Forums IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ Beyond Human Why doesn't "I'Can't" mean "I Can"?

If our subconscious cannot understand negating words, why is saying "I Can't" so detrimental? Shouldn't our subconcious hear "I Can"?

Depends on the rest of the information that follows the expression, the persons individual emotions at that time of using that expression as well as the internal representation that the individual creates.

There are times when I can't does become I can. However emotions and internal representations speak louder than the spoken words we utter about ourselves.

When we say I can't we are actually seeing ourselves failing first before we utter those words.

Alex

[This message has been edited by AlexK (edited December 12, 2002).]

I've read some things in the past about negations that simply didn't fit with common sense probably because the authors in question seemed to be trying to make one rule fit all.

The subconscious can and does parcel out negations depending on the amount of conscious focus given as one reads or hears the sentence or question.
I think that in most contexts we get a gut-feeling about the meaning and intent of the sentence. Let me give you some examples of negations where the subconscious (yours) will parce out the negation and a couple where it parces out nothing at all (even though there's a nice big negation in there;0).

"I can't do anything right." (Obviously, this negation is NOT parced. You know the sentence is being self-negative.)
"I don't want to watch that program?" Ask yourself, does this person want to watch the program after saying this? I say no! Another case where the negation was NOT parced!

However, if I said,"Don't you just love that program?",the message is a suggestion to love that program, right? The negation "Don't" was parced right out and the real message coming through is 'you love that program?'
One more:"Aren't I the nicest guy in the world?" Again, even with the negation, the implicit message is that I am the nicest guy in the world (and I am too btw;0)).

In all cases, the meaning and intent came through pretty clear even though there were negations in all four of them!

Hope this was helpful!---Mike

Thanks!

I'm not sure who said that the unconscious couldn't understand negation, but it wasn't Milton Erikson. He used direct negative suggestion, such as, "you don't have to keep your eyes open" when he wanted someone to close their eyes.

The key isn't so much that "the unconscious doesn't understand" as it is "the non-verbal portions of your brain deal with information coded in ways other than verbally." While more difficult to understand, this does show how the rules work. For example, "I can't tie my shoes" brings to image __________. While "I can't see you building your own car from spare parts" brings to image __________.

See how it works?

Can't is a VERY dangerious word, because it is magical. It's magical in the sense that "magic" deals with things outside of normal laws of nature. In the normal workings of nature, all things have a temporary nature. It is up to philosophers to determine if this temporary nature is linear or cyclical, but it does exist. If I were to say "I can't spell," I would be automatically limiting my abilities to learn from watching spell-checkers and PhotoReading. I would be accepting a condition which is essentially UN-BOUNDED in time and will persist at least as long as I do. If I were to say, "I am not currently able to spell," I would be saying something true. HOWEVER, I wouldn't be implying that I will NEVER be able to spell.

I also read somewhere that if you ttry to program your self and say sentences like:
"I want to eat less"
"I want to start exercising"

the subconciuous will work against these instructions and neutralises them. This book said that to go around these limitations rephrasing to:
"You want to eat less"
"You want to start exercising" will get better results.

Is this true? sorry but i really forgot from which book i got this, but i'm sure i'v read it.

There was a thread in the Paraliminal Learning forum called "You and I"