Yes! This is what The Secret and NLP are all talking about. If our memories are just narratives- No "if" there!! Our memories are just narratives. Our beliefs and thoughts are also just narratives. Its a good thought experiment to try when we are being hit by negative thoughts, to see if we can change into an opposite narrative. (Ultimately philosophy says there are no negative thoughts- positive thoughts, They are all just Maya. That is true, but to realise that truth, the thought machine aka our monkey mind shud stop, and for that positive state of mind is more conductive. )
With the vast memory bank that we have, we can pick and choose any narrative we want about ourselves, It will feel true - I am lazy or I am hardworking. I am liked by no one to I am loved by people, I am smart to I am so Dumb, I am ugly or I am beautiful.
When there is no narrative we are cheerful and buzzing, Monkey mind can however swing in a second, in response to a thought or a comment by someone and create a whole saga , a whole tragedy out of our life. My life is a waste :D
When we make excuses or lies this is what we do, we consciously create a whole narrative to tell other people, what we are not realising is that, this is what our brain is doing to us as well. Its not exactly a lie, but it is making up a meaning full thread out of a string of facts, but there are so many facts that, there is creative liberty in how they can be arranged.
I think, Changing narrative experiment should be a one off thing, being aware of the narrative should be the staple 24/7 thing. This is where I disagree with The Secret, which recommends, changing narrative to positive as something staple, but then this may be what is required for people with seriously delimiting narratives- like anorexia etc.
Buddhist Metta or loving kindness meditation is one such, changing the narrative of our brain to positive type of meditation. Off course! Just realised Yoga nidra is ultimately aiming at achieving just this, we are asked to feel cold, then warm, heavy then light, pain and then pleasure, once you are expert at non emotional things like this, we can even attempt this at emotional things. :-) Gratitude journal is also this. which btw is such an amazing tool. It should be taught at school!
With the vast memory bank that we have, we can pick and choose any narrative we want about ourselves, It will feel true - I am lazy or I am hardworking. I am liked by no one to I am loved by people, I am smart to I am so Dumb, I am ugly or I am beautiful.
When there is no narrative we are cheerful and buzzing, Monkey mind can however swing in a second, in response to a thought or a comment by someone and create a whole saga , a whole tragedy out of our life. My life is a waste :D
When we make excuses or lies this is what we do, we consciously create a whole narrative to tell other people, what we are not realising is that, this is what our brain is doing to us as well. Its not exactly a lie, but it is making up a meaning full thread out of a string of facts, but there are so many facts that, there is creative liberty in how they can be arranged.
I think, Changing narrative experiment should be a one off thing, being aware of the narrative should be the staple 24/7 thing. This is where I disagree with The Secret, which recommends, changing narrative to positive as something staple, but then this may be what is required for people with seriously delimiting narratives- like anorexia etc.
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