Just Before Show Time

Take Some Quiet Time

In the summer of 2004, I had the good fortune of spending a weekend with John Assaraf, author of, “The Street Kid’s Guide to Having it All,” and, “The Answer.” John is also a teacher, based on his world wide book phenomenon, The Secret. During our time together, John taught my wife and me about universal laws, and the power of the human brain. This is where my research into the brain’s function began.

One of the most impactful things John taught me that weekend was the incredible power of meditation.

After teaching us the mechanics of meditation, and how to clear our minds of thought, he let us practice for a while so we could build some skill level at it. He then gave us each a spoon. He led us through a short meditation, and before we knew it, we were bending spoons with our hands. I don’t mean making little bends in the handle of the spoon; I mean tying the spoon in knots, like it was a string, and all this with zero effort! The moment I applied conscious thought to what I was doing, the moment I started thinking, “Hey, I’m bending a spoon!” the bending stopped, and the spoon became a solid object again.

John explained that the unconscious mind can be accessed through meditation, opening the doors to powers that are blocked by the limitations of our conscious beliefs. In addition, it has enormous rejuvenation benefits.

There is research to support John’s teachings. In 2007, scientists at the Flinders Medical Centre, working in the Centre for Neuroscience branch, completed the first scientific demonstration of the changes in brain activity when a subject is in a distinct meditative state. Their research confirmed the benefits of meditation on alertness, among other interesting results.

So, what’s the lesson? As a speaker, any mental advantage you can acquire is of value, and a short meditation session before you speak can boost your alertness and energy significantly.