Are You Biased Toward Negative Experiences?

The newest research shows we are biased toward negative experiences rather than positive ones. According to the Prospect Theory, people are more likely to make choices because of their desire to avoid negative outcomes or experiences, rather than their wish to have positive experiences. Psychologists concluded that the fear of a negative experience would usually have more influence on us than positive ones.

Research and studies on this subject show that we are more susceptible and suggestible to the negative, “our attitudes are more heavily influenced by bad news rather than good news”. We therefore make decisions more often to avoid the negative rather than to embrace the positive.

As a result of this way of thinking we may tend to create more dissatisfaction, fear and conflict in our lives. But this does not mean we are destined to be unhappy and dissatisfied. We do have a choice, as mentioned in my blog
Visualizing and imagining those happy moments for at least 20 seconds in a relaxed state allows the brain to register these positive experiences and take them in.

When you have trained your mind toward fear and anxiety for example, you react telling yourself there is something to fear. Lets say you do this for days, weeks or years the mind becomes attuned to acting and reacting and you have developed the habit of being afraid, anxious or fearful and it spreads like a virus.

On the other hand, applying a new behavior,  (and with the assistance of hypnosis this is easier), you can bring awareness to the situation; stop, breathe and bring your attention to what is going on in the moment, rather than worrying or ruminating about negative things that probably will never happen anyway. In doing this you are retraining yourself to be more calm, mindful and clear thinking and this expands as well, allowing you to be the person you want to be.

We hypnotize clients to teach them new healthier patterns like not to bite their nails, to quit smoking, to relax rather than to live in fear or other anxieties they may be experiencing that they want to change. Hypnotherapy is actually a fast track learning mode and it works.

Ava Evans, C.Ht.