Software for the Mind

Software for the Mind is the title of one of Dr. Miller’s books, and also the name he gave to the set of audio mind tools for self-healing and optimal performance he published in 1980. Both were the results of his technical and clinical studies, and those of his colleagues.

Dr. Miller had noticed that, seemingly unbeknownst to the mainstream medical community, a person’s habitual thoughts and emotions (anxieties, frustrations, etc.)  often leads to the development of sufficient stress (internal friction, cognitive dissonance) which can produce physical disease, behavioral (and creative) dysfunction, and poor performance and productivity. In addition, those same thoughts could worsen existing disease or illness. The problem was that these patterns (programs, subroutines) were encoded into the deeper levels of the nervous system (subconscious, subcortical), and not available to direct conscious intervention.

He discovered a number of techniques that showed great promise in overcoming this limitation, including hypnosis, autogenic training, meditation, and prayer. He soon realized that the deeper levels of the brain/mind operated much like the computers he had learned to program in the early sixties. The behavior of the body (including thoughts and emotions) is controlled by this “biocomputer,” whose “source code” consists of a series of mental images that have been learned in a certain sequence, in combination with certain emotions. To create desirable change, then, we need to reprogram the biocomputer. This led to the development of “Software for the Mind” (SFTM), mental exercises you guide for your mind that will guide it to heal its imbalances, just as you get a computer to repair itself with a “disk repair utility.”

Deep Relaxation, a New Clinical Mind Tool

The deeply relaxed state, as is produced in meditation or hypnosis, makes the deeper levels of the mind available through the intentional temporary slowing of its processing. Dr. Miller realized that these tools could be used to put people in control of their own lives (a surprisingly uncommon goal of our culture). Once a person has entered the “healing state,” a different sequence of images and emotions can be intentionally presented and recorded by the biocomputer. By regularly practicing this guided imagery one can then produce profound change in health, mood, performance, productivity, and happiness. Teaching people how to do this has been a mainstay of Dr. Miller’s medical practice since 1972.

He realized that these reactions to the world are the source of most of the illnesses we experience in our mind, body, emotions and behavior. Clearly, what we need is to upgrade these programs so they are consistent with the world we currently live in, rather than the one within which our exquisitely designed body and mind evolved.  And in some cases we may even need a new operating system.

Audiocassettes, which date back to the 1960s, provided the first convenient means for a person to practice imagery on an ongoing basis. Dr. Miller recognized their value as a portable way to make his guided imagery meditations available to more people. He invented the meditation/relaxation cassette as a way to enable his patients and coaching clients to take charge of their lives and their health. By incorporating soothing music and nature sounds into carefully constructed sequences of images, these tools for transformation became enjoyable and easy to use.

As they gained worldwide distribution, the concepts these tools of Mind-Body Medicine embodied and the techniques they taught were gradually adopted by health care specialists, business people, and athletic coaches everywhere. And although Dr. Miller continues to refine his art and science, producing newer programs, these original recordings are still available at our Online Store.

Each of the Mind Tools used in Dr. Miller's programs combines the most powerful tools and techniques of hypnosis, meditation, guided imagery, prayer, and autogenic training. They provide a way for us to heal ourselves by merely enjoying the experience while following the guidance on Dr. Miller’s recordings. 

Experience Dr. Miller’s Mind Tools:

Guided Imagery Audio, Meditation & Self-Hypnosis Programs

Find yourself happier and healthier through relaxation, browse Dr. Miller’s guided relaxation CDs and MP3 Downloads

• Excellent programs for learning deep relaxation include Healing Journey, Letting Go of Stress, I Am: Accepting Self Acceptance, and Relaxation and Inspiration (audio and video).
• Those with anxiety may want to add Abolish Anxiety to a deep relaxation program.
• For a more complete stress management experience, the Stress Comprehensive Program is recommended.
• The Serenity Prayer and Personal Excellence are good examples of programs that help empower the spirit in your healing.
• Writing Your Own Script and I Am: Accepting Self Acceptance focus on putting the wisdom of the spirit in charge of your behaviors and self-image.