Why Are New Ideas Scary?

 

Last week, I saw a brilliant television advertisement for General Electric. Titled “Ideas Are Scary,” it shows how people react when introduced to a new idea: “Ideas are frightening, because they threaten what is known. They are the natural-born enemy of the way things are,” the narrator explains.

According to Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D.’s Theory of Mind, the longer you have held a belief or been practicing a behavior, the more deeply you ingrain it in your mind. Eventually, it becomes a default, a comfort zone, a known. Every time you repeat that behavior or habit, you send another positive message to the SCM that reinforces your comfortable association with what you are doing. In his Theory of Mind, John Kappas, Ph.D., refers to the subconscious mind categorizing certain events or stimuli as “pleasure.” In this context, pleasure is something the person identifies as familiar or known, but not necessarily “pleasurable.” In other words, you are equally likely to continue to behave in a particular way even if it is uncomfortable, because that behavior is what you know and where your subconscious mind tells you that you are safe. However, anything “new” is initially considered painful; the subconscious mind will continue to reject it until repeated exposure to the stimulus makes it familiar (known) and can be accepted in the subconscious mind.

I have summarized the plot of this ad in the context of Dr. Kappas’s model, below:

·         The new idea is introduced as a hairy, unrecognizable creature lying on its back in a baby bed in a neonatal ward. Nurses huddle against the walls, pointing and talking to each other (presumably) about the unusual creature in their midst. Once out of the ward, the “ugly, messy” idea wanders around alone on the street. (Unknown: pain)

·         People throw objects at it from car windows; pedestrians stare, grimace and hurry past. The Idea is ushered out of businesses and even evicted from a café where it has stopped to rest. Sad music plays in the background as it shuffles out of the restaurant. With its shoulders slumped, the Idea finally curls up in a cardboard box on the street. (Rejection)

·          When it finally ventures back onto the street, the Idea passes General Electric, where an employee opens the glass front door and welcomes it inside. Here the Idea is finally, no longer scary. It is no longer messy or a threat to the status quo. The innovators and inventors at General Electric seek out and create new ideas, themselves. After all, new ideas are familiar, comfortable and “knowns” for them. They are ready and willing to nurture this fragile creature into an established concept or belief: (Repetition creates comfort)

·         By the end of the advertisement the Idea has been cleaned up: Its once limp and lank coat and tail and head feathers are now fluffed and their color returned to their former luster. The now-receptive audience gives Idea a standing ovation as it steps behind the podium on a stage to present its message to others: “But under the proper care, they become something beautiful,” the narrator concludes. (Acceptance of a new known in the subconscious mental script.)

 

This is by far the best illustration of the Theory of Mind that I have ever seen. I encourage you to click on the Ideas Are Scary link to watch this clever advertisement and see how it illustrates Dr. Kappas’s concept. For more information and examples of the Theory of Mind, I invite you to read more of my blogs at www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com.

 

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015

 

My Thoughts on the Milgram Obedience Experiment and Suggestibility

 

Experimenter is being promoted at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival this week. The film is about psychologist Stanley Milgram, whose 1961 obedience experiment famously demonstrated how obedient people could be when they are confronted with real or perceived authority.

I remember reading about this project while I was pursuing my undergraduate degree psychology. In Milgram's study, participants were made to deliver electric shocks of various and increasing intensity to other people. The Yale University psychologist was interested to see at what point and under what circumstance a participant would disobey authority: i.e., refuse to administer the shocks, which were portrayed as extremely painful and possibly causing permanent physical damage to the recipient. In fact, the “shocks” were imaginary and the people who were supposedly receiving them were actually members of Milgram’s research team. Ultimately, the researcher reported that 65 percent of the participants were willing to administer the electric shocks to others despite the extreme stress they reported feeling while administering the shocks and the pain they believed they were causing others.

Remembering and thinking about this study made me cringe, but it also made me wonder: Could John Kappas, Ph.D.’s models of suggestibility explain the social psychologist’s observations? Following are reasons why I think the Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder’s theories work very well to explain why Milgram’s research participants were willing (albeit begrudgingly) to continue to administer those shocks.

1.       He had authority. Milgram was conducting his research in a prominent and respected academic university. Since he held a Ph.D. in psychology his subjects would have called him “Dr.,” which automatically implies a position of power or authority.

2.       He had a message: The psychologist told the participants what to do and when to do it, and he did not waver from his instruction even when they voiced concerns about the harm the continued shocks must be doing to the shock recipients.

3.       He overloaded the participants’ conscious and subconscious minds with written and auditory information (message units) about the intensity of the electric shocks being delivered and the sounds/exclamations of pain that the recipients uttered. Milgram also continued to deliver his authoritarian patter of instructions that the participants should continue to administer the shocks even if and when they wanted to stop taking part in the experiment.

Afterward, Milgram and his team debriefed the participants to explain that the electric shocks used during the experiment were imaginary and reassured them that no one had been harmed in any way. I’m sure that was a relief for those who had obeyed each one of the psychologist’s instructions to complete the experiment. The questionable and controversial ethics of his research design reportedly resulted in the American Psychological Association creating ethical standards for ensuring the physical, emotional and psychological well-being of participants in future studies.

I also follow the APA’s guidelines for ethics and professional conduct when I work with hypnotherapy clients. I will not and would not ask you to say or do anything while in hypnosis that you would not say or do while in a fully alert state of awareness. Furthermore, your subconscious mind would not comply with any hypnotic suggestion(s) that contradicted your ethical and moral beliefs. For more information about hypnosis and how it works, check out the Hypnosis Facts link on my website.

 

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015

 

Wither Scratches

 

(This blog was originally posted on August 13, 2014)

 

 

Photo by Laurel van der Linde

 

Avalon's Galahad with his dam, Alisa

 

 

 

                When my horse gets startled or if he seems anxious or worried about something when I’m riding, I scratch his withers and speak soft words of reassurance to let him that everything is okay. This gesture mimics the way Galahad’s mother would have gently nibbled him there to comfort and reassure her foal, “I’m here. You are safe. I will take care of you.” To put this response in the context of Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D.’s Theory of Mind. When I scratch Galahad’s withers, he responds to this sensation with a deep sigh and fluttering his nostrils (nickering) because I have activated his known association between a specific tactile sensation and feeling secure.

                Consider how a human mother might comfort her fussing infant. Once she is confident that the baby is not hungry and doesn’t need a diaper change, she would probably pick him up and hold the child until he stops crying. She might pat or rub small circles on the baby’s back, between his shoulder blades, and whisper comforting words to soothe him. (This behavior and area of the body that is rubbed is very similar to the wither scratches I described earlier.) The baby learns by association and repetition of this interaction that when he is upset, Mom (or Dad, sibling, etc.) will protect and take care of him. If she doesn’t do any of these things, the baby will create a subconscious association between how she reacts to his distress and whether he will feel comforted and safe. In addition, when that child grows up and has his own children, he is likely to interact with them the same way his parent did, because that is what he knows.

I am not saying my horse thinks and reasons or plans the same way a human does. However, the fact that his training is based on a model of repetition and association suggests that in addition to his instinctive reactions, he also responds to some situations based on what he learned (knows) through his training. Just as a human learns to comfort a child based on his or her experiences being a comforted child, a mare learns from her own mother how to soothe her baby. My mother taught me how good it feels to feel safe and cared for, and a late riding instructor told me where and how to scratch this sweet spot on a horse’s withers to reassure him the same way. Fast-forward to today, Galahad associates particular contact on a specific part of his body as a sign of reassurance from me—someone who is not his mother but learned how to comfort him the way she would have.

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015



Keep on Keeping On

“It matters if you just don’t give up.” – Stephen Hawking

Photo by Sara R. Fogan

Keep On Keeping On

 

 

The February 7, 2015 issue of People magazine features a mini-interview with entertainer Donny Osmond. In it, Osmond describes how he continually does on-line research to stay informed about and keep up with current trends so he can keep his act relevant for today’s audiences. He’s not the only one who does this. Even though he has been an active performer for 50 years, he is aware that his continued success depends on his ability to entertain audiences with fresh and relevant material. If you watch late-night talk shows or Saturday Night Live, etc., you have probably noticed that these successful entertainers incorporate current events as well as references to the media through with they are disseminated in their acts as well.

Musicians often “sample” sounds from nature, urban environments or even a couple bars of another performer’s song to add more texture to their own composition and increase interest in a wider audience. Athletes practice to maintain the effectiveness of current techniques and work with coaches to learn new moves that might help them improve their game during a competition. Who doesn’t feel a vicarious rush of adrenaline when Olympic snowboard champion Shaun White incorporates another death-defying, midair rotation during his run on the SuperPipe? I always look forward to watching Olympic double-gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin perform new choreography for her freestyle dressage tests? Not only do these athletes’ new variations add interest to their performance and competition; they also push the individuals to improve their game. They change, replace or even omit behaviors (techniques) that don’t work for them or impede their personal and professional growth.

Hypnotherapy and therapeutic-guided imagery provide great opportunities to explore these issues and create strategies for achieving and enjoying your accomplishments when they (finally) occur. Indeed, when Malcolm Butler made the game-changing snatch at the end of the Super Bowl XLIX, he told reporters that he had a vision that he would make an important play during the game. The power of this imagery obviously carried forward from his subconscious mind to conscious reality, as the SCM does not know the difference between imaginary and pretend.

While I used celebrities and public figures to demonstrate this model, this principle is true for us all. It is important to regularly take stock of what is going on in every aspect of our life (work, family/relationship, leisure) and continue to strive to improve our “game” in any area that seems to be slacking off. For example, I regularly take specialty-certification classes through the Hypnosis Motivation Institute so I can improve and increase my skill-set as a hypnotherapist. I enjoy helping people achieve new goals using hypnosis and guided imagery because these tools help them slow down and take stock of all areas of their lives while empowering them to accomplish their self-improvement goals.

 What about you? Do you tend to rest on your laurels after a success? Or, do you stop in your tracks to lick your wounds after a defeat? What do you want to do or be doing right now? Next week? Next year? Is your current strategy working to help you achieve that goal? Remember: We are all works in progress. We change, grow and evolve every day. The keys to success lay in noticing and recognizing if or when something needs to change, and the willingness to do something a little (or a lot) differently to make that change occur.

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015

 

Suggestions of a Scent

Photo by Oragamiknight, courtesy of Microsoft/Bing

 

               

                After the New Year I typically do an early “Spring Cleaning” in which I donate clothes or other items that I no longer use to make room for new items I received as gifts over the holidays. When I started sorting this year I came across some old bottles of perfume that I hadn’t worn in ages. Curious, I spritzed one of my favorites into the air and inhaled deeply. Of course the composition of those scents had degraded by now; in their less pure form they were actually more intense. Equally intense was the power of my memories of the emotions I felt back when I used to wear that brand of perfume.

                Good days, not-so-good days—it all came flooding back in a rush. I remembered the friend who introduced me to my former signature scent. Then that recollection reminded me where I was at that time: I was living in a suburb of London and had just started working on my post-graduate degree. In January, it would have been much colder and wetter in London than the current weather in Southern California. In fact, around this time twenty-four years ago, snow fell in Southeast London and blanketed the rooftops and pavements in neighborhood for several days….

                That unexpected trek down memory lane served as a powerful reminder of why I do not wear perfume or use scented candles or incense when I work with hypnotherapy clients. Olfaction (sense of smell) is one of the most powerful triggers of memory and strong, pervasive emotional associations. As I explained in my previous blog titled Anchors, the mind creates a subconscious link or “anchor” between the scent a person perceives and whatever is going on in his or her life at that moment. Even though the details of a specific event will likely fade from the conscious mind over time, exposure to a scent or odor can trigger an unexpected memory that the subconscious mind associates with that moment in time.

                Part of my work as their hypnotherapist entails helping my clients to create new, positive associations that will facilitate the achievement of their self-improvement goals. Therefore, it is important that minimize the possibility that something about me will unintentionally create or trigger a subconscious association between me and a previous, unwanted behavior that could impede the therapeutic process.

                 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015

 

Hypnotized by Super Bowl XLIX

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office

 

 

A lot of people observed particular rituals on Super Bowl Sunday. Devoted fans of the participating teams donned jerseys sporting a favorite player’s number. Millions of pizzas and chicken wings were prepared and eaten. Seemingly countless glasses of beer were poured and consumed. There were parties, cheering; then celebrating the winning team…or commiserating with/for the losing team. Three or four hours spent watching football and the hilarious Super Bowl ads went by as if no time had passed at all, and at the end of it we may have wondered: So, what happened, exactly? No, seriously: What happened during those hours?

If that scenario sounds familiar, you were likely in a state of light trance or environmental hypnosis. This phenomenon is exactly what it sounds like: whether you were cheering at the football stadium or partying at home or a local bar, the stimuli around you so overwhelmed your conscious mind that you entered a hypnotic trance. (Don’t worry, this kind of environmental hypnosis is a common and natural phenomenon that you have likely experienced before if you have ever been so lost in thought that you missed your freeway exit while driving home.)

Here are some contributing factors of Super Bowl Hypnosis:

·         Overload of sensory stimuli. Before the game even started, you were bombarded by a cornucopia of visual, auditory and olfactory stimuli. You heard the raucous shouts, whistles and cheers of the opposing teams’ fans in the stadium as well as similar noises that you and your friends were making at your party. You saw bursts of color in the stands: people wore their team’s colors and waved team pennants and the bright costumes worn by halftime-show entertainer Katy Perry. Meanwhile, at home, the vision and smells of all those game-day delicacies you and your friends bought or prepared competed for your attention. This sensory overload, combined with any stress (anticipatory anxiety) you were already carrying around as the game progressed, could have easily pushed you into environmental hypnosis.

·         Low-blood sugar effect. When we are hungry and/or after we have consumed alcohol, the level of glucose (sugar) in our blood drops. This state induces a state of hyper-suggestibility to various factors in the environment, warned Hypnosis Motivation Institute founder John Kappas, Ph.D. In addition, a sudden drop in blood sugar can trigger physical symptoms such as shaking, light-headedness and feeling tired, as well as depression, paranoia, irritability and memory problems. These psychological symptoms can be particularly problematic in this kind of a high-energy environment, when emotions are already running high and inhibitions are likely to be low.

·         Food and drink. Chances are high that the goodies you munched on during the game will not be the most healthy food choices you will make during the week. In addition to the veggie platter, there would have also been chips and dips, buttery popped corn, the aforementioned pizza, various sweet treats and, of course, alcohol. If you were already worked up about the game you—especially after having rushing around to purchase and prepare the party spread—these items will have likely made you even more suggestible. Anything that is loaded with sugars and carbohydrates will also negatively affect your blood-sugar level, which likely also increased your suggestibility.

     During their afternoon broadcast KFI 640 AM afternoon on February 2, 2015, co-hosts Elizabeth Espinosa and Mark Thompson described different food-related behaviors while watching the game. One the one hand, Espinosa said she and her friends got so caught up watching the game that they barely touched any food during their Super Bowl party. In this case, environmental stimuli such as interacting with friends, watching the action on the screen and listening to the sounds of fans and themselves cheering, etc., overwhelmed the group from the get-go. Conversely, Thompson reported munching through bowls of potato chips, his admitted favorite Super Bowl snack. This behavior suggests to me that as the components of the chips affected his blood-sugar level, his suggestibility went up and he stopped paying attention to other aspects of his environment but continued because the snack was easily available.

What, if any, symptoms of environmental hypnosis did you experience while you watched the big game yesterday?

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015

 

 

 

What, if any, symptoms of environmental hypnosis did you experience while you watched the big game yesterday?

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015

Staying Out of Environmental Hypnosis During Super Bowl XLIX

Photo courtesy of Microsoft Office

Whether you will be cheering at the football stadium or partying at home, the intensity of the stimuli around you during the Super Bowl XLIX may so overwhelm your conscious mind that you drift into a hypnotic trance. (Don’t worry: this kind of environmental hypnosis is a common and natural phenomenon. In fact, you have likely experienced before if you have ever been so lost in thought that you missed your freeway exit while driving home.) I suggest the following steps to help you stay completely alert, focused and attentive during the game, halftime performance and all of those entertaining ads:

·         While you are partying, be sure to eat a meal that includes some protein, or at least have a snack that includes cheese or nuts (almonds or peanuts). I recommend eating protein-rich foods because they will lower your level of suggestibility and reduce mood swings that hunger and alcohol consumption (low blood-sugar level) can induce.

·         Limit or avoid drinking alcohol during the game.

·         Practice being Mindful: Take a moment or two every 30 minutes or so to focus on some item in your natural environment, such as the pattern of light and shadow on the field or the sensation of the jersey you are wearing, etc. Make a mental note of each detail that you notice about that object as you draw slow, deep breaths into your lungs. As you exhale, focus on the word “calm” to center yourself as you continue to watch the game.

·         Finally, if (when) you notice that you have started to feel overwhelmed or are eating, drinking or are tempted to buy more souvenirs than you intended to purchase, you are likely drifting into a light state of trance (environmental hypnosis). Simply say the following to yourself: “One, two, three, four, five, [Say your name]; eyes open, wide awake.” These words will count you back up to a fully alert and aware state.

·         If you do drink alcohol, have a designated driver to help you get home safely.

 

Enjoy the game!

 

 

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

© 2015