The right words can change the world for the better. Shamanic tradition tells us words are the most powerful tools we possess. This gives us clues about the paradoxes of the world. Some people are homeless, while others live in luxury. Some places are beautiful, and others look like the moon.
Words Are Spells Words Shape Reality
“Who does not understand should either learn or be silent.”― John Dee, The Hieroglyphic Monad
Well, that is one great strategy to keep from saying the wrong thing. If all preachers and theologians took this rule to heart, there wouldn’t be another sermon. Seriously, though, we doubt they will take Mr. Dee’s advice. John Dee (1527—1609) was an interesting and influential advisor to Queen Elizabeth, an accomplished mathematician, and astronomer with an avid interest in the occult.
Mr. Dee lived when science was emerging and disconnecting from the mysticism of magic and the occult. He was a math genius and, in his twenties, lectured algebra at the University of Paris. He was asked to train those involved in voyages of discovery worldwide because of his interest in finding the Northwest Passage.
He also investigated magic and Hermetics and took part in the occult circuit conducting seances to contact angels and famous people of the past. His main goal was to find the universal language that existed before the pre-apocalyptic unity of humankind at the Tower of Babel. He is said to consider his interests in science and the occult facets of the same quest—a search for a transcendent understanding of the divine forms which underlie the visible world. Mr. Dee was a curious paradox.
He spent most of his time studying the occult and missed the opportunity to decipher the obscure languages discovered in Egypt, Iraq, and Iran.
How Words Can Change The World
Words can be paradoxical. A paradox appears to produce two entirely contradictory outcomes or create a dilemma of conflicting evidence or the appearance of contradiction. It goes against what we would expect to find. So, words can make different paradoxes. The exact phrase can be a blessing or a curse depending on the inflection in the voice or pause.
All words are spells or formulas to some degree. They create thoughts and pictures within the mind. What we speak and what we think are vehicles directing the fabric of our spiritual and physical worlds.
The Sages of ancient traditions hid words and phrases of power. They feared people would misuse them. So, they kept the most powerful words and phrases secret. They understood the right words can change the world. The mantras and sutras of India were not made public in the West until the 1950s. However, their correct usage is still up for debate. The Siddhis of Patanjali are an excellent example of this.
“Paradox is the sharpest scalpel in the satchel of science. Nothing concentrates the mind as effectively, regardless of whether it pits two competing theories against each other, or theory against observation or a compelling mathematical deduction against ordinary common sense.” ― Hans Christian von Baeyer
The power of words underlies the Law of Attraction. The curious paradox here is to find what comes first. Do thoughts really attract positive or negative things? Or is it the thing that causes positive or negative thinking?
Bob Proctor is noted as saying words to the effect the law of attraction is always working whether you believe it or understand it. However, Mr. Proctor may be slightly biased in his opinion about this phenomenon since he makes his living selling this idea in the book and movie series, The Secret. (1)
Words shape reality, so be sure you create something positive and healthy for everyone and everything. Therefore, it is essential to be mindful of our self-talk. We have the power to bless or curse our path with the words we project. (2)
Negative self-talk is asking the Universe for more of what you don’t want. So if words are so powerful, should we simply be silent? It’s essential to learn how to monitor your self-talk. But, it’s not enough to recognize negative self-talk. You’ll need to learn how to change it to redirect the trajectory of your world.
The hex or charm curious paradox presents an ethical dilemma. What are the repercussions to the person who speaks a curse? If I speak positive words, will they come back as good karma? If that’s true, negative comments will come back to me as calamity and misfortune.
The Right Words Can Change the World for the Better
The best way to change the world is to change your words. You change your words by changing your self-talk. Try saying that fast.
“Once again, we face a paradox, for it appears that softening your heart and gently tending its wounds will protect you from evil. Building a fortress and defending yourself behind it will only make you more vulnerable. Healing your own heart is the single most powerful thing you can do to change the world. Your own transformation will enable you to withdraw so completely from evil that you contribute to it by not one word, one thought, or one breath. This healing process is like recovering your soul.” — Deepak Chopra
- To change our self-talk, we must first identify the harmful words and phrases we repeat in our heads. The best way to notice what’s going on is to write. Sit with a pen and paper and think about the words you have in your talk track. These are the formulas you keep repeating.
- Use your spiritual journal to help you spot trends. Identify those phrases which are harmful.
- Ask yourself, what are the triggers that create these negative thought distortions? Do they come from events or relationships? Are these negative distortions current triggers, or do they go back to my childhood? Spotting the triggers will help you head off or intervene so you can replace them. Sometimes these triggers won’t be immediately evident. They appear as a curious paradox, like loving and hating the same thing.
- After you identify the triggers of your negative thought distortions, you can replace them using positive affirmations. An example would be to replace the phrase. I’m always making mistakes, so I’m learning from my mistakes. Replace the negative with the positive.
- Use your smartphone calendar to prompt you with positive affirmations. Go old-school and put these positive formulas on sticky notes. These reminders help you delete and replace negative thought distortions with positive thinking.
“Affirmations are our mental vitamins, providing the supplementary positive thoughts we need to balance the barrage of negative events and thoughts we experience daily.” ― Tia Walker
- The more you become accustomed to this practice, the more you will be conscious of your self-talk. As you realize patterns, the words, and the phrases you are repeating. Then decide what you want to change. If what you are saying to yourself is what you want more of, if not, alter your self-talk.
- Use affirmations as a reminder to change your attitude. You can think the right things, but your attitude is the fuel. A negative mindset will negatively affect all of your positive comments.
- After you’ve written the words and phrases you find in your self-talk, write the language you WANT to change. When you catch yourself involved in negative self-talk, stop yourself.
The above best practices will help you change your self-talk. It will help you reinforce positive thinking.
Shamanic Journey
The Shamanic Journey is another tool for correcting self-talk. Shamanic tradition recognizes that words shape reality. We also know the Shamanic Journey as Creative Visualization or Guided Meditation. This modern rebranding makes it more palatable and marketable.
Many shamanic traditions teach all words are tools. Words are spells. So we need to think and use them wisely. They understand the right words can change the world.
Anyone can enter what Michael Harner (3) calls the Shamanic State of Consciousness (SCC) with a drum beat or singing bowl. While in SCC, you can visually and verbally replace the programming. SCC can also illuminate the source of any negative programming. In this way, you can mitigate future negative influences by re-installing negative self-talk.
“Shamanism, on the other hand, is this worldwide? Since Paleolithic-times, tradition which says that you must make your own experience the centerpiece of any model of the world that you build.” ― Terence McKenna
This negative programming can come from various sources, which, unfortunately, family members or close friends. The people you are around the most can help by changing their negative input. That is if you can recruit them to help redirect your self-talk. If they can’t or won’t help you, you can at least recognize the source. If this is the case, you must try other tactics to minimize their influence.
The world’s dominant cultures are the primary source of our negative thinking and self-talk. Cultures use mythology and superstition to create laws and standards that are unjust. However, these influences are not impossible to overcome. We start by correcting our self-talk.
In Conclusion
Above all, we are people who create reality out of our thoughts. We must learn to be mindful of what we think and say. Our words shape reality. Make sure the reality you are shaping is positive. Learn to change your self-talk to match the life you want to create. After all, everyone is living in the same place.
References
(1) The book, The Secret: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/52529.The_Secret
(2) The Paradox of Positivism: https://sociology.berkeley.edu/sites/default/files/faculty/Riley/positivism.pdf
(3) Michael Harner: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Harner
