Fears and BELIEF

This past weekend began with a Friday the 13th.  Superstition holds that these days are unlucky and fear of the number 13 is called triskaidekaphobia. This belief that may have arisen because some believe the Crucifixion of Jesus took place on a Friday the 13th and also that 12 disciples joined him at the Last Supper for a total of 13 present-including Judas who betrayed him.  This superstition can be seen in many places, including older buildings that didn't have a 13th floor button on the elevator, they would skip from 12 to 14 when labeling them. 

The day after, Valentine's Day, took place as always on the 14th of February. Yet  did you know in Chinese tradition 14 is considered an extremely unlucky number and is studiously avoided by many people there. Why?  In the dialects of Cantonese and Mandarin the word for the number 14 sounds almost exactly like the phrase, "will certainly die." In case you were curious, tetradecaphobia is the clinical name given to this particular fear.  

As you can imagine, triskaidekaphobia is not frequently encountered in China. And in 30 Years of offering hypnosis services for reducing unhealthy fears,  I have never encountered a case of tetradecaphobia.  What these two fears share in common is that they are based solely on BELIEF rather than fact, otherwise the number 13 would freak out many people in China and 14 might be problematic for a goodly number of Westerners. 

Trying to use logic alone frequently fails to alleviate what are referred to as irrational fears and phobias because a strong BELIEF can be seen as an idea (that may or may not be true) coupled with a strong emotional sense that it is indeed reality.  This is why hypnosis often helps people overcome their fears when other measures have failed; we address both the conscious thought along with the emotional charge. 

Changing belief is not limited to unhealthy fears. It is also a cornerstone when overcoming less than healthy behaviors. Please feel free to reach out if you feel that a belief shift is in order. You can call/text to set up a time to talk further or fill out the Life Enhancement Strategy Form and I will get back to you ASAP.