Moods

Immersion occurs when we are contained in our negative feelings. The feelings are within our body and once activated take over our usually conscious self. We also lose sight of our presence. A mood is a classic immersion, the person feels justified to be in their mood, feels bad (inevitably) about themselves & experiences a distortion of their normal reality. 

They recover in some  time & often apologize as if to say ‘that wasnt my real self, I was in a mood’. Even the word in implies containment. The sense of identity is with the feeling state. I was angry, implies their identity was=anger. This is so often true in the way the person behaves. This has also been referred to as the video tape.

To test this for yourself is trickier than it seems but definitely doable. When you are next in a bad feeling, ask yourself:

1. Is it a feeling~can I feel it in my body? If yes then its a feeling. 
2. Be aware that it will feel true but wont be actually. Tomorrow it will be gone.
3. By all means challenge it cognitively, but consider dismissing it also
4. Observe, the quality of the experience and REMEMBER for later.

The video tape can also be termed the bio-mind it interacts with our body yet affects the mind. Feelings are physical and if we dont push the ‘red button’ as one person said to me then we remain in some sort of control. Once that button is activated all the biochemicals are also engaged & there is a much more powerful state to deal with. Dont poke the bear!

A person in this type of immersion can also be referred to as in the second wave. They may, have some consciousness of being in a mood but are nonetheless infected by it. The mood has them!

(See elsewhere for commentary on wave 4-the one underneath)