Our beliefs, conditioning and habits shape our perspectives and actions. In this book, Vishen Lakhiani (Founder and CEO of Mindvalley) presents 10 laws that can help you to break free of old mindsets and achieve exponential results. He found that the human brain, like computer software, can be hacked. These laws were assimilated from his personal experiences, as well as insights from successful people like Elon Musk, Richard Branson, and Arianna Huffington. In this free version of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind summary, you’ll learn the 10 laws, with 4 corresponding, progressive levels of transformation.
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: An Overview
A large part of the book is about Lakhiani’s personal journey as well as anecdotes of his interactions with successful people, and his learning experiences. We’ll now zoom in on the 4 levels of transformation, and the 10 associated laws, before explaining briefly how to put it all together.
Part 1- Living in the Culturescape
How you were shaped by the world around you
Our culturescape is the cumulative rules, beliefs and norms that shape how we feel we should live. This section is about learning to recognize and question these rules.
Law 1: Transcend the Culturescape
Transcending the culturescape is about stepping outside your perceived world, so you can start to recognize the relative truths that can be changed, and thereby free yourself. You can get more details about absolute vs relative truths from our full version of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind summary.
Law 2: Question the Brules
A Brule is basically a bullsh**t rule. For example, most of us have been taught that to be happy and successful, we must work hard, have good grades, a good career, a happy family and save for retirement. These are all Brules. In the book, Lakhiani shares how such Brules are outdated and should be broken. He also explains the 5 main sources of Brules, and the Brules he has busted in his life (e.g. the Religion Brule, and the Hard Work Brule). You can get a detailed overview of these points, as well as the 5-question “Brule Test” in our complete book summary.
Part 2- The Awakening
The Power to Choose Your Version of the World
Now that you can recognize and filter out the Brules in your culturescape, you’re ready to create your own rules, models and systems. Lakhiani calls this consciousness engineering, and the next 3 rules are related to this concept.
Law 3: Practice Consciousness Engineering
Most of us update and upgrade our electronic gadgets and computer systems regularly, yet we don’t do the same for our beliefs and habits. Consciousness engineering is basically updating the operating system for your brain, in 2 parts: (a) Your hardware (Models of Reality, or beliefs) and (b) your software (Systems for Living, or habits). You can replace both your beliefs and habits, like how you replace parts of your computer hardware and software to optimize it.
Law 4: Rewrite your Models of Reality
This law is about becoming replacing your disempowering beliefs with healthier and more empowering ones. In the book, Lakhiani shares many examples of how specific incidents shifted his beliefs to deliver massive results, from relationships to business profits. Our14-page summary includes simple exercises you can do.
Law 5: Upgrade your Systems for Living
This law is about consistently growing & innovating through new habits and practices. Our complete version of version of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind summary covers the Discover-Improve-Measure approach to enhancing your systems for living.
Part 3 – Recoding Yourself
Transforming your Inner World
Next, we move on to discovering what makes you happy, and identifying your vision and goals for a fulfilling life. The next 3 laws are about Reality Bending. 
Law 6: Bending Reality
In 2008, Lakhiani discovered a simple switch which transformed his business profitability. He basically stopped pegging his happiness to his goals. Instead, he focused on being happy in the present, while working concurrently on his vision. He calls this “bending reality”–In this state, you love what you do, ideas flow to you intuitively, you attract the right people and opportunities, and things just fall in place. There are 2 elements: (a) be happy in the now, and (b) have an exciting vision for the future, and let this vision pull you forward.
Law 7: Live in Blissipline
“Blissipline” is the discipline of daily bliss, or being happy in the now. Our complete summary explains the 3 sources of happiness, and 3 happiness hacks you can use immediately.
Law 8: Create a Vision for your Future
Your heart-felt goals and vision provide the forward momentum to pull you ahead. Lakhini explains the difference between end-goals vs mean-goals, the 12 key types of end goals, and the 3 Most Important Questions to crystallize your end-goals. Our full version of version of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind summary reviews all these ideas & tips at a glance.
Part 4 – Becoming Extraordinary
Changing the World
Being spiritual doesn’t mean you have to drop all goals and ambitions, or shun wealth. Extraordinary people shape their paths and their environment, changing things around them and leaving their mark on this world, by mastering the last 2 laws.
Law 9: Be unfuckwithable
When you’re unfuckwithable, you’re so fully in touch and at peace with yourself, that you’re no longer bothered by what others say or do. You’re not afraid to dream, take bold actions, and fail, knowing you can always learn and try again. You can love and give fully, without fearing the potential loss of any person/goal/thing. Check out our 14-page summary for simple exercises and tips to make become truly Unfuckwithable.
Or, check out The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck summary.
Law 10: Embrace your Quest
At this phase, you’re ready to serve your higher calling or your quest, and make your contribution to mankind. If you’re living all the previous rules, your quest will naturally come knocking. All you need to do is to listen and take action. Even if you’re unsure what to do, just take any baby step—this expresses your intent, and allows the Universe to guide you forward.
Getting the Most from The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
Lakhiani ends the book with a 6-Phase practice to enhance 6 skills that are crucial for reality bending. If you’d like to learn more about each of the 10 laws above and how to start putting them to practice, do check out more actionable tips and examples in our our complete book summary bundle. This includes an infographic, a 14-page text summary, and a 25-minute audio summary.
You can buy the book here or visit the official Codex website to get more resources online.
[Warning: In challenging the Brules, Lakhiani suggests many unconventional ideas (e.g. you can be a Hindu and still eat beef, be a Christian but don’t believe in hell). Read this book only with an open mind!]
Want to learn more about your amazing mind? Get the scientific facts from our summary of The Brain That Changes Itself.
About the Author of The Code of the Extraordinary Mind
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind: 10 Unconventional Laws to Redefine your Life & Succeed on your Own Terms is written by Vishen Lakhiani—an entrepreneur, author, and speaker. He is the founder and CEO of Mindvalley, as well as like Dealmates and Blinklist. Mindvalley is an education technology company that publishes products focused on personal spiritual development and lifelong learning, such as the meditation app Omvana. Vishen Lakhiani is part of the Innovation Board for the X PRIZE Foundation. He is also the winner of “Most Strategic Entrepreneur” in SME & Entrepreneurship Business Award, Malaysia 2017.
The Code of the Extraordinary Mind Quotes
“I will give you the tools to bend the universe to attain the success, pleasure, and purpose that may have eluded you despite your best efforts.”
“It’s often when we’re feeling down that we end up taking a step toward our next level of personal growth.”
“The world reflects your beliefs – so imagine what happens when you take on the beliefs of extraordinary minds.”
“If you can’t win, change the rules. If you can’t change the rules, ignore them.”
“Many ideas we hold dear and cling to as ‘truth’ fall apart under close inspection.”
“Always seek work that you love. Any other way of living misses the point of life itself.”
“Awareness is the essence of discovery.”
“What you know you believe is much smaller than what you don’t know you believe.”
“The power to choose what we want to believe and what we want to disbelieve is one of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves.”
“Have big goals – but don’t tie your happiness to your goals.”
Click here to download the full book summary and infographic
