The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris Page B

is linked to a story that you’ve already named, then use that name on the subtitle or voice-over. For example, an image of you failing might be subtitled: ‘The “Failure” Story’. If it’s still bothering you at the end of another 30 seconds, try the next technique.
MUSICAL SOUNDTRACK
    Keeping that image on the television screen, add a musical soundtrack of your choice. Experiment with a few different soundtracks: jazz, hip-hop, classical, rock or your favourite movie themes. If the image is still bothering you, try the next technique.
SHIFTING LOCATIONS
    Visualise this image in a variety of different locations. Stay with each scenario for twenty seconds before shifting to a new one. Visualise your image on the T-shirt of a jogger or a rock star. Visualise it painted on a canvas, or on a banner, flying behind an aeroplane. Visualise it as a bumper sticker, as a magazine photo, or as a tattoo on someone’s back. Visualise it as a ‘pop-up’ on a computer screen or as a poster in a teenager’s bedroom. Visualise it as the image on a postage stamp or as a drawing in a comic book. Use your imagination with this; the sky’s the limit.
    If you’re still fused with the image after all this—that is, if it’s still upsetting you, frightening you or taking up all your attention whenever it appears—then I would suggest you practise running through some or all of the above exercises every single day for at least five minutes. This is what I asked Roxy to do, and within a week that image of herself in a wheelchair was no longer bothering her. It still appeared from time to time, but it no longer frightened her, and she was able to let it come and go while she stayed focused on more important things. Paradoxically, the less she tried to push this image away, the less often it appeared. This was not the intention, but it’s something that often happens as a positive side effect. It makes sense when you think about the rebound effect, which so often occurs when you try to push thoughts and images away.
    For less troublesome images, you can easily adapt other defusion techniques. Instead of ‘I’m having the thought that...’ you can acknowledge, ‘I’m having the image of...’. For example, ‘I’m having the image of screwing up the interview.’ If the image is a memory, you could try, ‘I’m having the memory of...’ You could even think, ‘My mind’s showing me a picture of...’
    Instead of Naming the Story, you can Name the Picture. For example, ‘Aha! The “lonely and miserable” picture!’ You can even Name the Memory—‘Aha! The “nasty rejection” memory!’ And you can always say, ‘Thanks, Mind!’ for whatever picture it sends you. And here’s one final technique for troublesome images:
CHANGING GENRES
    This is most useful with moving images. First convert the image into a short ‘video clip’, then visualise it on a television screen. Now try playing that ‘clip’ in different film genres. For example, imagine it as a gangster movie, a Western, a trashy soap opera, a sci-fi thriller, a Disney cartoon or a musical. Each time you switch genres, change the clothes, sets and acting styles, but don’t try to alter what actually happens. Keep the basic story exactly the same. Play it over and over in different genres until you can truly see that this is just a moving picture and nothing more.
    Remember, defusion is all about acceptance. The idea is not to get rid of these images but to let go of struggling with them. Why should you accept them? Because the reality is, for the rest of your life, in one form or another, scary pictures will appear. Remember, your mind evolved from a ‘don’t get killed’ device. It saved your ancestors’ hides by sending them warnings: an image of a bear sleeping in the back of that cave, or of a hungry sabre-toothed tiger crouched on that rock. So after a hundred thousand years of evolution, your mind is not suddenly going to say, ‘Oh, hang on a