I am continuing to suspend in-person hypnotherapy sessions with me in my office. However, phone, and Zoom consultations ARE and WILL REMAIN AVAILABLE!
(This blog was originally posted on September 19, 2014)
In September
2013, the local news reported that a white cobra was loose in a neighborhood in
Thousand Oaks, California. Residents responded to this information in various
ways. Many were understandably frightened by the prospect of having an exotic,
venomous snake potentially slithering around their property and told reporters
that they would secure their livestock in barns and keep domestic pets inside
until it was caught. Others seemed to take a more measured approach, explaining
how they would continue to live their lives as usual but would avoid areas
where the snake was last seen or biologists warned it might hide. Another
person (or persons) even went to social media and created a Twitter account for the cobra so the snake
could post updates on its whereabouts and, presumably, add some levity to a
very tense situation.
I was surprised
that my reaction to the news that a cobra was loose in a local neighborhood was
one of curiosity rather than terror. If I lived anywhere near where the snake
had been spotted or if I kept my horse out there, I probably would have been
beside myself with anxiety and concern. My subconscious
mental script was already familiar with the idea that venomous snakes live
in Southern California: anyone who owns or rides horses here knows to be on the
lookout for rattlesnakes hiding in a hay barn or slithering across the path on
a trail. Of course, the idea of a lethal exotic (and comparatively rare) snake
slithering around a suburban neighborhood is a different story.
But ever since I
earned my hypnotherapy certification in 2005, my attitude and expectations
about various situations I have encountered during my life have changed. As
soon as I heard about the loose cobra, I was quickly able to activate the
reasoning, logic, will-power and decision-making faculties in my conscious mind
to determine whether I or anyone I knew was in immediate danger: No. Even if I
had been, my previous experiences dealing with animal control and
law-enforcement officers reassured me that these professionals were trained to
deal with various threats, including unexpected ones posed by wild animals that
the average citizens probably never consider. I was confident that I could have
put my trust and faith in their recommendations to keep myself and my animals
out of its way until it was caught. Also, I trusted that the survival instinct
in my (and just about every other person’s) subconscious mind was strong enough
to avoid unnecessary risk and avoid areas where I knew/heard the animal had
last been seen or was likely to hide.
Something else
helped me take a more measured perspective about the possible danger posed by
that cobra. I knew various mental tools
with which I could re-frame what I initially believed to be a no-win situation
and turn it into an opportunity to learn something new: i.e., look up
information about the biology and natural habitat of cobras. That kind of
lesson would be far more beneficial for me than indulging in toxic worry about
a situation over which I and most of the residents of that Thousand Oaks
neighborhood had little control.
Fortunately, the
snake was safely caught and removed from that community the next day and no
humans or animals were victims of its lethal bite. Another positive thing to
come out of this situation is that everyone who was affected by this experience
now has a new subconscious
known in his or her repertoire of mental scripts. While it is unlikely any
Southern California residents will have to deal with another cobra loitering by
their swimming pool, if this scenario is ever repeated, we will have some idea
what to expect and how to handle the situation.
Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in
Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation
Institute in 2005. Sara has been voted the Best
Hypnotherapist in Santa Clarita, California, four years in a row (2019-2022).
For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy® and to set up an
appointment, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/
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