Psychic Peer Pressure
What's Happening In Our Schools?
By Debi Livingston, BCH, CI
Reading
this right now, I'm going to ask you to stop for a moment and think
about this: How would you feel if you had to start spending seven hours
a day with hundreds, maybe thousands of people you didn't know? Would
you feel comfortable and at ease? Do you make friends easily or would
you find yourself giving up your personal set of values in order to
fit in and be accepted? If the way you are isn't considered 'hip' or
'cool', would you do things you didn't really want to do in order to
save face?
Welcome back to being a teenager in high school.
Teens these days are faced with an amazing amount of pressure on many
levels; to succeed as a student and to be liked and accepted by their
peers. They are immersed in a sea of people all doing their best to
survive. Classrooms are over crowded and teachers have too many students
to be able to give quality attention to any of them. If you are not
the shining pupil it's easy to go undetected and become lost and lag
behind in work.
The teachers in California are fighting for a pay raise and in the meantime
have refused to work past their contractual time agreement. This means
some homework assignments and tests are going un-corrected and after-
school tutoring is a thing of the past. I believe teachers are grossly
underpaid for the work they do, yet it's the kids who suffer most.
If they are falling behind and think they are not smart as compared
to other students, they begin to lose faith in themselves. Moral drops
and they begin believing the thoughts dictated by test scores and numbers
- 'I'm not smart enough.' With their self-esteem lowering, it becomes
easier for them to focus their attention to other avenues for expression.
They tend to find kids who think in the same way and end up supporting
each other's low self esteem beliefs. This is called matching.
Words are so powerful yet so few people truly understand the weight
they hold. Teachers are an authority figure to students and what they
say creates an impact. As the ÒauthorityÓ, their words
directly by-pass the students critical, discerning mind and enter the
subconscious where the words become true. For a student already lacking
belief in themselves, hearing a teacher say something negative will
only support their negative self image.
For example, when I was a teen in school I was told by the principal
I was one of the 'dumbest students the school had.' I was also told
I'd never be college material so forget about improving my SAT scores
and get a job in a factory.
I was dealing with personal issues at home at the time, already lacked
any type of self-confidence, so upon hearing that statement, adopted
an attitude of defeat. I quit studying, skipped school a lot and hung
out with people I had no business being around. Similar scenarios continue
to happen with kids today.
As an intuitive, hypnotherapist and parent, I have been offered a unique
glimpse into the high school life - both from inside the school and
via students as hypnotherapy clients. I watch many kids trying to become
better people, who lack the support from home they so desperately need.
When a child grows up lacking emotional support, it is difficult for
them to have confidence when plunged into a society of teens going through
the same thing.
Teen years are challenging no matter how much positive support someone
receives. The body is changing, hormones are coming to life and the
brain begins to think in new ways. To add more complexity, the moral
code of ethics within teens has changed drastically in the past ten
years. Sex is a play event with no emotional connections; friends with
benefits, hooking-up, being a boy toy are all accepted as the normal
way to be.
I've spoken with high school students who tell me that every day they
are presented with opportunities to do drugs, get alcohol or have a
quick sexual romp in an empty classroom. The desire to fit in and be
liked is so strong, that many of these teens end up doing things they'd
never have considered in the past. I had one young client tell me she
didn't even know why she did what she did - she was just doing it.
I mentioned earlier about matching. We all have an aura, the energy
that permeates and surrounds our body. The aura is like a magnet and
attracts to it, energy from others which is their thoughts and feelings.
Unharnessed, the aura can scatter far and wide from home base, the body.
Let's apply this to a typical day in school.
Unless one knows how to ground their body and bring their aura close
around them, their energy will scatter and match the vibration of everyone
else. Have you ever walked through high school halls between classes?
It's mayhem! Kids are yelling, pushing, shoving - the emotional/sex
energy is flying! Each person's aura is meshing with everyone's energy,
so through-out the day is collecting everyone else's feelings. In time,
a person begins to believe these thoughts and feelings are their own
and end up doing the things they normally would not have done. Add to
this the peer pressure of fitting in and being accepted and you've got
a recipe for chaos! So what can you do?
I've taught meditation classes for teens where they learn about their
energy. One student said that after learning how to ground her body
and own her personal energy, she was able to make better choices for
herself. She was able to discern her thoughts and feelings from those
she was matching. This helped her keep out of trouble.
Another student was able to stay focused more in classes and not be
so affected by the constant talking and chattering while the teacher
was communicating. His grades improved.
I volunteer at the local high school as a hypnotist, helping teens to
quit smoking. They are always amazed at how great they feel and how
positive they can be after going into trance and un-hooking from everyone
else's vibration. Their self-esteem rises and they feel better about
themselves.
Teens are super amazing people who want the same things out of life
as you and I. They are also highly suggestible. You can start to make
a difference in the life of a young adult simply by the words you choose
to speak and the thoughts you choose to think. Talk with your kids.
Let them know how capable they are and how their unique talents will
serve them well. Also, learn to think well about yourself because that
will radiate towards them as wellness and positive action.
Debi Livingston is a teacher at the Academy For Psychic Studies and
Board Certified Hypnotherapist and Instructor. If you'd like information
about Meditation for Teens or Hypnosis for focus, self esteem and goal
achievement call (800) 642-9355
Reading
this right now, I'm going to ask you to stop for a moment and think
about this: How would you feel if you had to start spending seven hours
a day with hundreds, maybe thousands of people you didn't know? Would
you feel comfortable and at ease? Do you make friends easily or would
you find yourself giving up your personal set of values in order to
fit in and be accepted? If the way you are isn't considered 'hip' or
'cool', would you do things you didn't really want to do in order to
save face?