Scatomas, Ericksonian Hynotherapy, Hoarding and why "The Obvious" Isn't

Welcome to the Front Porch. We're gettin' ready to talk about why our friends can't see the patently "obvious." In this conversation we're referencing failure of people to see corruption and its consequences in politics.

I believe there are a lot of normal folks out there who just don't "see" the truth. Now to us, it's plain as the noses on our faces. Politicians have, do and always will lie, cheat and plunder the property of the innocents they're supposed to be protecting. The unfortunate thing about George Washington is he left us with unreasonable expectations. Poisonous snakes do what they do, politicians do what they do. For some reason(s) however, your third cousin wants to dispute the latter. Why?

If we can root out some of the why's, perhaps we can restore sight to the blind!!

As an amatuer cracker barrel psychologist, I have a few thoughts on this. I bet you do, too. Let's get our heads together...

First premise: that "scatomas," (term thanks to Lou Tice as I recall) better known as "blind spots" can be corrected. The proof of this lies in each of our own experiences. How many times have we been stumbling along, getting modest or even negative results and wondering why? Then one day it just pops into our head : the "aha!" The moment occurs when we realize that like my Mom used to say, "It was right there along along. If it had been a snake it would've bit ya." If you're having trouble recalling one of these for yourself, then think of this: at some time or another you've seen one of those tricky pictures that can look like one thing ( e.g.the beautiful woman) or another (the old hag) depending on your persepective. After a while, at your option you can "see" either one, just not both at the same time. Have you ever counted the "f's" in the long sentence where you "see" 5, and it turns out to be 7, because you failed to "see" the "f's" in the word "of"?

One way or another, I think we can agree this stuff happens to practically everyone. Sometimes it's harmless, sometimes downright insidious.

Let's use a non-political example of the latter.

I know this person who, in her childhood, was repeatedly made an incest victim. When in the midst of the terror of the act, she would "go away" in her head. It was a legitimate learned survival technique that may even have saved her life at the time. The problem is, we generally don't have alarm clocks that go off telling us it's time to dump this deeply internalized technique when we become adults and the danger is no longer there. It's so deeply ingrained, we unconsciously employ it for other unpleasant situations that need our adult attention. And, because we can't "see", shit happens. If the poop gets deep enough, we wind up in front of a professional counselor who, if competent, will recognize the symptoms, help us to identify the causes and start us on a road to better functionality. Notice I did not call it "recovery."

Fortunately, there's more than one road out of this labrinthe. I want to mention one technique, because I believe its successful use has practical applications with our blind third cousin.

There's a psychological healing technique called Ericksonian Hypnotherapy. I've had the pleasure of it working for me a couple of decades ago. The theory is that the subconscious has filters it uses to prohibit "non-useful" information from getting into our heads. Without it, our brain would be a WalMart sized 'Sanford and Sons'. However, what if the subconscious is preventing us from getting information we need? Preventing us from "seeing the obvious"? What if childhood filters that once worked remained to cripple our perceptions as adults?

Ericksonian Hypnotheraphy involves, are you ready...hypnotherapy. The theory is that under hypnosis the guide talks to the subconscious in its own language. Kind of like a horse whisperer for the mind. It is believed, and seemingly proven through application, that the subconscious thinks, or operates, in its own language, and that the best way to communicate to it is metaphors. Stories. Stories that if your conscious mind heard them, it would say, WHAT?

My hypnotherapist told me stories about an elderly lady who passed away, leaving thousands of paper bags stashed in every available corner of her house. She had a problem. In light of the hoarding phenomenon that has come to light in recent years, not much of a stretch either. Now this story, told to the subconscious, is suggesting that it too has an over-size collection of useless and cluttering stuff. In fact, that many 'paper bags' can become a fire hazard (!)

Now if we could have spoken to this fictional lady and the conversation was realistic, she's likely to have told us that she barely notices that her walls are stacked to the ceiling with paper bags. In her daily routine, she doesn't "see" them. That's what many hoarders will tell you...

How is this information potentially useful for our libertarian ends? What if we make the argument that instead of paper bags, many of us hoard old opinions and ideas that have outlived their usefulness, to the point of being counterproductive, and that these opinions and ideas necessarily keep us blind to the "obvious"? As usual, the first step to solution is to identify the problem. We can't help someone else see their scatomas if we don't understand they exist and can be consciously, and/or subconsciously worked through.

Being merely the occasional Minister of the Cracker Barrel, I'm no expert at suggesting solutions---ways for us to get through to our "blind" third cousin. Perhaps the technique above, but that would require a lot of self-confrontation on their part. So maybe we can look at it this way: Why try to keep opening a door that is sealed shut? If your friend won't answer, try a different door!!

That's exactly what happened to me with libertarianism. In early high school I was your typical loud-mouthed, sanctimonious. socialist dork. I always won the arguments, which was very important to me since my sports ability was confined to hauling a water bucket, if I was careful not to fill it all the way.

One day a beautiful young lady and I traded books. It was my one ploy with the opposite sex. Somewhat to my chagrin, she handed me this monster which had, in addition to its objectionable size, the fact that it was written by a woman. The most dreadful books I'd ever read had been written by women. However, this book was THE FOUNTAINHEAD. It blew me out of my shoes.

And to conclude on an humbling note, I read the whole damned thing and saw no political relevance that changed my adolescent Stevensonian politics. But when I heard about ATLAS SHRUGGED from another friend, his review was so enthusiastic I had to have it. Read it and dreamed about it for 3 days. Even after the forewarning that the heroes were laissez-faire capitalists!!

For me, THE FOUNTAINHEAD had been the stealth door past my usual predispositions and blind spots. What was your door (realizing some of us grew up in the 'right' home and didn't have to relearn stuff)? I don't recommend this door to everyone, much as I've tried. Easily 80% of the folks I've tried to introduce to libertarianism via Rand were like the proverbial square pegs.

But, there is a door for most everyone of benevolent intent. I believe that. And you know what also opens doors? Panic and distress. Let's be sure it's us there on the other side when that happens...

Now, don't leave w/o a comment, observation, suggestion or a damned funny joke!!