What is Mind Priming?

Mind priming is a psychological phenomenon where exposure to one stimulus influences the response to a subsequent stimulus, often unconsciously. In practical terms, mind priming refers to activating specific thoughts, feelings, behaviors or goals in your mind, so that you are more likely to think and act in alignment with those things later on[1].

For example, if you want to eat healthier, surrounding yourself with images of nutritious foods, reading about the benefits of a healthy diet, and stating affirmations like "I love fueling my body with healthy foods" is a way of priming your mind. Then, when you go to make a snack or meal choice, you'll be more inclined to choose something healthy because that concept has been activated in your mind.

The fascinating thing about priming is that it often happens automatically, below the level of conscious awareness[2]. Through repeated exposure and focus on certain stimuli, we can shift our thoughts and behaviors in a desired direction, making it easier to achieve our goals.

How Mind Priming Works

Mind priming leverages the associative nature of memory and thought. Concepts that are frequently paired together or repeatedly focused on become strongly linked in the mind[3]. Then, when one of those concepts is activated, it's like a domino effect - the associated concepts and behavioral impulses are also triggered[4].

Priming can be perceptual, conceptual, semantic or associative:

Perceptual priming is based on the form of stimuli, like hearing the word "yellow" and being faster to recognize the word "banana."
Semantic and conceptual priming activate related categories of meaning, so reading the word "table" sparks faster recognition of "chair."
Associative priming links stimuli that are frequently paired together, like "peanut butter" and "jelly."

The key with mind priming is to frequently activate the specific concepts, beliefs, emotions and actions you want to align yourself with. By doing this repeatedly, those concepts become highly accessible in your mind, guiding your thoughts and actions toward your goals[5].

Applying Mind Priming to Achieve Goals

Mind priming is a powerful tool for achieving any goal, whether it's related to health, relationships, career, personal growth or beyond. The basic process is:

Get clear on your goal and the thoughts, feelings and actions that will help you achieve it.
Identify words, images, affirmations and visualizations that represent your goal and align your mind with it. Engage with these stimuli regularly.
Take aligned action and watch for opportunities to move toward your goal. Trust that your primed mind will guide you.
Celebrate your progress and continue priming your mind to lock in your desired mindset and behaviors.

Let's look at some examples of how you could apply mind priming for different goals:

For a fitness goal, you could post motivating images around your home, read success stories, repeat affirmations like "I am strong and healthy," and visualize yourself exercising regularly and feeling energized.
To improve your relationships, prime your mind with concepts like compassion, understanding, generosity and connection. Consume content about healthy relating, express gratitude for your loved ones, and imagine having positive interactions.
If you want to advance your career, focus your mind on your strengths, the value you provide, and where you want to be in the future. Create a vision board representing your professional goals, adopt a confident posture, and fuel your mind with positivity about your work.

The key is consistency and repetition. The more you focus your mind in the direction of your goals, the stronger those mental associations become, and the easier it is to effortlessly think and act in alignment with what you want[6]. Even just a few minutes a day of priming through affirmations, visualization, journaling or immersing yourself in inspiring content can have a big impact over time.

Priming Supports the Subconscious Mind

One reason mind priming is so effective is that it communicates directly with the subconscious mind. While the conscious mind is responsible for linear, logical and analytical thinking, the subconscious governs automatic behaviors, emotional responses, intuition and long-term memory[7].

Up to 95% of our thoughts and actions originate from the subconscious mind[8]. So by feeding your subconscious with primes that align with your goals, you're essentially recruiting that deep inner power to work for you all the time, even when you're not consciously thinking about it.

This is why people often find "coincidences" and opportunities start to show up in their lives when they apply mind priming. It's not magic or luck - it's the incredible goal-oriented filtering system of your subconscious bringing your attention to things that match the programs you've installed through priming[9].

Potential Pitfalls and Best Practices

While mind priming is very effective when applied consistently, there are a few watch-outs to be aware of:

Priming happens whether we're conscious of it or not, so be mindful of the influences you allow into your mind[10]. Consuming fear-based news, scrolling social media mindlessly, or hanging out with negative people can prime your mind in undesirable ways.
Ensure your priming statements are positively oriented toward what you want, not away from what you don't want[11]. The subconscious mind doesn't register negatives well. So saying "I am not afraid of public speaking" is actually priming fear. Instead, use statements like "I am a confident and engaging speaker."
Allow your primed mind to do its work and trust the process. You don't need to consciously obsess over your goals - that can actually backfire and create stress. Just consistently prime your mind, release attachment, and be open to opportunities.
Pair your priming practice with aligned action. Shifting your mindset is powerful, but you must still take steps in your outer world to achieve your goals. Priming greases the wheels and sparks motivation, confidence and insight to take inspired action.

With a little practice, mind priming will become a natural part of your life. You'll notice how much easier it is to make positive choices, stay focused on what you want, and achieve your heartfelt goals by leveraging the power of your mind.

Start today by choosing one goal, creating some priming statements and images that represent it, and immersing your mind in that vision for a few minutes daily. As you make this a habit, you'll be amazed at the transformation that unfolds - both internally and in your life. You truly have incredible power to shape your reality, starting with your mind.

References

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priming_(psychology) [1] https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/what-is-priming-psychology-and-what-is-it-used-for/

[2] https://www.verywellmind.com/priming-and-the-psychology-of-memory-4173092 [3] https://helpfulprofessor.com/priming-examples-psychology/ [4] https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/priming [5] https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ask-tony/priming/ [6] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/priming [7] https://www.apa.org/topics/trauma/memories [8] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2440575/ [9] https://www.scienceofpeople.com/priming-psychology/ [10] https://www.marketingsociety.com/the-library/power-priming-part-one [11] https://amplifire.com/articles/priming-the-brain-for-learning/

Citations: [1] https://www.betterhelp.com/advice/psychologists/what-is-priming-psychology-and-what-is-it-used-for/ [2] https://www.verywellmind.com/priming-and-the-psychology-of-memory-4173092 [3] https://helpfulprofessor.com/priming-examples-psychology/ [4] https://www.tonyrobbins.com/ask-tony/priming/ [5] https://www.smartick.com/blog/mathematics/priming/ [6] https://thedecisionlab.com/biases/priming [7] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Priming_(psychology) [8] https://uxplanet.org/5-examples-of-how-priming-influences-behaviour-4e91757023c0 [9] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Espkj5O7bTs [10] https://study.com/academy/lesson/the-priming-effect-accessibility-priming-perceptual-salience.html [11] https://www.scienceofpeople.com/priming-psychology/ [12] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3261136/[13] https://www.marketingsociety.com/the-library/power-priming-part-one [14] https://amplifire.com/articles/priming-the-brain-for-learning/ [15] https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/priming-brain-learn [16] https://www2.psych.ubc.ca/~schaller/528Readings/BarghChartrand2000.pdf [17] https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/priming [18] https://dictionary.apa.org/priming