Seneca, writing at the beginning of the first millennium AD, observed this truth: we are more often frightened than hurt; & we suffer more from imagination than from reality. This seems as accurate now as it was in ancient Augustan Rome. Our distinctively human ability to imagine is as skilled at beguiling us with fantasy, as it is at gripping us with terrible fear. Although this fearful imagination rarely reflects an objective or probable reality, this does not make its impact on the way we navigate our lives & our sense of well being any less. In many respects, the impact of imagination is even more pernicious. This places the imagination in a strong position in determining both our emotions state & whether experience is disagreeable, pleasurable or neutral. Indeed, imagination, as Seneca has described it is on a level footing with reality itself.
The phenomenon that Seneca, perhaps unknowingly at the time was alluding to is also a defining characteristic of many fears & phobias. This characteristic is that fears & phobias are most often irrational. This is because contact with what is feared is either unlikely to happen, or will not result in the feared consequences. The harm �the �suffering�� thus, remains imagined or anticipated, & a function of being frightened rather than being directly hurt or even in a genuine situation where being hurt is a likely outcome. Yet, despite rarely or never encountering what is feared, & very infrequently �if ever� having ones specific fears confirmed, aversion & avoidance persists, & in some cases worsens. Disorder sets in, & the individual is in a state of dysfunction, distress & imbalance.
The maintenance & worsening of the fear might be due to a variety of other mechanisms. For instance, socially or culturally transmitted information, observations of others, or simply not having an occasion to appropriately confront the feared object or situation & overcome or reduce the fear response. However, returning to Seneca’s remark, another potentially more pernicious & potent agent of maintenance & enhancement of anxiety & fear may be the fearful imagination itself.
If the imagination is, indeed, capable of supplanting or mimicking reality as a source of hurt & fright, as Seneca suggests, it is in direct opposition to positive growth & change. Negative or fearful imagination’s impact in this regard can be ubiquitous & timeless, as it can never be hidden from, whether it is the echo of a previous experience or the feelings & images of dread directed towards a future one. Many of us live non-optimally because of these imaginings.
For the treatment of both clinical & non-clinical fear & anxiety �whether that is social, phobic, or generalised- an significant focus is identifying & attempting to understand our fear-related imagination, negative predictions, & resulting continued experience of discomfort & frustration. These represent blockades to making effective & lasting change, & although clearly hard to broach, & sometimes appearing overwhelming, can be addressed & worked through in regular one-to-one therapeutic sessions.
I have a personal life coach practice in London, which sees people with many issues including fear & anxiety. I invite you to have a see my website at Dr. Andrew Ritcheson which describes my background, practice, approach, & details about how to be in touch.
Dr. Andrew Shepherd Ritcheson BA(Hons), DPhil(Oxon) Psychologist - Life Coach - Consultant London, UK. www.DrRitcheson.com DrRitcheson@aol.com
