Mental Slavery: Its Definition and Ways to Get Rid of It

A well-known scene from the 1980s television series Real McCoy features a patron waiting for a waitress to come take his order while seated in a restaurant. The waitress then becomes enraged and yells at him, "Do I look like a slave to you?"

Note: This article is based on the work of Erin Falconer, in which she talks about mental slavery and how to get rid of it.

Although this woman is aware of her freedom, she overreacted. Mental slavery affects a large number of people in the modern world. French philosopher Jean Jacques Rousseau said, "Man is born free and everywhere he is in chains." Chains here mean psychological restrictions.

Mental slavery

One is a slave to themselves and their whims, but they are not aware of this dependency. They believe that they are weak-willed, which is a completely wrong belief.

The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “He who controls others may be powerful, but he who has mastered himself is mightier still.”

Some people tend to adhere to specific restrictions and standards in their thoughts and actions, meaning that a person has become a slave to their mindset and the restrictive beliefs that they imposed on themselves. Deepak Chopra said, “The universe has no restrictions. You place restrictions on the universe with your expectations.”

The real problem is that a person is not aware of their slavery to these mental restrictions because the human mind imposes a specific vision of the world. Psychologist Michael Hall describes the world that a person sees as a personal matrix composed of cognitive and perceptual frameworks that enable them to perceive and understand the world around them. It includes all mental phenomena, from beliefs to values, and constitutes the illusion under which humans live.

The human mind proves the validity and conviction of restrictive beliefs. NLP expert Robert Dilts calls these beliefs "attractors" because they attract evidence that proves their validity.

This means that a person has a limited perception of reality. The real problem is that they are completely convinced of their beliefs and it does not occur to them to question or analyze them and verify their validity.

According to psychologist Hall, this kind of extreme belief is a type of fundamentalism that is used to enroll suicide bombers and terrorists. The problem is that extremists do not accept discussions and do not allow anyone to question their beliefs or argue with them.

This attitude prevents a person from changing and progressing in life. If you are convinced that you cannot control your mind or your desires, it means that your feeling of slavery stems from yourself and your mentality.

Getting Rid of Mental Slavery

A person can conduct an objective mental examination of their thoughts. The ability to reflect on and evaluate one's thoughts is referred to as one of the sites of cognition that are used in NLP exercises. It is not a skill in itself, but rather part of the cognitive process we possess.

Most people don't know that tracking and analyzing their thoughts entails several processes that provide them control and power over their minds and allow them to recognize the ideas that are beneficial to them. This occurs when someone looks beyond their own ideas, analyzes them from a higher, more comprehensive perspective, and uses their experience and wisdom to hone and improve upon their preconceived notions. 

Some individuals believe that they do not have a choice, leading to them feeling helpless and convinced.

Mind Control Mechanism

By objectively analyzing your beliefs, you can challenge those that you previously held as unquestionable or unchangeable. Therefore, you have to pick a belief that best represents your personality and that you detest, then start analyzing and questioning it. The process is akin to doubting your existence and reality and demands a great deal of willpower.

The Art of Spiritual Discernment is a fascinating book. It discusses the idea of truth in the contemporary world. The premise of the book is that truth is a relative concept. I believe that these ideas are what are causing chaos in the world. 

I think that there is an ultimate truth that exists and sets man free. I believe that this truth is significant and that humans require it greatly. These truths contribute to protecting man from death. For example, it is illogical to approach objects marked with a "Danger of Death" sign or to walk on highways intended for vehicles. These facts are established and cannot be disputed.

You can make your own personal decisions and you do not have to obey others. I am not calling for rebellion or disobedience, but rather for setting personal boundaries. Some people beg you to change, but they won't change for you in return. Furthermore, I do not advocate for rebelling against moral obligations. I am sure that an individual's awareness of their limitations allows them to think creatively and invest their potential and abilities freely.

Psychologist and author Edward De Bono talks in his book Lateral Thinking about a number of situations in which a person needs to set boundaries to do a creative process that no one else has done before.

In Conclusion

Psychological energy is required to break free from the beliefs that bind and enslave an individual. Below are four questions that will provoke you and activate your psychological energy:

• How long will you continue to demand your right to slavery?
• How long will you remain clinging to the slavery mentality?
• Why do you insist on clinging to your weaknesses and lack of self-control?
• When will you decide to take responsibility for your decisions?