How we learn behaviors - continued

We learn behaviors in roughly 3 ways. Often it is a combination of these ways that will establish a Grade A habit.

Strong emotions – Any emotions, positive or negative make room for a behavior to become established. Emotional associations with things are what give rise to “triggers” and “habits”. If a young child sees another child scream with fright when she sees a spider, it is likely that child will now experience fear when he sees a spider.

Authority figure – Parents, teachers, pastors, doctors, anyone seen as an authority figure, are more likely to have people take on their traits and beliefs. If that child sees his mother scream when she sees a spider he is very likely to experience fear the next time he sees a spider.

Repetition – this is the most basic. You do something enough times, it becomes “automatic”. Like locking the door when you get in the car. You may have experienced the need to check to make sure you actually locked it because your conscious mind has no idea.

Now, taking the spider example further. The child sees his mother scream when seeing a spider, he experiences fear. When this scenario repeats over several years the child will tend to create a strong, uncontrolled, and possibly disruptive learned reaction.

Each of the 3 learning situations above creates a state of mind that is more open and receptive. What can be described as critical faculty bypass. With emotions, authority figures and repetition, our conscious, critical mind lets it guard down and allows the situation to create an imprint or belief in the subconscious mind. You can think about a time when listening to someone talk about a subject you strongly agree with. Your mind was open to accepting new ideas about the subject and taking these ideas on as beliefs. In contrast, when listening to someone talk about a subject you strongly disagree with, your critical faculty is on high alert, countering what is being said.

Hypnosis creates this same state of mind to change the old behavior and even create new ones.

Patrick Glancy, CH
www.glancyhypnosis.com