Association Of Ideas--A Live Portrayal In Front Of Me

 This happened only yesterday.My husband and I were sitting in our balcony when up came a young gentleman.He greeted my BH effusively and waited for a response from him but my the latter failed to recognize him.He revealed his name--no go!Then he told him the name of the company where he used to work--still no reaction.Then he told him that he was my husband's first assistant and my husband had helped him in many ways.

Now my husband's memories came flooding out.There was no stopping their exchange of anecdotes after this.I was surprised to see that BH remembered all this because he is 85 plus though,in good health.One sentence in our guest's talk had kindled a spark and they lived the old days once again.

This reminded me of a psychological phenomena known as Association,which states that when we recall a past experience other thoughts related to it by virtue of similarity,congruity or causality also come to the fore.I was truly astonished to see this happening before my own eyes.

It struck me that this phenomenon is a double-edged sword. It can be utilized to check anxiety from taking hold of our minds.Once we give in to a negative thought many other similarly negative thoughts could come to invade our consciousness.

On the other hand a positive thought before a critical juncture will remind us of our past successes and fill our minds with confidence, energy and hope.

Hence repelling negative thoughts and diverting your mind to another channel is a good way to beat anxiety.Similarly recalling your good experiences and achievements is good for your mental health .