Molaskes: Paving and Leading the Way

ShinGei is a collection of little practical psychology exercises‌ that are ideal as a daily routine for everybody, doing much for your stress relief, resilience, focus/concentration, emotional sovereignty, and energy level and drive. The Etymology of "ShinGei" Shin is Japanese for Psyche. — Gei is Japanese for Art. Hence "ShinGei" = "The Art of the Psyche". What is meant here is the art of training your psyche for health and resilience. The History of ShinGei‌ Unlike S‌ The TaiGei Body Fitness System, I've developed ShinGei only relatively recently, in 2024, as a psychological (mind and emotions) companion program for the physiological (body-oriented) TaiGei. However, while the exact ShinGei program of short and easy exercises is new, each of the individual exercises is grounded in long research, experience, and refinement. Most of the ShinGei exercises are simplified forms of so-called interventions (helpful therapeutic techniques) taken from my systematic, pragmatic, and very thorough 16-step program for psychotherapy and personal development, The Golden Way, published in 2022 in my book "Future Democracy". — To load this book as a PDF document (which can take a few seconds), and open it at the right page to explore The Golden Way, just visit the following link: G‌ →ftdm.org#The-Golden-Way. The ShinGei exercises are inspired by, or improved versions of, interventions and principles from many different, well-established systems of crisis-management or self-improvement psychology, most notably the following: - Hypno-Systemic Therapy and Coaching (HSTC) by Gunther Schmidt - Psycho-Cybernetics by Maxwell Maltz - MiniMax Interventions by Manfred Prior - Patient-Tailored Therapy by Milton H. Erickson - Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT/CT) by Aaron T. Beck - Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) by Albert Ellis - Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) by Steve de Shazer and Insoo Kim Berg - Transactional Analysis (TA) by Eric Berne All of which in turn have several, often quite prominent, roots in further systems of applied psychology. Exercises Overview‌ The ShinGei program has six stages. The order of the first three is very important, while you could do the final three in any order you like. I give them here in my personally preferred one. Stage 1: From Stress to Calmness‌ takes you from being stressed (either from your day, or just imagined for practicing purposes) to feeling calm and in control, ready to think things through with a clear head and make really good plans. Stage 2: From Negativity to Positivity‌ takes you from a negative focus (for instance anger, frustration, sadness, loss, feeling depressed or hopeless; either your actual present mood, or just imagined for practicing purposes) to a pro-active positive outlook and focus. Stage 3: From Low Energy to High Energy‌ takes you from a low-energy level (for instance listlessness, exhaustion, being tired, or in a lazy slag; either your actual state or just imagined for practicing purposes) to a highly-motivated zest, almost cannonballing off with sheer energy. Stage 4: Self-Care Focusing‌ lets you reflect on your necessary self-care and optimal further personal development. Stage 5: My Central Image of Strength‌ roots your mental strength and self-image in an awareness of all your resources, undeniable value, and positive goals. Stage 6: My Self-Sphere and Self-Triad‌ practises efficient psychological self-help tools for both quick-fix solutions to cope with crises, as well as for working more thoroughly to solve long-lingering issues that you want to overcome. Stage 1 Instructions: From Stress to Calmness‌ From stress ... If you are actually stressed, then that's fine, and you will use that as your starting point. Otherwise, try to imagine being stressed as best as you can — and as feels safe for you. Do not overdo it beyond your safe limits, especially if you are emotionally vulnerable! Think of real situations that typically stress you, or unusual situations that would likely stress you. Try to imagine them vividly, and ideally also act them as much as you like. Assume a body position or move in ways that reflect how you'd be under stress. A simple form of this could for instance be to just spread all fingers of both your hands, and shake your somewhat outstretched hands or arms in a slightly crouched position, maybe also with your eyes wide open, your mouth only slightly open, and your chin/jaw pulled back. If you want, you can even add some vocalization, making sounds that you associate with being stressed. This may include a shaky-voice "mmmimimi", nervously humming or whistling a tune, or uttering phrases such as "I can't bear that anymore!", "I feel stressed out!", or the like. ... to calmness: Whether you started with actual stress, or just imagined and played stress, now assume some calm posture that for you symbolizes being well grounded and fully in control, such as an upright relaxed but strong stand, with for example your fists closed, or alternatively a meditative posture. Add strong imaginations that you associate with calmness and control, such as archetypes (e.g. a wise sage, a martial arts grandmaster, a Buddhist monk, a king/queen or other noble person, an English butler, or whatever else works best for you) or situations (e.g. you in your favorite spot, protected, far away from any hustle-and-bustle, or in some idyllic fantasy world or place), or any other kind of imagination that works well for you. You can also try and use several. Some people get the best effect by working more directly with the target state, for instance via affirmations, focusing on "I feel absolutely calm and in control!" or a similar idea or repeated "mantra". You may also combine body work (posture, movement/stillness), imaginations, affirmations, and/or vocalizations for a possibly greater effect. Just mind that if any of the exercises don't feel right for you at any time, just skip them and move on. Listen to your body. If it doesn't seem to do good, do something else. If you want, you can also support your transition from stress to calmness with one or more breathing exercises that are known to be quite effective for many people: Option 1: Inhale on two consecutive sniffs (sniff–sniff) through the nose. Exhale slowly and gently through the mouth. You may repeat this a few times, as you like. Option 2: Inhale on a gentle count of 4 (for instance 4 seconds). Hold your breath gently there for 1 second only. Exhale on a gentle count of 4 (for instance 4 seconds). Hold your breath gently there for 1 second only as well. You may repeat this a few times, as you like. Option 3: Inhale just normally, or slightly more slowly than usually. Exhale through pursed lips as if into a thin straw. You may repeat this a few times, as you like. Ideally experiment with different options/combinations, at least from time to time, to see what works best to quickly take you from stress to calmness. You may repeat the exercise (stressed — calm, stressed — calm, stressed — calm, ...), but there is no need to do so, especially in a daily routine. Just make sure you reach calmness as much as possible, and so that it sticks with you. You are now really calm and feel in control. — That should be the goal, before moving on to Stage 2. Micro-Version: Here is an ultra-compact shortcut version for advanced practitioners: Spread the fingers of your open hands and shake them slightly, imagining being really very nervous. Shortly after that, calmly close your hands to firm but gentle fists, and take your time to imagine and really feel being very calm. — You should still occasionally practise the more thorough form, but in a truly daily routine, the micro-version is often sufficient to keep the learned pattern fresh and alive. Stage 2 Instructions: From Negativity to Positivity‌ First ensure you are in a relatively calm mood (as by Stage 1), because it is usually very difficult to go from negativity to positivity when stressed or agitated. Calmness is key here, it opens the path to reorient yourself, focus, and direct your thoughts and emotions. From negativity ... If you are actually in a negative mood or mindset, then that's fine, and you will use that as your starting point. Otherwise, try to imagine being negative as best as you can (angry, sad, pessimistic, hopeless, depressed, and/or other forms) — and as feels safe for you. Do not overdo it beyond your safe limits, especially if you are emotionally vulnerable! Think of real situations that typically get you in a negative mood, or hypothetical situations that would likely get you there. Try to imagine them vividly, and ideally also act them as much as you like. Assume a body position or move in ways that reflect how you'd be in a really negative mood and mindset. A simple form of this could for instance be to just make a thumbs down gesture with both of your hands, and a deeply grim or sad expression on your face. If you want, you can even add some vocalization, making sounds that you associate with being in a negative mood. This may include an angry howl, or growl, devastated sighs, or uttering phrases such as "My whole life is shit/ruined!", "This life sucks!", "I will never feel good again!", or the like. ... to positivity: Whether you started with actual negativity, or just imagined and played negativity, now assume some positivity posture that for you symbolizes being happy and optimistic, such as a thumbs up gesture with both your hands, or raising your arms high, spreading the fingers of your hands ("feeling the sun"). Add strong imaginations that you associate with a positive mindset and feelings, such as archetypes (e.g. action-comedy movie heroes, a happy child, a Buddhist monk, a very successful businessman or businesswoman, the ideal leader or parental figure, or whatever else works best for you) or situations (e.g. happy memories, being happily in love, having lots of success), or any other kind of imagination that works well for you. You can also try and use several. Some people get the best effect by working more directly with the target state, for instance via affirmations, focusing on "I find and focus on all the positives in life!", "I harbor optimism!", or a similar idea or repeated "mantra". You may also combine body work (posture, movement/stillness), imaginations, affirmations, and/or vocalizations for a possibly greater effect. Adding one or more of the following extra exercises can massively help if you are really in a negative mood and mindset, and while they are less suitable for a daily regimen, you may benefit a lot from regularly practicing them, for instance weekly: 1. Dwell on Positives: In your mind, go through as many things as possible‌ that are positive in your life or in the world in general, no matter how big or small they are, especially including things that are usually considered a given fact by you, such as: the working parts of your body, all the things you own in your household (furniture, clothes, books, tv, computer, phone, pantry, fridge, cushions ...), the sun, Earth's stable orbit around the sun, animals or plants that you like. The more you do this exercise, the more further things you will find. It is doing exactly the opposite of what depression does: Depression focuses on negatives, and drags you further and further down, this exercise however focuses on positives, and lifts you further and further up. 2. Optimism as Fuel: Meditate or reflect on how realistic optimism is not only justified, but a necessary mindset, pretty much a type of fuel for your life. Most of the time, things do turn out well. Errors, accidents, injuries, destruction, crises, and death are actually rare compared to everyday reality that simply works, day after day, year after year. This is how the world and life work, and could not work without. The world is a place optimized over a long time to generally work. It is much more likely that things turn out well, much better than what you may fear. And in the rare case something bad actually happens, you are much more likely to handle it well, much better than what you may fear. 3. Negentropism: Entropy is decay, just expressed in a physics term. Life is negentropy, the opposite of decay. Life is complex bodies that withstand and counter decay, by means of feeding, hydration, healing, procreation, care, protection, and defense. While some life fails and goes astray and is hyper-entropic (destructive, harming, killing), you as intelligent life‌ can actively and consciously maximize negentropy, finding and living in ethical ways, being constructive, creative, productive, helping, nursing, protecting, etc. 4. Hyper-Cybernetics: Coming from the Greek word for "steering" (e.g. a ship), cybernetics is the understanding of how complex systems work, what governs (same word root!) them inside to function. You yourself are such a complex system, and so is your life, and the world you live in is one as well. Learn beyond what you learned at school, to better and better understand yourself, your life, and the world. And strive to learn and use ways to optimally steer‌ your body, your life, and those parts of the world that you reach. This is what hyper-cybernetics means: Being aware of being a complex system, and actively and consciously working from that understanding. 5. Visualize Positive Developments: Imagine, as clearly as you can, how your current goals, one by one, may plausibly develop well, and try to imagine also any plausible positive outcomes they may lead to. Really give it some time, give yourself that time, and enjoy the envisioned progress and success. It may also happen that you get very useful ideas or inspirations‌ for how to best ensure your actual progress and success. Then do the same with issues in the world that you care about: How may these develop well, finally, and what further good may they bring, and how would you feel yourself once they are good? And maybe: What could you do yourself to actually help them move in the right direction? Ideally experiment with different options/combinations, at least from time to time, to see what works best to quickly take you from negativity to positivity. You may repeat the exercise (negative — positive, negative — positive, negative — positive, ...), but there is no need to do so, especially in a daily routine. Just make sure you reach positivity as much as possible, and so that it sticks with you. You are now in a really positive mindset. — That should be the goal, before moving on to Stage 3. Micro-Version: Here is an ultra-compact shortcut version for advanced practitioners: Hold both your fists in a thumbs down gesture in front of you, imagining being really very negative, that is pessimistic, sad, angry, or trapped in some other negative emotional state. Shortly after that, slowly rotate your thumbs upwards, like a fast sunrise in timelapse, until your fists each make a thumbs up gesture, and take your time to imagine and really feel being very positive. — You should still occasionally practise the more thorough form, but in a truly daily routine, the micro-version is often sufficient to keep the learned pattern fresh and alive. Stage 3 Instructions: From Low Energy to High Energy‌ First ensure you are in a relatively positive mindset (as by Stage 2), because you otherwise risk working with high energy on negative impulses or downward slopes or spirals. Positivity is key here, it ensures you proactively do something good for your life, be it personal or professional. From low energy ... If you are actually feeling low in energy, then that's fine, and you will use that as your starting point. Otherwise, try to imagine being low in energy (tired, depleted, exhausted, hungry, drained, burnt out, or otherwise) as best as you can — and as feels safe for you. Do not overdo it beyond your safe limits, especially if you are emotionally vulnerable! Think of real situations that typically leave you low in energy, or unusual situations that would likely severely rob you of energy. Try to imagine them vividly, and ideally also act them as much as you like. Assume a body position or move in ways that reflect how you'd be at very low energy. A simple form of this could for instance be to just let your arms hang limply down by your sides, the palms of your half-opened hands facing forward, and either roll your head back to look upwards with half-closed eyes and your mouth open, or (as a less dramatic option) hang your head down as if asleep. If you want, you can even add some vocalization, making sounds that you associate with being low in energy. This may include a long audible exhale through almost closed lips, which may optionally flap them a bit ("motorbike sound"), groaning "oofff", or uttering phrases such as "I can't ... move ... any ... more!", "I feel sooo drained/weak!", "I am sooo tired/KO/beat!", or the like. ... to high energy: Whether you started with actual low energy, or just imagined and played low energy, now assume some energetic posture that for you symbolizes being full of energy, such as an upright powerful stand with your feet a little wider apart than in a neutral one, with for example your fists held out like grabbing motorbike handles, or driving some other kind of powerful vehicle, or assume any superhero posture of your choice, or whatever else turns out to work best for you. You may "try on" different postures, and sense how they feel to you. Add strong imaginations that you associate with having a lot of energy, such as archetypes (e.g. a superhero or other movie hero, a top athlete, a martial artist, a strong animal or mythological creature, or whatever else works best for you) or situations (e.g. glowing or bursting with energy from inside, being a robot with fully charged batteries, receiving energy from a higher power or magical source), or any other kind of imagination that works well for you. You can also try and use several here as well. Some people get the best effect by working more directly with the target state, for instance via affirmations, focusing on "I feel full of energy!" or a similar idea or repeated "mantra". You may also combine body work (posture, movement/stillness), imaginations, affirmations, and/or vocalizations for a possibly greater effect. Don't forget to reflect also on the following measures that may really restore or boost your energy level: 1. Physical Needs: - maybe eat something? - drink some water? - have a nap? - or just relax a little, maybe with closed eyes? - take a little walk? - do some light physical exercise? - anything else? 2. Personal Energy Boosters: Remember and use favorite media or memories‌ that almost always energize you, such as a certain kind or piece of music, certain pictures to look at, memories of favorite heroes (from fiction or real life), or other options yet that are your personal "secret key". 3. Maximizing Your Motivation: Meditate or reflect on how to maximize your motivation. Think about your life goals, projects, or interests, or just about things you are curious about right now, or remind yourself of the people you care about most, and consider what you'd like to do for or with them next. Ideally experiment with different options/combinations, at least from time to time, to see what works best to quickly take you from low energy to high energy. You may repeat the exercise (low energy — high energy, low energy — high energy, low energy — high energy, ...), but there is no need to do so, especially in a daily routine. Just make sure you reach a high energy level as much as possible, and so that it sticks with you. You are now really full of energy and driven with zest. — That should be the goal, before moving on. Micro-Version: Here is an ultra-compact shortcut version for advanced practitioners: Let your arms hang limply by your sides. Then only lift your forearms slightly up, keeping the upper arms hanging straight down, and let your hands hang limply down from your wrists, as if you tried to do something active with your hands and arms, but all you could achieve was this minimal move, imagining being really out of all energy. Shortly after that, slowly close your fists strongly, turning them 90 degrees outwards, ending in a position as if you were gripping two vertical bars or the sides of a ladder, and lift your fists above your eye level, holding them as if they were rockets shooting down raw energy, propelling you upwards or forwards, and take your time to imagine and really feel being full of energy. You may enhance this by imagining an energy stream or band or other source feeding you. — You should still occasionally practise the more thorough form, but in a truly daily routine, the micro-version is often sufficient to keep the learned pattern fresh and alive. Stage 4 Instructions: Self-Care Focusing Stages 1 to 3 have set the emotional fundament for being able to calmly focus and think, along positive, really helpful lines, with the energy and drive to proactively work towards further success and happiness right away. Using this calmness, positivity, and energy, you now meditate or reflect on securing or improving the core of your world — yourself. Even if your focus is usually not yourself, but your work, your care for other people, or other things in life that engage you — and often especially then — it is wise to regularly manage your self-care and your own further personal development, to ensure that you can maintain great work, great care, or other focus points in your life, or even improve further in them. Your body is your key instruments of perception and your main toolset to act upon the world around you. How have you taken care of them so far, and what may be worth improving? Most people find it easier to focus on such matters with their eyes closed, others do better with their eyes open. You may try both options, anytime, to see what works best for you personally. Now use the following three affirmations, which you may repeat a few times each, just thought in your head, or whispered, or spoken out loud (whatever you prefer), to guide you: I feel excellent!‌ It may not be true, but how would it feel to feel excellent? Try to get as close as you can by sheer imagination‌ and allowing yourself just for this moment to feel into it. And then meditate or reflect on what you could do in your life to really feel excellent, or as close as you can get, for longer and longer, using long-term responsible options, such as your health, your relationships and wider social circle, your home, your work, other projects or hobbies, and more. I have and get all I need!‌ Now try to get close to feeling also that. And then critically assess what you may actually still need, what is still missing or lacking to fully support you in your life, and how you may realistically obtain or create it. It is ok at any time during these exercises to take a short break in order to take written notes, either on paper or digitally, to later work into to-do lists or project plans. I'm developing excellently!‌ Envision yourself how you may positively develop further, see your future self as happier, wiser, stronger, after more positive experiences and successes. See your future self with well-preserved health, or even improved health from where you are now. And then meditate or reflect on what you can do‌ to make this optimal future self a reality. Plan what you could learn, and what other steps‌ you could take from now on, so that in the future, when you think back to the time you are in now, it will be with thankfulness, and possibly also pride. Body Healing Support‌ If you have any issue with your bodily health, you can adapt the affirmations and use them to meditate or reflect on how to support or facilitate‌ either your body's healing, or how to best deal with long-standing bodily ailments. Even in the latter case, there is usually always room for health improvements. Here are a few examples: My eyes feel excellent!‌ My eyes have and get all they need!‌ My eyes are developing excellently!‌ My tummy feels excellent!‌ My tummy has and gets all it needs!‌ My tummy is developing excellently!‌ My right/left foot feels excellent!‌ My right/left foot has and gets all it needs!‌ My right/left foot is developing excellently!‌ My liver feels excellent!‌ My liver has and gets all it needs!‌ My liver is developing excellently!‌ My skin feels excellent!‌ My skin has and gets all it needs!‌ My skin is developing excellently!‌ Imagine vividly the healing process of a problem, which can be either medically correct (physiology) or any kind of helpful fantasy, up to cartoon-style, whatever feels best for you. And then imagine the healing result, how it would be to have overcome the issue, and what you can do then. However, as with the main affirmations of this Stage 4, don't use them as mere wishful thinking, which will hardly ever work, or if so, then rather by chance, but instead use them to focus on finding actual proactive positive solutions that you can apply in your life. Stage 5 Instructions: My Central Image of Strength‌ The goal of this exercise is to establish and practice‌ a feeling of strength and stability in yourself and in your life, independent from your current circumstances in life. The more you train it, the more persistent it should become, infusing your self-image, your personality, and your charisma. Additionally, it will provide you with a quick-recap tool to help you in any blows of surprising bad events in life, so you "get back on your feet" more quickly and can take strong steps to handle the new situation as best as possible. (This ability is called resilience in practical psychology.) 1. Assume a posture that you associate with strength and stability. For me, it is a shoulder-width stand as used in martial arts, with very lightly bent knees (not locked straight and inflexible), the pelvis tilted up a little, to straighten the back and tighten a bit the gluteus (your buttocks), plus gently tightened abdominals (belly muscles), optionally with my fists raised into the air by my sides, the upper arms horizontal and the forearms vertical, an archetypical posture of strength. Now we will step by step build all around yourself‌ images of factors or sources of strength and stability, starting with the most general and abstract ones, and ending with your most personal ones, from foundation to focus. Extra tip: You may enhance each of these following images with gestures or movements that support the imagination. And you can also try to add vocalizations or affirmations. 2. Start with the fundament that you are standing on. This can be core principles of the world or your life, that you associate with stability, safety, purpose, or the like. I personally envision myself standing on a huge mountain‌ that is the essence of negentropy (the opposite of decay), as the fundamental principle behind all structure in the universe, from molecules (which I am made of myself) to star systems (like our solar system) to life (such as myself), coated with a thick and firm layer of cybernetics, the way negentropy is realized in all complex systems by reacting to outer stimuli in ways that keep the system going, as in every cell of my body, in all nature around me, and even in society. So I stand on firm cybernetics on top of negentropy. They are the main reason for that I do not just fall down and apart, so that's why they are the true fundament that I stand on. 3. Now envision what stands behind you, and gives you support from there, for instance history. You may, like I do, dwell on the realization that you are the result of countless successful generations‌ of life that have led up from the dawn of life on Earth in an unbroken chain up to you, a product of evolution‌ as improvement and refinement to create a living organism that by natural design is well fit to thrive in this world, strong, stable, adaptable, and very capable of solving problems. In this image, behind you stand your parents, then their parents (or more abstract generations, if you prefer this instead), and so on and on, all the way back into prehistory, up to the first lifeforms. You are a success model by nature! You are the new head of the chain, and your inherited power‌ implies also responsibility, to actually be successful yourself, continue the chain with children of your own, if possible, and ideally moving mankind forward in culture as well. 4. Now imagine all the resources that sustain your life as coming from above you, e.g. like a gentle, steady shower. As a very abstract resource, I first envision the cosmos‌ and how it provides energy and matter in space and time, and means sheer infinite possibilities in reality and life. Then I mind the sun, its light and warmth as the energy that drives nearly all life on this planet, directly or indirectly. Next I think of the atmosphere that first of all provides the oxygen-enriched air that I breathe. After that I focus on the water that I get from the hydrosphere (rain, rivers, lakes, wells, ...). The next resource are the plants of the biosphere, which provide us with food and raw materials. Finally there are the minerals of the lithosphere, which also provide us with raw materials, but also with trace nutritional elements and salt. 5. Imagine to your left and right now all the people that give you strength and stability, or who otherwise support, help, or motivate you. These can be people living now, but just as well people from your past, and even people you imagine in your future. Who you place where does not really matter here. I always envision the people who represent love and family in my life by my right side, and all my friends, fans, and supporters, including all our business contacts, by my left side. You can imagine these people just standing by your side, or walking next to you, and more or less close by you. You may also link arms with some of them, hold hands, wrap your arms around each other's waist, and the like. 6. Finally envision your current and future goals‌ all before you, with those most in the future being the farthest yet away from you. You can choose to keep that relatively abstract, but you might as well imagine certain key goals very clearly. I usually imagine rocketing towards my goals, like superman flying through the air, or racing a powerful bike or car. When you've explored and practiced your central image of strength, it often will suffice to just assume the training posture, or even to just imagine it, or think back to, and remember, the exercise, in order to restore a feeling of stability and strength in life, when this may help you at a certain point in a day. Stage 6 Instructions: My Self-Sphere and Self-Triad‌ Your Self-Sphere: Imagine a protected space that you can retreat to in your mind anytime. This may be a vehicle (e.g. spaceship, capsule, yacht, helicopter, privat jet airplane, bus, camper, ...), or it may be a dwelling (apartment, mansion, castle, fortress, bunker, hut, cave, ...), or a mystical or fantasy place (room-sized doming flower, shiny bubble, forcefield sphere, inside a cloud in the sky, ...), or a realistic or fantastical location (island paradise, underwater mermaid land, magical forest, ...). Practice envisioning it in as much detail as you can. Your self-sphere should provide you with an option to regulate everything that you would like to be able to control anytime at will, such as shielding from outside stimuli (either tuning out or letting in images, sounds, smells, etc, if and as much as you like), regulating the temperature inside your sphere, maybe even providing you with nutrition and water and/or direct energy, and perhaps even more, ideally also allowing you to release stress and dim unwanted emotions while you imagine being inside your sphere or having it around you. You can then use this self-sphere image henceforth as the default starting point for any deeper meditations or other personal development work (reflections, analysis of your life or recent events, planning your future and learning, ...), and as a safe return point for whenever either such inner work or actual outer situations in your life feel too much or too uncomfortable. And by the way: It can also serve as a valuable tool (or toy set, if you like) for passing idle time, such as when having to wait somewhere idly for a while. Even elite soldiers, for example, are trained to use similar imagination "playgrounds" (such as an imagined luxury home with countless of options to occupy oneself) to endure captivity and even torture. You will hopefully never need your self-sphere for such extremes, but it may help you to know that such imaginations sometimes are effective, or at least helpful, even at that level. Your Self-Triad: Imagine being in your Self-Sphere. And now imagine a younger self as well as an older self of you also being there with you. At first, choose a past self from a time where you actually felt really good, even if just for a little while. And imagine a future self that is like a dream come true, how you want to be in the future, years or even decades from now, if your life takes all the right paths: healthy, happy, charming, or whatever you may wish for. Would you three sit, stand, lounge, lie on the floor, hover in the air? Find a position and posture for each of you three that feels best for you. Are your past and future selves by your side, or facing you, or somewhere behind you, perhaps somewhat above or below you? Example: I personally envision us three sitting side by side in my Self-Sphere, a vehicle that can drive, fly, swim, even travel in outer space, and move magically through solid walls, rocks, and the earthy ground. My past self sits to my right, my future self to my left. And now try to imagine communicating with them, saying something to your past self, or asking it a question, then receiving a reply that really sounds like you back then. Then do the same with your ideal future self. At this stage, it's just play. You may even have fun with it! The next step is to switch roles: Take the role now of your happy past self. Just use your memory, and stick with the chosen moment. How does it feel to be back in that happy stage of your life? And then talk in this role first with your current self, now seen and heard from the perspective of the past self, then talk as your past self also with your future self, just some little smalltalk about the future or past perhaps. Now assume the role of your ideal future self. How will it feel to have so much more success behind you, having mastered so many difficulties well, and having had so many really great times since now? Then talk in this role first with your current self, followed by some smalltalk with your past self. Practice this role-switching back and forth a few times. After you have gained some experience with that, you are ready to use your Self-Triad for many purposes. In order to do so, you adjust the time‌ for your past and/or future self to the task. Your past self may then be just from a few minutes ago, or all the way back to when you were still very young. And your future self may be just minutes into the future, or all the way forward into very old age. While your past self should always start as a realistic version of how you had been back then, your future self should always be positive. Depending on what you want to use your self-triad for, you assume either of the three roles of you, talking with either of the two others, and you may switch back and forth many times, only using two, or all three of your selves, and you can even have the past self and future self change their time/age at any time as needed. Here are some application examples: - preparing for a meeting or appointment - reflecting on a recent incident or event - analyzing a current crisis or problem, searching for solutions together, with the additional resources of your past (e.g. having solved similar issues before) and/or future (e.g. confidence) - long-term planning for your future life - helping yourself overcome past burdens, as your current and/or future self listening to, caring for, protecting, and talking to any past self of you that could have needed that back then, and actually still needed it now, which such a session can finally provide; although it's "just symbolic" or "just imagined", it can actually feel important, and count Just remember though that if you have any issue that is so persistent or heavy that you cannot solve it yourself, neither with the Self-Sphere, the Self-Triad, nor other means, or you don't even dare to try solve it yourself, you can find professional help in psychotherapists‌ and/or medical doctors. Not all are good, so don't give up if the first one or few turn out to be a disappointment. They are as different from one another as all other humans. Sooner or later you will find a good one, and they will know whether their help will suffice or whether to refer you to additional or other good specialists. Final note: You may choose to do Stages 4 to 6 only weekly, if daily is too much of them for you. And now: Have a great life!

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