You can call it “highway hypnosis” or “get distracted” or “space out” or “in the zone.” And, hypnosis is used every day on radio and television. Even by your friends or family who use guilt, guilt, or joy to manipulate your decisions.

Hypnosis is NOT a secret power. It is NOT a special Jedi state of mind. It’s just the method your mind uses to access your emotions, memories, and learned behaviors. It generally feels relaxing, smooth, and focused. But you may also feel upset, angry, stressed, and depressed. That depends on your current state of mind.

Hypnosis is used on most of us very effectively by politicians and advertising executives. And misused by most “used” car dealers. And yes, your friends and family use it. And yes, you use it on them too.

The use of hypnosis is all about bypassing the analytical mind and stimulating a learned behavioral response. A behavioral response will tend to be more predictable. Like my wife is mad at me for staying up late to write this article. I don’t want her to get mad because that makes me feel guilty. She unintentionally creates an emotional response in me that motivates me to do what she wants. It sounds complicated until you start to see how common it is.

The beer ad features a video that stimulates feelings of happiness, contentment, and camaraderie. People like those things and now those good feelings will tend to be associated with the image of that particular brand of beer. If you think of a remote, relaxing, sunny beach in Mexico, blue water, white sand, the sound of small, gentle waves, two lounge chairs, and maybe a slice of lime, do you think of a particular brand of beer? That is the emotional association at work.

This is evident in all aspects of your life. Your mind began collecting these associations shortly after you were born. It is the same for all of us. Of course, it’s common sense, but we don’t always realize how powerfully it influences our behaviors and choices.

The stronger the emotion, the stronger the association. The stronger the association, the more vivid the memory. The more vivid the memory, the more real it is to your mind and the more influence it has on your behavior. Your mind has no real concept of the passage of time. What he sees in your imagination, or memory, he believes. At least most of the time.

So take this concept and apply it to someone with PTSD or depression. Apply it to that person you know can’t quit smoking or has a favorite comfort food. Apply it to your driving habits, your eating habits, and her stress level. At the risk of being boring, I’ll stop the examples and assume you got it.

Understanding this concept gives you the power to intentionally change your associations. Some you can do on your own. If you need help, find a professional you can trust and make it happen.