affirmation

An affirmation is a statement. In general usage, it is a statement of fact (e.g., “I affirm that …”, or “a solemn declaration in court by someone who declines to take an oath” [Pocket Oxford Dictionary, 1966]. In the New Age movement, it is a statement that is repeated for the purpose of changing oneself (e.g., “I am a confident person”, or “I allow myself to be a confident person”, or “I will become a confident person by summer”) or one’s circumstances (e.g., “I have a happy, fulfilling job”, or “I allow myself to happy, fulfilling job”, or “I will happy, fulfilling job by summer”).

The idea of changing oneself is based on altering one’s subconscious habits of thought (originally created by such things as social conditioning or feedback from other people) by persistently creating new, more appropriate thoughts. This is often a process, I have found, requiring the use of a sequence of affirmations – partly because any issue is a bit like an onion: as you deal with one issue, which is like peeling away one layer of the onion, you find there is another underlying that first one.

The idea of changing one’s circumstances is based on changing the events, people, opportunities, etc that one is “manifesting” (attracting) into one’s life. Again, this relies to some extent on “re-programming” one’s subconscious. In some cases, it is simply aimed at changing the “messages” that one is projecting into the Universe, or to create a thought form to manifest the desired condition.

There is some debate over the best way to phrase the affirmations. Most advice is to phrase it as if the desired condition has already happened (e.g., “I am confident”) in order to minimise doubts, but others consider it better to phrase it along what they consider ‘more believable’ lines (e.g., “Every day I am becoming more and more confident”). To each their own – find what works best for you, and be prepared to adapt that as you change.

Most people seem to agree that a negative affirmation (e.g., “I am not afraid”) does not work. To illustrate that, try this: don’t think of a pink cow. Most people (not all!) immediately think of a pink cow, then get rid of it. Personally, I consider that there may well be a place for negative affirmations from time to time, with perhaps the Confession to Ma’at ^[1] being an example.

Visualisation can also help the use of affirmations.

For more on this, I suggest you read Louise Hay’s “You Can Heal Your Life” (Pub. Specialist Publications, 1988 (first pub. 1984), ISBN 0 9588973 1 X), Lobsang Rampa’s “The Rampa Story” (Pub. Corgi, 1972 (first pub. Souvenir Press, 1960) , ISBN 0 552 07249 4), or Shakti Gawain’s “Creative Visualisation”.

As with all such modalities, I consider it likely that it will benefit some people, be neutral for others, and for some possibly be harmful, so, as always, use such techniques whilst ‘keeping your thinking cap on’, and be as objective as possible.

As of the time this definition was written, I’ve touched on this idea in the following posts:

     Post No. 377 A New Spiritual Ambition

     Post No. 307 Non-physical health and strength

     Post No. 299 Diabetes: a speculation

     Post No. 268 Thou shalt not say not, and addiction to chakras

     Post No. 232 The greatest sin?

     Post No. 227 Old vs. Mature

     Post No. 220 Clairvoyance and making/seeking improvements

     Post No. 178 Fear

     Post No. 105 A Change of Affirmation

     Post No. 032 Response to the Assassination of Benazir Bhutto

     Post No. 031 Emotions And Spellcraft

     Post No. 016 Dreams

     Post No. 015 Personality And The Lack Of Permanence

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[1] Adapted from Lobsang Rampa’s Chapters of Life [Pub. Corgi, 1972 (first printed 1967), ISBN 552 07652 X]:

Homage to Thee, Oh Great Goddess, Thou Master of all Truth, I have come to Thee, Oh my Goddess, and have brought myself hither that I may become conscious of Thy decrees. I know Thee and am attuned with Thee and Thy two and forty laws which exist with Thee in this Chamber of Ma’at. In Truth I come into Thy Attunement, and I have brought Ma’at in my mind and Soul.

I have destroyed wickedness for Thee.

I have not done evil to mankind.

I have not oppressed the members of my family.

I have not wrought evil place of right and Truth.

I have had no intimacy with worthless men.

I have not demanded first consideration.

I have not decreed that excessive labour be performed for me.

I have not brought forward my name for exaltation to honours.

I have not defrauded the oppressed of Property.

I have made no person suffer hunger.

I have made no one to weep.

I have caused no pain to be inflicted upon human or animal.

I have not defrauded the Temple of their oblations.

I have not diminished from the bushel.

I have not filched away land.

I have not encroached upon the fields of others.

I have not added to the weights of the scales to cheat the seller and I have not misread the pointer of the scales to cheat the buyer.

I have not kept milk from the mouths of children.

I have not turned back the water at the time it should flow.

I have not extinguished the fire when it should burn.

I have not repulsed the Goddess in Her Manifestation.

Affirmation

I am Pure! I am Pure! I am Pure!

My purity is the purity of the Divinity of the Holy Temple.

Therefore evil shall not befall me in this world, because I, even I, know the Laws of the Goddess which govern the Universe.

 

Also, from https://www.egyptconnection.com/42-laws-of-maat/ comes the 42 Ideals of Ma'at: 

 

In recent years, a list of 42 Positive Ideals was compiled by a group of priestesses as a parallel to the Negative Confessions of Ma’at.
1- I honour virtue
2- I benefit with gratitude
3- I am peaceful
4- I respect the property of others
5- I affirm that all life is sacred
6- I give offerings that are genuine
7- I live in truth
8- I regard all altars with respect
9- I speak with sincerity
10- I consume only my fair share
11- I offer words of good intent
12- I relate in peace
13- I honour animals with reverence
14- I can be trusted
15- I care for the earth
16- I keep my own council
17- I speak positively of others
18- I remain in balance with my emotions
19- I am trustful in my relationships
20- I hold purity in high esteem
21- I spread joy
22- I do the best I can
23- I communicate with compassion
24- I listen to opposing opinions
25- I create harmony
26- I invoke laughter
27- I am open to love in various forms
28- I am forgiving
29- I am kind
30- I act respectfully of others
31- I am accepting
32- I follow my inner guidance
33- I converse with awareness
34- I do good
35- I give blessings
36- I keep the waters pure
37- I speak with good intent
38- I praise the Goddess and the God
39- I am humble
40- I achieve with integrity
41- I advance through my own abilities
42- I embrace the All