Table of Contents

Acknowledgments xvii

Foreword xix
Doug Bentley

Preface: Understanding Transformation xxiii
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Level I: Transformation of the Trading Game xxv

Level II: Understanding the Matrix and Reprogramming Yourself xxviii

Level III: Trading Beyond the Matrix xxx

Your Personal Application of This Material xxxi

Section I: Transformation of the Trading Game: Understanding The Basics 1
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Two Sets of Rules 1

Chapter 1: I Just Made 130 Percent—and That Was Just the Beginning 7
David Witkin

Learning to Trade 9
“Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” 10

Tharp Think 101 12

Not All Lessons Are Equal 16

Finally, Some Winning Marbles 20

Chapter 2: The Automation of Tharp Think 25
Laurens Bensdorp

My Journey into Doing the Trading Myself 27

Training Someone Else 32

Why This Is Possible 33

Addendum 35

Chapter 3: From Commercial Loan Officer to Financially Free Trader Investor 37
Rick Freeman

My Initial Psychological Changes 40

What I’ve Learned about the Trading Game 44

Understanding the Trading Game 46

So How Do You Get a Positive Expectancy System? 50

Getting a System That Works 51

Trading Psychology 52

How My Life Has Changed 54

Chapter 4: From Army Major to Systems Expert 59
Kenneth Long, DM

What I Have Learned and How I Have Changed 61

The Power of Beliefs 61

Statistics-Based Trading 64

Trading Extremes 67

Reward-to-Risk Assessments 68

R-Multiples 69

Position-Sizing Strategies TM and Bullets 70

SQN Performance to Evaluate Systems, Targets, and Markets 71

Market Classification Strategies 72

Transformations 73

Improved Systematic Performance 73

Specific Systems for Specific Market Conditions 74

Detailed Documentation and Analysis of Trades 74

Evidence-Based Management 74

Reduced Stress 75

Performance 75

Long-Term System with Monthly Rebalancing 76

Weekly Swing Trade with Once-a-Week Portfolio Adjustments 77

Pattern Swing Trade Using End-of-Day Data 78

Live Trading Workshops Results 79

Chapter 5: Using Tharp Think to Go from Full-Time Broker to Full-Time Trader 83
Martin Horsey

My New Venture 84

Going to North Carolina 85

Restarting Trading 87

Where I Am Now 90

Chapter 6: Adapting Tharp Think to Your Trading 93
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Area One: Thoroughly Understand the Principles of Successful Trading 95

Part 1: Learning to Trade Is Hard Work, But It Can Be Taught 97

Part 2: Knowing Yourself 98

Part 3: Mistakes 100

Part 4: Objectives and Position Sizing Strategies 101

Part 5: Probability and Reward-to-Risk Assessment 103

Part 6: Systems and Market Type 107

Steps to Learning Tharp Think 109

Section II: Psychological Transformations To Help You Function at a Superior Level Within the Matrix 111
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Chapter 7: Beliefs: The Basis for the Matrix 117
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Understanding the Impact of Beliefs Will Change Your Life 118

How I Create My Experience 124

You Are the Awareness of Thoughts that Flow through You 129

Belief Hierarchy 130

Changing Your Beliefs 134

Everything Has the Meaning You Give It 139

Chapter 8: A Journey through the Stunning World of Feelings and Trapped Emotions 143
Anonymous

The Turning Point 144

Self-Sabotage Models 147

Accepting My Feelings 148

Where I Am Now 152

Note from Editor: Feeling Release as a Metric for Awakening 156

Chapter 9: You Are a Crowd of Conflicting Parts Inside 157
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Exercise: Have a Parts Party 160

Parts Negotiation Exercise 160

Interview with a CBOE Floor Trader 163

Working with Dr. Van Tharp 165

Dealing with Conflicting Parts 166

What’s Changed Since Then 168

Where I Am Now (Several Years Later) 169

Chapter 10: My Inner Guidance: A Personal Journey of Miracles 171
Van K. Tharp, PhD

My Personal Journey 172

Conversations with God 176

Deeksha or the Oneness Blessing 178

My Relationship with Mitzi 179

My Current Inner Guidance 181

Revisiting the Transformed Engineering Professor 183

My Relationship with Durga Grows 186

Oneness with God 187

Bond with the Divine 188

The Nature of the Relationship Is Critical 191

What Does this Mean for You and for Your Trading? 193

Some Recent Updates 197

Update 1: Mother Meera’s Second Blessing 197

Update 2: I Clear My Fear-Based Spiritual Beliefs 198

Chapter 11: My Experiences Using Transformational Meditation 201
Peter Wechter

“I” Have a Problem Using and Relating to the Word “God” 206

Five Transformations 207

Some More “Little i’s” That Didn’t Get the Message 210

Discussion 220

Dealing with Mistakes 221

Discussion 224

Closing Reflections 225

An Addendum 226

Chapter 12: Creating Your Own World 233
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Nine Steps to Mastering Yourself 236

Step 1: Learn That You Are a Crowd Inside 236

Step 2: Get 25 to 30 Identity-Level Beliefs from Each Part 237

Step 3: Do a Belief Examination Paradigm on Each of Your Beliefs 239

Step 4: Learn about Projection and Your Shadow Self 240

Step 5: Work on the Charge through Feeling- Release Exercises 240

Step 6: Do a Life Review and List the Beliefs That Come Up 242

Step 7: Make a List of Your Problems and Find the Root Cause (Beliefs and Feelings) 242

Step 8: Get in Touch with Your Internal Guidance 243

Step 9: Work to Eliminate Parts, or to at Least Get Them to Work Together with You 245

Section III: Moving Beyond the Matrix by Transforming Your Level of Consciousness 247
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Our Most Powerful Tool 249

Super Trader Journeys through Transformation 250

Chapter 13: How I Turbocharged My Transformational Journey 253
Kim Andersson

Discovering the Linchpin 258

Transformations Turbocharged! 262

Transformational Pillar 1: Getting Rid of Fear 262

Transformational Pillar 2: Tapping into a Higher Power 264

Transformational Pillar 3: My Purpose in Life 266

Transformational Pillar 4: Finally Getting Rid of My Need for Control 266

Taming My Unconscious Fear of Becoming a Millionaire 268

A Snapshot of Before and After 269

The Turbocharged Transformational Model 270

Conclusion 272

Chapter 14: From Engineer to Spiritual Warrior: A Trading Journey 273
Anonymous

Timeline 1: Downhill Accelerating 274

Timeline 2: Crawling out of the Pit 278

A Message from Somewhere 279

Finding Out That I Would Be a Professional Investor as Soon as I Retire 280

Do I Have a Real Problem, or Do I Just See Monsters in the Closet? 282

Meeting Super Trader Program Students: I’ll Have What They’re Having 283

Transformation 1: Dropping the Pain of Past Projections 284

Original Situation 284

Actions to Achieve Transformation 285

Transformed State 287

Interlude: There’s Money for Everyone 288

Transformation 2: Firsthand Experience of a Benign Universe 289

Original Situation 289

Actions to Achieve Transformation 290

Transformed State 292

Transformation 3: Realizing My Purpose 292

Original Situation 292

Actions to Achieve Transformation 293

Transformed State 295

Transformation 4: Finding a Vehicle That Suits Me 296

Original Situation 296

Actions to Achieve Transformation 297

Transformed State 298

Transformation 5: Become an Active Manager of Emotional States 300

Original Situation 300

Actions to Achieve Transformation 301

Transformed State 303

Bottom Line: Net Winner in Life 305

Chapter 15: A Professional Trader’s Journey beyond the Matrix 307
Curtis Wee

My Early Trading Experiences 310

Stumbling on the Van Tharp Institute 312

Key Lesson 1: Taking Personal Responsibility 314

Key Lesson 2: Able to Deal with Thoughts, Emotions, and Actions 315

Key Lesson 3: Knowing My Thoughts Are Not Mine 317

Key Lesson 4: Trusting My Inner Guidance 318

Key Lesson 5: Understanding That the World Is Perfect 318

Key Lesson 6: Knowing My Purpose 320

Key Lesson 7: Reinventing Myself 322

So Where Am I Now? 322

Chapter 16: My Journey to Trading in the Now 325
Thahn Nguyen

My Transformation Journey 327

Area 1: My Anxiety or Worry 328

Area 2: My Impatience 330

Area 3: My Fear of Failure or Being Wrong 330

Area 4: Being Overwhelmed 330

Area 5: Tendency to Believe That I’m Always Right 331

Area 6: Trading with No Plan or System 331

How It Happened 333

Where Am I Now? 334

Editor’s Note 336

Chapter 17: Thoughts on Raising Your Level of Consciousness 337
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Some Exercises for Trading in the Now 338

Trading in the Now 340

Level IV Transformation 342

Questions on Raising Your Level of Consciousness 344

Chapter 18: Continuing the Journey 349
Van K. Tharp, PhD

Area Three: Develop a Personal Business Handbook for Trading/Investing 349

Area Four: Assessing Your Preparation for Trading 355

Area Five: Understand Your Trading Mistakes 360

Appendix: Recommended Readings 363

Appendix: Key Words Defined 367

Appendix: Reference Notes 373

About the Author 381

A Personal Invitation from Dr. Van K. Tharp 383

Index 385

About the Author

VAN K. THARP, PHD, is President of the Van Tharp Institute, where he uses a combination of skills and education to fine-tune his strategies to coach, consult, and teach traders and investors. Dr. Tharp is the author of five acclaimed books: Super Trader, Trade Your Way to Financial Freedom, the New York Times bestseller Safe Strategies for Financial Freedom, The Definitive Guide to Position Sizing™ Strategies, and Financial Freedom Through Electronic Day Trading. He received his PhD in psychology from the University of Oklahoma Health Science Center in 1975. He is a Master Practitioner of Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP), a Master Time Line Therapist, a Modeler of NLP, and an Assistant Trainer of NLP. He has used his expertise in NLP to create a number of trading and investing models for generating consistent profitability. Tharp has been featured in Forbes, Barron’s, Technical Analysis of Stocks & Commodities, Investor’s Business Daily, Futures and Options World, and Trader’s Journal. He has given talks and workshops in over 25 different countries. His website is www.vantharp.com.