A Cassette Tape and Study Manual.
"Errors
in the choice of attitudes and beliefs we hold are no less devastating than mistakes in
medication or surgery. " Neil F. Neimark, M.D.
In this audiocassette tape and the accompanying twenty-six page e-book study manual, Dr. Neimark teaches us how the attitudes and beliefs we hold represent forces of the human mind that are no less powerful than a physicians prescription pad. Positive attitudes and beliefs can heal us. Negative attitudes and beliefs can harm us. In fact, our ability to achieve optimal health, happiness and peace of mind requires that we challenge and change the negative and pessimistic beliefs we hold. In their place, we must learn how to choose those positive attitudes and beliefs that give us a sense of hope and possibility. In The Healing Power of Attitudes & Beliefs, Dr. Neimark reveals that:
* The process of healing and getting well requires us to redefine our attitudes and beliefs about illness so that there is hope.
* In a study of 152 cancer patients, a positive attitude toward treatment was a better predictor of response to treatment than was the severity of the disease.
* We have the ability to choose the attitudes and beliefs we hold. We have a responsibility to choose our attitudes and beliefs, or they will be chosen for us!
* Journaling helps us to examine our sometimes unconscious, negative beliefs and replace them with healthy, empowering beliefs. In one study, writing about traumatic experiences for as little as 15 minutes a day for 4 days reduced physician visits for illness, improved immune function and enhanced work performance for up to 4 months.
* Illness is not a purely physical problem but rather a problem of the whole person, including our thoughts, feelings, attitudes and beliefs.
*Negative attitudes and beliefs can harm us. 411 cancer patients were told to expect hair loss from a new chemotherapy drug. 30% of those who received a placebo lost their hair anyway!
In this
tape, I detail the many fascinating ways in which the attitudes and beliefs we hold effect
our physical health as well as our capacity for emotional health, happiness and peace of
mind. I believe that attitudes have everything to do with how we experience life, both in
adversity and in joyous times. Positive attitudes are empowering and help us focus on the
blessings in our daily life. Positive attitudes enable us to enjoy a measure of happiness
that may otherwise be overlooked if we are focused only on the negative circumstances and
difficulties in life.
When we talk about positive attitudes, we are not talking about pretending to be happy or upbeat. We are referring to a mature positivity that derives from realizing our blessings even in the midst of the sadness, pain and loss inherent in a full and vital life. Developing positive attitudes and beliefs is an acquired skill and can be learned by even the most cynical and hostile among us.
Since many of the beliefs and attitudes we hold arise from the perceptions we carry about life and living, it becomes important to examine the perceptions we make and the conclusions we draw about our experiences. There is a humorous story about a high school teacher demonstrating the dangers of alcohol to his science class. He drops a garden worm into a glass of water and the class slowly watches the worm wiggle its way up the side of the glass and out to freedom. He then drops the same worm into a glass of alcohol. The worm sinks to the bottom and can not work its way up and out. Eventually, it gives up and dies. The teacher turns to the class and asks, "So class, what can we learn from this experiment?" A student raises his hand and says quite confidently, "I can see that if you drink alcohol, you'll never get worms!"
This whimsical story demonstrates the importance of closely examining the beliefs and conclusions we draw from our life experiences. Nearly all life events leave us with many options as to what to belief, and what we choose to believe dramatically affects our ability to overcome illness, endure the pain necessary for growth and healing, and achieve a sense of happiness and peace of mind that is so vital to a life well lived.
It takes tremendous courage to examine the beliefs and attitudes we hold, and it represents a true voyage of discovery. Honest self-examination exemplifies what Joseph Campbell calls "the hero's journey" and as such, it is an endeavor fraught with demons, dragons and obstacles demanding the most dauntless acts of courage and honesty.
Honest self-examination demands the ability to see ourselves, as we are, without apology and without pretense. Then, it demands the ability to see ourselves in all our glorious potential, without apology and without pretense. This is the hero's journey: to be able to see ourselves with new eyes, eyes that refuse to deny the truth of our frailties and humanness, and eyes that refuse to deny the innocence, strength, courage and love that lie within each one of us. Marcel Proust, the great writer, once said "The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes." Changing our attitudes and changing our beliefs gives us "new eyes" with which to see the world.
So let's begin the voyage of discovery into the healing power of attitudes and beliefs. This tape is designed to help each and every one of us examine and uncover the attitudes and beliefs we hold. Once discovered, we can begin eliminating negative attitudes and beliefs that contribute to our pain and helplessness and begin cultivating new and empowering attitudes and beliefs that give us hope. This is the process of having new eyes with which to see the world. The world has enough pain, loss and difficulty to keep all of us sad, bitter and hurt for a lifetime. The world also has enough hope, love and renewal to bring us blessings, joy and happiness even in the midst of life's inevitable sorrows.
May you be blessed on your journey.
Everyone who attended Dr. Neimark's presentation was moved by his authentic caring and soulful presentation. Playing and singing his own original songs in his heart-felt style, Dr. Neimark not only informs us intellectually, but also inspires us emotionally, leading us to a deeper understanding of the importance of attitudes and beliefs in healing. Don't miss this very special, one-of-a-kind presentation. Dr. Neimark is a one-of-a-kind doctor, stimulating our body, mind and spirit towards greater health, happiness and healing.
In this inspiring talk, Dr. Neimark discusses the three basic premises for drawing upon the healing power of our attitudes and beliefs. They are: 1) we have the ability to choose our attitudes and beliefs 2) Positive attitudes and beliefs are empowering and they increase our capacity for health, happiness and peace of mind. 3) Our attitudes and beliefs represent forces of the human mind that are no less powerful than a physician's prescription pad. As such, we can direct our attitudes and beliefs towards achieving greater health and healing.
We at The Body/Soul Connection and R.E.P. Technologies are dedicated to helping you reach out for the best that medical science has to offer and to reach within to mobilized your own internal resources for healing.
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