Mickey Mouse Technique

Often, it’s not just internal images that bother us but even more so the inner voices—perhaps from critical, embarrassing, or unpleasant conversations. We keep hearing a certain sentence internally, feeling anger that we let someone talk to us that way. Or it may be an internal voice we’ve carried for years telling us, “Hey, you idiot, you’ll never make it!” or otherwise sabotaging us. Here are some exercises to disempower such voices. Try them yourself and notice how your feelings change.

Step 1

Distort the Voice

Listen briefly to the voice as it is. Then imagine Mickey Mouse speaking to you, repeating those exact words in Mickey’s high-pitched tone.

Step 2

Speed It Up

Go back to the original voice and make it faster—like fast-forwarding a cassette.

Step 3

Slow It Down

Now make the voice very slow, slower and slower, until it’s really drawling.

Step 4

Sing the Words

Pick a playful melody (for instance, “Biene Maja,” “Baloo the Bear,” or “The Merry Lumberjacks”) and sing those original words to that tune. Sing it lively for a few minutes, maybe move around a bit. No inner voice can withstand that; it loses its emotional negativity.

Step 5

Try a “Sexy” Voice

Now imagine the same words but in a truly sultry voice.

Step 6

Change the Location

Adjust where the voice comes from. Notice: is it in your head or external, front or back, below or above? Shift it to a different location. Experiment with various spots until the negativity subsides.