There are several Posts that I have dedicated to the issue of unhealthy fears (pathological and chronic) or phobias. In a generic way we analyze them in Future Post WALKING AND THE MEANING OF LIVING WITHOUT FEAR, in a particular way in others: fear of loneliness, fear of freedom, agoraphobia and claustrophobia; and in one more, where it is explained in detail how the practice of the WALK-RWD system allows us, if not to eradicate fears, at least to reduce them to an important level, since it is possible to achieve a “mental/psychological balance” both emotionally and sensitively in people who suffer from any type of phobia.
Generally, the phobia is a symptom of some emotional (or psychological) problem that the individual – who suffers from it – blocks so as not to recognize it, an impulse repressed (or inhibited) by his conscious, an aspiration or an unsatisfied desire (for love or possession) that could not be carried out successfully. They are primary or essential (fundamental) desires that are unsatisfied or frustrated. They are also the source of Plutomania(1).
Phobias are generated (result) in the minds of individuals, due to desires that are incompatible with reality, that which we consider normal and true. That tendency arises, consciously or unconsciously, that acts on your mind, directing you towards a negative reaction, of fear, towards the phobic object.
The contact – real or imaginary – of consciousness with the phobic object is intolerable and this causes the individual who suffers from it to reject and store the information in the unconscious; in other words, this conscious behavior towards the phobic object is a defense mechanism that evades or inhibits the desire or psychological feeling, transforming it into an exaggerated and unbearable fear. The unconscious is always in charge of receiving and processing it.
These types of phobias that human beings suffer from are very varied: acrophobia (from the gr. acros: high, extreme, phobos: fear, horror of heights, vertigo of heights; agoraphobia; aerophobia; cenophobia: of empty kenós, horror to empty spaces; social phobia (2), photophobia; nyctophobia, horror of night; wheat, food, repugnance to food; xenophobia, exaggerated rejection of foreign things, and dozens more.
In general terms, the individual who suffers from a phobia resorts to two stages of response. The least helped is the one where he senses that he must face that sick fear because he is quite aware that he should not have that fear to the degree that he feels it; and the other stage, the most frequented, avoids the phobic object in an exaggerated way. Two attitudes that summarize the impulsive reactions of people who suffer from phobias.
We must look for a third option, and this is where the WALK-RWD system can help us from the perspective of seeking liberation and satisfaction of repressed desires (unconscious contents) to improve and integrate the personality of the individual who suffers from the phobia, or well tending to complete it and consummate it in a more harmonious way.
The phenomenon of phobias clearly explains that part in which its negative part is attributed to the unconscious. However, the unconscious serves as a repository for the tribulations that the conscious suffers when feeling fearful of certain stimuli external to the self; but the unconscious is not damaged, but rather serves the human mind as a receptacle, warehouse, processor and as a cathartic mechanism: a conductive medium to make those rejected stimuli and impulses flow to consciousness, serving so that consciousness itself can assimilate them in an ideal or less painful way for her (Posts THE UNCONSCIOUS AND THE CONSCIOUS IN THE APPLICATION OF THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM; PSYCHOANALYSIS AND THE WALK-RWD SYSTEM).
The principle (rule) that we will have to comply with through the application of the WALK-RWD system is that the greatest help that can be provided to a person who suffers from a phobia is not to satisfy their material needs and desires in a way external to them her jurisdiction, but to instill security in her so that she can satisfy them herself. In addition, he must be taught that he must attend to his own desires and true needs – mastering and understanding them -, for which he must renounce social conventions, freeing himself from the conditions that he has acquired in his existence and that have not allowed him to strengthen his own character or mature their personality (Future Post THE PERSONALITY DEFINED BY THE RHYTHM OF WALKING-BODY, Post THE WALK AND THE INSTINCT TO LEAVE THE PLACE OF ORIGIN).
Let us keep in mind that the WALK-RWD system tends towards culture, and this aspires to satisfy essential desires, not the unnecessary or artificial appetites (desires) of aggregate civilization (Post READING IS WRITING, WITHOUT STOP WALKING).
We have already stated that the WALK-RWD system generates, by itself, a process of harmonization in our mind and body with the structured activities of reading, writing and drawing, placing us in an excellent stage of motivation and enthusiasm, reducing the hierarchy of all activities daily obligations, and in this case of analysis, taking away the power of phobias.
There is no specific recipe for each phobia, however, it is worth mentioning that through certain attention and care we can get closer to eliminating it. In general, each individual keeps some fears about some things deep inside and begins to realize it, until he or she manages to have contact with them. No one can say a priori that they feel a phobia about something, until they have the experience of their personal relationship or contact with that “object.” As I already mentioned, there are several Posts that especially deal with some psychological and emotional problems, and in the future I will continue to develop this system to apply it specifically to various phobias.
In general, there are 6 specific routes that we will have to walk with the WALK-RWD system, taking the first steps by applying it comprehensively, that is, writing, reading aloud, and if required, also drawing, while we walk.
1st ROUTE.
Let’s determine the phobia to be treated and its magnitude. We must quantify the thresholds of that fear. Let’s think that we will try to reduce it and if we can, eliminate it.
We will have to take into account in this route that there are two scenarios: the one in which we are psychologically immersed in defined fear; and the other is that scenario that participates within us since we are born or, the phobia that we have acquired and paid over time, surely from the first years of life.
2nd ROUTE.
Let’s analyze objectively, according to our experience and inclinations – emotional and psychological – if we feel a rejection towards the phobic object: if there is any link between the phobia and any activity, commitment, etc. There must be that conscious or unconscious connection.
3rd ROUTE.
Determine, once the phobia is determined, the functional characteristics for the next 2 stages.
A) NEGATIVE OR LACERANT STAGE
• Rejection
• Disgust
• Repudiation
• Distress
• Repulsion
• Aversion
• Nausea
• Dizziness
• Others
B) POSITIVE OR PLEASANT STAGE
Let us complement this route by pointing out on a conscious level if this phobia causes us, sometimes and on certain occasions, positive, good, pleasant, useful, utilitarian, fun, valuable, healthy and beneficial aspects, which clearly presents a paradoxical situation.
And as something defining, a relationship made up of the negative, bad and unpleasant aspects that are felt when the phobia arises.
4TH ROUTE.
As the human being usually responds as we have pointed out within these 2 stages –negative and positive-, we will have to take the following steps by applying the WALK-RWD system.
We must be aware of what we ourselves have experienced in relation to how attractive or not, how satisfying or not, certain activities are.
When we feel rejection towards something, we must become aware of the reason for this rejection.
It is suggested that the person write down the essences that make up their rejection, while walking, as well as the chains of links that lead to their phobia, as analyzed to determine their “acquisition”, becoming aware of the attitudes and activities they develop in this new controlled environment, and the behavior of the person who is suffering from it.
We must be aware that if something is rejected, it is because we do not like it.
To determine the links we must point out that essentially: If we reject something it is because it is of no interest to us, and sometimes it scares us.
We will write this description and read it aloud while we walk: Basic and unavoidable recommendation.
We must place rejection and phobia together, in an exact process, at the same moment, so that they flow and emerge at the same time.
Now, let’s ask the following questions: Why do we reject it? Why are we afraid of it? Why does it bother us?
As we walk, we will have to write with all honesty and truthfulness, the answers to these 3 questions and we will analyze them deeply, in such a way that we will find the possible “cause” and we will be able to know ourselves better, in terms of what we feel and why. we feel it, essentially trying to know what its causes are.
All of this will bring us closer to the “cause (or causes)” why we feel a phobia for an “object.”
If we look for positive aspects in each “cause” for each of the negative issues, we can take a firm step towards mitigating the phobia and perhaps even eliminating it.
We must also be aware that this possible success in alleviating the phobia will be verified if the program of actions is carried out within the WALK-RWD system and through repetitive acts that, although the rational part of the person rejects them, the neurovegetative system (Sympathetic and Parasympathetic) and the unconscious receives and processes them. Let’s leave the work of making each “cause” inherent to us to the unconscious and these other systems and in a not very long period of time (3 or 4 weeks = 20-30 walks) it will begin to transform -in the person affected by the phobia- their fears in attitudes of acceptability of oneself (emotional or psychological problem due to repressed desires) and towards the phobic object.
5TH ROUTE.
Let’s evaluate the intensity of the impact of the phobia on our interiority. Is its effect on us very negative? How much does it upset us? Do we feel anxiety? Do we feel panic?
Once we have finished this evaluation, pointing out all the physical and mental aspects, let’s re-analyze if we were correct in its negative scope. Let’s reconfigure our conclusions about the phobia analyzed.
6TH ROUTE.
Let’s select 2 or 3 negative aspects of the phobia, which we feel more aggressive and less tolerant.
Let’s get involved in what we want not to be afraid of, facing especially those selected aspects.
Let’s eliminate the rest of the negative aspects, and only focus on the most unpleasant ones.
Let’s always do it by walking, writing and reading aloud.
From the 1st week (7 walks) we will begin to improve our phobic situation, however, we must consider repeating, if necessary, the process from specific Route No. 4, carrying out the basic and unavoidable recommendation. But in my experience, you only have to complete 4 weeks or 30 walks to feel a substantial change with respect to the recognized phobia, that is, a true change in attitude and improve our phobic sensations.
As an additional comment, generally, a percentage of the activities we carry out bring with them negative aspects – or that are not very pleasant – which transform them into situations of fear and not wanting to confront them. If we could only put these activities into practice, perhaps we could gradually transform them into activities that cause us less aversion, and perhaps or surely some of the phobias will disappear.
As a general prescription, we must be aware of the latter that we have just pointed out, because that is what some human activities are like. No activity develops pristinely, all of them are confabulations of others, and we have to look for ways that the negative ones – or not very favorable ones – do not hinder or make difficult those that we like. Phobias are psychological networks of repressed desires.
Let’s open these paths to the unconscious so that repressed desires flow to consciousness, but without stopping walking.
PHOBIAS TAKE US DOWN CROWDED PATHS, LET’S GET RID OF THEM.
(1)Loya Lopategui, Carlos, Plutomanía, EMULISA, México, 2024. Available on Amazon, Kindle edition.
(2)Loya lopategui, Carlos, Orfeo Los Disfraces de la Depresión, EMULISA, México, 2024. Available on Amazon, Kindle edition.