{"id":64921,"date":"2022-09-14T17:02:18","date_gmt":"2022-09-14T09:02:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.mindvalley.com\/?p=64921"},"modified":"2025-01-28T19:24:54","modified_gmt":"2025-01-28T11:24:54","slug":"belief-system","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mindvalley.com\/blog\/belief-system\/","title":{"rendered":"5 Ways to Change a Belief System That No Longer Serves You"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Your belief system is the lens through which you see the outside world. So is your world sugar, spice, and everything nice? Or is it dark and gloomy? <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Based on what you believe to be true, you have the power to shape your reality in any way you desire.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The magic behind it is how your subconscious world will reflect in your physical world. And once you master this, nothing can stand in the way of creating the most incredible life you want. Here, you can take the first step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is a Belief System?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A belief system is an internalized way of thinking about what is right or wrong, true or false. It can belong to an individual, an entire society, a political party, and so on. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The psychological definition<\/a> of a belief system is \u201ca set of beliefs which guide and govern a person’s attitude.\u201d <\/em>Therefore, it stands as the foundation of how you go through your life experience, the people you connect with, and your spiritual or religious practices, and it can even influence the kind of reality you will see being materialized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take, for example, a person who has a strong belief that they aren\u2019t supposed to trust people, as they are likely to be taken advantage of. This kind of individual might struggle with finding connections and will probably go through experiences that validate their internalized truth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Moreover, your personal belief system works on the popular ideas of \u201clike attracts like,\u201d<\/em> \u201cwhat goes around comes around,\u201d<\/em> or \u201cwhat you focus on expands.\u201d<\/em> If you\u2019re familiar with the Law of Attraction<\/a>, then you can easily understand this concept as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What you are is what you get, simple as that. And your belief system represents bricks in the foundation of your psyche. For example, according to Dr. Bruce H. Lipton, in his renowned book, The Biology of Belief<\/em><\/a>, what you believe about yourself and the world around you is so deeply infused in your body that it can even change your biological chemistry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Man is what he believes.<\/p>\n\u2014 Anton Chekhov<\/cite><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\"Children<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

How your belief system is developed<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There are many factors that contribute to how your initial belief system was built. However, you may realize later on in your life that you have the power to change it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Family. <\/strong>Your primary caregivers, parents in most cases, will impact the first beliefs that form your inner system. And according to German psychotherapist Bert Hellinger and his family constellation therapy method, it\u2019s not only about what your parents purposely instilled as your values but also what they were unconsciously thinking as well. <\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    What\u2019s more, certain beliefs can be transmitted through generations due to past trauma in the family that hasn\u2019t been processed. This phenomenon is thoroughly researched in the field of psychogenealogy<\/a>. Simply put, trauma<\/a> has been proven to change one\u2019s DNA; therefore, the next person born in the family will be impacted by this alteration.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    The alteration doesn\u2019t mutate a person\u2019s genes but rather affects the way through which the gene is expressed. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Experience and environment. <\/strong>According to psychological studies<\/a>, the \u201chuman belief system is formed by all the experiences learned and experimented filtered through personality.\u201d <\/em>It means that (repeated) experiences associated with strong emotions will construct beliefs in your subconscious before you consciously choose what you want to believe in.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Think about children who grew up in a family where parents always had intense arguments. As a result, they might form a belief around relationships that \u201clove is suffering\u201d<\/em> or \u201ctrue love is hard to find.\u201d<\/em> And they will go on in their lives repeating the patterns that prove their belief system right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Culture. <\/strong>The culture you grew up in has its own set of beliefs that can influence your personal view on life. From religion, spiritual practices, family values, and human interaction, the national heritage of a place hold much power in its inhabitants.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        For example, living in an ex-communist country may influence your beliefs about family, education, and career choices. You may see family as a number one value in your life or be skeptical about alternative education compared to traditional studies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Or someone from a nordic country might have grown up with the idea that they need to be more reserved towards strangers, although they don\u2019t particularly feel authentic in doing so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Types of Belief Systems<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

        Here\u2019s a list of possible categories a belief system can fall into:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        1. Religious.<\/strong><\/a> A religious set of beliefs includes a moral code to follow, a particular deity that is the force holding the world together, and rituals to support the values of the particular religion.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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          1. Spiritual. <\/strong>Spiritual belief systems usually offer more freedom to behavior and practices than religious ones. It\u2019s less structured in how you should carry yourself through your life experience. Some people choose a spiritual perspective on life but wouldn\u2019t necessarily associate with a specific denomination or church.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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            1. Political. <\/strong>In most cases, the political beliefs are specific to a particular country or region of the world. However, the people living there can have different views on politics on a personal level.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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              1. Philosophical. <\/strong>A philosophical belief is a non-religious belief that concerns various aspects of human existence.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
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                1. Personal or psychological. <\/strong>A personal belief system is how your mind makes sense of the world and refers to the patterns your brain forms to \u201csurvive\u201d in the outside world. This can be very different from person to person, considering past experiences, upbringing, culture, environment, family, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

                  Examples of belief systems<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

                  Here are some examples of specific belief systems from different categories:<\/p>\n\n\n\n