A client asked why she can’t stop thinking about a painful situation that happened several months back.
More broadly, why does attention sometimes repeatedly go to painful memories or stories?
There are several answers, each with some truth to it.
Symptom of trauma. It’s a common symptom of trauma. Its common with obsessive thinking about the initial traumatic situation or similar (real or potential) situations. Trauma can come from ongoing or acute situations and the obsessive thinking tends to reflect the traumatic situation in either case.
Velcro. When attention goes to certain stories in an obsessive way, it’s because these stories have a charge to them. (Or the mind tries to avoid stories with a charge to them by going into daydreams.) Sensations combine with imagination, lending them a charge and sense of reality while the imagination gives the sensations as sense of meaning. That’s how trauma – and any other velcro – is created.
Resolution. The mind goes to these stories because it tries to find resolution. And the only real resolution comes from the mind meeting itself with presence, kindnessn, love, and some insight into the original situation as well as how the mind creates its own painful memory.
Evolution. From an evolutionary perspective, it makes sense for the mind to return to painful memories to try to learn as much as possible from it and prevent it from happening in the future.
To me, these are all valid. It is a common symptom of trauma. It’s what happens when there is velcro. It’s mind seeking resolution. And it’s built into us through evolution since it makes sense to return to painful situations to try to learn as much as we can from it and prevent similar things from happening in the future.
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- It’s a common symptom of trauma (obsessive thinking about the initial situation or similar real/potential situations)
- Velcro – sensations gives the stories a charge, so attention is drawn there
- The mind goes back because it tries to find resolution (wants healing, to learn etc.)
- Evolutionary – makes sense, learn from it, understand, prevent similar things from happening in the future etc.
- attention goes to velcro (sensations combined with imagination)
- sometimes stories we like, find pleasant (although with the stress inherent in the velcro)
- sometimes obviously painful stories