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Thursday, March 28, 2024
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"Adjunct Instructor, Hypnotist Addresses UB"

ÔDestiny is Not a Matter of Fate or Chance; It's a Matter of Choice'

I cdnuolt blveiee that I cluod aulaactly uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid. Aoccdrnig to rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosnt mttaer in waht order the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can still raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas thhguot slpeling was ipmorantt.

A handful of students entered 4 Knox Hall on Saturday prepared to be hypnotized and to listen to Behnam Saghafi – "the confidence builder," according to his business card – preach about how to relax the mind until life's stresses disappear.

Saghafi, an adjunct instructor at UB, believes that every human problem stems from the mind, and thus can be treated with an alteration of thoughts. On the back of his business card is the quotation above, which proves his ultimate belief that the human mind is powerful – so powerful that every thought that enters the brain can ultimately impact one's future.

His mother was killed when he was 18 years old, and instead of dwelling over the loss, he used his pain to teach him a lesson. His mother's death taught him to appreciate what he has and not take advantage of the good aspects in his life.

"You never know what will happen tomorrow. [Make sure that] the fights you choose are worth fighting for," Saghafi said.

After he asked the audience members about their everyday stresses, Saghafi emphasized the importance of seeing things from a point of view other than one's own. He pointed out that it's important to realize no one struggles alone and situations could always be worse.

"A man was complaining that he had no shoes, until he saw someone who had no feet," Saghafi said.

Some people are so work-oriented that they give their love and effort to their jobs and money rather than to those they care for. Often, many are too blind to see that happiness can arise from making others smile, because they are too focused on materialistic ideals, according to Saghafi.

Saghafi took the most time out of his lecture to convey how essential it is for people to focus on who they want to be, not who they are. If they are going to fill their minds with thoughts, they should think about things they want, not about things they have. He advised the audience members to never waste a moment over thinking, when they could be acting.

Moreover, he urged attendees to decide who they are and where they want to end up in life, because that is exactly what will happen. According to Saghafi, attitude is very important because once people truly understand who they are and begin to view themselves in a certain light, others will eventually see them the same way.

"Destiny is not a matter of fate or chance, it's a matter of choice," Saghafi said.

Saghafi explained that when he graduated with an engineering degree, only two people in the class were capable of finding jobs. Saghafi attended an interview, and was rejected because of his heavy accent. However, he refused to give up. He told the company that he'd work for one month for free, and if it wasn't satisfied with his work, he'd leave.

Due to Saghafi's ultimate desire to become an engineer, he did not allow obstacles to steer him away from his path to success. He ultimately was offered the job. Several times throughout the lecture, Saghafi stated that one cannot surpass his or her own imagination. Thus, a person is what he believes himself or herself to be. "Everyone knows whether or not they're a man or a woman, but when you ask [people] about their smarts or appearances, they say they don't know [if they are attractive or smart]," Saghafi said. "If you think you're smart, you are correct. If you think you're not smart, you are correct."

Saghafi expresses that an important ingredient to living a healthy life is love. However, love is like a box. Those who continuously walk around the box searching may never find it. He explained that love finds people the moment that they have faith and believe they deserve it.

After lecturing about how to train the mind to think in a more positive way, Saghafi attempted to hypnotize the audience and put everyone in a trance of relaxation. He began by making the attendees stare at the center of his hypnotic spinning circle for approximately five seconds. Everyone closed their eyes, and once everyone's bodies and minds were calm, he told audience members to imagine lying down in the most beautiful place in the world.

"Human potential excites me," Saghafi said.

He recalled that since he was small, his father had always been a positive impact on his life, and had always taught him that the most important thing is happiness. His father always pushed him to reach for his goals and to be the person that he wanted to become. Thus, he knew that when he became an adult, he wanted to help others find the courage to never settle.

Saghafi hopes to give more lectures at UB in the future. For more information, visit Advanced Hypnosis at 836-7777 or online at master-mind.us.

E-mail: features@ubspectrum.com


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