The Compulsion Blowout Technique takes the feeling of desire for something and intensifies it past the point of desirability. The last straw technique does the opposite. It takes a feeling of unpleasantness and amplifies it until you are no longer willing to put up with it.
Have you ever had an annoying or damaging habit and one day you woke up and said “enough!” and never did it again? Many people have naturally changed their lives like this. Maybe you gorged on chocolate cake and then could never face it again.
Maybe you were dating someone and he kept saying mean things until one day you had enough. Maybe you put up with an unorganized closet and one day when a box fell on you for the fifth time you said, “that’s it!”
At what point would you say “never again” to something that isn’t in your best interests?
Sometimes we put up with things simply because they aren’t bad enough to change them. For instance an unsatisfying job, annoying habit or disempowering relationship that don’t energize you or improve life, but aren’t unbearable.
Then again, sometimes we know something is very bad for us, like an abusive relationship or sociopathic boss, but can’t seem to get to the point where we say “enough!”
Connirae and Steve Andreas created the last straw technique in “Change Your Mind and Keep the Change” It is an example of a submodality threshold pattern.
Reaching threshold and going past it are two different things. Once you go past the point, there is no going back.
Getting to threshold
You couldn’t squeeze into those pants, you were utterly disgusted, but still didn’t take up exercise.
Going over threshold
You were dating someone and they criticized you one time too often, so you ended it. I once worked in the public service. There was a day when I was so frustrated and miserable it was unbearable. I suddenly had a moment of clarity when I decided to leave – couldn’t be that day, but I quietly worked towards escaping.
- Think of a time when you reached threshold but didn’t cross it.
- What are the analogue submodalities that change? What builds up? Many people have some kind of example stacking or a way to build intensity (like with the compulsion blowout).
- Think of a time when you crossed a threshold permanently. There is usually some kind of digital change when you reach critical mass. Maybe there is a completely different picture and/or a voice saying “enough or no etc”.
- Make sure you have a new representation of how things will be different, a new plan. Maybe you see yourself looking more confident.