I heard a commercial on the radio today that rattled the tahootie out of me. It advertised a drug that would make "you feel like you were in love" and it went on to talk about feeling more hopeful and positive about your life, and that you should ask your doctor to prescribe it and you would get a month supply free. No mention of even needing a symptom to ask for this drug. Are we as a society so far removed from our feelings of love that we need to buy them at the drug store?
This led me to think of the research of Jose Manuel Rodriguez Delgado. Dr. Delgado believed that feelings can be created and manipulated by electronic stimulation and set out to prove it. One of his most famous experiments involved a bull that had an implanted electronic device in his brain. Dr. Delgado got into an enclosed arena with this enraged bull and as the angry bull charged the scientist, he pressed a remote control that stimulated part of the bull's brain. The bull lost his aggression and was no longer a threat, demonstrating that feelings were easily manipulated by radio transmission. This led to speculation regarding how biochemical and electronic stimulation of feelings could be used for purposes of mind control.
If feelings are the primary determining factors in how we create our lives, understanding where they come from and how to manage them is a priority. There are a lot of theories about feelings, and most agree that they are a form of energy and that energy and matter cannot be created or destroyed, only transformed. So we can allow drug companies to transform our feelings or we can take action to create a transformational process ourselves. Of course, there are times that drugs are helpful and necessary to correct a biochemical imbalance or support a healing process, but to take them every day to "feel like you are falling in love" reminds me way too much of the sixties, and at the same time, of George Orwell's book 1984. I am so disturbed by the trend of using public advertising to persuade people to take drugs that I am willing to donate a free hour of emotional transformation coaching as an alternative to "feel good pharmaceuticals" advertised by television or radio transmission to anyone. Please contact me if you or someone you know would benefit from this.
There are "inside out" and "outside in" approaches in transforming feelings that don't involve drugs. Here are just a few possibilities in alphabetical order: Acupressure. Acupuncture. Affirmations (to change your beliefs and thoughts.) Appreciation. Art. . Books. Breathwork. Chocolate (oops, is that a drug?) Coaching. Cognitive restructuring. Creating something. Dancing. Drawing. Drama Therapy. Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). Energy Medicine. Energy Psychology. Essential Oils. Finger holds (Jin Shin Jitsu). Friends. Goals (setting and accomplishing). Exercising. Movies. Gardening. Gratitude. Group participation. Guided Imagery. Ho'oponopono. Horses. Hugs. Hypnosis. Inspirational literature. Knitting. Kissing. Laughter. (Norman Cousins). Learning something new. Loving. Massage. Meaningful work. Meditation. Music. Nature. Pets. Playing. Prayer. Reading. Relaxation. Smiling (yes, research shows that the act of smiling changes our mood from the outside in). Support networks. Surfing. Talking to a friend. Talking to God. Tappas Accupressure Technique (TAT). Tea. Teaching someone something. Theatre. Therapy. Touching. Trees. Visualization. Volunteering. Walking. Writing. Yoga. I would love to hear these ways to feel good advertised on public radio. In the meantime, do your own personal "feel good" promotion and go smile at somebody.