Part of the Casswiki article series Cassiopaean Experiment and Psychology
In FOTCM usage, a thought loop can refer either to repeating, more or less obsessive thoughts, or to a circular argument that a person presents either to the self or others, usually for justifying some belief or habit.
Circular arguments
This kind of thought loop can be seen to be used in debate or debunkery. The neurolinguistic idea is that the thought loop is longer than fits in short-term memory, so that contradictions and non-sequiturs become harder to spot. Individually taken, the thought loop’s steps may seem quite reasonable. Still, the thought loop is an after-the-fact rationalization. Its formation does not have to be a conscious attempt to deceive the self or others. It can form simply from habit.
An important characteristic of a thought loop is that the argument always follows a fixed sequence of associations and is very difficult to break by interrupting the person running the thought loop. It is as if the person were hypnotized to follow only one track of thinking. This same effect makes thought loops hard to spot in oneself while they occur.
Obsessive thoughts
Often connected to strong emotions, a line of thought may appear again and again in the mind, mechanically repeating and consuming attention and energy. For example, repetitive concerns, worries, or imaginings driven by fear or other negative emotions.
The “loop” in this sense is that the person keeps coming back to the same way of thinking; even if they come to know better, the thoughts and all the emotions connected to them may keep replaying, usually triggered by associations. A more extreme example of this would be the intrusive thoughts that plague those with obsessive-compulsive disorder.
See also
- Formatory thinking
- Emotional thinking
- Program (Fourth Way)
- Identification
- Subjectivity
- Lies and lying
External links
- Worry, anxiety and angsting (A compilation of material on overcoming chronic worrying, and discussion.)