Tao Cycle Therapy

Natural Happiness via Self-Directed

Cure for Chronic Anxiety & Depression
3rd Edition Newly Updated & Revised !!"
Shikitao-Brown, Sarah 1956-
Jackson, Allison, Phc. 1970-
Yellow Feather !a"lor, Frank 1969-
Cycolo#yToday$co%
Copyri#ht !!" Cycolo#yToday$co%
All Ri#hts Reserved
Contents:
1 &arnin# '
2 (ntroduction )
3 Taois% De%ystified ''
4 Hiro *entani & Natural +hilosophic Taois% ',
5 Reptilian -rain Science .
6 Natural (%pulses ),
7 &hy Deny/ 01
8 (%pulse Denial 2 (nternal Conflict 11
9 (nternal Conflict 2 Anxiety 3'
10 Anxiety 2 Depression 31
11 The Si%ple Solution 3.
12 Transference "'
13 The +hilosophy "1
14 Transference & (%pulse Denial .'
15 Hedonic Adaptation - Bon#s $ha%ter 95
Conclusion4 ..
-rief & Si%plified History of +sychotherapy4 '!.
5ree +assword4 ''1
&or6s Cited4 '',
Chapter 1
Warning:
This 7oo6 %ay not 7e suita7le for individuals
under the a#e of )! or those with severe e%otional
pro7le%s or those ta6in# %edications or other
dru#s to treat severe e%otional disorders$ This
7oo6 does not clai% to dia#nose or treat any
%edical conditions or disorders8 includin# those
descri7ed in the DS9 (:$ This 7oo6 does not clai%
to 7e %edical advice or to replace any %edical
advice$ (t is often advisa7le to consult a %edical
professional 7efore 7e#innin# any e%otional
pro#ra%$
Discoverin#8 reali;in#8 or 7eco%in# aware of8
unconscious realities can 7e8 and often is8
extre%ely e%otional and upsettin#$ Discoverin#
your true ani%al nature and unconscious desires is
so%ethin# not to 7e e%7ar6ed upon li#htly$ Denial
is a very powerful defense and the resultin#
e%otional reactions vary widely fro% person to
person8 %a6in# the% hi#hly unpredicta7le$
This 7oo6 does not endorse8 support or otherwise
advocate violence in any for%$ Any reference to
violence is strictly referrin# to internal %ental
processes and is a7solutely not an endorse%ent of
any outwardly violent 7ehavior$
'
Chapter 2
Introduction:
Despite %a<or advance%ents8 the fact that we live
in the %ost technolo#ically8 perhaps intellectually8
advanced society ever to have existed8 and the fact
that the co%7ination of opportunities and
freedo%s in this country are possi7ly the #reatest
that hu%an civili;ation has ever 6nown8 our
%odern day A%erican citi;enry is 7ein# devastated
7y the psycholo#ical e=uivalent of a pla#ue$
Anxiety8 includin# all its derivatives8 fro%
depression and co%pulsive 7ehaviors li6e ra#e and
passive-a##ression8 to alcoholis%8 o7esity8
%aladaptive pair-7ondin# s6ills and <ust plain
o7sessive 7oredo% are at never-7efore-seen levels$
This fairly %odern propensity of our citi;enry to 7e
tortured endlessly fro% the effects of internal
con&lict has exploded into every facet of our lives
and touches indiscri%inately fro% youn# to old
and rich to poor$
(n order for stress to occur8 so%ethin# has to
sti%ulate it$ That sti%ulant is conflict$ This
sti%ulation-conflict co%es either fro% within
>internal conflict? or fro% without >external
conflict?$
( don@t thin6 (@% #oin# out on a li%7 when (
su##est that 'iolent i(%#lses are a direct result of
con&lict8 real or i%a#ined8 past or present$ The
)
concept is supre%ely si%ple$ Aou either #et what
you want >sel&-%ro(otion? and are thus happy )no
con&lict*$ Br you do not #et what you want and are
thus unhappy )con&lict*$
A wolf >unca#ed? doesn@t have anxiety disorders
7ecause a wolf either #ets what she wants or she
uses violence to #et it$ &hat do you do when you
don@t #et what you want/ Aou have the i%pulse to
use violence8 7ut then do not use it$
5or 1!! %illion years your 7rain has 7een CraisedD
to 7ehave as the wolf does8 7ut in the last few
thousand or so8 %an6ind has discovered the #reat
7enefits of cooperation and thus civility$
...in ac+#irin, lo&t" new (oti'es, he -.o(o Sa%ien/
has lost none o& the earth" ol0 ones. !his is &re+#entl"
a ca#se o& so(e e(1arrass(ent to hi(, 1#t his ol0
i(%#lses ha'e 1een with hi( &or (illions o& "ears, his
new ones onl" a &ew tho#san0 at the (ost 2 an0 there
is no ho%e o& +#ickl" shr#,,in, o&& the acc#(#late0
,enetic le,ac" o& his whole e'ol#tionar" %ast. .e
wo#l0 1e a &ar less worrie0 an0 (ore &#l&ille0 ani(al
i& onl" he wo#l0 &ace #% to this &act. >9orris8 '.3,?
Try as you %ay to clue your unconscious reptilian
7rain into this %odern state of affairs8 it si%ply
will not cooperate$ (t has a <o7 to do and it ta6es
that <o7 very seriously$ So althou#h you %ay
7elieve yourself to 7e %odernly civil8 your reptilian
7rain isn@t one to succu%7 to CfadsD =uite so
=uic6ly$ (t sees the 7i##er picture and the ris6s8
7asically sayin#8 Fine, "o# ,o 0o "o#r thin, 1ein,
ci'il an0 coo%erati'e an0 all. 34( not knockin, it,
1#t 34( also not willin, to risk o#r li'es on it. 34ll
1e here when "o# nee0 (e. Aour reptilian 7rain
rears it@s head every sin#le ti%e there is even the
sli#htest conflict8 at which point8 you #et oh so
confused$ -ut not only confused8 you %ust also
feel #uilt and sha%e 7ecause of the internal
con&lict.
Aour pri%itive reptilian 7rain 7elieves that
violence is the answer to #ettin# what it wants and
thus endin# the e5ternal con&lict$ Aour %odern
civili;ed 7rain 7elieves that coo%eration is the
answer$ &hen these two opposin# 7eliefs collide
inside the sa%e head it creates an 3nternal
$on&lict$ (t@s a stand-off 7etween you )"o#r
conscio#s (o0ern 1rain* and you )"o#r
s#1conscio#s re%tilian 1rain*$ This internal
con&lict is the sti(#lation for anxietyEstress$ (t@s
%eant to wor6 and then when the sti%ulant is
#one it can stop and #o 7ac6 into recovery$ (t was
never intended to 7e ConD constantly$ (n %odern
society however8 that is exactly what@s happenin#$
This syste% is very pri%itive$ (t sees e'er" con&lict
as a threat$ Aour 7oss pesterin# you8 the lady
cuttin# in line at the %ar6et8 the nei#h7or@s do#
7ar6in# endlessly8 are all con&licts seen as threats$
Fife is full of con&lict and thus sti(#lation is
constantly ConD$ That alone is not #ood8 7ut
7eyond that you@re also constantly forced to
pretend )0enial* to yourself and the rest of the
world that it@s not really happenin#$ 3 0on4t ha'e
'iolent i(%#lses. 34( ci'il. 34( nice.
1
Any i(%#lse 0enial will cause pro7le%s$ Typically8
if the Anxiety you are experiencin# involves An#er8
5ear8 5rustration8 Helplessness8 -ein# Controlled
etc$$$ then chances are very #ood that the i%pulse
7ein# denied is :iolence$ !ao $"cle !hera%" is an
effective way out of that 'iolent i(%#lse 0enial
%adness$
Denia ! "epression:
Hi#h strun#8 pent-up8 stressed-out8 irritated8
frustrated8 fed-up8 an#ry8 pertur7ed8 at your wits
end or %ay7e <ust %ildly 7ut chronically annoyed/
"epression
3n %s"choanal"tic theor", the e5cl#sion o& 0istressin,
(e(ories, tho#,hts, or &eelin,s &ro( the conscio#s (in0.
6&ten in'ol'in, se5#al or aggressive urges or %ain&#l
chil0hoo0 (e(ories, these #nwante0 (ental contents are
%#she0 into the #nconscio#s (in0. Repression is
thought to give rise to anxiety and to neurotic
symptoms, which begin when a forbidden drive or
impulse threatens to enter the conscious mind.
Gbold &ont a00e0.H >-ritannica8 !!3?
Denia
3n %s"cholo,", an e,o 0e&ense (echanis( that o%erates
#nconscio#sl" to resol'e e(otional con&lict, an0 to alla"
an5iet" 1" re&#sin, to %ercei'e the (ore #n%leasant as%ects
o& e5ternal realit". 3n the %s"choanal"tic theor" o& Si,(#n0
Fre#0, 0enial is 0escri1e0 as a %ri(iti'e 0e&ense
(echanis(. >Colu%7ia8 !!)?
(f we can a#ree that the variations of
psychotherapies that have their 7ase either loosely
or ri#idly in +sychoanalysis8 hold at their root8 the
7elief that environ%entally ac=uired e%otional
issues and disorders ori#inate fro% the denial and
repression of unpleasant i%pulses$
And further8 the C#n-denialD or C#n-repressionD of
those i%pulses8 7y way of evadin#8 attac6in# or
otherwise defeatin# these or other su7ordinate e#o
defense %echanis%s should alleviate or eradicate
those sa%e issues or disorders$
Then it is safe to conclude that this defeatin# and
su7se=uent C#n-repressin#D is in no way
dependent upon the direct inclusion or direct
inter<ection of an independent C#n-repressin#
a#entD >ie$ therapistEanalyst?$
-ut only to the extent that the defeatin# of the
defenses portion of the for%ula can 7e achieved
independently of such an a#ent8 possi7ly via the
inclusion or inter<ection of an indirect alternate
perspective ac=uisition vehicle8 such as the
readin# of words in a 7oo6 for instance$
-ased on this lo#ically for%ulated philosophic
conclusion8 !ao $"cle !hera%" >a philosophic
theory? acco%plishes this defense %echanis%
defeat and su7se=uent C#n-repressionD and
resolution 7y drawin# fro% and assi%ilatin# these
alternate perspectives fro% the independent
disciplines of >%ost nota7ly? Ixposure Therapy8
the 7roadly inclusive Iastern philosophies of
Taois% and the Socio7iolo#y research and insi#hts
of such noted scientists as Des%ond 9orris and
+aul I6%an$
,
To 7e %uch less technical8 accordin# to
+sychotherapy@s own root for%ula you can defeat
your own e,o 0e&enses and thus eli%inate internal
an5iet" con&licts yourself8 7y doin# so%ethin# as
si%ple as ac=uirin# a relevant alternative
perspective indirectly8 fro% a 7oo6 perhaps8 as
opposed to fro% a therapist8 analyst8 or anxiety
coach$ (@% su##estin# that8 properly %otivated8
infor%ed8 and prepared for defenses8 si%ilar
results can 7e achieved8 if you do the Cexposin#D
yourself$
The only prere=uisite re=uired ( 7elieve8 is the
desire to ta6e on %ore of the responsi7ility for
your own results$ +ic6in# up this specifically su7-
titled 7oo68 %ay have satisfied that already$
E#posure $herap%:
(f we can now assu%e that at the root8 the internal
an5iet" con&lict is li6ely caused 7y a fear of8 or an
aversion to8 i(%#lses8 which are li6ely in
opposition to societal expectations8 then we can
address that anxiety-inducin# fear in a si%ilar
%anner to that which we use in successfully
resolvin# other such irrational or unconscious
fears4 a fear of sna6es or hei#hts for instance$
$on0itionin, theor" le0 to a set o& %roce0#res calle0
e5%os#re thera%", which entail s"ste(atic an0
re%eate0 con&rontation. ...e5%os#re can 1e a%%lie0 to
an" an5iet" 0isor0er once the %ri(ar" &oc#s o&
concern is i0enti&ie0. >Cras6e8 '...?
7!he (ost co((on &or( o& res%onse in the an5iet"
0isor0ers is %assi'e or acti'e a'oi0ance o& the
a'ersi'e sit#ation. 3t is the %#r%ose o& e5%os#re
thera%" to %re'ent these 0"s&#nctional %atterns o&
res%onse.7 >Dal#leish8 '...?
!he lo,ic 1ehin0 e5%os#re treat(ents &or the an5iet"
0isor0ers is si(%le8 an5io#s %eo%le a'oi0 what the"
&ear. B" e5%osin, the( o'er a s#staine0 %erio0 o& ti(e
to the thin,s the" &ear, their sense that a'oi0ance is
necessar" to %rotect the( &ro( har( will 1e 0is-
con&ir(e0. 9es%ite its si(%licit", this 1asic (etho0
has %ro'e0 to 1e %erha%s the (ost %ower&#l, ...the
s#ccess o& these relati'el" si(%le e5%os#re-1ase0
(etho0s has 1een re(arka1le.7>Dal#leish8 '...?
(ncredi7ly si%plifiedJ $on0itionin, !heor" or
:5%os#re !heor" holds that as the fre=uency and
or duration of e5%os#re to the sti(#l#s-con&lict is
increased8 ha1it#ation occurs$ .a1it#ation is a
very si%ple for% of learnin# in which the sti(#l#s
res%onse >S-R? stops res%on0in,$ IssentiallyJ the
sti(#l#s is no lon#er sti(#latin,8 and thus you
stop res%on0in, to it$ Aou #et used to it$ This is an
essential and efficient %eans 7y which to filter out
the %onu%ental %asses of infor%ation atte%ptin#
to capture your attention at any #iven %o%ent in
an o7viously heavily sti%ulatin# world$
(n !ao $"cle !hera%" you will 7e atte%ptin# to
ha1it#ate yourself to experiencin# a,,ressi'e
i(%#lses to this non-res%on0in, state$ Aou will
7eco%e so accusto% to experiencin# and releasin#
these i%pulses that they will cease to 7e
sti(#latin,8 thus eli%inatin# the internal con&lict8
and thus the ensuin# anxiety and depression$
.
Si%ple enou#h8 ri#ht/ Far#e portions of this 7oo6
are desi#ned specifically to 7e#in desensiti;in# you
to the idea of havin# these i%pulses and thus
si%ply readin# alon# will 7e#in to acco%plish our
tas6$
Sarah Shikitao-Brown
C%coog%$oda%&co'
Continue "eading the entire (oo)
*ro' +'a,on&co'
ISBN: 144045521X