Trading Beyond the Matrix

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