Wisdom Strategy Research Institute

Dear Readers,

Joe Vitale is a rather well-known personality in the Personal Development, Marketing, and New Age communities. I have followed his work for some years now, both enjoying and benefiting from it.

Starting with his book No Limits, followed by The Key, Mr. Vitale has advocated the use of a short "Affirmation Stack" as I call it, that goes "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you." Mr. Vitale claims that this is an affirmational practice for "clearing".

After an initial trial of a couple of hundred repetitions of this affirmation / mantra, I got some nice benefit. So I decided to do a siddhi practice with this affirmation stack. Here is what I've found, after over 25,000 repetitions.

I've even written articles in the past recommending this practice for clearing relationships with your ancestors, and key people in our lives.

In the background story that Joe gives about this technique, and how a Dr. Len used a variation of this practice to heal the inmates at a mental hospital for criminally insane in Washington state, without ever working with them directly in any way.

In this story Joe describes what is essentially a form of intercessory prayer. Dr. Len would take the patients files, read over what was in them about the patients background, etc. and notice what he felt, what feelings and emotions it evoked for him. As emotions emerged about what the patient had gone through Dr. Len would imagine having a conversation with God, from a point of view of shared creation / responsibility for the events.

He would say to God, "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you." , until the emotions cleared.

Reportedly, after a few months of doing this practice for hours everyday, the patients at the hospital showed a remarkable improvement, even this was the only therapy done with them.

This is what in theology is called, intercession. Praying to God on behalf of another. Joe calls this Hoo Pono Pono, which is Hawiain for "To make right, right". In other words to make right with all parties involved in an issue.

After introducing the story in these terms, Joe goes on to simplify the practice as the repitition of the affirmation "I'm sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you. I love you."

This almost entirely drops out the prayerr, and co-creation frames.

As a form of intercessory prayer, I think the technique is fine as described.

However, as an affirmation stack to do a siddhi practice with, it leaves something to be desired, at least in my experience.

What happened for me when doing massive repetitions of this affirmation is I was held in a rather low energy pattern by the first 2 sentences - I'm sorry, please forgive me.

There is a cyclical effect that happens. Starting with the lower energy of I'm Sorry. Please Forgive me, and then moving to Thank you. I love you. We finish the cycle with Gratitude and Love.

My conclusion, if done with the 2 pre-requisites of visualizing a conversation with God, from the frame of a co-creator of lifes events, it's fine as is.

However, as an affirmation stack to use for massive repetitions, the "I'm sorry", and "Please forgive me" pieces are uncessary, and even limiting.

My recommendation is focus on gratitide and Love. Do massive repetitions of Thank YOu . I love You.

To your profound personal development,

Robert Holzhauser