The cause and effect model is a way of looking at how you respond to a situation or issue. If you feel in control, empowered and able to see the connection between issues and yourself then you are said to be “at cause”. If you are being fatalistic, feel there is no way to control a situation and can’t see the effect you may be able to bring about, you are said to be “at effect”.
The table below shows some typical vocalisations of the two states.
| “at cause” | “at effect” |
| I influence | Life is random |
| I take responsibility for things that happen | I can’t control what others do or say |
| I am proactive | I react to things |
| I make things happen | Things happen to me |
| I control my environment | Someone should do something about that |
| I challenge the status que | I accept things |
| I lead | I follow |
| Take responsibility | I blame others |
| I am decisive | I procrastinate |
| I run my business the way I want. We are lean and responsive to change. | There is a recession. I can’t do anything about that. |
This is a powerful way to examine your world view, state of mind as well as your reaction to a challenge. You may generally be a positive (at cause) person, but a crisis or problem may have trapped you in a negative (at effect) frame of mind. Knowing this can cause a realisation and initiate a change in perception and mind-set.
Now, if you are in a mind-set you would like to change then there is a method you can use. This technique, based on Meta Model Questioning, is to systematically challenge the limitations and assumptions you feel you have about a situation. This can be done with someone else, or you can do it yourself. For example, you think ‘I never meet the right person to have a relationship with’. You might question Never? The right person compared to whom? What stops you? What would happen if you could…?
Typical questions in the Meta Model are: Who Says? According to Whom? Who Specifically? How? What? When? Where? Never? Nobody? Nothing? No one? All? Always? Everybody? What do you mean by that? Compared to whom? Compared to what? How do you know that? Why do you assume that? What stops you? What would happen if you could? What would happen if you did? What would happen if you didn’t? Tell me more? And?
As Kendrick Lamar (American Rapper, Songwriter and record producer) said, “My moms always told me, ‘How long you gonna play the victim?’ I can say I’m mad and I hate everything, but nothing really changes until I change myself”.
Past trauma and events can cause you to become stuck in the ‘at effect’ mode. Hypnotherapy can help you change your mind set, become more positive and explore the root cause of these feelings. If you feel I can help you with this, then contact me.