Which Emotions Are Causing Your Stress?

One of the things we understand about the subconscious mind is that it converts all of its inputs into images.  It does not operate in words like the conscious mind does.  Because it has perfect memory, whenever an experience occurs that the subconscious mind determines is similar to a previous experience, the subconscious mind provides a similar emotion, or feeling, as the previous experience.  It does so because it has determined, in its role as our protector, its previous decision was what was needed by us, and unless it receives information that helps it determine a different emotion or feeling is needed, it relies on that experience.

As an example, imagine as a child you were walking down the street and a dog came out of someone’s yard and bit you as you bent down to pet it.  Even though you may have never been bit by a dog before, the experience was significant enough that it resulted in an emotional anchor in your subconscious mind.  Chances are that whenever a strange dog approaches you in the future, your subconscious mind will instantaneously recall the previous experience when you were bit, and create physiological changes in your body (increasing your adrenaline and cortisol), resulting in fear and stress.  It does not have to be the same dog as before, or in the same location, and may not have to be a dog at all, just another animal.

Extrapolate the processes of this experience to any experience in your life.  The resulting emotions may be positive or negative – happiness, satisfaction, fear, love, pride, depression, etc.  Some of those emotions may lead to harmful stress as you anticipate a similar experience, or simply recall the past ones.   And they may absolutely change your behavior.  Your fear in the dog bite example may make you avoid the street where it occurred altogether.  It may make you an animal hater, even though you were not one before.  It may make you agoraphobic, causing you to avoid public places for fear that you will be bitten again.  It may lead to hypervigilance, or a loss of self-confidence because of your perceived sense of your inability to control a similar situation, etc., etc.  All from one dog bite!

In my hypnotherapy practice at Skipnotherapy in Salem, Oregon, I see many clients who wish to reduce their stress, or increase their confidence, or change some behavior or habit for which they have no explanation.  It could be a substance addiction, a social abnormality, or virtually almost anything you can think of, and yet they cannot discern the cause, what we call the Initial Sensitizing Event (ISE).  And yet it may have come from what might seem a very minor event.

How does one go about changing the unwanted behavior, or keep it from spiraling their behavior out of control?  Simply put – by making a change to the subconscious mind!  But how does that happen?  One of the quickest and most effective ways is through hypnotherapy.  My website at www.skipnotherapy.com  and other blog posts I have written have explained the process of this in detail, and you can find the information about it there.  Hypnotherapy, when applied by a well-trained and experienced hypnotherapist has the potential to literally change someone’s life for the better.

For more information, please contact me directly.  You can find my contact info on my website at www.skipnotherapy.com.