Mind Power Techniques by Raj Bapna: A Grateful Reflection

Let me tell you how I was introduced to the mind power techniques.

When we were in class 7th or 8th at Kendriya Vidyalaya, one day we saw our classmate Rajeev Yadav (who later entered the premier institute, IIT Delhi, and conducted research on various mind-related subjects, including epilepsy and aura) doing something peculiar while reading the textbooks.

He was reading it upside down!

The entire class was surprised. Some of our friends made fun of him and asked him ‘Abhey yaar, paagal ho gaya kya ?’ (Have you gone mad?). But he laughed away and continued the practice.

I was curious to find out the reason he continued the practice, and so I asked him, when alone, about what he was doing. Then he revealed to me that he was practicing the Mind Power techniques given by Sri Raj Bapna, who has written a book on the subject.

Later I found Raj Bapna’s advertisement in the famous magazine those days ‘Competition Success Review (CSR). Every word said in the advertisement about the benefits of Mindpower and the techniques to tap the Mind power brought about a great amount of excitement in me.

What made Raj Bapna more attractive was that he had a degree from BITS Pilani, a premier institution and he also reigned his job in the USA and came back to India to spread the knowledge about Mind Power.

I desired to buy the book, but, the cost was too much for me to buy. I remember my father somehow arranged the money and I sent the money through money order. The book was sent to me by post. I was so happy to receive that book and I read the entire book in one go. Every concept that he discussed excited me and I too immediately put the techniques into practice.

For the first time, someone was making me aware of a concept called ‘Mind Power’ and making me realize the power of my own mind. Also, I was learning that the mind has immense power and the power can be harnessed properly by using various techniques.

As kids, the only person we knew with a brain more powerful than any computer was the hero character in the comic series, Chacha Chowdhary. Towards the end of every story, there was a punchline ‘Chacha Chowdhary ka dimaag toh computer se bhi tez chalta hai (The mind of Chacha Chowdhary is faster than computer).

Of course, we were also awestruck by the talent of Smt Shakuntala Devi, the mathematics genius who could solve mathematical problems in no time. But, we all believed that she was a born genius and god made her special.

But, here came a person who was showing us that any human being can tap into the potential of his brain and achieve great success. Of course the book was made for students and most of the topics were about how to use the Mind Power to get maximum advantage from our brain power. Raj Bapna advised us on various ways to score more marks in exams.

I don’t know why, I believed in almost everything said in the book. I started practicing the techniques immediately too.

Now after achieving my dream goal, when I look back, I find that Raj Bapna’s book actually planted a seed in us all. Then, we went further and explored a lot on Mind Power and also gradually shifted to numerous other Self-help books to bring about betterment in our life.

Now let me get into what he had taught us in the book :-

Speed reading

The first technique was speed reading. He taught the finger technique, reading the text upside down method, the skimming and scanning technique, etc.

Speed reading helps us process a greater amount of information in less time. It enhances comprehension and also supercharges the learning potential. Later, after growing up I learned that reading upside down is a type of neurobic exercise that targets the growth of new neurons. Said exercise simulates different parts of your brain which are associated with focus and memory.

The Structure and Function of the Brain

This topic made us understand about how the right and left hemisphere of our brain works. While the right brain is associated with imagination, visualisation etc, the left part deals with logic. For immense success, we should make use of both parts of our brain efficiently. The chapter explained the structure of the human brain, brain waves (alpha, theta etc..), brain states, etc. Also, there were worksheets to experience the magnetic power of Mind, a discussion about brain waves and how they can be attained through meditation.

Sri Yantra

I was awestruck by the revealing of Sri Yantra technique in the book. The Sri Yantra is a powerful and ancient sacred geometric diagram,used by ancient Indians for meditation, manifestation, and spiritual growth etc. “Yantra” means a tool, and “Sri” denotes wealth and prosperity.

I had in my house a Sri Yantra hung on a wall in our puja room and we used only to fold our hands in front of it, praying to the devi. But in the book it was elaborately explained how the Sri Yantra can be used to communicate between the right brain (seat of imagination ) and the left brain (the seat of logic).

The Sri Yantra is a complex geometric figure made up of nine interlocking triangles. There are 4 upward triangles and 5 downward triangles representing shiva and shakti. These 9 triangles form 43 smaller triangles. The central point is called the Bindu and it represents the cosmic center. Surrounding the triangles are lotus petals, circles, and a square with four gates.

When a person stares at the Sri Yantra for a certain period of time, slowly he sees the triangular shapes, and attention shifts to the other triangles nearby. Focusing on its symmetric patterns is thought to help induce alpha and theta brainwaves, associated with relaxation and intuition.

In Mind Power Study Techniques, Raj Bapna introduced the Sri Yantra as a tool to enhance concentration and emphasized its practical application in developing mind power, moving beyond its traditional religious and decorative uses.

Memory Techniques

This chapter consisted of Advanced Memory Techniques and more importantly, it taught us Mnemonics, Number-Rhyme Technique, Number-Shape Technique, how to Remember Spellings, etc

Transcendental Meditation

Raj Bapna highlights Transcendental Meditation as a powerful technique for calming the mind and reducing mental clutter. He credits Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for introducing this form of meditation, which aids in mental relaxation and elevates consciousness to a higher level of awareness.

Progressive Muscle Relaxation?

Progressive Muscle Relaxation is a technique that involves systematically tensing and then relaxing different muscle groups in the body. This process helps in releasing physical tension, promoting mental calmness, and increasing overall awareness of bodily sensations. Bapna highlights PMR as his preferred relaxation method due to its ease of learning and immediate effectiveness.

A few more important topics were:-

• Role of subconscious mind
• Power of Beliefs
• Power of Imagination
• How to make mind maps ( a scientific way to take memorable notes)
• How to Enter the Learning State to remember more
• The anchor method for success ( A Powerful Technique from Neuro-Linguistic Programming)
• Using Relaxation and Music to Change Your Beliefs and Habits
• Eight Secrets of Getting More Marks in Exams that Most Students Don’t Know
• Eight Ways to Best Use Your Time in the Classroom for Your Success
• Power of revision
• Self-Talk and Programming the Subconscious Mind
• Using Affirmations for Success
• Visualization of Goals and Results
• Using Brain Music (Super Memory Music)
• Classroom and Learning Skills
• Imagination and Visualization
• NLP Techniques for Study and Exams
• Interview & Group Discussion Skills
• Exam techniques

So many years have passed since I first read the book on mind power by Sri Raj Bapna. However I carried the lessons learned from the book to my college and later applied the techniques in my forward journey wherever required.

I would say that I was lucky enough to know about the book during my school days. The book triggered a sort of initial interest in me about our mind, its power, and how to tap its potential. I gradually studied more and more about the subject and could reap a lot of benefits from it.

I would take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Mr Raj Bapna for the immense knowledge he had imparted to us.

Footnote: I wrote this article after a conversation with Rajeev Yadav, who is now happily settled in Canada. We discussed a lot about the topics discussed in Raj Bapna’s book and it took us to the good old golden days (school days). It was nostalgic. Rajeev told me to write something about how the book helped us, students, during the school days and also raised an enthusiasm for Mind/related subjects

Immense Gratitude

After I posted this blog post, Raj Bapna sir himself posted a comment. It is also the first comment by anyone in this website. I express my sincere thanks to him and also to my dear friend Rajeev.

Raj Bapna Sir also sent the link from where we can freely download his book . Please find the link below:

http://www.MindPowerIndia.com/mpst

You can also read the following useful posts

1. https://theunstoppablemind.com/mental-rehearsal-visualization-ex-prisoner-used-to-beat-garry-kasparov-chess-champion/
2. https://theunstoppablemind.com/atomic-habits-1-improvement-rule-is-that-sufficient-to-achieve-massive-success/
3. https://theunstoppablemind.com/a-psychological-strategy-to-overcome-exam-anxiety-mental-rehearsal/
4. https://theunstoppablemind.com/pomodoro-time-management-method-the-secret-success-strategy-used-by-toppers/