HANDLING STUCK POINTS

Peter Graham

25 February 1994

Most unresolved experiences have one or more stuck points in them. Stuck points are a major reason why such experiences remain unresolved and incomplete. They are mostly found in traumatic incidents, but can also exist in other types of experiences, such as when a person has a great success (which he/she may forever afterwards try to recover).

Definition: A stuck point is a stop point (where the motion of an incident has been stopped) or a point of fixated attention in an incident. In an extreme case, it can be a point where time has literally stopped for an individual at an exact moment during an experience.

Most stuck points result from a person's personal responses to an experience while it is occurring (and occasionally afterwards), such as the person' s attempt to resist something or to deny the existence of something. The person may keep on resisting or denying something long after an incident has actually finished and, consequently, the incident remains incomplete. An example would be a person still trying to hold off a rock that hit him on the head long ago (which gets triggered whenever he is reminded of that incident).

The primary purpose of the Stuck Point Questions (SPQs) is to resolve stuck points in an unresolved experience by releasing the force associated with them. They help a person to view his/her exact responses during (and possibly later than) the experience and to directly view what he/she was (and possibly still is) responding to in the incident.

The Stuck Point Questions (as listed in the appendix) are especially useful for helping to resolve a traumatic experience being addressed by a procedure that involves re-experiencing the incident, such as Traumatic Incident Reduction (TIR). The TIR procedure itself normally resolves stuck points much of the time, however, there are times when some specific questions aimed at resolving stuck points will effectively supplement the TIR procedure.

When used with TIR or a similar procedure, the SPQs would be appropriate when:

(i) 	The person has already gone through an incident a number of times and the incident is bogging down or starting to "grind" (and there is nothing earlier or Narrative TIR is being done), and/or
(ii) 	The person appears to be stuck at a particular point or is reacting badly to something in the incident while going through it and it is not otherwise resolving, and/or
(iii) 	The person simply needs further assistance in viewing and reducing a particular incident. It could be that the person can not recover much of its content or that he just can't seem to finish it off. Note that the incident does not necessarily have to be the root incident in the case of Thematic TIR.

The wording of the Stuck Point Questions is based on the assumption that the incident is in the past and that the viewer is re-experiencing it (rather than remembering it). Do not refer to the incident as in the past or as having been completed. Use attention limiters such as:

     	"In this incident_____?" or
     	"Concerning this incident _____?" or
	"During this experience______?"

Each question should be worded as if it is addressing something that is incomplete or still happening by using questions such as:

"Are you trying to_____?" or 
"Is there (an effort to)_____?" or 
"Do you ______ ?" (or similar).

Examples: "In this incident, are you resisting something? " and "Concerning this experience, is there a mystery?"

Application Notes

Before beginning, if it has not already been done, the incident should be clearly defined. This can done by getting when the incident started and when it ended. Having an acceptable (to the viewer) brief description of the experience can be useful as a reference for the questions, such as "the time you lost your bicycle" or "the incident in March 1979".

The person should continue to keep his eyes closed and not view the experience from the present time. If the person opens his eyes or moves out of the incident while doing the Stuck Point Questions, say gently "Close your eyes " and (if needed) "Move to that incident" and continue with the SPQs.

The Stuck Point Questions can simply be done in the order given or can be used selectively by the facilitator, depending on the content and nature of the incident. However, the first page of questions covers the more basic causes of stuck points (such as efforts to resist, suppress, stop, withdraw, reach for, hold onto, hold off, deny, and so forth) and their use is highly recommended for most incidents.

Continue to ask each question until there are no more readily available answers or a stuck point has been resolved, as evidenced by obvious relief and other good indicators (such as a relatively large baseline drop and especially an FN, if using a biomonitoring device). Note that the questions are not checked for read and the list is not assessed (using a meter).

Accept and briefly acknowledge each answer without delay and without too much force or finality so that the person isn't jolted into the present time. Keep things moving along and never leave the person waiting for the next question, however, always let a discharge complete itself before asking the next question (where this occurs).

A meter can be used to effectively guide the person towards a possible answer by saying "What's that? " or "Have you got something there ? " (or similar) when a meter response occurs, such as a fall or baseline drop, after having asked a question. This should not be done when it is not needed or done in such a way that it distracts the person from the incident.

There is no requirement that all the questions be asked. Once a stuck point or several have been resolved (as evidenced by good indicators or a significant reduction of the incident), it may then be appropriate to complete the handling of the experience with TIR. On the other hand, the whole experience may have resolved and no further work on it may be necessary.

When a particular effort  or desire to respond to something in the incident has been identified and a relatively large discharge occurs, it will often discharge further if the person is directed to re-experience that effort or desire. This should be done repetitively until it ceases discharging. Let a discharge complete itself before asking for it to be done again. Examples: "OK Experience that eJj~ort to stop" or "Feel your resistance to that". This is a non-routine (discretionary) handling, but can be particularly useful when the incident is very heavy or extremely resistant, as it directly attempts to discharge the force in the incident. If needed, encourage the person to experience the effort or desire "as fully as possible " or "without resistance " or "to really feel it".

Some of the questions may reveal key "decisional elements" made by the person during the experience. This would include things like conclusions, decisions, resolutions and so forth. When one of these produces a relatively large discharge when identified or articulated by the viewer, it can be discharged further per the method described in the article "Discharging the Decisional Elements of an Incident" of 26th August 1993 (by the same author).

If the viewer is reacting badly to something in the incident or hangs up on some particular part of the incident and it does not otherwise resolve, ask "Does that remind you of something ? " and (if needed) "What does that mean to you ? " until no more answers and/or use selected Stuck Point Questions on it (rather than on the incident as a whole). When resolved, continue with TIR or further SPQs on the overall experience.

After having resolved one or more stuck points in the incident, the TIR procedure can then be resumed if the incident, or the connected sequence it is part of, has not already been fully resolved.

Acknowledgments: The Stuck Point auestions were originally inspired by a method for handling "Stuck Pictures" (per an article of that title by L.Ron Hubbard, dated 4 May 1968) and most of the questions in that article (about 10) are included in the above list. These questions were very effective but were little used after 1968. The Stuck Point Questions list as it now exists was developed over the last seven years. About a dozen or so of the above questions were suggested or developed by Eddie Mace, Colin MacDonald and Des Ranger. The practice of asking the questions in the present tense was originated by Eddie Mace.

Appendix to "Handling Stuck Points" of  25 Feb 1994  by Peter D. Graham.

THE STUCK POINT QUESTIONS LIST

Purpose: To resolve any stuck points in an unresolved and incomplete experience.
Example attention limiters: 	"In this incident_____?" or "During this incident____?" or
                	"Concerning this experience_____?"
Method: 	Ask a question until no more readily available answers. The list is not assessed for meter response. The phrases/questions in brackets provide an alternative or additional wording/question.

(1) Are you protesting something? 
(2) Are you resisting something? 
(3) Is there an effort to suppress something? 
(4) Is there an effort to stop something? 
(5) Is there an effort to withdraw (from something)? (or from someone?) 
(6) Is there an effort to reach (for something)? (or for someone?) 
(7) Is there an effort to make less of something? (or someone?) 
(8) Is there an effort to make nothing of something? (or someone)? 
(9) Is there an effort to block something out? (or to ignore something?) 
(10) Is there an effort to hold onto something? 
(11) Is there an effort to hold something off? 
(12) Is something (being) denied? 
(13) Is there a reality you have not accepted? 
(14) Are you trying to avoid something? 
(15) Are you unwilling to be somewhere? 
(16) Is there something you are unwilling to experience? 
(17) Is there a desire (or need) to experience something? 
(18) Are you surprised (or shocked) by something? 
(19) Is there aharmful (orthreatening) influence? 
(20) Is there an attempt to invalidate something (or someone)? 
(21) Is there an effort to protect something (or someone)? 
(22) Are you trying to create an effect (on someone)? 
(23) Is something not acknowledged? (or Is something not accepted?) 
(24) Is a communication prevented? 
(25) Is a communication not completed? 
(26) Is there a desire to communicate? (or Is there an intention to communicate? ) 
(27) Are you waiting for something? 
(28) Is there a failed purpose? (or Is there a thwarted intention?) 
(29) Is there a disappointment? (or Is there a loss?) 
(30) Is there a mystery? 
(31) Is there a confusion? 
(32) Is there an effort to understand something? 
(33) Is there a desire to know something? 
(34) Is there something you don't want to know? 
(35) Is there something that is hard to accept? 
(36) Is there something that is hard to believe? 
(37) Do you become convinced about something? 
(38) Do you go into agreement with something? 
(39) Is an incorrect label placed on something (or someone)? 
(40) Is an incorrect meaning given to something? 
(41) Does something change your mood?
(42) Do you have a win? (or a triumph? or a success?) 
(43) Is there something that excites you? 
(44) Is something implanted? (or Is there an idea or viewpoint that is not really yours~) 
(45) Is there an evaluation? 
(46) Is there an assumption? 
(47) Is there an expectation? 
(48) Is something categorized? (or Is something classified?) 
(49) Is something imagined? (or Is something visualized?) 
(50) Is something wished for? 
(51) Is there a harmful intention? 
(52) Is there a harmful action? 
(53) Is there a harmful consequence? (or Is there an unpredicted consequence?) 
(54) Is something regretted? 
(55) Is something justified? 
(56) Is there something that hasn't been forgiven? 
(57) Has some responsibility been assigned? 
(58) Has some responsibility been denied? 
(59) Is there a question you can' t find an answer for? 
(60) Do you keep asking yourself the same question? 
(61) Do you keep saying the same thing to yourself? 
(62) Does something happen too quickly? (or Is something rushed?) 
(63) Does something happen too slowly? 
(64) Does something continue for too long? (or Is something overrun?) 
(65) Is there something that hasn't been completed? 
(66) Is there an intention (or desire) to complete something? 
(67) Are you trying to make someone wrong (about something)? 
(68) Are you being right about something? 
(69) Are you opposing (or defending) something? (or someone?) 
(70) Are you participating in (or playing) a game? 
(71) Are you trying to get out of a game? (or Are you trying to avoid a game?) 
(72) Do you feel trapped? 
(73) Is there an effort (or desire) to get out of something? (or to leave?) 
(74) Is there an intention to hold (onto) a position? (or to stay somewhere?) 
(75) Are you given a wrong answer (or explanation) for something? 
(76) Is there an incorrect (or wrong) indication? 
(77) Is there a false accusation? 
(78) Is something misrepresented? 
(79) Is there an injustice? 
(80) Is there some false data? (or Is something falsified? ) 
(81) Is there some missing information? 
(82) Is something in the wrong order? (or Is there something that is out of sequence?) 
(83) Is something made less important than it really is? 
(84) Is something made more important than it really is? 
(85) Is there a misunderstanding? 
(86) Is there a disagreement? 
(87) Is there a grievance? 
(88) Are you upset about something? 
(89) Is an upset (being) suppressed? 
(90) Is a protest not expressed?
(91) Is some affinity (or love or affection) not accepted? 
(92) Is there something you are anxious about? 
(93) Is there something you are afraid of? 
(94) Are you trying to solve a problem? 
(95) Are you trying to avoid a problem? 
(96) Are you withholding something? 
(97) Is there a secret? (or Are you hiding something?) 
(98) Are you withholding yourself from something? 
(99) Does something hold your attention? (or hold your interest?) 
(100) Is something desired? 
(101) Is something enforced? (or Is something forced on you?) 
(102) Is something inhibited? 
(103) Is something needed? (or Is a need not satisfied?) 
(104) Are you overwhelmed by something (or someone)? 
(105) Is there an intention to overwhelm someone (or something)? 
(106) Is something pretended? 
(107) Is something exaggerated? 
(108) Is there something that hasn't been admired? 
(109) Is there something aesthetic (or beautiful) about this experience? 
(110) Is there a realization? 
(111) Is there a conclusion? 
(112) Is there a decision? 
(113) Is there an intention? 
(114) Is there a resolution? 
(115) Isthereagoal? (orIsthereapurpose?) 
(116) Is there a vision? (or Is there a dream?) 
(117) Do you come to believe something as a result of this experience? 
(118) Do you learn a lesson from this experience? 
(119) Does your viewpoint (or attitude) change as a result of this experience? 
(120) Does this experience change you in some way? 
(121 ) Is there something that you haven't let go of? 
(122) Is there something that you haven't given up on? 
(123) Is there something you don't know how to respond to (or deal with)? 
(124) Are you reacting to something in this experience? (If so, ask "Does that remind you of something ? " or "What does that mean to you ? " until no more answers and/or use selected Stuck Point Questions on it). 
(125) Are you stuck at a point in this incident? (If so, handle per the previous question). 
(126) Are you stuck with something from this incident? (If so, handle per the previous question). 
(127) Is there something that is still unresolved about this incident? (If so, handle per the previous question). 
(128) Is there some other way you are dealing with (or solving) this experience? 
(129) Is something being overlooked? 
(130) Has something been missed?