Why Thought Stopping & Blocking Thoughts Don't Work 

Wow you explained so easy to understand

Love your channel man keep up the good work

That’s why CPT doesn’t teach people to just “not think about that thing,” but to REPLACE that thought. I was easily able not to think about a bear at all because I replaced that thought with a beach. The more we replace our negative ruminating thoughts with other thoughts, our brain will eventually forget that pathway and replace it with the other.

Actually, it can work, but not in a specific manner. I mean, just don't pay attention to any thought without discrimination, and stop any that are not tied to the current task. There is no need to examine or engage with them, just realize you are thinking when you don't want to. And sometimes, that automatically morphs into what experts suggest. I mean, if you are meditating and turning off all thinking, you may go into a meditative state where you no longer keep strict control of your thoughts and simply don't care what comes up. So you can learn to discipline yourself to constantly meditate as a part of everything you do. I don't know if that is possible or how unhealthy that is. Some meditators do end up developing a conduct disorder since they are essentially conditioning themselves the same way that supermax prison inmates do. For some folks in such a situation, they are never the same. They become fearful and suspicious of everyone. Most of the attempts to debunk problems with meditation can be easily refuted: 1. They must have been mentally ill to begin with. Some are, but not everyone. The issue is meditating in a manner that goes against human nature and our need for social support. 2. They must have been doing it the wrong way. Sure, some do meditate in a way that harms them or in a way that doesn't take their exact needs and goals into account. For instance, you likely shouldn't do progressive body relaxation and relaxing aromatherapy while driving. That could increase accidents. Driving in a fugue state can be okay, but driving while drowsy or zonked out is not. But many who run into trouble from meditating have done it for years, done it while under guidance, or even taught meditation to others. I cannot think of the others.

When it's said that we can't control our thoughts which types of thoughts are these? There are thoughts we can control. If I want to consciously think of eating a certain food I can do that. If I want to think or imagine myself being in a certain place I can do that.

Millions of white bear poppoed up in my mind

Yo so last week I tried thought stopping because I was trying to get over a person who i I had been limerant on i eventually stopped thinking about them so much ,took them off the pedestal and released my emotions i had towards them but there’s just one problem left i became so good at thought blocking that I’m only able to think about them consciously i can’t quite get any unconscious thoughts about them i can feel myself about to have a thought about them but then I have to consciously reassess what I was about to think about What are you’re thoughts on this is it good or bad and if it’s bad (witch i can only assume it is) how do I stop Ps if this helps i don’t actually have a thought as in a dialogue with myself type thought it’s more me about to start fantasising about the former limerant object and then my mind extremely quickly stops it (please respond it’s kind of crucial that I know