Psychoneuroimmunology addresses the issue of the mind's ability to heal the body. When you consciously or subconsciously replay negative thought patterns in your mind, it can easily lock your mind into a negative state like a loop tape, which in turn can encourage bodily cells to respond negatively as well and limit the mind's ability to take in new information.

This can also limit you ability to learn new information. A simple exercise in concentration can do wonders in breaking a negative condition, and it can also clear your mind for learning. Do this for one minute before reading, listening, attending a meeting or any time you need to learn something.

Choose an object like the point of a pen, a geometric design, a picture or a candle flame, and while in a relaxed position, direct your TOTAL conscious awareness toward observing it. Empty your mind of all thoughts and distractions as if nothing else existed except that object or picture. Purposefully blank your mind of internal comments, evaluations or stray pictures. Do this for 60 seconds without interruption. If an interruptive thought occurs, or your conscious awareness fleets even for a moment to an extraneous sound or other sensory stimuli, start over again, but do this for one full minute. To illustrate, look at the black dot in the middle of the circle for 1 full minute without distraction.