The test-first approach is a process developed in software engineering. It is a collaboration between the client and the programmer. In your daily spiritual practice, you are both the customer and the programmer. Both use incremental steps to build the best solution. See how to apply this to your spiritual practice.
The mind is where the alchemy of the universe comes together as consciousness. If we harness this power, we can direct the trajectory of our thinking. Unlike a computer programmer who starts with a blank slate, the mind already has a lot of programming. So, the best test-first approach tools list requires us to add an extra step. We need to clean up the bad programming to make room for the good.
If you want a healthy society, your daily spiritual practice must promote healthy ideals. You need the freedom to practice spirituality in your own way. It is important to realize that spirituality has nothing to do with religion. Spirituality and religion are two different things, although many people get confused.
Spirituality has to do with the spirit, which is consciousness. Whereas, religion is the belief that myths and legends are real. So, we define spiritual practice is by using processes to explore consciousness. It is an important aspect of many people’s lives. Unfortunately, many people confuse religion with spirituality and spiritual exploration. If you avoid this flaw in thinking, you are better than half of the planet.
A Daily Spiritual Practice That Works
If something works, it means that it produces constantly excellent results. If your daily spiritual practice is working, then it should produce positive results in your life. These results will be reflected in your circle of influence and then in your community. If you use this as a measure of quality, then you can see which communities promote practices that are healthy.
The health and welfare of a community are more than the absence of disease and crime; equally important is the amount of freedom and autonomy. A healthy society promotes equal access to education, safe water, healthcare, and housing. The level of equality, equity, and fairness in society are indicators of its health.
A society is unhealthy if oppression, social inequity, and injustice may exist. Preferential treatment of any group promotes discrimination against those outside the protected class. A society becomes unhealthy as religious, sectarian, and exclusionary ideologies take control.
Unhealthy societies undermine freedom of expression. They inhibit free speech and freedom of the press. As they become more oppressive, they attack the rights of personal autonomy. These rights include the freedom to make decisions about your own body. They set laws based on religious ideologies and enforce harsh punishments for those who oppose them. Oppressive societies lack fair legal systems and openly discriminate.
What are examples of healthy societies? Today, the Nordic Region provides the most healthy societies. There are Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Iceland, as well as the Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Åland. (1)
Examples of societies that are unhealthy include North Korea, Syria, Turkmenistan, Saudi Arabia, Equatorial Guinea, Uzbekistan, South Sudan, Somalia, Sudan, Chad, Central African Republic, Congo, Tajikistan, Yemen, Bahrain, and Burundi.
Why Use a Test-First Approach?
It is simple. Before you decide to buy into any idea, take it for a test drive. Try it before you buy it. Even better, get a second opinion before you buy. Do this in life, and you’ll make better decisions.
“Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I’m not sure about the universe.” ― Albert Einstein
Religion and capitalism use self-hypnosis and group hypnosis. These tools are designed to trigger our deepest fears. They also employ propaganda tactics to help them sell everything from deodorant to ideologies. They want you to make buying decisions based on the emotions they trigger.
We are all exposed to these programming sources via social media. Approximately 50 percent of the population follows a sect of Western organized religion. That means they attend indoctrination sessions regularly. Some listen to religious-oriented broadcasts, increasing their exposure to harmful propaganda.
Guarding Your Daily Spiritual Practice
The more you expose yourself to the sources above, the more “hypnotic suggestion” can affect you. It’s how religions make suicide bombers and programs unsubstantiated and illogical ideas.
That’s why we must learn to monitor our self-talk, thinking, and emotional triggers. So, why use a test-first approach to your spiritual life? Using this approach minimizes errors in judgment. It helps test our thinking before we make critical decisions.
Unintended Consequences of Bias and Prejudice
Some biases are not harmful. For instance, let’s say you like the color purple. You like purple clothes, and this type of bias isn’t negative on the surface. However, your preference may have unintended consequences. It depends on where you get the dye for your clothes.
For centuries, the source of purple dye was the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. Today, this city is called Lebanon, and “Tyrian purple” comes from a sea snail known as Bolinus Brandaris. It was so rare that it became worth its weight in gold. The value depends on where it comes from and what impact it may have. It’s why understanding our confirmation bias is so significant. (2)
“If you are thinking about buying a particular make of new car, you suddenly see people driving that car all over the roads. If you just ended a longtime relationship, every song you hear seems to be written about love. If you are having a baby, you start to see babies everywhere. Confirmation bias is seeing the world through a filter.” ― David McRaney
The above example shows two things. First, this biased filter is powerful and can influence our values and thinking. The second thing it tells us is that not all biases are negative. Some are neutral, some impartially, or predispositions are not harmful.
The goal is to become a freethinker. A freethinker is someone free of all unhealthy bias and prejudice. We may not reach this ideal goal, but we can strive to get closer. The best test-first approach tools list gives sound methods for this task. We identify and remove negative programming, then reprogram it with a positive script.
Alternating analytical tools and meditative practices during this kind of inner work is a best practice. This combination will repair and heal the damage of the emotional trauma of harmful ideologies. Inner work will bring up strong emotions. So, while you are using the tools, we recommend making sure to pause regularly for regular emotional checks.
Emotional checks are easy to implement. Pause every fifteen minutes to assess your emotional state. You want to be in control of your emotions so you can make crucial decisions about what you choose to believe. It will produce more accurate research results.
Don’t believe Everything you Think
Accepting something without giving it proper consideration often leads to cognitive distortions. Always use the “best test-first approach tools list” for anything that may affect your life long term. How often should you perform this test? We recommend you test it before you use it each time. That’s a lot of testing, but it’s worth it, and here’s what you should test for and why.
Don’t allow yourself to be pressured into deciding without testing the source. Understand that your emotions affect the accuracy of your decision-making. So, a structured research approach will help you avoid the distress of cognitive dissonance. It will make this research less stressful. And it will yield more accurate research results.
Test-First Approach Best Practices
We can overcome the effects of our negative biases. It takes an honest appraisal of our worldview and a plan of action. The goal is to correct thinking that supports any negative bias and prejudice. A healthy daily spiritual practice is one which includes the study of critical thinking skills.
Avoid Confirmation Bias
Confirmation bias makes us attempt to fit everything we experience within our worldview. It becomes the default setting of our paradigm, and if it contains negative bias and prejudice, these show up in our thinking and actions. It makes perception quicker and easier, but not accurate. So, this default setting distorts our thinking and values by filtering everything.
Our goal is to find harmful programming. The “test-first approach” will help us identify dangerous things like confirmation basis. Confirmation bias ranges from harmless to destructive. A benign preference would be that you like the color purple. But, if you create a rule stating everyone must wear purple all the time, your choice becomes negative. It becomes a harmful bias if you take a step further and punish those who do not wear purple.
Avoid All-or-Nothing Thinking
This kind of thinking makes assumptions that result in extreme this or that, black or white comparisons. Most issues have a number of nuances that would result in a completely different result.
All-or-nothing thinking results in large swings in thinking and behavior. For example, one day, you think everyone at work loves you. But the next day, you think everyone at work hates you. This results in drastic changes in your demeanor. Your peers view your behavior as erratic and unpredictable.
News media outlets that promote conspiracy theories are the principal cause of this kind of cognitive distortion. For example, Fox News isn’t really news. It is propaganda sponsored by right-wing extremists.
Worst-Case Scenario Thinking
It is beyond healthy skepticism and spiraling downward into catastrophizing. It is prudent to consider the consequences and unintended consequences, but it is another thing to dwell only on the worst possible outcomes without spending equal time brainstorming solutions.
The Best Test-First Approach Tools and Steps
1. Identify Negative Programming
The first step is identifying and acknowledging any negative programming in your paradigm. Several tools are helpful for this task. It is often the most challenging step, so use emotional checks throughout your research.
This process will minimize the biases triggered by confronting your sacred ground. It will make the process smoother and keep you from slipping into cognitive dissonance. The results will be more accurate, and you’ll enjoy the research experience more.
These tools help us question the cultural narrative, which is something we need to make a routine practice. One good place to start this investigation is our sacred ground, our core beliefs. The best way to identify these thought scripts is by using some tools that help us probe our worldview.
Comparative Analysis
The first of the best test-first tools is Comparative Analysis. It is a method for exploring our core beliefs. It is a structured method of investigating beliefs and concepts related to worldviews; some call this kind of exercise comparative religious study. It’s a valuable process to guide our research, which provides consistent and accurate results. It will unmask the origins of your core beliefs, which allow you to change your worldview.
An excellent way to start is to pick an important topic in your belief system. Then find this topic in other belief systems. You’ll be surprised at how many beliefs you have in common with other systems. Most religious concepts are found in earlier philosophies, mythologies, religions, and superstitions. Some of the most common topics are:
- How to approach the subject of Supreme Beings of God
- Afterlife beliefs
- The human spirit
Comparative with others. This comparison provides us with the perspective to question what we believe. Again, don’t believe everything your mind tells you. Remember, we can change what we think.
Logical and Rational Thinking Skills
A daily spiritual practice that is healthy is based on sound critical thinking skills. Logical Reasoning tools include Logical Reasoning, Spotting Logical Fallacy, and the truth-seeker axioms. These tools will enhance critical thinking, enabling you to discern facts from fiction. We suggest marking these articles and referring to them regularly.
These tools are self-illuminating. They show us how people and organizations use arguments to sell and persuade. That’s how you see their misuse. Our modern culture is ripe with propaganda. You will spot fallacies in everything from product advertising to religious programming.
The Enneagram
The Enneagram is another tool that helps us understand our ego, personality, and instincts. The Enneagram is a blending of ancient tradition, which has become a scientifically validated system of psychometric knowledge. It is detailed enough for clinicians to use, while it is easy to understand for the average person.
This tool will reveal your default settings of personality and instinct. You will discover you are not your ego. It is a tool to connect us with the Observer of our experience. One tool we use with this process is the “repeating question.” This method is powerful for getting into the subconscious mind’s programming. It will help you explore or delve into your memories and the programming of your self-talk, and it is also a tool we can use in the next step to remove negative programming.
2. Remove Negative Programming
After you identify the programming, it’s time to repair it. Many people find these negative values scripts come from their childhood. That’s when most of the programming of the cultural narrative takes place. Our fundamental values come from this early period when we are most susceptible to self-hypnosis and group hypnosis manipulation. If we learn to question things early in life, it becomes a natural skill. Otherwise, we must learn this skill.
Many of the harmful scripts involve magical thinking is simply pretending. As children, pretending helps us try out roles and situations. If you are 5 years old and are running through the house pretending you are Superman, this is just play. The child knows it is just pretending. When an adult does this, then this kind of behavior has become a delusion.
So, we want to avoid engaging in unhealthy magical thinking. Sadly, many adults continue with this charade for the rest of their lives, which is why we have religious followers. To avoid this from happening, our mantra becomes, don’t believe everything you think. The “test-first approach” will minimize errors of magical thinking in your daily spiritual practice.
How do you remove a harmful thought script or belief? First, you identify the script with the first step. Once you identify them, you must acknowledge that they are harmful. A common harmful script is the belief an in imaginary friend religions call God. If you want to rid yourself of magical thinking, then you must admit that this kind of concept is inherently unhealthy.
Once you admit magical thinking, the belief in an imaginary friend is unhealthy, then make the decision not to believe it. This is a big step for many people. This concept is attached to a lot of other baggage, including life-after-death beliefs, heaven and hell, demons, and practical aspects of social entanglements.
After you decide that you don’t want to engage in magical thinking about an imaginary friend, whenever this concept pops into your thinking, you must say, no, I don’t believe in that anymore. It may take some time before you are free to think without the fear of divine retribution. You’ll discover there are a lot of fears associated with the magical thinking around god.
Apply the Test-First Approach Strategy
After you remove, or attempt to remove, a harmful thought script, test how you feel. Sit with it for a moment and ask yourself how removing a bias or prejudicial view makes you feel. You are likely to have mixed feelings because you’ve likely become comfortable with the harmful script. Removing a harmful habit is a change, and change makes the mind uncomfortable. It must learn new ways to process data.
Remember, you are not responsible for prejudices installed when you were a child, but you are responsible for correcting the negative programming as an adult. Our thinking impacts everyone in our sphere of influence.
Reprogramming your negative bias and prejudice is serious inner work. It involves two significant concepts. Stop doing things that are harmful and start doing healthy things. It will challenge your confirmation bias. So, be sure to use emotional checks at least every 15 minutes.
Another thing you need to do is limit or remove your exposure to negative programming. The most common source of this is religion. Religious bias and prejudice infiltrate our cultural narrative, justifying bigotry and discrimination. Politics also plays a crucial role in installing harmful thought scripts and values.
Some people like to start by removing the beliefs that are easiest. It is an excellent strategy. It gives you momentum as you build a record of success. Other people go for the programming that is the most destructive, like the magical thinking associated with God. This approach will yield the most dramatic shift in perception. If you choose this route, work with another person or a small group. That way, you have someone to help keep you on track and encourage you through the change.
Almost any compulsive behavior is a good starting place. The more ambitious track is to go directly for the negative bias and prejudice, including religious, racial, or ethnic prejudice. It also includes discrimination of any kind, gender, or economic.
That’s it. It only takes a few steps to remove, but they are often difficult to root out because habitual thinking is at the core of our psyche. You may need to remove it more than once. You must make a firm decision not to believe in the harmful idea.
3. Replace with Positive Programming
The best test-first approach tools list wouldn’t be complete without reprogramming. It’s important not to skip steps. Don’t try to overlay positive programming over negative. It doesn’t work. Identify and do what’s necessary to repair negative programming first.
Affirmations and Mantras
If you try to use affirmations or mantras to cancel out the underlying magical thinking beliefs, you likely cause cognitive dissonance. This will often cause physical pain as your mind grapples with two conflicting ideas. You can’t believe you are free from religion but believe in the magical thinking of God, which is at the center of religion.
However, once you have successfully repaired the programming, affirmations help redirect the trajectory of your thought life. Think of your mind as a garden. Affirmations and mantras work best in good soil. Repair the ground first, then plant good seeds and water.
You are ready to reprogram if you have completed the first two steps. of identifying and removing harmful thought scripts. Now it’s time to give the mind the good food of positive affirmations.
Affirmations are only a part of the process. We suggest a program based on the whole health strategy. Create one that focuses on consciousness development and not doctrine.
Test-First Approach Tools List
Everyone has their particular way of awakening their spiritual gifts, sleeping in their DNA. Awakening is a process. When we open them, it sets our spiritual walk into motion. It opens our minds to new potentials.
We recommend developing your own path with the use of several technologies. This eclectic approach isn’t new. For example, Gurdjieff’s method of self-development is a similar collection. We divide these tools into four groups:
In Conclusion
To recap, don’t assume that every thought you have is accurate. Learn to test your thoughts and beliefs. Be self-aware and learn how to spot the use of advertising and religious propaganda. The best test-first approach tools will guide you through the process of repairing harmful programming. As a precautionary measure, you need to minimize or eliminate the sources of harmful programming. Do your research and use as many tools as possible to investigate your consciousness.
Do you have other thoughts you’d like to share on this subject? Please don’t hesitate to contact us.
References
(1) The 10 Most Repressive Countries in the World — and the 10 Most Free. The Philanthropy on Medium.
(2) Confirmation bias in human reinforcement learning. Evidence from counterfactual feedback processing. National Library of Medicine.