Being Well with Forrest Hanson and Dr. Rick Hanson Linking: The Secret to Rewiring Painful Memories
31 snips
Apr 7, 2025 Forrest and Dr. Rick delve into the powerful psychological technique of linking, exploring how it can help rewire painful memories. They discuss the neuroscience behind memory reconsolidation and the importance of pairing positive experiences with our past pains. Personal anecdotes and practical tips illuminate the process, emphasizing emotional awareness and resilience. Cautions are provided for safely practicing linking, along with insights on how to disentangle our adult selves from past traumas, fostering a transformative pathway to healing.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Three Approaches to Reactions
- Linking involves holding two things in mind at once: a negative reaction and a positive perspective or strength.
- This differs from being hijacked by reactions or solely focusing on growing the positive.
Memory Reconsolidation and Linking
- Memory reconsolidation makes memories temporarily unstable when recalled, allowing for change.
- Linking exploits this by associating positive experiences with negative memories during reconsolidation.
Prerequisites for Linking
- Ensure the positive experience is stronger than the negative one when linking.
- Avoid linking if the negative material is too overwhelming, recent, or if you get easily flooded.
