Trading Beyond the Matrix

<p>Acknowledgments xvii</p>
<p>Foreword xix</p>
<p>Doug Bentley</p>
<p>Preface: Understanding Transformation xxiii<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Level I: Transformation of the Trading Game xxv</p>
<p>Level II: Understanding the Matrix and Reprogramming Yourself xxviii</p>
<p>Level III: Trading Beyond the Matrix xxx</p>
<p>Your Personal Application of This Material xxxi</p>
<p>SECTION I: TRANSFORMATION OF THE TRADING GAME: UNDERSTANDING THE BASICS 1<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Two Sets of Rules 1</p>
<p>Chapter 1: I Just Made 130 Percent and That Was Just the Beginning 7<br /> David Witkin</p>
<p>Learning to Trade 9</p>
<p> Danger, Will Robinson, Danger! 10</p>
<p>Tharp Think 101 12</p>
<p>Not All Lessons Are Equal 16</p>
<p>Finally, Some Winning Marbles 20</p>
<p>Chapter 2: The Automation of Tharp Think 25<br /> Laurens Bensdorp</p>
<p>My Journey into Doing the Trading Myself 27</p>
<p>Training Someone Else 32</p>
<p>Why This Is Possible 33</p>
<p>Addendum 35</p>
<p>Chapter 3: From Commercial Loan Officer to Financially Free Trader Investor 37<br /> Rick Freeman</p>
<p>My Initial Psychological Changes 40</p>
<p>What I ve Learned about the Trading Game 44</p>
<p>Understanding the Trading Game 46</p>
<p>So How Do You Get a Positive Expectancy System? 50</p>
<p>Getting a System That Works 51</p>
<p>Trading Psychology 52</p>
<p>How My Life Has Changed 54</p>
<p>Chapter 4: From Army Major to Systems Expert 59<br /> Kenneth Long, DM</p>
<p>What I Have Learned and How I Have Changed 61</p>
<p>The Power of Beliefs 61</p>
<p>Statistics–Based Trading 64</p>
<p>Trading Extremes 67</p>
<p>Reward–to–Risk Assessments 68</p>
<p>R–Multiples 69</p>
<p>Position–Sizing StrategiesTM and Bullets 70</p>
<p>SQN Performance to Evaluate Systems, Targets, and Markets 71</p>
<p>Market Classification Strategies 72</p>
<p>Transformations 73</p>
<p>Improved Systematic Performance 73</p>
<p>Specifi c Systems for Specifi c Market Conditions 74</p>
<p>Detailed Documentation and Analysis of Trades 74</p>
<p>Evidence–Based Management 74</p>
<p>Reduced Stress 75</p>
<p>Performance 75</p>
<p>Long–Term System with Monthly Rebalancing 76</p>
<p>Weekly Swing Trade with Once–a–Week Portfolio Adjustments 77</p>
<p>Pattern Swing Trade Using End–of–Day Data 78</p>
<p>Live Trading Workshops Results 79</p>
<p>Chapter 5: Using Tharp Think to Go from Full–Time Broker to Full–Time Trader 83<br /> Martin Horsey</p>
<p>My New Venture 84</p>
<p>Going to North Carolina 85</p>
<p>Restarting Trading 87</p>
<p>Where I Am Now 90</p>
<p>Chapter 6: Adapting Tharp Think to Your Trading 93<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Area One: Thoroughly Understand the Principles of Successful Trading 95</p>
<p>Part 1: Learning to Trade Is Hard Work, But It Can Be Taught 97</p>
<p>Part 2: Knowing Yourself 98</p>
<p>Part 3: Mistakes 100</p>
<p>Part 4: Objectives and Position Sizing Strategies 101</p>
<p>Part 5: Probability and Reward–to–Risk Assessment 103</p>
<p>Part 6: Systems and Market Type 107</p>
<p>Steps to Learning Tharp Think 109</p>
<p>SECTION II: PSYCHOLOGICAL TRANSFORMATIONS TO HELP YOU FUNCTION AT A SUPERIOR LEVEL WITHIN THE MATRIX 111<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Chapter 7: Beliefs: The Basis for the Matrix 117<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Understanding the Impact of Beliefs Will Change Your Life 118</p>
<p>How I Create My Experience 124</p>
<p>You Are the Awareness of Thoughts that Flow through You 129</p>
<p>Belief Hierarchy 130</p>
<p>Changing Your Beliefs 134</p>
<p>Everything Has the Meaning You Give It 139</p>
<p>Chapter 8: A Journey through the Stunning World of Feelings and Trapped Emotions 143<br /> Anonymous</p>
<p>The Turning Point 144</p>
<p>Self–Sabotage Models 147</p>
<p>Accepting My Feelings 148</p>
<p>Where I Am Now 152</p>
<p>Note from Editor: Feeling Release as a Metric for Awakening 156</p>
<p>Chapter 9: You Are a Crowd of Conflicting Parts Inside 157<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Exercise: Have a Parts Party 160</p>
<p>Parts Negotiation Exercise 160</p>
<p>Interview with a CBOE Floor Trader 163</p>
<p>Working with Dr. Van Tharp 165</p>
<p>Dealing with Confl icting Parts 166</p>
<p>What s Changed Since Then 168</p>
<p>Where I Am Now (Several Years Later) 169</p>
<p>Chapter 10: My Inner Guidance: A Personal Journey of Miracles 171<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>My Personal Journey 172</p>
<p>Conversations with God 176</p>
<p>Deeksha or the Oneness Blessing 178</p>
<p>My Relationship with Mitzi 179</p>
<p>My Current Inner Guidance 181</p>
<p>Revisiting the Transformed Engineering Professor 183</p>
<p>My Relationship with Durga Grows 186</p>
<p>Oneness with God 187</p>
<p>Bond with the Divine 188</p>
<p>The Nature of the Relationship Is Critical 191</p>
<p>What Does this Mean for You and for Your Trading? 193</p>
<p>Some Recent Updates 197</p>
<p>Update 1: Mother Meera s Second Blessing 197</p>
<p>Update 2: I Clear My Fear–Based Spiritual Beliefs 198</p>
<p>Chapter 11: My Experiences Using Transformational Meditation 201<br /> Peter Wechter</p>
<p> I Have a Problem Using and Relating to the Word God 206</p>
<p>Five Transformations 207</p>
<p>Some More Little i s That Didn t Get the Message 210</p>
<p>Discussion 220</p>
<p>Dealing with Mistakes 221</p>
<p>Discussion 224</p>
<p>Closing Reflections 225</p>
<p>An Addendum 226</p>
<p>Chapter 12: Creating Your Own World 233<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Nine Steps to Mastering Yourself 236</p>
<p>Step 1: Learn That You Are a Crowd Inside 236</p>
<p>Step 2: Get 25 to 30 Identity–Level Beliefs from Each Part 237</p>
<p>Step 3: Do a Belief Examination Paradigm on Each of Your Beliefs 239</p>
<p>Step 4: Learn about Projection and Your Shadow Self 240</p>
<p>Step 5: Work on the Charge through Feeling–Release Exercises 240</p>
<p>Step 6: Do a Life Review and List the Beliefs That Come Up 242</p>
<p>Step 7: Make a List of Your Problems and Find the Root Cause (Beliefs and Feelings) 242</p>
<p>Step 8: Get in Touch with Your Internal Guidance 243</p>
<p>Step 9: Work to Eliminate Parts, or to at Least Get Them to Work Together with You 245</p>
<p>SECTION III: MOVING BEYOND THE MATRIX BY TRANSFORMING YOUR LEVEL OF CONSCIOUSNESS 247<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Our Most Powerful Tool 249</p>
<p>Super Trader Journeys through Transformation 250</p>
<p>Chapter 13: How I Turbocharged My Transformational Journey 253<br /> Kim Andersson</p>
<p>Discovering the Linchpin 258</p>
<p>Transformations Turbocharged! 262</p>
<p>Transformational Pillar #1: Getting Rid of Fear 262</p>
<p>Transformational Pillar #2: Tapping into a Higher Power 264</p>
<p>Transformational Pillar #3: My Purpose in Life 266</p>
<p>Transformational Pillar #4: Finally Getting Rid of My Need for Control 266</p>
<p>Taming My Unconscious Fear of Becoming a Millionaire 268</p>
<p>A Snapshot of Before and After 269</p>
<p>The Turbocharged Transformational Model 270</p>
<p>Conclusion 272</p>
<p>Chapter 14: From Engineer to Spiritual Warrior: A Trading Journey 273<br /> Anonymous</p>
<p>Timeline 1: Downhill Accelerating 274</p>
<p>Timeline 2: Crawling out of the Pit 278</p>
<p>A Message from Somewhere 279</p>
<p>Finding Out That I Would Be a Professional Investor as Soon as I Retire 280</p>
<p>Do I Have a Real Problem, or Do I Just See Monsters in the Closet? 282</p>
<p>Meeting Super Trader Program Students: I ll Have What They re Having 283</p>
<p>Transformation 1: Dropping the Pain of Past Projections 284</p>
<p>Original Situation 284</p>
<p>Actions to Achieve Transformation 285</p>
<p>Transformed State 287</p>
<p>Interlude: There s Money for Everyone 288</p>
<p>Transformation 2: Firsthand Experience of a Benign Universe 289</p>
<p>Original Situation 289</p>
<p>Actions to Achieve Transformation 290</p>
<p>Transformed State 292</p>
<p>Transformation 3: Realizing My Purpose 292</p>
<p>Original Situation 292</p>
<p>Actions to Achieve Transformation 293</p>
<p>Transformed State 295</p>
<p>Transformation 4: Finding a Vehicle That Suits Me 296</p>
<p>Original Situation 296</p>
<p>Actions to Achieve Transformation 297</p>
<p>Transformed State 298</p>
<p>Transformation 5: Become an Active Manager of Emotional States 300</p>
<p>Original Situation 300</p>
<p>Actions to Achieve Transformation 301</p>
<p>Transformed State 303</p>
<p>Bottom Line: Net Winner in Life 305</p>
<p>Chapter 15: A Professional Trader s Journey beyond the Matrix 307<br /> Curtis Wee</p>
<p>My Early Trading Experiences 310</p>
<p>Stumbling on the Van Tharp Institute 312</p>
<p>Key Lesson 1: Taking Personal Responsibility 314</p>
<p>Key Lesson 2: Able to Deal with Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions 315</p>
<p>Key Lesson 3: Knowing My Thoughts Are Not Mine 317</p>
<p>Key Lesson 4: Trusting My Inner Guidance 318</p>
<p>Key Lesson 5: Understanding That the World Is Perfect 318</p>
<p>Key Lesson 6: Knowing My Purpose 320</p>
<p>Key Lesson 7: Reinventing Myself 322</p>
<p>So Where Am I Now? 322</p>
<p>Chapter 16: My Journey to Trading in the Now 325<br /> Thahn Nguyen</p>
<p>My Transformation Journey 327</p>
<p>Area 1: My Anxiety or Worry 328</p>
<p>Area 2: My Impatience 330</p>
<p>Area 3: My Fear of Failure or Being Wrong 330</p>
<p>Area 4: Being Overwhelmed 330</p>
<p>Area 5: Tendency to Believe That I m Always Right 331</p>
<p>Area 6: Trading with No Plan or System 331</p>
<p>How It Happened 333</p>
<p>Where Am I Now? 334</p>
<p>Editor s Note 336</p>
<p>Chapter 17: Thoughts on Raising Your Level of Consciousness 337<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Some Exercises for Trading in the Now 338</p>
<p>Trading in the Now 340</p>
<p>Level IV Transformation 342</p>
<p>Questions on Raising Your Level of Consciousness 344</p>
<p>Chapter 18: Continuing the Journey 349<br /> Van K. Tharp, PhD</p>
<p>Area Three: Develop a Personal Business Handbook for Trading/Investing 349</p>
<p>Area Four: Assessing Your Preparation for Trading 355</p>
<p>Area Five: Understand Your Trading Mistakes 360</p>
<p>Appendix: Recommended Readings 363</p>
<p>Appendix: Key Words Defi ned 367</p>
<p>Appendix: Reference Notes 373</p>
<p>About the Author 381</p>
<p>A Personal Invitation from Dr. Van K. Tharp 383</p>
<p>Index 385</p>