Mind Hacking

John Nash was a Nobel Prize–winning mathematician – who suffered from paranoid schizophrenia. As a result of psychosis, he believed that he was the Messiah and that he was being contacted by aliens through the New York Times. As a result of his illness, he spent time in many institutions. But the amazing thing is that he learned how to retrain his mind and take control over his disordered thoughts. Becoming the master of his own mind was crucial to his success.

Let’s try a little experiment. Close your eyes, and think about your mind.

What do you notice? Other than the sensation of having your eyes closed, you may have realized that you can actually observe your mind thinking. That’s because your “mind” and “you” are not the same. Think of your mind as a normal user on a computer – it has access to what you need to get through the day. But you – the observer – are like a superuser with access not only to your mind, but also to the way it works.

So, when you learn how to hack into your mind, it’s like logging on as a superuser – you’re in full control. Sounds simple, right? All it takes is plugging into your mind whenever you want. Unfortunately, the minute you log on as a superuser, your thoughts take over and you downgrade back to user mode without noticing it. But, there’s some good news. With practice, you can train yourself to access superuser mode whenever you need to. You can also learn to stay in that mode for longer periods of time.

Mind hackers don’t just think – they think about thinking, which is called metathinking. Thinking on its own is great for getting things done, making decisions, and moving life along; it’s essential to your everyday living. Metathinking, on the other hand, allows you to analyze your own thought processes and see how your thoughts affect your emotions, actions, and, ultimately, your life. As a mind hacker, you become a master at switching between thinking and metathinking.

Over the next 24 hours, start practicing by becoming more aware of your mind. Frequently ask yourself what your mind is thinking. At this point, it’s important to just observe. Over time, this developing awareness becomes a habit. And using your awareness to differentiate between your mind and you is fundamental to mind hacking.