Activating Your Psychological Demon Slayer

 

The Psychological Significance of Keeping Your Demons at Bay by Turning Them Against Each Other

We all have demons. They are the negative thoughts, emotions, and memories that haunt us. They can keep us up at night, make us feel anxious and depressed, and sabotage our relationships and goals.

But is there a way to keep our demons at bay?

This may sound counterintuitive, but it is actually a very effective way to deal with negative thoughts and emotions. When we focus on the negative, it tends to snowball. One negative thought leads to another, and before we know it, we are completely overwhelmed.

But when we turn our demons against each other, we break the cycle of negativity. We start to see the absurdity of our negative thoughts, and we realize that they are not as powerful as we thought they were.

For example, let's say you are struggling with anxiety. You might have a negative thought like, "I am going to fail this test." This thought can lead to a spiral of anxiety, making you feel more and more stressed and overwhelmed.

But what if you turned that thought against itself? What if you said, "That's ridiculous! I have studied for this test for weeks. I am going to do great."

This simple act of defiance can be very powerful. It can help you see the irrationality of your negative thoughts, and it can give you the strength to overcome your anxiety.

Of course, turning your demons against each other is not always easy. It takes practice and patience. But it is a very effective way to deal with negative thoughts and emotions.

If you are struggling with demons, I encourage you to try this technique. It may just be the key to keeping them at bay.

Here are some additional tips for turning your demons against each other:

• Identify your demons. What are the negative thoughts, emotions, and memories that haunt you?
• 
  Challenge your demons. Ask yourself if your negative thoughts are really true. Are they based on evidence?
• Defy your demons. Stand up to your negative thoughts and emotions. Tell them that they are not going to control you anymore.
• Focus on the positive. When you start to feel overwhelmed by negative thoughts, focus on something positive. Think about a happy memory, or spend time with someone you love.

Remember, you are not alone. Everyone has demons. But you can keep them at bay by turning them against each other.

Do Dreams actually stop our unconscious thoughts or desires from surfacing??

Freud's Theory on the Two Parts of Dreams

Dreams have two parts: the latent dream-content and the manifest dream-content. The latent dream-content is the original content of the dream, before it is transformed into the manifest dream-content. The manifest dream-content is the dream that we actually experience. There are four factors that influence the transformation of the latent dream-content into the manifest dream-content:

• condensation 
•  Condensation occurs when multiple dream thoughts are condensed into a single image or symbol in the dream that we actually experience.                      
•  displacement
• Occurs when the emotional significance of a dream thought is transferred to another dream thought or image in the manifest dream                             
•  figuration
•   The proces
  s of giving concrete form to dream thoughts                           
• secondary revision
• The process of making the manifest dream more logical and coherent. 

Dream interpretation is the process of understanding the latent dream content by identifying the dream thoughts that have been transformed into the manifest dream content,

Dreams have two types of content:

1. dream thoughts
1. The core of the dream is made up of thoughts, memories, and feelings.
2. connecting paths
1. links between the dream thoughts, which can be logical or illogical, and they can also be conscious or unconscious

Dream censorship distorts dreams and is a part of the mind that tries to keep unacceptable thoughts and feelings from becoming conscious. This dream censorship cannot completely erase the dream thoughts or the core of the dream. This can make them difficult to understand. Because of this process, dream interpretation is a valuable tool for understanding the unconscious mind. The following is an example of dream censorship in the process:

Laura has a dream about killing her boss. Dream censorship may distort the dream by making the boss into an animal or someone that Laura does not know. The dream censorship might also make the killing of her boss an accident or a circumstance where the murder is justified, such as in self-defense.

Laura's dream censorship could not prevent the core of the dream, which was killing her boss; however, it was able to distort the core and disguise it to hinder its transformation from the unconscious to the conscious.  

Dreams are often illogical and incoherent because of the part of the mind that tries to censor unacceptable thoughts and feelings.

Freud believed that dream interpretation could explain dreams so that they would make sense by identifying the underlying dream thoughts, which is the original dream before it is affected by dream censorship.

Here is an example of how dream interpretation can restore the coherence of a dream:

Laura dreams of being chased by a monster. The monster represents Laura's fear of her boss. Dream interpretation can help Laura to understand that the dream is really about her fear of her boss and then the dream makes more sense.

Resources:

Freud, S. (1911). The Interpretation of Dreams (3rd ed.). Hayes Barton Press. https://bookshelf.vitalsource.com/books/L-999-74204

 

 

 Week 1 (8/29 - 9/2) ASK

In honor of #SuicidePreventionMonth, @988Lifeline will

be releasing a series of graphics that will list the 5 steps

you can take to help someone in a suicidal crisis. Learn more

about #BeThe1To by visiting bethe1to.com. #SPM22

If you think someone might be considering suicide, take

the first step and #BeThe1To ask. Ask directly, “Are you

thinking about killing yourself?” #SPM22