We create our reality and reality creates our mind.

[pljames]

If our senses are input devices then as we sense observe taste fell and touch that, alone can create our mind. Our mind now understands our external stimuli and acts accordingly to what we sense and beleve. But if our mind is created by us then how come the mind will not accept certain things as the real truth? The phrase "I can't believe that" and such. Even to the point of insanity? pljames

[SWM]

are you aware of the difference between mind and brain? i am taking your reference to mind as a reference to mental acitivity and consciousness.

you say "our mind is created by us" but this is not accurate our mind is an expression of the brain, would be more accurate.

you say "how come the mind will not accept certain things as real/true" your mind does not have ability to accept, your mind is more like a mirror reflecting back the working and processing of your brain. it is your brain that will process an event and arrive at a position in relation to that event, whether that is a mental event such as believing an image to be real or a physcial event such as going to the toilet or an external event such as your neighbours dog barking.

it is our brain that processes these events, your mind is just another function of the brain, as perception isa  function of the brain, your minds is your perception of the brains processes.

i think.
i could be wrong.

well, my brain jsut gave me this information and i typed it. so... who knows?

[Enigma]

Reality is external and objective, and is bound by certain rules and laws (discovering how reality works and how we can manipulate it is the purpose of science).  Humans, and their brains, are a part of this reality, and have evolved to perceive and survive in it.  The mind arises from the actions of the brain (made up of various processes, which include the senses). Think of it like a computer; the brain is the hardware and the mind is the operating system.  In the mind, beliefs are formed and are also applied to incoming information.   However, the mind is imperfect.  It is susceptible to outside influence (especially at a young age) and degradation.  Incorrect beliefs about reality (however they may arise), when conflicting with reality as it actually exists, produce an uncomfortable feeling known as cognitive dissonance.  Trivial conflicts simply result in a change of belief, but big conflicts can challenge entire belief systems, which many people do not have the emotional resources to deal with.  In some cases it is easier to cling to the incorrect belief than it is to change it. 

I'm going to use an example of a Young Earth Creationist to illustrate my point.  A YEC believes that the Abrahamic God of the Bible created the Universe in its present form between six and ten thousand years ago, and thus they reject the teachings of several scientific disciplines such as geology, biology, cosmology, and paleontology.  Their views conflict with basic evidence-based scientific fact.  For a YEC, rejecting their incorrect beliefs and accepting reality as it actually is would result in a massive change in worldview, marked by an extreme emotional upheaval, existential crisis, and most likely severe social ramifications.  It's a lot less stressful and convenient to keep the incorrect belief. 

[pljames]

My friend Enigma,
 My mind is giving me fits on the theory (the law of attraction) help! I believe in what I see feel touch taste. Why does the mind create a illusion? According to the theory "focus your thoughts on the desire you want, give it (the thought) value purpose and believe you will recieve it (without doubt or question)! Am I close?
If this is (true) this will change my beliefs from negative to positive? This is a mind blowing thought to me. pljames

[pljames]

Excellent post. But how do you get your subconcious to believe? Concious I have no problem with and I think I believe in the subconcious almost. pljames

[pljames]

Sakoz when you are ready. pljames

[SWM]

you can talk about whatever you want. just try to keep topics in the most relevant forum and give a descriptive title.

[pljames]

What is tapping? pljames

[Enigma]

My friend Enigma,
 My mind is giving me fits on the theory (the law of attraction) help! I believe in what I see feel touch taste. Why does the mind create a illusion? According to the theory "focus your thoughts on the desire you want, give it (the thought) value purpose and believe you will recieve it (without doubt or question)! Am I close?
If this is (true) this will change my beliefs from negative to positive? This is a mind blowing thought to me. pljames

I wasn't familiar with the law of attraction, so I looked it up.  It sounds like new age pop psychobabble designed to instill some sort of self-fulfilling prophecy.  To unquestioningly believe you will get something simply because you really want it is foolish.  It may be satisfying in the short term, but it's too passive and wont actually get you anywhere.  Instead, be assertive: identify what you desire, why you desire it, and how you can obtain it and actually working to get what you want (this is basically my beef with prayer: wishing for change instead of actually working for change).  Nature dealt you your hand in life, but the outcome is determined by how you play it.

To answer your second question, "why does the mind create a illusion", humans are not perfect organisms.  I feel like humanity has an idealized picture of ourselves as some sort of superior being, the pinnacle of nature, when we're really not.  Human evolution (and the evolution of all organisms) is an ever-continuing work in progress, evolving to survive the environment we live in.  Modern society has advanced at a rate that has far surpassed our biological evolution.  Our minds and bodies that evolved simply to survive are still working to adapt to a world where survival is not such a significant factor of everyday life.  I believe in my senses, but I'm also mindful of the fact that they can occasionally deceive me.  Therefore I feel it's important to be educated, both about yourself and about the world, in order to identify and compensate for the shortcomings of our minds.

[Zepher08]

Do ya "think" the Jews could have thought them selves out of the concentration camps after reading "The Secret"?

Maybe when they were being lined up and put into the gas rooms they believed they were having dinner at home with family. Now that would have been an excellent way of coping given the circumstances. Dieing with an smile on the face through an experiential memory. Why they could have thought themselves into happiness in as much as one can think them self into discontent.

Seems to me that the thinking process has many uses and agendas.

thoughts are relative to what  has been experienced. I think water melons are great. My senses greatly enjoy the sensation and physical results of eating watermelon. The cognition is a result of a felt experience.
 
 Thoughts are the handles to the source yet not the source but an extension of the source.

Human organisms are born the source then the cognitive function develops on top of the source. In order to really change a thought as a function one must also affect the source.

In order to form a new thought that functions from the source I will have to provide a new experience first.

Experience includes more then simply a thought. If my perceptions of an image is limited to what I have experienced. My thoughts about an image is limited to my experience of the image. New experiences create more depth in perceptions and ultimately new thoughts.

I can access experiences through my thoughts.

New experiences require risk. In order to create new experiences which produce new thoughts one must be willing to be VULNERABLE. Other  wise the experiences remains limited and the thought that represent the experience remain stuck.

People will and do choose comfort over the discomfort of vulnerability even if the original experience producing the thought is actually not serving them.

[Zepher08]

I did not make use of the word "belief". The diagram is based on experience.

The origins of experience combined with temperament  unfold as the future of all interpretations and beliefs. They are not separate.

The beliefs of today are rooted in first time experiences which create beliefs. New experiences are necessary to change beliefs.

Point is ... beliefs are attached to experience one way or another even if it takes a while to see how they have been established. A map of how beliefs are established would be most important.

Beliefs are not topical. Nor is the language (symbols) used to describe a belief. Beliefs are based on experience. My beliefs of today are based on my experience at the age of 6 months old when verbal language had yet to be developed. Beliefs are formed before we can utter the word.

[pljames]

Could the mind be the software and the mind be the hardwire? pl

are you aware of the difference between mind and brain? i am taking your reference to mind as a reference to mental acitivity and consciousness.

you say "our mind is created by us" but this is not accurate our mind is an expression of the brain, would be more accurate.

you say "how come the mind will not accept certain things as real/true" your mind does not have ability to accept, your mind is more like a mirror reflecting back the working and processing of your brain. it is your brain that will process an event and arrive at a position in relation to that event, whether that is a mental event such as believing an image to be real or a physcial event such as going to the toilet or an external event such as your neighbours dog barking.

it is our brain that processes these events, your mind is just another function of the brain, as perception isa  function of the brain, your minds is your perception of the brains processes.

i think.
i could be wrong.

well, my brain jsut gave me this information and i typed it. so... who knows?

[docjp]

If our senses are input devices then as we sense observe taste fell and touch that, alone can create our mind.

Let us begin by separating the physical brain from the Esoteric MIND.  Our physical senses, and our regular thinking has nothing to do with the MIND.  However, ones MIND can, at any time it wants, feed Delusional Thinking to the Left-Hemisphere of ones brain, and one will "think" such thoughts are being generated by ones brain as part of its regular thinking.  These are facts, but many will resist and even deny these facts because it is not time for them to awaken to these facts.  And this too will be resisted by many.

[pljames]

Agreed we have a brain and mind. The brain we have some information on but the mind is still a mystery. But we are more than the sum of our parts (KJV). Do the emotions come from the brain mind or heart? Emotions come from within ourself then exspresses itself outwardly. Are our emotions senses and feelings esoteric (spirit)?

According to the bible the Saints has (something) that could not be explained. I have experienced intuition. The closes I can come to a definition is feelings senses outside of the brain. I am still bewillered by that experience and it was not drugs (been there got that (t-shirt).pl 

If our senses are input devices then as we sense observe taste fell and touch that, alone can create our mind.

Let us begin by separating the physical brain from the Esoteric MIND.  Our physical senses, and our regular thinking has nothing to do with the MIND.  However, ones MIND can, at any time it wants, feed Delusional Thinking to the Left-Hemisphere of ones brain, and one will "think" such thoughts are being generated by ones brain as part of its regular thinking.  These are facts, but many will resist and even deny these facts because it is not time for them to awaken to these facts.  And this too will be resisted by many.