Fear doesn't just happen for no reason. We become afraid when a thought flashes through our mind. Here's how our consciousness works to an extent:
Belief. Deep down we have our core beliefs about reality. One belief might be "people are scary." Beliefs are the hardest to change because they're driven so deep into our brains. A belief can last months, years, or a lifetime.
Mind frame. Next we have our mind frame. This is a temporary state of mind. It's a combination of our current attitude and emotional state. One mind frame might be "closed off and anxious." Our mind frame can change much easier than beliefs. A mind frame can last minutes, hours, or days.
Thought. Finally we have our thoughts. A thought might be "I hope they don't notice how scared I am." A thought can last from a tiny fraction of a second to a few seconds.
Now, there are two ways that our brains can work:
Recollection. Our brains are often recalling information and relying on old beliefs, like this:
Belief -> Mind Frame -> Thought
Our belief determines our mind frame, and our mind frame determines our thought.
For example, let's say you enter a social situation. Here's what happens:
1. You refer to your belief that "people are scary."
2. You enter the mind frame "closed off and anxious."
3. You start to think "I hope they don't notice how scared I am."
Learning. Our brains are often processing information that either enforces old beliefs or forms new beliefs, like this:
Thought -> Mind Frame -> Belief
Learning: Enforcement. During enforcement, our thought strengthens our mind frame, and our mind frame strengthens our belief.
Let's use the above situation to demonstrate this point:
1. Someone laughs and glances in your direction. You think he's making fun of you.
2. You become even more withdrawn and edgy, and your mind frame "closed off and anxious" strengthens.
3. You associate these feelings with the belief that "people are scary" and the belief becomes more powerful.
Learning: Formation. During formation, our thought changes our mind frame, and our mind frame inspires a new belief.
For example, let's say you log on to this forum and read my post "The Big Keys to Overcome Social Anxiety," linked here:
http://www.socialphobiaworld.com/postt22820.html
1. You start to think "If I follow these guidelines, I can start to make progress."
2. You enter the mind frame "open and inspired."
3. You form a new belief "I can overcome SA."
It's up to you: do you want to enforce your negative beliefs or your positive ones? Do you want to rely only on old, self-destructive beliefs, or do you want to form new, empowering ones?
How Our Minds Work: What Causes Fear
