Posts Tagged ‘cognitive defusion’
How to Break Free from Mental Captivity – Part Two
“Our ideas, like orange-plants, spread out in proportion to the size of the box which imprisons the roots.” – Edward Bulwer Lytton In my last post, “How to Break Free from Mental Captivity – Part One,” we began to explore strategies for developing a more mindful and effective relationship with your internal mental experience. It’s…
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How to Break Free from Mental Captivity – Part One
“You have power over your mind – not outside events. Realize this, and you will find strength.” – Marcus Aurelius Do you ever feel like your mind has more control of you than you do of it? Many of us have experienced times when we feel like the captain of our own ships, confidently charting…
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“Leaves on a Stream” – Cognitive Defusion Exercise
“Nothing can bring you peace but yourself.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides us with the tools to practice cognitive defusion, which is the willingness to let go of the attachment and over-identification with thoughts that cause suffering. When fusion to thoughts becomes problematic, those thoughts become “true” and “real” in…
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Cognitive Defusion in a Nutshell
“People become attached to their burdens sometimes more than the burdens are attached to them.” – George Bernard Shaw Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) encourages people to “defuse” themselves from maladaptive patterns of thinking through a process called cognitive defusion. The idea is that we all have a tendency to over-identify with our thoughts, amplifying…
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Fusion vs. Defusion
“Doubt is not a pleasant state of mind, but certainty is absurd.” – Voltaire Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) contends that there are opportunities for purpose and meaning even in the midst of intense pain or suffering. The goal of ACT is not to merely eliminate suffering, but to find a way to use one’s…
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