Mental changes that cause physical changes.

[Shadow Dragon]

This is an idea that I've been fascinated with for a while. Apparently mental things like depression and stress have been shown to have negative effects on your body; specifically your hormone levels, immune system and metabolism. And you can cause some symptoms of a disease to appear just by believing that you have it.

So in turn, I think it's probably possible to cause positive effects using the power of your mind/will through meditation or whatever other way you could think of to focus your mind on the change you wish to create. I'm currently trying to test this hypothesis by using it to lose weight. I am also lowing my fat intake, but I'm hoping this will give me a nice push in the right direction.

What do you guys think about the idea of using your mind/will/consciousness to create change in your physical form?

p.s. I wasn't sure whether or not this belonged here or in the Philosophy of Health section. If I got it wrong, would a mod please move it to the right section? Thanks.

[richrf]

Hi Shadow Dragon,

Sounds like a very good idea to me.

I have taught Taijiquan and Qigong along with Yoga for many years and witnessed many changes to people's physical condition due to good health practices such as stretching, moderate movement, nutritious diet, relaxation and breathing exercises.

I have found that all of these health practices work together. This is why Asian health practices such as the ones I teach address all aspects as a unity -not separate.

In so far as relaxation of the mind is concerned, this is how I would explain it:

By way of example, clench your fist hard. Very hard. Now release your fist and look at it. It is white because of reduced blood flow. This is a demonstration of what tension can do. Your mind clenched the fist really hard and it created an obstruction. When there is an obstruction blood and energy do not flow. Blood and the energy that moves it are responsible for nourishing your body and also cleaning it out. If you are mind is under stress, it manifests in constriction in your body, which blocks proper flow, which in turn creates health problems.

So, relaxing the mind by relaxing the body, and vice-versa is one ingredient to good health. The other aspects are also integral. So, I would pay attention to everything.

Wish you luck and hope this helps.

Rich

[mister kitten]

I think there is a book about this. The Power of Positive Thinking by somebody. I have not read it, but it probably has thoughts in it that relate to your questions.

In my opinion the mind works as a mirror. Whatever you see the world, or anything in particular, as is what you're going to display, whether through thoughts, actions or posture.

[Justin]

Good of you to try this shadowdragon. It actually is more real than many people believe. Your mind creates your physiology and alters it and recreates it constantly as cells die off everyday and are replaced by new ones.

The trouble with overweight people who diet have a block in their mind where they cannot visualize themselves thin so if it's not first in the mind, any loosing of the weight due to dieting will be regained. If not they usually suffer from greater disease after the weight is gone to balance out the imbalance of the mind.

100% without a doubt, you can control your physical being with your mind alone. Eat what you want, it matters not... although it is still good to get nutritional value out of your food but in general, I think we give the food we eat more weight than we give the thoughts we think.

If our thoughts are unhealthy, so will our body be and our relationships and our reflection.

[richrf]

Originally Posted by Justin

100% without a doubt, you can control your physical being with your mind alone. Eat what you want, it matters not...

I have myself never found this to be the case. We could take this idea to its extreme to prove it (the move, Supersize This), but no need to, I don't think.

It is a matter of how one views oneself. I view myself as being a product of both that which is inside of me and that which is outside and comes in. A fusion, so to speak.

Among that which comes from the outside includes food, sun energy, water, thoughts, feelings, etc. They mix together (or unfold as Bohm might put it) to create something. It is said that you are what you eat. Maybe this simplifies it too much, but it does bring to awareness that we are as much of a product of that which surrounds us and comes into us as that what we project from inside out (our minds).

I personally have never seen anyone who was not affected in some way by the food that they eat. A relaxed body may be more able to assimilate and reject that which is unhealthy, but why test it? Why push the body and mind to an extreme state?

Most Eastern thought suggests moderation. I agree. Healthy food. Healthy exercise. Healthy thoughts.

Rich

[odenskrigare]

Originally Posted by Shadow Dragon

What do you guys think about the idea of using your mind/will/consciousness to create change in your physical form?

It happens, to some degree

Incidentally, it has been shown that swearing loudly increases pain tolerance

[HexHammer]

Originally Posted by Shadow Dragon

This is an idea that I've been fascinated with for a while. Apparently mental things like depression and stress have been shown to have negative effects on your body; specifically your hormone levels, immune system and metabolism. And you can cause some symptoms of a disease to appear just by believing that you have it.

So in turn, I think it's probably possible to cause positive effects using the power of your mind/will through meditation or whatever other way you could think of to focus your mind on the change you wish to create. I'm currently trying to test this hypothesis by using it to lose weight. I am also lowing my fat intake, but I'm hoping this will give me a nice push in the right direction.

What do you guys think about the idea of using your mind/will/consciousness to create change in your physical form?

p.s. I wasn't sure whether or not this belonged here or in the Philosophy of Health section. If I got it wrong, would a mod please move it to the right section? Thanks.

Yes, mind can alter bodily form. It is observed that some women can get "hysterical pregnant", you can control the autonom bodily functions with enough training ..etc.

The bodfyfat, may be another thing to control, I do think it's possible to achive higher fat burning, but never heard about it.