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Lauren Jackson
Mr. Ratliff
ISM-1 2A
05 September 2019
Works Cited
Approach to the Evolution of the Reflective Mind and Its Application to Psychotherapy.”
Research Assessment #3
The article I read this week was focused on the neuroscience behind what causes
subconscious mind is more important than focusing on the relationship itself, as by focusing on
the anoetic state of mind “the deep imaginal creative and re-structuring self-referential activity
may be reactivated” (Carta). I found that understanding some of the most recent neuroscience
research (published this year) connects with psychologists’ theories of behavior as well. By
understanding the way our brains process emotionally taxing situations through imagination I
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is based upon the concept that our thoughts, emotions, and
behaviors are all connected. What I found that was especially interesting was that humans learn
to have a subjective mental life. I had always assumed that humans were born with the ability to
interpret our own lives. While I knew every we experience we undergo as people shapes who we
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are as people, I wasn’t aware that our subconscious feelings could dictate the quality of our
relationships with other people. The stimuli we encounter on a daily basis is not only recognized
by the “brainmind” but is integrated into our automatic intrinsic functioning. The imaginations
that occur stem primarily from emotions and moods, not just from events that happen externally.
As a result, I learned that psychotherapy isn’t always effective if the treatment focuses only on
trying to fix external relationships. I gained the important understanding that the first step when
approaching ways to fix conflict within relationships is to first evaluate the way our emotions are
impacting how we see the situation. It can be hard to treat a client when the way they are
perceiving the world is distorted by their feelings. The highly effective self-referential
resting-state DMN activity may act in a total unconscious way, influencing the individual
attitude towards its environment and the subjective (affective) meaning given to external
experiences (Carta). Once the connection has been made between the influence of subconscious
emotional processing and our interpretation of a given circumstance, self-reflection can truly
begin and psychotherapy is able to be much more effective. The thing that I learned the most
from in the article was the clinical study that was included towards the conclusion. Each step of
the analysis was gone through in thorough detail not only from the side of the therapist but from
what the client would say as well. The patient was struggling in his relationships with his
colleagues and girlfriend, but wasn’t aware of what the obstacle was that caused such conflicts.
By the end of his session, he was able to realize what he interpreted incorrectly and knew what to
do to fix his biases. Seeing the steps of analyzing imagination and how it would be applied in a
real situation gives me a skillset that I can learn and potentially apply in my own practice
someday.
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In conclusion, this article has provided me with not only complex and crucial information
but practical methodology for treatment options. I will be able to utilize what I learn in actual
clinical settings as almost all people struggle to separate the impacts their emotions have on their