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Why TTouch Works - Another Perspective
by Margaret Siverns,
TTouch Practitioner 1
I have been meaning to write this for some time and finally got around to it! So is this another take on why TTouch works?
No, not a technical explanation, but one that is linked to humanistic management theory! As I become more and more involved with the work, so more and more the parallels to human theories I have been exposed to become more apparent. So here is my thought for today!
Cogg's Learning Ladder Theory
According to Cogg, when we are learning, we go through four stages, unconscious incompetence, conscious incompetence, conscious competence and unconscious competence. To explain the stages when imparting this to managers we often use the analogy of learning to drive.
Unconscious incompetence: I don't know I can't; as a child I remember sitting on the drivers seat of my dad's car, holding the steering wheel and moving it furiously and, in my head, I was driving - I didn't know I couldn't! With our animals, they are unaware a behavior is inappropriate.
Conscious incompetence: know I can't; at 17, I had my first driving lesson and returned home in tears wailing that how was I ever going to remember to look in a mirror, hold a steering wheel, put my foot on a pedal and use my other hand to move a stick to change gear! I was certain I couldn't! As we work with our animals they become aware that some behavior is not what is wanted.
Conscious competence: I know I can; after 10 or 12 lessons that initial reaction was a dim and distant memory and I was ready to take my test - I knew I could! (And on the third attempt I even convinced the examiner!). With our help, our animals start to realize they can exhibit the desired behavior.
Unconscious competence: I'm unaware I can; I no longer have to actively think about the mirror, pedals, steering wheel etc. . . . I do it automatically, the actions are embedded in me - I'm unaware I am! Our animals no longer need our help to remind them what is wanted, they do it with unconscious thinking.
All making sense so far? Well here comes the bombshell - the ease with which we slip from unconscious competence to unconscious incompetence! In my case this was evidenced by a letter through the door one morning that sent me diving for my diary and incredulously trying to imagine that someone else had my car that day, it couldn't have been me exceeding the speed limit!
So why, if the process was embedded, had I got it wrong? It seems to me that the answer lies in the fact that having become embedded, the thinking part of my brain became less active so allowing me to lapse into incompetence.
Therefore it seems my thinking brain is only fully engaged in the conscious state, and only in that state can I make a choice to change to my behavior or attitude. And to do that I also need feedback and self awareness.
So is that also why TTouch Training works - it stimulates and activates the cells that engage the thinking brain, gives self awareness and feedback, and allows choice. So with TTouch we take our animals from unconscious incompetence, through conscious incompetence, to conscious competence and into unconscious competence. But we need to remember that to stay effective in unconscious competence, we need to move back to conscious competence from time to time. So from time to time we need to touch base with our animals to remind them they have got it right. (Because we don't want our animals to exceed the speed limit!).
Well, just some ramblings, but hope I have made you smile!
Margaret Siverns, P1, England
