Exploring MINDSET - How it is formed and how it can be changed- Programming and Reprogramming the Mind.

Mindset is a set of beliefs that shape how you make sense of the world and yourself. It influences how you think, feel and behave in any given situation. Dr. Carol Dweck explains "why it is not just our abilities and talents that bring us success - but whether we approach our goals with a fixed or growth mindset. With the right mindset, we can motivate our children to raise their grades, as well as reaching our own goals - both personal and professional". Mindset is the way to fulfill your potential. In this blog I will be discussing about my exploration into how mindset is formed. If we know how mindset gets formed, it can reveal the ways to bring the desired changes in the mindset. I request you to critically review my thoughts on this and express your thoughts in the comments. You are also welcome to contact me. I will be replying to all your queries and comments. I am looking forward to it.

How mindset is formed?

Professor Dweck in her book MINDSET talks about how the messages and dialogs from parents, teachers, and coaches forms the fixed mindset or growth mindset. She discusses this in quite details. In fact, every word and action can send a message. It tells children or students, or athletes - how to think about themselves. It can be fixed-mindset message that says; You have permanent traits and I am judging them. Or it can be a growth-mindset message that sys; You are a developing person and I am committed to your development. It is remarkable how sensitive people and children are to these messages, and how concerned they are about them. 

Neurosciences say that all the inputs from all our senses; what we see, hear, taste, smell, touch feelings are getting recorded in our nervous system (neural network)  as engrams(term coined by memory researcher Richard Semon); starting from the day child was conceived in the mother womb to date. Engram is a hypothetical change in neural tissue postulated in order to account for persistence of memory: memory trace. An engram is a unit of  cognitive information imprinted in a physical substance, theorized to be the means by which memories are stored as biophysical or biochemical changes in the brain or other biological tissue, in response to external stimuli. Repeatedly inputs are getting recorded according to "Multiple Trace Theory (MTT)". Nadel and Moscovitch (1997)  proposed the Multiple Trace Theory  which is a memory consolidation model advanced as an alternative model to strength theory (SMSC). It posits that each time same information is presented to a person, it is neurally encoded in a unique memory trace composed of a combination of its attributes (physical, contextual, modal). In Indian philosophy 'Samaskaras' are mental impressions, recollections, or psychological imprints. According to various schools of  Indian Philosophy, every action, intent or thinking by an individual leaves a samaskara (impression, impact, imprint ) in the deeper structure of the person's mind. These samaskaras manifest as tendencies, karmic impulses, subliminal impressions, habitual potencies or innate dispositions. The theory of samaskaras explain how and why human beings remember things, and the effect that memories have on people's suffering, happiness and contentment.

Based on the above analysis, we came with the theory/thinking that our repeated cumulative experiences/ impressions  stored as engrams in our neural network forms 'programs' (samaskaras) these programs influence our behavior - habits , mindset, beliefs, perceptions Thus MINDSET is a program and can be changed by programming.

This is shown in the diagram given below:-

Diagram-What we are today - our present mindset, habits, attitudes, beliefs, values. How the MINDSET is formed. 

This is based on our thinking, which is based on our exploration as given above. All the inputs from our senses including the feelings are stored as ENGRAMS. Cumulative repeated impressions form sort of PROGRAMS.  These programs control and influence our behavior (habits, attitudes, beliefs, mindset) . We feel this is the way our mindset is formed by our own repeated inputs/impressions/samaskaras. 

How the MINDSET Can be Changed By-Programming/Reprogramming ?

We started thinking on these lines; since the experience has formed the MINDSET; experience can change it. Next question was how to create the desired experience to change the MINDSET appropriately? We came across findings of  neuroscience that our nervous system is not able to distinguish between the real experience and vividly imagined experience and our body and mind both react to vividly imagined experience taking it as real. We started working on a systematic method to create the desired vividly imagined experience which we named as 'synthetic  experience'.  For this we developed  vehicles; two for entering into the altered state of consciousness taking us into 'alpha' state (subconscious mind) . In this state to create the desired synthetic experience by using creative visualization and goal oriented affirmations .   This is shown in the diagram given below:-

Above diagram shows the method for changing the desired synthetic experience to bring the desired change in our MINDSET. 'What we want to be'- represents  the desired MINDSET.

Franklin Covey in his book" 7 HABITS of HIGHLY EFFECTIVE PEOPLE" has said " Mental creation precedes physical creation " . Every physical creation begins as a mental creation -as a thought, a plan, a perception, or a motive. The most effective people, however, shape their own future. Instead of letting other people or circumstances determine their destiny , they mentally plan and then physically create their own positive results. What they have in their mind shapes their future. In BMP we have used the same philosophy and thinking . Based on the desired outcome or goal, a vividly imagined (synthetic) experience is created , as shown in the above diagram . Begin with the End in Mind is the mental creation-the plan, design, and layout for who we want to be and what we want to do as individuals and organizations.

How Goals Can Bring the Change in MINDSET 

Father of Yoga Maharishi Patanjali has tried to convey the message to people " When you are inspired by some great purpose, some extraordinary project, all your thoughts break their bounds. Your mind transcends limitations, your consciousness expands in every direction, and you find yourself in a new, great and wonderful world." 

We were inspired by the philosophy of Patanjali,  and wanted to try with people. I would love to share one case of a young boy of about 18 years. He had failed very badly in his 12th standard ( Intermediate , Pre-University exams) . His teachers had labelled him ' not good in studies'- has  'poor memory '. His father, who was running a small business also started telling him ' you cannot study ' ; leave studies and join me in my business. The boy approached us, he told us he is not at all interested in joining his fathers business .  we told him that there are two alternatives available for him -one to discontinue the study , and second is to put efforts pass the exams and continue the studies. We made him to analyze the two alternatives and see how his life will be under each alternative . He did the analysis, wrote nearly one page each about his life under each alternative . After this analysis, he realized , that if he discontinue his studies he will not be able to get any worthwhile job, his whole life will be of misery and unhappiness. He also realized that he will not be happy by joining his father's business. He talked to us, but how can he pass the exams and continue further education ! We told him that everyone is intelligent and have memory, so he too has. If he makes up his mind , he will be able to pass PU exams and can continue with his studies of his choice. We are also there to guide and help  you in designing your own life. He got inspired and started focusing on his studies and passed the PU exam, not with very good marks but passed it. He developed interest in mathematics and desired to do graduation . He applied for the admission in the college, in the first list he could not get it but subsequently he succeeded in getting it, as some people didn't join . He was very happy and excited at getting the admission, and started dreaming of making a career in mathematics as a teacher. I am happy to share with you that he completed his graduation and post graduation in India and then went to US for doing his MS in mathematics. He completed MS, PhD, and then Post Doctorate, got the job as lecturer in the university. He has published many papers too . This is power of MINDSET- Changing the way you think to fulfil your potential. This proves what Maharishi Patanjali had said. This is how reprogramming can be done. 

I have been helping and guiding people in preparing their ' Personal Mission Statement '. Your Personal  Mission Statement is a powerful document that expresses your personal sense of purpose and meaning in life. It encourages you to think deeply about your life and helps you examine your innermost thoughts and feelings. Clarifies  what is really important to you and also expands your perspective. Provides direction and commitment to values. I have observed quantum changes in habits, attitudes, and beliefs take place when people become very clear about their purpose and mission of life. In BMP we have developed a methodology to help people in becoming clear about this and then achieving it.

We have tried this method on quite a large number of people with satisfactory results .

 A three years study in the Hospital Environment for cancer patients and their caregivers, designed to change their mindset from pain and sorrow to hope that they can get well, showed quite encouraging results . The details are given in our book " Create Your Own Future Through Body Mind Programming " . We feel this is according to Consistency Theory proposed by Rosenberg, 1956.

 Since 2019 we have launched a program' I Am The Sky' in a high school; in this school about 600 children both boys and girls from villages study from kinder garden to tenth standard. The main objective and goal of this program is develop growth mindset and inculcate the feeling that ' sky is the limit' whatever they want to achieve in life they can achieve they have the potential. Another goal is to inculcate values, it is a new paradigm for VBE (Value Based Education). This program has become the part and parcel of their syllabus and is successfully going on.

I will be very happy to receive your critical comments, thoughts, and views on this. Let's join hands in taking it forward . 

You are cordially invited to join me on zoom by clicking the link to register your name -

https://bit.ly/BMPintro

Raj Kumar Dham 

rkdham@gmail.com

+919845287581 

Reference:-

1. MINDSET by Dr. C  CAROL S DWECK

2. Create Your Own Future Through Body Mind Programming by K N KRISHNASWAMY & RAJ KUMAR DHAM  

I am available for consultations, online coaching program is going on .