Affirmations

Abdullah Ibraahiim & Tova Lahasky

 The idea is that by repeating a
positive statement a person starts to
Affirmations believe the statement and begins to
manifest the affirmation and make a
What are they? new reality.
Statements which affirm
something to be true.
I am a morning
person. I wake up
energized. I wake
up excited. I am
ready for a
wonderful day!
History
Ancient Eastern Religion: Mantras

Abrahamic Religion: Invocations

Self-Help: Emile Coue

New Thought Movement: USA

“I Am”
Statement
Should we use affirmations?
Pros Cons

- Affirmations can decrease stress* - Requires dedication and consistency

- Increase well being* - Don’t appeal to everyone
- Improve academic performance * - Criticism for misattribution. They’re not
- Increase openness to behavior change* effective and people may stop interventions
- They’re free! because they believe affirmations work

*Cohen, G. L., & Sherman, D. K. (2014). The

Psychology of Change: Self-Affirmation and Social
Psychological Intervention. Annual Review of
Psychology, 65(1), 333-371. doi:10.1146/annurev-
psych-010213-115137
Mechanism of Action?
Study by Cascio, C. N., O’Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. sought to
understand the mechanism of action of affirmations. Their basis was that the mechanism of action was the following:

“Self-affirmation theory posits that people are motivated to maintain a positive self-view and that threats to perceived self-
competence are met with resistance. When threatened, self-affirmations can restore self-competence by allowing individuals to
reflect on sources of self-worth, such as core values.”

Through comparing the functional MRI’s a group of participants who were thinking positive affirmations with a control group who
were not given specific affirmations they found the following:

“Results demonstrate that activity in hypothesized reward/valuation regions… are primary pathways associated with self-
affirmation. Furthermore, regions associated with self-related processing… are associated with self-affirmations that are future
oriented. These neural correlates of self-affirmation were further associated with objectively measured behavior change,
suggesting the external validity of the affirmation task.”

Cascio, C. N., O’Donnell, M. B., Tinney, F. J., Lieberman, M. D., Taylor, S. E., Strecher, V. J., & Falk, E. B. (2015). Self-affirmation
activates brain systems associated with self-related processing and reward and is reinforced by future orientation. Social Cognitive and
Affective Neuroscience,11(4), 621-629. doi:10.1093/scan/nsv136
Does it work?
(raise your hand if you think it does)
 3.5%
A study at the Palo Alto Research Center and Computer Science Department at the
University of of California Santa Cruz studied the efficacy of health care promotion
affirmations through participants who used an app for better eating habits. They wrote,
“Analysis of 3556 observations from 127 participants indicated that higher doses of self-
affirmation resulted in improved adherence to mHealth intervention goals”
 A technique involving the repetition of
Autogenic a set of visualizations that cause one
to enter into a relaxed state, it’s based
training upon the mind’s passive
concentration of self-suggested
What is it? bodily perceptions.
A desensitization-relaxation
technique
My right arm is
heavy and warm.
My heartbeat is
calm and regular.
My head is cool.
 History and Development of Autogenic Training

Oscar Vogt: Hypnosis

J.H. Schultz: Autosuggestion

Wolfgang Luthe: Autogenic Abreaction

Luis de Rivera: Autogenic Analysis

 AUTOGENIC TRAINING
3 Main Principles “The main purpose of autogenic training is the
achievement of autonomic self-regulation by
removing environmental distraction, training
● Reduction of afferent stimulation imagery that accompanies autonomic self-
(both exteroceptive and regulation, and by providing a facilitative set of
proprioceptive) exercises that are easy to learn and remember.”

● Mental repetition of verbal Linden, W (1994). "Autogenic Training: A narrative and

quantitative review of clinical outcome". Biofeedback
formulae
and Self-regulation. 19(3): 227–264.
● Passive concentration doi:10.1007/bf01721069. ISSN 0363-3586.
 HOW IT WORKS
The training can be performed in different postures:
● Simple sitting
● Reclined armchair
● Horizontal posture
Luthe, W,, Schultz, J. H. (1969). Autogenic therapy. New
York,: Grune & Stratton. ISBN 9780808906643. OCLC
47990
Kanji, N. (1997). "Autogenic training". Complementary
Therapies in Medicine. 5 (3): 162–167.
doi:10.1016/s0965-2299(97)80060
The technique consists of six standard exercises:
● Muscular relaxation by repetition of a verbal
formula, "My right arm is heavy", emphasizing
heaviness.
● Passive concentration focuses on feeling
warm, initiated by the instruction "My right
arm is warm".
● Initiation of cardiac activity using the formula
"My heartbeat is calm and regular".
● Passive concentration on the respiratory
mechanism with the formula "It breathes me".
● Concentration on the warmth in the
abdominal region with "My solar plexus is
warm" formula.
● Passive concentration on coolness in the
cranial region with the formula "My forehead
is cool"
Let’s try it out,
shall we?
 Does Autogenic Training Work?
Autogenic Training has been used to treat patients with varying ailments from
bronchial asthma and hypertension to anxiety and depression. In 2002, studies
were published in Applied Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, finding significant
positive effects of treatment when compared to normal ones over a number of
diagnoses; finding these effects to be similar to best recommended rival therapies;
and finding positive additional effects by patients, such as their perceived quality
of life.

Stetter, F; Kupper, S (2002). "Autogenic training: a meta-analysis of clinical outcome studies". Applied
Psychophysiology and Biofeedback. 27 (1): 45–98. doi:10.1023/A:1014576505223. PMID 12001885.
Can we see how
Affirmations
relate to
Autogenic
Training ?
Louise Hay
The Queen of Affirmations

“All is well in my world”