PSYCHO-CYBERNETICS, Part 1
This past summer have you seen a helmsman steering a ship to port? If so, this could remind you that the Greek term “cybernetics” is used to describe “steering.” Psycho-Cybernetics says each human has an innate steering mechanism in his subconscious mind that must be set in motion by his conscious mind. If not, then one will meander throughout life, never reaching a life destination because of no defined purpose.
As a successful plastic surgeon, Dr. Maxwell Maltz in the middle 1900’s was perplexed why some patients could not recognize the new face he had given them. In spite of significant facial changes, what they saw instead was the original face. They were stuck!
Dr. Maltz realized self-image education was crucial for these patients to experience maximum satisfaction with the plastic surgery. He saw self-image as a mental blueprint. Succinctly, if this blueprint (being the self-image) could be changed, then the life could be transformed.
This discovery in human behavior led to the writing of Psycho-Cybernetics in 1960 by Dr. Maltz. Since humans are created to have goals (or destinations), the subconscious mind becomes the steering mechanism towards the goals. Without goals, the subconscious mind is directionless, or without hope.
This then reiterates that cybernetics (the steering) has complete control over an individual’s ability to achieve a goal. It requires much visualization and mental repetition. Several other authors have discussed self-image: Dr. Victor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning; Dr. William Glasser, Reality Therapy; Dr. M. Scott Peck, The Road Less Traveled.
Interested? Tomorrow we will explore how it is possible to change one’s self-image.
