An image from this day: The lamp belongs to a very dear friend, with whom a lot of time was being spent during the time of writing. It brought to mind not only the vastness of the universe in a general sense and all that comes with such pondering, but also the Exposure to the Hindu culture experienced when in Bali, with its references to the sun and moon.
Friday 13th March 2020
Our collective awakening to the way our true selves have become enslaved by self-constructed, fear-based control mechanisms is closely related to the increase in poor mental health. There are lots of contributory factors, so no attempt is being made here to suggest exclusive causality in any direction by any stretch of any imagination. All is interconnected.
There are myriad consequences, of course, to the cycle through this spectrum that often includes but is not restricted to: stimulus perceived as disruptive > perturbing fear of stimulus + lack of awareness > egoic response > stimulus perceived as disrupted. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Neuro Linguistic Programming are two major examples of systems for addressing psychological challenges, offered by those who are well-trained in their techniques to assist us in overcoming our own barriers to wellness and progress.
These theories have proved highly successful. Cognitive Behavioural therapy has for many people been helpful in their attempts to reprogram their responses to triggers that have induced socially or personally undesirable reactions. Neuro Linguistic Programming is continuing to prove powerful for those who wish to increase their level of efficacy, which can go a long way to facilitating commitment to lifestyles that might allow them to reduce the suffering in their existence on a physical and psychological level. It is an individual choice to do decide to embark on studying such things and some may find these two sufficient for their requirements.
For the example which concerns the passing on of energy that another person is offering to us, one may not even need to consider it in such terms if one has sufficiently practiced CBT. The individual will feel the emotions, recognise the triggers, apply a learned strategy such as pushing their feet into the floor or taking ten deep breaths to help counter the physical response. This gives them time and space to rationalise their reaction to the stimulus so that they can de-escalate any potential conflict, thereby avoiding potentially adverse results. Conversations with a therapist about the effects of the patient’s experiences and interactions with themselves and others, as well as how the patient perceives and reacts to these things, are analysed. Hardships are discussed, triggers are identified and coping strategies are developed.
Neuro Linguistic programming also remaps the way a person perceives and responds to the stimulus, but does so in a way that can negate specific triggers entirely through the process of identifying them as unhelpful and reimagining the narrative in a way that means the practitioner can overcome a perceived obstacle. This approach doesn’t focus on dealing with the reaction once it starts happening based on the observation of disruptive behaviour and its triggers in the same way as CBT. It works instead by analysing the way the individual develops their perspective, in accordance with the language they use to describe it and the influence that language has on their ability to interpret and respond in a way that optimises their output.
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This day’s featured creator: Kirsty Xenia Allen. We met whilst both studying English Literature at De Montfort university, Leicester. Although Kirsty did very well in her English Literature degree, academic literary study is far from the limit of this creator’s considerable ability. Kirsty has gone on to continue expressing her interpretation of the world through visual means, with the art she creates garnering a great deal of interest and even featuring in galleries. Kirsty is one of the few alumni with whom contact has been maintained since we successfully completed our B.A. Hons courses, through which we supported one another through collaboration in various ways. It is wonderful to see her spreading her creative wings and it is hoped that we will one day see one another again, maybe even get to collaborate on a project together.
A quote for this day: “You use a glass mirror to see your face. You use works of art to see your soul.” – George Bernard Shaw
Above: Sunny This Position blog entry 2020-03-13
Below: previous and following entries or back to Prose
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