"Realizing that the world you’re living in exists inside your head puts you in the driver’s seat. You can use your own mind to deconstruct the beliefs, systems and rules you’ve been living with. The rules are very real in the sense that they actually govern how people and societies act, but very real does not mean very right."
- The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, page 12
"Every few years, we upgrade our operating systems on our machines to make our computers run faster, better and take on increasingly complex tasks with ease. But how many of us even think about doing the same for ourselves."- The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, page 50
Vishen has created a methodology called consciousness engineering which allows you to optimize your learning and hacking of the culturescape.
Consciousness engineering has two components:
When we look at our models of reality we realize that the majority of the beliefs we currently hold have actually been programed from our past, upbringing and interactions with our environment. These are the very beliefs that create feelings around an event or our life as a whole and influence the reality of the world that we experience today. Once you realize that what you chose to believe is under your control, you can swap out the old beliefs for new empowering ones. Through acceptance of these new models of reality you are able to “gain incredible power to shift your world.”
Your systems for living are how you put the models into action. These refer to your day-to-day habits and activities. Vishen compares them to apps on your phone – where you’re able to download and update them until you find the right one. When applying this hack to humans, it’s important to do self-checks in order to quickly identify the systems that are working and those that require an upgrade.
The current models have three limitations:
These models limit our perspective and thus restrict our thinking and our actions. They cause us to unknowingly accept the status quo.
"The power to choose what we want to believe and what we want to disbelieve is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves."- The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, page 88
In order to rewrite your current beliefs you first have to become aware of them. Everyone has limiting beliefs that have been holding them back and no longer serve them.
They could have come about through a teacher, bully, a parent or anyone we sought attention from (or lacked attention from) when we were growing up. It is when we accept these beliefs as truths that they become true. We assign meaning to our experiences, then carry that latticework of meaning around as models of reality about our world.
When we look out into the real world, we end up looking through the limiting belief lens, the only one we have known and therefore the only one installed.
Vishen believes an effective way to rewire your beliefs is by journaling on the following two questions every night.
Through personal reflection you are able to accurately assess and strengthen yourself, resulting in a positive shift in mindset.
"When you swap outdated models of reality for empowering ones and pair them with new systems for applying your new models day to day, your life will improve exponentially – and fast."- The Code of the Extraordinary Mind, page 93
A system in its simplest form is an optimized pattern for getting things done that can be repeated. Many of us are using outdated systems but operate on autopilot and therefore fail to notice them. When you upgrade your system for living you unknowingly and automatically update your life.
What sets extraordinary people apart is that they are always trying to improve and optimize their systems for living every chance they get. Vishen suggests a three step system to upgrade your systems:
Through insight and awakening we’re able to recognize the current models we’ve installed, hack them and create new models which allow us to reach our true potential. The combination of your new systems and a mindset receptive to change and grow, enables you to install a new operating system.
Vishen is an author and entrepreneur in the ed-tech space. He is the founder and CEO of Mindvalley, an education technology company specialising in learning experience design. Mindvalley creates tech and platforms that power online academies in areas that traditional education ignores. These include mindfulness, personal growth, wellness, spirituality and more. Mindvalley employs 200 people and has 500,000 students globally. Vishen is also one of the world’s leading experts on company culture and has won numerous awards for workspace design In addition to founder of Mindvalley, he is the founder of the transformational festival A-Fest, the popular meditation app, Omvana, and the author of “The Code of the Extraordinary Mind”. Vishen quest is to help move humanity to a more holistic, integrated education system that caters for the whole being.