Unlearning
The absence of knowledge is remedied by instruction, an easy fix.
In many cases, though, the problem is not the absence of knowledge but the presence of old knowledge. Straightforward direction reliably fails with the presence of prior knowledge. Dumping your cup is, it turns out, really, really difficult. The brain is conservative, a miser that actively inhibits new learning. It proactively inhibits plasticity when old information is challenged by new information.
When using straightforward direction to instruct someone that possesses preexisting knowledge, you can expect just a 20% recall of new material (compared to material that has 100% recall without any preexisting knowledge), let alone application. However, if you instead instruct with a conscious mediation process, you can circumvent proactive inhibition and see 100% recall.
Conscious Mediation Process:
stimulus discrimination
response discrimination
response practice
- Inventory the old way.
With an open heart and mind
Ask:
• What am I not doing? When?
• What am I doing instead?
• Why? What assumptions are attached?
Distinguish:
• What exact parts/in what situations has this worked for me? How?
• What exact parts/in what situations has this worked against me? How?
These preexisting ideas can be termed an "old way.” It probably isn’t wrong, per se, but incomplete. - Propose a new alternative.
• Propose a new or alternative idea in “what if?” form.
• Illustrate using an example.
• Journal to compare the explanation/response using the old way and with this proposed new way. Describe the differences in as much detail as you can conjure. Journal 6 illustrations over multiple sessions. - Bring the new bar in reach.
• Use language to create a bridge. Label the new way using resonant and distinguishing shorthand. Don’t call the new vehicle something intimidating like an automobile, call it a horseless carriage.
• Articulate the new way as a specific, easily doable, and meaningfully different behavior.
• Iterate that behavior and celebrate all successes no matter how small. - Environment (if applicable)
• Change your environment. Your environment as it was sustained the problem and in that way is a huge part of the problem.
• Make what lifestyle/environment changes put you in favorable states much more often and unfavorable states much less often.
• Raise your standard. Normalize health. Do not tolerate unhealth.
