The Secret Movie Your Brain Is Playing (And How to Rewrite the Ending)

Your brain probably has a story running right now.
It might not be the one you want to hear.

You see, the brain speaks to us in three main ways: images, voices, and feelings. And often, it’s not whispering kind words—it’s painting vivid pictures of failure, replaying harsh inner monologues, or stirring unease deep in your chest.

Maybe it’s the memory of a presentation gone wrong, replaying in full detail.
Or a voice telling you, “You’re not ready yet.”
Or that knot in your stomach every time you think about starting something new.

These mental “movies” aren’t random. They’re your brain’s way of keeping you safe. It shows you what might go wrong—because avoiding danger, even imagined danger, has kept us alive for millennia.

But what if those same images, voices, and feelings could work for you instead of against you?
What if you could take the director’s chair and rewrite that story into one of healing, growth, and connection?

That’s exactly what we’re exploring today.

A Moment That Changed Everything

I encountered a problem a few years ago during a martial arts weekend seminar. I was so excited about teaching that I sped through the material too fast and ran out before the seminar was over.

Fearing the entire event would flop, I improvised. I sat the students in a circle and guided them through a meditation I created on the spot: the Spirit Animal Meditation.

When I opened my eyes, I was stunned. The room was silent, and many were crying. Later, they told me it was one of their most profound experiences in years.

That moment opened my eyes to something powerful: we can consciously guide the stories and images our minds create—and use them to bring comfort, clarity, and connection.

The Brain’s Built-In Imagery System

Your brain is hardwired to create vivid mental images. This system evolved for survival: it imagines dangers to help you avoid them.

Imagine two cavemen standing at the mouth of a cave:
- One imagines a demon inside and walks away, surviving.
- The other, lacking this imagery, walks in and gets eaten by a bear.

This protective mechanism was extremely useful for survival, but in modern life, it often misfires. A full inbox or awkward conversation can trigger fear-driven movies of being fired, going broke, or losing everything.

What We Already Know About Working with Images

These mental images can feel overwhelming. In fact, they’ve challenged us so much that we’ve developed techniques like meditation to help manage them. But psychologists have taken this one step further.

Techniques like EMDR and NLP use this imagery system in fascinating ways—not only to help people process trauma but also to reframe their inner worlds.

Both methods show that our brain’s natural imagery system can do more than help us survive—it can help us heal, and even thrive.

From Survival to Growth

Most techniques focus on healing and neutralizing fear-driven imagery.
That’s powerful, but what if we could go beyond that?

With Augmented Reality (AR) Meditation practices, you can turn this same mental system into a tool for growth. Whether it’s processing emotions, embodying positive states, or gamifying your environment, these meditations teach you to interact deeply with your inner theater.

Want to see an example? here's a link to the Spirit Animal Meditation

Bonus: The Shadow: Bridging Mind and Spirit

Your brain protects you with vivid images of danger, but what if there’s more to this mechanism than neurons firing in fear?

What if something deeper—a spiritual force or universal intelligence—was also working to keep you safe?

Think about it: every living thing has its own protective mechanisms. If something larger than us exists, wouldn’t it have similar ways of anchoring us in safety?

This is where the concept of the shadow comes in. The shadow is more than a psychological construct; In my humble opinion, it’s a universal protective mechanism that operates on both the mental and spiritual levels.

While manifestation is about pulling desires into reality, the shadow works in reverse: it pulls obstacles and challenges into your path to keep you stationary.

Here’s how:

• Pulling You Back to Familiarity: It anchors you in the known, even if it’s harmful, because the unknown feels risky.
• Lessons on Repeat: It places the same challenges in your path until you’ve learned what you need to grow.

But the shadow isn’t your enemy—it’s a guide. By recognizing its role as a teacher, you can transform its obstacles into stepping stones.

With Augmented Reality Meditations, you’ll learn to interact with your shadow, turning its lessons into tools for transformation. We will do this in more ways than one! This practice empowers you to blend the brain’s protective instincts with the soul’s desire for growth—unlocking a deeper, more harmonious path forward.

Let’s Rewrite Your Story

Your brain is already creating movies every day. The question is: will you let them control you, or will you rewrite the script?

If you’re ready to start, check out the Spirit Animal Meditation and subscribe for more. Most of the modules and info that will be in the ebook will be dropped here in advance

Know someone who needs this? Share this email or tag me on socials—I’d love to connect with them, too.

Until next time,
Sensei Bas