The Power of Suggestion – how it influences our daily living.

This morning I was reading an article where the author was discussing whether Angelina Jolie’s recent decision to undergo mastectomy was medically hexed? Reading this article by Lissa Rankin I felt inspired to write my own blogpostJ

Sitting in front the television watching commercials, all I see is the commercialization of emotions. When you make a decision to buy insurance, you are sold to the emotion of fear. When you watch a commercial of the latest anti-depressant and how it promises a better quality of life, in your mind you feel hopeful. Commercials by food giants, sell you a perceived sense of happiness when you take a bite of a certain McWrap. One of my friends who is in the field of Marketing had done research on how advertising is all about emotions. Some of her findings helped me understand why we go and buy a product after we have watched a commercial regardless of whether there is a need or not.

Having worked in a restaurant for a couple of years I have watched the owner of the restaurant ‘sell’ an entrée or two even when the guest had begun with wanting to just eat light. All he used was a suggestion that his guest may enjoy a certain combination better than the other. Now, of course there is a whole field of study called Neuro-Linguistic Programming which uses the power of suggestion to increase sales.

When a mother tells her child that she is ‘stupid’, it is a suggestion that gets implanted in the child’s mind. Alternatively, when someone is told you are told that you can do anything you ever want to..we know how that works.

On an individual and professional level I often recommend the use of affirmations and healing light visualizations to my friends and clients. Hypnosis as a branch of healing is very well known to utilize the power of suggestion. One of my friends who was getting frustrated with the medical system of diagnosing one piece of the puzzle at a time tried affirmations in combination with healing light visualization and is beginning to experience improvement with multiple health conditions that she is dealing with.

Hundreds of suggestions are offered to you everyday by family, friends, co-workers, media, governments, religious texts etc. Be careful what you give power to!