Subliminal Talk

Introduction:
I am not one to normally write a thread of this nature, as my personal journey is precisely that - personal. My life experiences lead me to believe that those most interested in sharing their personal thoughts/views/politics/religion/philosophy with you and less inclined for you to share the same with them, and even less inclined to listen with an open mind. And since the only way to correct that societal behavior pattern is to refuse to participate - I hope you understand my reluctance in sharing. My woman is an Irish Catholic girl (non-practicing) from an old Irish family - and she has taught me a thing or two about the benefits of stoic restraint.

Although there are many user journals on the Forum, I find only a few to be personally relatable. This is in no way an indictment against those journals/threads as much as it is an indication of who I am and what my personal perspective is. What is pushing me through my reluctance is the thought that, given the nature of the product I will be writing a journal on and the (assumed) nature of others who may be interested in the same product, it would be selfish to deprive them of my experiences using the product. I don't mean that in an overly-blusterous way - rather that when looking for journals on the product myself I found less first-hand experiences than I would prefer. This becomes even more true as many of the product journals, especially in the Men's section, are aimed at helping those who desire more Alpha status or help approaching/attracting the opposite sex - which is not my personal problem set.

What I Hope To Gain:
LTU 3.1 5G emphasizes the following on the product page.
Self Esteem - not a target area but hey, could always use a little improvement, no?
Self Control - big target for me. Not the physical aspects so much as the mental. Help 'keeping my crazy locked up' is kind of what I'm going for.
Self Image - after failing in career areas I could definitely use a boost. As I continue to find/hold/succeed at a career a good self-image is vital.
Self Respect - not much of a target, but never hurts.
Self Discipline - yes please. I'm borderline ADHD with a high (tested) IQ, I need more discipline to make it to 'the next step'.
Positive Attitude - add a family genetic trait of depression highs-lows in the mix and yes, I could use this.
Positive Thinking - as above - yes please.
Sense of Self Worth - could use some 'spit and polish'.
Happiness & Joy - never hurts to be happy. Positivity attracts and negativity repels.
Peace and Serenity - on a concious/surface level not a rproblem. Deep down inside where I cage my personal Demons, yeah I could use some.
Overcoming procrastination - yes please. A second helping would be nice.
Overcoming anxiety - I just need a little nudge to get me over the hump, then I'm fine. Hopefully I get that.
Self reliance - have that in spades already. But tbh I 'get by with a little help from my friends'. "No Man is an island"
Liking yourself - mostly I'm OK with that already.
Loving yourself - can use a bit of that.
Being a good person - I'd like to think I'm a good person. Then again I'm sure Hitler's Mom thought he was a wonderful son, so idk.
Feeling good about yourself - at this time I could use some of this. I'm in a pretty bad place right now.
Winner’s mindset & attitude - my pragmatic realism definitely gets in the way of what is needed in a consumer-capitalist society to achieve what, by the metrics of said society, would be considered a 'win'. So yes, I probably could use some of this.
Doing the right thing - not been much of a problem for me.
Taking care of yourself - was already pushing myself in this area about the time I started using the product, but keeping up with it is a goal in and of itself.
Success programming - not sure what this is but I believe I could use some?
Accepting responsibility for yourself - already there.
Ego balancing - what do you do when you're consistently the smartest guy in the room and everyone knows it? When you see the probable or even inevitable outcomes given the obvious (at least to me) parameters before everyone else? You become a 'know-it-all' kind of jerk that alienates himself and fails at life. Not because you are incapable, but because everyone else is less-so. Not because you're really a jerk, but because you spend life with what amounts to mental high schoolers and you simply get tired of explaining things on such a low mental level. It's not that I don't value others and what they bring to the table so much as I need to make a big conscious effort to make sure they know it, and that is simply exhausting. So yes, dear God yes, please let this product help me balance my ego and become more 'likable' to others.
Being fun and fun to be around - could use some of this. "y so serious?" definitely pertains to me.
Enjoying socializing with others, and doing so more easily - I hate being around people. The bigger the crowd the less enjoyable. Especially those key career forced networking/socializing events that are so critical to success in modern society. I could use this, definitely.
Enjoying life - "Happiness is not gaining that which you desire, but learning to be satisfied with what you already have" That said, I could use a little more work on enjoyment of what I already have.
Overcoming Guilt, Shame & Fear - yes please. I feel guilt over where I find myself. I'm ashamed that I ended up here despite my abilities and skills. I'm afraid I'll never get out of this rut.
Improve your health - already working on it, but more motivation to continue to do so certainly can't hurt.
Wisdom improvement - I could get into this but I won't, due to restrictions on discussing religion on these forums. But by and large I feel I'm OK, though wisdom is one thing I feel you can always use more of.
Maturity improvement - I feel I'm pretty mature in most ways. Idk, we'll see?
Self validation - I'm used to 'no one gets me'. It would be nice if I could experience life on the other side of the fence, or at least feel like I'm on the other side of the fence. Reality is a matter of perspective, and I suppose I could use some help changing my perspective.
Self forgiveness - on a mental level I'm OK with this. But deep down inside there are times when past failures or hardships replay in my mind like a video loop reminding me of how I botched the whole thing up. That particular Demon gets out of his cage a little too often, to the point I manifest some physical behaviors that are hard to hide. No, I'm not 'cutting' or performing any version of self-harm - but yes I could do with a healthy dose of self forgiveness and letting go. It's a block for me that impedes forward progression and needs removal.

To be accurate this journey began Feb 26, 2017 - although my use of 'Life Tune Up 3.1 5G' did not begin until the 28th. I had/have been making a conscious effort to 'get off my butt' as my depressed mood had hit a 3 year mark and I found myself stuck in a pattern of behavior from which I was finding it difficult to extract myself. At the time of starting this journey I had obtained a copy of [a competitors program]. Upon first use I found myself getting up and accomplishing tasks which I had already laid the groundwork for.

I am unsure at this time if this was simply placebo. For all I know it probably was. It should be noted that I am the type of person who prefers to set things up in alignment, then 'pull the trigger' to accomplish the intended goal. Thus at the outset of this journey much of the 'groundwork' has already been laid. This includes much of the psychological/emotional as well as the physical.

Nonetheless within 2hr of using that sub I found myself motivated to accomplish the tasks that I would otherwise have put off. And although I was appreciative, though skeptical, of the results I knew that I would need something that dealt with my deep rooted problems if I was to accomplish the remaking of myself. I acquired a copy of an hour long hypnosis-lead meditation on self forgiveness and letting go, but felt that although it was helpful it was neither quick enough or precisely what I needed. Given my mental awareness I already knew what my problems were. I already knew what the solutions were. Getting from point A to point B was the part I was struggling with.

If you are having difficulty in understanding this or relating to it, I suppose I should reveal that I am a scientist/engineer. My mind thinks analytically, and although I have an appreciation for psychology I find the methods employed in its exploration often cross the boundaries of what I consider to be true science and into the realm of spiritualism/gotta-believe-it-for-it-to-be-true. SIDE NOTE: Do not mistake me, I have some very grounded spiritual beliefs and deep respect for such matters. But they are NOT science, no matter how much they try/claim/want to be.

I knew that although deep meditations every day would certainly not hurt me, and in fact could be beneficial. But I also knew that the effect would be limited, as they would only be telling my conscious mind what it already knew, thus ultimately failing at helping me progress in a timely fashion.

Can you remodel a house from the roof down? Yes. Is that the most efficient way of going about it? Not if you want real progress.

It was around this time I discovered the IML website and products, and when I found the Life Tune Up program I figured that if it could do half of what it claimed then it could very well be the nudge I need to get over my mental/emotional roadblocks.

Concurrently my woman and I are trying to improve our physical health. We have recently purchased a rather pricey piece of exercise equipment ($2K USD) and I have been using it according to recommendations. I am not obese, merely overweight by less than 10% of my body weight. Yet I cannot stress this point enough for those that may read this journal in search of hope or guidance on their own journey:

"Physical exercise should never be overlooked when entering into any program/effort for self improvement. The natural cleansing effects, both physical and mental, of getting your blood pumping and circulating the myriad beneficial enzymes, endorphins, and hormones your own body naturally creates from the activity cannot be overstated."

When beginning the IML LTU program I ceased all other subs/meditations, as per instructions. I use a small mp3 player (iPod shuggle 4g) and earbuds (Panasonic ErgoFit In-Ear Earbud Headphones RP-HJE120) to play the sub for extended periods of time. So far I have not used the ultrasonic.

I have created an interesting way to use the player at night, utilizing an old t-shirt cut into a strip and folded with some safety pins to reach the desired size/tension. Putting the earbuds in I cover them with the cloth folded in half, so that it is like a 'U' shape on my head, 'open' on top. Slipping the player into the area in front of my forehead (the only part of my head that never/rarely touches the pillows when I sleep) I wind the cord 'inside' the 'trough'. Ensuring before I sleep that the entire 'rig' is set such that it covers my ears (with earbuds in) enables me to keep my cheap earbuds in place all night without subjecting my woman to the subs.

SIDE NOTE: If anyone reading this could recommend a more comfortable set of earbuds to try at night I would be grateful. When I wake up my ear canals are kind of sore. Suggestions would be appreciated.

During the day I have created a rig with some plastic tubing and a coat hanger, but I suppose that is of less interest.

Technically I have used the sub overnight for 3 nights. And have used it for at least 4hrs during the day. I suppose that his day, as of this writing, would be considered day 5, as the first night I did not use it.

Things of Note/Experiences At Night:
I have yet to have any dramatic/memorable dreams. I often wake up after my first REM cycle to urinate 'in the middle of the night' before returning to bed for my second REM cycle. In these moments of half-consciousness I am able to distinctly ascertain the subliminal elements, though I am unable to distinguish the words.

The first night I thought I heard a door slam. Yet to be fair I live on a busy road with multiple gas stations and businesses very near so it is also perfectly reasonable to assume that it was not originating from the sub or my subconscious.

The second night I heard voices. Kind of like mumbling.

Last night I heard them again, though with a rhythmic back-beat to it.

I do not play the sub loud. In fact I can hear the rustling of the blankets/sheets when I move. When my woman snores (lol) I can hear that too.

It is not uncommon for my ear lobes to be warm/hot when I wake up. Ofc I have my head wrapped in a tight fitting multi-layered cotton band so that is also not unexpected.

Personal Progress/Behavioral Shifts:
I cannot say for certain if anything momentous has occurred yet. I remain simultaneously skeptical and hopeful.

I am a little bit more energetic, yet that could be an effect of my exercise regime. I have kept up on the exercise and not devolved into lethargy and procrastination, yet that could also be due to the determination and commitment I made when purchasing such an expensive piece of equipment that it would be utterly foolish to not use it once purchased. My woman has been under a lot of work stress and time constraints and has not been as diligent, but that's her.

I try to keep a clear head and keep goal setting. Yet that was also before beginning the sub. I've been reading Dave Ramsey's "EntreLeadership' book for over a week now off/on. Since I'm not a business type of person my enthusiasm is less than perhaps some else's might be, yet the foundational principles are applicable on a personal level to just about everyone.

I can say that I'm keeping a bit more of a PMA (positive mental attitude), though ofc I was working on that as well.

I know subs are not a 'magic bullet', and that the effects from them can be minuscule unless a deep fundamental change occurs. I also know the bigger the change the greater the resistance, which would probably evidence itself in some sort of physical symptom. Since the goals of the sub and those of my own personal journey are so closely aligned it may be difficult to quantify how much of my progress is the sub and how much my own personal effort. Yet I feel that what I truly need for some of my goals is a mere nudge, and I think that LTU may be capable of giving me just that.

Keep Us updated buddy..LTU is awesome

Good luck. I had to edit out the mention of the competitors as we don't allow that on our forum. And remember Rule 4.

Quote:(Modified 10/29/2012) Users may not make mention of, or discuss religion or any concepts commonly incorporated into religious belief systems. (Including astrology) This is a broad ban on religion and religious concepts. If you wish to make any mention of religion, there is a religion-safe and an astrology thread in the chatter box.
(Modified 7/11/16) Rule 4 Expanded - Users may not make mention of or discuss politics in the main forum. As per the rest of rule 4 there will be a thread in the chatter box to do so.

Sorry, I interpreted Rule 3

Quote:"Making reference to other companies and/or their products is allowed as long as the reference does not constitute spamming, bashing or unauthorized advertising."

To be exact and succinct. I did not feel I was in any way promoting their products. In fact, I stated I wanted something more than what they offered, which is how I ended up here - so in that respect I was promoting IML. But yeah, OK, sure. Message received.

Quote:Keep Us updated buddy..LTU is awesome

Thanks Zane, I've been leisurely perusing your posts.

Thanks man, yeah Shannon prefers not to have the competitors mentioned here at all. All good.