When the lights go down and the movie starts, our reality is suspended and we start to deeply identify with a character.
Our minds are fantastic emulator, the brain has the capacity to feel with others, simulating the emotions that are portrayed to us. When we see someone falling in love in a romance movie, our brains simulate the same body responses. Our heart rates rise, rising blood pressure, goose pimples and sweating palms, in response to the movie. Thus we experience the same feelings.
Within an experiment, using an EEG, scientists have found that when watching exerts of “Romeo and Juliet” found that emotional empathy for the characters trigger the same physical responses within the participants, exhibiting the same emotions as the characters (D. Lewis – 17/2/2008, p.34. The Sunday Telegraph).
So when you need to pull the tissues out when that poor dog dies on the TV in front of you, you know that you, in your mind, is the owner of that dog. You are putting yourself into the movie to make it your reality. Likewise, when that hero defeats a great challenge and wins the day, you are the one walking in the heroes’ shoes. And that feeling you have you taken with you when you leave the cinema, or turn the TV off.
The eyes are not just working on their own. The movie makers use all the tricks. The music and camera moves are used to enhance the drama unfolding before you, making use even more a part of the movie, taking control of our emotions.
Then to add more to the mix of methods to add to our emotions, the movie makers have decreased the time of camera cuts. If you look at old style movies have camera cuts of 5 to 9 seconds before camera position is changed, whereas, in the modern movies camera cuts take place every 2 to 4 seconds. These fast camera cuts forces the watcher to use more concentration and excites the emotions.
Well that’s about enough on that … but don’t get me started on product placement to encourage the watchers to go and buy products that were in a movie.
The Most interesting this is how Peter Jackson talks about the power of the movies and how it is a potent weapon.
http://mpegmedia.abc.net.au/730report/video/200912/20091211-jackweb_video2.flv
Insight indicates an understanding or grasping the self through relationships that illuminate past experiences or help to solve a problem (Corsini, 2002, p.490). Self concept is commonly derived within a relationship with others and the interactions that follow across situations (Siqueland & Barber, 2002, p. 185). Clients in relationship with others in the group of people promotes change in insight, knowledge and new coping mechanisms to a variety of situations (Piper, Ogrodniczuk, & Duncan, 2002, p. 465). Therapist and patient who work as a team to help the patient overcome problems, improve insight and/or behaviour, and enhance his or her quality of life (Plante, 2005, p. 275). With an environment that promotes insight into interpersonal and intrapersonal conflict weakens the need to use chemical coping mechanisms reducing the underlying problems, which, in turn, should help promote cocaine abstinence (Higgins & Ohlenroth, 2001, p. 1163). Other environments such as AA & NA programs concentrate on lifestyle change through insight and spiritual renewal or surrendering to the willingness to take action by giving individual will and life in the care of God (step 2 & 3 of AA) (Nowinski, 2001, p. 1214).
Insight refers to clients understanding of their problems. Clients with high levels of insight are generally able to intelligently discuss the possibility of emotional or psychosocial factors contributing to their symptoms; they are, at least, open to considering and addressing non-biological factors.
- Absent: Clients who are labelled as having an absence of insight usually do not admit to having any problems.
- Poor: Clients who admit to having a minor problem or some nuisance symptoms, but rely exclusively on physical, medical, or situational explanations for symptoms, are often referred to as having poor insight. These clients deny the existence of any personal responsibility or nonphysical factors contributing to their problems. If they admit a problem exists, they are likely to rely solely on medications, surgery, or getting away from people they blame for their problems, as treatment for their condition.
- Partial: Clients who admit, more often than not, that they have a problem that may warrant treatment are considered as having partial insight; however, this insight can pass and such clients often leave treatment prematurely. These clients can occasionally articulate how situational or emotional factors contribute to their condition and how their own behaviour may contribute to their problems. They are reluctant to focus on such factors, but gentle reminders motivate them to work with nonmedical treatment approaches.
- Good: Clients who readily admit to having a problem for which an appropriate treatment is required are considered to have good insight. When appropriate, these clients take personal responsibility for modifying their life situation. They can articulate and use nonphysical treatment approaches with minimal help from the therapist. These clients may even be exceptionally creative in formulating ways to address their illness through nonmedical methods.
(Sommers-Flanagan & Sommers-Flanagan, 2003, pp. 237-238)
Life Matters
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We’re in the festive season and advertising images are everywhere – picture perfect families, relaxed and happy, celebrating together.
If that doesn’t quite match how you feel about Christmas, then you’re not alone.
Chris Day has some realistic advice to help us lift our spirits at this time of year, indeed for every week of the year.
Guests
Chris Day
PsychologistFurther Information
Dr Chris Day
Presenter
Richard Aedy
Story Researcher and Producer
Lindy Raine
I Found this interesting…..
This dimension should not be mistaken for avoidance-goal based treatment that is often used in A&OD rehabilitation, where clients goal is to avoid alcohol or drug use. Avoidance-goal based treatment concentrated on statements such as I must stop my un-healthy habits, or To stop being confused about my feelings (Elliot & Church, 2002). This style of treatment is suggested to have negative implications for the client (Elliot & Church, 2002). Whereas approach based treatment is preferred for the clients goal setting, which focuses on building on the self, with statements such as I can achieve a healthy life style, or To understand myself and my feelings (Elliot & Church, 2002).
By concentrating on a persons growth, and the personality functioning rather than the development of personality theory (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214). Rogers viewed personality as a goal-directed behaviour, understanding that the person is at the centre of their reality reacting to an ever changing world, attempting to satisfy their needs as experienced in the phenomenal field (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214). The individual has a unique perspective based on their own private world, thus the therapist must assume a frame of reference from the clients perspective (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214). Emotional stability is based on facilitating goal-directed behaviour, and is structures on a self concept derived from evaluative interaction with others, which is fluid while having consistent patterns of self-perceptions (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214). The phenomenal field refers to everything experienced at any given time (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214). The internal frame of reference refers to the process by which therapists attempt to perceive the clients reality and experience as closely as possible (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214), somewhat like the Stanislavski method within theatrical acting. Rogers recognises that any individual is subject to their own subjective experience and perceptions that shape their understanding of reality that guide behaviour (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214). In treatment, therapists strive to understand clients by understanding their views of themselves and the environment in which they live (Wlison, 1996, p. 1214).
The self concept is considered by Rogers to be organized, consistent and learned attribute composed of thoughts about the self, derived by the interactions with others (Wlison, 1996, p. 1215). Thus the therapist must have a universal positive regard to challenge the clients negative self-view and self-worth, which was learned by the interaction with significant others, from childhood onwards (Wlison, 1996, p. 1215). Maladjustment behaviour stems from the inconsistency between the self-concept and their sensory and visceral experiences, with a lack of positive regard, concentrating on failure, imperfections and weaknesses (Wlison, 1996, p. 1215).
The quality of the therapeutic process is measured on the clients rating of accurate empathy, genuineness, unconditional positive regard, and trust within the experiential client-therapist relationship, which is closely associated with the success or failure of therapy (Wlison, 1996, p. 1216). All individuals are in this paradigm seen as persons in relationship not people in role (pigeon holed with labels) (Wlison, 1996, p. 1216).
Empathy reflects an attitude of interest in the client’s thoughts, feelings, and experiences, empathy is a way of being that is powerfully curative, and has been described as the most important aspect of the therapeutic endeavour (Wlison, 1996, p. 1216). Those therapists that have this sensitivity to the client can in essence climb inside the client’s subjective experience and their perceptions of reality (Wlison, 1996, p. 1216).
Persuasion is imbedded within communication, According to Carl Hovland and colleagues at Yale University (1950s), Persuasive communication revolves around two sources of credibility, being expertise (level of training), and trustworthiness (level of built trust) (Vargas & Yoon, 2004, p. 63).
Bullying is a form of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) that does stay with you for a long time. this can bring about fear that impacts on situations within life. This New bullion I found interesting because it puts a human face on the issue and to illustrate that many people suffer the same thing
In the edition of the Sunday Telegraph on the 13th of January 2008 page 9, it was reported that the Christmas and New Year period divorce rates surge. During this period more than 10,000 start divorce proceedings, while NSW accounts for 3000 within the national figure. During hard times and with the compounding stress of Christmas, arguments arise. While we are thinking about others and trying to organize events, time is at the forefront of the concerns. Thus when things do not go the way you want them to go, stress level peak.
Individuals start blaming their partner and accuse them of not doing something, or not following orders, so that the events go off with success. The arguments that follow cause family breakdown, stress, and depression. It is reported that counsellors are flooded with calls at this time. While in homes statistics show that there is a 157 percent rise in domestic violence in NSW.
It is suggested that during the Christmas and New Year period couples look for alternative options in the way they deal with stress, as family breakdown does not solve any long-term problems. It is recommended that one fights to reconcile the relationship even when it may look hopeless.
One thing to focus on now is the way we look at this Christmas and New Year period. For instance we have a mental picture that Christmas MUST turn out like the way we see things to be on the movies and TV shows. To be sure that is not a reality, and when our own life does not fit that stereotype, we feel – let down, sad, stressed, depressed, and angry. Emotional flooding of these emotions overwhelms the individual, causing the person to lash out at the ones they love.
If you are at risk of these emotions, I suggest that you start calming down, enjoy the errors of planning, because those are situation you will look back at and laugh at. Also if stress gets a bit much, go for a walk, forget what is wrong and clear your mind. Walking is a great way to be with nature and time to think about what is important. You and your family. The things that are NOT important are having the meal on time, the house being in the best presentation, and whether the children are noisy.
If problems persist talk to Ripple Affect.
Both Cunningham (2008) & Wells (2004) brings to the fore front the importance of Learning, & Modelling that shapes, moulds, and drives the formation of Character through experience and schemata building, while we are immersed in society.
All of us are born into a world that imposes values upon us, the values, beliefs, and social taboos, all in under the concept of socialization training, so that we may fit into the society, with its prebuilt values & beliefs. Thus our home, school, peers, and media is the “Eton” and formative social group, the mask that we are covertly forced to wear from birth onward, until the self becomes that which was once a mask. Eton was the training ground for the solders that went to Waterloo to fight against Napoleon under the command of Duke of Wellington. Wells (2004) uses this metaphor to illustrate the importance of preparation for one’s own life’s ethical decisions. These decisions are thus a product of years of preparation so when an action is needed, no decisions is needed, because the decisions was made years ago.
The Mask of conformation & socialization does come in the stories and narratives that are told to us and about us (also see Joseph Campbell) and the labels we live with have their own story. Working in Drug and Alcohol doing contingency counselling they are the self-schemas that I confront on a daily bases. Working with 2nd and 3rd and sometimes 4th generation addicts I see firsthand the Eton these people had to endure. The cost / benefit analysis is about immediate physical pain or getting the next shot. The justification used to overcome any cognitive dissidence with respect to morality or law is the social group they live with it is “normal behaviour in their social group. You may think the “birds of a feather fly together” but as Cunningham (p.30) points out the fundamental attribution error awareness is paramount when working in such an industry of human service, Many people with addiction are self medicating for other reasons and some have been given an addiction from horrific incidences for which they needed surgery. Though with other addicts come pushers, Cunningham addresses this as well, “the torturer has come to think of his work as the natural thing to do” and I would ad would take pride it their work. I would ask you to read about Milgram’s experiment study of Obedience < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment > and think about the ethics of the experimenter and the participants, you will be amazed.
Thought leads to behaviour, behaviour leads to repeated behaviour, repeated behaviour leads to habit, and habit becomes Character, so too emulated behaviour has the same outcome. The use of reward and punishment to guide behaviour (Cunningham, 2008, p. 29) would have been used at Eton in training the soldiers for the desired outcome. May I argue that we also use more subtle methods of obedience through reward and punishment on people around us, by the way we talk, facial expressions, and acceptance of others or ostracising them. These subtle methods are now used in horse training or horse whispering. With practice and imagination that improves practice for what may be unexpected shows the love in the endeavour. Goleman (Emotional intelligence, 1996) talks about how love and practise of ones profession can place a person in the “zone”, a Surgeon was operating, during which an Earth Quake shook the building and part of the Theatre fell to the floor. The Surgeon’s love of perfection was so present in the operation that he did not know that there was an Earth quake and did not notice that part of the ceiling had fallen.
The power of words creating their Ripple Affect.
The ripple affect that followed through to my family in my search for answers about diabetes was enormous. I became wrapped in fear and anxiety, to the point of depression.
After being told I had diabetes it was time to find out what diabetes is, and how will it affect the quality of my life. If you or some one you know has diabetes, you would have probably gone through a similar research expedition as I, trying to establish what exactly is diabetes and how are you going to survive with this. In the beginning I thought it could not be so bad, as when I phoned the doctor telling him I just got diabetes and was advised that I must see him, he said that late the following week would be fine. Also trying to make an appointment with the diabetes clinic I had the same results, a date was made nearly two weeks into the future. Neither the doctor nor the clinic was in a hurry to see me, a newly diagnosed diabetic! No one in the medical profession was in a hurry to see me; in that case maybe, I would probably not even need any type of medication. This gave me a reasonably safe feeling of security that this diabetes was not too much to worry about.
The appointment to see the professionals was some time away, I decided to go to our local library and borrow some books on the subject so that when I do see them I may be a bit better informed. Most books stated that diabetes is a chronic disease; I looked up the meaning for disease, what really is a disease and what did I do to catch this disease. The Encyclopedia Britannica states that a disease is a condition of the living animal or plant body or of one of its parts that impairs normal functioning. This totally blew me away, how was I going to be impaired from being able to function normally. Was it going to impair my brain, I had not long ago been accepted as a mature-aged student at university, and enjoyed doing my course with reasonably good results, so the quest for answers continued, as the words impairs normal functioning stayed planted in my long-term memory bank.
I read that what we eat impacts on the safety levels of blood readings, also that regular exercise would be necessary to enhance the quality of life and help adjust further blood readings, and that it would be necessary not only to rethink, but alter the life style that most likely assisted the onset of diabetes. This advice did not seem to drastic, I could do that, eat to a new set of menus and do regular exercise.
The next step I did, which on looking back was totally wrong for my cognitive and emotional stability, this step was to go public with my news of having diabetes. I decided to tell my friends and associates, hoping to get some advice and support. The reactions and comments did not vary that much, you poor thing! How do you feel? You will have to make so many adjustments to your life now! How are you coping? The worst comments that I received were in relation to the possible loss of my legs, eyesight and kidney damage without conclusive reasons given to these statements. We do not realize what power words have and the ripple affect they create, being at the receiving end has made me more seriously conscious that care must be taken on how one responds to a person that has just been dealt a blow. Telling someone you poor thing without any follow up may be said out of sympathy, empathy and possibly even to show concern But does it make the recipient cope better emotionally? No, this made me question why am I a poor thing, what do they know that I do not, and made matters only worse for me. After all I only have diabetes and not contracted a plague, I was looking for support not sympathy. I did not look for hero status by saying, hey, here I have been given something (diabetes) that you have not but I must deal with it, so feel sorry for me. No, I needed support and not sympathy, and say it mildly I actually got rather angry to the point that I could not tell whether I was angry, frustrated or just depressed.
sending...
