreading
- Programming you with a meme to get the words out before it's too late,
pushing your windows of opportunity buttons.
- Programming you with a meme to the effect that this will help children.
- Programming you to evengelize the virus: passing the favor, enrollment.
Richard suggests that you practice Zen to disinfect yourself from mind viruses.
Zen practitioners learn to take in what their senses perceive and dissolve
the artificial distinction-memes of human ideas and concepts.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article: 20342 of alt.self-improve
From: tom@transcore.com (Thomas Wong)
Newsgroups: alt.self-improve
Subject: alt.self-improve FAQ (part 2)
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 22:25:33 GMT
Organization: NetGate Communications
Archive-name: self-impr-faq/part2
5. Physical
- Baldness Cures and Consequences
Does baldness need to be cured? The answer is up to you, if you're losing your
hair. It depends on your self-concept, on how happy you are with the way you
look now, and how happy you'll be with the way you will look once your pattern
expands to its ultimate stage. You might get some hints on this by looking at
pictures of your maternal grandfather in his later years; in any case, debates
concerning the actual hereditary links of male-pattern baldness, while of
scholarly interest, are mostly unhelpful to individuals and thus beyond the
scope of this FAQ.
Bald can be Beautiful. Star Trek's Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) provides
an excellent example of a person who, by a happy combination of personality
and physiognomy, has managed to be handsome and quite sexy while still being
bald. St. Anthony, while not sexy, was good looking too, despite his bald
crown. Your case may be a different story. It all depends on how you want to
look.
Combing to cover. The solution, adopted by some, of combing hair over bald
spots is probably counterproductive. In other words, the larger your spot,
the better you might look if you just accepted its presence and had your
hair styled so that the spot was not being hidden.
Vitamins. Severe nutrient deficiencies and extreme stress will shock your
body from head to foot. If the foods you eat contain neither inositol nor
any B vitamins, you may die sooner than you ought to. But, sad to
say, if you have an otherwise normal diet and start popping inositol
and B vitamins, your hair will still fall out.
Subliminal Suggestion Tapes and the Power of Mind. The person who made a tape
designed to trick your mind into keeping hair on your head was full-cap bald
when he produced the tape and is full-cap bald to this very day. Not even
Krishna consciousness will help you grow hair. Do you have any idea of the
number of bald swamis who have been sighted in Wyoming alone? Those who still
dwell in the physical body are still bald.
Ram Dass and Wayne Dyer, very wise bald sages both, have used their
wisdom to talk themselves out of esteeming hair, needing hair, or
wanting hair. In fact, many holy beings float so high that they
realize that hair is the least of their or anyone else's needs, that
it's just more material stuff destined to collect in a porcelain sink,
another illusion trying to convince you it's real, just one more set
of material attachments from which we all, eventually, seek
liberation. And they're absolutely right.
Serious Solutions. If you still don't believe that bald can be beautiful
(on you) and if you have $$$, then here are some alternatives.
(1) Timing is everything. The sooner you start taking some decisive action
before your baldness pattern reaches its limits, the smoother your transition
from a "balding" person to one with an apparently full head of hair will be.
This, of course, should be obvious. If your hair is just now starting to thin,
very few people other than you and those very intimately involved with you will
either notice or care if you start to make changes. If you make an abrupt
transition, some people will ask you what you've done to your hair.
(2) Spray-On Hair in a Can. Don't laugh. This stuff really works--but only
if you just have a small spot to cover. Forget it if you don't have any hair
that can be combed over your spot and still look natural; in that case, it
will just look like you painted your head! Cost: $5.00 per can at some retail
stores; $19.95 plus 4.95 shipping and handling (for a larger can) when sold on
late-night infomercials. Several brands are available. The one called Instant
Hair Plus is a good one. Advantage: If you just have a small spot, this stuff
has you covered. Its odd texture somehow creates the appearance of full hair,
but only when mixed with a sufficient amount of your own thinning hair.
Disadvantage: The powder might come off on your pillow, shirt, and hands.
Get used to ring-around-the-collar. The better types come off only when mixed
with water and soap. You need to apply for spray every day, or after you wash
your hair. Spray-on hair is hardly a long-lasting solution, only a stop-gap
measure. Eventually, you won't have enough real hair to make it work.
(3) Wigs. Hairpieces of various sizes, qualities, and shapes are rarely called
wigs by companies like Hair Club For Men, Hairmakers, etc., but they're selling
nothing other than wigs. They call their wigs "systems" or "pieces". Pick the
euphemism you prefer. They sew--with a needle and thread--the hairpiece to your
existing hair, which is first prepared by making a braid in your own hair along
the sides. Other techniques involve attaching the piece to your braid by means
of clips. The clips allow you to remove the piece whenever you desire; when the
thing's sewn to your head, it's terribly difficult to get off without
assistance, but in most cases you wouldn't want to do that anyway and so that
doesn't create a problem. Cost: From $700 to $1500 for an initial hairpiece
plus about $60 every 5 weeks for a haircut and servicing. If you can afford it,
you should eventually get two pieces, so one can be worn while the other is
being repaired every few months. Normal monthly servicing-with-haircut takes
about an hour of concentrated effort from a specialized hairstylist, who
therefore deserves at least a $10 tip.
It is possible to get a hairpiece that not only covers your baldness but also
makes you look great. You get used to having it on after a few weeks; then it
almost seems normal. Practically no one will know you're wearing it, especially
if you start before you really need one, and if you return regularly to have
your piece serviced. Remember, most people don't think nearly as much about
your appearance as you do. However, a wig is always a wig. It's not a part of
you; it's a prosthesis of sorts. You grow, but it doesn't. Your natural hair
replenishes itself. The hair on your piece will get old faster than you do,
fade, and even fall out. From time to time, therefore, you will need to have
your piece dyed professionally as part of your monthly servicing and to have
lost hairs replaced strand by strand, or clump by clump ($25 or so). You should
attend to these details meticulously every few months. There's nothing worse
than a balding or faded wig!
Some companies claim to permanently "cure" baldness by actually attaching
what are no more than wigs or hairpieces to your scalp, not your existing hair.
Cost: Whatever it is, it's a horrid waste of money.
(4) Minoxidil (Rogaine). This product of the Upjohn company is widely
advertised as the only approved cure for baldness. Cost: ? (a) Advantage:
Scientific studies have proven that this drug works to restore growing hair
for many people, especially those who start early and especially those with
loss only in the crown. Apply a bit twice a day, and eventually and slowly,
hair comes back. (b) Disadvantage: Your hair grows back, but painfully slowly.
If you stop using the drug, the hair falls out again. For many people the
gains are not aesthetically significant. Sure, there's more hair or peach fuzz
there, but you still look bald. The cost is relatively high, and you can never
stop buying it.
(5) Hair Transplants and Baldness Reduction Procedures. This is the ultimate
solution. It is the only one that, when it works, works permanently, such that
you don't need to do it again! There is nothing like your own growing,
regenerating hair. Cost: $8,000 (for just a bald crown) to $40,000 (for
full-cap bald). (a) Advantage: If you have the bucks to spend, well spend
them here. A doctor will take hairs from the sides or back of your scalp and
install them onto your bald or balding areas. These transplanted hairs are
the ones with strict genetic instructions to stay with you until your last
breath. No more hairpiece servicing, no more bottles of drugs or colored
hairspray to buy, just your own hair. Sound good? Read on. (b) Disadvantage:
The prices listed are actually rather realistic, if you're going to get
pleasing results. You wouldn't need to spend all of that money all at once,
however. Each procedure will cost from $900 to $2000. Your results will depend
on the skill and caring of your surgeons. Experience counts a lot.
And once you have all the hair you've ever wanted, read again that hair is an
illusion like all the others. True, it's less of an illusion now that it's
sprouting abundantly above your brain. But it's all just a bunch of material
stuff, and none of it has much to do with who you really are. Or does it?
Your body might be an illusion, but that doesn't mean it has to be an
unsightly, dreadful illusion. Why not let your illusion touch your highest
ideal, if that's what you truly want to do.
- Body Work
Bodywork uses physical movement and touch therapy to foster health and
well-being. Many practitioners also incorporate a variety of medical,
psychological, and spiritual approaches. Bodywork certifications are
very comprehensive. A Feldenkrais practitioner, for example, may need
four years of training before certification can be given.
Some well-known disciplines are:
(1) The Alexander Technique. This is best for people who have to hold
their bodies in a certain way for a long time, such as musicians and typists.
It's also about how to optimize your posture in walking and running. The key
to Alexander is the head position and how it functions with the rest of the
body. Watch the standing posture of a normal five-year-old kid then compare
it with that of a forty-year-old overweighted person. Alexander can help that
older person restores his natural posture.
(2) Feldenkrais. Its sessions involve being gently guided through basic
movement patterns which provide the foundation for improving balance and
freedom of movement. With hands-on feedback you begin to recognize habitual
patterns of movement which are restricting or hurting you. You are then
introduced to small, effortless movement options which are more effective and
efficient.
(3) Rolfing. It's a system of body restructuring and movement education. In
a hands-on series of deep tissue manipulations (can be very painful for some
people), Rolfing releases chronic tensions and habitual holding patterns. It
helps to strengthen and open up your restricted body parts.
(4) Various forms of messages. These are done for relaxation and energizing
your body. However, they are not the same as other bodywork disciplines.
- Eye Sight Improvement
(1) Biofeedback
The Bates method is probably the most well-known. It's is a set of vision
improvement techniques originally developed by William H. Bates, MD, back in
the 1910's and 1920's. Many people have expanded on the techniques since then.
There are at least a dozen books in print.
The basic theory is that we develop excess tension in the muscles in and
around the eyes, and it is this tension which causes poor vision. The vision
improvement techniques are designed to relax the muscles in the eyes and to
allow us to see better. There are 3 basic techniques for relaxing the eyes:
-1- "Sunning" is shining a bright light on your closed eyes. Use as bright a
light as you can stand without squinting. Concentrate on relaxing the eyes
while you do this. Eventually you will be able to increase the intensity of
the light and use the sun as your light source. This technique is done for 5
to 20 minutes (no more than 5 minutes facing the sun). It is best if you can
follow your sunning with palming.
-2- "Palming" is covering your eyes with your cupped palms. Try to cut off
all light from your eyes. Relax and think of something pleasant. Do this
technique for at least 5 minutes. You can do this as much as you like. The
record is 20 hours. Twenty minutes a day is good.
-3- The "long standing swing" is standing in the middle of a room and turning
back and forth from 90 degrees left to 90 degrees right. Turn your head with
your body and keep the eyes looking forward. Start with the eyes lifted and
looking at the line where the wall meets the ceiling, and lower your gaze with
each pass. Do not try to focus on everything that passes in front of your
eyes; just let your gaze fall where it will. Start with 30 swings, and work
your way up to 100 swings. This should take no more than 4 minutes.
All the techniques should be done with the eyes relaxed. If you feel tension
around your eyes and you can't relax it, stop the technique.
There are other techniques to correct vision defects like astigmatism and poor
left-right fusion. Two good books to read are "Do You Really Need Eyeglasses"
by Marilyn B. Rosanes-Berrett and "Seeing Beyond 20/20" by Robert-Michael
Kaplan.
There is some empirical evidence to support the Bates method, and there's
a limited amount of experimental evidence. Bates documented many successes,
and each of the other books documents many successes. There are reports of
patients who were brought to 20/20 vision and had astigmatism corrected.
Lastly, check out Alex Eulenberg's (aeulenbe@ezinfo.ucs.indiana.edu)
homepage: http://silver.ucs.indiana.edu/~aeulenbe/i_see/against_glasses.html
(2) Surgical
Radial Keratotomy (RK) and Automated Lamellar Keratotomy (ALK) are the most
widely used surgical procedures to instantly improve your eyesight.
-1- RK. It's for the correction of nearsightedness and astigmatism and works
best for low diopters, say under -6.00, to achieve the best result. RK attempts
to correct vision by surgically altering the shape of the cornea. Tiny
incisions are made around the center of the cornea (in radial spike patterns),
causing the cornea to flatten to a more normal shape. This allows the light
rays to focus on the retina to produce a sharp image. RK is done by hand.
-2- ALK. This is an alternative and is usually recommended for higher diopters,
say above -6.00. Instead of making incisions on the surface of the cornea as
RK does, ALK attempts to flip open the surface layer of the cornea and shave
the top tissues inside through the use of an automated microkeratome,
an instrument capable of shavings within 10 microns of accuracy (that means it
can slice a human hair into 5 equal pieces). Often, both RK and ALK are used
(separately) to achieve the maximum correction.
* Editor Thomas's Note: I had ALK done on my left eye in Houston, Texas in
1994. My vision improved from -8.50 to -2.00. I paid $2,000 and the whole
surgery lasted only twenty minutes and I could see better instantly. The
overall vision was blurry for a few months, especially at night time. When I
looked at a street light at night, I saw multiple images (up to four at one
point) as my eye was healing. Now (15 months later), I've no trouble seeing
in the daylight, but at night, my left eye (-2.00) is not as sharp as my right
eye (-4.50). Overall,
I'm happy with the procedure because it's a big
improvement for me. My advice to those who are interested in either RK or ALK
is to find the most experienced doctor and talked to as many as his/her
patients as possible about their recovery. RK or ALK does not have a 100% rate.
- Health Food
You may have noticed the mental lethargy that tends to set in after eating
a large starchy meal. Carbohydrates have been found to raise brain chemicals
that retard the firing of neurons and promote relaxation. That is fine if you
plan on taking a nap, but not if you want to engage in a challenging mental
activity. A better meal for mental performance might favor a chicken salad
over French fries, according to several mental researches.
Another diet effect on brain activity is when you find yourself lightheaded
and unable to concentrate after skipping a meal. You're experiencing a
temporary case of hypoglycemia, or low blood glucose. The brain is highly
susceptible to changes in the blood glucose level, because it tends to consume
nutrients quickly and stores very little fuel. Would it be better then if we
ate a lot of sugary and starchy foods? The answer is no. A diet high in sugar
and refined carbohydrate can foul up the delicate mechanism that keeps the
blood glucose level in balance.
The mind-altering effects of foods are subtle, and because of that we tend
to overlook them. Studies have confirmed some of these effects, particularly
those that follow a meal or an overnight fast. If you learn to recognize your
reactions to certain foods, you can consciously plan your menus and meal times
to favor mental work or to settle the mind for a nap. Since not everyone
reacts in the same way to the nutritional effects of a particular food, you
will have to attend to your own experience. Do a survey to find out when your
mind is particularly sharp or sluggish, and note what was on your plate for
the past meal or two. Just as athletes watch their diets for the sake of
peak performance when training, you can learn to alter your diet for the
sake of optimum mental output.
Dietary inadequacy of vitamins and minerals can alter general health and
brain metabolism, although the exact effect of these inadequacies is still
unclear. Your thinking power and emotional well-being can be adversely altered
if some of the essential nutrients are missing. Use your common sense and eat
according to your own needs. Cut down your consumption of alcoholic beverages,
caffeinated foods, red meat, canned or preserved food, excess dairy products,
and junk food. Instead, increase salads, freshly prepared foods, and fruit
juice consumption in your diet.
In order to comprehend how to eat food well, you must understand, at the
simplist level, how the body metabolizes macronutrients -- ie: fats,
sugars, and proteins (from jimw@netcome.com, Jim Whitaker).
CARBOHYDRATES (aka glucose sugar):
A Carbohydrate is simply a long or short chain chemical built up
out of sugars. These sugar chains are composed of Glucose, Sucrose,
Fructose, and Galactose. The body uses Glucose.
Foods made of carbohydrates include primarily vegetables, fruits,
grains, and milk sugars.
Carbohydrates are broken down by the digestive system into glucose
sugar, which then enters the blood stream. Various forms of
carbohydrates break down into glucose faster than others. The primary
factors governing the absorbtion speed of sugars are fat content, fiber
content, and complexity of the sugars. Fructose sugar takes a long
time to break down into the bodies favored glucose. Anything made of
glucose chains (such as grains) gets broken down almost instantly in
the stomach acids.
The primary consumers of glucose are the brain (which burns it in vast
quantities), and the muscles. Muscles absorb glucose and don't release
stored glucose into the blood stream -- glucose absorbed by a muscle
can only be burned by that cell that absorbed it. The liver has a
small approximately 80 milliliter reserve store of glucose which it can
release into the blood stream when levels get too low - which doesn't
last very long.
The primary regulator of blood sugar is insulin. Insulin is secreted
by the pancreas which, when it sees a high rate of insulin absorption
into the body will boost the insulin level to a level comensurate with
that rate. If you eat something like straight glucose sugar, your body
will expect that rate of glucose absorbtion to continue. Your insulin
level will rise to meet that challenge, telling fat cells to absorb
this excess glucose for the next hour or more. If you cease your blood
glucose absorption at that initial rate, you no longer have an adequate
level of glucose in your blood to keep up with the insulin level -- and
your fat cells suck you dry of brain fuel and you get sleepy, bleary,
fuzzy headed, angry, lose dexterity etc.
>From this, it is rather obvious that the goal of keeping your brain
clear, and your muscles primed with glucose involves maintaining your
blood sugar levels. In order to insure insulin levels stay low,
to keep blood sugar levels reasonable -- you have to eat carbohydrates
that get converted into glucose SLOWLY. Bread, pasta, rice,
wheat, and other grains are made of long glucose chains that turn
into instant glucose in the stomach. Starchy foods such as potatoes
and bananas are nasty too. Almost all fruit juices are bereft of
the fiber content that buffers their absorption, making them
problematical as well. On the good side, you will find grapefruit,
cantelope, green leafy vegetables, most legumes and most fruits.
Some people have a remarkable natural ability to buffer this glucose
overload naturally, as if their intenstines were made of fat or
something and they can eat pasta all day long -- but more commonly it
turns into glucose, gets dumped quickly into the bloodstream, and
insulin slams on the brakes. If you are one of those people, you need
to take care of your carbohydrates.
PROTIEN:
Most of your body is made up of protiens. Just take one look at
a peice of meat. Does it look like it was put together out of
glucose chains from broken down carbohydrates? NO! You MUST
eat protien in your diet to maintain your body. The USDA now
recommends a diet with a calorie breakdown of 70% carbohydrate,
15% fat, and 15% protein. That is an insulin overload, and
protein starved.
The primary regulator of fat in the blood is glucagon, sort of the
counterpart of insulin. It signals fat cells to "release the grease"
so that the body can use the grease for fuel. Glucagon is stiumlated
by protein intake. It is inhibited by Insulin levels. If you eat
foods that stimulate insulin and not glucagon, you cannot lose
fat -- your body thinks it has enough fuel (glucose) to run on
when it sees elevated Insulin levels and gets absolutely resolute
about not releasing fat.
Too much protein (more than 28 grams) at a meal or too much sugar at
a meal will crash your insulin levels. Your body will start storing
the aminos from your protein as fats. Misery.
When you balance protiens and carbohydrates correctly, you will
get fats and sugars in your bloodstream without complications
created by insulin and glucagon levels. The first time I fixed
my diet, my pain threshhold jumped by a factor of at least 100,
and I could carry large heavy objects for long distances without
breaking a sweat, getting winded, or even really noticing the
muscle twangs three minutes after I put the load down.
In Doctor Barry Sears book, _Entering the Zone_ he advocates a
balance of 9 calories of carbohydrates to 7 calories of protein
to 1.5 grams of fat as the ideal diet. Optimum seems to vary
from person to person. (I work best at 10.5 cal:7 cal:2 gm).
He also advocates limiting protein to a strict formula based
on lean body weight. It is pointless to include it here,
because there is too much involved to support it. While sticking
to his diet seems a little impractical for most people in the
long term, it is my opinion that knowing what he has to say
probably improve your life. It did for the Stanford Swimming
team in 1992. Those on his diet brought back 8 Olympic Gold
Medals from Barcelona.
FATS:
Fats are the most efficient fuel the body has. While you are sitting
there, your body warmth is maintained by fat, not by carbohydrates.
You NEED fat in your system to keep you alive.
I have seen dramatic videos of capallaries clogged by fats, with the
platelets unable to get through because they stick together, carrying
the fat on the outside of their bodies like glue. I swore off fat
in my diet at that moment. However, THAT is fat overload. That
was an idiot probably eating two ounces of lard or something. It is not
what I am talking about here. Here we are talking about 5 grams
or so with your typical meal -- 5-10 olives.
Fat calories in your diet will stimulate your body to use fat.
If you add fats to your diet, they slow down the absorbtion of
carbohydrates into the body and help control insulin levels. Eating
fats does not make you fat. You actually have to eat fat to stimulate
fat release from your body and fat metabolism.
Most of the modern weight loss (they don't call themselves fat lot
diets... there is a reason for that) diets are absolutely flat wrong when
they say to boost the carbohydrates (insulin and hence fat
accumulation) and lower protein and fat. All they do is tear down
muscle tissue, screw up body chemistry and finally strip fat down when
the body is haggard and desperate. With that kind of starvation
situation, people wonder why the body has a memory and people gain
weight back? It has to prepare for next winter's famine, expecting
it to be a little bit worse next time around.
You guessed it -- a half a cup of Fat Laden Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream
is healthier for your body than a peice of bread or plate of pasta.
Why? Because the fat controls the release of sucrose sugar into the
body. Sucrose sugar takes time to break down into glucose. You get a
nice long protracted, insulin damping high (as long as you include
protein in the same sitting...). The Fat provides efficient fuel,
floating around in the bloodstream. Pasta just puts an instant hike to
your insulin and throws your body chemistry out of balance. Don't go
out of your way to make Ice Cream a staple of your diet -- but I hope I
have made my point.
In "Your Body Knows Best," the author suggests that you design your eating
around three factors: your ancestry eating patterns, your blood type, and how
fast you consume your food (fast or slow burner). Type O, for example, is the
oldest and would do well with a higher protein and fat intake. The message is
that no one diet can fit everyone. You are an unique individual and your
nutrition needs are subjective to your own body chemistry.
REFERENCES:
1. Dr Barry Sears Phd, Enter The Zone.
2. Your Body Knows Best, Ann Louise Gittleman.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
6. Relationship / Social
- Men and Women
Three of the best work are done by Dr. Deborah Tanen, Dr. Lillian Glass,
and John Grey.
(1) Dr. Deborah Tanen. Read her book, "That's Not What I meant." In it she
describes the subjective, meta conversation styles of men and women. Dr. Tanen
emphasizes that because of our unique conditioning and upbringing, what
is consider as appropriate to one person may be offensive to another.
A good example is your speaking rate or volume. People may perceive you or
interpret your message wrong if your rate or volume differs greatly from
their own. This is a linguistic approach.
(2) Dr. Lillian Glass. Her book, "He Said, She Said," listed the differences
of men and women and how they affect their communication with each other.
She provided a lot of techniques to help each other communicate better.
This is a communication approach.
(3) John Grey. Best known for his book, "Men Are from Mars, Women are
from Venus." He took a more psychological approach to help men and women
relate to each other. For example, he described men's emotions as
"cave dwellers" and women's emotions as "wave surfers."
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. Spiritual
- Religion and Self-Esteem (from Craig Davis, craighd@pegasus.rutgers.edu)
Historically, religion has been used to give members of a governed population
a sense of disconnections from God. The idea that you have to go to the
priest, rabbi, imam, etc. for spiritual communion means that you don't have
the capacity within yourself to connect directly with higher power. And
of course, there's the Christian notion that everyone is a born sinner.
This is unfortunate, because our spirituality is an important part of
ourselves and our lives. And it can take a lot of time and effort for
us to get to the point where we really trust ourselves enough to look
within for guidance. This doesn't mean that we never seek the advice or
expertise or another. It means that we don't give all of our power away.
If there really is such a thing as sin, then it's our refusal to accept
the good in ourselves. It's our unwillingness to see that we are directly
connected to God as God's creations. Often when we make mistakes, we look
at it as proof that we are dirty or sinful or spiritually inferior. We
don't realize that making mistakes is the opportunity to learn and grow
into our greater potential.
- Magic and Pseudo-Paranormal Phenomena
James Randi (the Amazing Randi) is best known for his work in this area. He
has challenged the spoon-bending hype of Uri Geller, exposed the scams of many
self-acclaimed psychics, and caught the fraud of the famous faith healer Peter
Popoff. Just like in the Steve Martin's recent movie "Leap of Faith," Popoff
used electronic devices to make him appear as having God's power. He collected
as much as $6 million/year from his TV ministry at one point, but after Randi
played Peter's tapes on "The Tonight Show" in 1986, Peter's contributions
dried up and he filed for bankruptcy.
Randi uses his training in magic to detect the tricks being used. Frequently,
psychics are victims of their false beliefs. His book, "Flim-Flam: Psychics,
ESP, Unicorns, and other Delusions" is a must-read for anyone who wants to
learn more about the under-informed side of paranormal phenomena. His other
books include "The Faith Healer," "The Mask of Nostradamus," and "An
Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural."
These books can be ordered from Skeptics Magazine at (818) 794-1301.
* $500,000 Psychi Challenge
The former $10,000 psychic challenge (for the past 10-20 years) offered by
Randi has now been increased to half a million dollars through a brilliant
fund-raising pledge campaign by Randi on the Internet, where participants
pledge a mininum of $1,000 but only pay if claimants can prove they have
psychic powers under scientific conditions. Contact Randi by fax at
305-370-1129 or email at 76702.3507@compuserve.com.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
B/ Established Disciplines
1. Anti-Cult Movements
(1) Beware of therapy cults masquerading as self help groups. (From:
richard@rjprice.demon.co.uk, Richard Price). Here're some resources:
UK: FUSS (Families Under Scientology Stress), BM Box 3506, London WC1N 3XX
This group organized demonstrations against Scientology on the 12th and
13th of July. They are campaigning for recommendations in the Foster Report
(1971) to be put in place (Sir John wanted a Psychological Practices Act to
protect people from unscrupulous, unethical purveyors of "therapy")
UK: Cult Information Center, BCM Cults, London WC1N 3XX, 0181 6513322
These people give lectures, media interviews, research assistance and
support for cult victims and their families. They also produce an excellent
"Cults on Campus" leaflet. CIC is a registered charity (no. 1012914).
US: American Family Foundation, P.O. Box 2265, Bonita Springs, FL 33959.
(212) 533-5420.
US: Cult Awareness Network, 2421 West Pratt Blvd, Suite 1173, Chicago, IL 60645.
(312) 267-7777
US: reFocus (recovering Former Cultists Support), P.O. Box 2180, Flagler Beach,
FL 32136. (904) 439-7541.
US: Stop Abuse By Counsellors, P.O. Box 68292, Seattle, Washington 98168.
(206) 243 2723
US: False Memory Syndrome Foundation, 3401 Market Street-suite 130,
Philadelphia, PA 19104. (215) 387-1865.
US: Read the newsgroup "alt.support.ex-cult".
(2) How to avoid cults (edited from: tilman@berlin.snafu.de, Tilman Hausherr).
When you feel alone, isolated or lonely, when you feel totally overwhelmed
by a decision you need to make and find yourself wishing that someone would
just tell you what to do, when you feel like the world used to make sense and
now everything's falling apart around you, YOU'RE VULNERABLE.
When you're hurting (or even when you're not), beware of people with answers
to life's problems; Beware of religious groups of people who pressure you
because they know what's right for you; No one has the right to pressure you
about a religious decision. Beware of religious friends who claim to know you
and your needs better than your family and old friends; Religious groups
should not degrade or exclude outside friendships.
Beware of people who are excessively or inappropriately flattering or friendly.
Relationships of real love are not instant; a group which surrounds you with
immediate concern may be practicing "love-bombing", a form of deceptive
recruitment. (Just say "NO")
Beware of groups that recruit through guilt. Guilt produced by others is rarely
a productive emotion. Beware of invitations to isolated weekend workshops which
have nebulous goals; There is no reason to be vague unless there is something
to hide.
A cult group is usually characterized by some of the followings:
- A leader who claims divinity or an extraordinary relationship with God.
- A leader who is the sole judge of a member's actions or faith.
- Totalitarian governance and totalistic control over members' lifestyles.
- Exclusivity and isolation.
- Development of unhealthy emotional dependence.
- Prohibition of critical analysis and independent thinking.
- Utilization of methods of ego-destruction and mind control.
- Exploitation of a member's finances.
- Exploitative conditions which discourage the full use of one's abilities.
- Discouragement of free and independent pursuit of education.
You should also know the two basic principles of mind control ("brainwashing"):
-1- If you can get a person to behave the way you want relatively, you can get
that person to believe what you want. Small requests are the most dangerous.
For example, if you want someone on the street to give you money, your
chance is better if you can get them to stop walking and offer a bill for
change, and then ask for an extra quarter or two.
-2- Sudden, drastic changes in a situation (issue or environment) can lead to
heightened sensitivity to suggestion and to drastic changes in attitude
and beliefs. Maintain support when you are going through some emotional
experiences (death of a loved one, financial crisis, moving to a new place,
etc.). Your past resources are safer at these moments.
In any event, your defense to a cult is to SAY NO and THINK IT OVER, then
REACH OUT TO SOMEONE YOU TRUST! For example, you can talk to a trusted friend,
your college professor that knows you well, a parent, a therapist, a pastor,
or a consultant.
Some cult groups attempt, through pressure, to lure an individual to a
belief which she or he does not already practice. Observe the group's responses
to you and how you feel. If you are sometimes uncomfortable, or find any three
of the following statements true about a group with which you are involved,
you should seek advice from a trusted person, outside of this group, and
reconsider your involvement.
-1- The group seems to be perfect. Everyone agrees and follows all orders
cheerfully.
-2- The group claims to have "all the answers" to your problems.
-3- You are asked to recruit new members soon after joining.
-4- You begin to feel guilty and ashamed, unworthy as a person.
-5- The group encourages you to put their meetings and activities before all
other commitments, including studying or working.&127;
-6- The group speaks in a derogatory way about your past affiliation.
-7- Your parents and friends are defined as unable to understand and help you.
-8- Doubts and questions are seen as signs of weak faith. You are shunned if
you persist in these doubts.
-9- Males are believed to have more rights and abilities than females.
10- You are invited on an activity with the group, but they refuse to give you
an overview of the purpose, theme, or activities before you go.
An excellent book that explores this subject in details is "Combatting Cult
Mind Control" by Steven Hassan. In it, several mind programming and identity
change techniques are discussed. Steven also teaches you how to identify
cult organizations and protect yourself from them.
One fascinating subject that he brings out is the obvious manifestation of
"subpersonalities." Cult members seem to become someone else when they access
their programmed beliefs either by talking about them or by practicing the
programmed behaviors. Often, parts of them know that something was wrong
but these parts are too weak to combat the stronger subpersonality. Many
of them showed the subpersonalities conflict described by authors Hal Stone
& Sidra Winkelman in "Embracing Our Selves--The Voice Dialogue Manual."
To help your friends or your loved ones get out of a cult, Steve suggests
that you get professional help and use these eight steps:
(1) Build rapport and trust.
(2) Use goal-oriented communications.
(3) Develop models of identity.
(4) Access the pre-cult identity.
(5) Get them to look at reality from many different perspectives.
(6) Side-step the thought-stopping process by giving information
in an indirect way.
(7) Visualize a happy future to undo phobia indoctrination.
(8) Offer the cult member concrete definitions of mind control and
characteristics of a destructive cult.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Design Human Engineering(TM) (DHE)
Disclaimer: The following is written by the editors for informational purposes
only based on the information we have received via the internet. Neither of
us a certified in DHE or have attended an actual DHE training.
DHE(TM) is a creation of Richard Bandler that goes beyond his first and
most famous creation, Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP). DHE goes beyond
NLP in several ways. While NLP was about modelling excellence, DHE emphasizes
designing from scratch while still utilizing many of the models of NLP.
DHE also seems to correct some of the flaws in how NLP has been applied NLP.
For example, much of NLP embraced the idea of parts, that people composed of
parts and many NLP techniques attempt to utilize parts or integrate parts.
DHE ignores the parts metaphor completely and focuses on human beings as
complete holistic systems.
Another difference between DHE and NLP is that there are no "DHE techniques."
While many NLP practitioners do there work by applying a set of techniques
they ignore the more important elements of sensory acuity, calibration and
rely solely on the hope that the technique they've chosen will be appropriate
with the person they happen to be working with (or themselves).
Another major difference is that while NLP tended to focus on remedial changes
that "fixed" problems people had, often by examining the past. DHE takes the
attitude that the past is really not the important and that you can design
right now whatever you want for yourself. Changes in DHE are generative and
future looking, the purpose being to take responsibility for your own
personal evolution.
Many NLP techniques were primarily visual and often ignored the other sensory
systems. DHE makes elegant use of all sensory systems.
Another major difference between DHE and NLP is that there are very few
DHE trainers (unlike the swarm of NLP trainers out there). Again, this is
probably Richard Bandler's way of keeping a level of quality to DHE, something
he lost control of with NLP.
DHE is hard to describe, and that is probably partly by design because NLP
was taught in small chunks, once people understood those chunks they often
jumped right into closure and stopped learning and stopping paying attention.
DHE is really best experienced. There are only 3 people that we know of
that ever offer DHE trainings:
John LaValle (http://www.purenlp.com)
Richard Bandler (http://www.purenlp.com or http://www.dnai.com/~1st_inst)
Rex Steven Sikes (http://www.idea-seminars.com)
If you can't attend a training, there are the following material that are
specifically about DHE:
Design Human Engineering (16 tape set edited Richard Bandler seminar,
recorded 1992)
Magical States (12 tape unedited 2 day introduction to DHE at IDEA seminars
in Milwakee Wisconsin, recorded 1994)
Introduction to DHE video with Rex Steven Sikes (approx. 1 hr. video
introducing DHE)
The following books are somewhat related to DHE:
Persuasion Engineering (Richard Bandler and John LaValle)
Time for A Change (Richard Bandler)
Also, available on the internet is some material discussing DHE. Carolyn
Sikes has written an article entitled: "What is DHE?" available at
http://www.idea-seminars.com/whatsdhe.html. Also, there is a web site
dedicated to the writings of Carmine Baffa in which he frequently mentions his
own experience with DHE (http://www.instatek.com/nlp).
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Est
Est (Erhard Seminars Training) was started by Werner Erhard and was one
of the most popular and influential self-improvement movements of the 1970's.
It's no longer taught in its original form, but a number of groups have
evolved from Est and their current teachings borrow heavily from the original
Est. The most prominent is Landmark Education which offers The Forum.
According to Charles Jackson (charlesj@eng.sun.com), a good book to read
about Est and the roots of Forum is "Outrageous Betrayal - The Dark Journey
of Werner Erhard from Est to Exile" by Steven Pressman.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
3. Landmark (The Forum)
(Editor note: The following two questions about The Forum are from an email
conversation between Loren and an alt.self-improve reader, Rex Ballard).
Q. The promises of Est are basically the same as every other self
improvement program ever devised. How does it work? Why does it
get results where others fail?
A. Transformation - the "fruit" of a "self-help" program, comes, not
from telling or talking to, but from the inquiry. Transformation
comes as the result of a conversation for fulfilling a possibility.
It is much like learning to ride a bicycle, I can tell you how to
ride a bicycle: "grab the handlebars, push off, and pedal". But it
is only in the inquiry that one actually discovers balance. Without
the experience of balance, there is no riding a bicycle. Without the
inquiry, the distinctions are just "interesting information".
From the inquiry, the participant can expect a breakthrough - the
fulfillment of possibilities that would not otherwise happen. A
major alteration in relationships, confidence, effectiveness, or
decision making that they may have been putting up with, resisting,
or trying to change for years with no significant effect.
Landmark offers free introductory seminars nearly every day at their
various centers and sites throughout the country. In these seminars,
the introduction leader will explain some of the key distinctions of the
Forum. Many people who never do the Forum still end up taking on their
lives in a new way out of going to a 3 hour introduction. About 1/3 will
register for the Forum itself which lasts 3 days and an evening, usually
Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from 9 AM to 11 PM or 1 AM (If there are a
bunch of Lawyers in the room, plan on a long night friday). By the end
of each night, you will not be tired until you want to be. Tuesday night,
you return to complete the homework. The course is actually 5 days, but
two of them are "laboratory" days. In the 3 day program, a highly trained
leader leads an inquiry in a room with 100-200 successful people who are
highly committed to having a breakthrough. The leader will describe a
distinction and then ask people to share their experience. In a room of
150+ people, there are several who want to share. As that person shares,
the Forum leader asks questions, soon the whole room is seeing how this
conversation can impact their lives. By the end of the conversation,
everyone in the room not only has an insight, but also sees an opening
for action at the first opportunity.
Q. Can you provide any details about the process that occurs at a seminar?
My understanding is that in the early days of Est, participants were not
allowed to give out details of what went on at the seminars. Is that still
the case in Landmark Education?
A. I could give you detailed descriptions of the entire Forum, but it wouldn't
really make a difference. The process is actually a series of distinctions
that create the foundation for other distinctions. The structure is such
that an inquiry that would normally take 20 years (I had been DOING the
12 steps for 10 years and was astonished by Saturday Morning) is conducted
with the intended result in 3 days. Sunday afternoon seems like a course in
advanced Zen. By Sunday night, there is what I call (personal opinion here
- not Landmark's) a spiritual awakening.
The key distinctions of Landmark based on that we have a past consisting
of what happened, and our interpretations/opinions/feelings/judgments
about what happened. For example, what happened is that the first girl I
ever dated through a cup full of soda pop in my face and 50 people laughed.
What I made it mean was that I was ugly and unattractive. The problem is
that I didn't separate the two. I now interacted with all women, for the
next 26 years as if I was Short, Fat, Bald, Cross-eyed, with Polka-dot zit
and scab covered skin. In fact, by the time I was 18, I was 6'1" tall,
155 to 180 pounds, a professional dancer, model, and actor, and going to
a school with 900 women and 5 heterosexual men (another 20 were gay). I had
men pursuing me every day. I was about as tall dark and handsome as a man
could get, but when it came to asking a woman for a date, I was ugly and
unattractive. Of course, this communicated to the women in the form of
avoiding romantic intimacy, only having arms-length friendships. I actually
became a bit disgusting, not bathing for days, not grooming, wearing big,
baggy overalls, and acting like a sex pervert (more evidence to be ugly).
I even married a woman who I was not attracted so that I wouldn't be hurt
when she discovered that I was ugly and unattractive, it took her 9 years
to finally agree with me, (she married a man 10 years younger than me,
a Tom Sellek type). In the Forum, I realized that all this woman did was
throw a glass of pop at someone who, at that time, was not well liked by
most of her friends. She may have been trying to impress them, she may have
been insulted by my being late, she may not have liked the ring I gave her
(that she asked me to give her).
This brings up the other major distinction. Psychology tells us that we are
the way we are because of our past. This was a better model than the one
that preceded it which was "Circular" (as the seasons come and go, we just
suffer through whatever comes). At Landmark, we say that we are the way we
are because of the Future we are living into. If I told you that I talked
to your boss and he was going to have to let you go, you would act and think
a certain way (looking for another job, fear, anxiety). If I just handed you
a winning lottery ticket, for which the number was announced an hour ago,
you would live very differently (what color shoes go with a black Mercedes)
even though you hadn't received a penny of the money yet.
Why it LOOKS as if we are given by the past is that we keep putting the past
into our future. Every time I would go to ask a woman to dance, every other
rejection by women would be right there with me, I eventually never got
more than two steps toward the woman I wanted. That night, I saw that I
was not a bad looking guy, and went to a dance and danced with several
women (who were astonished and pleased that I asked them to dance). One of
them told me that women thought I was stuck-up and a snob because I was so
aloof.
Which brings up a third key distinction of the Forum. Though the inquiry
may be useful, and the insights may be interesting, even exciting, there
is little value in any of that unless there is an opening for immediate
action. We have many reasons for not doing what we really want to do, but
that is not the same as doing something worthwhile. In the Forum, we look
to see what actions are worthy of taking (expressing love to another person,
parents, spouses, children...) and take appropriate actions even when it
may not be "convenient." We can call someone at 1:00 A.M. to tell them
someone died, but we can't call them to tell someone we love them,
even though this may be the first time we've said it in many years).
In the introduction seminars, guests reach the end in one of four
places. They are ready to register, they know that they never want
to do the Forum (very rarely), they have something they need to
work out (time, money, babysitters). They have something intangible:
"I just need to think about it", "I need to check this out" something
that is usually familiar, these are usually the ones who want to be more
decisive.
The time and money can be worked out, but for the maximum value out of
the Forum (the Forum begins when you register), one of the most powerful
distinctions is to register that night, not knowing how it's going to work
out, but committed to having it work out. Those are the people who not
only end up being able to say how their own lives go, but can actually
become leaders in their community and simply cause things to happen when
no one knows if it will work out.
If you were madly in love with your wife, and I threw your wedding ring
over a brick wall and told you that if you didn't give it back it would
be delivered to your wife by a beautiful blonde, you would find a way to
get over the wall to save your marriage. Most people come to the
introduction with something at stake, they want to save/revitalize a
relationship with their spouse, kids they love, parents they haven't
spoken to, bosses they hate, or jobs they dread. Everything else is just
great though.
The weird thing about the Forum is that when I did the Forum, EVERYONE
ELSE CHANGED. My boss was nicer, I was promoted and my coworkers wanted
to work for me, my girlfriend wanted me back, my ex-wife wanted to talk
to me when I came to see the kids, her husband even invited me to spend
Christmas with them. I even had more time and money to spend on things
I wanted.
What each person gets out of the Forum is different. Part of the
application to do the Forum is that you have to specify 3 things that you
want to get out of the Forum. These are things that wouldn't happen anyway,
and that you do not presently know how to do.
* Note 1: The personal change work you've just read about is not
unique to Landmark. People who are involved with other kinds of self-
improvement programs can go through the same kind of experiences.
* Note 2: Landmark is considered by some people as a cult organization.
The Cult Awareness Network offers a wealth of information on this matter
at http://www.xnet.com/~can/can.html.
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4. Life-Long Learning Association
This association is a source of self improvement products. It sends you the
product of the month (usually a 6 audio or video seminar) or you can choose an
alternate selection if the program doesn't suit your interests. You also get a
subscription to the world premiere audio magazine "Inside Edge" which covers
current trends in development, etc. and a subscription to "The Destiny Report"
newsletter. The above is sent to you monthly for U$50. The association was set
up to make LLL affordable on the monthly basis which it is required for
results. The retail of what you get is close to $100. A good portion of the
product comes from Nightingale-Conant, a company it recently merged with. See
the References and Resources section for contact information if you are
interested.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Article: 20343 of alt.self-improve
From: tom@transcore.com (Thomas Wong)
Newsgroups: alt.self-improve
Subject: alt.self-improve FAQ (part 3)
Date: Sun, 16 Mar 1997 22:27:06 GMT
Organization: NetGate Communications
Archive-name: self-impr-faq/part3
5. Lifespring
(From jmd@bear.com, Josh Glazenburg-Diamond)
"I am a graduate of the entire Lifespring program--I took the trainings back
in 1990, and found them to be incredibly valuable.I work as an investment
analyst at a major bank in New York City.
I came into the Lifespring trainings looking for breakthroughs in my career
and in personal relationships (esp. with women), and all I can say is that
since then I have more than tripled my income, and gotten married to a truly
wonderful and beautiful woman (amongst other things). We just bought a co-op,
and will be having our first child next year. My wife has also done the
trainings, as have several of my friends and co-workers.
Lifespring, EST, and a few other such trainings all have a common lineage.
The basis was a research program at Stanford University back in the early 70's.
This spawned an organization called Mind Dynamics, which later split up into
Lifespring, EST, and the others. EST eventually mutated into Warner-Earhardt
and then Landmark Education--with a program now called The Forum. Lifespring
kept its name, but has undergone continuous modernization as new techniques
in personal growth have emerged. There are now Basic and Advanced trainings,
as well as several other workshops and programs.
The Lifespring trainings are an opportunity to uncover and redesign the
underlying assumptions out of which you live your life such that you
experience a profound shift in your ability to relate to yourself and others,
empowering you to fully engage your heartfelt commitments with freedom and
passion.
Participants often invite friends to a guest event--a free evening designed
to allow you to learn about what the training is and how it can support you.
It provides a small preview of the training experience. At the end of the
evening you are given an opportunity to enroll in the training. At the moment
I believe that the tuition in New York City $495, with a 100% money back
guarantee. It may be lower elsewhere (it was when I took the trainings).
I would say that it is worth attending. You can leave at any time, and
there is no obligation to pay if you just attend the guest event.
Oh, BTW, people who enroll their friends in the trainings do not get any
rewards for it (no tupperware or toaster-ovens). Mostly people bring guests
to these evenings because they see some breakthrough possible for them--not
like something is broken, but like a higher possibility exists--maybe
something that had not been thought of before. Often our friends see things
that we do not. Your friend probably sees some possibility for you in the
training, and that is why they have invited you. I say take the chance and
go for it."
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6. Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP)
(From stever@mit.edu, Stever):
NLP was developed in the mid-70s by John Grinder, a professor at U.C. Santa
Cruz and Richard Bandler, a graduate student.
Neuro-Linguistic Programming, as most people use the term, is a set of
models of how communication impacts and is impacted by subjective experience.
It's more a collection of tools than any overarching theory. NLP is heavily
pragmatic: if a tool works, it's included in the model, even if there's no
theory to back it up. None of the current NLP developers have done research
to "prove" their models correct. The party line is "pretend it works, try it,
and notice the results you get. If you don't get the result you want, try
something else."
Much of early NLP was based on the work of Virginia Satir, a family therapist;
Fritz Perls, founder of Gestalt therapy; Gregory Bateson, anthropologist; and
Milton Erickson, hypnotist. It was Erickson's work that formed the foundation
for a lot of NLP, thus the tight connection with hypnosis. Bandler and
Grinder's book "Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson,
Volume I" is one of the best books I've ever read on how language influences
mental states.
NLP consists of a number of models, and then techniques based on those models.
The major models usually associated with NLP are: (a) Sensory acuity and
physiology: thinking is tied closely to physiology. People's thought processes
change their physiological state. Sufficiently sensitive sensory acuity will
help communicators fine-tune their communication to a person in ways over
and above mere linguistics.
(b) The "meta-model." A set of linguistic challenges for uncovering the
"deep structure" underneath someone's "surface structure" sentences.
[Sorry for the transformational grammar lingo.]
(c) Representational systems. These actually appeared in Erickson's work and
the work of others, though Bandler and Grinder took them much further.
Different people seem to represent knowledge in different sensory modalities.
Their language reveals their representation. Often, communication difficulties
are little more than two people speaking in incompatible representation
systems.
For example, the "same" sentence might be expressed differently by different
people: Auditory - "I really hear what you're saying." Visual - "I see what
you mean." Kinesthetic - "I've got a handle on that."
(d) The "Milton-model." This is a set of linguistic patterns Milton Erickson
used to induce trance and other states in people. It is the inverse of the
meta-model; it teaches you how to be artfully vague, which is what you use
to do therapeutic hypnosis with someone.
(e) Eye accessing cues. When people access different representational systems,
their eyes move in certain ways. Lots of research has been done on accessing
cues. Most of it has "proven" they don't exist. My thesis was on accessing
cues and concluded the same thing. My real conclusion was that a person is
too complex a black box to test this effectively. Also, eyes move in ways that
are NOT related to information accessing. While I can visually tell the
difference between an "accessing cue" and a non-accessing movement, I can't
quantify the difference enough to base research on it.
(f) Submodalities. The STRUCTURE of internal representations determines your
response to the content. For example, picture someone you really like. Make
the colors more intense, as if you were turning up the color knob on a TV. Now
turn the color down, until it's black and white. For most people, high color
intensifies the feeling, and B&W neutralizes it. The degree of color, part of&127;
the STRUCTURE of the representation, affects the intensity of your feelings
about the content.
(g) Metaprograms. These are aspects about how people process information and
make decisions. For example, some people are motivated TOWARDS GOALS, while
others are motivated AWAY FROM non-goals. TOWARDS or AWAY-FROM tells how they
respond to their world; which one a person prefers in a given context will
dramatically change how the person behaves.
NLP has several techniques for diagnosing and intervening in certain
situations. They have a phobia cure, a way to de-traumatize past traumas,
ways to identify and integrate conflicting belief systems that keep you from
doing the things you want, etc.
I first read about NLP in 1978, and thought it sounded great, but couldn't
possibly work. The founders made lots of claims about one-session cures,
which seemed implausible. [Fourteen years later, I still think they
overexaggerate at times, but I *have* seen two or three session results
that rival traditional therapists' results over months.]
In 1984 I took an introductory workshop and discovered, much to my surprise,
that it worked well. After messing someone up to the point where he almost
needed hospitalization, I decided to be trained in it fully, so as not to
repeat the mistake.
I find it works scarily well. So well that even someone with poor training
in it can do a lot of damage. There was no quality control in the field, and
a lot of people go around teaching NLP who know very little about it.
Performing NLP techniques is a skill. Probably only one in ten NLP
Practitioners are in the top 10% of NLP skill level, and maybe even fewer
than that (:-).
ONE WAY an NLP therapist might approach a client session is by understanding
the cognitive structure of how a client creates a problem. They then help
figure out the cognitive structure of an area of life where the client deals
satisfactorily. Then they would teach the client to use the good strategy in
the problem situation.
For example: a friend of mine was obsessed with her ex-boyfriend. She was in
such fear of him that she would fly into hysterics at the thought of him.
Cognitively, she made a big, bright movie of him physically harassing her,
with a soundtrack of him whining and lecturing her. The soundtrack seemed to
come from around her left ear, and was in the boyfriend's voice.
She had another ex-boyfriend who she was fine about. Cognitively, his picture
was small, framed, and in the distance. The soundtrack was her voice talking
about how nice he had been, and how the relationship was firmly in the past.
The work I did with her involved representing the problem boyfriend with a
small, framed picture. We removed the soundtrack of his voice, and added her
narration, instead. The result: she stopped obsessing about her ex, and went
on with her life, able to deal with him.
Some people have run into NLP-trained people (including Tony Robbin's) who
annoyingly mimic body posture to distraction, in an attempt to gain "rapport."
They were poorly trained. Go out in public; watch couples; watch good friends.
They walk in synchronization. They move in synchronization. They NATURALLY
mirror each other's movements. NLP just noticed this, and says "if you don't
have rapport, here's one thing to pay attention to."
A common question is "Does knowing what's being done make it less effective?"
I've found that knowing what someone is doing lets me barricade against certain
things, but there are definite cases where knowledge is not sufficient to keep
it from working. I was once in a group dynamics experiment where an outsider
watched our group and pointed out to us how we kept getting stuck, because of
certain behavioral loops we were in. EVEN WITH THIS KNOWLEDGE, we were unable
to break the loops without incredible effort. And then our efforts to break the
loops fell into the
same loops. Certain aspects
of NLP are like this: if someone is matching your representational systems and
doing it well, even if you are aware of it, they'll still communicate better
to you, as long as they're not incongruent about it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
madnix!zaphod@nicmad.nicolet.com (Ron Bean)
NLP began by studying therapists who were highly effective,
and observing what they actually did, as opposed to what they
said they were doing--often they did things they weren't
consciously aware of, or couldn't explain adequately. For lack of
any other explanation, it appeared to be "magic".
The major discovery seems to have been that people don't all
think the same way. Many therapists find a technique that works
for several of their patients and try to generalize it to
everyone, and then wonder why some patients are "resistant".
NLP says the patient is not resistant, the therapist is! If it's
not working, try something else.
NLP practitioners start by asking the person a lot of
questions about how their particular thought processes work
(the "submodalities"), and also observing their non-verbal
responses. Then they can suggest specific changes in the person's
thinking that will have the desired effect.
This is very much like a post-hypnotic suggestion, except that
the person is not hypnotized (in the usual sense). It seems to
me that a hypnotist prepares a person's mind to accept a suggestion,
while NLP prepares the suggestion to fit the person's mind.
The other thing that impressed me is that they never assume
they know everything that's going on inside someone's head. When
someone seems to be 'cured', they have the person project
themselves into the future and ask "does any part of you object
to the change?" There may be a "secondary gain" in certain
situations that the initial "cure" didn't address. If there's an
objection, they can deal with it right away, rather than waiting
for the person to "fail" and fall back into the unwanted behavior
(they call this an "ecology check"). Bandler's early training
as a mathematician shows through in his precise use of language,
and his insistance on checking his work.
NLP Practitioners also use other techniques that are borrowed
from various types of therapy, but they are not unique to NLP.
Recommended books:
-1- "Using Your Brain--for a CHANGE" by Richard Bandler.
-2- "Frogs into Princes" by Richard Bandler and John Grinder.
-3- "Patterns of the Hypnotic Techniques of Milton H. Erickson," I & II, by
Richard Bandler and John Grinder.
-4- "TRANCE-formations" by Grinder and Bandler.
-5- "An Introduction to Neuro-Linguistic Programming" by Joseph O'Connor.
-6- "NLP: The New Technology of Achievement" by NLP Comprehensive Training Team.
-7- "Heart of the Mind" by Connirae & Steve Andreas.
-8- "Core Transformation" by Connirae and Tamera Andreas.
-9- "Unlimited Power" by Anthony Robbins.
10- "Beliefs" by Robert Dilts.
11- "Persuasion Engineering" by Richard Bandler and John La Valle.
12- "Time For A Change" by Richard Bandler
For more information, read the alt.psychology.nlp newsgroup.
The largest NLP training organization seems to be Advanced Neuro
Dynamics (AND) run by Tad James. They offer trainings in
NLP, Hypnosis, Time Line Therapy, and Huna; their World Wide Web site has
some very good introductory material on NLP, hypnosis. IDEA Seminars
(http://www.idea-seminars.com) is another training organization run by Rex and
Carolyn Sikes. They perform NLP, DHE, and other trainings. Rex is one of the
first people certified as a DHE trainer and Rex and Carolyn are the creators
of the excellent "Attitude Activator" tape. The NLP and DHE page
(http://www.nlp.com/nlp) run by Stever Robbins also has some excellent
information including pointers to nearly all NLP related sites on the web and
a listing of all the major training organizations.
(Editors note -Loren-: A note on NLP trainers, the range of quality between
trainers is awesome. I recommend checking out a wide range of trainers
before making a decision, and be wary of those trainers who haven't taken
recent trainings because NLP is always changing. Also I recommend challenging
your trainer, ask very hard questions, you might even consider being rude,
and see how the trainer handles your challenge. If a prospective trainer
isn't able to respond resourcefully to your challenge, consider going
elsewhere. From personal experience I can highly recommend Carmine
Baffa (http://www.instatek.com/nlp) who teaches more in one day than most
other trainers I've seen teach in...well ever. Carolyn Sikes has written a
great guide to researching NLP trainings at
http://www.idea-seminars.com/research.html)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
7. The People's Network
The following is an article (advertisement) submitted by Paul Boudreau
(email: boudreau@niia.net, phone: 800-261-8044) that describes
the purpose and vision of TPN.
The Company
The Peoples Network is a youthful, privately owned, debt free, over five
year brain child of Jeff Olson and Eric Worre (NSA, Quorum, Texas
Instruments, etc.). The company pre-launch was September 1994 and
satellite program began airing February 1995. The official launch was on
20 July in Dallas TX at TPN's first international conference at Reunion
Arena. The Peoples Network (TPN) was heralded by John Milton Fogg on AOL,
as well as, by Scott DeGarmo of Entrepreneur Magazine. TPN is based, and
programming is broadcast from the Dallas Communication Center, in Dallas,
TX. This is third largest film production studio in the United Sates and
is the birthplace of JFK (Stone), Leap of Faith, Robot Cop II, and more.
The Products
TPN's original product is nearly 200+ hours per month of satellite
programming focused on self-education and personal/professional
development. The company has already attracted over 50 of the top minds
and coaches in every area of life mastery (business and finance,
motivation and inspiration, family and relationships, communications and
sales, health and wellness, fitness and effectiveness, etc.).
Industry leaders including Jim Rohn, Les Brown, Brian Tracy, Bruce Jenner,
Keith Klein, Denies Austin, Michael Gerber, Paul Pilzer, Mark Hansen, etc.
have all aligned themselves with the vision of TPN. In addition to these
top minds in several personal development fields via satellite, TPN
involves its end consumers and representatives with these giants through
the sales and promotions of live training and seminar events! TPN is a
company with a long-term perspective.
TPN's Peoples Direct distribution alliance includes a direct sales arm of
Simon & Schuster Books (Books Plus - expected soon), Music Direct with
Jimmy Bowen of Capital and Liberty Records, The People's Nutrition and
Personal Care, hundreds of faculty products with TPN's Faculty Direct
(CD-ROM software to training audios, to motivation videos, and print
material). A New York based magazine with commisionable subscriptions and
passive sales is expected soon.
TPN's nutritional products are designed to provide people with the
complete, balanced nutrition that is missing in their diet. The
foundation of the system (Phase4+) is actually manufactured by a
pharmaceutical company with the expertise of nutritionists, herbalists,
enzymologists, and other health professionals. This product has many of
the "sizzle" items such at 3 kinds of Pycnogenol, OptiZinc, ChromeMate,
and Super Protein. Other nutrition products include Keith Klein's
Opti*Meal replacement drinks designed for men and women. "Super Green"
foods in Smoothie drink mixes (Sport, Smart, Energy, and Immune
Smoothies), Inter-Cleanse (colon cleanser), Di-Gest (digestive enzymes),
and Re-Shape (a whole food diet system). TPN's Peoples Nutrition has been
the perfect addition to meeting the goal of "Supporting the Never Ending
Quest for the Best Within You."
This is a sample of just one of the product divisions in TPN. TPN
currently has over 300 products; however, this is just the beginning in
matching the goal to be the largest distributor of products, goods, and
services that maintain the values of personal development.
The Support
TPN has turned training into a profit center. TPN's training division
combines every aspect of training: personal training, home study, group
training, audio & video training, live events and seminars all to provide
an on-going, high performance training program at a distributors personal
pace. The Executive Training Program ($295 wholesale) includes three
video tapes, 14 audio tapes, a training transcript and work book, and a
"business building tool box."
Perhaps the most significant support tool (outside the large array of
four-color brochures, prospecting video & audio cassettes, etc.) is the
satellite itself. TPN has leveraged this device for informing the field
affiliates with weekly corporate communications and weekly satellite
business opportunity briefings. Frequent training is aired on a separate
channel in addition to the training by being a product of the product
ensures.
Most of the training and support tools have bonus volume and comissionable
aspects. This is truly a system where you can earn while you learn.
Compensation
Distributors initially earn a retail profit of 15-33% depending on the
items and division. Bonus volume is not less than 70%. Quick start cash
bonuses of up to $2000 are paid for entering the leadership position (a
matrix-like organization of 12 people - 3 with 3). $1000 training bonuses
are paid for helping others enter leadership. Finally, 5-10% commission
are paid on up to 7 generations of leadership.
There are no group volume requirements. Positions are based on
structure/volume. Positions cannot be lost and there are no break aways.
There are no sales quotas and $50 in personal sales volume qualifies a
distributor for bonuses in each division.
TPN is a product-driven company. TPN has taken something that has always
been a secondary product (frequently not a profit center) in MLM --
training and personal development and allowed it to become the primary
product. TPN further, in the spirit of successful internal consumption /
product driven companies, has introduced nutritional, personal car, and other
products to the marketplace that just make sense for our distributors and
customers.
Costs/Benefits Analysis
The new Executive 2000 program has an initial start-up cost of near
$1,000. This is a true representation of the total costs, distributor
fees, product, tax, and shipping. Participation in E-2000 is not
required; however, it makes the most sense. There is a $1,000 incentive
package with audio tapes, Regional and International Conference tickets,
and MasterMind Leadership Event tickets for the new distributor. Further,
this method qualifies you automatically for the maximum bonuses and
commissions in every division each and every month in a convenient and
efficient way. I was so impressed with the E-2000 program I converted
from my original involvement the day I saw the program.
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8. Scientology/Dianetics
The Church of Scientology (originally called Dianetics) was founded by L.
Ron Hubbard. The probable goal of someone in CoS is to become a "clear".
A "clear" is someone who is free of all "engrams". An engram is a trace
left by a traumatic experience that limits your happiness. The major book
on CoS is called "Dianetics" by L. Ron Hubbard. For more information about
Dianetics and CoS, check out a separate newsgroup called,
alt.religion.scientology. It should also be mentioned as a word of caution
that many consider Scientology to be a cult and that a number of ex-members
report the Church using intimidation and control tactics while they were
members and after they left the Church.
There is a Scientology Orientation Seminar which you can sign up for at your
local Church of Scientology (cost $15.00). You can also call 1-800-334-LIFE
for more information.
There are two Web pages specifically for critics of Scientology in the UK:
-1- Martin Poulter, http://mail.bris.ac.uk/~plmlp/scum.html
-2- Steve A, http://www.demon.co.uk/castle/scientology.html
For information on the darker side of Scientology see the following Web pages.
-1- http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/rnewman/scientology/home.html
-2- http://www.cybercom.net/~rnewman/scientology/home.html
-3- Electronic Frontier Foundation,
http://www.eff.org/pub/EFF/Legal/Cases/CoS_v_the_Net/
-4- Skeptic Magazine, http://www.skeptic.com/03.3.jl-jj-scientology.html
For general information on Scientology:
-1- Dave Touretzky http://www.cs.cmu.edu/~dst/Fishman/
-2- FACTNet http://www.lightlink.com/factnet1/
-3- FACTNet archives http://www.xs4all.nl/~fonss/
-4- Bob "Sloth" Bingham http://www.sky.net/~sloth/sci/sci_index.html
-5- Tilman Hausherr http://www.snafu.de/~tilman
-6- Modemac http://www.tiac.net/users/modemac/cos.html
-7- David Dennis http://amazing.cinenet.net/scientology.html
-8- Daniel Tobias http://www.webcom.com/~dtobias/sosueme.html
-9- Jerod Pore http://www.well.com/user/jerod23/clam.html
Misc Infomation:
-1- http://www.tiac.net/users/modemac/atack.html, "The Total Freedom Trap:
Scientology, Dianetics, and L.Ron Hubbard" by Jon Atack History of the CoS
and its founder; Origins and evolution of doctrine and practice;
Organizational structure of CoS and subsidiaries.
-2- http://www.cybercom.net/~rnewman/scientology/media/time-5.6.91,
"Thriving Cult of Greed and Power" Time Magazine cover article, May 6, 1991.
-3- http://www.demon.co.uk/castle/xenu/, "The Road To Xenu" by Margery
Wakefield. First-person accounts of security checks, bullbaiting, living
conditions of Sea Org children, the OT3 "wall of fire", being put in an Ethics
condition, the RPF, having to disconnect from her father.
-4- http://www.demon.co.uk/castle/penny.html, "Social Control Within
Scientology" by FACTnet director Bob Penny. Ever wonder how people get trapped
by a cult like Scientology? A companion to Wakefield's "Road to Xenu", this
book by an ex-Scientologist explains the mechanisms, explicit and subtle,
by which Scientology subverts the independence of its members.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
C/ Popular People and Media
1. Richard Bandler & John Grinder
Richard Bandler along with John Grinder, are the co-founders of Neuro-
linguistic Programming (NLP). Richard is the creative driving force behind
the development of NLP and the new field called Design Human Engineering
(DHE) which has evolved from NLP. In 1988 Richard was arrested for murdering
a dominatrix and was later acquitted. He is currently teaching advanced NLP
and hypnosis trainings.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
2. Stephen Covey (7 Habits of Highly Effective People, etc.)
Stephen Covey is the author of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People"
which has been on the New York Times Bestseller list for the past several
years. The subtitle of 7 Habits is "Restoring the Character Ethic". This sums
up how Covey's work is different from many other approaches. While at Harvard
doing his MBA he researched a large portion of the self improvement literature
going back as far as the 18th century. What he noticed was that early on the
work focused on character traits and principles and that long term success
depended upon this. Early this century, the focus shifted to what he calls
the "personality ethic" which became the dominant theme in success literature.
In the personality ethic, success is viewed as a function of personality,
public image, attitude, skills, and techniques. If you learned the right
techniques and could impress the right people and you would be successful.
Much of Covey's work is focused on restoring the character ethic as the
principle focus, skills and techniques can only be successful in the long
term if they are built upon a strong character ethic.
Covey received his PhD from Brigham Young University where he spent many years
as a professor in the School of Management. He is also the founder of the
Covey Leadership Center and the nonprofit Institute for Principle-Centered
Leadership. Stephen and his center are widely sought by major corporations
as speakers and consultants. In addition to his 7 Habits he has authored,
"How to Succeed with People", "Principle-Centered Leadership", "First Things
First". In addition to his business writing Covey is also very popular among
members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for writing books
dealing with religious and spiritual topics. Some of these books are,
"Spiritual Roots of Human Relations", "The Divine Center", and "Marriage and
Family Insights".
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3. Anthony Robbins
(Editor Loren's Note: The following comments on Tony Robbins are based on
personal recollections of past discussion in the group and personal
experiences, additional contributions are as always more than welcome).
Anthony Robbins is one of the most prolific self-improvement personalities
currently around. He is probably best known for his infomercials pitching
his 24 cassette self improvement program called "Personal Power". He is the
author of two bestselling books, "Unlimited Power" and "Awaken the Giant
Within". He started his public speaking career giving seminars with Harvey
and Marilyn Diamond on physical health. Soon they parted company and Tony
began offering seminars on a fairly new subject called Neuro-linguistic
Programming. After a very short training, he began to aggressively promote
himself at the "foremost NLP practitioner in the world".
For a short time he was a business partner with John Grinder who helped invent
NLP. He began going on television shows like Sally Jesse Raphael and cure
people of serious phobias right there on the spot. Soon he was asked to write
a book and put together a series of tapes based on the live seminars he was
giving all around the United States. His infomercial soon followed, which made
him very famous. Tony is now involved in running at least 8 companies from
financial planning to a Fijiian resort to his self-improvement seminar
company. In recent years his schedule has reduced the number of live seminars
he does around the country, but he still does an average of 5-6 seminars a
month.
Tony's programs vary tremendously and have a large scope. His material varies
from changing your values and beliefs to managing your emotional states.
One simple technique he teaches is called "Morning/Evening Questions".
The idea is that when you wake up in the morning, you ask yourself questions
that will put you into a peak state and focus you on the positive, exciting,
truly motivating aspects of your life. For example you might ask, "What am I
really excited about in my life?" or "What am I really grateful for in my
life?" or "What could I accomplish today that would really make life better
for myself and those around me?" Tony's philosophies focus on contribution
and creating value for others as an integral part of creating success for
yourself. If you create more value for those around you than anyone else and
do it with a sense of fun and enjoyment, how can you fail to be happy and
successful?
Does the Personal Power tape program (as seen on TV) really work? As anyone
who reads alt.self-improve for very long, you will find that there are many,
many Tony Robbins enthusiasts in the group. This question is one of the most
frequently asked. In general when this question is raised, a wide variety of
answers are naturally given ranging from "Personal Power totally turned my
life around" to "It's a good program and I got a lot out of it" to "it didn't
help me very much." I've heard very few really negative responses. The program
is fairly costly: ~$179. Success in this like anything depends very much
on one's commitment to follow through and apply what you learn.
Is attending a live seminar worth the money? Attending one of Tony Robbins
live seminars, as almost any who has been will tell you, is a fairly amazing
experience. Tony is a vibrant, energetic, and very entertaining speaker.
His shortest seminar lasts on the order of 10-12 hours (Strategic Influence,
cost ~$179) to the 9-Day Mastery Program (cost, ~$5000). His seminars are very
high energy and there can be anywhere from 250 - 3000 people attending a single
seminar. In spite of the large attendance Tony seems to make the seminars very
personal and interactive. Not everyone who goes feel that it changed their life
or that it was an amazing experience (especially those who shell out $,5000).
General comments are usually very positive and I seriously doubt that Tony
has lectured to any non-capacity crowds in the past few years. I have heard
several people say that the Mastery program was not worth $5000. Most people
seem to feel that seminars such as "Unlimited Power Weekend" and "Strategic
Influence" are fun experiences if not wonderful investments.
Tony's popular Personal Power tapes was updated as Personal Power II in 1996.
However, according several users of this group, most of the contents were the
same as the first version. Some said there was a 5% change.
For information on how to contact Tony Robbins' company see References and
Resources.
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4. Marshall Sylver
Marshall Sylver is the creator of the self-improvement kit "Passion,
Profit & Power". It was rolled out in June of 1994. Both the Jordan
Whitney and IMS reports (The main companies that track Infomercials
and their success) listed Mr. Sylvers product as the #1 Infomercial
for many weeks in 1994, and was in the top 20 for 1995. After the
release of the infomercial, Publishers Simon & Schuster approached
Mr. Sylver to write a book along the same lines as the product. It
was released in 1995, with paperback released in 1996.
What is the general opinion of Marshall Sylver's Program "Power, Passion,
Profit"? Nearly all the comments recently have been quite negative about
this program, but the number of people who have actually listened and those
that have only seen the infomercial is hard to determine. Here are some
assorted comments from people who HAVE listened to the tapes:
-1- Joe Slattery pp000586@interramp.com writes:
His tapes sound like you're listening to "Eight hours of cliches on how to
get off your butt." His examples reduce his discussion to incorporate the rare
ten-year old who wants Passion, Profit and Power."
His section on "Passion", although he says his comments apply to all
relationships, really apply 75-80% to troubled love lives. If you've listened
to Tony Robbins as much as I have, you can't help but
notice the virtual quotes. (Like "the quality of your life is the quality of
your communication", even though that isn't Tony's quote either.)
What I did like--he dares to discuss the possibility that being a nice guy
is part of life long success in all areas of life.
-2- ajop@aol.com (Ajop) writes:
Yes there are some universal truths that Mr. Sylver covers that others do.
Why? because they are true and need to be said. Heck, a lot of Tony's book is
based on Bandler and Grinder, which is based on Erickson. Take all the good
things of the world and time transform them into an understandable straight
to the point program that gets to the subconscious of people's minds and
creates the change people want, and you have Passion, Profit & Power.
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D/ Reference and Resources
1. Resource List
The following listing of information has not been fully verified.
Please advise the editors if you know of any mistakes or updates.
Accelerated Learning Association
50 Aylesbury Road
Aston Clinton, Aylesbury
Bucks, England
Director: Colin Rose
Advanced Neurodynamics (Tad James) 1-800-800-MIND (6463) [Orders]
1-808-941-2021 [Information]
email: mind@hypnosis.com
Australian Institute of NLP
P.O. Box 1
University of Queensland
St. Lucia, QLD 406707 369 2821
Buzan Centre (USA)(407) 881-0188
Buzan Centre (UK)(0202) 534572
Church of Scientology, 1-800-334-LIFE
CoCo Systems Ltd., (UK) 0494 434464 (from the UK) +44 494 434464 (from
elsewhere)
Est, 1-415-882-6300 (San Francisco), 1-408-522-9600 (Sacramento)
Evelyn Wood Reading Dynamics, 1-800-447-READ, Fax: 939-1680
Franklin Quest, 1-800-654-1776, 1-800-977-1776
Guthy-Renker, 1-800-274-4910
IDEA Seminars (Rex Sikes), 1-414-335-9700, 1-800-739-7453, (414) 355-4777 (FAX)
Jim Rohn International, 1-800-929-0434
Landmark Education, 1-415-882-6300, 1-916-648-1060, 1-408-522-9600
Learning Strategies Corporation (Photo-reading) 1-800-735-8273
Life Long Learning Association, 1-519-725-2152
Marshall Sylver, 1-800-92-POWER
NLP Books Etc. 1-800-783-1184 (Colorado)
NLP Comprehensive, 1-800-233-1657
NLP Meta Publications, 1-415-464-0254, Fax: 664-8044
New Jersey NLP Institute, 1-800-35-NLPNJ, 1-201-770-1084
New York Training Institute for NLP, 1-212-473-2852
New York Milton H. Erickson Society, 1-212-628-0287, 505-6141 (Mailing list)
Nightingale-Conant, 1-800-323-5552
Option Institute, 1-413-229-2100
People's Network, The, 1-800-799-2713, 004-422-2122 x590 (FAX)
Robbins Research International (US), 1-800-445-8183
Robbins Research International (UK), 0044 71 376 0808
Seminar Software, 1-214-361-4227
Theta Technologies, 1-800-395-9148 (order), 1-206-222-6962 (customer service)
Timeworks, 1-708-558-1300, 1-800-323-7744 (order)
* Internet Web Sites
Advanced Neuro Dynamics Web Page (Tad James), http://www.hypnosis.com
American Society of Training and Development, http://www.astd.org
Big Dreams (hypertext personal/business success newsletter),
http://www.wimsey.com/~duncans/
Cooper, Dr. Morton, http://www.voice-doctor.com
Covey Leadership Center, http://www2.pcy.mci.net/marketplace/covey/
http://www.ozemail.com.au/~covey/
Creativity Web Page, http://www.ozemail.com.au/~caveman/Creative/
Forum Graduate Association, http://lute.qnet.com/~fgainc
Huna, http://www.hypnosis.com/nlp/hunach1.htm
Hypnosis Information, http://www.hypnosis.com/
IDHEA seminars, http://www.idea-seminars.com
Institute of HeartMath, http://www.webcom.com/~hrtmath
Leading Edge Communications,
http://www.cadivision.com/Home_Pages/accounts/leadedge/home.html
Marketing for Success & TPN, http://infoweb.magi.com/~jbsmith/
Mind Gear, http://www.netcreations.com/mindgear/
Mind Media, http://www.mindmedia.com/
Mind Tools, http://www.gasou.edu/psychweb/mtsite/index.html
NLP and DHE, http://www.nlp.com/nlp
NLP Seminars Group, http://www.purenlp.com
Option Institue, The (Happiness is a Choice), http://www.option.org
Psychology Self-Help Resources, http://www.gasou.edu/psychweb/resource/selfhelp.htm
Richard Bandler, The First Institute of NLP and DHE,
http://www.dnai.com/~1st_isnt/
Stanford University News & Information Services, http://www.reference.com
SelfGrowth Homepage, http://www.selfgrowth.com
Stellar Business, http://corp.tig.com/stellar/global/index.html
SuccessQuest (Magazine for Entrepreneurs), free, email to "MAALLEN@DELPHI.COM"
Self Esteem Mailing list, self-esteem-self-help@netcom.com.
The People Network, http://www.ns.net/~sjmoore/tpn.html
Time-Line Therapy, http://www.hypnosis.com/nlp/tltbop.htm
Tony Robbins (free book info), http://www.cvt.co.uk/success/jim.html
Thought of the Day Mailing List, galvin@tam2000.tamu.edu
Trance-Action Consultants, http://www.trance-action.com
TranceNeet, http://www.trancenet.com
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2. Software Packages
(1) (From a reader)
"One of the best selling software packages of all time was Mind Prober, by
Human Edge Software. I was quite surprised not to see it mentioned in your
list of self-improvement aids. Human Edge is now out of business, but there
are a few amazing software packages currently out there that cover each of
the areas you have mentioned: learning and intelligence, motivation, and sales
and negotiation.
The best of these are grounded heavily in strongly validated research in social
and behavioral science. I know that Neuralytic Systems of Redwood City has put
out a brain-builder called IQ smarts that assesses one's strengths in areas of
Analytical (Abstract/Symbolic), Creative (Lateral/Associative), and Practical
(Problem Solving/Memory) Intelligence. It then selects a series of exercises
that bring stronger areas to bear on weaker ones.
I believe that Human Edge had also put out products called Negotiation Advisor,
Sales Advisor, and Motivation Advisor. Whoever bought them out may still own
the rights to these packages. Those products generate a frightfully accurate
assessment of the personalities of both individuals involved in a negotiation
and generate a report with incredibly specific strategies for dealing with the
other person.
I have all of these on my shelves. Being interactive and adaptive, I have found
software to be much more effective than broad global strategies. Software can
provide very individualized solutions that a book or a set of tapes can not.
(2) (From roberts108@aol.com, RobertS108)
Dr. Delgado has released a 3 hour audio CD covering many of his health
strategies (Tony Robbins quotes from Delgado extensively in his Living
Health audio program). The CD covers: exercise, nutrition, life extension,
and disease elimination. This is available from Seminar Software.
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3. Reader Ratings of Books/Audiotapes/Seminars
The question frequently comes up about "What do people think of product X?"
This appendix will try to create a fast way of viewing the general opinion.
Obviously no product can be summarized with a single number and hopefully this
won't discourage questions and discussion, just provide a more concise way of
capturing the general view. You can vote for a book, audiotape, seminar that
you have experience with by sending me a list with your vote. The easiest way
is to just cut out the list below and put your vote out to the side. If you
are posting a book review, including a rating on a scale of 1-10 and they'be
added to this list automatically.
Books Average/Voters
----- --------------
As a Man Thinketh (Allen) 9.25/2
Three Magic Words (Anderson) 4.0/1
Frogs into Princes (Bandler, Grinder) 9.5/1
Persuasion Engineering (Bandler, LaValle) 8.5/1
Structure of Magic (vol. 1) (Bandler, Grinder) 8.75/2
Structure of Magic (vol. 2) (Bandler, Grinder) 4.0/1
Time for A Change (Bandler) 9.5/1
Trance-Formations (Bandler, Grinder) 10.0/1
Use Your Brain For a Change (Bandler, Grinder) 9.0/1
The Magic of Rapport (Michael Brooks) 8.5/1
Procrastination (Burka, Yuen) 5.0/1
Genius (Buzan) 5.5/1
Make The Most of Your Mind (Buzan) 7.25/2
Speed Reading (Buzan) 6.25/2
Use Both Sides of Your Brain (Buzan) 6.5/1
Use Your Perfect Memory (Buzan) 7.0/1
The Artist's Way (Cameron and Bryan) 10.0/1
How to Win Friends and Influence People (Carnegie) 6.8/7
Wealthy Barber, The (Chilton)
Creating Affluence (Chopra) 9.5/1
Perfect Health (Chopra) 6.0/2
Quantum Healing (Chopra) 7.5/2
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Cialdini) 10.0/1
Richest Man in Babylon (Clason) 9.0/1
You Can Negotiate Anything (Cohen)
First Things First (Covey, Merill, Merill) 9.47/3
7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Covey) 8.57/7
Principle Centered Leadership (Covey) 7.5/1
DeBono's Thinking Course (de Bono) 9.5/1
I Am Right You are Wrong (de Bono) 7.5/1
Lateral Thinking (deBono) 7.83/3
Use of Lateral Thinking (deBono) 7.0/1
Fit for Life (Diamond, Diamond) 6.75/2
Fit for Life II: Living Health (Diamond, Diamond) 6.75/2
Strategies of Genius vol. 1 (Dilts) 7.0/1
Strategies of Genius vol. 2 (Dilts) 8.0/1
Strategies of Genius vol. 3 (Dilts) 8.5/1
Your Money or Your Life (Dominguez and Robin) 8.0/2
Gifts From Eykis (Dyer)
No More Holiday Blues (Dyer)
Pulling Your Own Strings (Dyer) 6.0/1
Real Magic (Dyer)
Sky's The Limit (Dyer)
Your Erroneous Zones (Dyer) 6.0/2
You'll See It When You Believe It (Dyer) 6.0/1
Overcoming Procrastination (Ellis)
The Evelyn Wood 7 Day Speed Reading and Learning Program (Frank)
Man's Search For Meaning (Frankl) 8.33/4
Creative Visualization (Gawain) 6.5/2
Financial Self Defense (Givens)
Super Self: Doubling Your Personal Effectivenss (Givens) 10.0/1
Wealth Without Risk (Givens) 7.0/1
How to Audition for Film and TV (Renee Harmon) 8.0/1
You Can Heal Your Life (Hay) 5.0/1
Choices (Helmstetter) 8.5/1
Master Keys to Riches (N. Hill) 9.5/1
Think and Grow Rich (N. Hill) 8.2/6
Time Power (Hobbs)
Dianetics (Hubbard) 4.0/3
Mega Brain (Michael Hutchinson) 6.0/1
Mega Brain Power (Michael Hutchinson) 8.0/1
The Lost Secrets of Ancient Hawaiian Huna (Tad James)
Secret of Creating Your Future (Tad James) 4.0/1
Time Line Therapy and the Basis of Personality (Tad James)
Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway (Jeffers) 8.5/1
Survival: A Manual on Manipulating (William Jones) 8.0/1
Happiness is a Choice (Barry Neil Kaufman) 10.0/2
To Love is to Be Happy With (Barry Neil Kaufman) 10.0/2
Breakthrough Rapid Reading (Kump)
How to Take Control of Your Time and Your Life (Lakein) 8.75/2
Profiles of Genuis (Jean Landrum)
Mastery (Leonard) 8.0/1
Thinking Better (Lewis, Greene)
Psycho-Cybernetics (Maltz) 7.88/4
Greatest Salesman in the World (Mandino) 6.33/4
Greatest Reaches of Human Nature (Maslow) 9.0/1
Mastering the Information Age (McCarthy) 9.0/1
Always at Ease (McCullough) 2.0/1
Time Management for Unmanageable People (McGee-Cooper,Trammel)
Life 101 (Peter McWilliams) 9.0/1
The Way of the Peaceful Warrior (Dan Millman) 8.5/1
Unlimited Selling Power (Donald Moine and Kenneth Lloyd) 9.0/1
The Power of Positive Thinking (Peale) 8.0/1
The Road Less Traveled (Peck) 8.75/2
Age of Propaganda (Pratkanis and Aronson) 7.0/1
Outrageous Betrayal: Werner Erhand's Dark Journey from est
to Exile (Stephen Pressman)
Don't Shoot the Dog (Pryor) 7.0/1
Executive Time Management (Reynolds, Trammel)
Magic of Rapport (Jerry Richardson) 9.0/1
Awaken the Giant Within (A. Robbins) 8.13/4
Giant Steps (A. Robbins) 7.5/1
Unlimited Power (A. Robbins) 9.0/5
Do You Really Need Eyeglasses (Rosanes-Berrett)
Overcoming Indecisiveness (Rubin) 8.5/1
Wishcraft (Sher)
I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was (Sher) 5.0/1
10 Natural Laws of Time and Life Management (Hyrum Smith)
Accelerating (R. Sterling)
Maximum Achievement (Brian Tracy)
Hope and Help for Your Nerves (Claire Weeks)
Getting Organized (Winston)
Secrets of Closing the Sale (Ziglar)
See You At the Top (Ziglar) 8.0/1
Don't Just Do Something, Sit There! 8.0/1
Audio Tape Programs Average/Voters
------------------- --------------
Neurosonics (Bandler) 9.0/1
Magical States (Bandler) 8.0/1
Design Human Engineering (Bandler) 9.5/1
Succeeding Through Inner Strength (Nathaniel Branden)
Power of Persuasion (Roger Dawson)
Basic NLP Practioner Training (Tad James) 9.5/1
NLP Master Practitioner Training (Tad James) 7.0/1
Personal Power (Anthony Robbins) 9.0/2
PowerTalk (Anthony Robbins) 10.0/1
Unlimited Power (Anthony Robbins) 9.0/1
Power, Passion, Profit (Marshall Sylver)
Action Strategies for Personal Achievement (Brian Tracy)
Psychology of Achievement (Brian Tracy) 6.0/1
Psychology of Winning (Dennis Waitley) 6.5/2
Seminars Average/Voters
-------- --------------
The Forum 8.2/3
Lifespring Basic 9.0/1
Lifespring Advanced 8.0/1
Photoreading
Breakthrough to Inner and Outer Influence (Tad James)
Huna Introduction: The Lost Secrets of the Ancient Hawaii (Tad James)
Secret of Creating Your Future (Tad James)
Time Line Therapy Training (Tad James) 8.0/1
Mastery (A. Robbins)
Date With Destiny (A. Robbins)
Strategic Influence (A. Robbins) 9.5/1
Unlimited Power Weekend (A. Robbins) 10.0/1
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4. Who's Who Listing of Professionals in alt.self-improve
Listed here is a guide of professionals in alt.self-improve who offer various
information, services, and products. You may correspond with them directly.
Please use your judgment when using these professionals. You shall not hold
the editors responsible for your actions.
If you want to be included in this listing, please submit the following
information to tom@transcore.com:
- Your name.
- Your e-mail address.
- Your expertise (limited to 25 words).
- What you want to offer (either free or for a fee, limited to 50 words).
(1) Kelly Baquet (bultpruf@popd.ix.netcom.com)
* My background is primarily the entertainment industry, but my true
love has always been personal development. I heard the most amazing tape
called "Dead Doctors Don't Lie." Entertaining. Informative. Provocative.
When I realized that tons of other people will reactive EXACTLY like I did
when THEY hear the tape....the next step was easy. A home-based business,
using this tape to do the "hard" part. E-mail for a free copy of the tape &
details.
(2) Paul Stephen Boudreau, Jr. (boudreau@niia.net).
* Purdue University degree in Physics and Psychology. Several years of
experience in industry and social work. Several years of experience in
Multilevel Marketing or Network Marketing. Currently working towards NLP
certification. * To the readers of alt.self-improve, I would say:
"Consider being a part of the home-seminar revolution." Think of getting
all the value of the top minds in your home. No more travel, no more
complex schedules, etc. TPN brings 240+ hours per month of self/professional
development programing for 50 cents/hour. In addition TPN can open up new
profit centers for you as a home-based business.
(3) Robert-Michael Kaplan (Beyond_20/20@Sunshine.net).
* O.D. and M.Ed. Author of "Seeing Beyond 20/20" and "The Power Behind Your
Eyes." * I educate and assist individuals in eye sight improvement training.
My Vision Fitness programs utilize "natural vision" methods and they are
available as workshops, private consultations, and retreats. Email me for
details. Phone: (604) 885-7118, Fax: (604) 885-0608.
(4) Aaron Lewis (ASL2@ukc.ac.uk).
* Memory, memory techniques and learning; language learning; and occasionally
my physics degree. * I have written an article on memory which is as good as
any commercial product and is freely distributable (i.e. FREE!). Email me,
and I'll send you a copy. I hope to find a space for it and various other
memory-related materials on the WWW before long; in the mean time, I welcome
your inquiry about the above subjects!
(5) Paul "the soarING" Siegel (soarsegl@ix.netcom.com).
* Writer, seminar leader and counselor on developing a grand personal vision.
Author of DESIGN YOUR FUTURE: Live Your Vision in the Ever-Changing Learning
Society. * I'm offering: (a) FREE - a Vision Palette, a questionnaire to help
you define yourself so you could paint a true vision. (b) FREE - a chance to
be a part of a learning community on self-development. Just tune into:
http://www.tricky.com/design-your-future.html . (c)HALF-PRICE - My book,
DESIGN YOUR FUTURE. Phone: 1-800-706-8474.
(6) David Riklan and Michelle Weintraub (usd38778@interramp.com).
* Self Inprovement Online is the most complete guide to information about
personal growth, self-improvement, self-help, human enhancement, self-
actualization, self-awareness, and personal power on the Internet. It has
links to companies, organizations, magazines, and other resources. Visit
http:// www.selfgrowth.com .
(7) Rex Steven Sikes (rex@idea-seminars.com).
* We are a full service NLP and DHE training institute. We run the full gamet
training programs and carry audio, video and book product. We also teach my
developments in the fields of DHE and NLP, as well as my developments with
accelerated learning known as Mind Design(tm). Email: cksikes@execpc.com to
receive a free product catalog and training guide.
Homepage: http://www.idea-seminars.com .
(8) David Smith (bladex@bga.com).
* I moderate a closed mailing list for graduates of the Landmark Forum. Those
interested should e-mail me for an application. Thanks.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
E/ Sample Hot Topics for 1996
Memorizing Body Movements
Speed Seduction Retards
Landmark Brainwashing
Speed Reading
Time-Line Therapy
Self-Help Methods & Strategies
Concentration Improvement Help?
Public Speaking
The 7 Habits
Happiness from an NLP Perspective&127;
Goals Vs Principles
Feeling Guilty When Asking a Woman Out
Missing the Key
Hostile People Die Early
Power Talk
Weekly Word of Wisdom
Partner with Mark V. Hansen
Scientology and John Travolta
Seeking Suggested Books for Reading
Tony Robbins Info Sought
Religous Respect
Self-Improvement Newsgroups?
Kevin Hogan: "The Psychology of Persuasion"
73855 Perceptions from Only Your Name
Personal Power I Versus Personal Power II
Baby Boomers in Mid-Life Crisis
Speed Reading Books
What Pascal Forgot (NLP)
Howard Berg's Mega Reading
Scientific Proof (NLP)
Audio or Books
Jesus, CEO
Happiness = Mentally Ill?
Power Metaphors
Yoshiro Nakamats
Interviews with Grinder & Bandler
The Nature of Reality
Books on Family
Any Good Books on Confidence & Self-Esteem?
Concentration/Focus Exercises
Zygon's Supermind
Best & Worst Pickup Lines
Any Good Books on Confidence & Self-Esteem?
Carlton Sheets
EN Quotations #1
Advice on the Advice Given Here
Improve Growth Rate?
Personal Organizer
Conquering Cancer or Any Disease
Meaning of Life
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
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The End.