The Pike Phenomenon: A Lesson for an Empowered Life

The Pike Syndrome experiment, involves a pike fish separated from some delicious minnows by a glass barrier. Pike, including Northern Pike, are known to have good memories and can learn from negative conditioning. Studies have shown that they can remember things for months, even up to five months, and can learn to avoid places where they've had negative experiences. So in this experiment something fascinating happens. Initially, the pike repeatedly attacks the prey, but after hitting that invisible glass barrier multiple times, it learns that it cannot reach the food. The pike stops trying. It simply retreats. Remember this is a fish with a good memory, one that learns from its experiences.

But the experiment doesn’t end there. Even when the barrier is removed by the researchers, the pike continues to act as if that barrier is still there. He doesn’t even try to attack because he’s learned that its futile. So, what do you suppose happens at the end of the experiment? You guessed it. Very sad, indeed. The fish dies of hunger.

The pike phenomenon offers an important analogy for life that I often share with my clients. We all have had negative experiences in our lives. If we didn’t, we wouldn’t be human. However, for some of us, the negative past experiences continue to be lived out in our present as if they still occur today. An example, a 20-year-old client in the army tells me during breaks on the base when they have a chance to play soccer, he complains of stomach aches or hides in the bathroom. Why? As a kid he was yelled at and humiliated on the soccer field. He’s 20 now. He carries a very dangerous weapon, and these are his army buddies, but it doesn’t make a difference. In his mind, as long as the “glass barrier” is still there, he won’t step into his assertion. The anticipatory shame keeps him frozen. Dead.

What are you avoiding based on your old negative experiences? What invisible glass barriers have you put up and cannot take down? Where do you stay stuck in your shame and not in your assertion?

Something to think about the next time you find yourself frozen, avoiding a situation that you intuitively know you can handle but can’t figure out why, …..or perhaps simply the next time you take a bite out of Grandma’s delicious gefilte fish.