Monday, October 13, 2014

Revision 3 is here!

What's new:
Added Check section to check if your brain has successfully lost the limiting belief/negative thought at the end.

Materials:

Stuck? Got questions, feedback, or praises? Feel free to post them, either here, or preferably on the project subreddit.

As always, please don't use any of these to make money without sharing some of the revenue with me.

Friday, October 10, 2014

Revision 2 is here!

If you're new here, be sure to read the introduction posts.

Otherwise, go ahead and grab the updated materials, and disprove your negative thoughts and limiting beliefs (again)! This time, it'll be simpler, if not slightly simpler!

Materials:
  • Scientific method on a sample scientific experiment (recommended if you're not familiar with the scientific method, otherwise optional)
  • Guide (rev 7) (get started here)
  • Sample
  • Worksheet: PDF Format (Printable) or ODT Format (Fillable)
  • OTT Template (for advanced users who want more editing flexibility)

Update: links removed, newer revision available here.

Monday, September 29, 2014

"Research" #1: Belief Awareness

Hello lovelies,

Care to contribute to the project?

We currently do not have any method to accurately determine if someone has completely lost a certain belief or negative thought (and therefore their decisions & actions won't be affected by it anymore in the future), but we will need that.
Why? So that there will be a way to accurately test whether a belief has been discarded (and won't come back) after using the tool.


I want to help! Help me help you!


Please head to https://www.reddit.com/r/thecbtproject/comments/2huvgp/research_1_belief_awareness_help_needed/ to contribute & join the discussion!
Alternatively, if you don't want to head to Reddit for any reason, including reasons that don't make sense, you can fill out the following survey:
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1Taah9eAYjVzYTZcx8lp7jmaG8CkkcjRrx8fMBbP007M/viewform

Either way, thank you so too much! :)

Revision 1 is here!

Want to try this unnamed CBT tool?

Yay! This is for you! And if you decide to give it a try, I won't be responsible in any way for anything that happens or will happen to you, good or bad, as a result of using this tool, okay? :)

Scientific method on a sample scientific experiment (recommended if you're not familiar with the scientific method, otherwise optional):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/u43wlby87epd1hl/sample%20-%20e.coli.pdf?dl=1


Guide (get started here):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/oj08cc152nqvjk2/guide%20rev%206.pdf?dl=1


An example:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/zpmzylt9tg617pw/sample%20-%20i%27m%20not%20good%20enough.pdf?dl=1


Worksheets:

PDF format, for printing:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/4rigk8t4xpolevq/worksheet.pdf?dl=1

ODT format, to use with a word processor:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/akgufp8xirylb9h/worksheet.odt?dl=1


The "form"/template to fill out (in .ott format):
https://www.dropbox.com/s/342graxpjfjnuhz/template.ott?dl=1


Or you can just do things on paper, or simply not use any worksheet/template.

Also, please don't use it to make money in any way, other than by discarding your beliefs which would result in you making more money. Helping others for free using this tool is totally okay.


Feedback, ideas, question, comments are welcome!
Also let me know if you find flaws in the tool (e.g. if you can use it to prove something that's definitely not right hence deluding yourself).


Update: links taken down, newer revision available

Sunday, September 28, 2014

What's this All About: The CBT Project

Overview

Before we start, CBT = Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Unfamiliar with it? Google it, or click here. ;)

The CBT Project is a project on a currently-unnamed, CBT-like tool to naturally change your bad beliefs, therefore your actions, attitude, and ultimately your reality, while minimising the risk of delusion or cognitive dissonance (see below).

Your help is needed to make this project a success.

At the end, this tool will be awesome, I promise! :)


nothing to see here


Goals

Since I heard people love to misunderstand, I had to write a disclaimer.
So don't misunderstand me, okay? :)

Disclaimer: I'm not saying other CBT tools are ineffective or will always cause delusion. They are probably effective for certain people, and won't cause delusion if used properly. If you have a method that has been working well for you, that's great!
 
While there are already tools out there, psychological or not, to change one's beliefs, the CBT project aims for a tool that:


Minimise the risk of deluding oneself (probably achieved).

When it comes to personal development, common results of delusion are false hope and over-confidence. Oh, and false hope hurts.

Some CBT tools I have tried in the past have allowed me to invalidate statements that are facts, such as "Fresh milk goes sour if left unrefrigerated," suggesting me that, for example, the statement is over-generalised (since it addresses "all fresh milk"). Therefore, a not over-generalised (and "more accurate") statement would be "Some fresh milk goes sour if left unrefrigerated, but some fresh, unpausterised milk does not go sour when left unrefrigerated." Umm....

In order to achieve this goal, this tool is currently based on the scientific method, minimising (if not eliminating) the risk of deluding yourself. The scientific method is used by scientists to prove and disprove things, and it has been accurate (just look at the products of science like pain-killers, microwave, your computer/phone, and so on). As a result:
  • If one tries to disprove "Electricity exists." with this tool, either they won't get anywhere, or they will end up with the conclusion "Electricity exists." This tool will not work if one tries disprove facts.
  • If one tries to disprove something overly broad (e.g. "Strangers do not respect me."), they will end up with something like "Strangers do not respect me if I disrespect them." or "Strangers disrespect me not because of me, but because of some other factors." This disproves the original statement without leaving them thinking strangers will always respect them, and suggests them with a more accurate fact.

After all, if current CBT tools out there can provide people with 100% accurate ways of thinking, and have the capability to make predictions accurately, why are they or (at least their concepts) not adopted by scientists and researchers?

Minimise the risk of contradicting itself, hence minimising cognitive dissonance (probably achieved).

Another tool I have tried allows me to invalidate conflicting statements. For example, both "I look ugly" and "I look good" will be invalidated if you run both statements through the tool. This tool was the most effective CBT tool for me, until my left brain realised this and told me that the tool isn't probably credible enough to invalidate stuff for me.

This goal has probably been achieved as well, thanks to the scientific method.

Does not invalidate positive beliefs that, if merely adopted, will turn into a positive reality.

Some positive beliefs will naturally (or subconsciously, if you prefer that word) turn themselves into positive reality when adopted (and after the opposing negative beliefs have been discarded).

For example, adopting "I look good" and discarding "I am ugly" will automatically:
  • increase your confidence
  • improve your body posture (making it sexier)
  • improve your voice tonality (again, making it sexier)
 ...allowing you to naturally be more attractive to others.

This tool should not invalidate such beliefs.

Goal probably achieved, but needs more testing. 

Needs to be used only once per belief.

Remember that first time you learned about gravity at school? You don't need to investigate your thoughts or do some kind of re-thinking every time before bed to convince yourself that "Things fall because of gravity."

Goal not yet achieved, need more testing & ideas.

Mimics natural belief changes, and therefore naturally effective.

Belief changes occur naturally: when you learned something new at school, when you realised that what you believed is actually wrong, when you decide that a certain belief system or religion is correct, and so on. Again, you probably did not have to regularly do some kind of belief-changing techniques at those times, and such natural belief changes were effective.

Goal not yet achieved, need more testing & ideas.

Is simple.

As of now, the tool can be complicated to use for those who are unfamiliar with the scientific method (or fell asleep during their class that taught the scientific method), and if the source of a belief is complicated (even for those who are familiar with the scientific method). Give it a try and you'll see.

It needs to be made simpler without sacrificing existing qualities (e.g. minimising risk of delusion).

Goal definitely not achieved, need more ideas.

What's this All About: Beliefs


Beliefs

What are beliefs? Well, anything you believe :)

Why are they important? Some beliefs, if not all, affect how you see things and your actions (and inactions).

Since I heard you guys love repetitions, let me repeat that:

Beliefs affect how you see things, and therefore your actions (and inactions).


Beliefs into Actions

One example of this phenomenon that we encounter everyday is religion, which is essentially a belief system. One's religion affects whom they pray to, how they pray, how they behave towards themselves and others, etc.

religion and whom one prays to

Another everyday example is how one's belief about lottery & money dictates their default behaviour on lotteries.


belief on lottery into action

More examples:
  • Beliefs about people of a certain group affect how you treat them.
  • A belief on whether or not starting a business is too difficult/risky determines whether or not you would give it a try.
  • Beliefs on your capabilities determine what kind of job positions you would apply and not apply for.

Beliefs into Actions through Emotions

Your beliefs also determine your emotions in various situations. For example, believing people tolerate mistakes will make one more at ease during public speaking. On the contrary, believing just one little mistake will ruin it all will make one more nervous speaking publicly.

What do such emotions determine? Again, your default actions.

belief into emotion into speech

Not only nervous voice isn't the best and most convincing type of voice for public speaking, but also a nervous public speaker is more likely to make mistakes than a calm one.

More examples:
  • Beliefs on job interviews and interviewers can make one feel nervous during interviews, and as a result would look nervous (obviously) and would make it harder for them to concentrate.
  • One's belief that says people of a certain group are dangerous will produce fear of those people, and would make them avoid those people.


Reality

What do your actions determine? Your reality!
After all, what you say or do determines how others react to you.

Therefore, if beliefs affect actions, and actions affect reality:

Your beliefs affect your reality (through your actions/inactions).


belief to reality


Changing your Beliefs & Reality

So, what does changing your beliefs do?
  • It changes your actions and inactions.
    • Do what you want to do (that you previously unable to do due to beliefs or emotions).
    • Stop doing what you don't want to do (that you previously unable to stop, e.g. compulsive behaviours).
  • It changes your emotions in certain situations.
    • Therefore changing your actions or inactions in those situations
  • And ultimately, it changes your reality.

new belief to new reality