The Movie in Your Mind
By Samuel Arcelay
Copyright 2024 Samuel Arcelay
Rewriting the Script:
By recognizing and altering your internal dialogue and beliefs, and the images in your mind, you can effectively rewrite, the script of “The Movie in Your Mind”, leading to changes in both your psychological and physical well-being.
“The Movie in Your Mind” is the analogy I use to describe the images in our mind which occur when we think or engage, with vivid thoughts.
I refer to this phenomenon where we mentally visualize the events, characters, settings, and actions involved in the narrative or, our perception, of people, places, things, events, or situation, in our life. When you and I do this, we are creating a rich and immersive experience, like watching a movie. And we are often glued to the screen, subconsciously. Often, we are in a hypnotic, trance-like state.
These mental movies tell our brain how to make us feel. We can be washing dishes, driving, or doing something and mentally we are glued to the screen of, “The Movie in Your Mind”. With this analogy I highlight the power of imagination and the way that our mind constructs elaborate scenes and scenarios.
The Movie in Your Mind: How Your Thoughts Affect Your Body
Elementary Explanation
Did you know that your thoughts—what you say to yourself and the pictures you see in your mind—can actually change how you feel? Your brain is like a movie projector, constantly playing scenes in your head. And here’s the thing: your body reacts to that movie as if it were real. Just like watching a good movie, you can also be glued to the screen of, The Movie in Your Mind.
Your Brain and Body Are Connected
Think about this: If you imagine biting into a big, juicy lemon, your mouth might start watering. If you think about a happy memory, you might smile or feel warm inside. If you worry about something that hasn’t even happened, your heart might start racing, and you’ll feel anxious. This happens because your brain controls everything in your body—including your heartbeat, breathing, and emotions.
Your Body’s Two Modes: Stress and Relaxation. Your body has an “on” switch and an “off” switch.
Stress Mode (The “On” Switch): If you think about something scary or stressful—like a problem at work or an argument—your body prepares for danger. Your heart beats faster, your muscles tense up, and you feel nervous or anxious.
Relax Mode (The “Off” Switch): If you imagine something peaceful—like floating in water or hearing your favorite song—your body calms down. Your breathing slows, your muscles relax, and you feel at ease.
Your brain doesn’t care if the danger is real or just in your mind—it reacts the same way. Think about when you are glued to the screen of a good movie.
Your Thoughts Can Affect Your Stomach
Have you ever been so nervous that you felt sick to your stomach? That’s because your brain and stomach are connected. Stressful thoughts can mess with your digestion, give you stomach pain, or even make you lose your appetite. On the other hand, feeling calm and happy can help your stomach work better.
Why This Matters to You
Your thoughts create your reality. If you fill your mind with positive words and images, your body will respond in a good way. You have the power to change how you feel. If you focus on calming thoughts, your body will relax. Your brain believes what you tell it. So why not feed it thoughts that help you instead of hurt you? The movie in your mind is playing all day long. The question is: Are you choosing the right scenes?
“Rewrite Your Reality—Master the Movie in Your Mind”
“Every thought you have is a scene in the movie of your life. Are you directing your success—or just watching the same old script play out?“
Why This Matters
Your brain creates a movie in your mind, and your body reacts to it. When you repeat thoughts or behaviors, your brain creates a neuropathway. An automatic road to those thoughts or behaviors, that will run on autopilot.
This book, The Movie in Your Mind is a compilation of tools and my research (scientific information) on human behavior (behavioral science) that you can use to understand and manage the human operating system, your brain, your subconscious mind and your nervous systems. This book empowers you with a skill.
Knowledge of the brain and human behavior should not be reserved for the people who have college education, work in an office and wear a white lab coat. It is a human right we all should have.
This book is not an autobiography, but in it I share personal disclosure intended as a reference to how my brain and my mind applied this concept of The Movie in My Mind to my life situations. Feel free to reference or contrast the concepts and my experiences with your own life.
My example may be a coworker, or a situation in my life, but the concept may be applicable to your mother-in-law, father in-law, neighbor, or your employer, your life, your goals etc. Regardless of what you or I do for a living or what education or background we have; or how much money or social status we have, we each have a common psychological construct. A brain, a subconscious mind, and a nervous system.
I will demonstrate how the images you allow into your mind, and the words you use in your self-talk, (what you say to yourself and to others) what you think – all send your brain commands, requests, signals, instructions. They create a movie in your mind. And you become glued to the screen.
They are examined by your brain and your subconscious mind and communicated to your nervous system. Then interpreted by them as how you want to feel, what you want to believe, how you should behave. This impacts your interaction with people.
Information fed to them by you is not questioned. It is not judged or refused. Your brain has no sense of humor, it takes words literally, it does not offer you an opinion. What you feed your brain becomes the filter by which you view events, people, places and things in your life. And how you feel.
The repetition of the same thought’s words and images, condition your brain to feel, think and behave according to the information you feed it. The repetition of your thinking, feeling, reactions, and behavior are in fact rehearsal and practice, that make you expert and professional at what you choose to focus on. You can rehearse being a professional pessimist complainer or worrier. Or you can rehearse being a professional happy person, goal achiever or listener. You can rehearse being a winner or a loser. You choose.
Whatever you focus on, rehearse, repeat, practice, you will become good at. You will become a professional, an expert. If you gossip or complain or worry over and over, rest assured that your brain will convert your repetition into professionalism, and you will do it on autopilot. What you feed your brain triggers a release of chemical messengers that tell your body how to feel. With enough repetition, your body becomes conditioned to feel and think with what you have fed your brain.
I call this a “Predefined Chemical State”. Your body will become conditioned to the release of these CHEMICAL MESSENGERS. (happy feeling, sad feeling, anxiety, worry, etc.) Your body will crave the same feelings and conditions that you created with your repetitive thought’s, images and words.
You must be careful. This rule, this law of your brain, does not discriminate. It will work to your harm or to your benefit. Be mindful of what you think, what you say and what you imagine. Your brain is watching you. It is a silent observer it sees you in stealth, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You are never alone. What you feed your brain becomes The Movie in Your Mind.
I remind you: Your repetition of a behavior or thinking will create neuropathways in your brain. (A circuit in the brain, a path). Now you don’t have to think or imagine, your brain has memorized your routine, WHAT EVER THAT ROUTINE MAY BE … the same rules apply, and it has become automatic.
This is good when learning a skill, but the same rule applies to your thinking, positive or negative. Limiting or empowering. To your brain, it makes no difference. If you say you CAN or if you say you CAN’T, it’s all the same to your brain.
It’s like throwing a ball up, it must come down. It’s gravity, it’s law. Your brain and your subconscious mind will go to work to produce results they think you want. They will base their production on the information that you feed them. Even if it is not true or if it is distorted perception, or to your harm, or to your benefit. Their job is to protect you, give you what they think you want, and keep you alive.
The Movie in Your Mind is like an app or a software program. Be careful. The Movie in Your Mind will determine your focus, how you feel, and where your energy goes. The Movie in Your Mind will create a filter with which you see the world. The Movie in Your Mind will influence how you interact with people and how people interact with you. Your behavior and the energy that you generate is influenced by The Movie in Your Mind. What is The Movie in Your Mind?
The Movie in Your Mind: How Your Thoughts Affect Your Body
Scientific Explanation
Your thoughts, inner voice, and mental pictures affect different parts of your nervous system, which controls how your body reacts.
1. The Thinking System (Central Nervous System – CNS)
Your brain is like a computer that creates thoughts, talks to itself (inner voice), and makes mental pictures. When you imagine something, your brain reacts as if it’s real—that’s why scary thoughts can make your heart race or happy thoughts can make you smile. The part of your brain that handles emotions (feelings) connects with the part that controls memory. This is why certain thoughts or images can make you feel sad, happy, or scared.
2. The Automatic Body Response System (Autonomic Nervous System – ANS)
Your body reacts to your thoughts automatically, even if you’re not aware of it. If you think about something stressful or scary, your “fight or flight” system (sympathetic nervous system) kicks in. This can make your heartbeat faster, increase sweating, and tighten your muscles—like when you feel nervous before a big event. If you focus on calming thoughts, your “relax and recover” system (parasympathetic nervous system) takes over. This slows your heartbeat, relaxes your muscles, and helps you feel at peace.
3. The Gut-Brain Connection (Enteric Nervous System – ENS)
Your stomach and brain are connected, which is why stress or bad thoughts can cause stomach pain, nausea, or digestion problems. If you’re worried or thinking negatively for a long time, your gut may respond with discomfort, just like when you feel “butterflies” in your stomach before something important. Your body doesn’t know the difference between a real situation and something you just imagine—so your thoughts control how you feel. And you, CONTROL YOUR THOUGHTS.
4. How Your Brain Affects Your Stomach
Your brain and stomach are like two best friends who are always talking to each other. They are connected by a special highway of nerves, with the biggest one called the vagus nerve. This nerve sends messages back and forth, so what happens in your brain affects your stomach, and what happens in your stomach affects your brain.
The Brain Talks to the Stomach
When you feel happy and relaxed, your brain sends “good” signals to your stomach, helping it digest food properly. When you feel stressed or scared, your brain sends “warning” signals. This can make your stomach tighten, slow down digestion, or even cause pain. That’s why you might feel sick to your stomach when you’re nervous.
The Stomach Talks to the Brain
If your stomach is upset—maybe from eating bad food—it sends messages to your brain, making you feel sick or even grumpy. A healthy stomach helps your brain feel good, too! Eating good food and staying hydrated can help keep both your brain and stomach happy.
Why Does This Happen?
A long time ago, humans needed to react quickly to danger. If you were running from a wild animal, your body would shut down digestion so all your energy could go to running away. Even though we don’t face wild animals today, our bodies still react the same way to stress, fear, or anxiety.
What Can You Do?
Since your brain and stomach are connected, you can help them work better together by: Taking deep breaths when you’re nervous to calm your stomach. Eating healthy foods to keep your stomach happy. Thinking positive thoughts to send good signals to your stomach. Your brain and stomach are always talking—so make sure they have good conversations!
Why This Matters
Your brain creates a movie in your mind, and your body reacts to it. The more you think about something, the more real it feels. You can train your brain to work for you instead of against you. If you fill your mind with positive images and words, your body will follow. This is why things like visualizing success, thinking positive thoughts, and practicing deep breathing can actually change how you feel in real life. When you repeat thoughts or behaviors, your brain creates a neuropathway. An automatic road to those thoughts or behaviors, that run on autopilot.
Why Does This Happen?
Your brain treats thoughts and mental pictures like real events, preparing your body to react. This helped early humans survive dangers, but today, it can also make people feel stressed or anxious even when there’s no real danger.
How Your Thoughts Control Your Body
Your thoughts, the little voice in your head, and the pictures in your mind all have a powerful effect on your body. Even though they seem like they only exist in your head, they actually control how you feel—both emotionally and physically.
1. Your Thinking System (The Brain & Nerves)
Your brain is like a control center that sends messages through your body. It creates thoughts, your inner voice (self-talk), and mental pictures. The crazy part? Your brain reacts to imagined things the same way it reacts to real life.
For example:
If you think about a sexual experience, your vagina may become wet, or your penis may become hard.
If you recall an angry experience your brain will reactivate the same areas that were activated when you had the experience. You may relive the anger and the hate.
If your employer wants to have a meeting with you, you may think you did something wrong or that you will be laid off or terminated. This can affect your concentration and make you nervous.
The above examples prove that thought can change your body and your mood. Real or imagined, to the brain, it is the same. The good news? You can train your brain! Thinking positive thoughts and imagining good things can actually improve how you feel and even help you relax or focus better.