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THE SUPER SCANNER
For example, s
Someone who worries about
being burgled might have a super-scanner which is set to be highly sensitive
to noises that are different from those we normally hear at night. A
knocking sound will have them instantly awake, alert and anxious. On
investigation, they might realise it was a twig tapping against the window,
the anxiety subsides - and they can sleep reassured they're safe.
Our own super-scanners may be
very personal to us, to our style of thinking, to our problem. Someone who
is feeling depressed is likely to notice only the negative or bad things
that happen, or interpret ordinary or positive events in a negative way.
Their negative or gloomy super-scanner working overtime so that they only
notice the negative or bad stuff.
Someone who gets anxious in social situations,
might have a super-scanner that is constantly trying to read situations and
people. Looking for a look, a tone of voice, something someone says or does.
Trying to interpret what others are thinking, or 'really' thinking
(critically of us) in spite of what they say. This mind-reading
super-scanner is so highly sensitive that it creates meaning where there is
none, or gives a very inaccurate meaning. We cannot know what others think.
If we suffer from panic
attacks, then the super-scanner is going to be alert for those physical
sensations (e.g. racing heart beat) which we believe indicates we're in
immediate mortal danger!
If we've
experienced a trauma in the past, then maybe our super-scanner would be scanning
for any reminders of that trauma - something we see, hear, smell - anything that
reminds us. The scanner then then triggers a distressing flashback.
Someone with low self-esteem might have a super-scanner that works
continuously to find situations or triggers which cause us to think
critically about ourselves.
Maybe your
super-scanner is continuously scanning for something else. Understanding what
your own personal super-scanner is doing, will help you understand what is
keeping your problem going now.
Once your super-scanner is triggered, your focus of attention is right
there. Your scanner and your thoughts react to the scanner, zoom into the
foreground of your attention, and everything else fades into the background.
How the Super-Scanner works
The Super Scanner
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