Can we use words to make ourselves feel and actually be better? Michael Morrison certainly thinks so, and in this insightful guide he tells us about the transformational power of language. In doing so, he delves into such concepts as neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Lamarckian evolution theory, the Biology of Belief, Cell- Level Healing, the power of prayer (in health as well as sickness), the Gaia Hypothesis, and Earth Hour. As current concerns move from the individual to the global, our well-being is seen as holistic rather than localised. Can we use positive thoughts and frame positive words to change ourselves-and ultimately help our world flourish? Read Prisoner of Words and discover a new approach to old problems.

Prisoner of Words

By Michael E Morrison

BALBOA PRESS

Copyright © 2012 Michael E Morrison
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4525-4713-8

Contents

Acknowledgements.........................................viiIntroduction.............................................xiChapter One Prisoner of Words...........................1Chapter Two Health and Words............................11Chapter Three Wealth and Words..........................25Chapter Four The Power of Prayer........................35Chapter Five The Science of Imagery.....................53Closing Chapter..........................................65Bibliography.............................................69

Chapter One

Prisoner of Words

Your beliefs become your thoughts; Your thoughts become your words; Your words become your actions; Your actions become your habits; Your habits become your values; Your values become your destiny. Gandhi

Reading the above quote from Gandhi teaches us the importance of tracking our thoughts. Eckhart Tolle refers to employing a 'watchman' in The Power of Now. By that he means being a guardian to our mind's chatterbox and casting a watchful eye over our negative states. By employing the 'watchman', we welcome in only the good positive energies. We all have negative thoughts, but the important thing is not to let them linger. 'Just as we can't stop birds from flying over our heads, but we can stop them from nesting in our hair, so we can't avoid evil thoughts, but we can stop them from taking root in our heart and giving birth to evil deeds.' (Martin Luther) This is achieved only through a commitment of consistency. Think of the time we put aside to exercise our bodies through dieting, exercising and the like. Why not put time aside to exercise your mind? Brain gym, as you will. Anyone for some positive press-ups? For habit can be the best of masters or the worst of servants.

There is no such thing as an idle thought.

Every thought and word has a power and unique vibration that carries a force so great that it can change us. It can be pure magic. Thoughts sculpt and shape our destiny. Words can allow us to express our thoughts. Every utterance we espouse is life changing. Every day we have the power to make a difference – a kind word of appreciation; hello to a stranger; a humorous exchange of energies, or to say 'I love you' to a loved one, a family member or friend. The more we express these simple words, the more love, laughter and lightness we attract back into our lives.

We are engulfed and surrounded by a latticework of energies. Everything vibrates and resonates in our own bodily system, our surroundings and our universe. Our energies can be affected by our thoughts and words. Every thought and word has a vibratory imprint that can greatly influence our landscape. Think of our daily language patterns: we don't accept compliments, we put ourselves down to easily, we use the words like 'try', 'but' and 'I don't know', 'I'm not good enough'. We are conditioning ourselves by verbally inputting self-defeating negative language. In Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), there is no such thing as trying.

Trying is useless. You can try real hard to feel better and finish feeling worse. Trying is like attempting to force a door inwards, you can waste a lot of energy before you realise it actually opens outwards.

Joseph O'Connor and John Seymour, Introducing NLP, p.68

Oft quoted from Nelson Mandela, but sourced from The Course of Miracles, the biggest fear is the fear of who we could become and how bright we can shine. The fear of fear often derails us on our path, paralysing us from actualising and becoming who we want to become. Allied with the fear of failure, the two fears can numb us into ourselves. Sean Lemass, former-Taoiseach of Ireland, once said, 'A man who never made a mistake, never made anything.' I remember having that quote etched on my desk while studying for my Leaving Certificate examinations. This quote is further strengthened by Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP).

In NLP, Robert Dilts developed a means for turning what looks like failure into feedback. That is, every experience experienced is an opportunity to learn. We do what we can and make comparisons to what our desired outcome would be. By bridging the gap between our current situation and our ideal situation, we are getting closer and closer to realising our ideal situation and goal. An environment of punishment and fear of failure does not create an environment of exploration and independence but a fear of failure. It is literally promoting a failure-to-launch mentality.

Think about driving a car. At first we are nervous nellies behind the wheel. Our awareness is very poor; our command of the gearstick is rough; and we are very conscious of everything and every action of driving, from igniting the engine to seat belts, signalling, checking mirrors, working through the gears, etc. If we were to take our first efforts behind the wheel and become one with that experience of ineptitude, we would not be too inclined to return behind the wheel. However, with time the experience behind the wheel becomes more comfortable as we develop and learn from mistakes. The feedback from instructors makes us a better and more skilled driver, turning us from a conscious incompetent driver to an unconscious competent driver who is no longer consciously focusing and concentrating on every gear change. This gradual progression is a good example of feedback, and the powerful learning experience of feedback over the failure ethos. Imagine the power of schooling and educating under this model, rather than fear and failure. The person develops and sees learning as fun and shows others how to learn rather than what to learn.

'Man's mind, once stretched to a new idea, never goes back to its original dimension.' (Oliver Wendell Holmes)

Since the dawning of time, man has constantly stretched himself intellectually and mentally, and with that stretch of thought society has benefitted to a degree. So many great thinkers have opened the doors of destiny, and though ridiculed at the start they broke through the conservative thinking of the time to become paramount in our thought patterns today. Think back to Copernicus, when he announced the Sun and not the Earth was the centre of the Universe. He was ridiculed and lambasted as a heretic by the gross masses.

Wendell Holmes' quote excites me every time I read it aloud. Throughout my time in reading and researching for my book A Path Less Conventional, I have encountered and embraced a considerable paradigm shift in how I look at health, no longer studying illness but studying health. As mentioned before, I was a disciple of Western medicine, bowing to the illusion of health being a pill for every ill. This dupes us into believing we are being healed. In reality we are just disempowered bystanders to health. I realised this one restless night, bereft of sleep, that I and only I could really help me. I was no longer limited by the conventional menu of Western medicine alone. Now I can employ the wonders of complementary practices in addition to conventional medicine.

This path less conventional has ignited a fire of passionate interest in looking at health – from looking at energetic principles of homeopathy to the quantum mechanics of Matrix Energetics. Each step has seen me move from being a mere passenger to chief participator. This stretch in thought has given me greater insight into the means and methods needed to gain better health.

It is...