The trouble with limiting beliefs

Plus, a secret weapon to rewire your mind.

Hi there! We’re currently doing a series on the power of music to celebrate the launch of our music journey app Atoon. You’ll find a piece of music at the end of this e-mail as well. 🎶

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Among all the gifts I’ve received from psychedelic medicine—connection to self and nature, trust in the universe, healing, purpose—it’s hard to pick a winner. But what must be at the very top of that list is the awareness of unconscious beliefs I’ve gained.

Subconscious beliefs drive 95% of our behavior. Most people go through life never unearthing even one. That’s because unearthing unconscious beliefs is hard. They are unconscious for a reason.

Unless we go looking for them, they remain hidden. Our hands stay tied as we manifest the same patterns, attract the same circumstances, loop the same old stories. Our life is an extension of our beliefs. Our beliefs create our reality. The tricky part is that by default, we’re not aware of what our beliefs exactly are.

Psychedelics are not the only way to do this work—to make the unconscious conscious—but they are one of the most effective ways.

The first unconscious belief I ever unearthed was the belief that I am not enough. Cliché, I know. I was well accomplished on paper: great career, loving family, amazing friends. I thought I “had it all”, while the manifestations of my insecurity where hiding in plain sight—perfectionism, overachieving, a harsh inner critic.

Until Ayahuasca transported me to the exact moment a question was planted in me: What is wrong with me that I deserve this? Something must be wrong with me. And so a lifetime of overcompensating began. All stemming from that one belief.

Uncovering these beliefs, whether through psychedelics or not, is a huge step.

But then, an even bigger question arises: what now?

The moment we become aware, a lightbulb goes of. Everything suddenly makes sense. We can trace back how this belief has shaped our behavior and reality, year after year.

It took me over a year to integrate that first Ayahuasca retreat. I returned from Costa Rica to a life that was built by someone who was convinced at their core that they had to prove their value. But now I knew the truth: I was inherently worthy. We all are. This insight made many of my thought and behavior patterns redundant.

But they were still very much there. Becoming aware is only half the rent. The next layer unfolds only as we replace the old beliefs with new ones. Which is easier said than done.

Changes in our minds always trump changes in your circumstances. It may be easier to quit that job that clearly fulfilled the purpose of validation than to confront our beliefs day in and day out. But for lasting change, we must change our minds.

This can be a grueling process that requires patience and dedication. These beliefs have been our reality for years, often decades. One journey, no matter how powerful the medicine, will not just “pull the belief” out of our consciousness.

Journeys open the doors, but we still have to walk through them.

That’s the work of integration.

I’ve learned two things on this journey of reprogramming belief systems:

1. It is not reasonable to expect that just because we’ve become aware of an unconscious belief, we can now “let it go”. It will come up again and again. It is a core part of our egoic structure. Which doesn’t mean it will always stay there. It means that now that we’re aware, we can work with it.

2. The most effective way to work with limiting beliefs is the following: When the old belief comes up in our thoughts or actions, we pause and acknowledge it. We resist the temptation to judge or shame ourselves but rather practice compassion: I understand why I formed this belief. But it is just a belief. It is not my truth. I have the power to reframe my beliefs. I have the power to choose new ones.

3. Over time, if we release the old belief over and over and consciously remind ourselves of the new belief, over and over, things can permanently change. That’s the power of our mind, that’s the power of neuroplasticity.

Voilà! That’s it.

Early on in this work, my apartment was scattered with post-it notes rehashing the new beliefs I was trying to affirm. I’ve since converted to an even more effective tool: music.

Music paired with simple mantras—which are essentially ‘mind instruments’—work wonders. Music is perfect for this because it can help us get our new beliefs stuck in our head like a song, where they’ll loop throughout the day.

Here’s a short, daily music ritual to rewire your mind towards enoughness

Best enjoyed with headphones, either eyes-closed or paired with daily rituals such as walks, bike rides, meal prep, or any other mindful activities.

For more music journeys like this, download Atoon to quiet your mind and open your heart. 7-day free trial!

“Whether you believe you can, or whether you believe you can't, you're right.” — Henry Ford

Artwork by Mariano Peccinetti

More from my universe

• Download Atoon for daily music rituals to quiet your mind and open your heart

• Get on the waitlist for upcoming yoga and medicine retreats

• Download my free psychedelics beginners guide or integration workbook