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They'll all fall

Friday, April 22, 2005

(outlink) Psychology Today: The Power of Love

Psychology Today is promoting Love as an antidepressant. Good basic overview - and introduce the word "limerance", which neither I nor Webster knew existed in english (but which I've got good use for...)

Psychology Today: The Power of Love

Monday, April 18, 2005

Routines, improv, and styles of pickup

Just to make it clear: I use "improv" as short for improvisation, making up what to say in the moment.

I just visited Yoshi's blog, and found him discussing material vs improvisation - with the presupposition that either you use structured game with routines (Mystery style), or you go pure improv, with no structure.

Now, though I think his post is a worthwhile read, I disagree with that presupposition.

First, all really successful socializers use routines. They don't necessarily pick other people's routines - but they socialize so much, with so many people, that the same stories naturally come up, and become routines for them.

Second, structured game - tracking states and phases of the interaction, and trying to go through the phases - can be done without routines, it just fits very well with routines, as you can have material available for each phase.

Third, the difference between improv and routines is somewhat floating anyway.Almost everybody change their routines a bit as they use them, and it's possible to just go out with ready themes to have something to talk about. I like talking about vacations - and I've got some routines around this, but it all spin off as we start talking.

Fourth, one common use of routines is to have a routine stack that the seducer runs until he's gotten the girl to the "hook point", and then ad-lib from there.

Fifth, some of the really good people (Tyler Durden comes to mind) advocate switching between a routine stack and improv, as it train different parts of your skillset.

(outlink) Hypnotica the self hypnosis site

While searching for information on hypnosis and weight loss, I found the Hypnotica self hypnosis site. NOTE: This is not Steve Piccus of The Sphinx of the Imagination.

The actual induction and deepening discussed here is just a progressive relaxation plus the standard countdown deepening. You'll find better inductions elsewhere (I like the 3VAC induction, for instance.) However, the discussions of various issues around weight loss and hypnosis seems interesting, and the ideomotor questioning pages are interesting if you're unfamiliar with that.

I personally use quite a bit of ideomotor questioning, though I do not use pendlums, and I do it primarily to release specific stress anchors. (I'll do a post on my techniques some day...)

Friday, April 08, 2005

(outlink) How to overcome your social phobia

Going over to more traditional psychology again, here's another link on How to overcome your social phobia

Monday, April 04, 2005

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) : Effective Treatment 2005

What's the issue with most people's problems with pickup? Social anxiety. And there's drugs for that...

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) : Effective Treatment 2005