Using Auto Suggestion Treatments to Overcome Stuttering and More

Your brain is built to reinforce and regulate your life. Your subconscious has something called a homeostatic impulse, which regulates functions like heartbeat and breathing. This impulse is very important for maintaining balance in your physical system, and it also plays a significant role in your mental system. Your mind constantly filters information and stimuli, affirming your pre-existing beliefs. It presents repeated thoughts and impulses that mimic your past actions. That is why what you think is so important, and why people often say, “What you think is what you become.” Your mind is a space where you can either dwell in the past and get stuck in negativity, or retrain it with positivity and make it your ally. The first step in mind training is willingness, combined with the daily effort to practice positive auto-suggestions.

My childhood was not filled with comfort. I lost my father when I was six, which left me a scared little girl who feared everything. Then came my stepfather, who disliked me. If I needed something from him, I either asked my mom to intervene or rehearsed my request multiple times, because otherwise, I would panic at the sight of him. This experience may have contributed to my fear of talking to strangers, especially men. I was broken and had very low self-esteem. Meeting Lee Lovett changed my life completely. As an obedient student, I followed all his guidance. I practiced Auto Suggestion Treatments (AST) twice a day. At first, my positive affirmations focused only on my stutter, with examples like: “Every day in every way my speech grows better and better,” “I love to say my name Prathusha Ravi,” “When I panic, calmness floods through my body,” “I’m a fluent speaker,” and “I’m brave.” Within months, I overcame my stutter, which I realized when I successfully hosted an event at my former workplace. Standing on stage with a microphone, I was nervous and fearful, but when asked, I told people I was excited. Nervousness sends negative signals, whereas excitement sends positive signals, even though the physical sensations feel similar.

After addressing my stuttering, I focused on my anger. I was introverted and had severe anger management issues, though I mostly directed my anger toward myself. Lee taught me that anger is a punishment we give ourselves, and he encouraged me to renounce anger in all its forms. I updated my ASTs to include affirmations like “I renounce my anger in all its forms” and learned the art of forgiving, which brought me peace. Over time, I became unresponsive to anger. I then upgraded my ASTs further with affirmations such as “I’m the best speaker in the world” and “People love the way I talk and admire me in every way.” I have crooked teeth and was once ashamed to smile openly. Now, I have accepted my imperfections, understanding that imperfection is what makes us unique. Even as I plan to get braces in the future, I no longer feel ashamed to smile. My mindset is: “I know I’m imperfect, I accept it, I’m not ashamed to show it, and I’m working to improve.” Slowly expanding your horizons and addressing challenges with positive affirmations is how you grow.

It is important to identify your resistance. When your subconscious allows old stuttering habits to take over, ask yourself why you joined WSSA and why you are letting old habits win. Lee often says, “Sometimes the best way to unlearn a habit is by not using it.” By not allowing yourself to stutter, you solve half the problem. Speak your success as a present fact, not a future goal. For example, if someone wants to become a CEO, their AST should be “I’m the best CEO in the world,” not “I will become the best CEO in the world.”

Our hypnotist, Monica, taught that we should reinforce ideas with positive language. Instead of saying, “I will not forget the keys,” it is better to say, “I will remember the keys,” because the first statement reinforces “forget,” whereas the second reinforces “remember.” When creating ASTs, framing them positively is essential.