How To Control Pain The NLP Way
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How To Control Pain The NLP Way
Are you constantly fighting pain? Do you wish you could turn pain off like a switch? Well, we've teamed up with NLP expert Andy Austin to show you how to use Neuro Linguistic Programming to change the way your mind interprets the pain signal, so the pain is effectively reduced or even turned off.
Step 1: Relax
First, you need to learn to relax. Think about words and phrases that help you to relax, and say them to yourself. Telling yourself to "breathe and relaaax" in deep gentle tones helps to put you in a trance like state, and you will feel yourself relax with every exhaling breath you take. Count from 5 down to 1, telling yourself you will be relaxed into a trance by the end of it.
Step 2: Observe The Pain
When you are relaxed, try to observe the pain objectively. Think of it as nothing more than a sensation, then try to imagine it as if it has a physical existence. What shape is it, what colour, what texture does it have, what movements does it make? Don't worry if this seems difficult, just make it up in your head. The important thing is that the image becomes a metaphor for your pain.
Step 3: Move the Pain
The next step is to move the representation of the pain to outside your body, where it's easier to observe. Continue to examine it from a couple of metres away.
Step 4: Change the qualities in the pain
Start to change some of the qualities of the representation. Make it darker or smaller, or change the colours. Alter the way it moves and its position - turn it upside down. As you experiment with this, notice which changes alter the sensation of the pain. When you're satisfied with the changes you've made and the pain is more comfortable, you can either send the pain into the distance, or put it back into your body in a different location, where it may be more manageable. Or you can simply turn it around and put it back where it was, so it cancels out the original pain.
Step 5: Increase Your Energy
Pain leaves us lacking energy. To combat this, put yourself into a relaxed state and focus on your breathing. Imagine a golden ball of light around your body, that you can hear and feel vibrating. Allow yourself to fully experience the vibrations around your body. As you breathe in, imagine the golden light getting brighter, the vibrations louder and stronger. As you breathe out, the light gets clearer - this signifies waste and tension being released from your body, and the vibrations serve to relax you and restore energy resources.