A Phobia Can Be Like Gaol Sentence

Many years ago, I had a friend whose husband died very suddenly.

They had been happily married for over twenty years and they had been inseparable. Now she was alone.

She had sons and daughters and they used to visit here regularly but, essentially, here reason for being alive had been taken away from her.

Months passed and it became noticeable that she didn't go out very much anymore. She preferred to stay at home behind closed doors; away from people. Her family were concerned but they were unable to coax her out to any kind of social event.

Gradually, she began to develop a fear of going outside altogether. Taking that small step over her front door began to be a traumatic event. And finally, it became obvious to her loved ones that she needed help.

I tell this little story because I have seen how a phobia can cripple and even destroy an otherwise healthy personality.

It makes me appreciate the value of mental health and freedom.

And it makes me fully empathise with those who can fall victim to their irrational fears.

Phobias - Causes

So when does a fear actually become a phobia? And why do some people exhibit a phobia for some quite normal, everyday situations or objects?

Being overly fearful - showing signs of a phobia - is very much dependent upon past, personal experience.

For example, if a person is trapped in an elevator for some length of time, that fearful experience can evolve into a general discomfort with being in enclosed spaces and can then advance to the condition known as claustrophia. The subconscious has embedded within it the conditions of a fearful experience and when those conditions are duplicated then an extreme fear can be created.

Also, the influence of our parents can lead to the emergence of a phobia. If a child senses and realises that their mother or father is afraid, for example, of dogs then that fear can be transmitted and the child can then develop a canine phobia.

Of course, all phobias are psychological and that is where their solution lies. If a sufferer can understand why he is afflicted by a particular phobia then the fearful experiences held in the subconscious can be addressed. But it is often very difficult for a sufferer to discuss their phobia openly with others.

And because of that, solutions are available that deal directly with the subconscious mind, going to the very root of the problem.

Knowing Yourself

I would like to bring your attention to a Teacher for whom I have the greatest respect. His message of self discipline, tolerance and love has had a profound effect upon mankind.

He was a man who fully understood the immense potential of the human being. Further information for you here.

I hope you will be stimulated and inspired.

Are Subliminal Messages Effective?

Subliminal messages work by bypassing the conscious mind and being delivered straight to the subconscious mind.

Many believe that subliminal messages can influence our behaviour and there is evidence that the technique has been used in advertising, music and film. Even the great, Walt Disney has been accused of allegedly incorporating subliminal messages into their cartoons!

There is, of course, a link between the conscious and the subconscious mind, which allows the subconscious mind, in turn, to affect the conscious mind. Thus, any ideas, suggestions or goals that are embedded in the subconscious can be eventually ‘materialised’ into reality, no matter how unrealistic they may seem at that time. This is because the subconscious is unable to debate or critically uncover the fallacies of these thoughts.

The mind absorbs vast amounts of information every waking minute. Most of this consists of the minutia of living that we are able to ignore at a conscious level. If we did not have the capacity to do this then we could soon become mentally exhausted and unstable.

In 1985, Dr Joe Stuessy in a statement to the United States Senate believed that heavy metal music could contain covert or subliminal messages. Such messages, considered to be detrimental to the listener, are heard by the subconscious but not the conscious mind. Also, sometimes the messages are audible but are backwards - known as 'back masking - and this causes the mind to make a special effort to understand it. Subliminal messages take advantage of this system.

Subconscious stimulus by single words is well known to be effective in changing human behaviour or emotions. Psychologists and scientists have been aware of the positive benefits of subliminal messages and used it to improve motivation in business and sports.

Today, there are many subliminal messaging aids available that are used to enhance human performance.