Psycho-Cybernetics is a self-improvement system created by Dr Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, in his 1960 book of the same name. Its central idea is that your self-image steers your behaviour, and that you can change it with mental rehearsal and relaxation. The programme itself has not been tested in trials, though some related research is supportive. Start with our complete guide.
1 guide
Psycho-Cybernetics is a self-improvement system created by Dr Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, in his 1960 book of the same name. Its central idea is that your self-image steers your behaviour, and that you can change it with mental rehearsal and relaxation. The programme itself has not been tested in trials, though some related research is supportive.
This hub is the home on Self Help Supermarket for Psycho-Cybernetics. Our complete guide explains the method, the evidence and its limits. As we check them, videos, podcasts, courses, books and practitioner directories for Psycho-Cybernetics are added to this page.
This hub is for general information and self-education. It is not a replacement for medical or psychological care.
New to Psycho-Cybernetics? Our complete guide covers Maxwell Maltz and the core ideas, the 21-day myth, how to practise, what the evidence says, the criticisms and limits, and what the courses cost.
Psycho-Cybernetics is a self-improvement system created by Dr Maxwell Maltz, a plastic surgeon, in his 1960 book of the same name. Its central idea is that your self-image…
It is the likely source of the "21 days to form a habit" claim. Maltz wrote that a mental image takes a minimum of about 21 days to change. He wasn't studying habits. The best-known habit study found a range of 18 to 254 days (Gardner & Meisel, 2012; Lally et al., 2010).
No controlled trial tests the programme. Related research gives a mixed picture: mental rehearsal helps performance modestly, but picturing only the happy outcome can reduce effort (Toth et al., 2020; Oettingen & Mayer, 2002).
You will find the full evidence, with sources, in the complete guide.
Read our complete guide first. It explains Psycho-Cybernetics step by step and says plainly what the evidence does and does not show.
An American plastic surgeon (1899 to 1975) who trained in New York and Europe and wrote Psycho-Cybernetics in 1960. Some publisher pages give his birth year as 1889, which appears to be a typo.
No. Maltz wrote that a mental image needs a minimum of about 21 days to change, which was an impression about adjusting to things like a new face, not a finding about habits. The main habit study found 18 to 254 days.
It varies. One study found 18 to 254 days, with a median of 66, and a 2024 review found medians of 59 to 66 days. Simple behaviours tend to be quicker. Missing one day didn't materially affect progress in the original study.
We found no controlled trial of the programme. Related research supports modest benefits from mental rehearsal, and warns that picturing only the outcome can backfire. Treat it as a set of ideas to test, not a proven treatment.
It overlaps with both but isn't identical. Maltz stressed doing, not just thinking, but his book doesn't separate process rehearsal from outcome fantasy. Research favours process rehearsal plus obstacle planning. See our visualisation guide.
No. It can complement therapy, but persistent low mood, anxiety, trauma or distress about your body need professional care. CBT has far more research behind it.
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