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I want to share with you who I think are some of the most important thinkers and writers for critical thinking. I must admit the most difficult task here was reducing the number down to 7 and this group of philosophers, scientists and spiritual leaders made my list because they are/were always willing to analyse the very foundations of what is considered to be knowledge. Each has made a special impact on me at some time in my life and on my critical thinking journey.

Neils Bohr

Along with Einstein, Neils Bohr perhaps made the most important contributions to quantum physics. Famous for his debates with Einstein on scientific epistemology, he stated that on an atomic level, the results of experiments depend on the observer and the equipment used. Light, for example, behaves both as a particle and as a wave under a microscope. This leaves uncertainty in the foundations of the material world.  ‘Everything we call real is made of things that cannot be regarded as real.’ (Neils Bohr)

Fritjof Capra

It seems logical to go from Bohr to Berkeley physicist, Dr Fritjof Capra whose ‘Tao of Physics’ made a tremendous impact on me in my early 20’s. I first studied this incredible book whilst doing research for a university dissertation and it addressed  the similarities between physics and eastern philosophy. For me, he bridged a gap between science and spirituality, a gap that I had never understood but one that had long existed in the minds of many.

Rene Descartes

One of my first introductions to western philosophy was through the works of French philosopher and scientist, Rene Descartes. He lived at a time of great  scientific and philosophical change and was highly controversial in his time. He has made my list because a fundamental part of his work was to find something that was completely indubitable, that he could be certain of. His ‘Meditations on First philosophy’ dissects everything that is possible to doubt, right down to his very existence. He was a philosophical ‘rationalist’ believing that truths are either innate (we are born with them) or are discovered through our mind’s reasoning.

Bertrand Russell

Bertrand Russell was a true sceptic who refused to take anything for granted, which is why he has made my list. Throughout his life he spoke and wrote about a variety of subjects at length. His ‘Problems of Philosophy’ was one of the first books on western philosophy that I had the fortune of reading. In it, he addresses many of the central problems of perceptual knowledge and how ultimately we can only know the ‘appearances’ of the external world. Philosophy, he states, reveals to us how little we can actually know for certain.

Chogyam Trungpa

I first read ‘Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism’ when I was in high school and to this day it is one of my favourite books. Chogyam Trungpa Rinpoche was one of the first teachers to bring Tibetan Buddism to the west and in this particular work, he speaks about the dangers of creating spiritual ego. The book deals with perhaps the most important Buddhist teaching, that of the impermanence of all things and particularlly, the human condition. There needn’t be any ‘extras’ when it comes to spirituality and Trungpa states the importance of ‘just being.’

Zen master Dogen

I was drawn to the simplicity of Zen Buddhism from a very early age and in particular to the writings of Dogen Zenji. I remember how my first attempts at meditation usually ended in complete hilarity as I found it so difficult to focus but then I was still at primary school! I often used koans to help me sleep at night when I had too much excess imagination, I have always loved the direct approach to negative thinking. Little did I know at the time  that such a precise way of directing the mind is a real powerful tool in combating negative states of mind and are as powerful today as they were centuries ago.

Eckhart Tolle

 Last but by no means least, a true thinker of our time and one of the pioneers of modern philosophy and spirituality, Eckhart Tolle. His ‘Power of Now’ is perhaps the most important non-fiction work of the last 15 years and in it he brings together many old ideas and fashions them in such a way that it makes perfect sense in our contemporary society. It is highly readable, written straight from the heart and brings important lessons to the forefront of modern  philosophical and spiritual thought.

So there you have it, 7 of my favourite true thinkers! Thanks for reading and please feel free to add any of your favourite thinkers in the comments below.

I never cease to be in awe at how amazing we are as human beings and how truly marvellous our brain is. Yet, in the west, we are only beginning to see how remarkable it really is. Perhaps this is because it is just too beyond our current levels of thinking and what we believe to be possible and if we don’t believe that it’s possible, then, indeed it is not. In my last blog post I mentioned that all hypnosis is self hypnosis, only you can believe it, allow it and make it happen. No-one else can make you think or believe, truly, unless you allow it.

‘The Brain That Changes Itself,’ by Norman Doidge M.D. has been my book of choice for the last few weeks and has helped to clarify, scientifically, what I believe and have seen time and time again in my hypnosis work. To me, one of the biggest eye openers is being able to change and improve muscle strength using the power of thought. When I first read about this when training as a hypnotherapist I found it particularly amusing and exciting, since I had never been a huge fan of exercise! Sure enough, as Doidge says in his chapter on ‘Imagination’, from a neuroscientific point of view, ‘imagining an act and doing it are not as different as they sound…brain scans show that in action and in imagination many of the same parts of the brain are activated.  That’s why visualising can improve performance.’

The clinical tests include 2 muscle strengthening groups over a 4 week period, one doing actual physical exercise and the other imagining the exercise. The former increased the strength by 30%, the latter, 22%, just by the use of the imagination! The possibilities here are breathtaking, not only for keeping strength in muscles in situations where it is not possible to physically exercise but for visualising peak performance, exams, public speaking and other circumstances that may cause anxiety.

For me, one very insightful quote sums this up perfectly. Einstein said, ‘Imagination is more important than knowledge, for knowledge is limited to all we now know and understand, while imagination embraces the entire world and all there ever will be to know and understand.’  The wonderfully plasticine brain awaits the possibilities limited only by your imagination.

It’s true that our brains are an absolute wonder with unlimited potential for progress  and change. I have firmly believed this for a very long time and have always known there was so much more that our brains are capable of besides ordinary everyday use, be it conscious or unconscious. It never ceases to amaze me how truly helpful and miraculous our brains are, especially in my work with hypnosis when clients experience tremendous shifts from negative beliefs or achieve exactly the outcome they are looking for when they use their minds to focus in a particular way. Being the critical thinker and perfectionist that I am, I am always excited to read about proper clinical study that explains in scientific terms what is actually happening.

About 10 months ago I came across a book that I knew I just had to buy but I put it back on the shelf at that time and added it to my ‘wish list.’ Last week I was having coffee with my good friend Chanel and the topic of the book came up in conversation. We had been talking about the similarities between hypnosis and meditation and she mentioned ‘brain plasticity,’ how many previous theories on the brain being fixed and unchanging are being overthrown by new studies of the past 150 years about the brain’s ability to transform itself. I promptly rushed into Borders and bought the book that had been on my list for the past 10 months, ’The Brain That Changes Itself’ by Norman Doidge MD.

I excitedly devoured the truly heartwarming stories about stroke patients regaining the use of  their bodies and radical improvements in cognitive ability into old age. Here were proper clinical studies at last (Although there have been for the last 150 years or so but with claims quashed by the more traditional neuroscientists) about how truly malleable our brains are and how different parts of the brain can develop to continue functions previously executed by other, now damaged parts. Something that, for centuries, doctors and scientists thought impossible.

For a long time I have been a believer in this because of the fact that everything in the universe is in constant flux and it has reflected in the kinds of hypnosis I choose to work with. Our physical bodies are constantly changing, every minute of every day and our minds fluctuate even more quickly so I have always worked towards creating new, more constructive pathways in the brain that become more frequently used than the old, unhelpful ones. All hypnosis is self-hypnosis, so when you think about the negative self talk you have given yourself  in the past, know that it is completely possible to turn that around and begin a new pathway that begins as a conscious thought and becomes a constructive part of you life - as natural as smiling when you come into contact with a loved one.  Eventually, you don’t even need to think about it!

Awareness is the first step to change!

The most important first step to changing any negative thought or recovery from habit or addiction is awareness, to truly notice a thought, feeling or emotion as it arises. Once we begin to exercise this awareness it too can become a habit. This single act of objectifying a feeling or thought takes you out of the situation, even if only for a few seconds. As this awareness continues, these seconds become longer periods of time.

I used to laugh at the notion of counting from one to ten but in truth this simple distraction has saved me and those around me from potential argument and hurt.

There is an old Chinese proverb, “1000 horses cannot catch a word once it has left the lips.” It cannot be changed, it’s out there. However, internal thoughts can be changed. When you find your internal chatter along the lines of,  ’she makes me so angry,’ or  ‘I’m not good enough,’ notice it, become aware that it is only a thought that can be noticed and changed into one that is much more constructive. We can think thousands of thoughts every day and the majority of these don’t serve us in a positive way. Imagine bringing awareness to just a handful of these thoughts and changing them. Be aware of your self talk today and tomorrow you can be aware of some more….