Chapter 2
FOR WHOM THE FOLLOWING CHAPTERS ARE INTENDED AND
FOR WHOM THEY ARE NOT?
If your main goal at this moment is to read about functional means or practical ways
for improving your interpersonal relations, about better ways to cope with the world you
are in, or recommendations for change to introduce into it, you are reading the wrong
text. This book is not even a guide for analyzing or solving problems of life by effective
thinking methods.
The sole substantial usefulness anticipated from the casual reading of this book is
that you may broaden your mind a little. On the other hand, if you use the knowledge and
the exercises of the chapter "do it yourself now", you will have the ability to
influence purposefully your feelings and sensations by giving them systematic attention.
The good news...
It is reasonable to expect that after not too long a period of training, you will be
able to lighten gradually: unpleasant feelings, sensations, moods and other bodily
sensations felt, by means of concentrated attention. Most of the time, you will be able to
reach such a state after several seconds of concentrated and focused attention paid to
them (to be called hereafter "focusing"). At the beginning of the training and
even afterwards, when difficult cases are encountered, changes will be felt only after a
minute or even several minutes...
After a relatively short period of training (sometimes even during the first hour) you
will profit immensely from the application of the focusing technique. You will be able to
use your newly acquired knowledge for targets more significant than only elevating low
moods and easing hard feelings. You will also be able to achieve such objectives as
solving long standing interpersonal problems, internal conflicts or getting rid of
damaging habits.
The bad news...
However, these latter aims are not easily obtained. They require preliminary attainment
of suitable skills and proficiency in the new focusing technique - i.e., proficiency in
concentration on the felt physical sensations of the body, and the no less important skill
of the recycling of the relevant emotionally loaded contents.
Moreover, not just a few people are "stuck" with nearly permanent or
recurrent nasty sensations or feelings or moods. Few of these unpleasantness are really
very difficult and are relatively resistant to quick solutions. It is especially so when
they are the result of a real and very meaningful event, where the results and
consequences do not pass quickly. In these instances, a significant result that is more
than just momentary relief is not easy to achieve. It may be felt only after the
accumulation of an hour or even several hours of focusing, spaced over a period of a few
days or weeks.
In the early stages of focusing, the only significant improvements one can expect - and
succeed in achieving as a reward for diligent work - are only within the domain of one's
emotional climate. Long-term results and basic change in the emotional and behavioral
routines (habits, temper, long term moods, "personality trends" etc.) are even
harder to achieve. Besides the proficiency in the technique, the more serious objectives
require a lot of systematic activity over an extended period of time. These objectives are
seldom achieved without weeks and months of diligent use of the various tactics of the
technique - in accordance with the guidance offered in the guide - chapter 5.
During the search for the limitations of the technique many difficult goals and
problems were encountered. However, I have not yet encountered an impossible one. Perhaps
you will have greater success!
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