The Silva Method

Anyone familiar with the Silva Method?

A friend of mind who loves cruising tag sales on Saturday mornings found a Silva Method Home Study Course that he thought I would enjoy. The course consists of an album of 7 cassette tapes and a small pamphlet.

For some reason I always though of Silva as being some kind of cult-- in fact I think I remember the system being called "Silva Mind Control," but those words don't appear anywhere on the home study course.

It talks about programming the mind at the alpha level...

I wonder if it really works?

Kaph

I'm not an expert but I thought of it as more of an alternate method of self hypnosis, used for more metaphysical purposes.

I do make use of self hypnosis. It even helped me with final exams recently as an adult student.

I've never heard of Silva as a cult though. I believe it's just another approach to trance (and more questinable in it's source than self hypnosis, IMO).

Let us know if you try it. I'd be interested to hear.

Hi rif,

Yes, similar to self-hypnosis, I think. The pamphlet included goes into an explanation of brain evolution, and provides some basic instructions for some of the techniques which seem to include a bit of NLP as well.

There are 6 cassettes included in the course, and each side contains one topic for a total of 12 topics. There is also an extra tape that is meant to help the student easily enter the Alpha brain wave state which seems very important to this program. The goal of the program is to teach the student to use both hemispheres of the brain (reminds me a little of The Monroe Institute and Hemisync).

The topics of the course include relaxation techniques, intuitive problem solving, enhancing mental performance, increasing memory, controlling habits, self-healing, manifesting desires, and developing clairvoyance and ESP.

I think I will try it-- I guess it couldn't hurt. Maybe I'll post my experiences with the course here as I work through it.

I read a book years ago on the Silva Method, and had a couple of tapes (long gone) it was very much like self hypnosis - and no, not a cult! it's just about reprogramming your subconscious to work more positively.

I used self hypnosis to quit smoking 12 years ago-- I was going through a divorce, and wouldn't have been able to quite without it! lol

The Silva Method has a great reputation. I was going to go to a course in Baltimore, but moved before I could get to it!

It's definitely worth trying Kaph.

I've done Monroe home study course years ago, and I've got a few levels of the Holosync - which I really like! Hope to continue with that. I got to record in my own voice the affirmations that I wanted embedded into the Holosync recordings--both my husband and I used it for quite awhile.

spirity

Hi Kapherus,

Oh My goody goodness, I LOVE Mr. Silva, he is really awesome and love his work. He also helps keep you in the now. I give him a BIG

Destiny

Hi Spirity & Destiny-- thanks for your encouragement!

I decided to give the Silva Method an honest try. The home study course consists of 10 modules which each contain approximately an hour of recorded material, and one or more exercises designed to teach the Silva techniques. The instructions advise working through one module a day to complete the accelerator training in 10 days.

I started yesterday with module 1 which consists of an introduction to the the Silva Mind Training Method, and what I can expect to achieve by mastering the techniques. Included is a brief history of Jose Silva's early research that lead to the development of the system, and ends with the first exercise which is a short guided meditation that offers the first taste of the Alpha level of mind which is central to the success of this method. All mental programing, problem solving, accelerated learning, accessing intuition, etc., are done from the Alpha level, and learning to control the mind at this level of inner awareness is the key to success with the program.

Today I listened to module 2 which talks a little more about mind wave theory, and the importance of the alpha level of mind for programing change, enhancing mental performance, and developing clairvoyance. There's a lot of motivational material-- which I suppose is a big part of these kinds of self-improvement programs. I find myself wanting to skip ahead to the meat of the program, but the instructions warn against jumping ahead. The course is specifically designed to move the student through the exercises in the order presented and build the necessary foundation for the later work.

Module 2 includes a longer, deeper, guided fractional meditation that introduces the three-to-one method of going inward, and teaches how to create points of reference that will train the student to enter the right level of mind more quickly and easily the next time. The goal is to learn to enter and maintain the correct level of mind within seconds, and stay there for between 5 and 15 minutes for optimum mental programing.

I'm not familiar with the Holosync material, Spirity, but I have worked with the Hemisync programs, and it uses a very similar technique although mostly subliminal.

Other than all of the motivational hype, which sounds redundant to me because I'm already a believer and sold on the method, I'm enjoying the course very much. I'll post my progress over the next couple of days, and let you know how I feel as the course progresses.

Kaph

Nice, thanks for sharing!

It sounds like this is the "vanilla" Silva course? I know there was a later version called "Silva Ultramind," although I have no idea what the difference is. I assumed it was marketing and a way to reach out to new potential customers.

I have never heard about the Silva method. Just out of curiosity... is he Brazilian or Portuguese?

Stanze

rif wrote:Nice, thanks for sharing!

It sounds like this is the "vanilla" Silva course? I know there was a later version called "Silva Ultramind," although I have no idea what the difference is. I assumed it was marketing and a way to reach out to new potential customers.

Hi rif,

The Silva Life Method Home Study is a general overview of all of the Silva teachings. The Ultramind courses cover particular areas in more detail. There's an Silva Ultramind ESP course that I'm itching to get my fingers on for when I complete the basic course!

Kaph

Stanze wrote:I have never heard about the Silva method. Just out of curiosity... is he Brazilian or Portuguese?

Stanze

Hi Stanze,

Jose Silva is originally from Laredo, Texas-- so I assumed he was of Mexican heritage. He speaks in parts of the course, and his accent sounds Spanish rather than Portuguese.

Kaph

I listened to Module 3 of the Silva Life System today which begins teaching the Silva Mind Training Techniques (now that the basic exercises for learning to reach the Alpha level of mind have been practiced a few times). The techniques covered in this module are: The Sleep Control Technique (for falling asleep quickly and easily), The Clock Technique (for awaking automatically full refreshed at the desired time without the need for an alarm clock), The Awake Control (for refreshing the mind and body when sleep is not possible), and The Dream Control (for vividly remembering dreams, and learning to generate dreams for problem solving).

I don't normally have trouble falling asleep, so I don't know how much use I'll get from the Sleep technique (maybe for those rare occasions when I'm too geared up or excited to sleep). I think I'll find the other techniques much more useful, and I'm particularly interested in the Dream Control technique for creating lucid dreaming.

Module 3 introduces a shortened version of the long relaxations three-to-one exercise.The meditation exercises include positive affirmations for health and well being, and also suggestions for reaching the right level of mind more easily each time.

I have found it easier and easier to reach a deeper level of mind with each exercise. The guided meditations include a tapping sound that is designed to help keep the mind at the alpha level, and I really do feel rested and refreshed-- even after only the 5 minute alpha exercises.

A bonus audio with 15 minutes of the alpha sounds is included in the course for use when developing my own non-guided meditations and programming, but I've not tried it yet.

Kaph

Hi Kaph

I'm very curious to see how this really works for you. I've been trying meditation for a while and it's really hard to get the necessary detachment. I would love to make a retreat one day dedicated only to spiritual development...

Stanze

Stanze wrote:Hi Kaph

I'm very curious to see how this really works for you. I've been trying meditation for a while and it's really hard to get the necessary detachment. I would love to make a retreat one day dedicated only to spiritual development...

Stanze

Hi Stanze,

I find that the training exercises included in this program have helped me keep my focus and reach those deeper levels of mind much more easily. The course is a survey of the complete Silva Method, and once I get through the general overview, I plan to begin focusing on specific programming techniques to make the changes I want in my life.

I will definitely let you know how it works for me.

Hi gang,

Today I listened to Module 4 of the Silva Life Method which is titled, "Healing Yourself Within." This module teaches programing techniques for self-healing, headache control, controlling pain, and strengthening the immune system.

I'm one of those lucky people who never gets headaches-- in fact, I could probably count on the fingers of one hand the number of headaches I've had in my life. I think the ability to control pain can be a very useful technique, and being able to consciously strengthen the immune system would be priceless.

The Glass of Water Technique is also introduced in this module. The Glass of Water Technique is used when specific information or guidance is need-- such as finding a misplaced object, to trigger intuition, for help making decisions, for problem solving, and also for healing. I'm intrigued by what can be accomplished using this simple technique.

The meditation exercise in this module takes you to the deeper theta level of mind which is where self-healing takes place, and includes a 'theta sound' of 5 ticks per seconds to help keep you at the theta level of mind.

I find myself really enjoying and looking forward to the relaxation exercises, and the time spent at the alpha level of mind. Even if the mental programming didn't work, the relief from stress and the feelings of well being I get from the exercises makes them well worth the time and effort invested.

Kaph

I just noticed: cassette... how novel.

How much time are you putting into this each day? What do they expect?

Glad you're doing good so far.

I could use the sleep help, sometimes... that's the area I have had the least success with in self-hypnosis.