Much of the self help and spiritual growth teachings you will find in the local bookstore is designed to create new habits, attitudes and beliefs. This helps you to operate in a more successful or satisfactory way and become more empowered. They use techniques to get you to think more productive thoughts or feel more empowering feelings.

The question arises, "Why do people create these disempowering habits, beliefs and attitudes in the first place?" Though these self help modalities are certainly well intentioned, research in the field of human change and energy psychology has shown that more effective and permanent transformation happens at deeper levels of our mind and heart. The foundation of negative emotions, poor self image and limiting self referencing beliefs are held in the subconscious mind by our resistance. Our belief systems and self images started being formed when we were very young.

Everyone has built up a measure of repressed or unprocessed material and stored it away where it supposedly will not bother them. The problem with that is this stuff can pop up when you least expect it. Covering it over with a new belief may hide it for a while. However, when you practice saying to yourself "I am a beautiful person, people love me". Where do all your feelings of "I'm a horrible mother!" go? What happens to your belief that says, "I am worthless"?

The main problem with the covering over or adding of a new program is that this still ignores the huge mountain of counter programming that you already have operating. For the most part, this tends to sweep your "stuff" under the rug. This unconscious material remains untouched no matter how much you try to pile new on top of it.

One example of this type of "positive programming" encourages you to repeat affirmations. So, if you want to create abundance you would repeat "I am rich, I am wealthy, I have no lack... etc." You would repeat that as often as possible to try to create the belief and the mindset that makes those things possible.

My question is, why do you have to repeat it? Why can't you just decide something and do it? Bingo. It's your "stuff", your unconscious programming getting in the way. It may not be visible or obvious to you right now, but this programming affects you much more than you realize.

This could be the reason most people find little help in trying to raise themselves out of debilitating states by putting a "good face" on it. They take one step forward then two steps back. Trying to cover over repressed pain and negativity is like putting a band aid on cancer. Eventually it will come back to haunt you.

It seems to take a tremendous amount of energy and effort to get beyond this unconscious programming doesn't it? The vast majority of people often succumb to living under it's influence. Of those that use the "covering" type of reprogramming techniques, there are few who can maintain the effort.

That's the next difficulty. In order to keep your unconscious programming at bay, it's usually necessary to do continual maintenance. This takes even more energy. Wouldn't it be better to install a new operating system onto a clean hard drive? Isn't it more effective to scrape the old paint off before repainting?

I will not deny that you can experience some positive effects from applying positive programming to your life. If you just want to feel a little better or have a little more success then by all means use those techniques. However, there is more to it. A lot more.

Perhaps your energy could be better spent removing everything in the way? Then you could just decide you want to create something, acquire the attributes needed and just do it. This type of ability only comes from having an unobstructed path from your creative desire to it's manifestation. This means no resistance, counter intentions or limiting negative beliefs.

The most lasting and fundamental change will happen only if we address the deepest layers where the issues or problems reside. Human change science is rapidly developing new processes that teach you to do just that. These processes work from the inside out. They get to the roots of your particular problems, uproot them and let you start again with a clean slate.

The most common name for this type of self development work is Clearing Work. Sometimes it is called "processing" or Transformational processing. There are many varieties that have sprung up over the last 10 years. There is a lot of research going on and the results are exciting to say the least.