Transformation from Story – Can It Really Work?
There are so many lenses we can use to view storytelling. I can’t think of a single aspect of life that isn’t at least remotely related to storytelling. So, my first post will look at using storytelling to help people feel better – about themselves, a situation, life in general…..anything! Rather than focusing on the science and neuroscience that support this claim, we will look at a concept that even the skeptics will have to consider!
Here is a simple example: Suppose that you just had an unpleasant experience, and you are feeling disappointed, sad or angry. You can use storytelling to change the way you are feeling and leave the unpleasant experience behind you. The situation you experienced does not matter. This technique will work regardless of your experience. You can use storytelling to help you transcend beyond negative thoughts and experiences.
The trick is to change your focus and tell yourself a pleasant story. The story can be complete fiction, or it can be a series of statements about your dream life, how you want your future to look, or a fantasy about the perfect vacation. It does take a bit of work. Your mind may keep drifting to thoughts of unpleasant experiences or unfinished tasks and daily business. Transformative storytelling requires that you be steadfast and keep refocusing on the positive stories you have selected for yourself.
For those skeptics that call this malarkey, to you I say; “Suspension of disbelief!” Suspension of disbelief allows you to enjoy a movie, TV or a book. Your emotions and thoughts change as you view or read a story. There definitely is a scientific component to all this, which will be explored in more detail in a future post. But what truly makes transformative storytelling work is the adaptability of your mind to accept and respond to stories. Your brain does not care if the story is true or not, it is simply entertained and transformed by the information it receives.
Think about your favorite movies. Did you laugh, cry, want retribution, feel triumphant, rally behind your favorite character, or want to punish a villain? Did you sit on the edge of your seat, feel your heart beating faster, pound your fist down, gasp, scream or talk to any of the characters? That is because your brain is responding to the story. You were transformed by a story.
What aspects of storytelling transformation are you most interested in? There are many places we can go from here!
When we buy a product we're actually buying a story. The product tells us a story about ourselves.
I'm the kind of guy who owns a lambo.
Watching Parks and Recreation, and two of the characters are eating off of frisbees. They don't want to go out and buy plates, because that's what responsible adults do.
The plates would be helpful, but what kind of story do they tell us about ourselves?
@mattclarke. Thank you for the challenging question! Plates can indeed tell many stories. We are the only animals that assign unique meaning to so many different kinds of objects! Is the plate an antique, handed down from a favorite relative? Or, is it fine china or a very expensive custom design? Or, could it be a plate bought from a struggling potter? Is it the cheapest plate I could find at a big box store? The answer to those questions can be just as unique as the person that answers them.
This brings narrative psychology and symbolism into the conversation. Many stories can be told by the plate holder. Each one different! Let's look at narrative psychology in future posts!
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