

348. Trance somatics - With Stephen Gilligan
17 snips Mar 20, 2021
Dr. Stephen Gilligan, a renowned NLP-trained psychotherapist and generative coach, shares insights on the transformative power of trance and somatic practices. He discusses how cultural influences shape our emotional experiences and the importance of recognizing content-free emotional states. Stephen emphasizes the role of embodiment in understanding habits and compulsions, advocating for alternative rituals to replace unhealthy behaviors. He also highlights the connection between personal growth and social responsibility, urging listeners to integrate inner work with collective activism.
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From Troubled Roots To Ericksonian Training
- Stephen describes growing up in an Irish Catholic alcoholic family and discovering trance-like awareness early.
- He traced that curiosity through Santa Cruz, meeting Grinder and Bandler, and later studying Erickson at Stanford.
Three Filters Shape Experience
- Consciousness creates reality through three filters: somatic, cognitive and the field.
- Reopening locked filters restores fluid, generative experience and possibility.
Emotions Act As Cognitive Filters
- Emotional states act as filters that shape memory, meaning and future predictions.
- Gilligan's Stanford research used hypnosis to show emotions change cognitive performance.