Learn Yourself: A Manual for the Mind - Companion Book

By Aaron Garrison

The mind is a jungle. And, like any jungle, this one requires a field guide for survival.

Paired with the original 'Learn Yourself: A Manual for the Mind,' this companion book offers the reader a hard-hitting course in navigating life and its mental perils. Building on the first volume's comprehensive-yet-accessible framework, this sequel focuses on "mental survival," as to create a field guide for the jungle within everyone. By moving beyond the psychological basics laid down in the parent book, these advanced techniques propel the reader to a new level of empowerment, as to defend against even the most devastating of circumstances and experiences.

Learn how to:

•Think in terms of mental survival
•Use the power of choice and belief
•Avoid bad reactions and their damaging consequences
•Adopt an attitude of vigilance
•Improve and enhance memory
•Employ novel techniques against common mental pitfalls
•Silence the mind against self-destructive thoughts
•Identify environmental patterns in yourself
•Become consciously aware of the body and movement
•Learn vital communications skills
•Resist being influenced by other people

Life presents no shortage of threats to mental survival. Learn to protect against them now, rather than waiting until you're already lost in the jungle.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Aaron Garrison
• Release date: Aug 20, 2013
• ISBN: 9781301860876

Aaron Garrison

Aaron Garrison is a thirty-year-old man living and working in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina, USA.

Book preview

LEARN YOURSELF:

A MANUAL FOR THE MIND

COMPANION BOOK

Smashwords Edition

by Aaron Garrison

Copyright 2013 Aaron Garrison

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedicated to the world, which taught me the lessons contained in this book. I now return them to you, gratefully.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Chapter 1: Thinking in Terms of Mental Survival

Chapter 2: Choice

Chapter 3: Non-Reaction

Chapter 4: Vigilance

Chapter 5: Memory

Chapter 6: Empathy

Chapter 7: Belief

Chapter 8: Momentum

Chapter 9: Silencing the Mind

Chapter 10: Energy States

Chapter 11: Environmental Patterns

Chapter 12: Conscious Awareness of the Body

Chapter 13: Communication

Chapter 14: Surviving Group Influence

Chapter 15: Additional Tips

Final Conclusion

INTRODUCTION

Hello again – or, I hope it's again. If not, that means you haven't read the original Learn Yourself book, to which this one is a companion.

Really, you must first read Learn Yourself: A Manual for the Mind. There is a practical reason for this: the companion book can only be truly appreciated when read in the context of the original, parent book. Without first reading that one, you will be at a disadvantage when trying to comprehend this one, for the original serves as a foundation in several ways.

First off, the parent book introduces the terminology used here. So, without being familiar with my usage and definition of these terms, you may have trouble understanding – or, worse, you'll misunderstand, which is infinitely worse. Second, this book assumes a working knowledge of oneself and the mind, as structured in the previous book, without which the more-advanced concepts contained here may be Greek to you.

So, please, do yourself a favor by reading the original Learn Yourself book before attempting this one. I promise, I'm not just trying to get your money.

GREETINGS!

Whether you're a return reader or a bold individual who's chosen to ignore the above advice, I'll briefly reintroduce myself. My name is Aaron Garrison, and you have not heard of me. I am not a doctor. I am not famous. I am in no way special. I am your common, everyday man – with one exception: I have experienced a decade of chronic illness, and lived to tell the tale.

And what tale do I have to tell? It's not a feel-good inspirational story, nor a bitter recounting of hard luck. In fact, my tale has little personal content at all. Instead, it involves how to learn yourself and your mind, told in the form of the lessons I was forced to learn in order to survive the mental effects of multiple, simultaneous illnesses.

Whereas the original book introduced the basics of the mind and how to become aware of the self, this volume has a more narrow focus: that of mental survival. Here, we will explore the many ways in which the mind can become distorted and dysfunctional, as well as techniques to defend against this dysfunction.

The techniques catalogued are those I taught myself and then used to consciously compensate for the effects of my medical conditions, and though this list is far from complete or definitive, it provides a general overview that can be adapted by the individual for more-comprehensive use.

Without further ado, let's begin.

CHAPTER 1: THINKING IN TERMS OF MENTAL SURVIVAL

Normally, we are able to think clearly.

When healthy, free of stress, and in a stable, encouraging environment, the human mind is far more capable of thinking and behaving reasonably. Perceptions are clearer, with less distortion from the subconscious and its illogical influences. Thought processes and reasoning are less prone to fault or fallacy. Conscious awareness of the mind and actions becomes much easier. Fear and other emotions have less influence, as do predatory people. In short, a healthy, normal state of mind and body enables a person to function better, in a fundamental way.

There are broader effects of such a balanced state, bringing changes in thinking and behavior as a whole. A balanced person is less likely to mistreat themselves or others to gain a sense of power. Things like psychological complexes, biases, and emotional addictions don't have as much influence or importance. A person is more resilient in general, being less affected by their feelings or environment. In a balanced, healthy state, a person has their mental armor on, leaving them more comfortable and complete.

In a perfect world, everyone would be healthy and balanced all the time, after which many significant social problems might vanish. But, ours is not a perfect world in this sense. So, sooner or later, everyone is going to enter a less than ideal state – perhaps one far from ideal. Then, thinking and perception are severely distorted, distancing the mind from actual reality and proper behavior. Also, one's mental armor is damaged, or missing completely, resulting in great vulnerability. These states are those I've previously referred to as compromised states, and this book is written with them in mind. Here, I will detail a select number of techniques used to survive such states. In all of these, the goal is to remain aware of actual, objective reality in spite of impaired thinking (or to at least avoid acting on the distorted reality created by a compromised state).

And, make no mistake: a mental-survival technique is quite literal, as knowing how to properly navigate a compromised state may very easily save your life one day.

MENTAL ARMOR

In the chapter's opening, I mentioned mental armor, and how its presence can provide various forms of protection, while its absence causes vulnerability. Understanding of this armor is helpful for visualizing the effects of a compromised state.

When mental armor is functional, it protects primarily against mental influence. These influences include external factors such as environment and other people, while also extending to internal influences, such as distorted perceptions and other subconscious processes. In effect, mental armor acts as a shield against anything which would distort thinking, as to shelter a person's inner, subjective reality and all contained within it. Without the armor, that inner reality is free to be twisted and contorted into strange new shapes, these usually out of touch with actual reality in some way.

Think of the mind like a crate containing something infinitely valuable, with the protective packing peanuts being the mental armor, which absorbs whatever shocks may come along.

What is this armor made of, exactly? That depends on who you ask, and their personal understanding of bodily processes. Ask a traditional Western scientist, who possesses a more nuts-and-bolts perception of the body, and they might define this mental armor as, simply, the sheltering effects of good health. Ask a more adventurous scientist, and they may suggest intricate processes on the cellular level, these involving adaptive responses which could be seen as having an armoring effect on thought. However, ask someone with a broader, more esoteric view of the body, and they may suggest mental armor to be comprised of life energy, which can quite literally serve as a suit of energetic armor covering body and mind.

Which, if any, is right? I won't try to answer that question. Instead, this book only goes so far as to say that there is something that could be described as mental armor, and that it is very, very important. Call it what you will, but one thing is for certain: mental armor has a drastic, fundamental effect on overall wellbeing, which translates directly to thoughts, perceptions, and behavior.

After reading this last paragraph, you might now be making an assumption: that this mental armor is necessary for life, and that someone cannot function without it. So, likewise, a second assumption is born: that if mental armor is somehow damaged or removed, then the person must therefore cease to function. However, as natural and logical as these assumptions may be, they remain assumptions, and neither is true. While having a nice, sturdy suit of mental armor is certainly helpful, is it not necessary to function. That is to say, in times when your mental armor isn't doing its job, you don't have to succumb to the mental distortions that can result.

This is good news, though you may not yet see why.

It comes down to this: because you don't need your mental armor to stay in touch with (and act on) actual reality, you don't have to live at the mercy of the world's many influences. Mental armor isn't necessary to keep your head straight, in other words. By use of conscious awareness, you may compensate for a failure of mental armor, or most any deficiency caused by a compromised state of mind. Though it's certainly tempting to think that malfunctioning mental armor is a death sentence for reasonable, accurate thinking, this is a baseless assumption – one which must be done away with, for only then can you open yourself to the possibility of compensating for such malfunction.

MY EXAMPLE

For the reader to understand the importance of reacting properly to (and functioning within) a compromised state, I offer a personal example.

After years of chronic illness and declining health, I eventually entered a compromised state which was nearly permanent. At the start of my illness, I would fluctuate between periods of an unhealthy but intact state, and a very unhealthy, fundamentally dysfunctional state, which would succeed in compromising my thinking and behavior. At this point, my mental armor was in disrepair, as to give out for days or weeks on end, leaving me wide open to life's many damaging influences.

Upon entering my dysfunctional periods, I reacted badly, with fear, alarm, depression, and a victim mentality, all of which only compounded my bad health and skewed thinking. Functioning would become difficult, both physically and mentally, and I made many bad decisions as a result, some of which contributed to additional health problems down the road. Only upon having my health again improve would I be lifted out of my compromised state, which is to say that, until then, I would be dysfunctional and vulnerable, at the mercy of my distorted thoughts and perceptions. Had I known then what I know now, I could have retained stability and function through my bad periods, as well as avoided damaging myself further. But, I would only learn these things later, when I stopped having good periods altogether.

It was approximately five years into my illness when I hit this point of critical mass, at last ceasing to have anything resembling health, at any time. Then, my state became a question of just how sick and compromised, rather than sick or not. In short, my mental armor went from damaged and intermittent, to nonexistent. It is impossible to put into words the precise effect such a state has on a person, especially one unaware of their subconscious and the tricks it can play. Daily life became a dangerous, grueling experience, even at a minimal level of functionality. In the end, I had a choice: learn to somehow compensate for my illness and continue on, or surrender and die. Of course, I didn't know I had this choice, for it was subconscious, as with so many of life's greatest junctions; but it was a choice, all the same.

Luckily, I chose the first option.

From there, I started a journey toward self-awareness and mental survival, which has culminated in the Learn Yourself books, including the techniques you are soon to read about. As for how I came to develop these techniques specifically, it was a matter of necessity is the mother of invention, for I was forced to learn and practice them in order to support myself, in a sink or swim scenario of the greatest stakes. Though, as elaborate as all this may sound, it all amounted to what could be considered a mere attitude adjustment, where I refused to be mentally injured by poor health.

That is to say, I chose to improve my condition. And, I did.

THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

As for the effectiveness of such mental compensation for compromised thinking, you are reading the greatest evidence for it: the Learn Yourself books.

I wrote both books only after my illness was at full maturity, when I possessed several debilitating conditions simultaneously. Individually, each of these affected mental sharpness and function, bringing brain fog and dullness of mind; collectively, however, they combined to leave me in what might be considered a stupor, in which even basic thinking was impaired. Without conscious compensation for this overwhelming brain fog, coherent writing would be impossible. Yet, I write regularly, both nonfiction such as this book, and fiction published in dozens of venues. Also, I maintain a physically demanding job (albeit part-time). In short, I am functional and able to have a life. Ironically, I do better now, when my health is significantly worse, than when I was far less sick but far less self-aware (and unable to react appropriately to a compromised state of mind).

Of course, my word doesn't constitute proof of these techniques' effectiveness, spoken nor written. That must come from your own experience.

In any case, my experience raises an enormous question: how much of the mind is circumstance, and how much is choice? If I can function through physical and mental impairment purely through conscious choice, what does that say of our collective beliefs regarding such matters? Were I to be given a standard intelligence test in this condition, I would score exceedingly low – yet I am able to think around my dysfunction and, hence, generate what could be considered coherent, intelligent thought. That is to say, an intelligence test would only test my impairment, not my actual mind and its ability. I can't help but wonder: how many people labeled as stupid or mentally ill might, in reality, just be unaware of how to function within their compromised states, leaving them to live out the labels applied to them? Were the truth to be known, I believe the answer would be shocking.

My experience suggests hope for such people, as well as for anyone experiencing just an acute compromised state. Just how far can choosing to function, using conscious compensation, push a dysfunctional body and mind? Can mind truly overcome matter, by way of simple choice and attitude? These questions are the context behind the techniques detailed in this book.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

In a normal, healthy state, we think clearly and are in touch with actual reality, which translates to more-appropriate behavior. However, life is such that we will not stay in a state of health and balance. Thus, everyone will, sooner or later, somehow enter into a compromised state. Such a state may be reached any number of ways, but they all amount to this: a person's mind being distorted against actual, objective reality, after which they are at risk of acting on perceptual illusions and other unsound thoughts.

This is where mental-survival techniques come into play, by allowing an individual to resist and evade the mental distortion brought on by a compromised state. This is the thrust of the book.

A helpful means of illustrating just what occurs in a compromised state is by understanding mental armor. Normally, this armor protects the mind from external influences, as well as those introduced by our own thoughts. In a compromised state, however, this armor malfunctions, creating a marked vulnerability to influence.

Though, losing our mental armor doesn't have to mean defeat. By way of conscious awareness and proper reaction, we may compensate for this loss and counteract influence manually. This is the foundational concept of mental survival as presented in this book: using conscious awareness to compensate for the effects of a compromised state, thus retaining awareness of actual reality.

CHAPTER 2: CHOICE

First and foremost in anyone's arsenal of techniques for surviving a compromised state, are conscious choice and attitude. Nothing else has as much bearing on the entire mind and its function (and even that of the body).

I must clarify: when I say conscious choice, I'm not referring to the thin, empty choices made in the conscious mind and spoken aloud, but those deep and sincere enough to affect the subconscious. While the former may have little impact, the latter are able to exert profound, almost supernatural levels of control over thoughts, perceptions, and behavior.

Have you ever thought you're doing one thing, when you're really doing something else entirely? This duality demonstrates the difference between conscious and subconscious choices. Usually, such double-mindedness arises from a conscious choice made insincerely or superficially, so that, ultimately, behavior is governed by a different, more substantial subconscious choice, which will make certain things feel right (even if they directly contradict the conscious choice).

BELIEF

When it comes to whether a choice produces effect, belief is the deciding factor.

A deeply believed choice is very much a verb, being active and requiring true commitment, as to create a sort of mental gravity with its making. If sincere enough to be believed, such a choice will work to penetrate the subconscious and have magical, broad-spectrum effects on mind and body, like those which arise from a placebo pill curing illness. Otherwise, a conscious choice can be made without consequence, leaving more-substantial, subconscious choices and beliefs to govern the self.

In this way, a deeply sincere choice lays the groundwork for all thought, including belief, the most powerful thought of all. Again, deeply held beliefs are the cornerstone of all thought and action, to such a profound degree that they can make someone see what's not there or ignore what is, as with hypnotism. And, likewise, it is a person's sincere choices which govern beliefs (and, therefore, attitude and reaction). Just as a shift in belief can affect all action which follows that belief, choice has the same effect on belief.

This is why the mental-survivalist must always choose function, clear thinking, and actual reality, rather than the dysfunctional, distorted thinking a compromised state may induce.

REACTION

When someone is faced with a compromised state such as illness or confusion, their first, immediate reaction is vital to properly dealing with that state. React well, and it can smooth out a potentially rough experience. React badly, and it can have the opposite effect.

Because reaction hinges on deep, subconscious choice, the mental-survivalist must be ready, right off the bat, to choose to survive a compromised state. Of course, this is easier said than done, since we are dealing with the subconscious mind, which is not so easily accessed consciously. However, if someone has gained conscious awareness of themselves, such access to, and control of, the subconscious is possible. (If you do not have a working understanding of conscious awareness, read the original Learn Yourself book for an overview.)

Even then, a quick, positive choice in the face of a compromised state will take practice, as it depends on being experienced with consciously making a sincere choice, as well as experience with identifying the onset of compromised thinking in the first place (and withstanding said thinking long enough to choose not to let it affect you). Other principles discussed throughout the first book can help to this end, such as unconditional acceptance, suspension of initial, knee-jerk reactions (such as fear and alarm), and the ability to reason through skewed thinking.

In short, just keep this goal in mind: when faced with a compromised state, make a quick, sincere choice to survive, no matter how painful or disturbing that state may be. Then, your initial reaction and all that follows it will send you off on the right foot, after which additional techniques can help sustain that positive choice.

REAL-WORLD APPLICATION

To see the real-world application of sincere conscious choice, consider someone who is lost in a snowstorm.

The snow is pouring. The air is freezing cold. Night is falling. Visibility is zero. The lost person has been out there for hours, and the colder and more exhausted they get, the more they develop a certain feeling: to lie down and sleep. This subconscious urge, which makes it feel right to lie down, arises from the body's natural reaction to extreme cold and fatigue. This urge is well-intentioned, as it is the body's way of helping recover warmth and energy; however, well-intentioned or not, obeying such an urge can sometimes kill you – like, for instance, when lost in a cold, exhausting snowstorm.

Thus, the lost person's conscious choice becomes vital to their survival. To survive, the person must remain consciously aware of reality and appropriate behavior, which will see them ignoring their body's confused, subconscious signals (those making it feel right to lie down and sleep). All this hinges on the person's conscious choice to survive, including the depth of that choice. By sincerely choosing survival, the person will operate based on that, ignoring what feels right in favor of what they know is right. On the other hand, an insincere choice might see the person literally lie down and die, due to their conscious will being overcome by what feels right subconsciously. We see here an example of the duality mentioned earlier, in which an insincere conscious choice, insufficient to alter subconscious belief, may see someone acting contrary to their goals (perhaps without realizing they're doing so).

Look at it this way: a compromised state of mind is no different than a snowstorm. Your subconscious and your body may begin sending out confusing, self-destructive feel-rights, and if you can't choose to ignore them and act on actual reality, problems can arise.

MAKING EFFECTIVE CHOICES

The means of making sincere, belief-shaping choices is simple in theory, but difficult in practice.

To be functional on a subconscious level (that necessary to alter belief and see results), a choice must be sincere. But, what do I mean by sincere? Here, I use sincere as being not only heartfelt and truthful, but without reservation or vested interest (or any other subconscious restriction). That is to say, if a choice comes with strings, it will be crippled in effectiveness, perhaps to the point of not shaping belief and, thus, behavior. Conversely, if a choice is made unconditionally, to achieve whatever is desired by the will, then that choice will be far more likely to succeed.

For instance, were the person lost in the snowstorm to think, I choose to survive so long as it doesn't get too cold, then that choice is limited by the condition attached to it. Once the temperature gets too cold, that choice is invalidated – it will, in fact, even have an adverse effect, since it brings with it the subconscious belief that being too cold equates to defeat. However, were that condition to be removed from the initial choice – as I choose to survive, without condition – then the results might be altogether different.

We see here the value of being without vested interest and other biases which accept only a narrow range of outcomes. By removing these strings from reasoning and decision-making, the mental-survivalist will make stronger, more substantial choices, which may be focused into subconscious belief. Carry around such mental baggage, and the will is crippled.

This goes double in light of a compromised state, in which reasoning, decision-making, and the will are all impaired in the first place, making effective choice that much more difficult. Focus and refine your choices beforehand, when you're thinking clearly, and you'll be at an advantage when compromised.

NO CHOICE

A final note on choice: if you're ever met with the feeling that you have no choice in a matter, question that feeling extensively. If I had a dollar for every time such a feeling proved completely baseless and false, I'd never have to work again.

Far too often, an immediate feeling of I have no choice is nothing more than the product of an illogical subconscious influence (often promoted out of some hidden self-interest, such as a psychological complex suggesting you have no choice but to gratify it). Sure, sometimes circumstances are such that you are without choice in certain matters; but, you always have a choice in your reaction and attitude to those circumstances, without exception. Believe otherwise, and you are at a serious disadvantage in terms of mental survival.

CHAPTER SUMMARY

Conscious choice is the mainstay of the mental-survivalist. Before any other mental-survival technique may be attempted, there must be a deep, sincere choice to survive. Without this choice, all attempts at surviving a compromised state will be undermined, potentially resulting in a loss of awareness of actual reality.

Belief is the cornerstone of choice. When made sincerely enough, a conscious choice will shape subconscious beliefs. Then, all future thoughts, perceptions, and actions will conform to that newly forged belief. For this reason, it is imperative to react positively when faced with any sort of compromised state, to begin positive momentum right off the bat. When it comes to mental survival, choice and belief go hand in hand: to survive, the individual must believe they can survive, and to believe, they must choose to. Without a deeply