That's how your mind works.
That's how you find your sense
of self. That's how you prime yourself to focus on just one thing.
The more regularly "close all tabs" in your mind, the better and
deeper your sense of self will be. And a clear mind is crucial for the
second step of Self Mind Control: To focus.
Step #2: Directing The Mind
Stoic philosopher Marcus Aurelius wrote much about what he
called "The Directing Mind."
Today, we know he was talking about our rational minds — the
conscious parts of our minds where we make our decisions.
Other common terms for the Directing Mind include
"mindfulness" and "free will."
They all mean the same thing: Not being a slave to your
emotions.
Using your Directing Mind means you don't act like an animal:
• If you feel an itch, you have the freedom and mental
capacity to not scratch it
• If you feel hungry, you have the freedom and mental
capacity to not drop what you're doing and find something
to eat
• If you feel horny, you have the freedom and mental capacity
to not look at porn, or masturbate, or fuck the first woman
you come across
Instead, you direct your mind to a single focus: The task in
front of you.
When it comes to moving a woman through the IRAE model,
that task might be:
1. To open the interaction with your target, perhaps with an
Intrigue Ping
2. To build Rapport with her, perhaps with Minoring
techniques
3. To escalate onto Attraction with her, perhaps with
Implanted Commands
4. To Enslave her and make her yours forever, perhaps with
the Black Rose technique
If you'll notice, moving through the IRAE Model absolutely
requires a Directing Mind. You must go through each Stage in
sequence, one Stage at a time, without skipping any one Stage.
If you keep judging yourself, or looking for a particular reaction
from your target, or thinking about the next step — you'll mess up.
Success requires you focus on just one Stage, one task at a time.
Success, therefore, requires the ability to switch on your Directing
Mind at will.
If that sounds daunting, it shouldn't. You've switched on your
Directing Mind countless times in the past, albeit by accident:
• You zoned out when watching a movie or TV show
• You lost yourself in a good book
• You got so engrossed in a conversation that you lost track
of time
• You daydreamed in a meeting and didn't hear your boss call
your name
• Etc.
When you can switch on your Directing Mind at will, then
you'll start experiencing life ten times more deeply. You'll be
happier, stronger, and more in control.
You'll enjoy women more. You'll have more rewarding
interactions with them. And you can focus on doing just one thing
at a time, instead of worrying about a million things all at once.
Step #3: Self-Hypnosis
Now we get to self-hypnosis, which is the active process of
"working out" your Directing Mind and making it stronger over
time.
Self-hypnosis is similar to standard meditation, but with critical
differences. For instance, standard meditation is often used as a
blanket approach — an attempt at self-improvement that targets all
areas of life at the same time.
Self-hypnosis (in the context of Shogun Method) takes a more
laser-focused approach: To drastically improve your love life first
and then letting that improvement spill over to other areas of your
life afterward.
There are many other differences, as you'll see as we go into the
details of self-hypnosis.
Frequency of self-hypnosis. Most meditation gurus advise
meditating at least once a day. In my experience (and in the
experience of many of your fellow Shoguns), one session of self-
hypnosis a day is never enough.
Most practitioners find out that the first self-hypnosis session is
often largely a failure:
• Too many thoughts running at the same time
• Too difficult to "close all tabs" and start with a clean slate
• It takes a tremendous amount of energy to stop what you're
doing, sit down, and meditate
• It takes too much time to clear one's mind
• External distractions and disturbances
That's why I suggest you do it at least twice a day — once in the
morning as you start the day, and once in the evening as you wind
down.
1. Your morning session is meant to "prep" you for the day,
"closing all tabs" running in your mind as you get out of bed
and getting your priorities in order.
2. Your evening session is meant to "consolidate" your day —
running through your achievements and completed tasks,
then "closing all tabs" to get ready for bed.
Length of self-hypnosis. Most meditation gums suggest
meditating for at least ten minutes per session. Again, that's not
enough for Shogun Method practitioners, especially for beginners.
The reason is simple: The first ten minutes (or more) of a self-
hypnosis session can be a struggle. The standard advice is to
"delete" any thought outside the point of focus of a meditation
session, but that can be extremely difficult and lead to failure.
What's worse, failing a meditation session can be discouraging
to a practitioner, who will then choose to discontinue his pursuit of
building a stronger frame. That's a tremendous waste.
So, I suggest you allocate at least 15-20 minutes for each self-
hypnosis session, allowing your thoughts to float in your mind for
the first few minutes. It's easier to "delete" a thought once you've
given it some time to "say its piece" in your mind.
Location. The ideal location is one where you can have
absolutely zero distractions for fifteen to twenty minutes. It could be
a closed room with the hum of an air conditioner. Or it could be on
a chair or sofa.
Find a location that works for you.
Position for self-hypnosis. No, you don't need to squat in the
lotus position unless you're fairly comfortable in it and if it helps
you focus. You can be seated or lounging, or even lying down
(although that just makes me fall asleep). Some like undergoing
their self-hypnosis while standing up.
Whichever position you prefer, make sure it's a position where
it's easy for you to breathe. Here's why:
Breathing. Close your eyes and breathe deeply — inhaling
through the nose, then exhaling through the mouth. We're talking
about deep breaths that expand your torso, loud enough for you to
hear it.
You'll be breathing deeply throughout your fifteen-minute
session. As you breathe, visualize breathing out all the bad stuff in
your life: Physical (dirt, toxins, etc.), mental (stress, uncertainty,
etc.), and spiritual (guilt, shame, etc.). This practice alone will
greatly help you "let go" of random thoughts, relax, and totally
focus.
Focus. Again, it may not be helpful for you to immediately
banish a random thought as soon as you notice it. It may be more
helpful if you give each thought a moment to "say its piece" first,
then let it go.
Breathing is the easiest way to focus your attention — you
simply focus on your breath and nothing else. Some practitioners
prefer focusing on a chant, or the music or white noise in their
headphones, or a prayer, or an affirmation. Find whatever helps you
focus best.
As you get focused, the next step is to become one with your
point of focus:
• If you use your breath, then become your breath
• If you listen to music, become the music
• If you use a chant, become the chant
• If you use a prayer, become the prayer
• If you use an affirmation, become the affirmation4
Achieving this will take time, patience, and diligence in self-
hypnosis. It's like training a muscle — the first few times are always
hellish, but push through and you'll enjoy a lifetime of rewards.
Banishing Random Thoughts. The first few times you'll try
self-hypnosis, you'll be beset by random thoughts. Your mind may
go wild with thoughts like:
• "Am I doing this self-hypnosis thing right?"
• "How do Derek and the other Shoguns do it?"
• "I have absolutely no idea what the fuck I'm doing."
• 'Am I just kidding myself? Can I really do this?"
When these thoughts get through, don't beat yourself up over
them. Simply notice them, catch them, and banish them. If letting
them "say their piece" makes banishing them easier, do so.
Other times, you'll daydream, and you'll only catch yourself
several minutes into your train of thought: 'This sure reminds me of
that girl I banged ten years ago. She was really in love with me —
how I wish I didn't fuck up my chances with her by... Oh right. Self-
hypnosis. Breathe. Focus."
This is also normal, so you should also not kick yourself for
slipping like that. Simply get rid of the thought and re-establish your
focus.
