I have always believed we each have the power to shape our own destiny and that the way we look at anything can make all the difference. In fact, I’ve always tried to teach my kids that you can’t change other people but just changing your reaction to them changes the whole situation. So I was fascinated by People v. The State of Illusion, the new movie by motivational speaker Austin Vickers. There is so much great information in this docudrama (the docu part is excellent; the drama part, unfortunately, not so much) — the facts about the effects of stress alone are staggering. Here are some thoughts from Austin himself:
Psychology, perception, reality – those are topics usually found in self-help books, not movies! What is it about the times we live in that made it so important for you to want to share this information on the big screen to a mass audience?
Well I think if people watch the news, they see every day so many of the cultural problems that are a function of stress. Violence, divorce, wars, suicide, crime are all consequences of a perception of life that is less than ideal, less than hopeful. It is indicative of people who do not believe in themselves and/or trust life. I wanted to share with people through our most popular medium what the mechanics of perception actually are, what the power of our imagination is, and why people should have a lot of hope for their and our collective future.
Why did you choose to do the movie as a docudrama rather than a documentary? You feature such prestigious names from fields like neuroscience, biochemistry, quantum physics – and they’re all surprisingly fascinating and easy to understand! Why did you feel the need to have an underlying story being acted out in between the experts’ “testimony?”
As a professional speaker and trainer of emotional intelligence and self-awareness for over a decade, I have learned that people understand and learn better through story and metaphor than they often do through direct teaching. I thought it would be great to not only present fascinating science that can change people’s lives, but also illustrate it through a story designed to be emotionally compelling and illustrative of how it can actually happen.
How do you answer viewers who are wary of the idea that changing their perception will actually change their reality? Can you give them one simple example?
Sure. Most mothers know how a change in perception changes reality. I often hear them say that the first time they had a baby they become surprised by the number of commercials on tv that ‘suddenly” appear about babies, or they notice that there are new babies everywhere, or that they meet so many “new” people who also have babies. Well of course the world around them didn’t change a bit. All that changed was their perception of the world, and “suddenly” the external world looks altered and begins to show up more relevant to the change that transpired inside of them. This kind of change is also true when we shift perceptions from ones of judgment, negativity, anxiousness, and fear to perceptions of peace, creativity, imagination and love.
What about those who do believe that’s true but don’t know how to change the way they look at something? What’s a practical way for someone to start doing that?
As we outline in the movie, they need to make what is called a “Content to Process Shift.” What this means is that they need to begin to focus less on the story lines of their life, or the content of their thoughts, and begin to focus on the patterns of their thinking and reactions to the story lines of their lives. When they can really notice the “way” they think every day, rather than focusing on “what” they think about, then they can begin to see if those patterns are healthy, creative, positive and imaginative. And if they are not, they can begin to reframe their patterns of thinking and begin to more consciously perceive life in ways that inspire or uplift them by simply imagining a perception of the same facts that creates those results.
What is the one message you want audiences to come away with?
Don’t underestimate the power of your imagination. We imagine everything, because we do not have the mental faculties to really “see” reality. So learn to imagine consciously and align your actions and choices with the highest and grandest imaginations you have for yourself. And if you do so, and you are consistent and patient and trusting, life and people around you will conspire to turn your highest imaginations into reality.
You left a high-powered law career to focus on your passion for “guiding the vision and development of people and organizations.” That’s a huge change. What was that catalyst for that decision?
Helping one side to “win” in a legal battle was not the highest imagination I had for myself. I wanted to use my skills as a lawyer to bring people together, to inspire them, and help them find creative and imaginative ways to resolve their obstacles. And to do that through writing, speaking and making movies was an imagination that inspired me, motivated me, and made me want to wake up each day with a smile on my face.
This post originally appeared on my former blog, StyleSubstanceSoul.com.
This was such a compelling article! I look forward to this film being available to those of us who live in Podunk, USA!
This is an excellent interview and I look forward to seeing the movie. I do think our attitudes about life are based on the stories we choose to create around any set of circumstances. I haven’t really thought about this in terms of imagination, but that’s a great way for people to learn about the concept. I think the author is talking about what I have always referred to as a cognitive behavioral change, i.e. when you aware of and actively change the way you choose to think about something. I’ve personally worked hard to do a lot of that in my own life, and although some old triggers can still upset me, my outlook on life is generally so much more positive and productive than it was in the past.