Power Lines, Panic Attacks, and Godzilla
At first glance those words don’t seem to have anything at all to do with each other, do they? Is it possible though, that something that doesn’t seem to be connected at all, can be, and quite out of your conscious awareness make you feel or behave in interesting ways?
It turns out the answer to that question is yes.
For many years, I had panic and anxiety attacks on car rides as soon as I saw those giant-sized high-power lines from the highway.
This went on for years and gradually faded from my experience. (I still had panic attacks, but there were different triggers.) I never understood why the high-power lines brought those feelings on though. Until decades later, in fact.
The fact that panic and anxiety attacks were a thing in my life for as long as I could remember (not only around high-power lines) created in me a thirst for learning how to change this. I didn’t believe it was just something I had to live with or medicate. (Though I did go down the medication avenue for six months in my early twenties, long enough to decide, “Thank you, and NO!)” Somehow, I believed there was a skill I could learn to counter this behavior.
It turns out I was right.
After many starts and stops with different promising modalities, I found tapping through Dr. Mercola’s blog. Tapping led me to learn the ways and means of mastering my emotions, and ultimately to a career change.
One day while working with a client for a similar (but different) issue with anxiety she mentioned Godzilla… It was like tumblers falling into place for me and a door in my mind was unlocked. Those high-power lines and panic attacks suddenly made perfect sense.
To understand why step back in time with me…
Once upon a time, as a child, I loved watching Godzilla movies. I watched them all the time! You know what Godzilla does in each of those movies, right? Well, he stomps on high-power lines as he makes his way across the city.
During one of those many movies my unconscious mind did what it does and linked two unrelated things together. High-Power Lines = Godzilla stomping on them.
Driving down the highway seeing those high-power lines triggered panic attacks because of those links unbeknownst to me. High-power lines mean, “Danger, Godzilla is coming!” Of course, consciously that seems silly. I know that Godzilla is just a plastic toy and those aren’t even real high-power lines! It turns out the unconscious mind isn’t that logical; it simply does what it does and links unrelated things. Once linked the unconscious cues us to think, feel, and behave accordingly.
In fact, anything we vividly imagine is made real in the body through our emotions. That includes something unconsciously imagined.
Thankfully I know what I know now. Today whenever a behavior crops up that doesn’t make sense, I can do a little Sherlock Holmes sleuthing and find out what got linked and where. Next, I create better links for better behaviors.
You can start this process yourself by asking one very simple question once you notice a feeling you would like more control over, “When have I felt this way before?”
Always trust your first answer. The first thought that comes to mind might seem unrelated, and that’s OK.
Your unconscious mind always answers first. It seems like you’re making it up. Your conscious mind will immediately seek to edit it. (This is when you question yourself and the validity of the response, or you think you’re just making it up, but you’re not!)
Save yourself some time and go with that first response.
And then what do you do with that information?
Unlinking negative resources and creating new links is simpler than you would think. I’m a fan of tapping, which will most likely come as no surprise if you know me.
This diagram below shows you the FasterEFT style tapping points and phrases that are highly effective in unlinking what no longer serves (and possibly isn’t true anymore).
The process is simple. But, first a diagram:
Next, think of the memory that came to you. Decide how strong it is from zero to ten (go with your first response). Now transfer your focus from the memory to the feeling of your fingertips as you gently tap the points in the diagram repeating the phrases. Tap approximately 5–7 times per point. End the tapping round with the peace anchor (squeezing your wrist) and immediately take your mind to a happy memory unrelated to the issue at hand.
Now wash, rinse, and repeat.
Continue checking how strong the memory is and use the tapping process until the memory changes in your mind. If you continually look for what is different it will naturally evolve into a more positive scene, feeling, or sound than you started with. Alternatively, you won’t feel like it applies to you any longer, much like an old movie you watched once that is no longer important.
Think you don’t have enough time to do this? Even if you set a timer for five minutes and use the process above and then stop, you will make changes. In as little as five minutes a day, you can create big shifts. You’re worth five minutes a day, aren’t you?
Which links would you like to improve and change in your life?
Schedule a free strategy session with me to learn more about the incredible power you have to create changes in your life.
