In Ascension! MSI said, “Simply deciding with the surface mind that ‘I am well’ is not only useless but potentially mentally deranging. Affirmations repeated by the conscious thinking level of the mind, although occasionally soothing distraught emotional states, are all but worthless for bringing about a deep transformation of perception of Reality. An affirmation repeated a few times a day does little to counteract the intensity of the habitual patterns created by the average adult human’s 50,000 daily thoughts.”
Dr. Joanne Wood at the University of Waterloo examined whether affirmations made students feel better. 68 students were asked to repeat to themselves every 15 seconds, "I am a lovable person." Those with high self-esteem felt better, those with low self-esteem felt worse. She theorizes that those with low self-esteem feel worse because they did not believe the statements and also they could not resist negative thoughts. First, they felt bad because they had not responded to the affirmations as they thought they should, and second, they had negative thoughts. (1)
In Enlightenment MSI said, “There are a number of different teachings today that encourage a constant repetition of positive or idealized statements. One unfortunate effect of this is a polarization between conscious ideals and the unconscious belief systems of the destructive internal programming. If we fail to recognize, accept and change unconscious emotional and psychological imprints, these forceful tactics of the ego will only serve to create tension and resistance in the personality and can lead to a dangerous split between the conscious and unconscious minds.”Trying to deal with duality from the surface of the mind only divides the mind. The only “cure” for a divided mind is to Ascend. Every time we use the Ascension Attitude, which has no opposition, the mind returns to the One Source of Everything. Even if it is brief, as it may be when one first uses the practice, the mind moves out of duality for that moment. Unity or duality. For one who knows how to Ascend, there is choice.
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(1) Wood, J., Elaine Perunovic, W., & Lee, J. (2009). Positive Self-Statements: Power for Some, Peril for Others. Psychological Science, 20 (7), 860-866
