You’re Already Using Mantras, And They're Working

Your Monkey Mind

"Just as a monkey, swinging through a forest wilderness, grabs a branch. Letting go of it, it grabs another branch. Letting go of that, it grabs another one. In the same way, what's called 'mind,' 'intellect,' or 'consciousness' by day and by night arises as one thing and ceases as another."  — Samyutta Nikaya 12.61, Assutava Sutta

"Monkey mind" is a Buddhist term to describe the restless, unsettled, and easily distracted nature of the human mind and it never stops talking at us. Notice that I said “at us,” and not “to us.” We rarely choose to receive the thoughts that our minds feed us in its neverending stream. Upon examination, you’ll likely find that they most often have little to do with supporting us and are, generally, designed to prevent growth, confidence, and peace.

Our minds like to pick certain thoughts to throw at us over and over again.  

You Already Use Mantras

"Whether you think you can or you think you can't—either way you are right!" — Henry Ford

When things don’t go right, we may have thoughts like, “I’m bad at this”, “this always happens to me”, or “I’m such an idiot.”  We may create our own meaning behind people’s behavior or actions toward us, with thoughts like, “they don’t really want to be here with me”, “I’m meant to be alone”, “No one really knows me”, or “I’m actually alone.” These thoughts might seem inconsequential and often pop in and out of our minds too fast to be unexamined. 

If we could get a transcript of our thoughts and search for duplicates, we’d immediately see that we tell ourselves the same things over and over again. 

Unfortunately, repetition shapes our perception.

Mantras Aren’t Magic

"It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen." — Muhammed Ali

Our minds decide what thoughts to repeat — without consulting us. But we can also intentionally repeat ideas to ourselves, as affirmations that counter recognized patterns of destructive thoughts. Affirmations are mantras intended to reframe fundamental limiting beliefs and promote emotional well-being. 

The concept of mantras has permeated Western culture with an unfortunate stigma of being magical thinking, reserved for spell casters and self-help nerds as an unrealistically attempt at forcing change in their lives. However, if we look closer at mantras, stripping them of stigma, mysticism, and spirituality, we find that they are simply repeated phrases that direct attention. 

But the benefit of mantras is not magic or belief-based. It’s based on science. 

The Science of Repetition

"A reliable way to make people believe in falsehoods is frequent repetition, because familiarity is not easily distinguished from truth." — Daniel Kahneman, Thinking, Fast and Slow

Studies confirm that the information that our brains consume repeatedly will be prioritized. The more we see, hear, or think something the faster and more frequently our minds will recall and reference those ideas in our thoughts. And the more our thoughts reference those ideas, the more true those ideas will feel. 

It’s psychological.

In psychology, we find a phenomenon, called attentional bias, where our perception veers toward certain types of information while ignoring others. It’s essentially the brain’s priority filter. 

Think of your attention as a spotlight in a dark room. If you have a negative attentional bias (anxiety, low self-esteem, etc.), your brain automatically shines the spotlight on negativity, not even seeing positivity and creating a distorted proof of a negative worldview.  This filtering also affects your memories, making a negative outlook feel like objective, historical fact. 

Every time you repeat this, your brain strengthens that negativity circuit. Here is where we see that..  

It’s also biological. 

Neuroplasticity is the brain's life-long ability to reorganize itself by forming new neural connections. The science of neuroplasticity has shown that repetition strengthens neural pathways. The fundamental point is that “neurons that fire together, wire together.” (Carla Shatz on Hebbian learning) So, when we say something has become “second nature” or is “just like riding a bike”, we are referencing the result of many repeated neural connections having solidified into a well worn, easily accessed, ability to do or recall something. 

The other side of the proverbial neuroplasticity coin is that the brain is efficient and has a strict “use it or lose it” policy. Neurons that stop firing together eventually lose their connection, and neurons that stop firing altogether die away. 

The Risks of Positive Affirmations

"Positive self-statements may be beneficial for people with high self-esteem, but they can backfire for those who need them most." — Dr. Joanne Wood, University of Waterloo

Cognitive dissonance is the mental discomfort we experience when holding two opposing truths in our minds at once. For example, if you believe that you are a failure, and you use “I am a massive success.” as a repeated affirmation, your mind won’t be able to avoid considering the affirmation to be a lie. This phenomenon is what led some studies to suggest that positive affirmations make some people actually feel worse.  Instead of building a new pathway, the brain doubles down on the old one to protect its sense of reality. 

The ‘Bridge’ Method

There is a way that you can leverage your mind’s flexibility instead of fighting against it. We can use neuroplasticity to slowly stretch the pathway rather than trying to snap it. For example, instead of saying “I am confident” when your brain is saying you’re not, you’d use a mantra like “I am open to the possibility of feeling confident.” 

Mantras don’t change reality. They change what you notice. Because mantras don’t necessarily make a truth claim about your identity, your brain doesn’t fight it. You’re simply giving your brain a new rhythm to follow. 

Good Mantras That Work

Getting the most out of our minds’ natural tendencies toward mantras means picking the right kind of mantras. If you want mantras to actually work, keep them grounded. Good mantras are short, slightly directional, and easy to repeat under stress. 

The goal with choosing effective mantras is to make sure that they inspire you. The right mantra represents possibility and leaves you feeling more open and more hopeful.

Repetition is the key and not just in times of stress or anxiety. Repeat the mantra in your mind or out loud during idle times, like during walks or in the shower. After all, you’re intentionally training your mind, not just reacting to stimulus. 

Now, Power Up

You’re always repeating something. If you listen to your thoughts, you’ll see their negative influence on your life and possibility. The real question is, “Did you choose them?”  

What you repeat becomes what feels true, so choose thoughts to think.