[Book Excerpts]
Chapter Three: The Benefits:
Shouldn't everyone be using this?
A Broad Range of Potential Benefits Using ASC
Now learning about a tool to elevate mood and permanently changing behavior is obviously reason enough to consider using this routine, but in my opinion the benefits are far beyond these two basic attributes! It’s my belief that the daily use of the routine leads to increased self-image, a positive attitude, positive emotions, increased health, the potential to reduce or eliminate the need for psychiatric medications, reductions in disease symptoms, increased longevity of life, increased creativity, and less chronic pain! Quite a claim I know, but please consider reading a little further before deciding for yourself.
Mood Elevation & The Value of Positive Emotion
Why do we want some of these attributes like positive emotion? Let's take a look at some research. Barbara L. Fredrickson, and her colleagues, are researchers in a new field known as “positive psychology” which was the brainchild of a former president of the American Psychological Association, Martin Seligman. Fredrickson is well published in the field and recently wrote a very informative article in an issue of American Scientist titled “The Value of Positive Emotions”.
In the article she discusses literature relating positive emotions to an increased ability to adapt to our environment, and to longer life. In her Broaden-and-Build Theory she proposes that positive emotions serve to solve problems concerning personal growth and development. She says that “experiencing a positive emotion leads to states of mind and modes of behavior that indirectly prepare an individual for later hard times”.
Fredrickson proposes that “the positive emotions broaden an individual’s momentary mindset, and by doing so help to build enduring personal resources”. For example, her research has shown that positive emotion leads to perceptions of the "big picture" in individuals as opposed to being narrowly focused on issues! This suggests to her a “broadened pattern of thinking”.
Reductions in Depression Increase Health
There are many other researchers and studies relating health issues to mood swings and depression. We all know that depression is one of the most prevalent maladies in western civilization, but it’s only in recent years that we've come to understand that depression has profound effects upon physical health as well! It is becoming obvious that we must do everything in our power to stay out of low mood cycles for health reasons. This is the primary reason I feel the ASC routine must become widely used. There are millions of people who want to elevate their mood to stay physically healthy but are afraid of medication or want to reduce the amount of anti-depres-sants they have to take! In my opinion the ASC routine may offer, at least a supplemental way to reduce the quantities needed and hopefully an alternative to these chemicals in the long run.
Mood Effects Energy Levels
In my opinion, another huge benefit from Accelerated-State Conditioning is the increase in energy that results from elevating mood! No one can deny the energy that comes from feeling good. As I do this routine regularly, it becomes obvious that I have virtually unlimited sources of energy from within! Theoretically, my thoughts simply change my interior chemistry and I've got the "fuel" to do it all.
ASC Increases Optimism
Another benefit I've reaped from the ASC routine is tremendous optimism. Hope springs eternal the saying goes, and because creating euphoria results in a mind expansion of sorts, I continually feel I see my true potential! Naturally, a better way is to feel good about ourselves is to actually accomplish things or change our mindsets, but when we are depressed, or even just lethargic and unmotivated, the option of action escapes most of us! But once I began using the Accelerated-State Conditioning exercies routinely, I began to realize or believe that I'm perfectly capable of doing much more than previously felt. Now, whether this is just some grandiose thinking or really true, really doesn't matter much in my opinion.
Some Positive Long-Term Effects of a Brief Routine
Granted, creating a temporary state of euphoria (hyperthymia) is a double-edged sword. The positive attributes of being temporarily "high" are obviously tremendous. For a few minutes you are invincible! You're fearless, gregarious, uninhibited, and creative...("happy as an Angel", as Scrooge says), the list goes on and on. But, at the end of the routine, when you come back down to reality, you bring back more and more of these attributes, (as a result of you're new programming), which becomes a permanent part of your personality and self-image!
Some Potential Drawbacks
But, on the other hand, when you're high, you can be irrational, careless, lack objectivity; again the list goes on and on. Obviously, you can't stay in this frame of mind, or make important decisions during these episodes. But, unlike the positive attributes, these negative behaviors (since you're not acting on them during the ASC routine), don't blend into the personality when you calm down. In fact, it's a good idea to repeat affirmations during the exercise that reinforce objectivity rationality, for example common sense, etc. to remind yourself while you’re high that you have to be careful!
ASC Helps Overcome Obesity and Overeating
As stated, I believe the ASC routine elevates levels of dopamine. Studies show a link between low levels of dopamine and overeating. According to an article in Nevada Appeal.com on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 written by Anna Sachse/CTW Features, in a recent study conducted by scientists at the Scripps Research Institute, Jupiter, Fla., and published in the journal “Nature Neuroscience,” when rats raised on healthy food were suddenly given unrestricted access to a diet loaded with fat and sugar, they com-pletely lost control over their eating. Even mild foot shocks couldn't keep them from compulsively consuming bacon, cheesecake, Ding Dongs and other highly palatable, readily available junk food. Within 40 days, their weight had increased 25 percent.
In addition to getting fatter, the rats developed the same changes in brain reward circuits that have been reported in humans addicted to drugs — specifically, they showed lower levels of the dopamine D2 receptor. The brain releases bursts of dopamine in response to feel-good experiences, such as eating cookies or snorting cocaine. However, scientists believe that too much of a “good” thing can overload and essentially crash the dopamine D2 receptor, making it necessary to take more drugs, or, in the case of the rats, eat more and more to achieve the same pleasurable effect.
The resulting lowered D2 receptor (portal on the exterior of the cell) levels then seemed to drive the development of “habitual” feeding behaviors among the rats, says study co-author Paul Kenny, PhD, an associate professor at Scripps. To wit, when researchers replaced the junk food with healthy fare, the animals opted to starve themselves.
Optimism
Another potential benefit from ASC theoretically is that it creates tremendous optimism in the user. Hope springs eternal the saying goes, and because creating euphoria results in a mind expansion of sorts, I continue to see more and more of my true potential! Naturally, a better way is to feel good about ourselves is to actually accomplish things, but when we are depressed, or even just lethargic and unmotivated, the option of action escapes most of us! But once I began using the Accelerated-State Conditioning routine regularly, I began to realize or believe that I was capable of doing much more than I felt previously. Now, whether this is just some grandiose thinking or really true, really doesn't matter much. What matters is that I truly believe it with every fiber in my body while euphoric and I find my behavior changing without effort or fear. And, as a result start accomplishing more! I used to think the expression “you are, what you think you are“, was just a lot of hype. No more! This heightened awareness of my true potential is really the same type of knowledge that Chopra (The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success)1966, (who as you may know is also a Harvard trained M.D.), and many before him of the Eastern philosophy, have described when speaking of the benefits of Transcendental Meditation (tm). A practice I thoroughly believe in and use.
It's just that from my perspective, Accelerated-State Conditioning is faster and easier to use for accomplishing the mood/personality changes I've described. And I don't know if you have ever tried holding all thoughts out of your mind for 20 or 30 minutes, but for me, it "isn't easy". Most people I know have given up the practice for this reason. Again, I certainly believe in meditation, especially for stress-reduction and calming down, and I feel there are long-term benefits (such as enhanced assertiveness and greatly diminished co-dependency), whether it's coming from blending with the Universal Mind or purely physical! (Who's to say we aren't also tapping into an unknown source when we are high (euphoric)!
Is ASC a Spiritual Routine?
Some would say another benefit to ASC pertains to spirituality. Many think of elevating a positive mood as being spiritual. They feel when raising positive emotions they are literally raising their spirits! Some say, when I'm “high”; I'm loving, caring, altruistic, non-judgmental, understanding. Sounds like a pretty good description of spirituality to me!...
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