Mirroring... You may have heard the term "mirroring" in the context of imitation of others, or of empathy.

The term is used in discussing a range of ideas & concepts when applied to people. Some of these are: 1. Mirroring of body language - may increase rapport with others.

2. Mirroring or imitating the behaviour of another. More complete than mirroring body language. While this can be a powerful rapport & trust builder, it is also an extremely powerful method for learning when done "correctly". 3. Mirror neurons, which are located in the brains of humans & also some species of monkeys & birds. These neurons discharge when an action is performed by a person & also when the same person observes another person (or a monkey, presumably) doing the same or a similar action. 4. Mirroring of a persons beliefs about themselves, (self esteem, beliefs about self worth, abilities etc) back to them by the way other people respond or react to them. For example, a belief that one is clumsy will probably result in that person being treated, by others, as if they are clumsy, mainly because the person will likely act clumsy even if they actually aren't. All these aspects of mirroring are relevant to discussions about human interactions. However, another type or "aspect" of mirroring seems more closely connected with uses & methods of "Thought Stalking" than any of the above. This mirroring type is what I will discuss today. I will define it as: "Your beliefs about yourself & your reality (what you believe is real) will be reflected or "Mirrored" in your actions, your thoughts & emotions, & your interactions with others & with the world." Some examples may make this clearer: Ex1-- A person who often & regularly self deprecates (puts themselves down) may believe they lack competence, Ex2-- Some people often (or even constantly) complain about health hazards in their environment (usually along with lists of all the terrible illnesses waiting to be inflicted on them, & us. These people may believe they have little or no control over their health; that good or bad health just "happens" to them, & us. They may also hold some deep seated beliefs that they are "weak or sickly, and prone to anything going around".

Ex3-- Many, if not most, people believe they should "act their age" & they avoid being or appearing "foolish or childish" in their interactions in public. When playfulness is discouraged, by ones self or by others, a creative approach to living is hampered or even blocked entirely. If you "act your age" will you be more prone to some of the many "age-related" health issues? While you may not think so, studies have suggested that this is what happens. But where is the law written that says your physiological & psychological age must equal your chronological age? Do you have to act old because of your years? While related to the four aspects of mirroring listed above, this type seems to be most similar to # 4 - "mirroring of a persons beliefs about themselves back to them by the way other people respond or react to them". The big difference is that instead of someone else reflecting your beliefs back to you, you mirror your own beliefs back to yourself by the way you act & interact with others & your world. You may be thinking: "So what? This has nothing to do with my health". Well, that may not be entirely true. As I noted in an earlier post, the beliefs you hold in your unconscious about health can predispose you to disease. I mentioned beliefs such as "I'll catch a cold if I get my feet wet". As I pointed out, if you are aware of these thoughts, you can let them go & replace them with health enhancing beliefs. But if you're not conscious of these beliefs they can slip in to your mind & negatively affect your health. If you think the thoughts & beliefs in your unconscious don't have an effect on your daily living, just consider the Placebo & Nocebo effects. See the previous post for a discussion of these. Knowing more what mirroring is, you may be wondering whether it's useful for anything. Actually it is useful in understanding & enhancing our learning abilities, for better understanding our relationships as well as our interactions with our environment, and several other aspects of our humanity. For the purposes of this discussion I want to look at using mirroring to gain insight into your unconscious thoughts & beliefs... & that's what I'll be talking about in my next post. What do you think about thought stalking & mirroring? Have you ever tried to "stalk" your thoughts? Feel free to comment on these or other ideas relevant to the post. To your best health. Michael Seelye