I committed to a new mastermind group, with a couple other entrepreneurial women, and to kick things off, we are reading the book “You are a Badass at Making Money” by Jen Sincero.

At the beginning of Chapter 2 she speaks about how your external world mirrors your internal world and she gives the example of amputee patients. Jen states that Neuroscientist, Vilayanur Ramachandran, uses the power of belief to help amputee patients find relief from their phantom pain, a very real pain sensation on a part of their body that no longer exists. Since that part of their body no longer exists, the patient can’t do any physical pain relieving activity. Using mirrors, Ramachandran tricks the mind into believing they are relieving pain on the amputated limb and makes the mind believe that the nonexistent limb exists. Through this mirror process he is able to help patients change their physical realities.

Reading about this mirroring practice, I was reminded of a practice I used to change my inner reality thus improving my external reality. Years ago, I was living in a new town, where I knew hardly anyone, and was robbed multiple times in the first few months. Feeling unsafe in our new home, I never let myself sleep after my husband left for work in the early morning hours. This fear triggered memories which led to many night terrors. I was having the same recurring nightmare multiple nights a week. After entirely too many nights of heart poundings, screaming in paralysis, or attempting to crawl out our bedroom window in terror and fear, I called around to therapists to get some help. One of the people I called suggested that I make an appointment with a EMDR Therapist.

“Our “realities” are make-believe-whatever we make ourselves believe, we experience.”.

EMDR, short for Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, uses visualization, eye movements, and reprocessing of memories or experiences. It changes how your brain stores information from past experiences and helps guide your emotions and behaviors more healthfully in the future. You don’t forget the previous experiences but your current reactions to the disturbances are replaced with a healthier and more appropriate perspective.

An amputee patient’s brain, experiencing very real pain, can change it’s reality and decrease pain sensations on limbs that no longer exist. EMDR can turn terror stricken nights into peaceful nights of sleep. Yet some of us, myself very much included, still question whether we can master our mindset and create circumstances we desire in life. It's clear that we shouldn’t.

As Jen Sincero writes in her book, “Our “realities” are make-believe-whatever we make ourselves believe, we experience.”

HERE'S SOME HELPFUL LINKS:
More information about EMDR can be found at the following links: EMDRIA and EMDR Institute . If you are looking to create your own mastermind group you can find a guide here.