Cleaning up Your Mental Frameworks to Improve Decision-Making
Damásio’s Theory of Somatic Markers (Part III)
In the first part of this series, we explored the emotional aspects of decision-making and introduced Damásio’s hypothesis of somatic markers. These markers, formed through associative learning, help us navigate decisions by linking past experiences to emotional and physiological responses. Think of these as “sensory images”, or mental frameworks that organize emotions, perceptions, thoughts, and physical sensations into a kind of internal filing system. Imagine your brain categorizing events into “index cards” and storing them in mental “drawers” under specific labels. For example, if you’ve had a negative experience giving a public speech, your sensory images might include a crowded room, stuffy air, your voice cracking, laughter from the audience, and a racing heartbeat. These elements might get stored under the label: “Public speaking is dangerous.” It doesn’t matter if this describes reality; your brain, your emotions and physiological sensations created this scheme, and you accepted it as real. When faced with a similar situation, your brain retrieves this label and the stored information, triggering fear and physiological responses like a rapid heartbeat. These physiological and emotional reactions serve as somatic markers reminding you of the “danger” you might experience. While this mechanism is designed to aid quick decision-making without the need to consciously analyze the situation, it can also hold you back, especially when markers are based on unproductive or distorted experience. This can lead to the avoidance of situations and tasks which could otherwise help you to self-actualize and improve your career chances [3] [4].
In the second part of this series, we discussed step 1 and techniques that help you to identify sensory images. Now, we will explore how to actively reshape the contents of your “drawers,” enabling healthier and more productive decision-making.
Step 2: Changing Your “Index Cards” and Somatic Markers
To modify sensory images and somatic markers, you need to address perceptions, cognition, emotions, and physiological responses holistically. There are several methods which can be applied to change what you think, what you feel and what you experience on a physiological level. These techniques are drawn from psychological therapy and practical approaches but are adaptable to everyday life.
Reframing
Reframing is also known as cognitive restructuring. It is a technique rooted in cognitive therapy. It is attributed to psychotherapists Albert Ellis, Aaron T. Beck and Virginia Satir. It involves consciously thinking about and then reinterpreting a situation. In part 2 you learned in step 1 how to acknowledge your beliefs, thoughts, emotions and bodily reactions linked to situation of importance (we worked with the example: giving a public speech) and wrote them down. With the reframing technique you learn how to focus on positive aspects of a scenario while regulating your emotions and reducing stress [1].
How to use Reframing
You can start by creating a table where you record everything you’ve discovered about your thoughts, emotions, and physiological responses. Aim to express each element as a clear sentence:
| Original thought/ belief, emotion and reaction of your body | |
| Thought | “I will embarrass myself by stuttering and slipping up!” |
| Emotion | “I feel the fear!” |
| Body reaction | “I have sweaty hands, and a racing heartbeat!” |
Consciously shift your perspective. Replace negative interpretations with positive or neutral ones. This process can already lead to feeling relief and a reduction in stress and tension, without working on physiological sensations directly.
| Reframed thought/ belief, emotion and reaction of your body | |
| Thought | “I am excited to do the speech. The audience will see my stutter as enthusiasm and positive agitation!” |
| Emotion | “I can feel excitement!” |
| Body reaction | “My sweaty hands and heartbeat show I’m energized.!” |
You can trick your brain into interpreting the situation which you fear as a positive excitement. If you imagine yourself standing on a diving platform, right before the jump, you will have the same physiological reactions but a different interpretation. Tell yourself “I am excited!” and link your physiological activation to this idea. Your emotion will shift and at that point you can create a new sensory image. Remember, reframing is like building a muscle, it takes consistent practice to see results.
Visualization
By imagining a situation (giving a speech) and positive outcomes (seeing an excited audience), you can rewrite your sensory images and create empowering associations. Visualization techniques can use the brain’s ability to not only imagine a situation, but also to visualize it so vividly that they are experienced as though they are real. But instead of letting past experiences dictate the script, you will write it yourself and direct it. This makes the method a powerful tool for redesigning your sensory images, as well as the emotional and physiological responses. It can enhance motivation and help you to self-improve. This exercise will guide you step-by-step to visualize a successful public speaking experience, but you can also rewrite it to fit other situations and specific personal challenges.
- Sit comfortably in a quiet place where you can relax without distractions. Close your eyes and take three slow, deep breaths, letting your body settle into a calm and focused state.
- Imagine yourself standing on a stage or in front of an audience. Visualize the room: the lighting, the seating arrangement, and the attentive faces of the audience. Notice the details (perhaps a microphone, a podium, or the feeling of the floor beneath your feet).
- Picture the audience smiling and nodding in agreement as you speak. Hear their warm applause at the end. Feel the energy of connection and approval flowing through the room.
- As you deliver your speech, imagine the pride, excitement, and confidence you feel. Let these emotions fill you completely. Notice how your body responds – perhaps with a slight, energizing tingling sensation or a calm, steady heartbeat.
- Before you finish, focus on one key positive image or feeling from your visualization, such as the audience’s applause or the warmth of your confidence. Mentally “bookmark” this image or sensation so you can recall it whenever needed.
Open your eyes and take a moment to reflect on the positive energy you’ve created. Remember, this exercise is not just preparation for public speaking, it’s a way to train your brain to approach similar challenges with confidence and calm. Repeat this visualization regularly to strengthen your positive sensory images and emotional associations.
The more you can associate your visualization with personal meaning and individual cues, the better it will work [2]. Practice this exercise regularly to reinforce positive sensory images and emotional responses. This technique is not just preparation for public speaking but also a way to train your brain to approach similar challenges with calm and confidence.
Regulating Your Physiological Reactions:
There are several methods which mostly work by down regulating your bodily activation. When modifying your sensory images this will aid you in the moment you will actually give your speech. You don’t want your physiological reaction to be too low. According to the Yerkes-Dodson law your performance will reach a peak with increased mental and physical arousal. If activation gets too high or too low your performance decreases. The following exercises can help you by serving primarily as stress management exercises as they will induce a parasympathetic response:
- Cycled Breathing: Inhale through your nose and count to four, hold your breath and count to four, and then exhale through your mouth as long and slowly as possible.
- Cold Exposure: Give your body a short cold “shock”, either by an ice cube to your temples or put your wrists under very cold water. It will calm you down.
- Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense a group of muscles (e.g. your hands), hold for a few seconds, and then release. Feel the relaxation that follows
Remember to interpret a slightly raised heartbeat as excitement. It can serve as a performance enhancer.
Additional Tips:
Learn to “step back” from thoughts and view them as just thoughts rather than facts. For example, instead of thinking “I will give a terrible speech”, reframe it as “I’m having the thought that I will be giving a terrible speech”. It is a technique that is drawn from Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. It is a method which might be especially useful in the beginning of your reframing experience, where you might have a hard time to reframe completely. You can apply this as a smaller step.
If you experience yourself as already overwhelmed, pause immediately so that you can prevent to add another layer of unhelpful sensory images. Practice the following technique and keep it in place whenever you feel you lose control over the situation:
STOP Method:
Stop, Take a Breath, Observe, Proceed: Pause when you feel overwhelmed to assess the situation calmly before responding. This method was developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in Dialectical Behavior Therapy and serves to regulate emotions and reduce stress. But it can help beyond therapeutic settings.
Bringing It All Together
To effectively reshape your sensory images, integrate these techniques. For example, couple a reframed thought with a vivid visualization, induce a positive mood with music, and practice a breathing technique. Regularly working with these methods will strengthen your ability to approach challenging decisions with confidence and calm. Remember, discomfort at the start is natural—growth often requires stepping outside your comfort zone. Over time, you’ll notice these exercises transforming your decision-making and empowering you to say “yes” to opportunities that previously seemed daunting.
References
[1] Beck, A. T. (1976). Cognitive therapy and the emotional disorders. New York: International Universities Press.
[2] Cumming, J., & Williams, S.E. (2013). Introducing the revised applied model of deliberate imagery use for sport, dance, exercise, and rehabilitation. Movement & Sport Sciences, 82, 69–81. http://dx.doi.org/10.3917/sm.082.0069
[3] Damasio, A. R. (1994). Descartes’ Error: Emotion, Reason, and the Human Brain. New York: Avon Books.
[4] Damasio A. R. (1996). The somatic marker hypothesis and the possible functions of the prefrontal cortex. Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences, 351(1346), 1413–1420. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.1996.0125
[5] Mellowbag & Freundeskreis ft. Gentleman. (1998) – Tabula Rasa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iIKKvG0_KdM