i have caught some paranoia-linked thoughts which i very quickly, immediately resolve rationally
it's a scary phenomenon though to be convinced -even if for a second- that everyone is conspiring against you
I hope this doesn't bite me in the ass when im old, or I don't develop paranoia.
do you have paranoia and are you able to distinguish it from reality? how does your hindsight help you with this?
I have Paranoia. I have delusions of reference and active imaginations of people scheming against me. In my head I play everything out etc. I found a way recently to handle it, but it is very specific. I think it is good if you spot it and can reflect on it rationally. The defining characteristic of paranoia is that it is delusional. If you spot it, it is not really a delusion anymore. I think paranoia etc., all these things that seem clinically relevant, they really are continuums of a quality. That means that everyone has it. Same with feelings like fear. Everyone has fear, but some people develop an anxiety disorder. In the same way 'paranoid' thoughts may be normal in some way. A more important question is the one of personal suffering. If you think that your life quality takes damage because of these paranoid feelings, then it is definetly something that should be treated. With me, that's a yes. Yours strikes me a bit as 'normal' paranoid thoughts that anyone has. Have you noticed that you have taken these paranoid feelings or thoughts as something real for a longer period of time before you recognize them as delusions or irrational? That may be another severity indicator. For me that's also a yes. Regarding therapeutic interventions there are cognitive interventions that you are Already doing as well as depth work such as working with your vulnerability schemas. Here schema therapy is perhaps best.
thanks johannes maikowski
i dont think my thoughts are much to be worried about, however i never had these thoughts before and now i do- to the extent that i caught onto them and am aware, so it's worth a consideration. i hope i dont get them more!
Johannes Maikowski said:Have you noticed that you have taken these paranoid feelings or thoughts as something real for a longer period of time before you recognize them as delusions or irrational?
no i havent and i dont, i have no issue in this regard
i congratulate you for your progression in treating your issue and looking to understand how you work !
I recognize my paranoia. It definitely manifests inappropriately and with improper contexts. I recognize it and usually just let it run itself out as a sort of mental exercise to tire itself out on. However, real, actual relationships unavoidably have issues of trust and accusations. As much as I can deconstruct and put these thoughts into better perspective under a more calm state of mind, sometimes these thoughts carry their own energy and cannot be defused sufficiently before they are able to sound convincing. Explaining this helps nothing for the situation. I think McKenna described something called "cognitive hallucinations" and they are the kind that essentially can worm their way around critical thinking much the same as a dream, because they know all your defenses...they ARE you, your thoughts, they obviously know HOW you think and can seem true, reinforced with a reasoning that literally circuit-jumps executive filtering by being also charged with a "feeling of truth".
99% of the time it's easily dismissible as just the same percolation of thought, but the 1% is insidious enough to be worried about, sometimes. I think my typically dissociative and apathetic/detached way of thinking saves me from actually getting involved. However, I am able to see things coming that I'd rather not think about, knowing what will happen if I do.
I recognize my paranoia. It definitely manifests inappropriately and with improper contexts. I recognize it and usually just let it run itself out as a sort of mental exercise to tire itself out on.
However, real, actual relationships unavoidably have issues of trust and accusations. As much as I can deconstruct and put these thoughts into better perspective under a more calm state of mind, sometimes these thoughts carry their own energy and cannot be defused sufficiently before they are able to sound convincing. Explaining this helps nothing for the situation.
Very interesting thanks. You must have gone over this a million times, lol. You entertain the thoughts for the sake of argument and let it run its course, is this unique to your paranoid thoughts?
I think McKenna described something called "cognitive hallucinations" and they are the kind that essentially can worm their way around critical thinking much the same as a dream, because they know all your defenses...they ARE you, your thoughts, they obviously know HOW you think and can seem true, reinforced with a reasoning that literally circuit-jumps executive filtering by being also charged with a "feeling of truth".
99% of the time it's easily dismissible as just the same percolation of thought, but the 1% is insidious enough to be worried about, sometimes.
That's the most concerning bit - when you can't distance yourself anymore. Do you think these are shimmers of insanity?
I recognize my paranoia. It definitely manifests inappropriately and with improper contexts. I recognize it and usually just let it run itself out as a sort of mental exercise to tire itself out on.
However, real, actual relationships unavoidably have issues of trust and accusations. As much as I can deconstruct and put these thoughts into better perspective under a more calm state of mind, sometimes these thoughts carry their own energy and cannot be defused sufficiently before they are able to sound convincing. Explaining this helps nothing for the situation.
Very interesting thanks. You must have gone over this a million times, lol. You entertain the thoughts for the sake of argument and let it run its course, is this unique to your paranoid thoughts?
I don't think the actual thinking itself is unique to paranoid thoughts, I think the elevation of its importance is what makes any of them particularly paranoid; abnormally important, that is, under later consideration.
I think McKenna described something called "cognitive hallucinations" and they are the kind that essentially can worm their way around critical thinking much the same as a dream, because they know all your defenses...they ARE you, your thoughts, they obviously know HOW you think and can seem true, reinforced with a reasoning that literally circuit-jumps executive filtering by being also charged with a "feeling of truth".
99% of the time it's easily dismissible as just the same percolation of thought, but the 1% is insidious enough to be worried about, sometimes.
That's the most concerning bit - when you can't distance yourself anymore. Do you think these are shimmers of insanity?
The only reason to consider it insanity is the habitual nature and its resistance to deconditioning, in spite of its continued disprovedness. Like the ol' saying "insanity is doing things the same way, expecting a different result", sort of. Sometimes, that thinking triggers its own paranoid type of behavior, which bears the strength of a tautology, circular in logic. However, I've long been able to see that sort of thing coming and use the recognition to abandon this thinking before it goes too far.
I've experienced this long enough to trust my general sense of anti-desire (i.e. disinterest or laziness) to worry about it leading to anything destructive beyond occasional argument. With those I already trust enough, I just air these things in order to have it be denied, even if they may not be aware the source of any ...debate on the matter. :)
