RU2777242C1 - Method for controlling the psycho-emotional state of a person - Google Patents

Abstract

FIELD: medicine.

SUBSTANCE: invention relates to medicine, namely, to psychology, and can be used for controlling the psycho-emotional state of a person. Method includes three stages: diagnostic, corrective, and reinforcing stage. At the first stage, the psychologist presents the person with a choice between one of multiple decorative candle lamps with the strongest associative connection for the person with their current state. At the second stage, the psychologist once again presents the person with a choice between decorative candle lamps with the strongest associative connection for the person with their desired state. The psychologist accompanies both stages with a conversation and observation of the changes in the general motor movements of the person. At the third stage, the person is offered to record the image of at least one decorative candle lamp selected at the second stage, or to take a premade physical decorative candle lamp for subsequent independent reinforcement of the improved psycho-emotional state by the person.

EFFECT: ensured formation and reinforcement of a skill of independent identification and control of the psycho-emotional state in a person with the possibility of subsequent control of the current state in stressful situations.

2 cl, 3 dwg, 2 ex

Description

The invention relates to medicine, namely to psychology and physiology, and can be used to regulate the psychoemotional state of a person experiencing stressful and neuropsychic stress, for psychocorrection in order to process, with subsequent release or appropriation of the experience gained during a stressful situation, as a way mitigation of internal and external conflict, following the path of solving existential problems, gaining new experience of behavior and self-identification, and is also applicable in psychology in terms of concentrating a person’s internal resources to achieve his goals, giving him confidence, strengthening contact with himself and improving self-awareness.

According to the Federal State Statistics Service ROSSTAT dated September 14, 2018, 71.9% of respondents experience a feeling of very great or great anxiety about the uncertainty of their future (“The influence of behavioral factors on the state of public health”, published on September 14, 2018 20:44 on the Rosstat website ). To date, a trend has been identified in society for a general increase in the number of people who regularly experience stress and difficulties in adapting. Therefore, using the method of regulating the psycho-emotional state, an individual can be consulted or taught to independently regulate his psycho-emotional state, reducing the strength of internal reactions through the expansion of available ways of processing incoming information.

The purpose of the claimed invention is to teach the method of managing the psycho-emotional state, which is used for cognitive processing of information through the tool "candles of metaphors", which are graphic images and colors, grouped according to the principle of connections and continuity.

The application of the method ensures the development of an individual skill of switching a depressed or stressed psycho-emotional state to an equilibrium state, the formation of a belief in the possibility of managing one's psycho-emotional state independently and immediately at the moment when help is needed. The approach is based on the nature of the aesthetic reaction, which allows you to change the action of affect from painful to pleasurable (L.S. Vygotsky, 1968), so contact with objects of creativity, including sculptures of small plasticity, helps to release stress and negative feelings and gain mental well-being (A.NSH, 1945), the language of images, according to which if the word and image become symbolic, meaning something more, then the object is endowed with a deep “subconscious” meaning (K.G. Jung), Geller’s model of thinking (1986) in which the integrating role plays a metaphor, the therapeutic use of metaphors for the psychotherapy of children and the inner child (D. Mills, R. Croyley, 2000), the nature of the effect of color on mental reactions and human states (M. Luscher, 1949, G. Freeling, 1973), cognitive-behavioral an approach according to which an individual, thinking behaviorally, with decisions, steps, flexibly and looking into the future (KanferF. H., ReineckerH., SchmelzerD., 1991) orients himself to processing, followed by releasing or appropriating the experience gained during a stressful situation, including by reframing, when an event, symptom or reaction is given a new meaning by introducing it into a new context.

Thus, the application of the method combines therapeutic approaches used for adults and children, which makes the claimed method suitable for working with stress reactions and psychological regressions, in which perception is simplified, the individual "does not hear" or "does not understand" logical approaches, and the method of suggestion, despite its effectiveness, it requires additional attention in terms of the environmental friendliness of its use.

From the prior art, a method for regulating the psycho-emotional state of a person is known, which includes several stages, and at the first stage, an individual maladaptive cognitive-behavioral style of a person’s psychological reactions to negative factors is diagnosed, while identifying the features of a person’s formulation of his problem, its interpretation, concept, associations, terms and images, with the help of which he processes these negative factors, as well as the facial expressions and pantomimes accompanying them, while a person forms adaptive integrative reactions to negative factors that contrast with maladaptive ones and precede them in time of occurrence using a card, in the left part of which place the text containing information about the identified maladaptive cognitive-behavioral style, in the form of a problem statement, its concept, terms, associations and images, and on the right side - the text containing the opposite information about the adaptive cognitive-behavioral style, then they work with the text of the left and right parts, while the left part is crossed out, the person pronounces it impressively, to himself, imagining negative images, accompanying them with facial expressions and pantomimes of disgust, and the right part is spoken expressively aloud, reinforcing with positive images and combining them with an adequate expressive facial expressions and pantomime, after memorizing the text, the left side of the card is cut off and thrown away, and the right side is kept and carried with them, at the second stage, the maladaptive cognitive-behavioral style is finally neutralized, its negative reinforcement is carried out with physical exercises, manipulations and pharmacological drugs that cause negative feelings, on the third stage prepares a person to use the formed adaptive integrative reactions in the conditions of modeling contact with negative factors with the help of consecutive visualization and role-playing trainings, the course of treatment includes 7-10 sessions, for a long time 1-2 hours, to consolidate the effect obtained, dynamic monitoring is carried out and, taking into account individual needs, support sessions are carried out (RU 2262953, 27.10.2005).

The method known from the prior art, after conducting an appropriate course of psycho-correction, provides the possibility of improving the psycho-emotional state of a person. However, the entire cycle of therapeutic exposure, which involves a large number of sessions stretched over time, is carried out under the constant supervision of a specialist, which can increase a person’s lack of confidence in his own abilities and form his conviction about the need to re-apply for help to a psychologist in case his condition worsens under the influence of external factors. . The known approach is not aimed at developing an independent skill of managing one's condition and can form a person's dependence on clinical intervention in stressful situations in the future. In addition, the known method involves the use of pharmacological agents, which, firstly, may be contraindicated for a certain number of people, and secondly, may have side effects that subsequently devalue the final result of treatment.

From the prior art, a method is known for regulating the psycho-emotional state of an object, carried out under the control of the subject, characterized by the fact that a person continuously registers and displays on the monitor the physiological indicators of the psycho-emotional response, find out the negative graphic images and / or verbal definitions associated with the psycho-traumatic situation, store them in a memory device, then form positive graphic images and/or verbal definitions associated with constructive resolutions of a traumatic situation and store them in a memory device, then perform bilateral stimulation with light and/or sound and/or tactile and/or vibrational and/or temperature signals with dynamic variable parameters, selected according to subjective criteria of their comfort for a person until the state of relaxation, determined by physiological parameters, is reached, then against the background of ongoing bilateral stimulation, dry wounded negative graphic images and / or verbal definitions are periodically presented on the monitor screen according to a given algorithm with an interval of 2 to 10 seconds and an exposure of 1 to 4 seconds until the stabilization of physiological parameters, after which negative graphic images are smoothly replaced for 5-15 minutes and/or verbal definitions to saved positive graphic images and/or verbal definitions (RU 2728268, 07/28/2020).

The known method, throughout the entire cycle of psychotherapeutic impact on a person's condition, involves the use of specialized equipment that is not inaccessible to a person outside a medical institution, which excludes the possibility of self-correction of his psycho-emotional state in the event of a stressful situation after a course of treatment. Thus, the known method is not effective for the formation of the skill of self-regulation of the psycho-emotional state of a person.

As the closest to the claimed invention, a method known from the prior art for regulating the psycho-emotional state of a person, carried out under the control of a psychologist influencing a person using metaphorical symbols associated with the range of a person’s psycho-emotional state from stressful or depressed to calm and / or relaxed, can be considered, including at least three stages, namely, diagnostic, corrective and fixative, while at the first stage the psychologist puts the person before choosing one of the many metaphorical symbols that have the greatest associative connection for the person with his current state, with a subsequent transition to the second stage , according to which the psychologist repeatedly confronts the person with a choice from the set of proposed images of metaphorical symbols of one or more images that have the greatest associative connection for the person with his desired state with concomitant control m of characters chosen by a person, and at the third stage, the psychologist offers the person a list of additional exercises that accompany the consolidation of an improved psycho-emotional state (RU 2405581, 10.12.2010, prototype).

In a well-known invention, at the first stage, a person is invited to use images as metaphorical symbols, symbolizing typical hopeless situations, for example, “confinement in a dungeon”, “falling into an abyss”, “defeat in battle”, “lost in space”, “captivity by a monster” , "punishment for sin", "world apocalypse", "defeat by a deadly virus", "demonic possession", "enslavement of the mind", "sea shipwreck", "lost duel" and so on. However, as a result of this approach, a person's attention is more fixed on the details of the event or situation reflected on the metaphorical map, distracting from the full focus on the current state. At the same time, having fixed one or several such situations in the imagination, a person may try to develop a storyline for getting out of them, playing various scenarios for the development of events, in connection with which there is a loss of concentration on his current state and switching attention to modeling the events of solving the problem. Replacing one metaphorical card symbolizing a hopeless situation with another symbolizing a solution to a problem can give a person a calming effect. However, such an effect may be accompanied by a rationalization of the algorithm of specific actions modeled by a person during the session. Thus, this technique can confirm and reinforce a person's belief that a way out of stressful situations should be sought through the implementation of actions based on the rational operation of behavioral algorithms fixed by previous experience. At the same time, the understanding that most of the fixed behavioral algorithms were accepted by a person as the only right solutions to get out of difficult situations in states of fear, waiting for the collapse of plans, fear of condemnation by the team, a sense of duty, feelings of guilt, resentment, etc. may be lost. Thus, after therapy, faced with repetitive stressful situations, a patient can take actions whose main motive is negative emotions, since the skill of attention to one’s current state at the level of the body, breathing, its comprehension, as well as the ability to independently acquire equilibrium prior to making the appropriate decision.

The claimed method is aimed at teaching a person to reflect and monitor the presence of stress, the moment of its occurrence, as well as the ability to regulate their condition.

The technical problem that the claimed invention solves is to develop a method aimed at creating an equilibrium mental state in a person under conditions of stressful factors by using the means and techniques of psychoregulation (carried out with the help of a psychologist to teach an individual the skills of an arbitrary change in one's own state), as well as self-regulation (performed by the individual independently).

The technical result provided by the claimed invention consists in the formation and consolidation of a person's skill of self-identification and regulation of his psycho-emotional state with the possibility of subsequent control of the current state in stressful situations.

Additionally, the claimed invention is aimed at expanding the list of means used to regulate the psycho-emotional state of a person.

The achievement of the claimed technical result provides a method for regulating the psycho-emotional state of a person, carried out under the control of a psychologist, influencing a person using metaphorical symbols associated with the range of a person's psycho-emotional state from stressful or depressed to calm and / or relaxed, including at least three stages, namely, diagnostic, corrective and fixative, while at the first stage the psychologist puts the person before choosing one of the many metaphorical symbols that have the greatest associative connection for the person with his current state, with a subsequent transition to the second stage, according to which the psychologist re-puts the person before the choice of the set of proposed metaphorical symbols of one or more symbols that have the greatest associative connection for a person with his desired state with the accompanying control of symbols chosen by a person, and at the third stage of psi the chologist offers a person a list of additional exercises that accompany the consolidation of an improved psycho-emotional state, characterized by the fact that “metaphor candles” are used as metaphorical symbols, each of which is a figure with an individual set of geometric elements and colors, and at the first stage of the method, a person’s choice of “candles of metaphors” metaphors ”the psychologist accompanies with a testing conversation and observation of a person’s general motor skills, waiting for psychological rapport, with a subsequent transition to the second stage, according to which the psychologist directs the person’s attention either to the candles of metaphors or to bodily reactions and, stating them, judges the improvement in the person’s psycho-emotional state, moving on to the third stage , according to which a psychologist offers a person to fix images of one or more “candles of metaphors” for later use in order to independently consolidate a person’s improved psycho-emotional state through a list n additional exercises accompanying the self-consolidation of an improved psycho-emotional state, including viewing and meditating on the “candles of metaphors”, pronouncing affirmations chosen by a person from the arsenal offered by the psychologist, as well as a set of breathing exercises.

According to the claimed invention, “metaphor candles” are planned and separately derived constructs of thinking, where the geometric shape of the “metaphor candle” is taken as the category of meaning, and the color of the “metaphor candle” is responsible for the emotional construct.

The shape of the "candle of metaphors" for the same meaning is always the same, it is a geometric weaving of a figure from straight and rounded lines with an individual set of elements, which is based on key geometric symbols: a line and a dot. Thus, Husserl clarified that the typical semantic perception (forms) of objects is apperceptively transferred to any other similar object, after which the person’s personal experience colors the semantic perception in individual shades characteristic of the range of personal emotional experiences (colors) previously received by the individual, which in relation to the psychology of color , is also used in other psychological methods for diagnosing an emotional state, for example, the Luscher test.

Metaphor candles use the pure classic base colors of the RGB and RYB color wheel: red, yellow, blue, green. The colors black and white are added to the primary colors, which are not reflected on the color wheel, but are a factor that shifts the intensity of the color from the central ones (the most lightened colors, symbolically "white" color) to the colors on the periphery of the color wheel (darkened, or symbolically "black" colors). Additional intermediate colors such as orange, violet, blue are used in a small number of forms of “metaphor candles”, being narrowly diagnostic.

The integration of form and color, which is carried out when the individual is presented with "candles of metaphors", is set in more than 120 pairs of metaphorical descriptions of meaning and emotions, reflecting the state of the individual at the moment, to call and respond to the individual's reactions in the course of conducting a psychological technique or simply in the course of observation of the "candle of metaphors". At the same time, the choice is made in different ways, among which: The first way is the simultaneous presentation of all forms and the search for the right one, at the moment when the “candles of metaphors” are exhibited as examples of art and applied art of small plastic items live, this creates the effect of immersion, presence and has proven itself including as a means of movement when working with spatial anchors for the fastest possible results. The second way to carry out the technique is when the "candles of metaphors" are collected in the form of stimulus cards and the individual selects and / or opens a group of them to search for and select a card that exactly meets the request. The third way is to place "metaphor candles" in the form of an electronic catalog, where the candles are divided into basic semantic categories, and the individual, entering the semantic category that meets his inner request or mood, selects a candle in shape and color similar to the desired request, state or, when working in Fraenck Farelli's provocative approach, in the event of resistance or active repression, the individual is asked to select a category or the desired "candle of metaphors" that does not exactly resemble the state or situation that causes discomfort.

Implementing the method in a consultative method, the psychologist accompanies with a diagnostic conversation with built-in testing and monitoring of the individual's reactions: body position, body movements, motor skills, speech speed, voice volume, spontaneous movements that occur in the individual after the psychologist's questions, with a subsequent transition to the second stage according to which the psychologist proposes to choose a form similar to the desired state or task of the individual, continuing observation and psychological counseling, guided by the client's bodily readiness for psychological regulation. Moving on to the third stage, the task of which is to fix the client’s bodily reactions or mental constructs, the psychologist acts flexibly, offering the individual to fix the images of metaphorical symbols on a material carrier, or to take as homework the exercise, including the pronunciation of affirmations, selected by the individual for himself during the consultation, as well as a set of motor or breathing exercises, if during the selection process the subject experienced freezing, quiet breathing and other signs corresponding to a person's reactions to stress.

The claimed invention can be implemented as follows.

In contrast to the methods known from the prior art, according to which images describing typical hopeless situations are used as metaphorical symbols, the claimed invention proposes the use of a set of "metaphor candles". In the context of the claimed invention, metaphor candles are candle lamps, the appearance and description of each of which are the product of an interdisciplinary semantic analysis of human structures responsible for figurative and symbolic thinking. So, in the manufacture of each metaphor candle, two factors are taken into account in the form of a geometric shape and color, which are used as units of analysis of the patient's condition when choosing a particular candle.

The first factor, which is responsible for the geometry of the candle, takes into account two types of shapes, namely sharp and rounded shapes. Sharp shapes include vertical and horizontal straight lines, corners, steps, rhombuses, crosshairs, squares, rectangles, as well as flexible thread-like material used to wrap candles inside a candle light for contrasting graphic straight, diagonal, criss-cross lines over a basic shape." metaphor candles” (total 10 factors). Rounded shapes include circles, ovals, loops, spheres, hemispheres, spirals, waves, knots, twists, rubbing, deforming the line of a candle inside a candle lamp from a straight line to a rounded shape (10 factors in total). The equality of factors in sharp and rounded forms allows creating lability (mobility) of perception, which in a soft, balanced and psychologically safe form helps the client to follow both the movement of his attention during the initial choice of candles, and the course of the psychologist's questions during psychocorrection.

The second group of factors is color. The invention uses classic base colors, including primary colors: red, yellow, blue, green with the addition of black and white, shifting the color intensity from symbolic white to darkened or symbolic black. Additionally, orange, purple, blue and other colors can be used. For the manufacture of each “candle of metaphors”, an individual semantic and color template is used, fixed in the technological map. The decorative candle lamp itself is a candle made in the form of geometric elements or patterns, consisting of thin candles with intervals between free and pressed single candles inside the decorative candle lamp, which, when not burning, form a pattern, and when burning, they are a route for the movement of fire .

The use of "candle metaphors" as a combination of form and color, in contrast to images with situations, people, known phenomena, nature, photography or paintings, reduces the risk of transference, retraumatization if the picture shows a situation that reminds a person of experienced grief, stress or an event that ended irreversibly bad for a person. In particular, contact with metaphors in the form of shape and color helps to focus the individual's attention on their own psycho-emotional state without the risk of reflex switching of attention to the search for a rational solution to the problem shown in the image. The use of geometric shapes and colors directs a person's attention from external socially approved to internal attention to oneself, since in geometric forms it is not clear which of them is socially "positive" and which one has a negative aspect. In addition, working with geometry and color, we reduce the general anxiety of the client that “his problems are not so dirty or unworthy to be spoken about out loud”, as there are worries that the psychologist at the consultation can “condemn or start badly think about your client" or be socially biased due to undesirable client choices. By neutralizing the evaluation factor, we have the result of relaxing the client and increasing the level of confidence and freedom in consultation.

The claimed method includes three stages limited in time.

The time allotted for a psychologist to work with a patient can be 5-15 minutes, so that a person experiencing stress develops the skill of quickly switching from a state of stress to a state of balance. This is a short-term therapeutic approach that serves to detect stress, overcome it and switch attention to a new object or state that is productive for a person. At the same time, it is important not to go into a therapeutic conversation to follow the rules and work with stress as a reaction, translating it as a reaction into a new reaction that is more environmentally friendly for a person at the moment.

The first stage is diagnostic. At the first stage, the subject of influence (psychologist) offers the object (person) to choose from the proposed set of candles of metaphors one candle that causes the greatest associative connection in a person with his current state. At the same time, the psychologist accompanies the session with a calm, light or cheerful conversation, asking questions about the client's tasks and working with the reaction to these questions. In practice, it has been found that when stressed, patients choose angular or confused forms of "candle metaphors" of dark colors, and the human body during a conversation reacts by contraction, turning the shoulders inward, moving the head forward down, contracting the inside of the chest, breathing stops and / or becomes inaudible, the voice becomes quieter, speech is less legible. Thus, according to the choice of the “candle of metaphors” and the general motor skills of the individual, an assessment is made of the presence of a formed readiness for psychological correction. If the readiness is not formed, they clarify whether the individual has deadlines and the individual’s readiness to meet these deadlines, which determines the further actions of the psychologist. Readiness is the mobilization of human resources to perform a specific activity, which consists of a positive attitude towards the result, personal character traits, abilities, motivation, a resource of internal forces, knowledge, skills, abilities, a resource of attention, perception, as well as the will to act and preserve intended result. According to the theory of readiness, a ready person is always aware of his needs, goals, capabilities, external requirements, internal potential, ready to mobilize forces, and there are few such clients. Therefore, during the transition from the diagnostic to the corrective stage, it can take from 2 minutes to 10 minutes, depending on the depth and intensity of the impact of stress on a person.

At the second stage, the psychologist describes to the person his bodily reactions observed at the first stage, first waiting for the consent of the individual or his refusal from what is happening, in order to continue psycho-corrective work. If an individual agrees with the description of the position of the body or supplements it with his personal description or story about sensations, thoughts, events, desires, then the declared method is used as a resource and the desired metaphors are similar to a person, the desired state or solution to the problem. If an individual defends himself from a psychologist, does not make contact, conflicts or attacks, then “metaphor candles” are used according to the principle of provocative therapy as a way to describe an enemy, choose a shape and color that is completely inappropriate for a person, which is definitely not about him, and this approach serves acceptance in consulting practice of the right of the client to show aggression, disagreement, unwillingness to become better or fear that after improvement everything will be bad again. If an individual from high-speed reactions, displacement, attacking position slows down and relaxes, then the psychologist recommends maintaining the achieved effect, and after a while continue the consultation.

Sometimes, during a consultation using the claimed method, the cause of stress is the rationalization or overestimation of the outcome of an event, such as an exam, which is derived from a sense of fear of the future, in particular, condemnation from loved ones for unjustified personal expectations in case of failure. . Moreover, when explaining to the patient the relationship of negative emotions, in this case, fear of the future, with the accompanying, indicated emotions, bodily reactions, the patient develops the skill of recognizing a negative state by focusing on his body.

A test factor indicating the productivity of a corrective conversation is a change in the reactions of the human body: the shoulders relax and go down, the tension from the chest subsides, breathing becomes a little freer, the voice is articulate, the feet and buttocks are freely pressed to the floor / chair and the person is like " sits down”, the gaze rises and the time for maintaining the focus of the eyes on the objects surrounding the person increases.

The third stage is the consolidation of the experience gained, when by switching attention from the object causing tension to a new object of attention, which can be associated for the individual or with himself (with a new internal state, with new sensations in the body, with a sense of regained control over his life by controlling one’s body, which in essence is the task of applying the method of “metaphor candles”) or with the external form of the “metaphor candle”, a practical task to perform and other attributes (which connect the individual with the external state he is looking for, people, objects, events , phenomena, reactions, symbols, meanings, external attributes of the manifestations of the individual, the desired result, the desired state, the desired level of intellectual and physical activity, the desired emotional background, the desired level of volitional and motivational process).

The individual seems to partially “emerge” from internal experiences. For a psychologist at this moment, it is important to observe the preservation and support of the process of fixing a person in new bodily reactions from the beginning of a corrective conversation to its completion and consolidation of the result.

If the experience gained in the course of counseling is not yet associated with him, but is associated with the attributes of the outside world or a person is in a situation of inevitable stress that affects his well-being, decisions and actions, then at the third stage of fixing the correctional part, the psychologist offers the person according to his chosen " candles of metaphors", which symbolize the desired, a new focus of attention and an object for the implementation of cognitive, emotional and volitional activity, to preserve and consolidate attributes, for example, take a photograph of images on a phone, print a photo, take a ready-made physical form in the form of a "candle of metaphors" made made of natural wax, which reinforces the switching of attention even more effectively, by expanding the channels of perception of information into channels: visual (picture / photo / sculpture), auditory (in the process of communicating with a psychologist, including discrete perception of information, based on logical connections, that a person had during the consultation process), to inesthetic (certain tactile properties of the candle, its stickiness, warmth), olfactory (the candle smells, it is natural beeswax with a minimum number of fragrances and mostly without fragrances). An effective method is the method when, in those moments when a person needs support, in order to re-switch attention from stress to the requested resource state, a person uses the shapes and colors of “metaphor candles” chosen by him to ignite at home.

Upon completion of the consultation, the client can independently return to the course of the consultation and repeat the successful results obtained already at home through: 1) the use of simple breathing exercises to exhale or inhale, which contribute to the regulation of stress in conditions where it is not possible to use material switching tools; 2) the use of memories, sensations and other anchors to return to an equilibrium state or its initial phase; 3) the use of a verbal setting that reinforces the success of switching attention from the original object of stress to a new state, which the individual could select with a psychologist for consultations; 4) viewing the form of a “candle of metaphors” as an anchor of a state that returns to a benevolent state, fixed in the course of work with a psychologist; 5) meditation on a candle through observation, considering the construction of a form, weaving, the movement of a pattern, graphics, searching for the inaccuracies of manually woven candles; 6) a combination of meditation with reflection on the position of the body and breathing, as well as control of one's own body and breathing; 7) lighting a candle, which provides an effective and quick switching of attention through the properties of the flickering of the flame (the effect of suggestion and additional relaxation), smell (quick switching of attention by means of a new smell entering at the moment of regulation (biological characteristic), unpredictability of candle burning (it is impossible to predict how the candle will burn, thus any psychological stuckness and non-specific reaction to stress is removed through the emerging interest in the natural flame through an orienting reflex and the reaction of attention as a reflex to novelty). , diagonal, spiral, oval, circle and other shapes that repeat the structure of a candle, so that more than three lights burn simultaneously in one metaphor candle. ignition, smoke, crackling, increase and decrease in the light halo above the candle, odors stand out: the typical smell of burning wax, the smell of a wick, smoldering, smoke, soot, the smell of sulfur when lit with matches. The combination of characteristics when using metaphor candles provides an impact on all 5 human senses: sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch and guessing, which is attributed to the sixth sense.

Thus, the claimed method provides the acquisition of the skill of independent control by the individual of his psycho-emotional state, as well as the skill of switching from a state of stress to an equilibrium state, regardless of awareness or not awareness of events occurring in a person's life. The factors that enhance this effect are the “candles of metaphors” method, which works with metaphorical images in the form of geometric and color elements that reduce the level of critical thinking and the level of resistance when working with deep, including subconscious experiences. Also, the factors that enhance the effect include techniques that teach perception and adaptation, and therefore the skills to control your body's reactions to environmental changes, also include techniques that strengthen the memorization of the experience gained in the session, through recording and pronouncing the appropriate settings, as well as the use of "candle metaphors", working as an associative anchor of states when they are independently used by an individual.

In relation to the claimed method, an experimental study was conducted, included in the final qualifying work based on the results of the master's advanced training program at the Moscow Pedagogical State University (MPGU) at the department of cognitive psychology in education and management in 2018-2021, which was defended with excellent marks and with honors. The study supporting the dissertation work of the author "Switching attention as a way to manage stress" was held at the Moscow State Pedagogical University, it was attended by 60 subjects studying in the specialty "Psychology" in the 5th year of full-time education, while the subjects were divided into two groups: experimental and control groups, the experimental group included 43% of students aged 22; 23% of students who are 23 years old; 20% of students who are 24 years old; and 14% of students whose age is 25; while in the experimental group of subjects 30% of male students and 70% of female students; the control group included 30% of students aged 22; 27% of students who are 23 years old; 27% of students who are 24 years old; and 16% of students who are 25 years old. The structure of subjects by gender in the control group was 37% of male students and 63% of female students. Comparison of the experimental and control groups according to gender and age characteristics according to Fisher's f-criterion, which confirms the validity of the study results by the methods of statistical analysis.

1 An example of the implementation of the method.

The following research methods were used in the research process: 1) empirical methods: survey, conversation, observation, testing; 2) ascertaining and control experiment through the methods of the Scale of Differential Emotions (SDE) by K. Izard, the SPANA Method (Scales of Positive Affect and Negative Affect), adaptation by E.N. Aspen, Method PSM-25 (Scale of psychological stress), Method FAST P. Ekman consists of 3 sets of photographs; 3) Formative experiment - cards with the image of "candles of metaphors" for switching attention. Purpose: implementation of the stress management procedure by: 1) diagnosing stress, 2) regulating stress through switching attention and 3) fixing the result. Attention switching is understood as the movement of a person's attention from an object (initial state) through a psychological impact to a new object of attention (desired state) for students in exam stress: 3 days before and immediately before the exam. The technique is carried out by a psychologist individually for 5-15 minutes; 4) Correlation method: Fisher's f-test method. This method is aimed at a qualitative assessment of the results of the study in both groups of subjects. Purpose: a qualitative assessment of the results of the study in both groups of subjects before and after the formative experiment for 2 groups of subjects (experimental and control group). Purpose: to establish whether the mathematical model for the description based on the analysis of variance, namely, there is no zone of significance of the data (ϕ*emp below 2), or the measurement will indicate the presence of a zone of significance (ϕ*emp above 2) when comparing the data of the experimental and control groups .

The formative experiment in the study consisted of three stages:

Part 1 is diagnostic. Using the example of stimulus material (cards depicting decorative candle lamps “candles of metaphors”), the subjects first choose one card on the instructions of the psychologist.

Part 2 is corrective. Subjects on questions of the psychologist choose cards with new images. At the same time, the psychologist diagnoses the position of the body, facial expressions, gestures, and breathing of the subjects, establishing the adequacy of the questions asked by the subjects.

3 part fixing the correctional part. The psychologist offers the subject various means of consolidating the result, including: 1) meditation on a form that repeats the desired result for the subject after stress correction; 2) meditation on the actual “candle of metaphors” or its ignition in order to switch attention through the peculiarities of burning this candle (the shape of the candle, the flame, the burning format change), which includes an orienting reflex and reduces the level of resistance to intense stress in a person; 3) meditation on the selected object (candle of metaphors) in combination with inhalation or exhalation breathing, about which the psychologist instructs the subject individually; 4) verbal setting, order, persuasion, suggestion with a sentence of up to 10 words to regulate stress that arise in the subject in response to the questions of the psychologist in the 2nd correctional part of the formative experiment; 5) background switching of attention by placing the selected picture on the screensaver of the phone, placing a photo in the place where the subject conducts preparatory classes for the exam or at the time of passing the exam.

The control experiment was carried out 3 days after the ascertaining, and on the day when the subjects entered it before the exam. Both groups of subjects took part in the control stage. The task of the stage: to assess the general condition of both groups of subjects and to examine the level of stress they experience. As part of the control diagnostics, the same set of techniques was used that was adopted for the ascertaining experiment, but in a sequence adapted for the control experiment. Further, at the end of the control experiment, the stage of calculation, analysis of the obtained data and correlation analysis were carried out using the Fisher f-criterion to compare the results obtained in the control and experimental groups of subjects.

Below are examples of diagrams in the form of dissertation fragments. In FIG. 1 data of a comparative analysis of the results of the psycho-emotional state in 2 groups before the formative experiment with "candles of metaphors". In FIG. 2 data of a comparative analysis of the results of the psycho-emotional state in 2 groups after the formative experiment with "candles of metaphors" and at the stage of the ascertaining experiment, which was carried out before the exam.

It was confirmed that the negative state of health (blue bar) decreased in the experimental group, while there were no changes in the control group. As a result of the study, it was found that the subjects in the forming group improved their well-being, the level of disgust, fear, anger decreased and the level of happiness increased; a positive effect was formed; decreased stress levels. In the subjects in the control group, the changes were insignificant. Comparison of the experimental and control groups according to the method of the Scale of Differential Emotions (SDE) by K. Izard using the Fisher f-test on control diagnostics, significance zone 2.409; Comparison of the experimental and control groups according to the SPANA scale of positive affect and negative affect using the Fisher f-test, significance zone 6.979; Comparison of the experimental and control groups according to the PSM-25 Psychological Stress Scale using Fisher's f-test, significance zone 7.59. A series of responses during the first test (SDE) has an allowable deviation associated with the use of the methodology of the first and immediately after the formative experiment. At the same time, the correlation data immediately after the forming experiment is 4 times higher than the data that were obtained during 1 testing during the ascertaining experiment.

Thus, it can be summarized that after the regulation of stress in 2 groups of subjects, significant differences were obtained. This means that managing stress by means of switching attention using the metaphor candle method has proven to be an effective method. The hypothesis of the study that switching attention using the “candle of metaphors” method is a way to manage stress was confirmed.

Summing up the results of the study, we can draw the following general conclusions: 1) on the eve of the examination session, both groups of subjects are exposed to stress, while the use of "candle metaphors" can significantly affect the level of stress experienced, reducing it; 2) when switching attention, a change from an object (stress) to a new object (desired state), which is used in the “candle metaphors” technique, allows you to consciously maintain a state of stress regulation with a high degree of motivation; 3) to consolidate the achieved result, reflection, meditation, viewing images, lighting “candles of metaphors”, switching by means of breathing and body position are used; 3) success in the regulation of stress by the method of "candles of metaphors" operates regardless of the gender and age status of the subjects.

2 is an example of the implementation of the method.

An individual form of application of the method of express correction of the emotional state of an adult.

The choice of "candle metaphors" was carried out by the simultaneous presentation of all candles, in which all variants of shapes and colors are exhibited in an exhibition hall with a size of about 10 m ² .

Showcases are installed with the letter “P”, a mirror, decorative elements, light spots or plants are placed on the free wall to create an atmosphere of comfort, as well as a 55 cm flat touch screen monitor, for an invaluable comparison of the description given by the psychologist or the client with the actual electronic catalog on "candles of metaphors." Light music or the sound of nature sounds.

The height of open showcases, on which “candles of metaphors” are placed as samples of artistic and applied art of small plastic products live, is 180 cm, the interval between transparent shelves is 30-35 cm. Candles are packed in transparent boxes, there are no inscriptions on them. Candles are placed horizontally on the shelves for each separate category of metaphor candles - its own horizontal line. Boxes with candles can be moved to a separate empty shelf for the forms selected by the client. Looking at the shelf, the dynamics of the client is tracked during the consultation. For the convenience of returning boxes with candles to their places, transparent labels are placed on the shelves of the showcase indicating the place of the candle.

Lighting is directed to the candles through a rod overhead light, with light and cold lamps coming through one, creating an even, neutral light or allowing the client to move the candle under different types of lighting to symbolically find their shade of color. With this arrangement, a darkened space is naturally formed in the center of the room, in which the psychologist and the client are located.

The size of an ordinary “metaphor candle” made as a piece of small plastic is 16 centimeters, the size of the palm of an average Russian person, as well as 25 centimeters for candles working at the level of archetypes, there are only a few types of them. In FIG. 3 shows examples of "candle metaphors".

The consultation takes place while standing, which has proven itself, among other things, as a means of movement when working with spatial anchors for the fastest possible results.

The above study is convenient for the psychologist, and for the client creates a sense of security, safety of the therapeutic process, as well as the effect of immersion, presence, the ability to tactilely feel the box, sniff the candle, take a closer look, hear the sounds that the client himself makes when moving around the office.

Client Alena K., 36 years old, healthy according to medical indications. Prone to depreciation, speaks quickly, closes emotionally. Moving from another country, the lack of citizenship she needed at the time of the initial request for a consultation, led her to the accumulation of repressed emotions, which are significant in terms of strength and, based on the position of the client’s body, put pressure on her: the shoulders are directed inward, with high growth and external beauty she stoops, her knees “on a squat”, when asked about her height, she answers that short people are below her in all respects and she likes to be tall. According to the responses received, her lack of property, sufficient sources of income for her, led to a state that A. describes as general tension. Against the backdrop of a conflict with his brother and ongoing work and personal relationships, A.'s facial expressions betray resentment (a hurt and bitter expression on his face, the search for an audience who will watch this). A. does not have the task of managing stress or her emotions, but the task is to establish relations with a profitable man, which is the motive that led to the consultation.

At the first meeting, A. was excited, looked at the exit and listened to questions every other time, skipping their content. The beginning of the first stage of the implementation of the methodology for regulating the psycho-emotional state through the “candles of metaphors” occurred immediately at the moment of the meeting. The psychologist explained the essence, boundaries and resources of the method of express correction using the “candle of metaphors” method, agreed that the psychologist would fill out a reflective sheet for recording the course of the consultation at the first meeting, and then give it to the client. So that all records remain available only to her, the privacy of the conversation and the recording of her choices of candles A. can track during the consultation. Then, with this reflective sheet, A., if he wants, can carry out independent analysis and reflection, some time after the end of the meeting.

These arrangements reassured A. and she assumed a more relaxed posture and began to move around the room.

A. was asked to choose a "metaphor candle" similar in shape and color to its current state. A. chose, thought, began to consider, the client's breathing subsided, the general position of the body confirms the fact that A. is ready to move to the second stage.

At the second stage, the psychologist repeatedly puts the client before a choice from the set of proposed “candles of metaphors” that have the greatest associative connection with the desired state.

A. moved slowly, not in a hurry, there was little readiness to switch attention from the current state to a new state, so it took the client time to hear the psychologist's request. Slowly, in a waddle, shuffling her feet a little on the floor, having reduced the pace of movements from the moment the meeting began by almost 3 times to a slower one, A. chose a row of candles, not understanding why she wanted to choose more than one candle for the image of the desired state, as was the case with the first query, and select three "candles of metaphors" at once. The psychologist wrote down the names of the chosen “metaphor candles” and moved them to a free shelf next to the candle that was chosen first. During the manipulations related to the movement of the candles and the technical notes that the psychologist made, the client was practically not audible, the client's behavior was radically different from the behavior at the beginning of the meeting. So, the reactions associated with devaluation, fast speech and fast pace of movements disappeared, they were replaced by new ones, meaning some relaxation and the process of reflection, establishing contact with oneself and with self-awareness. The position of the body slightly leveled off, although a half-squat at the knees and a facial expression on which resentment was read were preserved, but the call to get involved in the client’s experiences, to participate in the offense or observe the client’s torment, as well as the client’s spying on the psychologist’s reactions, became obviously less and practically ended. It was evident that A. felt differently, in greater contact with herself, and this made her feel a little better.

The free expression of spontaneous experiences in a wide semiotic field not limited by speech opened up additional opportunities for the materialization and response of repressed experiences. At this stage, the completion of the second stage can already be considered successful, and it is important not to speed up the client, since there has already been a sufficient breakthrough for her in terms of new ways of responding to her needs and desires, by changing the algorithm of behavior from flight or fading into a reaction of participation and self-observation.

The psychologist simply silently observed what was happening, since the situation required a silent and understanding co-presence. This helped to keep the personal psychological boundaries of the client.

To the client's question "Why are there three candles?" the psychologist suggested starting with the arrangement of candles on the shelf and suggested arranging the candles as the client liked. To the client's confusion, the psychologist announced that the choice was made in such and such order, and helped to install the candles.

Psychologist: "Does this now look like your desired state."

Client: "We need to remove this one, and yes"

The psychologist removes the candle. The client says no, it must be returned. The psychologist offers the client to independently return the candle to its place. The client returns the candle. And it is clear that the client's body relaxes, the client exhales loudly enough.

The third stage begins.

Psychologist: “I propose to stop there. You have done a great job today. We started with you entering at high speed and tense, and now your pace has slowed down, you have become more relaxed. Does this look like the truth?

Client: “Yes, I have become bigger and kind of closer to myself.”

Psychologist: “I suggest you take a photo of the resulting sets of candles. You can then return to them to look, or not to return. They can be used for (... the following is a typical instruction for consolidating the achieved state).

The client first tries to speed up, to continue the consultation meeting further, to claim that this is a “strange end of the consultation and she was waiting for more.” To the psychologist's question about what A. was waiting for, she replies that "I expected that you would convince me, force me to change my point of view and do something."

The psychologist asks: "How did we do it - is it better?"

A. laughed and said, "Yes."

The psychologist describes that the established corporeality, the new internal pace and other internal characteristics, allow A. to have the most important thing - this is contact with himself. The psychologist gives A. notes on the reflective sheet, then opens the tablet and shows how A., where, if she wants, she can make an analysis of what happened during the consultation, while the psychologist recommends not doing any analyzes for 1-2 days, but just staying in its new condition.

A.'s face smoothed out, she looked refreshed and became a little taller, straightening her shoulders a little. After waiting for A. to finally return to her place, the psychologist asked permission to return the candles to their place: “Can we complete our consultation?” The client answered "Yes".

After the consultation, A. was surprised by the changes in her sense of self, she said that she did not believe in any kind of psychology there, and that this was basically nonsense, but it was easier for her.

After 3 weeks, A. asked for a second consultation. She thanked her that somehow it became easier in general, she said that she had confusion in her head, but after the consultation she was able to start resolving property issues with her brother and there was a prospect of resolving the issue with property. The opportunity to be with himself in a series of external noise gave A. a chance to choose and make a decision. A. interpreted the symbolic choice of several candles for herself as a consistent clarification of relations with her brother, the completion of an unclear relationship, and “something else” that she wished not to disclose. Thus, the client worked not with a fictitious request "about a profitable man", but with a true request related to property and a brother.

Obviously, the choice from among the options of different shapes and colors of “candles of metaphors” of one, specific option that fixes the client’s attention is already the object that switches the client’s attention from a variety of interpretations that consciously or unconsciously occur in the mental reality of each person who loses connection with yourself, your true feelings, needs and desires. This shift in attention is already therapeutic. Therefore, in some cases, for example in this case, it is enough to start with contact with yourself.

Thus, the claimed method helped to prevent the risk of psychosomatic reactions or the occurrence of addictive behavior, as a way to establish lost contact with oneself. The claimed method allowed to save the client's time in terms of establishing a trusting contact between the psychologist and the client, which requires enough time. The claimed method provided the psychologist with the opportunity to economically spend his mental energy on processing client resistance encountered in psychological counseling. Psychological resistance is a good sign, it should not be overcome, as it helps the client to survive, maintain homeostasis and inner balance. Therefore, through indirect work with psychological resistance, both remained in the resource: both the psychologist and the client, which is especially useful for psychologists who are just starting to conduct their psychological practice.

Claims (2)

1. A method for regulating the psycho-emotional state of a person, including three stages, namely, diagnostic, corrective and fixative, according to which, at the first stage, a person is faced with the choice of one of the many metaphorical symbols that have an associative connection for a person with his current state, with a subsequent transition to the second a stage according to which a person is repeatedly presented with a choice of at least one of the many proposed metaphorical symbols that have an associative connection for a person with his desired state, and at the third stage, a person is offered a list of additional exercises to consolidate an improved psycho-emotional state, characterized in that as metaphorical symbols, decorative candle lamps or their images are used, each of which is a figure with an individual set of geometric elements and colors, and at the first stage, a person’s choice of a decorative candle lamp is accompanied by give a testing conversation and observation of general motor skills, wait for psychological rapport and proceed to the second stage, while at the second stage the person’s attention is directed to at least one decorative candle lamp that has an associative connection with his desired state, and to bodily reactions and stating them the person is judged on the improvement of the psycho-emotional state of the person, after which they proceed to the third stage, according to which the person is offered to fix an image of at least one decorative candle lamp selected at the second stage or to take a ready-made physical decorative candle lamp for subsequent self-fixation by the person of his improved psycho-emotional state. 2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the list of additional exercises for self-fixing by a person of his improved psycho-emotional state includes viewing decorative candle lamps, meditating on them, pronouncing affirmations, or a set of breathing exercises.

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