The Mindfulness Approach

First I want to say, what a fabulous article Dr. Strong!
This point is key in my own work as a hypnotherapist, and I know that
emotions are something we, in Western culture, tend to try to ignore, or
marginalize, as if they are not "real" or not important, or simply something to push through with our strength of will. I also know that this view point is harmful and causes many negative side effects as emotion become suppressed, anywhere from stress-related health problem to psychological and behavioral disturbance.

People come to me all the time wanting me to "wave my magic wand" and make it all go away, when in reality the issue is that they are avoiding their own emotional experience, usually out of fear. They often are dissappointed when I tell them that they are going to have to work through, and perhaps even (gasp!) EXPERIENCE their true emotions.

I wanted to add also that the subconscious is where most emotional processing really takes place, and where most emotional responses arise. We seldom consciously choose to feel the emotions we are feeling. Therefore, the subconscious is the key to working with/through emotions. Mindfulness/meditation is a great way to turn the focus inward to the realm of the subconscious. Also, creative visualization can help as well -- giving the feeling a color or a sound or both, and allowing that color/sound to fade or flow away... sometimes these sorts of techniques will begin to reveal some of the thoughts behind the emotions. That can seem scary at first, but can also be very liberating!

I have placed three people that have been a serious issue for me in a very large field on chairs and they are sitting with one another. I am watching from a distance. They don't notice me and are bemused at one another. As I move off I decide to leave them there. At least I know where they are and they can sort it out amongst themselves.I am moving on.

Suddenly in my thoughts my mother appears to torment me with her usual verbal criticism. As she nears me she realises that there is a cage and she has been contained. Wait there I say and continue to finish my business in hand. She is angry and shouting, trying to get at me for no reason. I am further away, I cannot hear but can see her lips moving. All at once I realise that I used to listen and that was silly. Then I see it was she that built the cage for herself. I had nothing to do with it. That is how she lived her life. Shame for her.

I see my ex and realise she was a negative person. I give her some black clothes and her skin is pale. She asks about the black. That is how you are inside, I reply. Now you can get a mirror and see how you look inside and can feel how you made me feel. Enjoy yourself but she doesn't need the clothes and mirror. She can see it anyway.

Is this the type of thinking we are talking about here Peter? I feel I can move on but interestingly enough none of my three tormentors could. No friends and you can't run from who you are. The funny thing is how little progress these three people made in their lives. I AM SO LUCKY!!!!!

Yes indeed. What you describe is a very god example of working with the inner imagery that arises from our emotions. It is always good to remind ourselves that the deeper mind, the psyche or large Self thinks in pictures more than words. Pictures carry so much more meaning than words and encode feeling energy more than words.
When we allow experiential imagery to unfold and go through some form of inner drama it results in profound changes at the emotional level and is very effective in facilitating healing and resolution of core emotional complexes.
The main thing, as I describe in my book, 'The Path of Mindfulness Meditation', is to cultivate inner mindfulness so that we can become aware of this subtle inner language of the psyche as it goes about its business of healing emotional suffering. Out of this will emerge new insights and beliefs based on new perceptions gained through mindfulness of emotion and associated imagery.