Access a state of fearing that you will block. Step into that state of fear by imagining yourself in the context where you would have this fear.
From the background of your mind access a strong resourceful state of courage, faith, determination, and so on. Amplify it by making the movie vivid and using empowering language.
Apply your resource state(s) to the fear of blocking. Do this using language or any combination of visual, auditory, or kinesthetic resources.
Before teaching others how to do this, you need to do it on yourself and understand how you did it. Think of something you are fearful or anxious about, such public speaking, and run the pattern on yourself.
First make sure the PWS is in a good state. Then have them mentally step back so that they are able to examine the movie they make dispassionately.
Ask them to recall a time when they were blocking and fearful, and watch that movie from a safe position. Say “Remember a time when you were blocking. What are you paying attention to?” Usually they will be totally focused on themselves or on the other person, mindreading them like mad, that they will not be seeing anything else at all clearly.
Then ask, “How close are you to the other person?” Ask them to mentally step back so that they can see more of the area behind and beside the image that represents blocking, and to pay close attention to what they have not been seeing. Ask, “What is there that you are not seeing?”
Now, ask them to look behind that or beyond that and notice the resources back there. Say something like, “Yes, those resources are within you and you can be aware of them if you just pay attention. You may experience these resources as behind you, or supporting you in some way. At the moment they may be quite distant, far behind you in the background and you are only just aware of them. Or you may experience the resources you need actually inside yourself, maybe a feeling, maybe a sense of being bigger, more confident, so that having these resources, you hear yourself speaking confidently and fluently with that other person. You may think of these resources as confidence, calmness, courage or faith.” Amplify these resource states as needed.
Once the PWS understands the model, has the fear foregrounded, and is aware of the resources behind and beyond the fear, say, “As you become more aware of the resources that are available to you, you can allow them to become stronger, closer, with you and within you. And as you bring those resources into the foreground of your mind just push that old fear of stuttering way into the background. You may wish to just let it go so far that it either disappears, dissolves or explodes.” To make this even more powerful, do what Jack did and allow the resource state to do whatever it wants in order to remove or destroy the problem state.
Practice finding different resources, applying them to the unresourceful movie, and notice which have the greatest effect. Jack uses pictures; I do it using words. I visualize the word “fear” and above that I put the word “faith.” Behind that visual of the word “faith” is a picture of Jesus who, for me, empowers the word “faith.” I then move the visual of the word “faith” down on top of the word “fear” and the word “fear” breaks into a thousand pieces. Others do it kinesthetically as they will move the feeling of courage and/or faith into the location of the feeling of fear. When you have “courageous” fear or “faithful” fear, how does that change the fear?
Applying resources to completely cover the negative image of fear, usually results in a shift in thinking. When Jack brought his image of fear forward and melded it with his resource image “the meaning totally changed”. How the PWS applies their resources is up to them. They can do it slowly and gradually and see the old fears and anxieties fading into the background, or suddenly and completely and experience a dramatic change in how they are.
Note: A person with religious beliefs may discover the presence of God. Yes, resources flow from God into them, just so long as they allow themselves to stand far enough back from that debilitating situation. In the next section we will discuss further how to lead the PWS in accessing their higher spiritual resources. Meta-stating
Everyone has the ability to access resources that will change the way they are at any one time, and can deliberately choose to apply them to any situation. If, for example, the PWS only applies a state of courage when thinking about speaking to a friend then they can learn to apply it to strangers as well. It is the state of mind, and not the content of the state, that makes the difference.
Exercise 3.7: Basic meta-stating
The previous pattern is an example of what its originator, L. Michael Hall calls Meta-stating – the process of applying resources to debilitating states (Hall, 1996, 2000, p. 47). The essence of this way of changing is:
Access a state which is limiting or debilitating, such as the fear of blocking.
Think of an appropriate resource which when you apply it to the fear of blocking will minimize the fear.
Associate into that resource state. Start by recalling a time when you had this state before, and then allow it to become stronger to completely fill you.
Staying in this resourceful state, apply it to the fear of blocking. Allow the resource state to envelop and permeate that fear of blocking, so that it dissolves and loses its power.
This change in your state can remain with you and continue to influence the way you are in the world. Still in this new state imagine yourself going through the rest of today, tomorrow, next week and the months to come, and
