Mind Files

Perception, Perspective & Problems

Non-Fiction - Self Help
108 Pages
Reviewed on 07/30/2018
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Author Biography

Penny knows what it takes to work through a painful past and get to the other side. Being born with severe bilateral hip dysplasia meant that Penny would walk with an exaggerated limp as a child. This resulted in years of being ridiculed and bullied, created deep rooted feelings of shame and layers and layers of anger. It would take over a dozen orthopedic surgeries performed in three different provinces by four different orthopedic surgeons over the course of thirty years to correct her skeletal deformity and keep her walking pain free.

Penny's life challenges weren't limited to just physical limitations, she was molested by a family member from the age of ten through to the age of fourteen, and raped by the father of two children she was babysitting when she was just thirteen years old.

The perspectives developed during these and earlier experiences set the course for decades of resentment, conflict, frustration, and anger. Listening to the internal guidance from her Spirit, and forming a relationship with God helped Penny find her way to true forgiveness, peace and happiness. Working her way through the files in the filing cabinets of her own mind laid the foundation for Mind Files: Perception, Perspective and Problems.

Penny is a certified holistic therapeutic counsellor and natural nutritionist who resides in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Penny established a holistic practice named after mythology's wounded healer Chiron. For more information on Penny's Mind File program, go to www.chironswayconsulting.com.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Joel R. Dennstedt for Readers' Favorite

What makes Mind Files by Penny Hodgson such a unique and vital contribution to the immensely relevant and timely subject matter of individual psychological health is Ms. Hodgson’s manner of applying the deepest of psychological understandings from practitioners as astute as Carl Jung to a largely novice (professionally speaking) popular audience. In other words, this is a book for easy public consumption, but it is also one based upon and including psychological principles and foundations of the highest order. What may appear somewhat simplistic on the surface becomes deeply complex and effective with the clarity of understanding and profoundly effective metaphor provided by Ms. Hodgson.

Mind Files by Penny Hodgson is based upon the familiar concept of how our individual filters color our perceptions and thus literally create our personal psychological reality. Ms. Hodgson expands this notion by relating it to a personal filing system for organizing and retrieving the lessons of our uniquely individual experiences in life. Although her comparisons are completely compatible with advances made in neurological brain studies, she makes her metaphor perfectly accessible to any inquiring mind. She then enhances such easy understanding with a process for accessing the contents of these “mind files” in order to successfully transform our more common delusions (negatively affecting our behavior) into positive mental habits for improving our life situations. Ms. Hodgson does not underestimate the effort involved in such a transformation, but she does give one confidence that such a transformation is possible. Specifically based upon higher spiritual guidance, Mind Files does not rely on specific religious doctrines to make its points, only to reinforce its positive message and improvement techniques.

Edith Wairimu

Penned with clarity and precision, Mind Files: Perception, Perspective & Problems by Penny Hodgson takes a deeper look into how information is stored in the mind. She investigates three dimensions which she presents as cabinets; a neutral cabinet, a fear cabinet and a love cabinet. In the neutral one, the mind files information which is new and that will be revisited by the person later. In the love cabinet, experiences that are pleasant and lovely are stored there, and likewise for the fear cabinet. Hodgson further explains the process in which experiences are progressively established and reinforced in the mind, and how spirituality fits into the whole picture. This information later helps in perceiving future experiences. Alongside this discussion, components that make up the soul and spirit such as feelings and conscience are also explored.

One of the most outstanding features of Penny Hodgson’s book, Mind Files, is its content that is supported by pictorial presentations which clearly explain what is described in the text. The illustrations contain varying shades of color that are helpful in presenting different dynamics of the thinking process. There are also instances where the author shares bits of her personal life, which helped me better understand the content. Exercises that serve to reinforce the author’s words and make application easier are also included. As a whole, the subject matter comes together wonderfully and the goal of the book is achieved. Mind Files by Penny Hodgson is professionally written and is both enlightening and fascinating. This is a must-read for every fan of self-help books.

Mamta Madhavan

Mind Files: Perception, Perspective & Problems by Penny Hodgson is a fascinating and insightful read that will help readers understand the need to change their lives and how to go about it. Life is a reflection of what each person believes about themselves, others, and the world around them. This book is a good tool for all those who think they are not living a life that is 100% fulfilling and they are on the lookout for a change. The book delves into how the mind is conditioned and how thought patterns develop while growing up. Reading this book will be helpful to regain personal power, the importance of connecting with God, and the importance of forgiveness. The book will guide readers on how to perceive their surroundings, look into themselves, and then make necessary changes and adjustments which will set the tone for lasting peace, happiness, and fulfillment.

I like the author’s approach. Everyone is on the lookout for happiness and peace, but they do not realize that it is within them and it is futile looking for it outside. I like the concept of using filing cabinets of the mind to exercise the power of choice. It makes it easy to understand and experience the power of emotions, along with classifying them aptly. The questions at the end of the book are useful when it comes to reflecting and taking a trip inward. These types of books are always helpful to readers when it comes to changing their perception about their surroundings and their outlook on life in general. As the author puts it, perceptions become perspectives and when perspectives become rigid, this creates problems in life.