(This blog was originally posted on September
19, 2014)
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| Photo courtesy of Microsoft |
Just about this
time last year, 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, past experience 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 “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. For more
information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/
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