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The Silva Mind Control Method
Since The Silva Mind Control Method was first published in hardcover, over one million people (including top celebrities) have graduated from Mind Control training to use their minds at a deeper and more effective level, even in their sleep!
Based on the extraordinary 4-day course pioneered by Jose Silva, this life-transforming book shows how people have learned to overcome tension, bad habits, emotional insecurity, and even illness with the techniques of Mind Control.
176 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 1977
About the author
José Silva
151 books171 followersJosé Silva was an electronics repairman who developed an interest in psychology to see if it could help him increase his children's IQ. After experimenting and being convinced of his daughter's sudden clairvoyance, Silva decided to learn more about the development of psychic abilities.
In 1944 Silva began developing his method, formerly known as Silva Mind Control. He used it on his family members and friends before launching it commercially in the 1960s.
The Silva Method and his newest course, the Silva UltraMind ESP system, continue to be taught in seminars and events by licensed instructors, and in authorized home-study courses.
In 1944 Silva began developing his method, formerly known as Silva Mind Control. He used it on his family members and friends before launching it commercially in the 1960s.
The Silva Method and his newest course, the Silva UltraMind ESP system, continue to be taught in seminars and events by licensed instructors, and in authorized home-study courses.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
September 27, 2012
I first read The Silva Mind Control Method in 1984 while in college. Every time I applied his visualization techniques, good things happened. After more than a few amazing tangible results, I realized it wasn't a coincidence.
Since then, every time I've re-read this book, especially the first 14 chapters, great things have happened.
In 2007, I became a Silva UltraMind graduate and have written 3 bestselling books as a result of Jose Silva's amazing insight and dedicated efforts to truly making the world a better place.
If I was stranded on a desert island and could only take one book (aside from my own), this would be it!
Since then, every time I've re-read this book, especially the first 14 chapters, great things have happened.
In 2007, I became a Silva UltraMind graduate and have written 3 bestselling books as a result of Jose Silva's amazing insight and dedicated efforts to truly making the world a better place.
If I was stranded on a desert island and could only take one book (aside from my own), this would be it!
February 15, 2009
If I had to name a couple of books that really had a great impact on my life, this would definitely be one of them!
June 6, 2010
I was told this book would change my life. It did; it wasted four hours of it. The book states the obvious and seems to be more of a glorified advert for the classes that the author presents.
November 11, 2018
Memorable and quirky and mind-widening!
Meditation + ESP in order to go on reclaiming one's mind and life...
Reread hundreds of time and, well, still incredible.
Meditation + ESP in order to go on reclaiming one's mind and life...
Reread hundreds of time and, well, still incredible.
February 18, 2015
Overall, this is a great book. Many of the concepts you will find in other books on visualization, mind control, and the alpha state were probably taken from this book. The only drawback is that an overwhelming number of pages were dedicated to advertising the Silva Method Mind Control Class. The author states in the book that you will not learn everything you need to know unless you take the course. He ensures that promise by only providing glimpses of what will be available in-depth during one of the many seminars. I am impressed by the material and will likely attend a seminar. The first 4 chapters are the most important chapters of the book in my opinion.
April 23, 2023
This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart
This is going to be a little different than most of the reviews I do as I've really stepped out of my normal reading to explore some books on manifestation, mental awareness and meditation. I've read a few now and all of them have at one point mentioned the Silva Mind Control method. I think it is one of the founding books on how to train your mind and explores changing your life by changing how you think.
The Silva Mind Control Method was written sometime in the 70s, so parts of this book are a bit dated, just be aware. But it did give me some better tools for learning how to meditate that I thought were more useful than in some of the other books I've read on how to focus your mind and get into alpha, delta and theta states. There were things to practice and a plan on how to get there. For me, that was the the item that helped me the most.
I will say that really only the first half of the book was helpful to me and then it got a little too woo-woo (yes that is the technical term) for even me. I'm a huge believer of your mind being able to control the world around you and you are the creator of that world. I think this book could give you some tools on how to tap into some secret depths of your mind to really make the most of your life and your place in it.
I was very engaged in the first half of the book but really lost interest and slogged through the second half. Still, I'm enjoying going back through the chapters as I'm working on how to meditate and make it a normal part of my everyday life.
This is going to be a little different than most of the reviews I do as I've really stepped out of my normal reading to explore some books on manifestation, mental awareness and meditation. I've read a few now and all of them have at one point mentioned the Silva Mind Control method. I think it is one of the founding books on how to train your mind and explores changing your life by changing how you think.
The Silva Mind Control Method was written sometime in the 70s, so parts of this book are a bit dated, just be aware. But it did give me some better tools for learning how to meditate that I thought were more useful than in some of the other books I've read on how to focus your mind and get into alpha, delta and theta states. There were things to practice and a plan on how to get there. For me, that was the the item that helped me the most.
I will say that really only the first half of the book was helpful to me and then it got a little too woo-woo (yes that is the technical term) for even me. I'm a huge believer of your mind being able to control the world around you and you are the creator of that world. I think this book could give you some tools on how to tap into some secret depths of your mind to really make the most of your life and your place in it.
I was very engaged in the first half of the book but really lost interest and slogged through the second half. Still, I'm enjoying going back through the chapters as I'm working on how to meditate and make it a normal part of my everyday life.
May 13, 2021
I admittedly didn't finish this book. I stopped after I felt like I got what I needed out of it, which was a foundation for my fledgling meditation practice. For that I will always be grateful I came across this book. Visualization is a huge part of his method and is something I feel I've benefitted from greatly. Silva has some pretty out-there claims about the benefits of his method, which I read with the eye of a New Age historian rather than an eager disciple. I quit early because he really enters salesman mode toward the end of the book.
July 20, 2014
This book introduces many ways to take control of your mind. Among them, I got interested in the following two ways:
1. Meditation
According to this book, there are two kinds of meditations: one is passive meditation, and the other is dynamic meditation.
Passive meditation is in itself is effective in that worries and feelings of guilt or anger are absent during the meditation. Also it leads to what is called a happy stillness, or inner peace.
Jose Silva suggests that dynamic meditation, which goes beyond passive meditation, should be trained in order to solve your problems. Whenever I encounter some difficulties in my daily life, I practice meditation. That way, my mind becomes calm and my thought becomes clear, which is quite effective to find a new way of dealing with the problems.
2. Choosing your words
Your words are powerful, so it is important to find words which nourish your soul. I like the words "mental housecleaning."
1. Meditation
According to this book, there are two kinds of meditations: one is passive meditation, and the other is dynamic meditation.
Passive meditation is in itself is effective in that worries and feelings of guilt or anger are absent during the meditation. Also it leads to what is called a happy stillness, or inner peace.
Jose Silva suggests that dynamic meditation, which goes beyond passive meditation, should be trained in order to solve your problems. Whenever I encounter some difficulties in my daily life, I practice meditation. That way, my mind becomes calm and my thought becomes clear, which is quite effective to find a new way of dealing with the problems.
2. Choosing your words
Your words are powerful, so it is important to find words which nourish your soul. I like the words "mental housecleaning."
August 26, 2008
انسان شفا بخش
شما يك شفا دهنده هستيد..
آموزش گام به گام شفا بخشي با متد سيلوا
همراه با نوار آلفا
آلفا سطحی از امواج مغزی است که فرکانس آن نصف فرکانس امواج مغز در حالت بیداری کامل است. از 7 تا 14 سیکل در ثانیه*
*فرکانس امواج مغزی در حالت بیداری کامل از 14 تا 21 سیکل در ثانیه است که آنرا سطح بتا میگوییم.در حالت خواب این فرکانسها کاهش میابد و به 7 تا 14 سیکل در ثانیه میرسد که این همان سطح آلفاست یعنی حالتی از یک خواب سبک وقتی که خواب عمیقتر میشود فرکانسها از این همپایینتر میایند و به 4 تا 7 سیکل در ثانیه میرسند که تتا نامیده میشود و در عمیقترین حالت خواب فرکانسهای امواج مغزی به 4 سیکل و پایینتر از آن میرسد که آنرا دلتا میگویند*
در حالتی که امواج مغزی آلفا فعال هستند احساسات طبیعی راحتی صلح صفا و آرامش سراسر وجود ما را فرا میگیرد. با استفاده از "متد سیلوا"میتوان هر موقع که اراده کنیم در این سطح قرار گیریم.*
شما يك شفا دهنده هستيد..
آموزش گام به گام شفا بخشي با متد سيلوا
همراه با نوار آلفا
آلفا سطحی از امواج مغزی است که فرکانس آن نصف فرکانس امواج مغز در حالت بیداری کامل است. از 7 تا 14 سیکل در ثانیه*
*فرکانس امواج مغزی در حالت بیداری کامل از 14 تا 21 سیکل در ثانیه است که آنرا سطح بتا میگوییم.در حالت خواب این فرکانسها کاهش میابد و به 7 تا 14 سیکل در ثانیه میرسد که این همان سطح آلفاست یعنی حالتی از یک خواب سبک وقتی که خواب عمیقتر میشود فرکانسها از این همپایینتر میایند و به 4 تا 7 سیکل در ثانیه میرسند که تتا نامیده میشود و در عمیقترین حالت خواب فرکانسهای امواج مغزی به 4 سیکل و پایینتر از آن میرسد که آنرا دلتا میگویند*
در حالتی که امواج مغزی آلفا فعال هستند احساسات طبیعی راحتی صلح صفا و آرامش سراسر وجود ما را فرا میگیرد. با استفاده از "متد سیلوا"میتوان هر موقع که اراده کنیم در این سطح قرار گیریم.*
August 17, 2022
This book is literally just testimonials about Jose Silva's Mind Control class/course.
Sure meditate until you almost fall asleep but don't fall asleep and it's in that alpha beta phase where you find all the answers to life :P But seriously this whole book only really talked about how it changed people for the better and what they got out of it. Like a sales pitch it really through me off.
Sure meditate until you almost fall asleep but don't fall asleep and it's in that alpha beta phase where you find all the answers to life :P But seriously this whole book only really talked about how it changed people for the better and what they got out of it. Like a sales pitch it really through me off.
May 19, 2020
It's more like a marketing brochure for the mindfulness classes presented by the author of this book. It doesn't have much information other than persuading readers to believe in Silva and plan for registering for the trainings.
May 28, 2018
Our mind is either our master or our servant. If it is our master, we'll find ourselves within a jungle of never-ending thoughts, jumping from one to the next, to the next, to the previous one, and back where we started, without control, direction or purpose. If it is our servant, we will be the ones to guide it & make use of the wonderful tool it really is. The choice is ours.
July 9, 2022
If you get past the magician style advertisement of how well the methods work, it actually has very good meditation exercises and practical ways of calming your mind to utilise its potential for improving memory, relieving stress and problem solving.
November 17, 2023
کتاب جالبی نبود و توصیه نمیکنم به خوندنش
August 16, 2021
کتاب جذابی مخصوصا برای افرادی که علاقه به مراقبه و تلقین به خود دارن
April 30, 2023
It is an interesting read.
Everything that the author has said about meditation, a topic that has been covered in Chapter 3 of the book, has undoubtedly been borrowed from Oriental religions like Hinduism and Hindu archaryas like Swamis Rama and Sivananda. Other concepts like engaging in regular "spiritual" practice, communing with creation, developing large-heartedness, acquiring concentration, importance of "Higher Intelligence" (which he says is not God), powers of thoughts and imagination, and the self-healing definitely have their genesis in non-Abrahamic religions.
I shall recommend this book to anyone who wants to acquire control of his life, mind and thoughts without having to be affiliated to any dogma or faith.
Everything that the author has said about meditation, a topic that has been covered in Chapter 3 of the book, has undoubtedly been borrowed from Oriental religions like Hinduism and Hindu archaryas like Swamis Rama and Sivananda. Other concepts like engaging in regular "spiritual" practice, communing with creation, developing large-heartedness, acquiring concentration, importance of "Higher Intelligence" (which he says is not God), powers of thoughts and imagination, and the self-healing definitely have their genesis in non-Abrahamic religions.
I shall recommend this book to anyone who wants to acquire control of his life, mind and thoughts without having to be affiliated to any dogma or faith.
January 26, 2013
Los primeros capítulos son interesantes (cuando se hace la introducción del método y se habla de los ejercicios), sin embargo, la mayor parte del libro es publicidad y narración de casos donde fue exitoso. Deberían ahondar más en el método, y ya que las personas saquen sus propias conclusiones y/o propios casos de éxito.
October 2, 2023
The Silva Method is a series of mental exercises that teaches meditation, relaxation, visualization and thinking in deeper states of consciousness to help improve your life. This made for a fascinating read as I continue on my journey to explore and practice this topic for myself. The first half of the book provide instructions on several of the methods to practice along with descriptions of the classes, while the second half is focused on sharing results and real life stories about how these techniques have impacted peoples lives. I have already started to implement the first couple steps so I will see how it goes. So far, so good!
August 22, 2021
This was José Silva’s first book on the Silva Mind method. It is what I would call a “must-read”. Learning this method should be made obligatory in all schools and be offered to children at an early age.
José Silva learnt all that he presents in his Mind Control method in the course of working with his own children, years ago, to enable them to do well in school. When he experimented with mental training exercises, the children’s school marks quickly began to improve, and, amazingly, they began to answer his questions before he had asked them – they had become clairvoyant!
In this book, José begins by teaching us how to meditate, to reach Alpha, the state in which our brain waves vibrate at between 7 and 14 cycles per second. We create a mental screen on which we can visualize/imagine our goals, and project the bodies of the subjects we wish to heal, including ourselves.
When imagining what we want, we need to desire that the event take place, believe that it will take place and expect it to take place.
When we work in Alpha, we are in touch with Higher Intelligence and can only create good things. If, for example, we should try to give someone a headache, we are the ones that would get the headache, and/or we would snap out of Alpha.
We hear how José once won 10,000 dollars after receiving a set of lottery numbers in a dream, and we learn how we ourselves can programme for dreams to solve specific problems – though he doesn’t promise that we will win the lottery!
There’s a chapter about using our mind to improve our health, and we learn, specifically, how to get rid of headaches.
We’re informed about what I regard as the most exciting part of Silva, the method we now apparently are taught in the Silva Intuition Course, where we tune into unknown people, spot whatever problems they may have, and correct these problems.
I learnt the Silva Method many years ago and had much success with it, but now I’ve taken a refresher course. Though much practice is necessary, I’ve had a few successes. For example, I tuned into a woman, saw that she had something crooked in her spine, and then immediately after saw the spine straighten out and correct itself. I learnt later that she had had back pains for many years, so I trust the problem has now been corrected. When we see these things clairvoyantly, and very clearly, we are in no doubt that what we see is real.
One method of healing we learn in the book is as follows:
1) Go to your meditative level and project the person onto your mental screen with whatever ailment is troubling him.
2) Place another image on the screen to the left, showing something being done to correct the problem (or correcting the problem yourself).
3) Now project onto the screen – still further left – a vivid image of the person in perfect health, filled with energy and optimism. By visualizing with conviction in Alpha and Theta you are causing. Visualize the results you want as being already achieved.
Even persons addicted to hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine can be healed through the Silva method. I myself easily got rid of the smoking habit many years ago through a Silva technique – I programmed for 30 days that I would stop on a certain date, and when the day came I simply stopped from one day to the next, and never smoked again – in fact I could not.
Although this book is from 1978, it is just as inspiring and useful now as back then. You are taught how to tackle all varieties of problems in yourself and others.
I firmly recommend that everyone read this basic book on the Silva Method, and perhaps also some of the others. Even better, you could participate in one of the Silva courses available throughout the world, as I understand.
José Silva learnt all that he presents in his Mind Control method in the course of working with his own children, years ago, to enable them to do well in school. When he experimented with mental training exercises, the children’s school marks quickly began to improve, and, amazingly, they began to answer his questions before he had asked them – they had become clairvoyant!
In this book, José begins by teaching us how to meditate, to reach Alpha, the state in which our brain waves vibrate at between 7 and 14 cycles per second. We create a mental screen on which we can visualize/imagine our goals, and project the bodies of the subjects we wish to heal, including ourselves.
When imagining what we want, we need to desire that the event take place, believe that it will take place and expect it to take place.
When we work in Alpha, we are in touch with Higher Intelligence and can only create good things. If, for example, we should try to give someone a headache, we are the ones that would get the headache, and/or we would snap out of Alpha.
We hear how José once won 10,000 dollars after receiving a set of lottery numbers in a dream, and we learn how we ourselves can programme for dreams to solve specific problems – though he doesn’t promise that we will win the lottery!
There’s a chapter about using our mind to improve our health, and we learn, specifically, how to get rid of headaches.
We’re informed about what I regard as the most exciting part of Silva, the method we now apparently are taught in the Silva Intuition Course, where we tune into unknown people, spot whatever problems they may have, and correct these problems.
I learnt the Silva Method many years ago and had much success with it, but now I’ve taken a refresher course. Though much practice is necessary, I’ve had a few successes. For example, I tuned into a woman, saw that she had something crooked in her spine, and then immediately after saw the spine straighten out and correct itself. I learnt later that she had had back pains for many years, so I trust the problem has now been corrected. When we see these things clairvoyantly, and very clearly, we are in no doubt that what we see is real.
One method of healing we learn in the book is as follows:
1) Go to your meditative level and project the person onto your mental screen with whatever ailment is troubling him.
2) Place another image on the screen to the left, showing something being done to correct the problem (or correcting the problem yourself).
3) Now project onto the screen – still further left – a vivid image of the person in perfect health, filled with energy and optimism. By visualizing with conviction in Alpha and Theta you are causing. Visualize the results you want as being already achieved.
Even persons addicted to hard drugs such as heroin and cocaine can be healed through the Silva method. I myself easily got rid of the smoking habit many years ago through a Silva technique – I programmed for 30 days that I would stop on a certain date, and when the day came I simply stopped from one day to the next, and never smoked again – in fact I could not.
Although this book is from 1978, it is just as inspiring and useful now as back then. You are taught how to tackle all varieties of problems in yourself and others.
I firmly recommend that everyone read this basic book on the Silva Method, and perhaps also some of the others. Even better, you could participate in one of the Silva courses available throughout the world, as I understand.
November 9, 2009
Step by step ESP! Read it in 2003 in 1 sitting, and then surfed the net for more. Voila, the power of synchronicity had worked for there was a weekend workshop coming near me in HK. Of course i enrolled and it's well worth the hefty fees for a thorough guided training of the Silva Method. As a bonus, students can re-sit in a refresher anywhere in the world again for as many times we wish. Enlightening!
January 3, 2023
Probably my first written review on GoodReads. The 10-20% of the book which makes sense is overshadowed by the other 80-90% which is utter, total, absolute horseshit. Lost 4.5 hours of my life.
October 29, 2023
Ha envejecido bastante mal. Más del 80% del libro es un tostón auto-publicitario de los cursos presenciales y fantásticos testimonios, mientras que la técnica en sí apenas se esboza. Creo que el fundamento del método es válido, pero no presentado de esta forma tan superficial, fácil y rápida. El planteamiento filosófico es el habitual en este tipo de métodos: se parte de un reconocimiento de ciertas problemáticas, generadas por el frenesí de la vida moderna, que afectan negativamente al individuo; pero en lugar de utilizar el control mental para trascenderlas, se usa para parchear individualmente y promover un estímulo descarado de esas mismas dinámicas.
September 22, 2021
Very interesting book... I will definitely try the techniques described and hope one day to attend the course, if it is still held somewhere.
Learning that there can be some kind of control on one’s life makes me feel that life is somehow fair... that people have such powerful resources as a birth right and can achieve what they want despite circumstances feels good, gives me faith an less hopelessness and helplessness....
I gave 4 stars because the second half of the book was a bit boring and could have been reduced a lot....
Learning that there can be some kind of control on one’s life makes me feel that life is somehow fair... that people have such powerful resources as a birth right and can achieve what they want despite circumstances feels good, gives me faith an less hopelessness and helplessness....
I gave 4 stars because the second half of the book was a bit boring and could have been reduced a lot....
February 3, 2014
Empece muy emocionad leyendolo, creyendo en todo lo que el libro podia ofrecer luego fueron casos y casos y casos de exito y entonces me pregunte ¿Por qué? ¿acaso necesitaban demostrar que tenia exito el metodo? o ¿es que necesitaban convencer fielmente al lector de que funciona para que puedan creer en el metodo? en fin fue demasiada publicidad y abordaron muy poco sobre el metodo pense que iba a ser mas profundo o mas intimo.
March 26, 2022
This was such a disappointing book. I was expecting to have an in-depth and detailed explanation on how to better access and control our minds to improve our lives but am sorely disappointed to find that its content is amateurish. The meditation guidelines are extremely vague. Throughout the whole book, Silva keeps talking about the benefits of having the right mindset but wasn’t able to provide a clear explanation on how to achieve it.
October 5, 2017
I read this book because I had learned the Silva Mind Control Method in 1994 but had stopped practicing it and wanted to get back into it. I took the book out of the library to read it to see if it is sufficient to self-teach the method and it is so I bought the book. Now I just have to start practicing!
October 8, 2007
I was fortunate to attend a workshop by a Brazillian Priest in Silva Mind Control as a youth (thanks Mom!). This book and workshop was my first true introduction to creative visualization - in detail. I re-purchased a set of audio tapes of this book in 2005, to re read.
September 15, 2023
I need to re-read this.
I have been learning a lot, but not implementing it properly. You can tell José Silva wants to share as much information as possible in this book. I didn't grasp it fully the first time, but maybe as I re-read it, I will actually use the Alpha meditative states in my daily life.
I am excited to use ESP & become a frequent lucid dreamer, so I will carry on doing my research.
I have been learning a lot, but not implementing it properly. You can tell José Silva wants to share as much information as possible in this book. I didn't grasp it fully the first time, but maybe as I re-read it, I will actually use the Alpha meditative states in my daily life.
I am excited to use ESP & become a frequent lucid dreamer, so I will carry on doing my research.
January 13, 2024
A fascinating re-introduction to a method or technique I had heard about growing up in the 1970s. I’m amazed at the repeatable studies and scientifically analyzed results. I’m also impressed with the simplicity of the program which I believe speaks a lot to the humble origins of Silva, his integrity, and his sincerity.
November 2, 2023
Καλούλι ως προς τις πληροφορίες που δίνει στα βασικά κεφάλαια όλο το υπόλοιπο βιβλίο χρειάζεται να ασχολείται κανείς για να το βρει στο σύνολό του ενδιαφέρον.
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