The SOMOTE Journal
We write about repetition, belief and the methods that help your mind work for you.
These essays come from the people who make SOMOTE, an app for Windows and Android that keeps the affirmations you choose on your screen all day.
See what SOMOTE does →
Featured · Method
The brain builds the future out of memory: how to anchor your goals with your senses
A scented future memory is a goal statement anchored with a real scent. Here is how I used one to manifest my apartment, and the memory research that helps explain it.
October 2026 · 5 min
Read the essay →Affirmations before bed: why the minutes before sleep matter
Why affirmation teachers from Coué to Murphy chose the minutes before sleep, what sleep science says about it, and how to use those minutes with SOMOTE.
September 2026 · 2 minResearchDo subliminal messages work? What a 33-millisecond flash can do
Studies show a word flashed for 33 milliseconds can register, and that brief words repeated over weeks made lasting changes. Here is what the research found.
September 2026 · 3 minMethodRobotic affirming: what it is, why it works and how to do it
Robotic affirming means repeating short affirmations flatly, without trying to feel them, hundreds of times a day for 30 days. Here is how and why it works.
August 2026 · 6 minReflectionLaw of attraction not working? What The Secret asked of you
If the law of attraction didn’t work for you, the method was the problem, not you. Here is why, and a version of it that asks nothing of your mood.
August 2026 · 4 minReflectionBrainwashed by default: how repetition shapes what you believe
The illusory truth effect and decades of advertising research show how repetition shapes what you believe. Here is how it works and how to use it yourself.
August 2026 · 2 minReflectionMirror affirmations: why they rarely stick, and what works better
Mirror affirmations rarely stick because they don’t reach you often enough. Here is what habit research says, and how SOMOTE repeats your affirmations for you.
July 2026 · 2 minReflectionHow beliefs are formed, and how to change limiting beliefs
Most beliefs are sentences repeated until they felt true, often in childhood. Here is how limiting beliefs form, and how to replace them with new ones.
July 2026 · 2 minResearchHow SOMOTE’s settings work, and the research behind them
Why SOMOTE shows each phrase for about two seconds, in the center of your screen, at a faint opacity, in a rotating Playlist. The research behind each setting.
July 2026 · 2 minResearchThe mere exposure effect: definition, examples and how to use it
The mere exposure effect means people like things more the more often they see them. Here is the definition, the research, examples and how to use it.
May 2026 · 2 minPracticeHow many affirmations should you use? Five to start with
Start with five affirmations or fewer and keep them for a month. Here are five positive affirmations to start with, and how to set them up in SOMOTE.
March 2026 · 2 minResearchSelf-affirmation theory: the 15-minute exercise that raised grades
In a famous study, 15 minutes of writing about personal values raised students’ grades, and some effects lasted for years. Here is self-affirmation theory.
January 2026 · 2 minResearchSubliminal priming: examples, studies and when it works
Studies show subliminal priming can shift effort, choices and even exam scores, but only when the words match what you already want. Here are the key examples.
September 2025 · 2 minMindsetWhy willpower fails at changing who you are, and what works
Willpower works for single tasks but fails at changing who you are. Research on habits and surroundings shows what works instead, and how SOMOTE uses it.
July 2025 · 2 minFamilyGrowth mindset for kids: the praise that builds it
Carol Dweck’s research shows children who believe ability grows take on harder challenges. Here is the praise that builds a growth mindset, with examples.
May 2025 · 2 minPracticeMental hygiene: daily habits for your mental health
Mental hygiene means small daily habits that keep your mind in good shape, the way brushing keeps your teeth healthy. Here is what research says helps.
March 2025 · 2 minEnvironmentHow your environment affects your thoughts and behavior
From hospital windows to daily habits, research shows your surroundings shape what you think, feel and do. Your screen is the one you can fully control.
January 2025 · 2 minReflectionHow long do affirmations take to work? My first month
In my first month of seeing my affirmations on screen every day with SOMOTE, the first real change came in week three. Here is what each week was like.
November 2024 · 2 minPracticeDo vision boards work? Vision boards vs. journaling vs. SOMOTE
Vision boards and journaling work when you keep them up, but a hard day has no time for them. Here is how they compare with SOMOTE, which runs on its own.
September 2024 · 2 minFoundationsWhat does subliminal mean? A simple definition and the science
Subliminal means below the threshold of awareness. Here is a simple definition, what psychology research shows, and what subliminal means in SOMOTE.
August 2024 · 2 minFoundingWhy we built SOMOTE, an app for affirmations on your screen
SOMOTE is an app for Windows and Android that shows your own affirmations on your screen hundreds of times a day. Here is why I built it.
July 2024 · 2 min