Schema Repatterning Meditation

In this general schema repatterning meditation, we elicit the schema (negative self-belief) we want to work on and, since the mind can't hold conflicting emotional information, we set about repatterning it with positive emotional experiences.

Transcript

So,

Okay,

Sitting up straight,

Pushing the crown of the head up towards the ceiling.

And now reflect what is my,

What is the symptom that keeps presenting in my life?

And this is probably a schema mode.

How is it that you behave in your life that is kind of a problem?

Investigate that for a minute.

It can be helpful to write this down.

It might be useful to label this as overcompensation,

Like a really active,

Let's say symptomology,

An avoidance type symptomology,

Or like a self-subjugating,

Self-submitting compliance type symptomology.

And it can also be a combination.

Go ahead and investigate this and then see if you can name the symptom.

And just investigate this,

See what it's like.

So notice how it's very patterned.

It kind of unfolds in a very predictable way.

It's like,

Oh yeah,

Yep,

This is unfolding.

And then bring a sense of interest.

This is actually very interesting.

And now,

Again,

Have the symptom in the mind.

And now,

Notice the mental states that drive this symptomology.

And you can answer these questions.

How do I view myself when I'm acting out my symptom?

How do I view others?

How do I view the world?

This helps us find the schema or the belief.

Go ahead and do that now.

Okay,

So this is your schema.

And now,

Say out loud if possible or silently.

And some statements in a sense to reinforce the schema or not so much reinforce it,

But that are coherent with and remind you of the schema.

Like if you were doing like defectiveness and shame,

You'd be like,

Oh,

I'm not good enough.

I'm not good enough.

I'm not good enough.

And then just feel the resonance.

So again,

Say the words that help you feel into the resonance of the schema.

And now,

See how you get it.

See how like you've really identified it well.

This is good.

It's good on you.

Okay.

And now reflect,

Aha,

Yes,

Yes,

Yes.

I learned this somewhere.

I learned this somewhere.

Okay.

And now let the mind float back to childhood,

Adolescence or adulthood.

And then let a scene arise,

A memory where this learning was reinforced.

Doesn't have to be the one time that you learned it once and for all.

Just a time that it was reinforced in you.

And it can also be a composite or an amalgamated type memory,

The kind of thing that would have happened or a real memory.

Either is fine.

So bring that scene up now.

Okay.

Where are you?

Who are you with?

How old are you in this scene?

And then very importantly,

What does this feel like?

Probably feels pretty rotten.

Pretty lame.

And now notice how you're learning the schema or belief.

Like the obvious thing to have done given this condition.

Given the scene,

Given your environment,

Learning the schema was actually adaptive.

Very important to see this.

It wasn't a choice.

You didn't learn it because you're bad.

You didn't learn it because you're good.

You just learned it.

That's how things are.

Okay now come back into,

Especially the feelings and the thoughts that arose or that are arising in the scene and feel into how the schema is being reinforced.

Okay.

And now have the perfect nurturers come into the scene.

And there's two primary functions here.

Or there's one function,

Problem solving and helping you and supporting.

And that breaks down into more of a protection,

Provision of safety and also kind of rejection of this crappy learning and then a kind of development of disidentification with the learning and more of a soothing attunement,

Support,

Comfort,

Compassion end of things.

And so now develop the scene in a way that's natural,

In a way that is meeting your needs of the moment,

Emphasizing these two parts,

Soothing,

Compassion,

Support,

Attunement and protection,

Safety and rejecting this negative learning.

So go ahead and develop that scene now with the perfect nurturers supporting you in just the right way.

They protect you.

And they also know you are not to blame for this.

This was just a crappy situation.

It's the other's fault before it's yours.

And they're there and they're entirely on your side supporting you in just what you need.

So go ahead and develop that scene now.

Keep going.

What is it that you need?

And now see how this is an absolute delight for the perfect nurturers to meet the needs that are coming up for you right now.

That's right,

Keep going.

It wasn't right that this happened to you,

But you're with the perfect nurturers now.

It's all over.

And now they're just so happy to meet your needs to help you move through this.

And they are entirely confident you're going to move through it beautifully.

Keep going.

What is it that you need to say to the perfect nurturers?

What is it that you need to hear from the perfect nurturers?

Keep developing the scene.

And that you learned this crappy lesson,

That they see that and they see the suffering that that caused.

And then your experience of having learned it and having lived your life to some extent directed by it,

You know,

They see that they see the suffering there,

But fundamentally they know it's not true.

And then you start to see how it's not true.

This actually was just this thing that happened.

It's just an event.

And it's in the past now.

You're over it.

Keep developing the scene.

Keep going.

Now they lean in,

They tilt their head,

They really track what's going on for you.

And sure,

A real entrance is like,

Oh,

Well,

What's happening?

How do you feel?

Uh-huh.

Just so interested and absolutely delighting in being with you and helping you move through this.

Keep going.

Keep going.

That's right,

Keep going.

Keeping and reshaping the scene in such a way to get your needs met perfectly.

And the perfect nurturers know that you're going to move through this just fine,

But that does not rush you along at all,

That they think that.

And it doesn't deny any of the suffering you went through.

It sees all the suffering that was real.

Keep developing the scene.

That's right,

Keep going.

Shaping and reshaping the scene such that you get your needs met and seeing what a delight this is for the perfect nurturers to meet your needs,

How patient and sweet they are,

How interested they are.

Really check that in.

I know you just the right thing,

Just what you needed here.

And now,

This is,

This is to me,

It's very interesting.

Notice how the way that they are treating you right now in this scene directly disconfirmed and juxtaposes this old negative lens on life,

This old negative view,

The schema.

See how it disconfirms it.

See that clearly now.

See how it's harder for you to hold on to and believe this negative belief.

Now the perfect nurturers remind you of memories from your real life that also disconfirmed this negative worldview.

They kind of help you open up the mind,

Open up the heart to see these old positive memories and to re-experience them in a really vivid way.

Go ahead and do that now.

That's right,

Keep going.

You've experienced so much goodness.

Now let that mark you deeply.

That's right.

Keep going.

Keep going.

See how all these real memories that you have further disconfirm this old negative belief of yours.

Really take that in.

And the perfect nurturers are right there supporting you.

That's right.

Good,

Good,

Good.

Okay,

Now go back to the old scene,

Back before this old negative scene even started.

And now we're going to redo the scene except for the perfect nurturers and actually any other imaginal figures that would be helpful for you and the perfect nurturers and others if you like.

Redo the scene except for this time it goes perfectly.

So go ahead and redo the scene now and make this really experiential,

Feeling the body.

Really take this and really feel this.

That's right.

And now see how this colors what you expect from life,

This positive experience of redoing the scene.

This sets your trajectory for your life.

And now we're going to do the exercise where we switch between the negative belief,

The negative schema,

And all these new positive experiences,

Slash the new positive schema,

The positive belief.

So switch back and forth between them,

And you can use the scenes,

The positive and the negative scenes to evoke the schema.

Repeat switching back and forth.

Now,

Start emphasizing the positive and then feeling it even more saliently and what you'll notice is that the old negative belief kind of comes into this like gray scale.

It's just like this kind of distant,

Maybe episodic memory,

But it no longer has a semantic memory aspect.

It really re-patterning over the meaning of it.

And it gets grayer and grayer and less relevant each time.

So keep going,

Keep switching between the two.

That's right.

Keep going.

Really take this in.

And now let that go.

And now float back to the moment of birth.

And again,

This is just an imaginal exercise,

Very unlikely that you can actually remember the moment of birth.

So you see yourself being born and now you get this sense of your whole life,

Your whole past up until the present moment.

And now go through every experience you've ever had,

Especially the negative ones.

But now you're with the perfect nurturers or other helpful imaginal figures and you redo all of it.

You're supported all along the way and either these negative experiences don't happen or didn't happen,

Or it kind of happened,

But it's like,

It doesn't matter because you were so supported that the negativity never touched you.

So go ahead and do this redo of your whole life.

Perfect nurturers were there all alone.

And now come to the present moment.

That piece of the work is done.

And now see your life unfold going forward.

Now let's see yourself connecting with others with great fluency,

Great ease,

With tremendous delight,

Mutual delight,

And also mutual support and attunement.

Go ahead and see that now.

Your motivation and the motivation of others towards you is that of concern,

Sweetness,

Generosity,

Open-heartedness.

See that clearly now.

See how you can have the effect that you want on others,

That you get the response you always wanted.

And now also see how this informs your sense of self.

You have a really positive prosocial sense of self.

Feel that clearly now.

And now move over into your exploration.

See how you can move through life having the impact on the world that you desire,

That you have a tremendous sense of agency,

That you can go after what you deem important in life.

Go ahead and see that clearly now.

You can come up with plans and then you can execute your plans.

It's just wonderful.

See this clearly.

And now notice how this informs your sense of self.

I'm a person that can hold my head high.

I can move through life and make things happen and have a positive impact on others.

See this clearly.

And now make a deep impression of all of this.

Now I'll count from five to one.

When I get to one,

I'll be awake and present in the room,

Settled in the experience.

Five,

Four,

Three,

Two,

One.

I'm awake and present in the room,

Settled in the experience.

Reviews

Beautiful exercise

This practice really works wonders. Thanks for sharing. 🙏 🙏

This is 🔥🔥🔥I’ve managed to change narratives that have had me by the neck!
Freedom I tell you, Freedom 😁🙌🏾

Very powerful. Well-paced and sincerely presented so visualization was easy. Doing this meditation could quite possibly change one’s life trajectory for the better. 🙏