Conference hydra::dejavu

Clearly, when you were in Las Vegas, you should have set yourself the 
goal of only leaving when you had $50K or so of the casino's money.

Of course, they don't call it Lost Wages for nothing; I'm not sure your 
mental state would have had any particular effect on your winnings.

Tom

    
    
    A few years ago I was working at a trade show in Las Vegas.  I didn't
    know anything about the games or betting, but I budgetted myself
    $10.00 a night as spending money.  I went to an out of the way casino
    where the minimum bet is low so I could milk my ten for an evening
    of entertainment.  Each night I would return to the hotel with $12
    or maybee $15.  I didn't realize that I was doing well because I
    only bet a small amount, and I didn't really try to understand why
     the nice man give me those funny little chips that I could never
    tell what they were worth.  Then, one night I went down town to
    a casino called the 4 queens.  In 45 minutes I won THREE THOUSAND
    DOLLARS playing dice.  I think it was just the good spirit of the
    evening and my "what have I got to loose" attitude that made it
    happen.  Even when it was happening, I didn't realize it.  I had
    no idea what the chips were worth.  I didn't know what to do except
    the dealer would constantly insist that I "hurry up and throw the
    dice".  Every once in a while I would see that I had a bunch of
    chipc on the table, so I would remove all but the minimum and keep
    on tossing.  I do feel, however, that if I had ever known how much
    I was risking during the game, I would have gone negative with fear
    (or perhaps I would be struck huge wave of cheepness) and not done
    nearly as well.  I think I had a case of beginners luck.

    I was in Vegas a month or so ago visiting my father who lives there
    in the winter.  He's a die-hard blackjack player, and taught me
    how to play an intelligent game.  In a casino on the first night,
    I borrowed $20 dollars in chips from him, turned it into $40, and 
    gave him his $20 back.  Over the next few days I turned that $20 
    into $275, mostly betting $5 a hand (i.e. small bets).  I won every
    single time I sat down at the table (every afternoon and night!),
    although I never played big money (well, $25 a hand on occation).
    
    At the end of my stay, something inside my head said that my luck
    had to run out.  Maybe I could have fought this, but I didn't really
    think much of it.  I lost $15 the second to last night (alot for
    me), and $50 the last night.  If I had brought any more money with
    me, I definitely would have lost it too.
    
    Unfortunately, I seem to have little control over this kind of positive
    thinking (or confidence, which is one way that it manifests itself).
    I would try to talk myself out of the conviction that I was going
    to start losing, but to no avail.  This may have been a self-fulfilling
    proficy where I made some stupid moves, but I don't think so.  I
    played exactly the same way those nights as I did the others.
    
    It's also strange how the casino makes a difference (Maxim's was
    wonderful for me, The Riviera alright, and the Sands horrible to
    name a few).
    
    It seems that concious positive thinking has to be combined with
    the subconcious for the right mixture of confidence and ease.
    

RE: .3
    
    That's one interpretation: that your confidence created the ability
    to win at Blackjack.
    
    Another is that your ability to win at Blackjack created your
    confidence: i.e., you subconsciously *knew* you were "hot".
    
    The latter effect has been studied in parapsychology and there is
    reasonably good evidence that it exists.  The subject is asked to
    give confidence calls, that is, to say when they think that they
    have guessed correctly.  When ability is weak there seems to be
    no sense of knowing which ones really are "hits".  When hit rates
    are stronger, it seems to be accompanied by some knowledge of when
    it is right.
    
    					Topher

    Hi.
         I have never really used it, but I've read in a number of
    different places about auto-suggestion.
         One source, that seemed to be quite reputable (although I didn't
    personally check it out) has been hired by Digital to give seminars.
    I currently have some tapes borrowed from that source, although
    not here with me now.  They explained its efficacy with some
    information about what I think they called the reticular activating
    system.  The idea is that by repeating a beneficial suggestion to
    one's self over the course of many days, one trains the RAS to let
    in information about that suggestion, so that new opportunities
    are made possible to us.  We can't pay attention to everything,
    so the RAS tunes out most of what is irrelevant (irreverent!) to
    us.  This auto-suggestion method opens up the RAS to allow more
    info to help the desired situation occur.
         I've read about an Emile Cuoue (I haven't the slightest idea
    how the actual spelling goes) in an earlier part of this century
    who advocated that people repeat at least 20 times per day to them-
    selves, "Everyday, in every way I'm getting better and better."
    I read that it worked for people who did that.
         I've read that hypnosis, auto-hypnosis, and auto-suggestion
    work by speaking to "the unconscious", which is seen as the source
    for much of our motivation.  When one is in a relaxed state, or
    alpha state, it's easier to program the unconscious, so I've read.
    Visualization during this state about a desired situation is supposed
    to be very powerful.  I've read about Champion body builders using
    methods similar to this.  I know personally that the Silva Mind
    Control method uses the relaxed visualization technique to achieve
    desired results.
         There is a book titled "The Greatest Salesman in the World"
    by Og Mandingo (sp?) that advocates auto suggestion.  This person
    has written several short books about the same sort of thing.
         To summarize, there is a lot of information floating around
    about this general type of thing.

    Setting aside the gambling theme for a bit, voodoo, withcraft,
    etc., are SOLELY base on the power of suggestion; i.e., by
    attempting to mentally control intended victims.
    
    Yes, it sure can be effective is someone becomes convinced of
    the witchdoctor's supposed power. Remember also that superstition
    is based on FEAR.                                              
         
    I believe I've expounded on this elsewhere in DEJAVU.
    
    My main theme is that in order to REALLY make progress in one's
    inner development you must FIRST rid yourself of superstition.
    The so-called "New Age" has revived many of these ancient
    superstitions. Read between the lines, investigate, experiment,
    find a course of study.

    Or you must rid yourself of fear and of the belief that anyone besides
    you is in control of you.

    Over the last few months I have been monitoring 'The Power of
    Suggestion' (after reading this notes file).  What actually gave
    me the idea was - somebody said to me one morning "you look awful
    - are you feeling O.K." - I actually felt fine (tired perhaps but
    thats all), but within an hour I felt quite ill.  I realised that
    I had been suffering from "the power'.  What a fool I had been,
    I and my family (and firends) had been suffering from this for years.
    I made a decision that next time I would be strong overcome this
    feeling.  It did make me think back to Tarot Card readings and such
    things.  If the power of suggestion is so easily imposed on people,
    do readings actually predict or influence.  I dont know - and its
    not an easy one.  A good test though is to actually think about
    it everytime somebody 'suggests' something to you and monitor your
    feelings.  It can be great to think I'm going to do well (doesnt
    always happen though).  What a wonderful thing our minds are, and
    how little we use it!!!  I for one would like to utilise it to the
    full - Im not sure of percentages but I think its about 5% of our
    brain that we actually use.  Amazing huh.. I think mines been stagnent
    for tooooooo long....

    
    Yes indeed - it is scary how easily we can be influenced, even as
    adults.  Imagine how it must be for children - years and years of the
    same messages.  If they're positive and affirming then this is one
    thing, but if they're negative, then it is very damaging and this is
    carried over and blindly passed down through the generations.
    
    Cindy

    Knowing the impact of "Power of Suggestion" it seems the best approach
    would be to turn it to your advantage.  Examples being positive
    affirmations in many contexts - self-healing of physical and mental
    negatives that you face in your life.  The more positive you feel
    about yourself mentally and physically, the more you radiate that
    to others around you.  Make yourself the positive to offset the
    negative  - YOU be the power that counts!
    
    tj