CHAPTER

2
Meeting Life’s Challenges
Did You Know That…
 The National Enquirer magazine is the number one selling news source in America. The combined sales of the New
York Times, Time Magazine and News Week don’t even approach the sales recorded for the Enquirer.
 One out of every five Americans will require psychiatric help before they reach the age of forty.
 According to the National Education Association, American schools in 2001 experienced approximately 30,000
instances in which students beat up their teachers in the classroom, 10,000 cases of rape on school premises and about
100 murders during school hours.
 Fifty four percent of the responses that teachers make to their students in the classroom are negative.
 A recent mental health survey revealed that eighty percent of the Americans surveyed said that they were not happy
and that life was a real bust.
 Only 17 percent of married couples said they would do it all over again if they had the chance.
 The average relationship in America today lasts three months.
 The brain and/or nervous system cannot distinguish between an experience that is real and one that is imagined.

After reading this chapter you should be able to answer the following questions
How does the brain function?
How does mental imagery work?
What is psychic driving?
What is scripting?
What is covert training?
What is subliminal learning?
Does sleep learning work?
What is functional autonomy?
How can someone become functional autonomous?

Key Terms
Functional autonomy Transsexual
Other-directed Cooley’s looking glass
Inner-directed Electromyography
Authenticity Self-monitoring
Cybernetics Scripting
Immunology Positive thinking
Phagocyte cell Psychic driving
Aerospace Trigger words
Polymer chemistry Motivational tapes
Bio-electronics Covert training
Genetic engineering Social environment
Necrophilia Intra-psychic psychology
Biochemistry
Introduction
_______________________________________________

There is no doubt that

America is the greatest
country in the world. We
are number one in the
world in health care,
social health reform,
military sciences,
cybernetics, agriculture,
communications, space
immunology,
entertainment, bio-
mechanics, physics and
the list goes on and on and
on. We’ve done incredible
things in the field of
cybernetics. We’ve put a man on the moon for God’s sakes. That’s still a fantasy for almost every other
country in the world. Our “Space War Technology” is just as impressive. That was certainly evident in the
Middle East War. The missiles we’ve created are smarter than most people in the world. They certainly
know how to get from one place to another after being told. Think about it. We were making surgical
strikes with our “smart missiles” from as far as 26 miles away. It was an impressive display of power. We
even televised the war. We are sure the other countries in the world were thinking, “Damn, this can’t be
possible, this is incredible, awesome, frightening.” It is incredible, but America has always been known for
making the impossible possible. We don’t know if you are aware of this, but our biochemists have actually
created life. It’s a single bacterium phagocyte cell that devours oil. That’s right…oil. They manufacture the
cell in a lab, dump it on an oil spill and presto…no oil. The cells gobble up the oil faster than Roseanne
downs a bag of Doritos.
No other country in the world comes close to having that type of technology. Here is something
else that will probably freak you out. The bionic man is no longer a pipe dream. In fact, the dream of a
bionic body is already somewhat of a reality. Doctors have successfully replaced the heart, pancreas,
kidneys, limbs, blood vessels and hip joints with synthetic devices. Other equally impressive man-made
body parts have also been developed and manufactured, such as electronic ears, electronic limbs, polymer
blood vessels and artificial blood. Even more encouraging is the fact that improvements and breakthroughs
in the field of biomedical engineering are coming fast and furious. Developments barely dreamed of a
decade ago…electronic restoration of some sight to the totally blind, or the creation of a substitute lung,
may be realities within the next few years. With the help of new materials and techniques derived from
aerospace engineering, polymer chemistry and bio-electronics, other recent advances have been so
extraordinary that some scientists claim that within a decade biomedical engineering will be able to make
us better than normal, a la the six million dollar man. Not only that, but they’re going to be able to do it
without altering normal appearances and in many cases, will be able to improve your appearance.
 And how about genetic engineering…what we are doing in this field is absolutely mind-boggling.
Believe it or not, we are at a threshold in biotechnology where our scientists will not only be able to create
a near perfect human being, but
will be able to create an
individual with tailor made
looks, intelligence and character
traits. We are talking designer
human beings here. In fact, with
the help of biotechnology,
parents, even single ones, will be
able to choose the exact type of
child they want. They can have a
genius, an athlete, a beauty
queen...whatever they want.
Actually, genetic engineering
has already been used to
eliminate diseases of a
hereditary nature and has
allowed scientists to select
desired genes for newborns.
And that’s just a
fraction of the seemingly
impossible things that we are doing in America. When you talk about American technology, you are talking
about intergalactic space travel, star wars and biological monoclonal predators…hell, we have guys
playing golf on the moon for God’s sakes. No country can compare to us in any shape or form. NO
COUNTRY!
You would think that with all of the incredible discoveries and accomplishments that Americans
have made, we would be the proudest and most positive countries in the world, but we’re not. In fact, we
are probably one of the most psychologically traumatized countries in the world. If you don’t believe us,
how do you explain these statistics? A recent mental health survey revealed that eighty percent of the
Americans surveyed said that they were not happy and that life was a real bust. Eighty percent! And listen
to this, one out of every two marriages in America ends in divorce. Worse yet, most of the marriages that
are intact are unhappy marriages. Only 17 percent of married couples said they would do it all over again if
they had the chance. The average relationship in America today lasts three months. Not surprising, one out
of every five Americans will require psychiatric help before they reach the age of forty. And did you know
that every year in America twenty seven thousand people kill themselves? Is that sad or what!
And here’s some statistics we
got out of James V. McConnell’s book
entitled, Understanding Human Behavior.
Listen to this, 24,000 Americans are
murdered annually. In fact, Americans
killed more Americans the last three years
than were killed in the Vietnam War.
There are over 30,000 rapes and more
than 300,000 cases of violent assault per
year in this country. On an average day in
America, over 2,000 illegitimate babies
are born; many of these children are not
being wanted. About 3,000 children run
away from home and about 789 kids will
be assaulted by their own family. An
estimated 69 people will commit suicide;
every eight minutes someone will be
raped; every 27 minutes someone will be
murdered and every 76 seconds someone
will be robbed. A burglar strikes every 10 seconds; a car is stolen every 33 seconds and someone is mugged
 every 14 seconds. And here is something
that should really blow you away.
According to the National Education
Association, American schools in 1997
experienced approximately 30,000 instances
in which students beat up their teachers in
the classroom, 10,000 cases of rape on
school premises and about 100 murders
during school hours. In the last decade,
crime has increased more than 10 percent.
And here is something that is really
disheartening. In a recent health survey, it
was discovered that only fifteen percent of
the people in America who were
interviewed said that they liked who they were while over eighty percent of them said they would rather be
someone else and that they were not satisfied with who they were. Even more disturbing was that only
fifteen percent of the people who were interviewed said they enjoyed life and were happy. Is that sad or
what? And all of this is in America…the greatest country in the entire world.
Where do we get all of the negative thinking, thinking that destroys our dreams, our hopes and
our self-worth? Thinking that tells us we can’t, that we are inadequate, that we are hopeless. Thinking that
limits our growth and development. Where do we learn to think like that?
Actually, that type of thinking is just about everywhere you look in America. Our culture is
constantly teaching us to be suspicious. Not to trust ourselves. Not to believe. To be afraid of every thing!
You can’t turn on your television set without hearing about someone being robbed, raped or shot. Our news
programs are constantly bombarding us with negative news. You never hear about all the good things that
are happening in our country. And the talk shows are a real joke. There has never been so much garbage on
the tube. They have everything on these shows…necrophilia, witches, vampires, space aliens, transsexuals,
killers, drug dealers…it’s a circus. These aren’t normal Americans. They don’t reflect the American
population, but if you watch these shows day in and day out, you start thinking that they are normal and
that their behavior is normal and acceptable. Here is something that really scares us. The National Enquirer
magazine is the number one selling news source in America. Can you believe that? The combined sales of
the New York Times, Time Magazine and News Week don’t even approach the sales record for the Enquirer.
Worse yet, a study conducted at the University of Florida revealed that over eighty percent of the people
who read the Enquirer actually believe the stories are true. You know, stories like John Kennedy is still
alive and is living with Marilyn Monroe in Haiti. We know it’s crazy, but stuff like this has an impact on
people. After your brain has been bombarded by this negativity for an extended period of time you start
thinking and acting negative yourself.
Actually, we are not really that surprised that people find it hard to accept themselves because we
as a society paint a picture of what people should be or what we think they should be. In our culture, we
create these models of perfection that no one could live up to. We are told our whole lives what to think,
how to act, where to go, how to dress, what to say and when to say it. We are told who we should dislike,
who we should love, who we should trust
and who is important. And then like fools
∞ WELLNESS FOR LIFE ∞ we believe what we are told. Even worse,
__________________________________________________________________
we are told what we should be. And that
message is that unless we are always in
Be Who You Are.
control, unless we are near perfect, we will
Understand that the hardest thing in the world is to be not be accepted. We have this image in our
what other people want you to be. Don’t let ANYONE do that to heads of what we are suppose to be and we
you. There is nothing wrong with change as long as that change spend our entire lives trying to make
makes you a better you. But don’t let people mandate who you everything fit into this model, and when we
are, and what you should be. No more disguises; just be who come up short, we think there is something
YOU are. Just say, “Here I am, take me for what I am with all of wrong with us. We think we are unworthy.
my strengths and all my weaknesses and if you can’t, just leave We are not just talking about chronically
me alone.” Be who you are and what you are.
insecure people either. This type of
conditioning affects everyone. We have all
been somewhat contaminated by this concept of being perfect. That is probably why so many people are
insecure.
The truth of the matter is everyone has insecurities. We have been around some really successful
people in our lives. You are not one of them…but you are going to be. We are talking doctors and
researchers who have done ground breaking work in the field of medicine, world class athletes who make
millions of dollars and CEOs who have both money and power. Naturally, at first, we were taken back by
the power and presence that they projected. These people were some of the richest and most powerful men
in the world. They exuded an aura of power in every aspect of their demeanor. They were intimidating
figures to say the least. But let us tell you something, the higher up we went and the closer we got to these
people, we found that they were no different than anyone else and definitely not any smarter. Trust us, they
are no geniuses or prodigies. They were just like anyone else…flesh and bone with a hank of hair. Hell,
some of them didn’t even have hair. There is something else we need to tell you too. These guys are just as
confused, just as insecure and just as fearful as anyone else is. They don’t have any more answers than you
do when it comes to living life.
We are all so similar and yet we are all so different and unique. Everyone has something to give
that no one else has. We are all exceptional in that manner. We need to celebrate our uniqueness. We need
to say, “Look this is me, I have strengths and I have
weaknesses, accept me for who I am or just leave me
alone.” We need to understand that one of the hardest
things in the world is to be someone we are not. We
need to just take off all the masks and be ourselves.
The easiest thing in the world is to be who you really
are. Find yourself and then have the guts to be
yourself. You will discover that it is a lot easier to be
YOU and a hell of a lot more fun living that way. And
here is something else you need to know. The hardest
thing in the world is to be what other people want you
to be. Don’t let ANYONE do that to you!! There is
nothing wrong with change as long as it makes you a
better you, but don’t allow people to mandate who you
are and what you should be. We need to be our own
person.
With that in mind the goal of all of us should
be to become functionally autonomous…to direct
ourselves independently of our social environment. Of
course, autonomy is more than just freedom of control
of outside sources or people. For example, many
people are not even comfortable with themselves and
are fearful of expressing their own feelings or opinions
because they fear disapproval or rejection. In short,
they don’t have the confidence to be themselves. They
are unable to act freely and they respond only to what they feel will give them approval. This type of
behavior is other-directed. Conversely, people who are functionally autonomous are inner-directed. They
find acceptance from within, from their own beliefs and feelings. In other words, they are not afraid to be
themselves…they are self-directing not other-directed. Functionally autonomous individuals act because
they choose to, not because they are driven by some outward pressure. They feel free to express who they
are and what they feel. This quality is referred to in psychology as being authentic…these people are the
real deal.
Of course, becoming functionally autonomous is not an easy thing to accomplish. Human behavior
is one of the most difficult things to understand and control. Human begins are extremely complex because
they are not just a product of their physiology, but rather consequence of their biochemistry, their social
environment and their intra-psychic psychology. It should be understood then that in order to gain
reasonable control of our behavior, we can not disregard any of the aforementioned systems. In other
words, if you want to control your behavior you have to pay attention not only to your body chemistry, but
also to your psychological make-up and your social environment. Consequently, the more you know about
your body, your intra-psychology and the dynamics of your environment, the easier it will be to control
your own behavior. Research has
consistently revealed those individuals ∞ WELLNESS FOR LIFE ∞
__________________________________________________________________
who are afforded information about the
physiological, psychological and Cooley’s Looking Glass.
environmental factors of behavior exhibit
significantly greater control of themselves There’s a principle in psychology called “Cooley's
and the people they come in contact with. looking glass,” which states that we tend to make judgments
However, it is not our intention about ourselves by observing the reactions that others have
here to explain the intricate and complex toward us. For instance, if people constantly say you’re dumb,
dynamics of human behavior. There are you will eventually perceive yourself as being dumb. Worse yet,
other guys out there who have a whole lot our actions tend to reflect what we believe to be true about
of letters behind their names and who are ourselves regardless of whether or not it is true. For example, if
you think you are intelligent, you will act, as if you’re intelligent
a lot smarter then us who have attempted since that is your self-concept. On the other hand, if you believe
to shed light on that subject. B.F. Skinner, you’re dumb, you will act as if you’re dumb.
Elliot Aronson, E.A. Thorndike and John
Salter are a few names that come to mind.
Our aim here is to just give you some valuable information and a few skills that will help you increase your
self-confidence. In fact, so much confidence that you will take it upon yourself to learn as much about
your biochemistry, social environment and intra-psychic psychology as all those guys with the letters
behind their names.

Your Mind and Intelligence Can Set You Free

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The greatest gift that God has given us is our brain. Thomas A. Edison once said, “The only
reason we need a body is to carry the brain around.” Therefore, your brain and/or your mind is your
governing force. It is a powerful instrument, far more than most people realize and far more so than the
body. Actually, it is the body that serves the mind, not the other way around. It’s been said that just about
everything can be achieved through the mind…health, wealth, happiness and yes, even mental and physical
powers. Once you learn to set free the untapped reservoir of power in your mind, there is just no telling how
great you can become. We have witnessed individuals turn their lives completely around once they’ve
discovered the powers of their minds. It’s amazing, and
at times even scary, to see an individual go from
nowhere right to the top in less than a year, simply
because of the powers of his mind. It’s hard to
comprehend, but we have seen it happen more than
once. Without question, the powers of the mind are
AWESOME.
We venture to say that one of the greatest
mistakes that an individual can make is to sell his mind
short. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what a lot of
people do. Think about this for a second, the average
college graduate learns approximately twenty four new
words a year, writes less than three pages a year and
reads less than one book a year after graduation. We
know we said this before, but some things are worth
saying more than once…especially when you are
getting paid by the word as we are. Still, it is
incredible. Actually, it’s pitiful. If you just learned one
new word a day, wrote one page a week and read our
books, look how far ahead of the average college graduate you would be. We are not talking about the
average American either. We’re talking about the average college graduate. The average American, believe
it or not, spends less than five hours a month engaged in a direct effort to enhance his intellectual prowess.
In fact, one out of every five Americans is functionally illiterate. And here’s something that will really
blow your mind. The average American teenager watches six and a half hours of television a day...six and
a half hours. We can’t think of anything we want to do for six and a half hours...maybe we can think of
something but we can only do it for about six and a half minutes. To learn one new word a day, write a
page a week and read a book a month would probably require at best a half hour a day…just think what
could happen if you would invest an hour a day to develop yourself intellectually. How about two or three
hours? It wouldn’t be long before you would be labeled a brain and a genius. It just takes a little effort.
That’s all. Belief and hard work...such things can take you to new galaxies.
Athletes are a prime example of what we are talking about. Many athletes will train three to six
hours a day for up to six days a week. They will push themselves to their physical limits and then return
for more the following day. When they are not training, they are either talking or reading about how to
increase their performance. They will spend hours calculating biorhythm charts in order to predict their
physiological highs and lows. They don’t smoke or drink, and they will even abstain from sex if they feel
that it’s necessary to reach peak physical performance. However, during the thirty to forty hours per week
that these athletes are involved in the sport, it is unusual if even one hour is consciously spent preparing for
the psychological and/or intellectual aspects of the sport. Yet, it is the mind that will enable them to reach
their greatest potential.
The same thing is true in life. Intelligence is one of the most important aspects of being human. It
gives us the capacity to participate in the ideas and feelings of others. It’s a very special human quality that
allows us to step out of ourselves and observe and understand the wonder and magic of others from within.
It gives us the capacity for understanding, passion, drive, compassion, forgiveness, empathy, tenderness
and love. When you are intelligent, your entire life is enriched, as well as the lives of others who you touch.