|
HARRISON HEYL
The power of the human mind is astounding.
Hypnosis provides one of the clearest examples of its breathtaking capabilities.
My hypnotherapist told me about a cruise she took where the entertainment
included an adult-oriented hypnosis act. The hypnotist convinced several
people their spouses were naked. One woman, clearly distressed, exclaimed,
“Oh, Harold, not again!” making it obvious to everyone this
wasn’t the first time he’d been caught exposing himself in public.
Awed by the mind’s ability to imagine clothed people naked, and other
stories of adrenaline-charged people lifting cars in emergencies, I started
hypnotherapy to treat my insomnia.
If there were ever something brainpower should be able to overcome, insomnia
is it. “I can’t sleep.” It doesn’t make sense. There’s
nothing less you could do. It’s impossible to be less productive.
But I can’t turn my mind off at night. I’ll spend hours pondering
the correct pronunciation of a name I’ve read but never heard pronounced,
like Kenechi Udeze, a former USC football player now with the Minnesota
Vikings.
All I could think about for several nights was, “Is that pronounced
Kuh-NEH-chee OO-DEEZ? OO-de-zee? Ken-e-CHEE?” Over and over and over.
When one is able to fall asleep, the human noodle is capable of triumphant
successes, even in such a slumbering state. Einstein had a dream of sledding
on snowy slopes that led to his Theory of Relativity. Elias Howe’s
dream involving spear-wielding cannibals resulted in his invention of
the sewing machine. Musicians from Beethoven to Bob Dylan have composed
music in their sleep.
I wish I could accomplish amazing things in my sleep, but I don’t.
When I do manage to fall asleep, I grind my teeth. I wear a plastic mouth
guard at night so I don’t gnaw my teeth away to the gums. That’s
my particular skill.
I wish I were a sleepwalker. At least they’re going places, getting
things done.
There are other examples of the force of the intellect that make me feel
like a dumbbell. Uri Geller became famous for bending spoons with his
mind. I can’t do that. I have a hard enough time remembering whether
the spoons go on the right or the left when I’m setting the table.
But although Geller’s feats are incredible, it’s a shame how
he’s underachieved. If he has these amazing mental gifts, why couldn’t
he form a protective mental shield over the rainforests or cause guns
to jam in warfare?
At the very minimum, he could straighten out silverware that is bent.
That’s somewhat constructive. Otherwise, it’s just vandalism
to bend all those spoons.
In order to remind myself of my potential, I frequently visit a magnet
on my refrigerator attributing Thomas Edison with the quote: “If
we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound
ourselves.”
That’s fine and dandy for Edison. He was a genius. He invented the
electric light bulb, the phonograph, the movie projector and the Thigh
Master Toning System.
I want a quote that’s more appropriate for my mental abilities, such
as, “If you cleaned the bathroom more often, you would literally
astound your girlfriend.”
Many of mankind’s greatest achievements have resulted simply from
setting ambitious goals and believing we are capable of reaching them.
“Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the
stars.”
I’m a little lazy and tend to underachieve. I need to aim to be president
of the United States when I know all I really want is to be a moderately
successful part-time government employee. If I only shoot to be a moderately
successful part-time government employee, I’ll wind up making a living
by collecting recyclable bottles and turning them in for the deposit money.
I think all of this proves what crazy, twisted kooks human beings truly
are. If harnessing the power of our noggins is all that stands between
incredible accomplishments, imagining that fully clothed people are naked,
or bending spoons, there is either a lot of hope for the human race, or
we’re doomed.
The always contemplative Harrison Heyl is a frequent Beacon contributor.
He can be reached at h.heyl@verizon.net.
|
