Severing The Forward Connection


by Rob. Jager - Date: 2006-12-20 - Word Count: 422 Share This!

It seems to be implicit in Suggestion Therapy that there is a forward movement from "the self" to the image formed in the mind.

If you take the classic golf improvement exercises of visualising yourself executing the perfect swing or playing the perfect shot, there is the implication that something is moving from the person to the image.

This forward movement could be anything as simple as the belief that you can perform the swing, but I feel that it is much more than this. I believe that "the self" directs a flow of meaning-laden consciousness into the image to make that image real for that individual. Whatever meaning is conveyed in that projection of consciousness will determine the emotional experience for that person.

Much of this projection, or assignment of meaning is through sub- vocalisations, and has become so automatic in our day-to-day dealings with the world that the meaning is now seen as part of the image itself instead of something assigned from within the mind.

Placing the meaning in the image itself appears to give the image the power to be the cause of our emotional experiences, and by extension, outside agencies the power to at least influence our behaviour if not be the cause of it.

The automatic assignment of meaning can also prove problematic when a therapist is trying to install new concepts in the mind to bring about emotional and behavioural change.

A familiar situation will present itself and the customary meaning is assigned before the person has a chance to select their new definition of the situation. A few of these habitual assignments of meaning re-establishes the old thought pathways and usually results in a relapse into the familiar behaviour in the situation where the individual is trying to change their response.

I have found from my own work that attempts at behavioural and emotional change are much more likely to be successful when we "sever" this forward link of automatic assignment of meaning to the existing image before attempting to establish new behavioural concepts in the mind.

When the familiar concepts are "de-commissioned" by withdrawing the projection of meaning from them the individual experiences a significant reduction in their customary emotional response and the drive to perform their habitual behaviour.

This of course re-establishes some freedom of choice in decision making and makes the establishment of new concepts in the mind to guide behaviour much more straightforward because the individual is not battling their familiar emotional responses and drives. New behaviours then have a much better chance of becoming the new habitual response.


Related Tags: remove, old ideas, de-commission

Rob. Jager is the founder and director of the HungerMaster Weight Management Program. He can be contacted at http://www.hungermaster.com

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