Always in reference to a specific form
of thought, the word “emotionalized” appears at various times
throughout The Catalyst of Confidence. But to what exactly
does this rather obscure word pertain? The lexicon reveals the
following definition: Emotionalized thoughts are thoughts which are
linked to strong feelings (whether positive or negative), and are
more easily recognized by the subconscious mind. The key words or
phrases in this definition are “thoughts,” “strong feelings,”
“more easily recognized,” and “subconscious mind.” The phrase
“thoughts linked with strong feelings” is easily understood and
requires no further explanation. “More easily recognized by the
subconscious mind,” on the other hand, seems to stand in need of
further illumination.
What then does it mean for a thought to be more easily recognized by the subconscious mind? To begin with, thoughts which are linked to strong feelings (emotions) leave a deeper and more lasting impression on one's mind. As a result, such thoughts produce an effect that is best described by the “speeding up” of one's cognitive faculties. For example, in Lesson I: Perception and Belief, we learned that a person's beliefs are created through the perception and repetition of information. A person encounters information through their unique experiences, which they then evaluate or pass judgment on. This is known as perception, or the first step in the creation of a belief. But before a given perception may become a full blown belief, it must undergo a process of reinforcement, called repetition. This second step (repetition) generally requires an amount of time before a person's initial perception may solidify into a belief, unless the said perception is linked to a strong feeling or emotion. That is, unless the initial perception has been emotionalized. If the said perception has been emotionalized (or linked with a strong feeling or emotion), the second step in the process of belief creation, depending on the strength or intensity of the feeling the said perception is associated with, may essentially be unnecessary. In other words, to the extent the perception itself is emotionalized, the time component that is normally needed to “reinforce” it, may be drastically shortened, if not eliminated altogether.
To illustrate this, consider the following example. A young girl has always wanted to be an artist, specifically a painter. One day she decides she is going to paint a picture for her teacher. Though she has never painted before, she acquires the needed materials and begins painting. She dedicates hours to her project, envisioning how wonderful it will look when finished, and how her teacher will adore it. Upon presenting the finished painting to her teacher in front of her classmates, she is greeted with laughter and ridicule. Her fellow students begin making fun of her and her ridiculous painting, while her teacher, who is a little embarrassed by the whole scene of being presented with such an odd looking piece of art, quietly snickers along with the rest of the class. The young girl is naturally heartbroken as her secretly held dream of becoming an artist is quickly drowned by the laughter and mockery of her peers.
What then does it mean for a thought to be more easily recognized by the subconscious mind? To begin with, thoughts which are linked to strong feelings (emotions) leave a deeper and more lasting impression on one's mind. As a result, such thoughts produce an effect that is best described by the “speeding up” of one's cognitive faculties. For example, in Lesson I: Perception and Belief, we learned that a person's beliefs are created through the perception and repetition of information. A person encounters information through their unique experiences, which they then evaluate or pass judgment on. This is known as perception, or the first step in the creation of a belief. But before a given perception may become a full blown belief, it must undergo a process of reinforcement, called repetition. This second step (repetition) generally requires an amount of time before a person's initial perception may solidify into a belief, unless the said perception is linked to a strong feeling or emotion. That is, unless the initial perception has been emotionalized. If the said perception has been emotionalized (or linked with a strong feeling or emotion), the second step in the process of belief creation, depending on the strength or intensity of the feeling the said perception is associated with, may essentially be unnecessary. In other words, to the extent the perception itself is emotionalized, the time component that is normally needed to “reinforce” it, may be drastically shortened, if not eliminated altogether.
To illustrate this, consider the following example. A young girl has always wanted to be an artist, specifically a painter. One day she decides she is going to paint a picture for her teacher. Though she has never painted before, she acquires the needed materials and begins painting. She dedicates hours to her project, envisioning how wonderful it will look when finished, and how her teacher will adore it. Upon presenting the finished painting to her teacher in front of her classmates, she is greeted with laughter and ridicule. Her fellow students begin making fun of her and her ridiculous painting, while her teacher, who is a little embarrassed by the whole scene of being presented with such an odd looking piece of art, quietly snickers along with the rest of the class. The young girl is naturally heartbroken as her secretly held dream of becoming an artist is quickly drowned by the laughter and mockery of her peers.
Such
an experience will surely be evaluated and judged (step 1:
perception) by the little girl, and it is reasonably likely that she
will conclude that she has no business painting because she isn't
any good. But because her perception is so intimately connected
with strong emotions, it is likely that her perception will become a
complete “action governing” belief immediately after
having the said experience. In other words, she may not necessarily
need to suggest to herself that “she isn't any good at painting”
over and over again (step 2: repetition). Her experience and
perception thereof was so very heart wrenching (emotionalized) that
no additional suggestions were needed for reinforcement in order for
her perception to become a belief. In this sense, her emotions have "speeded up" the operations of her subconscious mind. Needless to say, if she is like most people, it's safe to
assume that such a belief will affect her for the rest of her life.
This provides us with just one example of how “emotionalized thoughts” are more easily recognized by the subconscious mind. I will continue to elaborate in the future.
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