3 – The Pillars of Belief

“What a person believes, they can also achieve.”

Unknown

Desperately she watched as her daughter, struck by polio, could no longer walk. Her legs were lifeless, without any feeling. A doctor advised the mother to massage her daughter’s legs regularly, saying there might still be hope. For half a year the mother faithfully massaged her child, but nothing happened. At their next visit, the doctor said it was time to give up hope—nothing would change. But mother and daughter refused to quit. Instead, the mother intensified her efforts. She added more ointments and tinctures, massaged for longer sessions, and firmly believed that one day her daughter would walk again. With unwavering confidence she pressed on—no doctor, no statistic, nothing could deter her. Then the “miracle” occurred: her daughter felt her mother’s hands for the first time in ages. This renewed her zeal and confirmed their belief in a cure. Some time later, supported by her mother’s arms, the girl stood up. Slowly she made small gains and relearned how to walk. Then came the day she walked unassisted. Her muscles had to rebuild gradually, but once she could walk, she ran with such joy that she outpaced all the other girls her age.

Wilma Rudolph began training regularly and soon was nicknamed the “Black Gazelle” for her graceful running style. At twenty she won Olympic gold medals in the 100 m, 200 m, and the 4×100 m relay in Rome!

What determined this woman’s fate? What power made this “miracle” real? Above all else it was the mother’s belief that her daughter would walk again. That belief burned so fiercely it rekindled hope in her daughter.

Great and wonderful things become possible for someone who believes in themselves and their dreams. In contrast, a person who has lost faith in themselves and their own strength is but a shadow of themselves, a heap of misery. Beliefs form a vital part of our world‑model. They can open the heavens for you, bringing your star—your dream—down to you. Yet they can also become the bars of a cage of your own making, so confining you that you can scarcely breathe.

In the last chapter you saw how reality is transformed by our senses and perception apparatus into a representation of the world that is not the same as truth and often differs greatly from others’ models. We cannot perceive any objective truth. What, then, can we rely on in this world? What should we believe? After all, we must accept something to make the countless small decisions each day. If no one knows whether one view or another is true, which do you adopt? What criterion do you use when the criterion of truth is gone? What do you lean on when there is no objective right or wrong? What do you believe when no one knows if something is possible?

A successful person in this situation will always ask themselves what perspective will most effectively realize their dream. They inquire which mindset best supports them in reaching their goals.

How must I perceive the world to get what I desire? Which assumption optimally supports me in achieving my plans and goals?

You can believe whatever you like within a broad framework, thereby creating a reality in which your belief becomes actual for you—and perceptible by others. What matters is whether your belief supports you in achieving your aims.

Have you ever wondered why there are so many different religions, each claiming to be the one true faith? Yet people of other faiths live happily and contentedly. I pondered this for years, speaking with Christians, Muslims, Hindus, Jews, Buddhists, Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and various sects about their God and worldview. How can a Muslim be happy when Christianity claims sole truth? Perhaps a Jehovah’s Witness has knocked on your door, insisting his faith is the one true path. Throughout history, people have crusaded, even dying to convert others by force, convinced their faith alone was true—while the other side believed the same. Could there be a spark of truth in every faith? I won’t debate that here; you saw in the last chapter that each of us constructs our own world and perceives it filtered, generalized, and distorted. My key criterion for any religion is: does this belief help me lead a happy, successful life—whatever that means for me? At its core that also means: does this belief make the world a better place, a home where people want to live and love?

Most devout people would answer “yes” for their own faith, regardless of which it is. Others have abandoned religion for lack of a positive answer. One faith is not the same for everyone because people apply different standards to its teachings and interpret commandments variously. Those who believe in a loving, benevolent God or a positive transcendent force handle life’s crises much better, suffer fewer psychosomatic illnesses, heal faster, and live more positively—scientific research shows this! Note, these are not results of a religion itself, but of the deep faith that followers hold. Believers in most religions consume less alcohol and drugs, thus avoiding addiction. Their faith shapes their lifestyle and outlook. In contrast, those who believe in a judgmental, punishing deity tend toward anxiety and depression, making them more vulnerable to psychosomatic disorders. Here the power of belief is evident: it can bring heaven on earth—or destroy us.

Don’t let your beliefs control you—take control of your beliefs!

Your beliefs are not unchangeable; they arose, grew, and settled in you as constructs of your own making. The world continuously tries to pull your beliefs this way or that—but you generate them yourself. Reclaim control, and your vision will come true.

In this chapter I will show how belief influences bodily functions. Your body responds as if what the mind believes is real. Moreover, your behavior is shaped by your convictions and faith.

Once we anchor a strong belief in ourselves, even massive contradictory evidence cannot shake us. We simply ignore it or regard it as false—another use of generalization, deletion, and distortion. Some even try to change the whole world so their belief will prove correct.

The Psychiatrist and the Corpse

Here’s a telling story: a man believes he is a corpse and just sits there, insisting he’s dead. A psychiatrist argues with him for a while, then asks if corpses can bleed. The man says no. So the psychiatrist pricks his finger with a needle. When it bleeds, the man says, “Oh—I must have been mistaken. Corpses can bleed.”

Beliefs can’t be disproved simply, because they refer to our subjective reality, not an observable one. Someone with a particular belief can interpret all experiences to confirm it. You cannot change another’s belief directly—you can only guide them to transform it themselves.

Hypnosis Experiment

Belief also reshapes perception. Under hypnosis, volunteers were touched with ice while being told it was hot metal. All developed burn blisters at the contact points. Another man accidentally locked himself in a refrigerated truck; after hours inside—despite it being turned off—he died of apparent freeze injuries. The truck wasn’t even running.

It wasn’t reality but belief that produced the outcome!

Self‑Fulfilling Prophecy

Have you heard of the self‑fulfilling prophecy? It states that expectations make an event far more likely. If you believe your horoscope is true, you dramatically raise the odds it will come true. Imagine a young man reads that in the next days he’ll meet an interesting woman and have a happy relationship. He goes out paying keen attention to every woman he meets—surely one must be the one. After many cold rejections, he finally secures a date. Buoyed by confidence, he goes—after all, the stars promised success. Was it the horoscope or his own expectation that made it happen?

Classroom Expectations: The Pygmalion Effect

In 1968 psychologists Rosenthal and Jacobson ran a landmark study. Elementary students took an intelligence test. Teachers were told the test predicted future growth. Randomly, 20% of students were labeled “bloomers.” A year later, those “bloomers” showed significantly greater IQ gains than their peers—simply because teachers expected it.

The Placebo Effect

Another vital phenomenon is the placebo effect. People who believe a medication works often improve even if it contains no active ingredients. Give someone with a headache sugar pills and say, “This is a powerful painkiller,” and their headache often subsides. Placebos can shrink tumors and lower blood pressure. Research shows:

About one third of cases respond to a placebo as well as to real drugs.
In some studies placebos relieve pain in 50–70% of patients as effectively as morphine.
When placebo non‑responders later received real morphine, only about 50% responded—meaning if placebo fails, real drugs often fail too.

Belief in a drug’s efficacy is often the critical factor—even for real medications!
Interestingly, some patients show the opposite reaction to a placebo: students told they took amphetamine felt calm; those told they took a barbiturate felt stimulated—even though each drug normally has the opposite effect.
At a California hospital, patients under full anesthesia were hooked to an electroshock machine that was turned off; yet the “shocks” worked better than real treatments.
A small, shiny red placebo pill works better than a large, dull one.

Our beliefs shape our perception and behavior. They can expand our abilities dramatically and even trigger biological processes that help us overcome serious illness. Faith can activate your own immune system.

Mind and body are inseparable. No hormone, no feeling. The body can produce its own chemicals when the mind commands it. The placebo effect arises solely from suggestion, which triggers bodily reactions. This has huge implications for aging. People expect their bodies to show decline. In his bestselling cassette program Your Ageless Body: Aging and Staying Young, Dr. Deepak Chopra shows you can remain fit into old age by programming your mind for youth and rejecting assumptions about aging.

How Belief Systems Form

How do such powerful belief systems arise? We acquire them in three stages. From birth to about age seven—our imprinting period—we absorb all events, images, sounds, feelings, tastes, and smells. From eight to around thirteen—our modeling period—we mimic parents and admired figures. Then in our socialization period as adolescents, we encounter new social groups that shape our values and beliefs.

Environmental Influence

Our environment plays a crucial role. A child born in a slum, surrounded by negative role models, is likely to adopt their beliefs—criminal behavior, alcoholism, poverty—because that behavior is rewarded socially. If the child acts differently, they are punished, and soon they conform. Thus by age fifteen they will have no doubt those beliefs are the only possible ones. Similarly, your parents, friends, classmates, and teachers shaped your own early reality. If they taught you negative beliefs, how could you know those were just their models, filtered through your senses?

Today, TV and media present endless belief systems in the form of characters—heroes who think they must save the world and villains who think nothing matters and do as they please. Do you think that has no impact on your life?

When we look at successful people, we find most grew up in environments specially suited to the fields where they later excelled—even if finances were tight.

Madonna Becomes a Superstar

On August 16, 1959 Madonna Louise Ciccone was born in Bay City, Michigan, to Italian immigrant parents. She had five older brothers and two younger sisters. At six, her beloved mother died. Surrounded by music—her brothers all played instruments—Madonna loved soul and funk and dreamed of dancing. At nineteen she moved to New York to pursue her passion. Life was hard; she fought to survive, made contacts among musicians, and persisted. With tireless effort, charm, and ambition, she achieved her dream, becoming the defining superstar of the 1980s.

What a person believes, they can also achieve.

Pelé Becomes a Football Legend

The man who first held “Dico” in his arms on October 23, 1940, could not have guessed his son would grow into Pelé, the world’s greatest footballer. Young Dico practiced with smashed mangoes or makeshift balls on Brazil’s streets. Years later he represented his nation and earned global fame. Both Madonna and Pelé rose from humble beginnings, finding role models and environments that sparked their future greatness.

What might your environment inspire in you? What models will influence you to achieve excellence? Both Madonna and Pelé left home early to enter environments conducive to their dreams.

Thus far you have learned two pillars of belief: environment and role models. How can you harness these to build beliefs that bring you closer to your dream?

Regarding your environment, you could change countries, move house, redesign your workspace, or surround yourself with people who share your goals—just as Arnold Schwarzenegger emphasizes the value of training partners when motivation wanes. If you wish to master a sport, join a club; if you want better public speaking, start a speaking circle. Post notices or ask friends—you will be surprised at the results. Add your own ideas:

“My environment will optimally support my beliefs and help me reach my goals…”

For the second pillar, find new role models—people you believe can teach, inspire, and excite you in your chosen field.

“My ideas for leveraging the power of the second pillar:”

These two pillars already form a strong foundation for belief. But there is a third element: reference experiences—moments that deeply shape and define your worldview, whether from sports, school, vacations, TV, disasters, hobbies, or relationships. Especially powerful are those that challenge and shake you so profoundly you reconsider life’s purpose. Two striking examples follow.

Paul’s Conversion

The young Saul, born into a Jewish family yet educated in Greek and Latin as a Roman citizen, proudly upheld Pharisee traditions and sought to eradicate the Jesus movement. On his way to Damascus, a brilliant light struck him down, and he heard Jesus’ voice. Blinded and taken into the city, he spent three days in reflection. That vision transformed him utterly: Saul became Paul, took up Christ’s message, and spent his life preaching. Such reference experiences can upend a person’s life in moments.

Karol Wojtyła Finds His Calling

In February 1941, 21‑year‑old Karol Wojtyła had already witnessed the German invasion of Poland. He secured factory work to care for his ailing father and joined the underground university and theatre—activities punishable by death. A later father’s death and a near‑fatal accident threw him into existential crisis. Initially rejecting the priesthood, now he embraced it wholeheartedly, studying theology in a secret seminary. From these trials arose the man who would become Pope John Paul II—a figure who traversed the globe, spoke to millions, and influenced the course of history. His youth’s reference experiences forged his unshakable mission.

From such pivotal moments arise deep beliefs, values, and life rules that empower us to overcome all obstacles. Yet many let the same experiences destroy them, falling into despair.

When facing such trials, you can emerge triumphant only if you believe that these experiences teach you vital lessons. There must be a positive purpose behind every event—otherwise it wouldn’t have happened to you.

Behind everything that happens is a positive intention.

This belief will grant you true greatness and unshakeable confidence. If instead you decide it was all meaningless, you surrender to despair. Be convinced that one day you will understand its purpose. The more varied your reference experiences, the more easily you integrate new events and the less you misjudge them. A person who has endured many trials finds context in each new challenge and vastly expands their range of possible actions.

What have been the pivotal reference experiences of your life? How have they affected you? What positive intention do you now see?

Remember: you want to learn from the past, not suffer under it.

Reference experiences—alongside environment and role models—are the building blocks of belief. You have collected so many that you could support conflicting beliefs. But you use them selectively to reinforce certain beliefs and dismiss others. It’s not the events themselves but your interpretation. You draw conclusions from specific experiences and generalize them widely.

What if you derived from a single example of courage that you are a courageous person?

Successful people apply reference experiences from one area to others.

You can expand your reference experiences daily by seeking new challenges: visit an art exhibit, court hearing, or a lecture on ant life; learn diving, desert trekking, or a new language; attend a different musical performance.

At a concert by José Carreras in Mannheim’s palace, I was enthralled—never before had I expected to enjoy opera so deeply. Risk something new today. Give yourself a push. Countless opportunities await to enrich your experience and strengthen your beliefs, casting your old life in new light.

What will you do this week? What have you always wanted to try?

All your judgments—good or bad, large or small—depend on reference experiences for comparison. A three‑star hotel room seems luxurious if you’re used to two stars, but plain if you’ve stayed in five. By broadening your experiences, you raise your standards and motivation to grow. You have now learned the third pillar of belief. With the fourth, “autosuggestion,” your faith will become unshakable.

You experienced the placebo effect and self‑fulfilling prophecies—your imagination can perform wonders. Here’s a secret:

When you vividly imagine something, your brain treats it as if you truly experienced it. The unconscious makes no distinction between fantasy and reality.

You can create reference experiences in your mind that your brain cannot distinguish from real ones. Such imagined experiences give you certainty that something is possible and that you can achieve it.

Findings of Brain Research by Kotre

Psychologist John Kotre of the University of Michigan–Dearborn concluded that false memories feel just as real as true ones. Our memory interprets rather than faithfully records. Imagine recording a TV show—what you watch later remains unchanged. But a memory replayed in your mind is altered by new experiences and given fresh meaning. Your brain seeks meaning in events and is highly suggestible.

A Psychologist Instills a False Memory in a Boy

Elisabeth Loftus once implanted a memory in fourteen‑year‑old Chris, telling him he got lost at age five in a shopping mall and was rescued by an elderly man. Weeks later Chris recounted the story vividly, believing it truly happened.

You can use this effect—link specific thoughts with strong emotions—to program useful beliefs into your unconscious. Beliefs are largely unconscious, making them hard to identify. Our perception operates not only when fully alert but also in other states of mind, which alter how we perceive. Some believe comatose patients perceive their surroundings. Many have discovered autogenic training—a precursor to trance and clinical hypnosis—to reduce stress, alleviate pain, or ease anxiety. Hypnosis can even enable painless wisdom tooth extractions without other anesthesia. By hypnosis alone, the mind reshapes pain perception.

Other States of Consciousness

In different states, perception shifts. People in dull, stimulus‑poor lives often resort to alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to change their state. Yet the body’s own “drugs” can lift you to far greater heights. Hypnosis is one path, but it requires skill. If you want to explore, read Milton Erickson and his students, and attend specialized seminars. Having learned from world‑leading hypnotists—including Betty Alice Erickson—I will later guide you to your first trance experiences. For now, know that our conscious mind can automate tasks: after driving for years, you arrive somewhere without remembering the last miles—the unconscious took over. You mastered it through repeated practice. Apply this to beliefs: years as a child taught you certain beliefs so deeply they run automatically.

The Unconscious

Before I show you how to influence it, you need to understand how the unconscious works. (Remember: it’s a model, not necessarily a physical entity.) The unconscious is always alert, day and night. It never sleeps but functions differently from consciousness. It cannot process complex sentences or negation. Thus positive, simple suggestions work best. Most suggestions in this book are written in the “I” form for that reason. The unconscious also stores all your dreams and fantasies—uncensored. Any thought you ever had lives here, influencing mind and body. Negative thoughts can create illness; positive ones can trigger healing. If you cut your finger, it heals instinctively; your unconscious orchestrates the process. It will also help realize your dreams even when you don’t yet know how, if you trust its vast power. Later, in the chapter on Imaginal Allies, you’ll learn to amplify this resource.

Thoughts are invisible energies.

Thoughts tend to manifest in the real world. Imagination creates external reality. Inner mental imagery drives action. Thus your life is the product of your thoughts. Thoughts make you a loser or a winner, a happy or an unhappy person. They are powerful forces. Your unconscious becomes an inexhaustible treasure chest of possibilities. It helps you achieve goals, solve problems, overcome inhibitions, and reduce fears.

Through autosuggestion you turn negative thoughts into positive ones. This targeted self‑influence can anchor new thoughts and beliefs in your unconscious, enabling healing, health, joy, and abundance. You can improve memory and cultivate harmony. The possibilities are endless.

Many withdraw at “influence,” fearing manipulation. Yet we are all influenced constantly—by friends, family, media. Life is a web of influence and interaction. You were born with a blank unconscious; now it’s half‑full of others’ messages. If you refuse to influence anyone, you cannot even greet them. Worse, if you don’t influence yourself, you become a puppet of society and advertising. By self‑influence you at least choose which messages shape you.

There are two ways to reprogram the unconscious: classical autosuggestion via repeated thoughts, and a faster method linking thoughts with strong emotions. I will present both.

Classical Autosuggestion

Begin by entering a deeply relaxed state and reciting your affirmations. You can record them and play them back. Focus on a few chosen thoughts deliberately, overriding random or negative mental chatter. This builds positive energy until your new beliefs reshape your unconscious, giving you the positive habits you desire.

Positive thinking doesn’t ignore the negative; it focuses on the positive. That’s the crucial difference. Through autosuggestion you decide which thoughts you hold and thus who you become.

“You don’t throw a habit out the window. You have to punch it down the stairs, step by step.”

Mark Twain

Don’t believe you can change years of habit with two days of morning affirmations—you can’t. Autosuggestion takes discipline. If a single session sufficed, everyone would do it. Few people live the life they want because they give up. Are you someone who never quits? Show greater perseverance than most—use autosuggestion and follow my suggestions to join the ranks of the world’s achievers. Formulate your own affirmation sentences, memorize them, and recite them daily four times with conviction so they penetrate your unconscious.

I believe in my success. I am deeply convinced I can realize my dream. My subconscious power aids me in all I do. I am a valuable person, crafting my own beliefs. I am free and independent. I have the strength to bring my dreams to life. Through my dreams I am limitless. I am determined to make my life a vibrant adventure. Quitters never win—and winners never quit! I can achieve anything if I try.

My own affirmation sentences:

Before introducing the emotion‑based method, identify your current beliefs. What do you think about life, your identity, career, time, money, love, etc.? Many beliefs begin “I am…” or “Life is…”.

Below are common limiting beliefs with facts to challenge them:

Limiting Belief 1: I am too young

Counterexamples:
→ Walt Disney founded his first animation studio at age 20. → Boris Becker won Wimbledon at 17. → At 12 David Stuart lectured 150 archaeologists on Maya hieroglyphics. → Judit Polgár became the youngest chess grandmaster at 15.

Limiting Belief 2: I am too old

Counterexamples:
→ At 60 Hulda Crooks discovered mountaineering and at 90 became the oldest woman to summit Mt. Fuji. → Livy wrote Roman history at 75 and Goethe wrote “Faust” in his 80s. → George Bernard Shaw broke a leg at 96 picking plums. → Ray Kroc discovered McDonald’s at 54 and built it into a global empire by 30 years later.

Limiting Belief 3: I lack education

Counterexamples:
→ About 80% of top entrepreneurs never finished high school. → Albert Einstein failed his first college entrance exam yet formulated relativity. → Nothing stops you from starting a new education today.

Limiting Belief 4: I don’t have enough money

Counterexamples:
→ Robert W. Woodruff founded Coca‑Cola with no capital; by his death it was worth billions. → Andrew Carnegie started with a weekly wage of 15 Pfennigs and later donated over $350 million.

Limiting Belief 5: I lack ability

Counterexamples:
→ Robert W. Woodruff was dyslexic but built Coca‑Cola into a world powerhouse. → If Woodruff could do that with dyslexia, what exception could hold you back?

Limiting Belief 6: I come from humble origins

Counterexamples:
→ Arnold Schwarzenegger rose from an Austrian village to become the greatest bodybuilder ever, a Hollywood star, and governor of California.

Limiting Belief 7: My physical limitations hold me back

Counterexamples:
→ Demosthenes stuttered yet became the greatest orator of antiquity. → Blind Jose Feliciano recorded 38 gold albums; Stevie Wonder also triumphed despite blindness. → Sylvester Stallone overcame a speech impediment to become a Hollywood icon.

Limiting Belief 8: I have no connections

Counterexamples:
→ Jesus had no organization or backing, yet today leads over a billion followers.

Did you recognize any of these beliefs in yourself? Faced with the examples above, none of these limiting beliefs stand up—but you will find reasons why each applies to you. Your brain is trained to produce objections, even if they are mere intellectual pretexts that unconsciously block success.

“All personal breakthroughs begin by changing our belief patterns.”

Anthony Robbins

Changing Beliefs via Strong Emotions

To succeed, you must exchange old, paralyzing beliefs for new, empowering ones. First shake the old belief’s foundation so it collapses like a house of cards. Then build a new belief on an even stronger base.

How? You must link intense pain or disadvantage to the old belief so your brain associates it with suffering. Ask yourself:

What has maintaining this old belief already cost me?

What is it costing me right now?

And what will it cost me mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and financially in the future if I do not remove this belief today?

Attach massive pain to the old belief—give yourself no reason ever to return to it. Then find a new, fitting belief and replace the old with it. For example, shout in a ridiculous voice: “My old belief was: I am too young. That’s nonsense! The truth is: Youth means power!” Move your body, get emotional, and plant the new belief deeply. This simple technique will transform your life!

Once the new belief is installed, reinforce it with fresh reference experiences. If you lack them, read biographies of those who’ve mastered your desired field. Use others’ experiences and beliefs, and you too will become successful!