Below are some of the most commonly-asked questions we are asked. Please study each one carefully as they will help to increase your understanding of the main principles involved in giving up smoking.

Q: Instead of giving up entirely can I just not cut down ?

Why ? 

Why would you just want to cut down ? 

That means that you would still like the opportunity to smoke now and then. 

If you feel like that it means that at some level, you still strongly believe that smoking is enjoyable.

You still believe that the actual act of smoking is directly responsible for this enjoyment.

By trying to pretend to yourself that you can allow yourself to simply cut down, it means that you will remain catch in the illusion that smoking is inherently enjoyable.

( In fact by cutting down and spacing out your cigarettes you will, in fact look forward more to each cigarette and actually increase the illusion that the enjoyment is inherent in them. To refresh yourself on this lesson refer back to DAY 4. )

It also means, that at some level, you have not faced up to the widespread 'brainwashing' that you will have to face physical and mental agony if you stop completely.

In the end, what is keeping you smoking is FEAR. 

A fear we ALL know.

The fear that we will never be able to enjoy life or handle pressure without our little crutch or pleasure.

The fear that we will have to endure a long traumatic period in order to get free and...... and most of all, the fear that we might never be free.

Please do not underestimate the power of these false beliefs. 

If you feel - 'No I will not give up smoking - I will just cut down on the number I smoke.' - it may sound convincing to you, but what it really means is that you do not want to face these illusions.

You are still terrified of the feelings you believe you will have when you give up.

Fine. 

Congratulate yourself for being honest. Remember it is all right to have these beliefs.

Do not hate or criticize yourself for still having them. They have been deeply ingrained in our society for ages, so there is no blame for holding them.

Remember the law: What you resist persists. So if you still have these fears, do not fight them in your mind. 

That is the old way. 

Just allow them. Beware of them.  

By just bringing them to the surface and observing them and not identifying with them, they will rise to the top and evaporate of their own accord.

Be patient with yourself. 

We all believed that to change our beliefs and feelings the best thing surely was to try to get rid of them, change them, push them away and then to criticize and punish ourselves for having them.

But what we were really doing was actually increasing their power by focusing more energy and power on them by fighting them.

The law is simple: 

Resistance effects the opposite of it's intent.

Face this belief but do not fall into the trap of believing that cutting down on the number you smoke will solve your problem. 

You will simply remain locked in another prison of illusion.