Background knowledge

If you want to treat a belief, please go to this page. 

Beliefs

Cognition

Note: In the following, belief does not refer to a specific belief, such as religious belief, but to general belief, i.e. everything we believe in. Knowledge, convictions, beliefs, assumptions and suppositions are only degrees of being true, as Kant already noted. However, as this is not relevant for us here, we treat the following words synonymously: knowledge, beliefs, presumptions, convictions, cognitions, assumptions, schemata.

A proposition is a belief, an assumption in a sentence.

Examples:
I am not good enough.
I have to dominate.
I can’t trust anyone.
I don’t want to feel.
I am not allowed to feel good.

Beliefs can include authorizations (permissions), but also restrictions (prohibitions) on what one may, should, must or cannot do. It can also contain illogical or irrational elements, for example through incorrect generalizations, subjective experiences or beliefs that were formed in early childhood, i.e. are at most subject to “early childhood” logic. We base almost everything on our beliefs and knowledge. Belief shapes thought, or rather it determines the direction of thought, thought follows belief. We don’t usually think what we don’t believe. It is not only the basis of our thinking, but also of our feelings and actions, our understanding and interpretation, our functioning and life, in short our “being in the world”. It not only changes what we perceive, as what we perceive is already largely constructed, but even what we allow ourselves to think and what we consider possible. We see, interpret, interpret and understand the world through faith, which is why it has such a massive influence on us.

“Everything we are is the result of what we have thought.” Aldous Huxley (1894-1963) British writer

Note: The word belief comes from the Indo-European root “leubh” and means ‘to desire’, ‘to love’. We secretly desire knowledge, we love it, because it is always accompanied by a ‘good’ feeling, a feeling of security. Not knowing creates a slight feeling of insecurity, as we all grew up with more or less insecurity in infancy and early childhood. We intuitively strive for belief and knowledge.

Cognitions/beliefs may or may not be correct, true or false, narrow-minded or broad-minded, etc., but the beliefs that are within us we hold to be true (at least until we realize they are false).

Cause Beliefs

Beliefs/convictions arise through:

– thinking: ideas, knowledge, etc.
– externally: from other people, media, etc.
– constant repetition, habituation. If you experience or hear the same thing over and over again, you eventually derive a rule from it. Gustave Le Bon published this discovery as early as 1885 under the title “Pschychologie des foules” (Psychology of the masses)
– Significant emotional situations/traumas. Harmful beliefs/dysfunctional cognitions usually arise in early childhood up to the age of 4. They are caused by imprinting situations, a single very impressive experience, significant emotional events, traumas. If this situation is too overwhelming, emotionally charged, shocking or fearful, it can deeply anchor new convictions/beliefs without further repetition. Other beliefs/convictions lie behind repressed emotions (fears, anger, shame, grief, etc.) that also arose in the traumatic situation.

We are usually not aware of beliefs/schemes, repressed beliefs are unconscious (excluded from consciousness).

Beliefs about ourselves

“All personal breakthroughs begin with a change in our beliefs”, Anthony Robbins (*1960, American author)

Our beliefs not only include knowledge/convictions about the world, but also about us. But not only about us, it can also extend to our characteristics, values, abilities, sides etc.. It can also include what someone believes they can and cannot do, what they are particularly good or bad at, what they could, should or ought to achieve, etc. These are difficult to define as right or wrong, but if we believe in them, they are definitely true for us. Henry Ford (1863 – 1947, founder of the Ford Motor Company) also expressed this: “Whether you think you can or you can’t, in both cases you will be right.” However, beliefs about us have even more properties in addition to their truth content; some beliefs are good and functional (for us), supportive, opening, beneficial, helping, healing, while others are bad and dysfunctional, destructive, devaluing, subversive and limiting. Of course, beliefs are not good or bad per se, but for the sake of simplicity, we will refer to them collectively as “positive” and “negative”.

The power of

convictions

Most of these beliefs are formed in our childhood. The earlier a belief was imprinted, the greater the impact and influence it has on us and on every area of our lives. We believe that our beliefs represent the truth, although many beliefs are only created for certain situations or out of necessity. We conserve them. And so our conserved knowledge and experiences guide and direct us from the past (hence the word conservative (Latin conservare “to conserve, to preserve”)). Beliefs also influence what we do and don’t do, both positively and negatively, our willingness and ability to perform, our self-development and self-realization, the achievement of goals to a considerable extent and so on. They control, direct and influence all areas of a person; identity, values, ability, behavior, interaction with the environment/social life, etc.
The effect of such a belief can be so strong that we perceive through it selectively and ignore everything to the contrary or consider it wrong. Most beliefs are unrecognized and lie within us throughout our lives, but have a massive influence on our lives. It is understandable that faith is the last thing to be doubted, because we secretly believe in it, we take it for granted.

A belief can have different stages:

I am not successful.
I cannot be successful.
I want to be successful.
I can be successful.
I am successful.

“Most people I have observed have not been able to make extraordinary progress because they never believed in themselves. They had a fuzzy picture of what they wanted to be one day, but they doubted that they could make it happen. Consequently, they didn’t try hard enough because they didn’t believe they had a chance of realizing their goal. And of course, with that attitude, they didn’t make it either.” Arnold Schwarzenegger (1947) Austrian-American actor, publicist, entrepreneur, former bodybuilder and US politician.

Beliefs also create conflicts, hinder our inner development, inhibit and block us, prevent us from achieving certain goals, influence our basic emotional state, massively limit our scope for imagination and action and also restrict our potential. And all this without us even realizing it. Especially in our childhood, we all absorbed many negative beliefs and these are still deeply and firmly embedded in us. Sabotaging beliefs such as not being good enough, not being lovable, not being wanted or welcome, not being competent, powerless, bad, etc. can have a negative impact on us. The individual effects and manifestations can of course be very different. Since feelings follow thoughts, working on beliefs is also there to make you feel better. We can only go so far and only be as successful as our inner limits allow. These boundaries are set by faith and therefore also set the boundaries in life!

“But Jesus said to him, “If you can, all things are possible to him who believes.” The Bible, Mark 9:23

Positive beliefs can, among other things, resolve blockages or conflicts, increase self-esteem, bring about better emotional well-being, open up new paths, promote, support and drive our abilities, characteristics, sides and success, influence our state of health, our creativity or have a decisive effect on it.

Origins of beliefs and negative/irrational beliefs

“Do not believe unconditionally in ancient manuscripts, do not believe in anything at all just because people believe in it – or because you have been made to believe it since childhood.” Buddha, Siddhartha Gautama (563 – 483 BC) Founder of Buddhism

The Austrian doctor and psychotherapist Alfred Adler (1870-1937) already showed in the individual psychology he founded, which had a major impact on the development of psychology and psychotherapy in the 20th century, that people are always social living beings and that they are embedded in a community of fellow human beings. Object relations theory also emphasizes the central importance of the early mother-child relationship for personality development and also for later relationship formation. It is precisely in this early period that general, fundamental beliefs and also serious self-definitions are often formed. Age also plays a major role in the absorption of beliefs: in the first six years of life, a child’s brain waves are in the theta wave range. (An adult only reaches the theta state under hypnosis or during sleep.) Everything we hear, feel or recognize at this young age is therefore deeply imprinted in our minds. Studies have shown that children up to around 7-8 years of age accept beliefs without being able to defend themselves against them.

Negative beliefs/

dysfunctional cognitions

“Thoughts change physical reality. They can heal and make you sick.” Cheryl Richardson, author, coach.

Almost nowhere can the effects of negative beliefs be understood in greater depth than in placebo research. Not with the placebo, but with the “bad brother” of the placebo, the nocebo (nocebo lat. “I will harm”). This effect does not have good influences like the effects of the placebo, but negative/harmful ones.

– In a study with allergy sufferers, they were told that they came into contact with allergens. They developed large rashes even though they were given a pure saline solution. This study has been repeated in many variations, always with the result that the belief does not affect perception.

– In Brazil, 100 people who had died from supposed allergic reactions to bee stings were examined in a study. Their blood was analyzed biochemically and it turned out that there was no anaphylactic reaction, but they all died as a result of the enormous fear or expectation, the belief that they were highly allergic to bee venom. In this case too, belief created a reality, which in this case was fatal.

– Long-term medical studies have shown that people who believed themselves to be at risk of a heart attack for no reason were four times more likely to die of a heart attack than others.

Such studies have led to the conclusion that the psyche reacts mainly to what is believed and not to the external “reality”. It has often been proven in studies that belief alone can lead to pain, shortness of breath, allergies, symptoms of poisoning, nausea, thirst, hunger, dizziness and fainting spells, stomach cramps, hallucinations, delusions and even actual death. Negative beliefs, ideas, worries, gloomy expectations or fears are at least as great a risk factor for mental and physical health as nicotine, alcohol or other toxic substances. The power and strength of belief can be the best pharmacy or the deadliest poison.
A single belief can change your entire world view and therefore your life, so choosing the right beliefs is crucial for your life. All the negative beliefs we heard from outside or formed ourselves in early childhood are deeply imprinted in our belief system. They are always a burden and hinder the realization of our own life goals, have a subversive/destructive effect, rob us of freedom and also limit us internally. For example, if we have a negative belief about a certain ability within us, it blocks this ability and also blocks all further developments in this area, because we believe deeply and firmly in this belief. We assume it without being asked. We no longer learn because we have already inwardly given up on this belief. Carol Dweck proves this with many examples from her studies in her book: “Self-image. How our thinking causes success or defeat”.

The (good) reason for negative beliefs

“Experiments have shown that elementary particles (and children!) behave differently when the observer has a benevolent, supportive intention than when they have negative thoughts. In short: our reality behaves according to our inner attitude.” Dr. Dietrich Klinghardt (1950) , physician, scientist and teacher

Everyone has negative beliefs within them. Early childhood negative beliefs actually always have a purpose, a good reason. Because apart from the fact that they give us security, they are mostly about our own (emotional) protection, avoiding injury, ensuring (emotional) survival (at least from the child’s point of view) or the relationship with parents/peers. Infants in particular are completely dependent and helpless and the relationship and bond with the people raising them helps them to survive; they receive love, affection, closeness, food and cleanliness, all elementary and vital needs. This is why parents are god-like to babies and children and develop many important things from this relationship, such as security and also basic trust. Everything the parents say is absorbed, both emotionally and verbally. This means that the relationship with the primary object must be protected; it must not be violated under any circumstances, otherwise survival (physical or emotional) could be jeopardized.

One tactic in conflicts is, for example, to change one’s own evaluation or to turn the perpetrator and victim around; so instead of thinking, for example, “Mother doesn’t like me”, people think, “I’m not good enough” or “I’m worthless”. “Because if I’m worthless, mother has every reason to be disapproving. So everything is ok with mother, mother is not bad or even unpredictable, I’m not good enough.” With such a view/evaluation, which protects the primary object, it no longer has to be afraid of mother or fear that the relationship will be damaged or will not continue. It is easier and safer to “blame” yourself and not someone who is important for your own survival. In return, the person has to live with this negative belief from then on. It is important for children to have an intact world view, as this gives them stability and security, especially at such a fragile age. Alice Miller even called this tactic of idealizing parents with fantasy a law of life. “To attribute bad things to the beloved, closest caregiver would therefore contradict the natural defense and the law of life … . It follows that a child never invents traumas. On the contrary: in order to survive, it must use its imagination to make the pain bearable.”

Drama, pain and suffering are part of every childhood. As a child’s experience is still much more emotional and intense, it has less understanding and fewer knowledge horizons and therefore situations become emotionally charged more quickly, the negative belief becomes engrained with emotional tension. If the situation is too overwhelming, stressful or frightening, this belief may also be suppressed. If such situations occur frequently, especially at an early age when everything is still being absorbed unfiltered, when the first foundations for self-worth, self-confidence, abilities, talents etc. are being laid, these can easily be severely impaired or inhibited. Another possible reason for a young child to form negative (unbalanced) beliefs is because these insights help them to better integrate or adapt themselves and their own role into life in the community or family. According to Jean Piaget’s theory of cognition, people are born with the ability to adapt. Although every person is unique, one of a kind and therefore incomparable, at the beginning of their development everyone has to adapt to their family or community, because belonging is essential for survival. In early childhood, this ensures survival and development, and later on, belonging and assertion at work and in the social environment. For example, if a child is often ignored, then it is possible that the following belief will form: “I am not good enough” (“… that others will take care of me.”) If this is the belief that helped the child to adapt to the unbalanced family situation, then this was exactly what the child needed, even if it was not true. It means that the child accepts the actions and assessments of others and can come to terms with them, adapt to them and emotionally cope with them. Because with the belief that I myself am responsible for this certain behavior of others, I do not create conflicts, but adapt to life in this environment or family or can get involved without constantly experiencing injuries, conflicts or problems. So it “knows” that it is not good enough. So it’s up to him and not the others. The connections are saved, but this negative conviction is deeply ingrained.

Core beliefs
“Believing our untrue thoughts is a good way to scare ourselves to death.” (“Believing our untrue thoughts is a good way to scare ourselves to death.”), Byron Katie (1942) American author

Core beliefs are the most strongly charged beliefs from which a large part of our behavior is formed. Adler, who is one of the most important representatives of depth psychology, wrote about the power and effect of beliefs and called them guidelines, life templates or the “secret life plan” with which the child aligns its life and implements repetitive patterns of behaviour. Adler also described the guidelines as a personal lifestyle that ensures the achievement of specific goals. He was convinced that you can only understand the nature of a person once you have recognized their guiding principles. Furthermore, he also took it for granted that the guideline means lack of freedom, as we not only follow it unconsciously, but it also guides and directs us. It is a very general, fundamental belief that creates a psychological life pattern or life plan. These core beliefs or guidelines are often “I must …” or “I am …” definitions. Because these define our whole being, our whole nature. Not just our behavior, but they describe, define, limit, restrict us, our whole being. We are therefore particularly well advised to release them. Of course, it is always very individual for whom which belief is a core belief.

Examples:

I must always be against it
I am not wanted/welcome
I always have to be first (if I want to be accepted)
I always have to be the center of attention
I always have to make myself small and show my weaknesses
I always have to be there for others first
I have to do everything perfectly
I have to put my needs second
I must not stand out or I have to stand out
When I’m sick or weak, I get attention/love
I always have to conform
I am not lovable
I am not good enough
I am worthless
I need affirmation

This belief becomes more and more entrenched until it is not only an unshakeable part of our belief system, but also a main component of our world of experience and our life and we are unconsciously aligned with it. Such a sentence can determine the unconscious foundation of the entire personality and thus the orientation in thinking, acting and feeling. We only recognize this deep scope when we dissolve it and “anchor” a beneficial belief instead. Now you can act differently, now you have the freedom to behave differently. The guiding and directing has then ceased. You now have options for alternatives. That is freedom or no choice is lack of freedom.