In this short instructional video, Dr. Ed Tori demonstrates the power of cognitive reframing by guiding viewers through a three‑step visualization. He asks the audience to imagine a three‑year‑old girl giggling as she runs, first in a harmless, cute scenario; then with two worried adults chasing her toward a busy street, creating tension and fear; and finally on a Hollywood set with cameras and a director, turning the same scene into a staged performance. After each imagined frame, he prompts viewers to notice how their emotional reaction changes, despite the factual details remaining identical. Dr. Tori explains that this shift in perspective—reframing—illustrates how altering the contextual “frame” around the same truth can dramatically alter perception and emotional response, a technique useful for communication, therapy, and personal mindset management.
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So when you change the frame, you change actually what they see. So it's probably best if I just walk you through a quick example. Now, I'm gonna ask you to close your eyes, assuming you're not driving or doing anything like that, but close your eyes and imagine there's a little girl. Well, she's about 3 and a half years old and she's giggling really hard. The type of giggle that would spread virally on YouTube Shorts or, or Reels or whatever. People will start spreading it because she's giggling. It's so cute. 4-year-old girl giggling, looking back over her shoulder, As she runs forward. Okay, get that image in your head. Little girl giggling, looking back over her shoulder as she runs forward. Now just take note of how you feel, but keep your eyes closed and imagine there are 2 adults chasing after her. Their arms are outstretched. They have a look of worry on their face. They're, they're chasing after her, and she's still giggling, looking back over her shoulder, but she's headed right for a busy street. Cars are whizzing by 40 miles an hour. And same little girl giggling, looking back over her shoulder. 2 adults chasing her. She's headed for a busy street. Take note of how you feel. Keep your eyes closed. And now imagine we back up a little bit and there are cameras, there's lights, there, there's a producer, there's a director. It's a Hollywood set. Same little girl, same cute giggle, same busy street, but it's a Hollywood set and she's an actress. Now take note of how you feel. All I did there was I reframed 3 times. I told you the truth, like all of those things were true in that setting. Right? 3 times I shed a different light on it, and 3 times you had very, very, very different reactions. That's what reframing is like.
