by Richard Brenckman
A belief is a filter. It’s a tuning mechanism in consciousness. And when you observe or interact with life through a particular belief filter, only certain information gets through to you—the information that’s aligned with the belief you’re looking through.
Here’s a good analogy: When you have your TV tuned to NBC, you’re just not going to observe any shows on CBS. No matter how hard you try. You can go to therapy; you can join a support group; you can take assertiveness training; you can even buy a high-tech multi-channel satellite dish. But no matter what you do, if you don’t change the channel, you’ll still be watching NBC. CBS will not manifest in your universe.
The tuning and filtering mechanism in your TV won’t allow any other information onto the screen than the channel you’re tuned to. The only way you’ll ever get to see anything else is if you change the channel. Pretty obvious with TV, but what about the rest of life?
Well, if your belief filter is tuned to a certain frequency, say, the belief that life is hard, you’re just not going to have much fun in life—no matter how hard you try—because your filtering mechanism won’t let many enjoyable experiences onto the screen of your consciousness.
In fact, if you have the life-is-hard belief, you may have other beliefs that support it and keep it locked in place. Beliefs like, I never get any breaks, or, it’s hard to have fun. Get the picture? The belief filter lets in only information that’s aligned with the beliefs you’re tuned to.
You can go to therapy; you can join a support group...
So, are we stuck with our beliefs? Not if we have some way of changing our own channel in consciousness. And that’s one of the things people learn in Avatar—how to improve their reception and get a picture they like better. You can, too.
But even more than that, you’ll learn to deliberately create beliefs you like so that the program you’re seeing on your life screen turns out the way you want. You’ll write and produce shows you like. You’ll take over the network!
Here’s a fun exercise you can do to explore the power of belief filters and do some channel changing. I’d like you to adopt two different viewpoints, one at a time, and notice if life appears a bit different.
Viewpoint #1 is this, I’m very different from you. Go ahead and adopt that idea, really believe it —or at least imagine it. Now take a look at someone you know through that filter. Notice what you observe. Notice how you feel. Notice the thoughts and judgments you have. Notice your own mental commentary.
Now take a short walk with that same belief filter, I’m very different from you. Really examine the people you see. And just notice what you notice.
You should now have some sense of what that viewpoint is like.
When you’re ready, let go of that one because you’re going to switch gears and take on a new view. Viewpoint #2 is, We’re so much alike. Now adopt that idea; really believe it. Now take a look at someone you know through that filter. Notice what you observe. Notice how you feel. Notice the thoughts and judgments you have. Notice the mental commentary now. OK?
Now take a short walk with that same filter, We’re so much alike. Really examine the people around you. And notice what you notice.
Did life seem a bit different when you deliberately switched viewpoints?
Many people find that beliefs that lead to feeling connected, like viewpoint #2, enhance their experience in life. They feel connected with people and life in general when they have that belief. Not because of any circumstance or situation, or even a shared interest. Just because of the belief itself.
So, if you don’t like how things are going, change the channel. The Avatar Course is designed to show you how to do that, in an easy and light-hearted way. Avatar teaches practical, how-to-do-it techniques that are currently missing from your toolbox—techniques that consistently work.
Don’t settle for less.
Richard Brenckman is a Star’s Edge Trainer from California
return to issue 12.1 | return to Journal archives | top of page
All content copyright 2008, Star’s Edge, Inc. EPC is a service mark of Star's Edge, Inc. Avatar®, ReSurfacing®, Thoughtstorm®, Love Precious Humanity®, Enlightened Planetary Civilization® and Star’s Edge International® are registered trademarks of Star’s Edge, Inc. All rights reserved.