FACT 4
Always remember it is the belief that smoking is pleasurable and we must do it if we want to be happy that keeps us smoking.
To reinforce this vital truth in your mind, I want you to repeat an important exercise we did in a previous lesson.
I want you to smoke another cigarette but this time I want you to pay FULL ATTENTION to what you are doing.
Relax now and slowly go through the ritual of smoking – the pure PHYSICAL ACT of smoking a cigarette.
Now lit up, take six deep VERY, VERY SLOW puffs from the cigarette — all the time being FULLY AWARE of what you are doing.
Concentrate FULLY on the smoke going into your lungs.
Don't let any emotions or feelings arise – just CONCENTRATE on the ACTUAL MECHANICS MOMENT-BYMOMENT of what you do everyday, when you smoke.
Now……….. describe the marvelous sensations that you are receiving.
Tell us about the wonderful experience that the rest of us are being DEPRIVED of — RIGHT NOW as you smoke with FULL AWARENESS.
What feelings do you have when you smoke…..when you remain
fully AWARE and CONSCIOUS of what you are doing.
Probably none at all!
In fact, you begin to realize that to enjoy smoking, you have to actually forget what you are actually doing!!
We now know the reason for this.
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KEY IDEA |
The pleasure does not come from the cigarette but from the pleasurable sensations we ourselves unconsciously transfer to it.
This is the great puzzle facing smokers.
We know, at least intellectually that we will not suffer any great physical pain when we stop.
We also know, again intellectually that when we look at it objectively – smoking per se is really not enjoyable or pleasurable.
It's just SMOKE GOING INTO OUR LUNGS.
But we still find it difficult to give up.
Why is this ?
Because at some deep level within us, we still still believe we NEED to smoke to be happy.
And that if we don't smoke, we will be depriving ourselves of some great pleasure. Of SOME GREAT HAPPINESS. And the last thing we want to do in this hard world is deprive ourselves of some pleasure.