Philip Seymour Hoffman has been in the news. So much so that I created a ‘matrix’ of the process of his final days.
This matrix was created on 200+ year old reclaimed pine. It came from a support beam that was partially rotted and had to be replaced.
For those not familiar with the matrix. The left, “Away” side refers to moving away from unwanted thoughts and feelings (bottom left). We all do away moves (upper left), but sometimes they get out of control resulting in being ‘stuck’ in a viscous loop. In Mr. Hoffman’s case, the loop resulted in death. Of course most of us don’t get to the “heroin” level of away moves.
The right, “Toward” side refers to moving toward who (and what’s) important. I read that Mr. Hoffman loved his children and loved acting (bottom right) and that he played and acted (upper right).
The matrix diagram (and ACT in general) is a way of helping people shift their point of view so they can notice this process and respond by choosing behaviors to increase valued living. By noticing both the sensory and mental consequences of the new behaviors, we can learn what works for valued living.
Noticing is often depicted as a circle in the middle of the matrix, but I got the feeling that Mr. Hoffman was not doing much noticing in his final days. Viscous loops reduce noticing.
[Note: Sometimes people ask how they can purchase one of these wooden matrixes. Some of them are given away to my family, friends and individual students. None are sold. Email me about individual training and you may end up with a custom made wooden matrix.]
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