Shadowing Practice: How to Alter Your Consciousness - Learn English Speaking with Video

Creating lesson...
1
Through your thinking, you can literally rewire your brain.
2
The mind has the power to alter the matter, the physical nature of your brain.
3
That's an astounding concept.
4
And there's so much in the world today that can make you anxious, particularly if you spend so much time on social media, which is kind of a machine of anxiety.
5
So what you have to develop is the ability to observe yourself in the moment as these things are happening.
6
How can people who feel a lot of anxiety or depression or OCD,
7
obsessive compulsive disorder, how can they benefit from this?
8
How can they explore the neural sublime and get out of the narrowing of consciousness that occurs under these things?
9
I tell the story in part of the chapter of this UCLA professor Jeffrey Schwartz.
10
He was a professor of psychology
11
and he wanted to find a new cure for OCD
12
because all of the cures before involved talking therapy or drugs
13
and they could have value in the moment but they don't last and people would inevitably slip back into their old patterns.
14
Nothing seemed to work and he devised this method where he took patients with very severe OCD,
15
meaning like phobias where they have to wash their hands continually, right?
16
And they're always afraid of germs, other forms of that phobia.
17
And he took brain scans of them.
18
And in those brain scans, he saw that the worry circuit in the brain, literally he would call the worry circuit, was enlarged, right?
19
It was bigger than it was for normal people.
20
And that worry circuit is what triggered their OCD.
21
They had to manage the world and control it by narrowing their thoughts down to these compulsions.
22
compulsions.
23
He would take that scan and he would show these patients the scan and he would say, look, there's your worry circuit.
24
Look how large that is.
25
Okay.
26
Now, every time you feel your anxiety, like you've got to wash your hands, stop, step back and think about it.
27
Think about what you're going through and think about the emotion
28
and try and just create a little bit of distance from it, right?
29
And practice that day after day after day.
30
So you can get a little, you can observe yourself as you start becoming compulsive and obsessive about it.
31
And then he would say, go and do activities like gardening, like meditating, like walking that would calm your mind down.
32
Okay.
33
And as they go through that, after three months, he would show them their brain scans now
34
and that worry circuit had had gone smaller
35
and smaller to almost normal proportions
36
and what he said is this is absolutely the most astounding discovery
37
because what it means is through your thinking through how your patterns of thinking you can literally rewire your brain, right?
38
Your ability to do that gives you, the mind has the power to alter the matter, the physical nature of your brain.
39
And that's an astounding concept.
40
Okay, so let's say you feel a lot of anxiety about the world.
41
And we all do.
42
I know by my nature, I'm a very anxious person.
43
and I've been able to channel that into my work, but I know how debilitating anxiety can be.
44
And there's so much in the world today that can make you anxious, particularly if you spend so much time on social media, which is kind of a machine of anxiety, right?
45
So what you have to develop is what this doctrine developed, is the ability to observe yourself in the moment as these things are happening.
46
what i said earlier is that your brain your consciousness is like a spaceship that is
47
controlling you that is taking you on this journey right you don't control your own consciousness
48
with anxiety with depression with this ocd you need to start taking control of
49
that spaceship you need to be able to be to have some of the levers
50
and be able to move it in your own direction Now, of course, that's easier said than done.
51
But by the process of observing yourself and stepping back and not letting it be automatic,
52
if you can just take a moment when you start to feel anxious and go, why am I feeling this anxiety?
53
And locate it somewhere in the body, in the chest area, whatever it is.
54
And to become aware of it happening in the moment gives you a little bit of distance from it, right?
55
Just a tiny little bit of distance.
56
So you're not just getting into the anxiety and letting it take you on this ride.
57
You create that tiny little crack of distance.
58
The next time, if you keep doing this, it gets wider and wider and wider and wider to the point where you can observe yourself in your body, in your moment as it's happening,
59
why this is happening, how it's happening, and you can step back from it.
60
And that gives you a degree of control of it, right?
61
So the idea is, in order to alter your consciousness, whether it's because of something that's constricting or whatever,
62
by the fact of becoming aware of it, aware of its dynamic, aware of its functions,
63
You can give yourself some distance that will now allow you to alter it a little bit, right?
64
To play with it in some way and to go, I'm feeling anxiety in this moment, but actually there's no need to feel anxiety in this moment.
65
Actually, this moment is actually pretty exciting.
66
It's open.
67
I don't have to feel it as this tightness, right?
68
So your awareness of how your brain is taking you for
69
a ride gives you the power to alter it in some way without necessarily having to take drugs of any kind.

Why practice speaking with this video?

This video, titled "How to Alter Your Consciousness," provides valuable insights into mindfulness and self-awareness techniques that can be particularly beneficial for English language learners. By practicing speaking with the content, you can enhance your IELTS speaking practice skills while also engaging with relevant, real-world themes. The speaker discusses important concepts about mental health, which not only helps you build your vocabulary but also enables you to express nuanced thoughts in English. By imitating the speaker's delivery, you will improve English pronunciation and gain confidence in discussing complex topics, ultimately enriching your conversational skills.

Grammar & Expressions in Context

As you practice your English speaking skills, pay close attention to the following structures used in the video:

  • “You can literally rewire your brain.” - This statement uses the modal verb "can" to express ability, encouraging a sense of empowerment which is pivotal in the context of mental health discussions.
  • “What you have to develop is the ability to observe yourself.” - This phrase exemplifies the use of the gerund form for actions that can lead to self-improvement, reinforcing the importance of ongoing practice.
  • “Think about what you're going through.” - Here, the speaker employs the present continuous tense to emphasize the current emotional state, which is useful for learners to express ongoing experiences.
  • “Stop, step back and think about it.” - This imperative form gives clear instructions, which can be effective in both casual conversations and formal speaking tests like the IELTS.

Common Pronunciation Traps

While shadowing the speaker, pay attention to the following pronunciation traps that may challenge English learners:

  • “Alter” - This word can be pronounced with a stress on the first syllable in American English, while some British speakers might emphasize the second syllable. Practice both to expand your repertoire.
  • “Circuit” - The 'c' sounds like an 's' in this context. Ensure you articulate the 'r' clearly to avoid confusion with similar words.
  • “Obsessive-compulsive” - This compound adjective can be tricky. Breaking it down into smaller parts while practicing may help with fluency.

Utilizing this video to learn English with YouTube can significantly facilitate your shadow speak practice. Remember, the more you engage with various expressions and vocabulary in context, the more natural your speaking will become.

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.