How are you using your conditioning skill/ability ? (thoughts, emotion, animals)

[sakoz-2]

If you don't recognize you condition yourself, your 'up the proverbial creek without a paddle'.(until you recognize what you do simply by using language/thoughts).
Pavlov recognized and demonstrated conditioning. He conditioned dogs to salivate to/at the sound of a bell.
What is noteworthy about that? Is it a 'big deal'?
Salivation is a involuntary process. His experiments demonstrated our involuntary nervous system can be influenced, utilized volitionally. (toilet training demonstrates we regulate our involuntary sphincters).
If you can read this, demonstrates that you have been conditioned to read, (call it learning if you want).
We 'learned' language/thinking. Unlike animals, once we are conditioned, we use it to condition ourselves.
If you don't recognize that, you still condition yourself 'unwittingly' by virtue of using language/thinking.
When you don't recognize you condition yourself, your very apt to unintentionally condition yourself with thoughts not in your best interests, even 'hurting' yourself and others.
There's a fine line between dysfunctional thinking and mental illness, let's notice the difference.
(A person who says; "I thought the gun was empty!" Did not recognize "assuming" the gun was unloaded,and inadvertently shooting someone by 'accident', and the mass shooters who intentionally decide to shoot people).
When Pavlov conditioned dogs, he was not interested in the welfare of the dogs, but rather in demonstrating conditioning; that we can regulate our own involuntary nervous system, (or some parts of it).
There's no value in conditioning the dogs to salivate, that was anomalous behavior for dogs.
We use language/thoughts in lieu a bell to condition ourselves , knowingly or unknowingly.

[sakoz-2]

Before prefrontal lobes evolved,(making language/thought possible), our amygdalae were autonomous, they still are "first responders"; but now they react to thoughts as well as to perceptions. That means we can choose to stimulate/active, utilize our amygdalae. (anyone who tried a biofeedback device knows from experience what I mean).

[sakoz-2]

"Thoughts/memories indubitably evoke emotions". If you have any doubts, just see the thread, "Still sad....decades later".
The point I want to make is, that's true, even when you 'don't recognize' the thoughts evoking your emotions.

[Mightyqueen801]

^ Haha, yup, if we did always recognize when our thoughts evoked emotions, therapists would be out of business!

[sakoz-2]

Buggy whip makers and candle snuffers went out of business.
Your point? There would no longer be a need for therapists? I like that.

[sakoz-2]

Mightyqueen801: I read some of your posts; I would like for us to be on the same team and collaborate.
Before you dismiss that thought out-of-hand, hear me out.
Early scientists looked at matter and wondered/asked, " What is matter derived from?" That lead to discovery/recognition of quantum level and then to the electronic technology of to-day.
We notice our bodies can heal themselves innately/naturally; let's wonder/ask; "Does our body also have inherent psychological healing?". And does , "some of our own thinking interfere/block that healing?"
Let's explore that possibility, (using the scientific method), and if we don't make any progress, give up.
If we find our own thoughts can interfere/block, then we better recognize that fact, and that requires we recognize our thoughts in order to regulate/manage them.
Of course anyone else interested in the subject is welcome to participate, all input is welcome.

I'm glad you agree that when we recognize when our thoughts evoke emotions we would not need therapists because mental health would prevail.
When we recognized 'bogyman' was only a thought, we instantly stopped experiencing the emotion of fear, looks good to me.

[sakoz-2]

Here's the title of my next thread; "RECOGNIZING WHEN THOUGHTS EVOKE EMOTIONS INSTEAD OF PERCEPTIONS"
(I will use that as the title of a book I hope to write, if and when we come up with a practical method).
Who's coming on board?

[sakoz-2]

"Unwittingly" believing stimulates our amygdalae to emote. (as well as intentional believing does).
Does that imply we are responsible for some of our emotions?
Maybe we better start 'recognizing' believing if we want to experience a better quality emotions.

BELIEVING: (whether intentionally or unwittingly) sanctions/endorses/ratifies the thought believed. That has the effect of telling our amygdalae to 'react to'/ 'emote to' the thought, (whether its true or not; whether it 'fits/matches' facts or not).
That's not optimal use of 'believing', (in my opinion).
Do you recognize when 'believing'? Your emotions are the clues when you are 'unwittingly believing'.

[sakoz-2]

Beliefs function as (secondary) perceptions; thereby activating our amygdalae to respond.

[sakoz-2]

No volunteers? (as invited in #7). That calls for the resiliency to change course.

We all experience emotions; they are physiological dynamic, visceral, not verbal.
We all grow hair; we get hair cuts. Hair grows so slow, it's imperceptible. Hair growth is not proprioceptive.
Emotions are volatile in comparison to hair growth.

An analogy:We're familiar with furnace and thermostat regulation. The same dynamic between amygdalae and prefrontal lobes. (it's more complicated but the analogy helps us understand).
It's one thing to understand and another to practically apply/utilize; (theory is one thing; practical application another).
I would submit to you testing me by you 'pushing my buttons'; triggering my conditioning, but the "Terms of service, no advertising, no copyright material, NO PERSONAL ATTACKS." here at this site.
So the only way to prove it is for you to do it. Use your "thermostat" regulation of emotions, override your conditioning when you see fit, we all have that option.