A brief introduction to the Mind

Although there is no definitive model for the human mind, an analogy that is often used is that of  an iceberg. The part of the iceberg above the water is known as the conscious mind and the part below water is known as the subconscious or unconscious mind. The part below water is approximately 90% of the iceberg, or our subconscious is 90% of our mind. So if we can learn to manage our subconscious mind we are using much more of our mind.  

We use our conscious mind for everyday rational tasks such as making decisions, talking to people and so on. Our subconscious mind is being used all the time. It contains memories, skills, beliefs, habits and so on. It controls our heartbeat, blood pressure, breathing and so on. For example there are people, particularly yogi’s in India who can control their heartbeat by controlling their subconscious mind. 

Our subconscious mind also contains all the skills we have learnt. Every time we wish to use that skill our subconscious mind runs the programme we have learnt. One great example of this is driving a car. Once we are competent at driving we don’t have to consciously think about everything we are doing. Its like we are on autopilot, we put our foot on the clutch, change gear and watch the traffic around us all at the same time. Problems arise when there are ‘bad driving skills’ in someone’s subconscious. 

Normally when someone is learning to drive they have to keep practising and practising until it becomes subconscious. Wouldn’t it be amazing if we could get the right skills into our subconscious much quicker? I wonder? 

Let’s just do it and see what happens! Remember the subconscious mind does not think rationally. Whatever you continuously tell it, it will believe. As Einstein said:

“The Imagination is more important than knowledge”.

Sean M. Kelly B.Sc. Dip (Appl.Sc)

Founder

www.MindMatters.com

Neurons and how they work

What can your amazing brain do?

• detect changes in light, sound and smell
• control and integrate the actions of many muscles
• regulate the bodys organs
• communicate through simple “languages”
• keep track of time
• manage the beating of four wings
• has 900 neurons

??? Who’s brain is this?

A Bee’s Brain!!!

Well if thats what a Bee’s brain can do what can we do? Lets have a look at this video about neurons, i.e. brain cells.  Enjoy it, its just less than five minutes – Neurons and how they work:

Parts of the Brain

This is a musical and creative fun way to learn the parts of the brain. You probably have to listen a few times and sing along to learn it all. Enjoy!

Sean M Kelly BSc – Founder MindMatters.com

How to Feel Good!

 

The two areas which influence our frame of mind the most are our physiology and mental focus.

When you’re not feeling so good what is your physiology like – your posture, movement, breathing, facial expression, hunger? When you are feeling good what are they like? What are the differences between the two. Usually when you are feeling good your posture will be upright, you will move with confidence and your breathing will be relaxed. Of course your facial expression will also be smiling! If you’re hungry then eat!

If you’d like to feel better right now get up and walk around. Take in some deep breaths, smile for no reason. Keep moving around for a few minutes and enjoy it all. When complete notice how you feel!

Our mental focus will also affect how we feel. If we focus on what we perceive as negative in our lives, we will usually feel “bad”. The more we focus on this negative experience the more these feelings will expand and we are more likely to create more negative experiences. What do we need to do?

Decide to focus on something positive, no matter how small it may seem at the time. As the fella said we can either choose to see the glass as half empty or half full. Be thinking about it being half full and being grateful for that we will feel good.

Recall a time when you felt good. Maybe you achieved something you’re very proud of. Maybe you were on holidays. Can you remember a specific time? What was your posture like? What was your body language like – hand movements, leg movements, facial expression? Go back into the same body language.

Where was your mental focus – what were you thinking about? Bring it to mind now. What were you saying to yourself – say it now and in the same happy tone of voice.

Combine a positive physiology with a positive mental focus and you’ll be feeling great in no time. Do it regularly and it will go into your subconscious mind and you will create a feeling good habit for yourself! It only takes about three weeks to form a new habit and the best way to get rid of a bad habit is to replace it with a good one! As someone once said:

“Sow a thought, reap an action
Sow an action, reap a habit
Sow a habit, reap a character
Sow a character, reap a Destiny!”

At least lets make sure we feel good today, afterall its the only day we have!

Sean M Kelly

www.mindmatters.com

Can Your Memory Improve?

If you’d really like to know if your memory can improve with age have a go at the following. Take a minute to memorise the following list:

Clock

Picture

Speaker

Statue

Toe

VW Beetle

Angel

Mountain

Guinness Book of Records

Rose

Now get a sheet of paper and recall as many as you can.

How did you get on. Note your score.

Now lets go on a journey in your mind. Take your time to really imagine the following, take a couple of deep breaths and relax. Aim to read this once and recall the ten items perfectly – You can if you think you can!

Imagine you are standing outside your house, facing your front door. What colour is your front door? Close your eyes and check. If you know this means you can visualise which is necessary for the following memory exercise. Now imagine going through your front door and into your hall. Look to your left and imagine you see a huge old CLOCK with a big smiley happy face again. As you continue to look around the hall in a clockwise direction look up on the wall and there hanging is the most beautiful PICTURE you’ve ever seen. Notice the gold frame, the image in the picture and the wonderful colours. As you continue to look clockwise around your hall you see giant state of the art SPEAKER and out of it is coming wonderful baroque music which makes you feel so good!

Now turn into your toilet (imagine one if you havent got one). Again look to your left as you enter the room and as you do, you get a real surprise as you see a STATUE of yourself staring right at you. With a smile on your face you turn clockwise and then your smile gets even wider as you see the giant TOE sitting on the toilet seat, doing you know what! As you look further clockwise to where the sink is you notice its actually a VW BEETLE which has been turned upside down – amazing!

From the toilet go back into your hall and then into the kitchen. As you go through the door you look to your left and there bowing down welcoming you into the heart of the house is the most divine looking ANGEL! Her wings embrace you helping you feel so so warm. As you turn clockwise you walk straight into a green MOUNTAIN which has just appeared on the kitchen sink! Well if you cant go through it you must go … around it and in a clockwise direction and there cooking on your cooker in a pot is your dinner, which tonight is … the GUINNESS BOOK OF RECORDS! And it surely will be a record if you eat it! So you wonder what its all about but alas you decide to sit at the table to figure it all out. Now this isent any ordinary table because its a layered table, each layer representing a petal of a ROSE.

Now go stretch your legs for a few moments. When you come back get a sheet of paper and recall as many of the ten items as you can. If you recall more than you did earlier then since you are now older than you were, it proves that memory can improve with age!

It’s all in the mind!

Sean M Kelly B.Sc. Dip (Appl.Sc) Mast NLP

Founder

MindMatters.com  

The Miracle in the Human Brain

This is a wonderful short video showing and describing the inside working of the human brain. Enjoy

Sean M Kelly B.Sc, MindMatters.com

How to improve Your Communication skills

Remember communication is always happening. Even when we are saying nothing we are communicating. In fact according to research done by Prof Albert Mehrabian, 93% of communication is subconscious.

Here’s 7 ways to improve your effectiveness:

1. Representational Systems

Representational systems are how you process information at a subconscious level. When you remember a particular event in your life how do you remember it? Was it something you saw? Was it something you heard? Was it something you felt? Or was it a combination of all three? Maybe there was also an element of taste and an element of smell. Representational systems are your senses – visual, auditory, kinaesthetic, gustatory (taste) and olfactory (smell). You experience the world through your senses or representational systems.

If you listen to someone else describe an experience you can determine how they are experiencing the memory of it. For example “I remember lying on the beach in the beautiful hot sun” would be a visual description. If you’d like someone to understand you better describe what you are saying in the same representational system. For example “yes I also remember my holidays, the scenery was a sight to behold!”

2. Eye Accessing Queues

When you are thinking visually your eyes will look upwards, when you are thinking auditorily your eyes will look to either side or down to the left, when you are thinking emotionally your eyes will move down to the right. If someone eyes are continuously looking up you know they are recalling something visually – so SHOW them what you would like them to know.

3. Rapport

Rapport is about creating a communication environment where information is flowing effectively in order to achieve the objectives of the communication. Rapport is created using matching and mirroring. This is where you adjust your non verbal and verbal communications to be similar to the non verbal and verbal behaviour of other person. For example when the other person crosses their legs you cross your legs. The important point to note is that in relaxed situations this is happening anyway.

4. Words and Meanings

Words can mean different things to different people. The better you understand the meaning a person gives to the words you are using in the communication the more effective the communication will be.

5. Memory and Recall

How many times during a conversation are you recalling information? The better your recall, the better you understand them and the better you answer questions. See Can Your Memory Improve for one way to improve it.

6. Listening

Listening is your main method of feedback. Listen with the intent to understand. Be fully present to hear the person speaking. Let go of judgement. Put all your attention on hearing what they have to say.

7. Points of View

View the communication from the other persons point of view. Imagine you are in the position of the other person with their concerns, objectives, beliefs, etc what would they be thinking? Ask them for clarity if needs be. Respond with their point of view in mind.

By Sean M Kelly B.Sc. Mast NLP

Email: themind@mindmatters.com

Ph: (353) 87 2494954

Inspirational Speaker & Trainer

MindMatters.com