Guest guest Posted January 17, 2008 Report Share Posted January 17, 2008 > Even though I have noticed this > thought " as a thought " there is still a large amount of fear associated > with this thought. How do you move from noticing it to being willing > to experience it? > Tricky. Noticing it is a big first step. From there I tried just sitting quietly on my own, with plenty of time, and just investigating the edges of it. I sometimes find even now I am unwilling to experience it, I want to avoid it (eg by going back to bed), so then while lying in bed I might think, well if I let myself feel it for just one second will I explode and die? So then I can let myself feel it - ALL of it. I also find that remembering that whilst I consider it to be a huge bottomless void (of pain - your experience may be different), it is still inside me, I can contain it and be bigger than it and expand around it, it can have as much room as it wants, I can still contain it. Sometimes ACT seems full of these sorts of paradoxes! I have also found that the visualisation exercises (something like p137 138 in the gooym & iyl workbook) have helped me feel a bit sorry for it, and think of it as my poor little pain creature. If i try and (mentally) stroke it it it scratches and claws me and tries to bite me, but thats okay. So if you can work through some of the learning to jump exercises again with this fear as the target (and just bring the associated thought to mind again will probably help you find it!) it may help. If youre still seeing the therapist, he/she may be able to give a bit more specific help good luck j Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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