Mind Tricks - Six Easy Ones

Many mind tricks are more than just tricks. They are creative techniques for tapping into the power of your mind. They entertain, but they also have more practical uses. A good example is the "pupil trick."

Look in the mirror and watch your eyes as you vividly imagine something pleasurable. It can be a beautiful scene, your favorite naked body, or anything else that will create desire in you. You'll notice your pupils getting larger almost immediately. If you practice a bit, you can make your pupils instantly larger at will.

Pupils enlarge when you are aroused, interested and receptive. When you are with someone and your pupils dilate, the person you are talking to subconsciously senses your interest in them or what they are saying, and they like that. This makes it easier for them to like you, and to listen to what you suggest. You don't have to be a salesman to take advantage of this. Once you learn to control your pupil size, why not try this subliminal mind trick?

A Mental Math Trick

As a young boy in school, I didn't "show my work" in math class. In my figuring, 97 x 16 became 100 x 16 (1600) minus 3 x 16 (48). It was easier that way, and almost automatic, so I would just write down 1552 even though I couldn't explain very well how I arrived at the answer. For my teachers this was a problem, but many years later such math shortcuts were sold in seminars and books. You might want to learn a few of your own.

A Memory Trick

Suppose you need to remember the following list: Soap, milk, honey, fork, and flowers. Just start a vivid story in your imagination, adding items to it as you go: At the sink, reach for the SOAP, and find the soap dish full of MILK. Wash your hands with that, and then comb HONEY into your hair with a FORK. Finally, pick up a bouquet of FLOWERS and smile at the mirror. Repeat each item while mentally reviewing your "movie," and you'll remember all five things, even the next day.

Mind Tricks For Motivation

To get yourself motivated, talk about your plans. This is a simple, yet powerful mind trick. By the time I tell my wife about the newsletter I'm going to write, I'm out of my slump and back at the keyboard. You can quickly change your state of mind, but not by willing it to change. That would be like trying to ride a bicycle without pedaling. There is a mechanical aspect to the mind that can't be ignored. That is what these techniques tap into.

To help a friend out of a bad mood, get them to talk. More specifically, get your friend to explain something to you that they are passionate about. The process literally will change the chemicals in their brain, and so change their state of mind. When you find the topics that work best, remember them for future use.

A Reading Trick

I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer inwaht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas thought slpeling was ipmorantt.

A subscriber to my Brainpower Newsletter sent me that one. A more useful speed-reading "trick," is to read just the first and last sentences of paragraphs. That's where the most useful information usually is, as in the last sentence of this paragraph: Mind power comes from practice, not desire, so why not try these mind tricks?

What Is Lateral Thinking?

What exactly is Lateral thinking? For starters, it's a word invented by Edward DeBono in 1967. At some point since then it became a part of the English language (it is in the Oxford English Dictionary and most others now). DeBono, on his official web site, says there are several ways to define it.

Lateral thinking is a way of attacking problems from other angles, as opposed to the more traditional linear and logical ways. Debono uses chess as an example of where logic normally suffices, if the pieces are a given. Lateral thinking, however, acknowledges that in real life we mostly just assume the pieces are given, when really we need to change those pieces or look beyond them for the most useful solutions.

Lateral Thinking Puzzles

Enough with the definitions. Here are a few lateral thinking puzzles instead. These will give you a good feel for what the term means, and let you practice this "out of the box" kind of thinking.

Two Coins

Bill is on a raft in the ocean with several other survivors of a shipwreck. The others are too weak, so he or Mike must swim to a nearby island to look for help. It's almost certainly suicidal, due to the circling sharks, but there is little else to hope for. Mike takes the lose change from his pocket and puts two pennies in a hat. He tells John that one is a 2005 penny, and the other 1975. If Bill picks the newer penny he can stay on the raft, and Mike will risk his life. If John picks the older penny, he must go. Bill has seen that both pennies were actually dated 1975, but he doesn't want to say anything, because Mike is a big guy. How does he win, and get Mike to go, without exposing him as a fraud in front of the others?

The Speech

A well-known politician wrote a long speech. How did it help his career even before he gave the speech?

The Convent

John came to visit at a convent while the superior mother was out of town. He left before she returned, and was careful to leave nothing behind. The nuns said nothing about his visit, so how did the superior mother figure out that a man had been there?

Switching On Your Lateral Thinking

You are shown three switches outside a closed room. There are three lamps inside the room. You can flip the switches on and off as much as you want while the door remains closed, but then you must enter just once and determine quickly which switch is connected to which lamp. How can you do it?

Solutions To The Lateral Thinking Puzzles

Two Coins: Bill reaches into the hat and takes out either penny. He lets it slip out of his hand and fall into the ocean. Apologizing, he suggests that if the remaining penny in the hat is the 1975 one, he must have drawn the 2005 penny. Mike cannot argue with the logic unless he wants to admit to lying. Since the others won't tolerate a liar anyhow, he makes the swim.

The Speech: A true story solution: In 1912, President Teddy Roosevelt was shot in the chest. The folded-up manuscript of his speech was in his breast pocket, and slowed the bullet, saving his life, and so helping his career.

The Convent: John left a toilet seat up.

Switching On Your Lateral Thinking: Turn on the first one on for a minute, then turn it off and turn the second on. Enter the room and feel the two bulbs that are off. The warm one was turned on by the first switch, the light that is on is connected to the second, and the other to the third.

Six Bad Habits

Your bad habits limit your success in life. Below are six of the worst, with suggestions on how to break them. It is great if you can retrain your mind and develop good habits too, but just getting rid of bad habits is a great start to a better life.

Bad Habits

1. Waiting for opportunity. Should I be "waiting for my ship to come in," while others are out there building ships? Waiting doesn't invite opportunities - work does. Begin searching out opportunities and creating opportunities. Training your mind to see them can be as simple as looking for them. Then train yourself to take advantage of them by always taking some small step the moment you recognize an opportunity.

2. Short-term thinking. I talked to a man who paid $700 per month in rent when a nicer place was available for $550. Why did he do it? The $700 apartment required no deposit, but the cheaper place required a $450 deposit, so he would have had to save $1,000 (instead of $700) to move in. Due to his short-term thinking, he now pays $1,800 more for rent each year.

Though short term thinking got this man into his situation, and he didn't have the $300 extra, he still could have gone to the pawn shop and raised the money. It would have cost very little interest compared to spending $1,800 more per year on rent. Consider the long-term consequences of your actions, and write them down whenever you make a decision. Continue this until your mind does it automatically.

3. Impulsive actions. A man showed me his $200 hat, then minutes later he told me he was hoping they would approve his welfare application. Perhaps a problem with impulse control? Perhaps it's possible that his bad habits have lead to a place on the welfare rolls?

The solution? You'll usually change your mind about impulsive decisions by the next day. Wait a day before taking any action that commits time, energy or money towards something that is not a major goal in your life. Do it until it is a habit.

4. Blaming. Whether justified or not, how often does blaming someone or something for our situation motivate us to improve it? It is definitely one of the worst of these bad habits, and one of the more subtle ones too. Giving "reasons" for our troubles, for example, is often just a form of blaming.

Let's suppose that a given type of business is over-regulated. Who will most likely succeed here anyhow, the man who blames the regulation for his troubles, or the one that is always asking, "What can I do to succeed with things the way they are?" If you want greater success train your mind to think like the latter. Do you want to point at problems, or deal with them?

5. Procrastination. We know that often, "later" becomes "never." To stop procrastinating, get in the habit of looking for and doing the easiest first step you can find. Often just starting will develop your motivation.

6. Indulging one's laziness. I have little to say about this bad habit, except that I don't know anyone who has suffered greatly from forcing themselves to get up and do something. Do something easy first, and if low energy is part of the problem, start learning a few techniques for boosting it, like deep breathing and singing.

Maybe you have heard the saying, "change your mind - change your life." How do you change your mind? A good start is to correct your bad habits, one-by-one. Why not work on one today?

How To get Rid Of Brain Fog

Brain fog is that sensation you have when you just can't think clearly. Perhaps you can't concentrate, or even figure out what you need to be concentrating on. You might stare at the paper in front of you or at the job you need to do. There may be thoughts swirling in your head, but they aren't organized or helpful. What can you do about this? Try the following quick tips, and then the powerful techniques that follow.

Create clear space to prevent brain fog. It's rare that a person can work better in clutter. At the very least, an organized home or office means you won't have the thought "where is that..." distracting your mind.

Avoid sugars. To understand the concept of brain fog, eat sugary cake on an empty stomach, then try to do math problems twenty minutes later. I think you'll get the point. This is called the "sugar blues."

Try walking. I'm convinced the research will eventually show this to be one of the best things you can do to improve the quality of your thinking, but don't wait for the proof. Walking has enough other health benefits anyhow.

Try more or better quality sleep. People's sleep requirements vary, but the bare minimum for most is somewhere around five hours, and many of us suffer if we sleep less than eight. Some research indicates that after a minimum quantity (say, four hours), the quality of sleep is more important than the quantity for normal brain function.

Avoid getting bored. When it is difficult to concentrate because you are bored with what you are working on, you need to stop and consider why it is important (if it is). When you see the benefits clearly it is usually easier to concentrate.

Powerful Techniques For Dispelling Brain Fog

Thinking problems are often due to stress and worry, so take care of these in order to start thinking more efficiently. First try a simple stress reliever. Close your eyes and take several deep breaths through your nose. Allow the the tension to run out of your muscles as you do this, and try to pay attention to your breath, so any other thoughts can slip away.

When this doesn't get rid of your brain fog, try a more involved mindfulness exercise. It will take just a few minutes, and will work better the more you use it. You basically just stop what you are doing and watch your own thoughts and feelings. With practice you'll start to identify the thoughts that are busy sapping your concentration just below consciousness.

As you identify these energy-wasters, you need to do something about them. If it's a worry about a loved one, for example, call him to see if things are okay, or just make a note on your calendar to visit him. The idea here is that by either directly resolving the issue or "categorizing" it, you'll be able to drop it. This can work even if all you do is tell yourself "I can't do anything about this until Tuesday." Saying so gives your mind permission to drop the thought for now.

You see, concentration is automatic - until you are distracted by your surroundings or your own thoughts. This may be every few seconds for some of us, but by using the tips above and the simple exercises, you can learn to remove the distractions, and control your wandering mind. In other words, you can clear out the brain fog.

Improve IQ

Can you improve IQ and brainpower in general? You bet, and it isn't always difficult. I write about dozens of techniques for iq and general brainpower improvement, and I have seen IQ scores go up by applying these techniques. A more usable brain is more important than a score, though, so sit down with a cup of coffee (your first IQ improvement tip) and take notes as you read through the list below.

Improve IQ - A Few Ways

Improve your beliefs. When you believe you are smarter, you become smarter. Though affirmations may work, evidence is even better, so make a note of your successes. Start telling yourself, "Hey, that was really creative," when you do something creative. When you have a good idea, make a note of it. Gather the evidence for your own IQ improvement and you'll start to experience more of it as you believe in it.

Sniffing things. Rosemary may have an effect on the brain when the scent is inhaled. I am waiting for the research, but some people swear that just sniffing rosemary wakes up their brain. With safe techniques like this, I say give it a try. You probably have rosemary in your spice rack. I have been smelling everything in the kitchen, and it sure seems like some things calm me down, while others perk up my brain. This is safe enough that we can all be brain-enhancement science pioneers.

Write. This is good for your mind in a number of ways. You tell your memory what is important, which helps you recall things more easily in the future. Writing is a good way to clarify your thinking, and it is a way to exercise your creativity and analytical ability. Personal diaries, idea-journals, poetry, note-taking and story-writing are all ways to use writing to boost your brain power and improve iq.

Play Mozart. Researchers found, in a study at the University of California, that children who studied piano and sang daily in chorus, were much better at solving puzzles, and when tested, scored 80% higher in spatial intelligence than the non-musical group. In another study, 36 students were given three spatial reasoning tests on a standard IQ test. Just before the first test, they listened to Mozart's sonata for Two Pianos in D Major, K. 448 for ten minutes. Before the second test, they listened to a relaxation tape. Before the third, they sat in silence. The average scores for all 36 students: 1st test: 119. 2nd test: 111. 3rd test: 110. Improve iq by nine-points with Mozart!

Eat fish. Eating fish speeds up brain waves, and improves concentration. Researchers have also found an almost perfect correlation between intake of fish and lowered levels of depression in the various countries of the world. The U.S. has 24 times the incidence of depression as Japan, for example, where fish intake is much higher. Not all fish are equal, though. Try to eat salmon and other fish that have a fair amount of fat in them.

Stop unnecessary arguing. Defend a position too vigorously, especially when it is just to "win" the argument, and you invest your ego into it. Ego-defending is not conducive to the easy acceptance and use of new information. In other words, you put your mind in a rut, and you dig it deeper with each argument. Debate can be a valuable thing, but when the ego takes over, the mind closes a little. This is not a way to improve IQ.

Learning Style - How To Develop Your Own

A person's primary learning style is usually classified as "visual," "auditory," or "kinesthetic." There are tests to see which of these three is used most by yourself, and you can then use this self-knowledge to learn more efficiently. If, for example, your primary way of processing new information is visual, imagining things in your mind is a good way to make them "stick." Writing things down or otherwise physically using information helps those with a kinesthetic style, and listening to taped information is a good way for auditory learners to remember things.

Beyond these, though, a persons learning style is a unique combination of the primary ways of processing information as well as the ways in which various techniques and personal idiosyncrasies are used. For example, if you remember facts better when you study in the morning, then you should study important things in the morning. Also, particular techniques, like the memory technique of linking a set of facts or items in a story, might work well for you, and so should be used as a habitual part of learning.

Learn how you most easily process information, note how other factors affect your ability to learn, and then test various techniques. In this way you can develop a unique learning style that works best for you. The following are some elements you may want to include.

Techniques To Try In Your Learning Style

Take a few breaks. Research shows that we remember best what we studied first and last in a given session. Taking breaks creates more "sessions," and so increases the number of firsts and lasts. Getting up and moving around during your breaks can also keep your mind fresh.

Study with the idea in mind that you will be teaching the same material. As you study something, imagine how you will teach it, even hearing the words you will use. This is a powerful way to get a good grasp on new information.

Think about how you'll use the information. There is so much information to remember, and so little of it is the "important stuff." When you imagine how you'll use the new information, you tend to automatically focus on the things you really need to know.

Habitually compare and contrast things. Tell yourself, "That's like...," or "How is that different from..." The concept of the e-mail newsletter auto-responder was new to me, but I really started to understand how to use it when I thought, "It's like having someone to do all my addressing and mailing for pennies a day." I started to ask all the other important questions.

To sum up, learn how your mind processes new information. Then try various learning techniques and make the ones that work for you into habits. Oh, and take those personal idiosyncrasies into account too. This is how you develop an effective learning style of your own.

Secrets Of Good Luck

Good luck seems like random fortunate coincidences, but there are things we do that cause more of what we call "luck," both good and bad. Usually, we don't know we are doing these things, but what if we did? Could we then create luck?

Yes. Actually, there are at least seven specific techniques you can use to generate more good luck. This article is about just one of those techniques, one of the easiest ones. It is simply choosing to recognize the luck you already have, until your mind is trained to do this automatically.

Recognize Good Luck

Once, when I bought a particular car, I suddenly began to see the same model all over. The other cars had always been there, of course, but now I was noticing them, because my mind was "tuned into" that model. Perhaps you've had a similar experience. This is how our brains work. We see more of whatever we are looking for or "tuned into", and this is true with luck too. Just look for it, and you'll see more of it.

Why does "seeing" your luck matter? For two important reasons. The first is that you'll feel better when you start noticing the ways in which you are lucky. Counting your "blessings" brings a sense of gratitude that is good for your soul, even if you're not religious. The psychology of this process is real regardless, so this is a brain training exercise for a better life.

The second reason is that when you start recognizing the luck you have, and watching for more, you'll notice that you "get lucky" more often. It won't be your imagination. Yes, you will actually have more good luck, and there is a logical explanation for this.

Create Good Luck

People may tell you that God or the universe blesses you when you have gratitude in your heart. This is a nice thought, but it's not my style. My more scientific explanation is that when you acknowledge luck, and habitually look for more, you create a certain frame of mind. This frame of mind helps you take advantage of opportunities you might otherwise miss.

Here is a personal example: One day y brother mentioned that he's making money from simply hanging advertisements on his websites. Since I had no interest in the internet at the time, I might have just said "That's nice," and let it go at that. However, my mind is in the habit of looking for good luck, so I asked a few questions. A year and a half later, I'm making a good living writing about topics like this.

You have probably heard the saying; "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." This perfectly describes the frame of mind of a lucky person. When you recognize how lucky you are, even in small ways, it makes the possibility of good luck more real to you. This, in turn, gets you watching, and the watching gets you thinking, "How can I make lemonade from these lemons? How is this lucky for me? Where is my good luck in this situation?"

High IQ - So What?

Does a high IQ (intelligence quotient) mean better grades in school? Does it mean a better life? Is your IQ score even a valid measurement of your intelligence? Let's take a look at these questions one-by-one.

High IQ - Intelligence

There is almost certainly a correlation between a high IQ score and being more intelligent. These test are imperfect, though, and you can find examples of cultural biases on many IQ tests. Also, there are specific test-taking skills that have been proven to raise scores on many tests, including IQ tests.

The last point makes sense, doesn't it? When you know how to efficiently "work" a test, you are likely to score higher. For that matter, even a cup of coffee may boost your score. Even the fact that your score can vary from test to test shows there are factors which can be manipulated to raise your score. There may be a general correlation between IQ score and intelligence, but certainly it's an imperfect one.

High IQ - Better Life

What evidence is there that people with higher intelligence have better lives or are happier? None that I am aware of, and how do you scientifically measure "better life?" How about a negative correlation? Many with a high IQ have committed suicide, such as Virginia Woolf, Ernest Hemingway, and Sylvia Plath, but this is just anecdotal. Various studies have shown that people with a high IQ AND a low IQ are slightly more likely to commit suicide, but even if these studies prove true, this doesn't prove causation, only correlation.

High IQ - Academic Performance

A study reported in the journal 'Psychological Science' found that IQ level correlated with academic performance, but there was a much stronger correlation with self discipline. Students with high self-discipline have better grades than high-IQ students. They found no correlation between IQ and discipline, meaning they are traits that vary independently.

High IQ - What Does It Mean?

Intelligence is an important tool, but it is just one of the tools we have to shape our lives with. As are money or power or abilities, it is beneficial in the abstract, but it only becomes beneficial in reality if applied in ways that better our lives. Raw computing capacity doesn't make a computer or a human more effective if they don't have the other necessary components.

Consider what people of average intelligence, like Henry Ford, have accomplished, before you place too much emphasis on a high IQ.

The Power of Concentration

If you had the power of concentration whenever you wanted it, imagine how much more productive you could be. Good news! Not only can learn how to concentrate better, but you can do so right now.

Concentration Power Is Automatic

Start working on something, and concentration is automatic, until you are distracted. Usually these interruptions are your own thoughts, and they may come every few seconds. If there was nothing interfering, you would have easy and complete concentration. What you need is a method to remove the distractions, to control your wandering mind.

Here it is: Start paying attention to what is going on in your head. Maybe there's a phone call you need to make, that has been quietly bothering you, just below consciousness. You could be worried about an upcoming meeting, or a family matter. Start tuning into your mind today, and it will become easier by tomorrow.

Then, as you become aware of these stressors, do something with them to let them go for the moment. Make that phone call, or make a note about it, and your mind will usually let go of the concern for now. Do whatever you can quickly do to let these "mind irritation" go. Sometimes just telling yourself something like, "There is nothing I can do about this problem until Friday," will stop unconscious worrying.

Do this exercise a few times, and you'll find it becomes easier to recognise what is just below the surface, irritating you and sapping your power of concentration. Set these mind irritations aside, and you will think more clearly.

Why Concentration?

Another simple technique is to honestly ask why you want to concentrate. Concentration is difficult if you're bored. A cure for this is to stop and consider why it's important, if it is. Answer the question, and visualize the benefits clearly, and it will be easier to focus your mind.

Obvious Distractions

I have read that Stephen King writes with loud music on. What distracts each of us, or doesn't, is obviously personal and somewhat unique. Do something about whatever it is that takes your mind away from the task at hand. Turn off the TV, feed your empty stomach, or turn your desk away from the window.

When you take care of the external and the internal distractions, you'll be able to focus your attention and brain power like a spotlight. Watch a child building a sand castle sometime, and you'll see that the power of concentration really is natural.

Brain Exercises

Some brain exercises can be as simple as an intelligent conversation or reading something new. Others can be more involved, like doing crossword puzzles or solving lateral thinking puzzles. Here are some general brain exercises you can do anywhere, followed by a few ideas for exercising specific areas of brain function.

Some Simple Brain Exercises

An entertaining brain exercise is to invent things in your mind. You can use many techniques for doing this. It can be as simple as looking at things and asking "How could this be better?" Consider a clock, for example, and you might wonder if it would be better if you didn't have to look at it. Maybe a clock that periodically announced the time and even reminded you of appointments might be useful.

Other brain exercises involve puzzle solving. These can range from crossword puzzles to difficult lateral thinking puzzles, but a simpler, fun version of the latter, is the basic riddle. For example, "Why wasn't Bertha put in jail after killing dozens of people?" Because she was a hurricane. Whether riddles are easy or difficult, they get your mind thinking in new directions, and this is good for getting your mind out of it's "ruts.".

Inventing jokes is one of the more difficult brain exercises, especially if you haven't done it before. Just take a topic or a word at random, and find a way to make a joke with it. The word "Justice," for example, could become "What's the one place in the world you can find justice?" In the dictionary! If you draw a blank after five or ten minutes, move on to the next word or topic.

Brain Exercises For Specific Areas

You may want to work on a particular area of your brainpower. Some of us have trouble with visual imagination, for example. To be architects, we would want to improve that. This can be done by concentrating on scenes in one's mind. Imagine walking through your home, for example, and repeat the process until you can easily "see" everything in each room.

For better concentration, practice identifying "mind" irritations. Anything that's going on just below the surface is sapping your ability to concentrate. Become aware of these things, and you can put them on a list or otherwise dismiss them. More formal meditation practices can help with this, but simple mindfulness exercises may be enough to let your natural powers of concentration function.

Simple brain exercises to strengthen your memory can be the repetitive use of any memory techniques. For example, mentally placing a list of items to be remembered at predetermined locations in your house, and seeing them there in an unusual way (think cucumbers dancing in the microwave), is one such technique. Just imagining where you'll see a person next, and calling to them by name in your imagination is a good way to remember names.

get a little wild to develop your creativity. See things and imagine something absurd, like flying lights. For more than just an exercise in imagination, though, you have to create some sense of the image. For this example, I'm thinking there might be a market for little lights on helium balloons. With a more or less neutral buoyancy for the balloons, a party could be full of colorful, floating, moving lights.

Recent research makes it clear that exercising your brain makes it work better. A more active brain has even been shown to postpone or reduce the incidence of age-related decline of mental function. So why not start today with some simple brain exercises?