Dominant Laws of Suggestibility: The Law of Reverse Action

(This blog was originally posted on March 7, 2015

 

Photo by Rick Hustead

During a typical hypnotherapy session, I reinforce hypnotic suggestions in various ways during the hour or so I spend working with a client. An effective way to strengthen the message of the suggestion is to employ the Law of Reverse Action or misdirection. 

You might already recognize a common, colloquial example of this law: someone tells you not to think about pink elephants anymore, at which point you can’t help yourself but think about that subject. This occurs because “pink elephants” is the stronger part of the command than “not to think about.” (How can you not think about a pink elephant when that image is suggested to the mind?) 

In a therapeutic context, the hypnotherapist might suggest that someone who suffers from a fear of public speaking imagines being in a situation in which he or she must make a speech and try bring up that fear. Meanwhile, the hypnotherapist would repeat the suggestion that the harder the person tries to actually bring up that fear response, the more relaxed he or she actually feels. In this case, becoming relaxed is the more powerful suggestion than “trying to” bring up the negative response.

SPECIAL OFFER!

I am currently offering a 10 percent discount on all hypnotherapy for weight-loss/weight-management sessions. This offer is good through April 30, 2017. It is not exchangeable for cash and may not be combined with any other offer. For more information and to set up an appointment, please contact me at (661) 433-9430 or send an e-mail to calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com. 

Also: save $250 toward a purchase of 24 sessions or more for personal training with Irvin Burton, CEO and Founder at Tiger Crane Martial Arts & Fitness. You can contact him at Irvin_Burton@yahoo.com or call (661) 993-8621. 

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/.

© 2017

 

Motivational Inertia

(This blog was originally posted on April 12, 2014)

Image courtesy of Fotolia

               

Some days vibrate with so much energy in the environment it is literally impossible to sit or stand still. We are enthusiastic about everything going on around us and can’t wait to get in on the action, ourselves. In our enthusiasm, we accept requests to take on new projects or tasks. Our mojo is so strong, we are confident that we can—we will—accomplish even Herculean feats, and we do just that. Indeed, as Sir Isaac Newton’s Law of Motion states, “An object in rest tends to stay in rest and an object in motion tends to stay in motion.” The same is true of human behavior, too. You have probably heard or know of the expression, “Ask a busy person” to do a task. This law applies here because someone who is already active, even frenetically busy, can somehow always find a way to do one more thing.

And then there are other days when it seems like nothing can motivate or inspire us to do anything, at all. We sit at our desk at work shuffling papers, organizing the filing cabinet, checking e-mail and re-reading the first paragraph of the document that’s been sitting on our desk since the morning. We take repeated treks to the break room to get another cup of Joe, hoping that a not-so-brisk walk down the hall and more coffee just might kick-start our energy enough to do something productive. It doesn’t.

The problem is, when you are rewarded in some way for not doing a behavior, the subconscious mind may create a new mental script to support this new known (source of pleasure or comfort) in your life. The reward may be inferred, such as your boss didn’t yell at you to get back to work; or maybe your employer just accepted your subpar-quality project without comment. If you already follow a subconscious mental script that is programmed for you to always do your best work, you may breathe a sigh of relief that you got away with it today but get back to working hard tomorrow. Conversely, if you generally have difficulty motivating yourself and did not suffer any negative consequences not working so hard today, you may conclude that this behavior is really okay. The more times you are able to avoid doing a task or project, or get away with producing an inadequate product, you will reinforce this behavior and ultimately create a new mental script that compels you to not do something. (For more information about this process and John Kappas, Ph.D.’s Theory of Mind, read my blog, WhyBeing Uncomfortable Feels Comfortable.

Following are some suggestions to help you get moving when you find yourself “stuck” in motivational inertia:

·         “Chunk” it down. This Neuro-Linguistic Programming technique is very effective because it enables you to break down whatever you are working on into manageable tasks that can easily be accomplished.

·         Use the Emotional Freedom Technique to break through the conscious blocks that are preventing you from settling down to or focusing on your work.

·         Take a brisk walk around the block. Consistent with Newton’s Law of Motion, once you start moving your body, it is easier to keep it (and your mind) active. Ten or fifteen minutes’ of exercise is a great way to raise your energy so you can be and feel more alert when you get back to work. Not only are you likely to discover that you are better able to focus on your job but this productive time spent away from your desk has even inspired some new ideas as well as your motivation.

·         Watch what you eat. When your blood-sugar level drops, you are vulnerable to experiencing physiological symptoms such as headache, nausea and weakness, as well as increased levels of anxiety and irritability. Furthermore, in his work with people who developed phobias, Dr. Kappas observed that low blood-sugar levels could trigger a phobic response and increase the person’s suggestibility. If you are already stressed out because you have a lot of work to catch up on, have a healthy snack or meal that includes some form of protein, which will help to mediate your mood. Also, avoid caffeine, which can exacerbate those symptoms and increase anxiety.

·         Hypnotherapy! Hypnosis and therapeutic guided imagery are effective, natural and drug-free modalities with which to motivate you (or re-learn how it feels to be motivated to do what you want and need to get done.

SPECIAL OFFER!

I am currently offering a 10 percent discount on all hypnotherapy for weight-loss/weight-management sessions. This offer is good through April 30, 2017. It is not exchangeable for cash and may not be combined with any other offer. For more information and to set up an appointment, please contact me at (661) 433-9430 or send an e-mail to calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com. 

Also: save $250 toward a purchase of 24 sessions or more for personal training with Irvin Burton, CEO and Founder at Tiger Crane Martial Arts & Fitness. You can contact him at Irvin_Burton@yahoo.com or call (661) 993-8621. 

I look forward to hearing from—and working with—you soon!

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/.

© 2017

Symbolism of the Dragon Scroll

Today's blog is written by Irvin Burton, a personal trainer and champion martial arts competitor based in Santa Clarita, California. Check out our special offer to promote weight loss and fitness at the end of this essay!

Hey everyone, Irvin here again. Today, I am a guest blogger for Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. and I wanted to write something that would resonate with her audience. While fitness and martial arts is my expertise, I know people have various concerns in their life outside of fitness and martial arts training. The other day during my workout, I was thinking why not start with a metaphoric story that can apply to anyone? So today, that’s where I’m going to start; it’s a movie I’ve seen many times. In the movie a martial arts enthusiast is chosen to be the recipient of the coveted “dragon scroll,” which allegedly holds the secret to limitless power. After intense training, the martial arts master hands him the scroll and the character opens it up and finds nothing but a blank scroll. Surrounded by other masters who are eager to witness the great unveiling, they are shocked and disappointed that the masters of previous generations would hand down an empty scroll claiming it had limitless power. What a disappointment!

Later, as the martial artist returns to his village embarrassed and disappointed, he speaks to his father who happens to be the town’s top chef. His father, empathizing with his son’s situation, decides to share the secret ingredient of his famous “secret ingredient soup,” a popular dish in town. The father leans in and says to his son, “the secret ingredient is…nothing!” Puzzled, the son asks if he heard him right and the father says, “You heard me, nothing!” The son asks why he didn’t add any extra ingredients to the soup. The father says, “Don’t have to, for something to be special you just have to believe it’s special.” The main character pauses for a second and takes out the dragon scroll. He looks at it closer this time and sees his own reflection in the scroll. He says to himself out loud, “There is no secret ingredient.”

What I like about this scene is the message it is sending to its audience; that “the secret” is essentially you and how you think. Whether you’re looking to become successful in a career, graduate from college, or start your own business, your success depends on you! How do you become successful? Well, you learn, you implement, and you stay consistent! Think about this for a second. Let’s say you want to learn how to cook. The first few times you may not get the meal right, but after 10, 15 or 20 cooked meals, it will probably come naturally to you! They say practice makes perfect, and after 12 years of martial arts training and many championship trophies, I can certainly attest to that.

The problems arise when you half-heartedly commit and don’t see any progress. Most people don’t stay consistent when they are trying to achieve something. In fact, most people stop at the “education stage.” They learn something but never implement what they’ve learned and certainly never stay consistent! I’ve found that most people are pretty educated on how to obtain their goals, however few take the necessary action to achieve them. Instead, they become the “guru” and tell everyone else how to achieve their goals. Would you ask someone who is poor how to be rich even if he DID have all the necessary education? Neither would I!

In short, your success (or lack thereof) is your own fault. No it won’t happen overnight and no it won’t always happen the way you want it to. However, if you educate yourself, implement what you learn, and most importantly, stay consistent in what you do, you’ll succeed. People will take notice of your success. They will ask for your advice. They may even pay you to keep them accountable. Either way, there is no secret ingredient, it’s just you!

Thank you for reading blog today. I hope that I inspired you to take ACTION on your goals today. Remember that there are really no secrets to success; it’s just about getting started. The Famous comedian Chris Rock once said, “When I was stopped on the side of the road, no one stopped to help me. But when I got out and pushed my car, three of four people were always helping me.” People respect hustlers! Again, thank you for reading and special thanks to Sara Fogan for having me as a guest on her blog!

SPECIAL OFFER!

Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is currently offering a 10 percent discount on all hypnotherapy for weight-loss/weight-management sessions. This offer is good through April 30, 2017. It is not exchangeable for cash and may not be combined with any other offer. For more information and to set up an appointment, please contact her at (661) 433-9430 or send an e-mail to calminsensehypnosis@yahoo.com.

Save $250 toward a purchase of 24 sessions or more for personal training with me, Irvin Burton, CEO and Founder at Tiger Crane Martial Arts & Fitness. You can contact me at Irvin_Burton@yahoo.com or call (661) 993-8621. 

Irvin Burton is a personal trainer and martial arts instructor in southern California. He holds several college degrees related to fitness as well as a fitness kickboxing certification and is an international martial arts kickboxing champion. Irvin Burton is the CEO and founder of Tiger Crane Martial Arts and Fitness, a business that teaches kids confidence and discipline through martial arts training.