What to do in case of a global emergency?

Disappointment, or at least great astonishment, is the taste left by human behavior during the emergency whose protagonist is the type 2 coronavirus of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and its variants.

We were not prepared, that is evident. There is not even sure proof of the origin of the virus. It is also not possible to know when the next one will appear, but it is feasible prepare psychologically, so that we can emerge victorious from the crossroads posed by global emergencies.

• Related article: "What is fear? Characteristics of this emotion"

Generalization, Distortion, Elimination

Much controversy and questionable behavior has been generated about vaccines. Afinalizing what happened, we discover imperceptible mechanisms influencing the thought. If we know their "modus operandi", we will avoid the repetition of the chaos that forever changed our way of life.

To do this, from Neurolinguistic Programming (NLP), which is a set of models that study human behavior, we will review the Perceptual Filters: Generalization, Distortion, Elimination. They are extremely useful and indispensable for life, since they reduce and catalog the gigantic flow of information that reaches the brain from the outside world, allowing the mind to carry out its worked. These operations occur relentlessly and, thanks to this, you create your image of what surrounds you or what happens (the maps), that is,

a simplification of reality combined with its own interpretation.

The problem is that the human being forgets the difference between everything he perceives (reality) and the ideas that are formed about what is perceived (the map). He then takes his perceptions as reality. Producing concepts, judgments and reasoning more, less, or completely away from the truth.

The success or failure of your personal performance depends on the maps. Because these are the raw material of their thoughts, their way of expressing themselves and their behavior.

Generalization

occurs when his brain translates something that happened once, to all similar experiences (widespread) in combination with fear.

When petting a dog and receiving a bite, you generalize never petting unknown dogs, acting in this way you obtain certainty about what to do at a given moment. But, when fear intervenes, the person accepts the certainty (generalizes) that all dogs will bite him, develops cynophobia and decides never to have pets. The 700 million people who suffer from a phobia attest to this.

"Always, never, everything, nothing and similar phrases" are forms of generalization.

During the pandemic, any news, true or false, about the vaccine became widespread (with fear), producing certainties that ranged from immediate death when vaccinated, to the security of a conspiracy to dominate or to kill. Many decided not to get vaccinated.

A Nobel laureate stated: “Vaccines produce variants”. The reality is that there were already variants before starting immunization. People generalized that, being a Nobel laureate, he knows everything and will never speak without foundation; this turned out to be false.

On the other hand, the issue of global conspiracies to dominate the world, (Illuminati, Grupo Bilderberg, aliens etc.) is nothing new, it is also a product of the mixture of generalization with the fear

• You may be interested: "Types of Anxiety Disorders and their characteristics"

Distortion

It happens when we plan trips, budgets, inventions, constructions or lunch. Indispensable for the progress of humanity, distortion becomes a dangerous obstacle by adding a dose of fear.

Statements are invented or accepted such as: metals attracted to the body, mutations, impotence, sterility, extraterrestrial virus, reduction and control of world population, injection of microchips, bioluminescence by vaccine plus 5G antennas, we will be zombies in 3 years, vaccines contain undisclosed compounds etc.

An example: on Halloween night in 1938 in the USA, an adaptation of the play by Orson Welles: “War of the Worlds” where Martians were reported to land and kill everybody. Result: panic, vehicular chaos, telephone etc.

• Related article: "The 8 types of cognitive distortions"

Elimination

This filter acts whenever the person discards, omits or eliminates certain information because has forgotten it, fears it or does not consider it relevant. Used for studying, driving, or chatting at a party, you “remove” distractions so you can chat, check traffic, or do homework. Elimination helps you not get distracted to achieve your goal.

After watching a horror movie, many people sleep with the light on. They know that there is no killer doll in their room, but their fear controls them, producing the elimination of reality (the threat does not exist), causing the idea of ​​being attacked to dominate them.

Death by COVID-19 with all its painful and chilling situations, install fear and mistrust as origin of most of the actions, logical or not (massive purchase of toilet paper), that we execute humans. We focus on everything that justifies fear and discard the abundant scientific information which is available on reputable scientific websites.

As a result, you are no longer able to discern between truth and lies, you distrust everything and everyone. Therefore, he chooses not to get vaccinated and even campaigns so that no one else gets vaccinated.

• You may be interested: "Cognition: definition, main processes and functioning"

To do?

To act in an ideal way, educate yourself properly and do not allow Perceptual Filters to kick in in the face of fear. But the first step is the hardest: admit you're scared. Then notice the psychological flavor of this emotional state, that is, the characteristic sensations that accompany it. In this way you will be able to detect and avoid the appearance of fear in reasoning or in your judgments, confronting it with reality.

Train yourself in self-control methods. Examples: Mindfulness or Zen meditation. The fact of becoming aware will radically transform your concepts, beliefs and behaviors.

If it is difficult for you or you think you cannot, seek professional help, it is urgent to discover, admit and then conquer the fear that has dominated you in this pandemic. Otherwise, you will be an easy prey to fear and this will prevent you from recognizing that the first person responsible for protecting your life and that of others is you.

Ready for the next global emergency?