Unstuck: The Science of Changing Your Brain

Ryan DeJonghe
10 minutes ago
3 min read

How Reflection, Visualization, and Hypnosis Rewire Your Reality

For my 30th birthday, I celebrated by collapsing in the shower in a heap of sorrow and despair, wailing in tears, feeling utterly unsatisfied with my life. It didn’t matter that I owned a house, had a baby on the way, and was in good health. I felt stuck in my thought patterns: worthless and unaccomplished.

Being stuck is funny like that. External reality doesn’t always reflect internal truth. What society deems “successful” didn’t align with my self-worth. There was a mismatch. My reality was different.

I’m now 50. And I’ve taken the long road—through deeper despair (yes, it got worse… including dying) and eventually out of the dark forest into the light of real, lasting change. Through the storm and into the sun.

I want to share what I’ve learned—through personal experience and the lens of neuroscience. Because change is possible. And not just change, but a sense of agency over that change.

The Loop That Shapes Your Reality

Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett, one of the most cited neuroscientists in the world, has shown that emotions aren’t hardwired—they’re constructed. Her research dismantles centuries-old beliefs about how the brain works. And the good news? You can change your beliefs in an instant.

If you’ve got two hours, watch her interview on Diary of a CEO. If not, here’s the gist: your brain predicts your reality based on past experiences. That means your current emotional state might not reflect what’s happening now—it might be a replay of the past.

British hypnotist James Tripp offers a model that aligns beautifully with this science. He describes a loop:

Experience → Belief → Imagination → Physiology → Experience

This loop can start anywhere. If you believe you’re broken, you’ll imagine yourself failing, your body will respond with stress, and your experience will confirm the belief. But the reverse is also true: shift one part of the loop, and the whole system can change.

A Real-World Example: The Basketball Study

In a study at the University of Chicago, participants were split into three groups:

Group 1: Did nothing.
Group 2: Practiced basketball free throws daily.
Group 3: Visualized practicing free throws—without touching a ball.

After 30 days, Group 2 improved by 24%. Group 3? They improved by 23%.

That’s the power of mental rehearsal. Your brain doesn’t distinguish between vividly imagined experience and reality. It rewires either way. Here’s a summary of the study.

Neuroplasticity: Not Just a Buzzword

Earlier this week, a hospital administrator told me, “Neuroplasticity is just a buzzword.” I was stunned. Because the science says otherwise.

We now have imaging tools like Hyperspectral Imaging and Fluorescence Lifetime Imaging Microscopy (FLIM) that let us see the brain change in real time.

Dr. Norman Doidge, author of The Brain That Changes Itself, has documented case after case of people healing trauma, addiction, and chronic pain through neuroplasticity. His work bridges the gap between science and transformation.

Hypnosis: The Shortcut to Rewiring

Hypnosis is not mind control. It’s focused attention. It’s the art of bypassing the critical mind to speak directly to the part of you that’s ready to change.

Here’s a simple prompt you can try right now:

Close your eyes. Imagine a version of you who already feels free—calm, clear, and confident. Notice how they breathe. How they carry themselves. Let that version of you step forward, just a little. Let them whisper one word into your heart. What’s the word?

This is how we begin to rewire. Gently. Repeatedly. With intention.

Final Thoughts

Whether you’re navigating anxiety, addiction recovery, or just feeling stuck in old patterns, the science is clear: your brain can change. And you can guide that change.

Reflection. Visualization. Hypnosis. These are not just tools—they’re invitations to reclaim your agency.

Stay tuned for more on TranceWell.help, where I’ll be sharing free resources, guided hypnosis, and science-backed strategies to help you rewire your reality.