Advice on mantras

[Clidu]

Some people have said that when you add certain words to your mantras they have an opposite effect e.g if i say 'when i wake i will remember my dreams' my brain will see it is 'when i wake i wont remember my dreams'. I dont know how true this is so im asking for opinions? And also iv heard that the shorter the mantra is the morr likely it will work? Thanx =)

[dolphin]

Actually, the opposite is true. If you repeated "I won't remember my dreams", your brain will see it as "I remember my dreams." This is because even though you're saying "won't" you're still focusing on dreams which makes you more likely to remember them. The intent behind the words of the mantra is what makes it work, not the words themselves. Shorter mantras are more effective because they're easier to repeat and understand, so you're more likely to stick with them.

[BadAssLongCoat]

Shorter mantras are more effective because they're easier to repeat and understand, so you're more likely to stick with them. I find this to be true, as my body shuts down I find it harder to focus on more than a few words at a time and I can get half way through a mantra and forget what I was thinking :p

[LiLeila]

It's not about opposite but more about that our minds don't understand the word "no/not". So if you say "I will remember my dreams" you won't think about this "no/not" word so it'll have better effect. Of course most important are thoughts however I see that it's harder to think without negations in general. It's good to get used to it.