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Recommended Podcast: This American Life’s “Devil in Me” — Explores a strategy for overcoming your inner demons
September 16th, 2007 | Posted in Recom. Podcasts |
If you enjoy podcasts, check out Act One of the “Devil in Me” episode of This American Life. The episode explores how Iraqi war veteran Sam Slaven returns from Iraq with post-traumatic stress syndrome and a fear of Iraqis.
Just being in the same room with an Iraqi makes him start trembling and thinking of ways to remove him (for example, by “choking him out”).
Sam recognizes the irrationality of his fear. After he enrolls in college, he decides to join a Muslim Student Association (MSA). After several months of attending the MSA’s meetings and activities, he develops a close friendship with a Muslim. The friendship completely changes him.
Sam’s experience shows us one way of dealing with our fears: immersion in the very thing we fear. The producer’s larger vision (of all the acts in the show) is to explore battles with inner demons.
Reflections
Sam’s strategy might work well for physical fears, perhaps, but what about more abstract fears? For example, my wife is terrified of snakes (not sure why). If she were to watch Anaconda she would probably start hyperventilating and run from the room. Following Sam’s therapeutic technique, one way of overcoming her fears might be to immerse her in a cage of snakes. 
But what if your fear is more abstract — fear of failure, fear of humiliation, fear of not becoming anything, fear of unemployment, fear of death? I’m not sure if the same strategy would apply.
At any rate, the therapist in the Devil in Me episode recommended to Sam that he approach his fears with a more gradual introduction of the thing he fears, rather than complete and immediate immersion.
Question for Readers
What do you fear the most? How do you deal with that fear?
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Tags: confrontations, fears, This American Life
September 20th, 2007 at 9:14 pm
I’ll have to look up this podcast — I’m a big fan of TAL anyway, and this segment sounds particularly interesting.
I started a reply to your “Question for Readers,” but it got so long that I selfishly stole it back for my own blog! You can read it here, though.
+ Beth +
October 25th, 2007 at 12:11 am
I started to reply to apost on Tom Johnson’s blogthis evening, and the reply spun out so long that I couldn’t resist stealing it back for myself! (I suggest reading Tom’s original blog post first…) I can’t say I’m a big fan of aversion therapy; I go for mindfulness training, which seems
January 31st, 2008 at 11:51 am
as you have said… he gradually became friend to a muslim. it’s not like he was thrown in the middle of 30 muslims - would he start hyperventilating? i’d say yes… the point is, to overcome your fear(s) you have to do it gradually.
April 11th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
Check out Act Three, “dave tells the story of the time he took on an actual demon in his college classroom”
April 19th, 2008 at 9:35 pm
What I fear most are people similar to myself.
Matthew Hunt
————–
http://www.skoogo.com
July 20th, 2008 at 8:34 pm
This is a great way of overcoming your fears.
July 20th, 2008 at 8:39 pm
I a bit scared of lizards. There just something about them just makes me shiver.
July 22nd, 2008 at 7:41 pm
According to research, special cells in the brain allow animals to overcome fear and anxiety by recalling memories of similar situations when they were unafraid. These method may be used to overcome phobias.
July 27th, 2008 at 8:23 pm
I had my fair share of this situation. Well, in my case it was not fear of any sort that haunts me every day. It was more of anger and bitterness. I had lived my days carrying these inside me. It took me awhile to get rid of those inner demons. It really takes time. But am all better now. I think understanding yourself is the key to free yourselves with your inner demons.
August 6th, 2008 at 6:36 pm
I have always been uncomfortable with speaking in public. But a lot of practice and preparation made me overcome my fair of public speaking.
September 12th, 2008 at 10:30 am
[...] anyone hear this piece on "This American Life"? It was rebroadcast last week… Recommended Podcast: This American Life’s “Devil in Me” — Explores a strateg… "…The episode explores how Iraqi war veteran Sam Slaven returns from Iraq with [...]