| "I can't do maths!" "I'll never pass this exam!" I have | | | | What is the opposite of fear? Calm, confidence, |
| heard these words more than a thousand times. And | | | | self-belief, relaxation, perhaps happiness. It therefore |
| it's perfectly true. If you believe that you can't do | | | | follows that if you can create a state of mind that is |
| maths, chances are that this will indeed be so. You | | | | calm, secure, confident, self-assured and positive, you |
| have adeptly created a blockage in your brain - as real | | | | will achieve better results, especially in intellectual |
| as a brick. Doubting yourself is a sure way to switch | | | | pursuits in which logical thinking prevails - such as |
| off those parts of your brain that are capable and | | | | maths. |
| clever. Most of us are aware of the placebo | | | | How do you acquire such a calm, confident state of |
| experiments that demonstrate how powerful the | | | | mind? Surround yourself with a bubble, put in a calm or |
| imagination is. We create our own reality through what | | | | happy colour, possibly even imagine some flowers in |
| we believe and what we expect. | | | | your bubble - you may even be able to smell the |
| You probably know everything about positive and | | | | flowers. Or imagine (or pretend) that you have your |
| negative thinking, but feelings and expectations play an | | | | guardian angel standing behind you, protecting you. A |
| equally strong role. Powerful emotions like fear, shock | | | | little imagination will allow you to sense or feel its |
| or anger heighten impressionability. Your thoughts, | | | | presence at the back of your neck. Should a PET |
| perceptions and inner voice influence you significantly | | | | scan be taken of your brain at that moment, you will |
| when you experience fear or anxiety. | | | | see the lights going on in your brain, especially in the |
| Fear and anxiety cause the brain to downshift into a | | | | cortex. Now you are much more capable of passing |
| more primitive mode. Consequently the functioning of | | | | maths or any other subject. |
| the logical, thinking and reasoning left cortex is inhibited. | | | | Your brain cannot distinguish between that which you |
| If you fear that you are going to fail, you are increasing | | | | visualize and feel and that which is real. You do indeed |
| the likelihood of failing. Fear limits your capacity to use | | | | create your own reality. |
| your abilities to the full. | | | | |