So, Thought Creates Reality?

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I have heard it often said that we create our realities with our thoughts.
How far do you agree?
For example, it is said that the more positively we think, the more likely we are to have positive events happen, but how far is this simply because while thinking positively we are more likely to motivate ourselves to get out there and do it? And how far could it be said that the actual energy of thinking has some affect on the universe...or is it all circular thinking as it is the same thing?

How far can we influence events around us simply by the means of our mode of thinking?
I am curious about opinions on this...and also on the film 'What the bleep do we know' from any who have seen it.

well I think if you say "I'm gonna fail" tehnen you will because you won't try...
things are very mental...more then we think

Hi G,

I not sure if i like the idea of our thoughts having that much of an affect on our lives, i mean if life is not going so well does it mean it's entirely our fault because we didn't think positively enough? I think if it was a case of our thoughts having that much affect i would not be in the life i have, i wonder if others also think that? I wish life was that simple....

Heh, well, whenever my life is going badly, I tend to get caught up in wondering if somehow my tendency to pessimism actually brings about the negativity in my life.
I wish it was that simple... I mean maybe it is just chaos, lol...random events happening at random times...I would like to think though that we have more control over events than it seems... some would say it is all dependent on our choices as opposed to thought, but then our choices come from our thoughts, right?

i thinks its 50/50, enviroment, genetrics make up 25% a piece though

Our thoughts affect the success of our actions and the manners of actions taken, however beyond that I don't think that they have direct affect on the world.

If my thoughts became reality i'd be living in los angeles, by the beach and spending my days writing and my nights in the city or maybe just on the beach. I'd drive a beautiful car and never have to worry about money as i would have made my millions as a successful author, my mind would be clear of the fog that currently fills it and i would never feel depressed again. I would always be happy and feel fulfilled in every part of my life(and a few stone lighter).

How about everyone else?

Or are you content with your lot in life?

making your own reality is crap. its something some1 just said w/ no reasoning behind it and some ppl believe it.
if you made your own reality, then why does it include other ppl? if these other ppl also make their own realties, why are they compatible with each other??
maybe they just mean you look at stuff more positively or negativity, like "this glass is half full" vs "this glass is half empty". but i think thats crap too besides its half full.

IMHO, reality creates the thoughts we have.
Life happens first, then we have reactions to those events. Of course, as one ages & accumulates experiences & patterns of response, it becomes much less clear. I do acknowledge that external & internal realities are interdependent & mutually influence each other. My experience of myself is that I do something, then later I come up with more or less likely explanations for whatever I "chose". "Thinking before I act" doesn't prevent retrospective hindsight appraisals where I make it all sound like I knew what I was doing , at the time/in the moment.
As you may imagine, I bristle at mention/suggestion of cognitive/rational approaches to psychology/therapy, because that's ass-backwards to my subjective perception of how I function.
However, I realize there are plenty of folks who experience themselves differently, so I know that "one size" (belief system) does not "fit all". I'm illogical & extremely emotional-and I admit it.

This is all about The Secret, isn't it? Agh, it annoys me, that...

I did see that a while back, but had come across this idea before in other places.
I sometimes think, God, so that's why my life is so crappy

Life is crappy because the universe is a cold, harsh and unforgiving place. We have to make sure that we keep ourselves comfortable.

True, and it is infinitely easier for me to blame it on the universe than my own shoddy thoughts

Your thoughts dont define reality...otherwise you would be crazy.

But the world, the universe, has a logical consistancy, and we as humans, have a working perceptual model of it. As individuals, we have our own working model as well, and the degree to which it correlates to reality(as defined by other people and our physical needs), determines how functional we are.

Now because most of us are just average human beings, not as far south as full blown psychosis, we can assume that our operational view point of reality can be improved.

Because we are thinking and rational beings, we can accept or refute ideas that are contrary to successful operations in our daily lives. Getting up for work or school when you would rather stay in bed is a good example of this.

Same with elements of depression, or your choice of words to other people. At least to some degree, your motivations, your choice of actions determines what you get out of life. While I understand that somethings are beyond our control, some proactive shaping on our parts will influence the future.

Ways that you may improve your yourself include an assumption of positive outcome, determination to succeed, achievement of better education, and yes, sometimes a little naivete.

Its a little like in martial arts where they tell you to punch past the target. Nobody expects that you will go right through, but aiming past your target insures that you are making full effort.

In this way, we can say that our thoughts shape our reality. In theory, it IS possible that we can define our own reality, and be ultra successful at elements of it, because we might have a clearer vision of reality, but there would be some degree of disconnect with the populace at large.

Sounds like AS, doesnt it?

This is an outstanding issue with some of the older aspies. We didnt have that label attached to us, as it didnt exist. We were simply ecentric. Do you see that the older aspies are happier people? We define ourselves and our approaches to our difficulties differently than you younger ones. We see, perhaps unfairly, that you have been raised in a culture of victimhood, told that there are certain things you cannot do....

I'm getting off track. Let me use a concrete real world example for you.

A local deaf man wanted to become a truck(lorry) driver. He was able to master the skills needed to drive. He failed his written exam because he had been educated at a school for the deaf, and they did not emphasis written/verbal skills. While it certainly wasnt his fault that he didnt have the skills he needed, His range of thought and education defines his reality.

That was harsh of me. How can I word it better? In essence, as a child, he was told "there are things you cannot do, so we are going to remove your exposure to them". But that negates the fact that he might very well have been able, if only with more effort. Didnt Hellen Keller learn to speak even though she was deaf and blind?

So we older aspies worry that you have been paid a great diservice, that by giving you an easier childhood, you have been robbed of some of the enjoyment of adulthood.

Do you see what I mean?

Actually, I would say that life is crappy because humans aren't designed to be happy. The material conditions in most western nations are very very good compared to our ancestors. Are we really much happier than those ancestors though? No. We are still on life sucks even though we have lives that tend to be much better than those of the stick peoples of the past.

I’m really really positive that I’m actually a fluffy bunny named Rufous; but am I?

That is the question (the answer is also there too).