Unwanted Intrusive Thoughts Are Not Random
James McGovern
Executive Architect | Application Modernization, Enterprise Architecture, Financial Transformation
Have you ever happened to disconnect from reality, while your strange and incomprehensible thoughts are floating all around? That feeling when you stare at one point on the wall and you are present with your body, but with your soul and thoughts, you are somewhere completely different.
Random thoughts are those thoughts that appear out of nowhere and quite unexpectedly. At one point you are watching a movie or talking to a friend, while at another you have already entered another dimension trying to give yourself an answer to a completely random question.
Unwanted intrusive thoughts and obsessional doubts are reinforced by one's efforts to get rid of them. So, it is conscientious people that suddenly are stuck on a thought that they might have made a mistake, it is gentle people who are most appalled by violent thoughts, and it is people of faith who have repetitive blasphemous ideas or worries about offending God. It is thoughtful people who get stuck worrying about doing something wrong, impulsive, or immoral.
Research suggests that we may unconsciously scan ourselves for thoughts, feelings, and images that we have strong reactions to. We may be sensitized to certain themes because of real things that happened earlier in life, such as something you did not notice, a mistake you made, something said to you or about you, or about the way people “should” be. Or perhaps you witnessed something and promised yourself you would not do or feel or think a certain way.
领英推荐
If you realize there is something you cannot know for sure but have no real evidence—just your own doubting—you can leave it alone. You can go back to treating yourself as trustworthy and the world as safe enough to proceed. Avoiding and checking and seeking reassurance just does not seem so necessary.
Strategist | Business Consultant and Architect | Graphic Facilitator Proven Track Record For Advancing Organizational Performance
1 年Brilliant analysis from James McGovern... I always appreciate the kind of thinking James puts into his writing - and this is no exception. But it does hit close to home for me. It is that chorus of critics that plagues my thoughts with self doubt that leads to feelings of defeat, even in victory. A wise man once asked me, "Why are you fighting so hard to hold on to what God clearly wants to get rid of? Why do you insist on rehashing what He refuses to remember?" When my thoughts start to "float all around," I find that looking further out silences the chorus. I mean really far out there...like, infinity.