The Power of Positive Affirmations

Do positive affirmations and positive thoughts really work? Does thinking positively about yourself, your external environment and your reality actually produce positive effects and create noticeable change? Can you cure yourself of disease simply by affirming yourself to be healthy and whole? Having a positive outlook can alter your perception of reality which can be beneficial, but does it actually alter reality per se? This may be the most profound question in the age-old contemplation of consciousness within spirituality, philosophy and even science. What role does consciousness play in the establishment of reality?

There are many extreme views on this topic. Western science has traditionally clung to the dualistic concept that subject and object are separate, and there is no room for subjective (i.e., consciousness-based) experience in the scientific “rational” observation of the material world. Taken experientially, this interpretation states that the mind of the human being is simply a passive observer of a reality that is imposed by a totally deterministic external world, i.e. by forces of nature that we have no internal control over.

The opposite view, held by many mystics and spiritual practitioners across the ages, is that all experience in this world is created by consciousness, and that all tangible elements of physical reality are therefore ultimately an illusion. Then there are many beliefs, spiritual, philosophical, and scientific, that place themselves in the middle ground, existing as flexible mediums between these two extremes. One such belief system, celebrated especially by the New Age Movement, is the belief in the “Power of Affirmations” or the power of “positive thinking.”

When we make an affirmation, we generate a positive thought, but unfortunately it often doesn’t result in a real difference. Why? More often than not, the thought is generated in a contrived way and is not genuine. We may tell ourselves that “we are healthy and happy,” but deep down, we might not really believe it. Often, our positive thoughts are just a few thin layers covering a multitude of suppressed negative beliefs generated by fear, aversion, attachments and the like. These negative beliefs can be both conscious and unconscious, but regardless of their specific location in our psyche, they are clearly the obstructing force in any real effect of positive affirmation on our reality. So, positive affirmations can work, but only to the degree that they are truly genuine – that you generate them and sustain your belief in them from the deepest core of your being possible. This means being in touch with yourself, experiencing the true potential of your existence, and then being genuine to that experience.

So what is the deepest core of our being and how do we access it? This is the difficult part. We can use the metaphor of the onion and its many layers. Our deepest core is our true essence, and it is in no way separable from the essence of the Universe. When we peel back the layers of the onion, the layers of negative beliefs, distractions, fears, etc., we can actually reach this core essence and rest in it, naturally and effortlessly radiating energies of love, compassion and healing. The deeper we go, the more layers we peel, the more access we have to our true essence and the more genuine our affirmations can be, for this essence is simply pure openness, love: the true essence of positive affirmation. Often, and especially in moments of crisis, we can become more genuine to ourselves, to our experience of existence. This is the true opportunity presented by crisis. If we keep going deeper, we can start peeling into the depth of our experience, peeling back the layers that obstruct our essence. Then, when the openness is there, love and compassion flow effortlessly as a natural expression of our true nature, and anything can happen. Read about the lifestyle changes that are truly valuable to your health and well-being at www.dreliaz.org.

Dr. Isaac Eliaz is a respected author, lecturer, researcher, product formulator, and clinical practitioner. He has been a pioneer in the field of integrative medicine since the early 1980s. Dr. Eliaz is a frequent guest lecturer on integrative medical approaches to health, immune enhancement, and cancer prevention and treatment.