Are Your Thoughts Really Your Own? | Sheshikiran Cheruku | TEDxCUH

A TEDxCUH talk by hypnosis educator Sheshikiran Cheruku examines how thoughts and habits spread from person to person, using the "Hundredth Monkey" phenomenon as a case study. The speaker argues that many everyday beliefs are absorbed from family, culture and environment rather than created independently. He introduces a framework built on three Sanskrit terms: "Mantra" (attention), which turns a private idea into a shared one; "Tantra" (pathway), which gives the thought direction; and "Yantra" (system), which puts the thought into practice. The talk encourages viewers to be more aware of the thoughts they let in. TED has flagged the talk because several of its claims lack scientific support.

• The Hundredth Monkey phenomenon as an example of how a behavior spreads
• Thoughts as shared ideas passed through families, cultures and generations
• Three Sanskrit terms: Mantra, Tantra and Yantra
• TED note: several claims lack scientific support

NOTE FROM TED: This talk only represents the speaker’s personal views and understanding of the brain, mindset, and hypnosis. Several claims lack scientific support. We've flagged this talk because it falls outside the content guidelines TED gives TEDx organizers. TEDx events are independently organized by volunteers. The guidelines we give TEDx organizers are described in more detail here: http://storage.ted.com/tedx/manuals/tedx_content_guidelines.pdf What if the thoughts you consider to be your own are actually visitors, traveling across society to shape your life? In this thought-provoking presentation, the speaker, a hypnosis educator, unpacks the hidden mechanics of how ideas travel and influence our behavior. Using the fascinating "Hundredth Monkey" phenomenon as a case study—where a learned behavior spread rapidly across an entire species—he illustrates how thoughts are not solitary inventions but shared concepts that travel through families, cultures, and generations. The talk challenges the audience to recognize that many of their daily habits and beliefs were not consciously created by them, but were adopted from their environment. To navigate this flow of information, the speaker redefines three familiar Sanskrit terms into a powerful conceptual framework. He explains that a thought first requires "Mantra" (Attention) to transform from a private idea into a shared one, followed by "Tantra" (Pathway), where the thought is given direction, and finally "Yantra" (System), where the thought is operationalized to move beyond the thinker. Ultimately, the talk serves as a guide for becoming more aware of the thoughts we allow into our minds, urging us to consciously choose the ideas that will shape our future. Sheshikiran Cheruku is a hypnosis educator, behavioural change practitioner, and founder of MindSupport Hypnosis & Counselling, where he has spent over a decade helping people understand how small shifts in the human mind can create extraordinary transformations. His work is driven by a simple yet profound belief: every meaningful change begins with a single thought. Just as one domino sets countless others into motion, one new perspective can influence a decision, one decision can change a habit, one habit can transform a life, and one transformed life can inspire many more. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx