by Robin Goins

Created on: July 17, 2008   Last Updated: September 09, 2008

OK, so thanks to Oprah "The Secret" is out. Every time we turn around we hear something about the law of attraction or how the energy produced by our thoughts actually creates matter, and therefore our experiences. But is it true, and if so, what has current research in human cognitive processes found regarding this? Well, guess what? Through current scientific research the theory does seem to have proof to show that it is true and that you can actually change your circumstances and experiences simply by changing your thoughts, which in turn change your attitudes and behavior.

The roots to discovering this lies in the study of quantum physics (matter, or objects,relies on an observing consciousness to activate potential), but also the early stages of cognitive psychological theory, and thanks to modern technological advances in cognitive neuroscience , this theory can be looked at even deeper from a scientific perspective. Cognitive psychology dates back to the early 1950's and proposes that the human brain works much in the same way that a modern day computer works, and this is a way of thinking and reasoning about mental processes, envisioning them as software running on the computer that is the brain. This theory views cognitive processes in the forms of input (a stimulus), representation (assigning meaning and organizing that stimulus), computation or processing (encoding that information into memory and thoughts), and outputs (behaviors or results). World renowned Yale Professor, Dr. R.J. Sternberg (2006), puts it in even simpler terms by citing "cognitive psychology is the study of how people perceive, learn, remember and think about information" and that "the brain is considered to be an active, dynamic organizer of behavior" (p. 9).

So how does understanding the function of the brain, the cognitive processes within it and the behaviors / experiences of people relate? They relate because each of us experience our own reality based on our own cognitive function, and our reality is how we experience the world we live in. In other words, our thought processes create our reality, which in turn create behaviors (choices) that influence the outcomes of our lives. This means that you have the power to influence and control much of what you experience based simply on how you think about it.

Much of our lives are spent processing immeasurable amounts of information that we are not even aware of. This information is encoded into various locations within our memory

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