The Ottawa–Gatineau Journal

Ideas and information

Why unwanted habits can be difficult to change

The discussion of habit formation asked why people can recognise an unwanted behaviour and still repeat it. Smoking, alcohol use and overeating were used as examples of the gap between intention and an established routine.

Water lilies stretching in a line across a perfectly still lake at dusk, with smooth stones in the foreground

The article connected that everyday problem with its account of how patterns become reinforced. Its interest was the persistence of behaviour, not simply a lack of determination. Within Kaivalya's wider writing, the subject provided a bridge between awareness of repeated responses and the centre's interest in hypnosis.

Further reading