Which cognitive distortions do you struggle with?

[_Amore]

That feeling one has when they are startled or surprised can not be summoned by the mind at will. You cannot sit on your couch and suddenly decide to spike your adrenalin level and thrust your consciousness into a brief state of panic. You cannot summon the sensation and manifestation of goosebumps just by willing them into being. ..you can tickle yourself with a feather. ..but you can't just think them into being.

Yes you can. This is precisely what the Stanislavski Method does, to name just one example. There's also the the auditing process in Scientology, which is also designed to (among other things) induce strong emotional reactions.

Although I don't know a lot about auditing, I do see some truth in the Stanislavski method - I used it and could cry by thinking of a related traumatic experience to the person I was acting as.

I started out majoring in psychology, but in a way, one in depth and applied acting class taught me more about understanding people and their motives than all of the psychology classes. Each person has an underlying motive ("ultimate concern"/god), which colors everything they say and do.

[Guest]

Subgenius,
Ok, we are primarily emotional beings - true.
For survival, "fight or flee" reactions are more immediate and thus successful than analyzing the situation.
So, it's true that when something surprises us - it will stimulate an automatic e-motion to get us in motion.

Yet, in today's relatively peaceful societies, isn't the flight or flee response less actual and more perceived (cognitively interpreted)?
Ideally, we utilize both emotion and intellect to have mental health.

As babies, (maybe for survival reasons), our brains are more active in the emotional center of the brain. This is why we sometimes have exaggerated emotional reactions without understanding why. As babies, we only had emotional awareness and little cognitive/language awareness to make sense of things.

You ask a good question about controling feelings.
Because of family and other group beliefs, keeping reins on feelings can be deeply ingrained and maybe why many seek for excuses to release them - by partying, or other diversions.
If you have any other thoughts on that, I'd like to know.

Anyway, I think it's so much in each of our personal interest to bring what's subconscious to conscious awareness.
Another, more personal approach to this is discovering which coping methods we adopted as children, which are now counterproductive...

Schemas/Life Traps
http://www.schematherapy.com/id73.htm

Interesting post and a few points to ponder.
But I would like to notice one in particular-

"we utilize both emotion and intellect "

I am curious how many people age with your conclusion here?
The reason I wonder is because you are seemingly introducing a third party. ..something outside of -with the power over - both emotion and intellect.

I believe there are convincing arguments and evidence that conclude with one's intellect being able to control emotion and with one's emotion being able to control intellect.
Is this some sort of improvisational partnership? Or is there an obvious third party pulling switches and turning knobs?

Good questions.
Subconscious is considered to play a role in making sense out of everything primarily through dreams brought to awareness (but also meditation, hypnosis etc).
Some believe the subconscious also acts as a bridge between the spirtual self (the self that is beyond brain activity and is experiential perception(?)).

As you mentioned, there also seems to be a trading on and off of control from intellect to emotion. I don't think it's ever all one or the other except in maybe lobotomies. Even those with Autism, schozophrenia etc, have ability to both feel and reason - except they aren't working together in the ideal way in some circumstances.

As far as being more open emotionally, what do you think are the most healthy ways to tap into subconscious beliefs/feelings, experience them and heal?
I tend to think that although meditation, writing and other forms of solitude are important, I also think interacting with others (particularly those who push our buttons) can be helpful.

[_subgenius]

[You're already giving up? That was fast.

Only when compared to your post's wit

A method acting technique does not nor has it ever summoned goosebumps.

Nope--most actors, even amateur actors find it very easy to induce goosebumps in themselves. This is very basic stuff, the sort of thing that's covered in a 100-level acting course.

Not accurate. There are absolutely no goosebumps being produced at will. You are still confused yet convinced otherwise. ...shocking.

But
while I appreciate your attempt of having "memories" be the same as "the will" and the recollection of a memory will certainly not induce a "startle".

You should probably go see a neurologist. Schizophasia (i.e. word salad) is often a precursor to other, more serious disorders.

of which it is certain that you have intimate knowledge of

...the recollection of a memory will certainly not induce a "startle".

It most certainly will. It's called PTSD.

Again not accurate. But when you can produce evidence without a "trigger" but rather from an act of "will" then feel free to come back to the adult table.

Thank you for your time and attention on this matter

[_The Erotic Apologist]

Only when compared to your post's wit

Precisely--you rolled over much faster this time.

Not accurate. There are absolutely no goosebumps being produced at will. You are still confused yet convinced otherwise. ...shocking.

An actor who produces goosebumps when a script calls for goosebumps = "goosebumps being produced at will". (Your words, not mine.)

You should probably go see a neurologist. Schizophasia (i.e. word salad) is often a precursor to other, more serious disorders.

of which it is certain that you have intimate knowledge of

More word salad. Seek help, subby. Seek help soon.

It most certainly will. It's called PTSD.

Again not accurate. But when you can produce evidence without a "trigger" but rather from an act of "will" then feel free to come back to the adult table.

In individuals with PTSD, violent & stressful ideation ("an act of will") can and often does induce a startle response. This is all very basic stuff. Why do you have such a problem with it?

[_subgenius]

[_Quasimodo]

Nice image of an architectural designing session, subgenius. Which one is you?

[_The Erotic Apologist]

Subby's the one on the upper left.

[_canpakes]

Each person has an underlying motive ("ultimate concern"/god), which colors everything they say and do.

Yes - self-preservation. ; )

[_subgenius]

Each person has an underlying motive ("ultimate concern"/god), which colors everything they say and do.

Yes - self-preservation. ; )

How does one falling on a grenade support your claim?
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2014/06/19/2 ... enade.html

[_canpakes]

Each person has an underlying motive ("ultimate concern"/god), which colors everything they say and do.

Yes - self-preservation. ; )

How does one falling on a grenade support your claim?

It could be reasoned that this action would preserve the super-ego of the one doing it - i.e., his/her belief system and willingness to protect life at any cost, or to put another's life above their own. You can certainly interpret that as contradictory in the end result, but even the contradiction supports the assertion, because the memory of a man and his actions persist even after the man is gone.

This example is, of course, pretty rare. But 'self preservation' may be the one thing that most closely meets Amore's criteria of "an underlying motive that colors everything that they say and do".