Releasing Fear With Submodalities

A common question from those who have learned Neuro-linguistic Programming (NLP) is generally phrased as “Where else can these concepts be applied?”  

So, here’s another example of the use of it's technology in daily interactions. This one stems from a family story pertaining to my son.

Yesterday, (at the time of this writing,) my youngest had a shocking encounter that launched him into a state of severe panic. Sitting at his desk and playing on his computer, along came a spider (pun intended). Now, this wasn’t just any spider, this was a black widow (or at least how he perceived it.)

Now, to add a bit of backstory, my son has always been afraid of spiders, ever since I can remember. Keep in mind, I don’t say those words lightly. He was deathly afraid of them for years, to the point of even choosing to avoid going outside, out of the fear of coming across a spider or a bug.  

As you can imagine, this was a crippling problem. Not just a fear, but a true phobia, which went on for close to a decade, until I became well-versed in the field of the subconscious mind, and ultimately helped him release it. Yes, there is a method to release a phobia in just a few moments, which, as mentioned, we did. As a result, all was well for years after.

Fast forward to yesterday. When my son crossed paths last night with that black widow and had it almost walk across his hand (as he put it), he became frantic. Alarms sounded in my house, with a scream as he came running from the second floor as if there were a fire. He was hyperventilating, pacing back and forth, stumbling over his words, and had tremors in his legs and arms, all as a result of the incident. Saying it was traumatic, is an understatement.

Now, it’s good to emphasize that perceived trauma, no matter how minuscule to an outside perspective, is still trauma to the person involved. While some see little to no harm in an encounter, others, like my son, perceived a primal fear of survival, which left him with an energetic wound.  



Of course, as good parents, my wife and I consoled him, heard his concern, and encouraged him to experience things differently...still, this was traumatic for him and he was responding. So, upstairs I went, to handle the situation and capture the spider to release it outside. 

Upon success, I came downstairs to join my wife and son, and to check in on him, while offering assurance that the spider was gone. He seemed somewhat calmer. He was still shaking with a concern that there may be more, but he was willing to go upstairs to play his game. So, all seemed to be ok.

Fast forward to bedtime, and my son was not comfortable. He couldn’t stop thinking about the spider. He was certain that there were more in the room and wanted me to search the entire space for more spiders, just so he could sleep. And while I would be happy to do so, it was time for some NLP to step in.

Instead of masking his fears, I decided to tap into his unconscious mind, with his permission, of course, to figure out what was still taking place. Now, If you are versed with the subconscious, you may recall that we, as humans, think in pictures, sounds, and feelings (tastes and smells too)...which translates into thoughts. Knowing this, it was time to inquire as to how he was processing the information. I asked him to explain what was going on when he closed his eyes. His response was perfect. It was time for some submodality work.

In case you’re unaware, not only do we experience the world through our subconscious in (mostly) pictures, sounds, and feelings, called modalities, but we also have subcategories in each modality, termed submodalities, which describe the various qualities of each. For example, you may see an image in your mind’s eye, but do you notice if that image is in color or in black and white? While you may hear a sound, is it a low or high pitch that comes across? Or, is that feeling you experience heavy or light? (Please note, these are just samples of the vast array of submodalities)

Knowing my son was experiencing a picture of the spider, I knew how to help. Utilizing submodalities, one can influence and alter how a person experiences those same pictures, sounds, and feelings (called an internal representation) as if to rewrite how the subconscious stores the information.  

In the class setting, I’ve taught this concept as a means to increase motivation, to remove/add desires, or even change the energy in a memory...now today, I express how it was used to help my son. 

I asked him to explain what he was experiencing, and sure enough, what was uncovered was a large image of a black widow, bigger than a mouse, haunting his thoughts a few inches in front of his face. Perfect! We can work with that!

So, I offered him a suggestion and began to alter the submodalities to what he was viewing in his mind's eye. Sure enough, the energy changed. One minute before, he was afraid, trembling, and unable to sleep. Approximately 48 seconds later, he was good to go.  

Once I witnessed the shift in his energy and physical body, I asked how he was feeling and if he still needed me to search his room. His response was… ”no, I’m good”...and off to bed he went without a care in the world.

Thank you unconscious mind!

Again, it’s always good to take the learnings from NLP and find varying applications. After all, we are working with the programs that run our perceived reality. 

Submodality work is highly influential and good to understand for self-care and success. Equally to guide others, as in this case. Which, by the way, should be done with ecology and integrity for you, others, and society as a whole. Or, that is at least my opinion on the matter.

Cheers!

About Carl Schirtzer

An internationally board-certified trainer and acclaimed master practitioner of neuro-linguistic programming (NLP), Carl is a master hypnotherapist, accredited astropsychologist, and celebrated transformational coach, who commands a diverse range of modalities that Awakn™ the human spirit.  

With a passion to unlock personal potential, he works in the sphere of the unconscious, utilizing astrological axioms, universal laws, and the language of the subconscious mind, to release original wounds and Ignite Your Inner Spark™.

Through enlightening perspectives, paralleled with powerful tools and techniques, Carl advises on how to purposefully influence interactions, past experiences, and future aspirations, while sharing a behind-the-scenes look into the secret principles to master your own life story.