The

Self-Mastery
Chapter 1: Psychology (Mental/Mind Action)
I.Introduction
The word psychology comes from the Greek word psyche, which means the vital
breath/human soul (from the Greek goddess Psykhe, the goddess of the soul).
Psychology encompasses all aspects of the human experience, and the study of
psychology encompasses all the elements involved in understanding behavior, and more
precisely, the factors that motivate behavior.
Psychology is the study of mental processes, behavior, and the relationship between the
two. Mental processes in psychology refer to learning, motivation, reasoning, and emotion,
among others. In other words, the study of psychology involves learning how humans think, feel,
learn, interact, perceive, and understand, whether alone or when interacting with other people
or the environment.
Unlike other disciplines that typically deal only in the realm of the physically tangible,
psychology is concerned with thoughts, emotions, memories, and perceptions, bringing a unique
level of nuance and complexity to psychological study, research and practice.
Psychology is a field most often associated with mental health counseling and
intervention, the science of behavior, science of cognition, and science of emotion.

What is Psychology?
Having a good grasp of what psychology is all about is essential for anybody wanting to
study the topic in greater depth. This may sound like an obvious thing to state but psychology is
a subject which is often misunderstood and referred to without any real consideration as to its
actual meaning. A classic case in point being the usual response you get from people when you
tell them that you teach psychology; namely, "I better be careful what I say", or "so do you know
what I'm thinking then?"

Psychology Definitions
To help understand the ambiguity surrounding psychology, let's start by taking a look at a
couple of definitions.
-Psychology is the scientific study of people, the mind and behavior. It is both a thriving
academic discipline and a vital professional practice.
-The scientific study of the behavior of individuals and their mental processes.
Both these definitions tell us that psychology is fundamentally concerned with
understanding behavior.
Particularly when you're starting out. Just keep hold of the notion that psychology is
basically about behavior. You can't be expected to know all the different ways there are to
explain behavior straight away; but as you are introduced to more and more you'll find that you'll
soon be able to place a behavioral explanation within an appropriate psychological framework.
Different Approaches of Psychology

Structuralism - Uses the method of introspection to identify the basic elements or “structures” of
psychological experience. Introspection  involves asking research participants to describe exactly
what they experience as they work on mental tasks, such as viewing colors, reading a page in a
book, or performing a math problem.

Functionalism - Attempts to understand why animals and humans have developed the particular
psychological aspects that they currently possess . Functionalism was to understand why animals and
humans have developed the particular psychological aspects that they currently possess; one’s
thinking was relevant only to one’s behavior.

Psychodynamic - Focuses on the role of our unconscious thoughts, feelings, and memories and our early
childhood experiences in determining behavior. Psychodynamic approach believe that it is possible
to help the patient if the unconscious drives can be remembered, particularly through a deep and
thorough exploration of the person’s early sexual experiences and current sexual desires. These
explorations are revealed through talk therapy and dream analysis, in a process
called psychoanalysis.

Behaviorism - Based on the premise that it is not possible to objectively study the mind, and therefore
that psychologists should limit their attention to the study of behavior itself . Behaviorists believe that
the human mind is a “black box” into which stimuli are sent and from which responses are
received. They argue that there is no point in trying to determine what happens in the box
because we can successfully predict behavior without knowing what happens inside the mind.

Cognitive - The study of mental processes, including perception, thinking, memory, and judgments used
to diagnose brain disease and injury, but they also allow researchers to view information
processing as it occurs in the brain, because the processing causes the involved area of the brain
to increase metabolism and show up on the scan.

Social-cultural -The study of how the social situations and the cultures in which people find themselves
influence thinking and behavior. Social-cultural psychology are social norms—the ways of
thinking, feeling, or behaving that are shared by group members and perceived by them as
appropriate.
II.Minds Action and Decision
The mind is basically a communication and control system between the thetan (the
spiritual being that is the person himself) and his environment. It is composed of mental image
pictures which are recordings of past experiences.
The individual uses his mind to pose and solve problems related to survival and to direct
his efforts according to these solutions. 
The mind is made up of two parts—the analytical (conscious) mind and the reactive
(unconscious) mind.
The analytical mind is the rational, conscious, aware mind which thinks, observes data,
remembers it and resolves problems. 
The reactive mind is the unconscious and portion of a person’s mind which works on a
totally stimulus-response basis. It is not under volitional control, and exerts force and the power
of command over awareness, purposes, thoughts, body and actions.

How it may work?

You don’t have to be a brain surgeon or neuroscientist to be curious about the contents of
your skull. The human brain is the most complex thing in the universe and you get to own one –
how amazing is that?

Let me explain some of how it works. (Bear in mind that this is a very simple explanation. The
reality is far more complex.)

Imagine you have a computer in your head that controls everything you do:

Your brain is the hardware – that’s the physical box. Your brain has all the power connections,
wiring, storage, memory and processing power you need to function as a human being.

If your brain is the hardware, then your mind is the software. It’s the operating system that
gathers, stores and manages information, using the massive processing resources of your brain.

In reality, your brain and your mind are inseparable – they’re part of the same entity and
one can’t operate without the other.

Let’s take a quick look at how your brain works.

Your brain contains around 100 billion nerve cells, or neurons, that make up your central
nervous system. These neurons transmit and receive electrochemical signals, which are basically
your thoughts, emotions, actions and the automatic functions of your body.

To put that 100 billion in perspective, 100 billion grains of sand would fill around five
million teaspons, or two baths, and would weigh two metric tonnes.
The Conscious Mind

Scientists believe that your conscious mind makes up less than 10% of the mind’s total
operational power. Your conscious mind is responsible for:

 Gathering data
 Assessing and processing the data you’re collecting
 Finding patterns and makes comparisons
 Making decisions and gives orders
 Enabling you to respond thoughtfully to situations (rather than reacting in a knee-jerk
way)
 Controlling your short-term memory

When something is in your conscious mind, it’s deliberate and you’re ‘aware’ of it.

The Unconscious Mind

The other 90% of your software is your unconscious mind. It feels inaccessible, because
you’re not consciously aware of what goes on in there, but trust me:

Your unconscious mind is immensely powerful.

 It runs most of the workings of your body – e.g. breathing, digestion, sleeping, heart rate,
temperature control – all without you having to lift a finger (and it controls that too).
 It protects you by trying to maintain the status quo, which is why you sometimes feel
uncomfortable when you’re trying to make a change. Your mind wants to steer you back
to what is familiar and therefor ‘safe’.
 It’s the seat of your emotions.
 It’s where your imagination and creativity stem from.
 It’s also where your habits are created and maintained – I’ll come back to that in a
minute.
 Your subconscious mind obeys instructions from your conscious mind.
 It causes you to react automatically when something threatens you – your might run or
freeze or as your fight or flight response kicks in.
 It stores and retrieves longer term memories.

As I mentioned when looking at self talk, your unconscious mind isn’t rational. It doesn’t
make judgements and if can’t distinguish between right or wrong, good or bad. Is simply accepts
what it is told or shown as the truth, regardless of the veracity of the information. You then
automatically think and feel and behave in a way that is consistent with that truth.
So why is it important to understand how your mind works?

Because, ultimately, that knowledge gives you much more control over how to use the
combined power of your conscious and unconscious minds to think in a more healthy, flexible,
resilient and goal-supporting way.

The benefits include improved self worth, far less emotional upheaval and a much greater ability
to achieve what you want in life.
One of the functions of the unconscious mind is to create and maintain habits – and that’s
something I’m going to come back to in my next post, when I talk about how your mind forms
habits – both good and bad – and how you can use this knowledge to your advantage.

Changing your mindset is the first step to changing your world.

FACTORS THAT IMPAIR DECISIONS

Poor diet and nutrition, Good Diet

Hunger, Targeted supplemental nutrition

Dehydration, Plenty of water

Hormonal changes, Good breathing

Lack of sleep, Good sleep every night

Stress, Stress reduction 

Medical, emotional and psychological problems

Lack of physical activity, Exercise

Your environment, Right environment 

Quality of information

Mastering your mind is mastering your action and decisions

The master decision maker recognizes that biorhythms, and what appear to be unrelated
circumstances, can impact how one sees their options. Simple factors, such as time of day,
amount of rest, and hunger all make a difference in the ability to behave rationally and make
appropriate choices. Therefore, when you begin the decision making process you must learn to
ask yourself if, and what, undue influences might be affecting your reasoning.
III.Mental Illness
Most people believe that mental disorders are rare and “happen to someone else."  In fact,
mental disorders are common and widespread.  An estimated 100 million cases from over the
world and some form of mental disorder in a given year.

If you think you or someone you know may have a mental or emotional problem, it is
important to remember there is hope and help.

What is mental illness?

A mental illness is a disease that causes mild to severe disturbances in thought and/or
behavior, resulting in an inability to cope with life’s ordinary demands and routines. 

There are more than 200 classified forms of mental illness. Some of the more common
disorders are depression, bipolar disorder, dementia, schizophrenia and anxiety disorders. 
Symptoms may include changes in mood, personality, personal habits and/or social withdrawal.

Mental health problems may be related to excessive stress due to a particular situation or
series of events. As with cancer, diabetes and heart disease, mental illnesses are often physical as
well as emotional and psychological. Mental illnesses may be caused by a reaction to
environmental stresses, genetic factors, biochemical imbalances, or a combination of these. With
proper care and treatment many individuals learn to cope or recover from a mental illness or
emotional disorder.

Causes

Mental illnesses, in general, are thought to be caused by a variety of genetic and environmental
factors:

Inherited traits. Mental illness is more common in people whose blood relatives also have a
mental illness. Certain genes may increase your risk of developing a mental illness, and your life
situation may trigger it.

Environmental exposures before birth. Exposure to environmental stressors, inflammatory

conditions, toxins, alcohol or drugs while in the womb can sometimes be linked to mental illness.

Brain chemistry. Neurotransmitters are naturally occurring brain chemicals that carry signals to
other parts of your brain and body. When the neural networks involving these chemicals are
impaired, the function of nerve receptors and nerve systems change, leading to depression.

Risk factors
Certain factors may increase your risk of developing mental health problems, including:

 Having a blood relative, such as a parent or sibling, with a mental illness

 Stressful life situations, such as financial problems, a loved one's death or a divorce
 An ongoing (chronic) medical condition, such as diabetes
 Brain damage as a result of a serious injury (traumatic brain injury), such as a violent
blow to the head
 Traumatic experiences, such as military combat or being assaulted
 Use of alcohol or recreational drugs
 Being abused or neglected as a child
 Having few friends or few healthy relationships
 A previous mental illness

Mental illness is common. About 1 in 5 adults has a mental illness in any given year. Mental
illness can begin at any age, from childhood through later adult years, but most begin earlier in
life.

The effects of mental illness can be temporary or long lasting. You also can have more than
one mental health disorder at the same time. For example, you may have depression and a
substance use disorder.

Complications

Mental illness is a leading cause of disability. Untreated mental illness can cause severe
emotional, behavioral and physical health problems. Complications sometimes linked to mental
illness include:

 Unhappiness and decreased enjoyment of life

 Family conflicts
 Relationship difficulties
 Social isolation
 Problems with tobacco, alcohol and other drugs
 Missed work or school, or other problems related to work or school
 Legal and financial problems
 Poverty and homelessness
 Self-harm and harm to others, including suicide or homicide
 Weakened immune system, so your body has a hard time resisting infections
 Heart disease and other medical conditions

Prevention
 There's no sure way to prevent mental illness. However, if you have a mental illness,
taking steps to control stress, to increase your resilience and to boost low self-esteem may help
keep your symptoms under control. Follow these steps:

Pay attention to warning signs. Work with your doctor or therapist to learn what might trigger
your symptoms. Make a plan so that you know what to do if symptoms return. Contact your
doctor or therapist if you notice any changes in symptoms or how you feel. Consider involving
family members or friends to watch for warning signs.

Get routine medical care. Don't neglect checkups or skip visits to your health care provider,
especially if you aren't feeling well. You may have a new health problem that needs to be treated,
or you may be experiencing side effects of medication.

Get help when you need it. Mental health conditions can be harder to treat if you wait until
symptoms get bad. Long-term maintenance treatment also may help prevent a relapse of
symptoms.

Take good care of yourself. Sufficient sleep, healthy eating and regular physical activity are
important. Try to maintain a regular schedule. Talk to your health care provider if you have
trouble sleeping or if you have questions about diet and physical activity.

Warning Signs and Symptoms

To learn more about symptoms those are specific to a particular mental illness. The
following are signs that your loved one may want to speak to a medical or mental health
professional.

It is especially important to pay attention to sudden changes in thoughts and behaviors.

Also keep in mind that the onset of several of the symptoms below, and not just any one change,
indicates a problem that should be assessed. The symptoms below should not be due to recent
substance use or another medical condition.

In Adults, Young Adults and Adolscents:

 Confused thinking
 Feeling sad or down
 Prolonged depression (sadness or irritability)
 Feelings of extreme highs and lows
 Excessive fears, worries and anxieties
 Social withdrawal
 Dramatic changes in eating or sleeping habits
 Strong feelings of anger
 Strange thoughts (delusions)
  Seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)
 Growing inability to cope with daily problems and activities
 Suicidal thoughts
 Numerous unexplained physical ailments
 Substance use

In Older Children and Pre-Adolescents:

 Substance use
 Inability to cope with problems and daily activities
 Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
 Excessive complaints of physical ailments
 Changes in ability to manage responsibilities - at home and/or at school
 Defiance of authority, truancy, theft, and/or vandalism
 Intense fear
 Prolonged negative mood, often accompanied by poor appetite or thoughts of death
 Frequent outbursts of anger

In Younger Children:

 Changes in school performance

 Poor grades despite strong efforts
 Changes in sleeping and/or eating habits
 Excessive worry or anxiety (i.e. refusing to go to bed or school)
 Hyperactivity
 Persistent nightmares
 Persistent disobedience or aggression
 Frequent temper tantrums

How to cope day-to-day

Accept your feelings

Despite the different symptoms and types of mental illnesses, many families who have a
loved one with mental illness, share similar experiences. You may find yourself denying the
warning signs, worrying what other people will think because of the stigma, or wondering what
caused your loved one to become ill. Accept that these feelings are normal and common among
families going through similar situations. Find out all you can about your loved one’s illness by
reading and talking with mental health professionals. Share what you have learned with others.
Handling unusual behavior

The outward signs of a mental illness are often behavioral. A person may be extremely
quiet or withdrawn.  Conversely, he or she may burst into tears, have great anxiety or have
outbursts of anger.  

Even after treatment has started, some individuals with a mental illness can exhibit anti-
social behaviors. When in public, these behaviors can be disruptive and difficult to accept.  The
next time you and your family member visit your doctor or mental health professional, discuss
these behaviors and develop a strategy for coping.

Your love ones behavior may be as dismaying to them as it is to you. Ask questions,
listen with an open mind and be there to support them.

Establishing a support network

Whenever possible, seek support from friends and family members. If you feel you
cannot discuss your situation with friends or other family members, find a self-help or support
group. These groups provide an opportunity for you to talk to other people who are experiencing
the same type of problems.  They can listen and offer valuable advice.

Seeking counseling

Therapy can be beneficial for both the individual with mental illness and other family
members.  A mental health professional can suggest ways to cope and better understand your
loved one’s illness.

When looking for a therapist, be patient and talk to a few professionals so you can choose
the person that is right for you and your family.  It may take time until you are comfortable, but
in the long run you will be glad you sought help.

Taking time out

It is common for the person with the mental illness to become the focus of family life. 
When this happens, other members of the family may feel ignored or resentful. Some may find it
difficult to pursue their own interests.

You always need some time for yourself. Schedule time away to prevent becoming
frustrated or angry.  If you schedule time for yourself it will help you to keep things in
perspective and you may have more patience and compassion for coping or helping your loved
one. Being physically and emotionally healthy helps you to help others.
IV. Do’s and Don'ts for supporting someone who is depressed
`As depression affects 1 in 5 people at some point in their lives, chances are you know someone
who is currently living with the illness, or you will know someone in the future. As their friend
or loved one, it’s natural to feel powerless, frustrated, anxious, confused, conflicted, defeated,
and unequipped. To help navigate the foggy journey that it is, here are a few Do’s and Don'ts for
supporting someone who is depressed.

DOs

1. DO listen without judgment.

Make space for your friend or loved one to talk about their experience. Let them know "I'm here
to listen" or "I want to better understand what you're going through right now" and "I'm here for
you despite what depression might be telling you."

We often feel compelled to jump in or say something to fix things or change the subject. Try to
refrain from those urges, and give your friend or loved one some judgment-free airtime without
offering a "solution."

2. DO express empathy, encouragement, and support.

When you do respond, do so in a way that lets them know you're listening. Expressing empathy
is letting them know you have an idea what they're feeling. For example, you can try saying
something like, "I’m really hearing how stuck /lost /paralyzed /defeated /dejected /wounded
/broken you’re feeling right now."

By letting someone who is depressed know you have some idea of the magnitude of their pain,
you can help them feel understood, supported, and validated. It's also important to let them know
you care and are here for them. For example, it can be helpful to say something like, "I’m here to
support you. If you can envision a role you’d like me to play in this challenging time, let me
know and I’ll do my best to fulfill that. If not, know that I’m here and I’m not going anywhere."

3. DO help them find resources.

Navigating the plethora of health care degrees—GPs, NDs, LPCs, LCSWs and LMHCs—can be
overwhelming for those of us who don’t identify as depressed. Imagine how it feels for someone
who’s functioning at 20% with little motivation or concentration!

Connecting with mental health professionals can be an ominous task. Help make things possibly
less daunting for your loved one by identifying resources in their area. A good place to start?
Their GP or ND. Other potentially beneficial resources include a psychotherapist, depression
support group, and your local crisis line.
4. DO know your role and have realistic expectations for yourself within it.

What would you expect from your friend if you were going through a rough time? Have similar
expectations for yourself in this position. You are not their therapist, psychiatrist, or doctor. If
you're unsure as to what they expect from you, ask. Set realistic guidelines (e.g. "I'm here for
you, but sometimes I might be busy and not be able to respond to your calls or texts until later
on. It doesn't mean I don't care, despite what depression might tell you.") Be kind to yourself and
acknowledge your limitations.

DON'Ts

1. DON'T say “Be strong,” “Don’t cry,” “Focus on the positives!” or “Be grateful for what you
have.”

In our society, sadness, tears, and depression are often associated with “weakness” or instability.
Emotionality is not valued, and thus feelings associated with depression are often enveloped in
choking layers of shame and anxiety. Telling someone not to feel depressed, or that they should
“think positively” will not make them feel better. In actuality, it will likely make them feel worse
—weak, ashamed for feeling sad, and less able to feel safe in your relationship. Make space for
emotions; don't try to limit them or contain them.

2. DON'T be afraid to ask if they're suicidal.

Not everyone who's depressed is suicidal, but almost every person who completes suicide has
experience with depression. People who are considering ending their lives will often make
ominous statements like, "What's the point [in living]?" or "Pretty soon you won't have to put up
with this any longer."

They also might start giving away possessions, get their will in order, contact people to "make
amends," or appear suddenly calm, given their previous behavior. There is a common
misconception that if we ask someone if they've been thinking about suicide, we might put the
idea in their head or drive them to do it. This is untrue. Often, being asked causes great relief for
a person who's been thinking about it.

You can try saying something like this, "It’s not uncommon for people to have suicidal thoughts
when experiencing depression. Have you been thinking about killing yourself?"

If the answer is yes, remind them that suicidal thoughts are a natural coping mechanism (they
provide a way to "stop the pain,") but suicide will not make things better. You are likely not a
trained professional, so stay with them while you encourage them to call a suicide hotline for
proper assessment and resources. You can read more about this here.
3. DON'T minimize what they're going through, don't tell them there are starving children in
Africa, and don't tell them you know exactly how they feel.

Even if you’ve had firsthand experience with depression, everyone’s experience is different.
Thus, stick with empathizing ("What you're going through sounds really painful") rather than
identifying ("I know exactly how you feel"). It can help to share your own experience, but make
sure they're aware you're not implying it's the same situation. Similarly, don't minimize what
they're going through by telling them things like "It could be worse," or "Come on, things aren't
that bad. At least you have your job/ family/ health, etc." That will just lead to their feeling
misunderstood, frustrated, and ashamed.

4. DON'T Go MIA or give up on them (without talking to them about it first).

It’s natural to feel frustrated, powerless, and fed up in relationships in which your friend or loved
one is living with depression. You might believe that you can see “an answer” so clearly, or a
contributing factor. Maybe you're tired of them always bailing on plans or never calling. These
are all common experiences to supporting someone with depression.

If you've reached your limits, talk to them about it. Say something like, "I really want to be here
to support you, but I'm feeling powerless/ unequipped/ stretched. I don't want to lose this
relationship. How can we find a way to make things more sustainable?" Often, if you're feeling
exhausted in supporting them, it's a sign they don't have enough other supports in their life. Help
them connect to resources so you're not the sole support.

Finally, and most importantly,

5. DON'T neglect yourself in the process!

Supporting others can be mentally and emotionally exhausting. Often, we find ourselves
focusing all our energy on our friend or loved one, and we wind up neglecting ourselves in the
process. Especially for those whose partners, close friends, or family members are experiencing
depression, I encourage you to seek your own therapy. Be kind to yourself—Make sure you're
practicing self-care and self-compassion, and are getting the support you need from others as
well.