With a quiet pause and no expression she delivers to me her parting words “that’s interesting, I’ll have to think about that”. A woman had stopped by the booth for a free demonstration on a knee replacement she had 11 years ago that left her with permanent numbness and sensitivity over the incision. This is a common outcome for such a surgery. Using a SEO (Syntropy Effect Optimizer) research device I invented, I simply shook it over the knee (through clothing) and in about 20 seconds she reported the feeling and normal tissue dynamics were restored. This is what people usually report after these demos on post-op numbness. The responses on how people process what just happened fascinate me. What does the brain/mind do with an experience that is so counter-intuitive and out of the box from their expectation?
We all have preconceived ideas of what is supposed to happen. However, when the evidence contradicts this, the brain then has to use some fancy footwork to juggle and rearrange well worn neural pathways to maintain feeling safe and normal. Cognitive dissonance is mental stress and discomfort when an individual experiences contradictory beliefs, values or ideas at the same time. The ‘wheels on the bus that go round and round….round and round’ have just hit a big pothole and busted the axle and come to an abrupt stop. The gears and brain machinery strive for internal consistency. The person that experiences dissonance becomes psychologically uncomfortable and is motivated to retreat to safety.
Instead of “interesting”, mainstream science often uses the “placebo effect” dismissal to avoid any proper research. I refer here to examples where there is proven evidence beyond the typical placebo effect, yet it is invoked because of cognitive dissonance. The magnitude of CD and what determines the persons response depends on so many factors. The best description I have heard looks at the person experiencing conflicting cognitions and the level of risk they are willing to entertain if they embrace the new evidence. “It’s the placebo effect” can be like invoking the Fifth Amendment privilege against self-incrimination. What are the risks to the persons academic position, finances, family and professional relations if disclosure is made of new evidence or breakthroughs?
“WOW”…three times from the next person that comes over. The man had three shoulder surgeries. Shake the SEO over the shoulder……and he reports he can move the shoulder better and all feeling is restored……
“Interesting” or “WOW” ???…..Disturbing the comfortable OR comforting the disturbed?
I once heard that there’s ‘nothing so threatening as changing your story about the world. ‘ We humans love our comfort zones. The world is exploding with new, inexpensive, natural and energy healing modalities that actually work, but people still choose to stay asleep to them in favor of their story of how healing must come about. The medicinal model is so very powerful in our collective consciousness, even when results are poor, it’s extraordinarily expensive, and even death is an acceptable side affect of prescribed medication! Thanks for being an alternative voice in conscious healing and well being.