(Excerpted from the book ‘Rapid Recovery; Accelerated Information Processing & Healing‘ by Stephen P. King)
The body cannot tell the difference between what is real and what is imagined. We know this as humans often have a physiological reaction to dreams/nightmares. We can therefore, wake up in the morning, not even remembering that we have had a dream, or one which contained something our system/subconscious perceived as “negative”. Then throughout the rest of the day may have found that one is tripping over things, figuratively and literally, saying East when meaning West. Many may relate to it as being when you feel or state that you have been having “one of those days”. This is when we tend to go against our own best interests, self-sabotaging, living in a state of paradox or ambivalence, i.e. “knowing one thing, but doing another.”
Some people create mountains out of molehills (molehill mountain climbers) and thereby create a pattern of anticipated disasters, always expecting the worst case scenario plus! The psychologist Albert Ellis coined the term “awfulizing” for this phenomenon, and it has much to do with one’s personal purview and expectation, making the need for healthy perceptual shift an essential, in order that our best potential or the highest good can manifest.
Some healthcare practitioners, usually chiropractors and psychotherapists, use the term “neuro-emotional complex” (NEC) to describe an emotional response to a significant life event that has gotten “locked” into one’s sympathetic nervous system. This may later manifest as a spinal subluxation, and a specific imbalance in a muscle or acupuncture meridian, thereby resulting in some form of ill health.
These same practitioners, like chiropractor Mike Greenberg of Brentwood, California (who worked with Track & Field Olympic gold medallists Kevin Young and Quincy Watts), use Neuro Emotional Technique (NET) to address the emotional component of a problem through spinal adjustment, similar in some way to Torque Release Technique. A branch of NET is Neuro Emotional Anti-Sabotage Technique (NEAT), the purpose of which is to make certain that the client is congruent with whatever is desirable. AK can be used on simple statements such as, “I want to change the situation” and by analyzing that which is not okay, a subluxation adjustment can be made for correcting same. This would appear to be identical to the concept of “reversals” and “correcting reversals.”
Practitioners of Somato Emotional Release refer to Energy Cysts (EC) as being the residual localized energy which has been introduced into a client’s body by external physical trauma, emotional trauma, pathogenic microbes of any type, exposure to excessive radiation and toxic substances. If the body is incapable of releasing or dissipating this externally induced energy, it remains as an EC – a form of disorganized, negative energy. John Upledger (CranioSacral Therapy. Illinois, Eastland Press. 1983) states that body cells and tissues (muscle, bone, teeth, fascia or other connective tissues or viscera) have the ability to retain memories of experienced trauma, and that the memory’s emotional energy also gets stored and may get stimulated by the placing of a therapist’s hands on the area of the emotional trauma.
Kahlil Gibran said, ”Pain is the bitter pill of the inner physician that cracks the shell of our understanding.” A seed can only grow into a flower when it has swelled and died. Likewise, our own ability to create newness in our lives comes from periods of crisis that force us to put (some of) our old behaviours and beliefs to rest. (Borysenko p. 83)
Anxiety, fear, painful memory, anticipation, stuck ego beliefs/protection, toxins, allergies, pollutants etc. can all create the effect of reversal. For some, it can have links with an original sense of not getting unconditional love or acceptance – therefore some level of self-rejection may occur and a belief that one doesn’t deserve success/wealth etc. (Janov p. 71)
Imagine what would be happening to your energy system if your thoughts, when in any form of competition, (running for example), turned to self-doubts; “I don’t know if I can do this.” “I’m alongside John S. and he is much faster than me – I shouldn’t be here – I’ve gone off too fast – can’t hold the pace – have never gone this far/fast before.” “It’s too hot/cold/far/hilly/rough/windy – I never race well in these conditions.” “I hate a sprint finish – have never beaten anyone in a sprint before – what’s the point – suffering sucks!” “I’m at 20 miles, this is where everyone tells me I’m going to `Hit the Wall`.”, and so on. It is worthwhile using AK to test your resistance when you make those statements aloud, without even being in a race situation! Check it out also on any negative statements you may have found yourself using regarding any situations that you may have encountered or are currently involved in.
For runners, I suggest that a clearer and more practical demonstration can be noted when timing oneself on say a hard 800m or one kilometre run, while constantly repeating in one’s head the words, “I can do it.” Then, after sufficient rest, run the same distance with the same level of intensity, but repeating the words, “I can’t do it.”
Then check to see the difference in time and how you feel after the two runs. Try it again a week later, but reverse the order of the statements. My guess is you will notice a difference in the times and the level of comfort both mentally and physically.
When physical attributes such as speed, stamina, strength, suppleness
and skill are virtually equal, the advantage in a closely contested race
lies with the athlete who has the better mental edge.
The objective of psychological preparation is optimum arousal of the
Athlete’s mental, physical and spiritual resources – along with a realistic
assessment of his/her capabilities and training or racing goals. Self-oriented
thoughts such as the fear of finishing last or not running up to expectations
are negative, destructive and purposeless.
Conversely, task oriented thoughts are constructive, positive and purposeful.
They reduce anxiety, fear and stress levels. They enable the athlete to fulfill
his/her potential and to do justice to training efforts.
(`Mind over Matter`. Derek Parker. Veteran Athletics Magazine. Spring 1997, p. 23)
