New research from Scripps Research Institute maps something hypnosis practitioners have been watching for years - the neural mechanism behind behaviors that used to help but don't anymore.
And it reveals why awareness alone doesn't fix the problem.
The researchers found that when the brain learns, something stops discomfort - scrolling, working harder, saying yes, reaching for food - it creates what they call a "relief switch" in a tiny region called the paraventricular nucleus of the thalamus.
This switch becomes automatic.
Each time you feel that familiar discomfort (anxiety, boredom, overwhelm), the circuit lights up and pulls your attention toward the remembered escape route. Even when your conscious mind knows it doesn't actually help anymore, the circuit keeps firing anyway.
If you're working with clients around habits, anxiety loops, or stuck patterns, you've probably heard some version of this: "I know it doesn't help, but I keep doing it anyway," or, "I know I shouldn't
That's the outdated relief switch speaking.
Your client isn't lacking willpower or insight. Their brain has a neural shortcut that's still running an old program - one that made sense once but outlived its usefulness. Understanding this changes how we approach the work.
The Scripps research focused on one specific circuit, but the pattern it reveals shows up in so many ways. Your brain creates shortcuts for anything that brings relief, like reaching for your phone when stressed (it used to soothe, but now it drains energy), or working harder when anxious (it used to feel like control, but now leads to burnout), or saying yes to avoid conflict (it used to feel safe, but now creates resentment), or eating when emotions run high (it used to comfort, but now triggers guilt), or checking email constantly (it used to feel productive, but now fragments focus).
Different behaviors, but the same mechanism underneath.
The brain learned that this stops discomfort, and it created a shortcut. The shortcut became automatic, and now it keeps firing, even when the original solution no longer works.
What makes this useful is understanding that when a client keeps reaching for something that doesn't help, their brain isn't broken. It's asking for relief.
The question isn't "why can't they stop?" The question is actually "what would real relief look like now?"
Because the neural shortcut was built on truth, there was discomfort, and something did help, but the shortcut just needs updating.
When you spot this pattern in session, there's a sequence that works well:
1. Validate the shortcut.
The brain learned this for good reason. At some point, this behavior genuinely brought relief. Your job is to acknowledge that reality.
"Your brain created this shortcut because it worked. That's not a mistake - that's your brain doing its job."
2. Recognize it's outdated.
Invite curiosity, not judgment. Does this actually bring relief now? Or does it just feel like it should?
"Notice what happens after. Does this leave you feeling better, or just more stuck?"
3. Redirect to real relief.
"What would your brain choose if it knew the truth? What brings actual relief - not the memory of relief, but the real feeling of relief?"
This is where hypnosis does its work. You're not fighting the circuit. You're updating what it points toward.
In client intake and throughout sessions, listen for these markers:
These phrases signal an outdated relief switch. Your client's conscious mind sees the pattern, but their neural shortcut hasn't caught up yet. That's your opening.
When you recognize this pattern, you can weave in language like this:
"And your brain learned, at some point, that [behavior] meant relief. That learning made sense. It helped you cope when you needed it.
But notice now - does this still bring the relief it once did? Or has your brain been reaching for an old answer to a new question?
What if your brain could update that shortcut? What if, instead of reaching for what used to work, you could reach for what works now?"
Then guide them to identify what real relief looks like today. Let the subconscious update the circuit from the inside.
The Scripps research teaches us something important. These circuits are real, physical, and measurable - and that means they can be updated.
The update doesn't happen through willpower or shame. It happens through recognition, validation, and offering the brain a better option - one that actually delivers relief instead of just the memory of it.
Your clients aren't weak, and they're not broken. Their brains are actually brilliant at learning shortcuts. Your job is to help them learn new ones that actually work for the life they're living now.