Psycho is informally used to refer to persons who are psychopathic or psychotic. Cybernetic is the study of human control functions and of mechanical and electronic systems designed to replace them which involves the application of statistical mechanics to communication engineering. Modern cybernetics involves a connection of various fields like control systems, electrical networks, mechanical modeling, neuroscience, sociology, psychology, and philosophy to mention but a few. Maxwell Maltz brought the idea of psycho-cybernetics in 1960 by referring to the brain as a cybernetic ‘servo-mechanism’ that automatically finds a way to the target it is designed for. This has brought an invaluable insight into the subject of self-image and goal visualization. He refers to cybernetics as control processes in electrical, mechanical, or biological systems notably which include the negative-feedback-to-positive-results loop. According to Maltz servo mechanism, is an ‘inner computer’ that conjugates memory search and retrieval, creative thinking, and problem-solving to provide self-confidence and other functions. Servo-mechanism’s performance relies on directions from the conscious which involve rational thought, deliberate use of imagination, and automatic repetition of learned behavior in line with the self-image (Maltz 10).
These conclusions are a result of very successful plastic surgeries yet dissatisfaction by Maltz’s patients. Dissatisfaction because the patients confessed they ‘felt the same’ and consequently admitted their physical appearance was improved. He concluded that people might have healed their physical scars but their emotional scars remained intact which resulted in his book and the psycho-cybernetics idea. Self-image is meant to help people achieve their goals and the exercises involved in his recommendations are applicable for various circumstances that hinder achieving these goals. These involve ways of removing anxiety when starting a conversation to long-term goals like gaining a promotion. It ranges from sports to professional life, confidence in what all you do has a big inclination to the detail you lend to your image which subsequently equates your success. This takes us to the important question; whether psycho-cybernetics relate in any way to speech and speech making. It does in its simplest form as we are going to discuss (Maltz 25).
When a missile or torpedo is fired, it corrects its course to reach its goal and similarly, people can correct their behavior to reach their goal by acting as per their self-image, behavior which Maltz sees as a negative feedback system similar to a missile or torpedo. He believed in the theater of the mind; where helping people improve their performance by visualizing perfectionism will help improve it practically.
Maltz (34) talks of unlocking one’s personality that is inhibited. Usually, an inhibited personality like shyness, nervousness, awkwardness all of which deters speech and speech-making presents an unclear expression of one’s true personality. A person too conscious and afraid of negative feedback, or over-exposed to negative feedback is likely to develop an inhibited personality. The negative feedback is meant to tell the mechanism to correct the course and move in the right direction like in the case of a torpedo. An excessive reaction to negative feedback will often lead one to believe that they are off-course and stop one from moving forward.
Stuttering and poor speech exemplify a result of excessive negative feedback. The people concerned may be trying to avoid errors if not overly critical of themselves. Similarly, social interaction involves other nonverbal techniques that tell us how we are doing, whether we are building rapport with the other party or drifting away. This is why people afraid of how they are perceived will block their communication with the other party since they will not even monitor how their communication is doing.
To solve this, psycho-cybernetics seeks to harmonize internal language by first improving one’s internal rapport; changing one’s relationship with her or himself. This is because emotions respond more directly to images, voice tonality, and simple emotive words than to abstract concepts or argumentation. Also, the unconscious mind is the dreaming mind which works more with imagery and that is why when in distress people argue themselves out of it. In summary, psycho-cybernetics requires us to understand the psychology of mental imagery first. This involves visualization of the goal, recall the mind being a torpedo with a course towards its goal. One’s self-image is key to this imagery, it provides the brain with direction and it provides the coordinates or the unconscious ‘servo-mechanism’ which we defined as the part that pursues targeted goals. In this case, a speech is best made if it is initially visualized and the necessary expectations/goals of that speech. Without conceived goals, desires are consigned to failures in the shadows of the unconscious mind. Failing to visualize often discourages one in speeches hence the fear to do so, while others will even give up ever trying (Maltz 76).
To aid visualization, Maltz puts the idea of ‘anti-worry’, insisting that worry is allowed as it is a show of the ability to visualize; however, positive images are to be substituted for negative ones. Lack of positive images implies we do not have to worry about negative images. Relaxation also aids visualization in that tense, stressed, anxious people, struggle to picture positive images. More relaxed minds picture goal images better and subsequent preparedness for speeches. Similarly, mentally keeping the art of visualization simple, natural, and easy will make it seem so when you are doing it.
A strong belief in the already set speech goal is vital. Redefining what you want your speech to do will give you the zeal to move on with it. Telling yourself it can happen will even give a speaker better drive and lastly visualizing it as if it is happening in real-time will strengthen the goal, add detail and give confidence and readiness to pursue the goal. In visualization, some people fear they will be tied down to the specifics and lose the freedom associated with deviation from their goals. However, we are reminded that it is through a personal vision that man can attain psychological freedom in any arena. Vision does not imply control as vision enables us to confront the truth of our desires and deal appropriately with their contradiction(Maltz 101).
After visualization, the second is practice. Psycho-cybernetics insists on practice as often as one can as this is a source of perfectionism. Speech gets better with practice and doing it ideally ten minutes a day is recommended. Self-image is what we are improving as much as better speech is our result. Third, the said image is to be discussed and talked about to others. Verbalization enhances visualization. Let them criticize or approve your ideals and overcome the contradictions as discussed earlier. Writing it and meditating on its details will help in staying focused on one’s goal(s).
Fourth, perseverance is encouraged in psycho-cybernetics as some people want results immediately which may never work. It may take trials and trials to comprehend its complexities, if any, however rewarding the results. Speech may come with discouragement from participants in a speech by a person who has been following psycho-cybernetics to the word. This is only a reminder of one’s prowess or lack of it in its application which should give one the will to better visualize and again anticipate both positive and negative feedback (Maltz 67).
Other techniques to articulate speaking that are also associated with the mind; psycho-cybernetics includes not criticizing oneself constantly, although useful negative feedback is automatic and subconscious. Speaking louder is a powerful tool for reducing inhibition because of a powerful voice. Complimenting people frees people from inhibitions too, another way of building one’s image albeit not necessarily through the mind(Maltz 130).
Success stories have been told of the use of psycho-cybernetics in speech. Exemplary among them is that of Dan Kennedy. Success in sales and marketing, a writer, and a professional speaker among others, Dan was a stuttering teenager who faced constant humiliation, frustration, and embarrassment. He confesses of applying Dr. Maltz’s psycho-cybernetics program which turned out to be his only remedy; by re-engineering his self-image, he has overcome his speech problem making him one of the most notable successes in business advisory. Psycho-cybernetics is closely related to speech and speech-making; the power of the mind goes down to what we say and how we say it which is speech intelligence. Following the techniques of psycho-cybernetics can greatly improve speech.
Works cited
Maltz, Maxwell. Psycho-cybernetics. New York: Pocket books. 1989. Print.