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A change in perspective can lead to great leaps in understanding and how we approach life challenges.

However, while sometimes we are forced to change our perspective, we often become resistant when given a choice about changing our perspective.

This resistance may develop because change implies adjusting to a new way of thinking, which takes effort, and a willingness to step out of our comfort zone. Also, sometimes we worry that we may not be up to the challenge of dealing with unknown outcomes that may arise because of change.

Change Forced by Age

I looked forward to taking my teenage children to visit the neighborhood in which I grew up as a young child. I had told them stories over the years of my recollections from my own childhood, including about fun games we played in school, and how I jumped six feet from my second-floor apartment balcony into the backyard to play with my friends.

I was able to visit my old school where I had attended kindergarten and was shocked to see that the classroom was much smaller than I had remembered. When we visited my old apartment building, my children broke out in gales of laughter when we realized that my old balcony turned out to be only six inches off the ground. (The back of the apartment building was built into a hill, which I hadn’t remembered.)

Why was my memory so distorted? Perhaps, because it was recorded in the mind of a small 5-year-old to whom the world seemed to be a very large place. In this case, my change in perspective was forced by becoming taller and older.

Change Forced by COVID

Another example of a forced change in perspective occurred with healthcare providers during the lockdowns that occurred during COVID. Many people were concerned about how effective physical and mental health care might be delivered without in-person contact with patients and clients. I recall some of my colleagues expressing grave concern that restricting observation of our patients to what can be seen through video interactions would lead to suboptimal and even dangerous healthcare.

At the time I argued that we had no choice but to employ telehealth. Given this forced choice, healthcare delivery largely switched to an online model for several months, and we discovered that in some instances, such healthcare interactions were more beneficial than in-person care.

For instance, healthcare has become more accessible to people who have difficulty traveling to healthcare facilities, or who require frequent monitoring by their healthcare providers.

Resistance to Change: Laser Dentistry

Ten years ago, I had the opportunity to undergo laser dentistry for the first time. I sat in the dental office chair, and my dentist used a laser to simultaneously check for small cavities and repair them while numbing the nerves in my mouth with the laser.

The whole procedure was pain-free, and thus I did not need any administration of anesthesia with a needle. After an hour, I got up from the chair and felt completely normal.

I marveled at this technology and asked how recently it has become available. I was excited that dental work could be done so comfortably, and wondered how many people could now be so much more receptive to dental work, rather than developing great fear of a dentist’s office.

I was incredulous when he told me that laser dentistry was more than 20 years old at that time. “Why had I never heard of it?” I asked. “This could change the face of dentistry.”

My dentist explained that laser dentistry does not work for all dental work (such as large cavities or cavities between teeth) and that it requires relearning how to perform dental work. Furthermore, laser dentistry requires the purchase of an $80,000 laser apparatus, which is an investment many dentists are unwilling to make.

I understood why dentists in private practice may have been comfortable with their old ways of practice, and did not want to make the time and monetary investment that would be required to effect a change in their practice.

“So, do they teach laser dentistry in dental schools?” I queried.

“Not so much,” explained my dentist. “Dental schools are taught by old dentists, who teach what they practice.”

Thus, it seemed that we may be stuck for a while with old-style dentistry because few dentists are willing to choose to embrace a change in their perspective.

Resistance to Change: Therapy with Hypnosis

I have been involved in teaching hypnosis to children, adolescents, and young adults for the past 25 years. I have participated in and witnessed first-hand some amazing improvements in physical and mental health in thousands of individuals with the use of hypnosis.

There are many articles published in reputable medical journals about the effectiveness of hypnosis in the treatment of different medical conditions, including those causing headaches, stomachaches, shortness of breath, anxiety, and depression. Further, many people have lectured and written books about hypnosis.

Nonetheless, hypnosis has not been widely accepted as a healthcare intervention in our society.

Again, I think the problem lies in the unwillingness to change perspectives. Many in the public are resistant to a change in perspective about hypnosis, as they believe that its use is akin to magic or mind control as it has been portrayed by the entertainment industry, or because they think of hypnosis as just another unproven alternative therapy.

Because of these misconceptions, people may be afraid to learn more about hypnosis for healthcare, as they think this involves too many unknowns.

Further, if a practitioner’s model of healthcare involves the application of what they were taught in school, and using tools that have a long-standing history of effectiveness, it is understandable that they would resist the incorporation of a new approach, such as hypnosis. Sadly, the lack of adoption of a mind/body approach permits ongoing suffering among a very large number of individuals, who could have felt much better with the use of hypnosis.

Prompting a Change in Perspective

How can we help ourselves overcome the difficulties in changing our perspective when such a change could bring so much benefit to our lives?

The answer may lie in a future projection approach, which I learned through the use of hypnosis.

We can take some time to imagine a future in which a change we might contemplate has become widely adopted. For example, dentists can think of a world in which dentistry is accepted much more readily by patients.

Healthcare providers can think of a world in which patients are empowered to heal themselves. For instance, one of my patients recently told his mother, “I just had a headache, but I took care of it myself.”

Once we can imagine what the future might look like, our brains start pondering how we are going to get to that future.

We might also come to recognize that working outside of our comfort zone provides one of our best opportunities for personal growth. These realizations can help us to take actions that will guide us on our journey to a better tomorrow.