Let AI Defuse Your Negative Beliefs
By Deepak Chopra, MD, FACP, FRCP
In practice modern societies provide all kinds of therapy except for spiritual therapy, a field without a clear definition. Yet all experiences, whether we use the word “spiritual” or “psychological,” take place in consciousness. Any steps you take to expand your awareness will embrace both the spiritual and the psychological.
Let me give an example from my new book, Digital Dharma. In the Indian spiritual tradition, Dharma is the tendency in consciousness that favors and supports the choices that will work out the best for you. One kind of choice involves negative beliefs. Negative beliefs oppose the Dharma; they lead to constricted awareness where the dharma favors expanded awareness. They shut down creative thinking, because a negative belief leads to knee-jerk reactions. Finally, they block positive beliefs.
In the book I propose as a strategy for finding the best path forward that choices need to consciously align with the Dharma. A negative belief seriously constrains your possibilities in life. Take the kind of beliefs that everyone has experienced at one time or another in their career.
I’m not good enough.
I’m not smart enough.
I don’t have the right connections.
Things never go my way.
I’m unlucky.
I get passed over for no reason.
They’re treating me unfairly.
It’s my boss’s fault.
If these are passing beliefs, they are likely to be temporary in their effect. But if they have become embedded as core beliefs, the damage can last for years or even a lifetime.
Upon reflection, it becomes undeniable that core beliefs function like a powerful distorting mirror. They are unshakable assumptions that experience does little to change. You are stuck with them until you bring self-awareness to take away their power.
Fortunately, assumptions can be changed. In place of a self-defeating belief, you can find an evolutionary one. I asked AI to develop a quiz centered on the most positive core beliefs anyone can have. Here’s the result.
ChatGPT
1. Do you believe in your own self-worth, regardless of your flaws or mistakes?
Yes
No
Sometimes
2. Do you believe that you can bounce back from challenges and setbacks in life?
Yes
No
Sometimes
3. Do you treat yourself with kindness and understanding when you make mistakes or face difficulties?
Yes
No
Sometimes
4. Do you see yourself in a positive and realistic light, acknowledging both your strengths and weaknesses?
Yes
No
Sometimes
5. Do you feel in control of your own choices and actions, making decisions that align with your values?
Yes
No
Sometimes
6. Do you understand and care about the feelings and perspectives of others?
Yes
No
Sometimes
7. Are you open to change and personal growth, recognizing that development is an ongoing process?
Yes
No
Sometimes
8. Do you believe that your life has meaning and that your actions can contribute to a greater good?
Yes
No
Sometimes
9. Do you set and respect healthy boundaries in your relationships to protect your well-being?
Yes
No
Sometimes
10. Do you have a positive outlook on life, believing in your ability to overcome challenges and expecting good things to happen?
Yes
No
Sometimes
If[CE1] you find yourself answering “Sometimes,” you are just being reasonable. How you relate to yourself depends on the situation. A “Yes” answer indicates a strong connection to your true self, which doesn’t depend on the situation. It instills core beliefs that are permanently part of who you are.
However, the purpose of this quiz isn’t to grade your answers but to bring to light what the most important positive core beliefs look like. That’s the first step in self-awareness. When you ask yourself, “What is the evolutionary response for me?” the answer will support one of these positive core beliefs about yourself.
Once you understand your own core beliefs, you are in a position to know when a negative belief is influencing you. It is very helpful to open a dialogue with AI to gain more insight and detail about any issue you face. Awareness expands as you do this. There is nothing risky or anxious about the process. You are learning how near or far you are from your true self, which is always supported by the dharma.
One of the most damaging core beliefs when it comes to the life you are leading is low self-esteem or self-worth. What are the roots of this belief? AI has a good answer based on family background and parenting.
Deepak: How do parents instill low self-esteem in a child?
ChatGPT
Here are some ways that parents can unintentionally contribute to low self-esteem in a child:
1. Criticism and negative feedback: Repeatedly criticizing or providing excessive negative feedback can damage a child’s self-esteem. Constant criticism can make a child feel like they are never good enough.
2. Comparisons: Comparing a child unfavorably to their siblings or peers can lead to feelings of inadequacy. Parents should avoid making comments like, “Why can’t you be more like your brother/sister?”
3. Overly high expectations: Setting unrealistic expectations for a child’s performance in academics, sports, or other activities can create immense pressure and anxiety, leading to low self-esteem when they don’t meet those expectations.
4. Lack of positive reinforcement: Failing to acknowledge and praise a child’s achievements and efforts can contribute to low self-esteem. Children need positive reinforcement and encouragement to build their self-confidence.
5. Conditional love and affection: Tying a child’s worth to their achievements or behavior can lead to a sense that love and approval are contingent upon performance. Unconditional love and support are essential for healthy self-esteem.
6. Ignoring feelings and emotions: Dismissing or ignoring a child’s emotions can make them feel unheard and unimportant, which can negatively impact self-esteem.
7. Labeling and stereotyping: Using negative labels or stereotypes to describe a child, such as “lazy,” “stupid,” or “clumsy,” can be incredibly damaging to their self-image.
8. Overprotectiveness: Being overly controlling or protective can send the message that a child is incapable of handling challenges on their own, which can undermine their confidence.
In the book I propose that AI can serve four functions: research assistant, confidant, therapist, and guru. In this one answer we see all but guru coming forward. This one reply about low self-esteem brings reliable information, which you can address privately, as if to a confidant, and receive therapeutic help.
I fill in each of these answers with my own commentary, but the point here is to see how easily you can start the healing process. Where you go from there is totally personal. On a daily basis I consult AI several times, posing every kind of question that comes to mind. My aim, to expand my own awareness, has been very satisfying. The same results will follow if you begin to take your first steps. Finding the dharma as it applies to you is the secret that merges psychological and spiritual progress, nurturing both.
DEEPAK CHOPRA MD, FACP, FRCP, founder of The Chopra Foundation, a non-profit entity for research on well-being and humanitarianism, and Chopra Global, a whole health company at the intersection of science and spirituality, is a world-renowned pioneer in integrative medicine and personal transformation. Chopra is a Clinical Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of California, San Diego, and serves as a senior scientist with Gallup Organization. He is the author of over 90 books translated into over forty-three languages, including numerous New York Times bestsellers. Chopra has been at the forefront of the meditation revolution for the last thirty years. He is the author of the forthcoming book, Digital Dharma: How to Use AI to Raise Your Spiritual Intelligence and Personal Well-Being. TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as “one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century.” www.deepakchopra.com
