I’m waiting for her, she just doesn’t know it. I even know her name. Just a random thought constantly going through my mind.
Stray or random thoughts are what scientists call involuntary semantic memories. These thoughts are involuntary, meaning they were not something you were trying to think of. Semantic refers to facts or events, but the word itself means meaning.
The complete unpredictability of these thoughts is a fun part of being human; we get to still be amazed by our brains. Even when science has explored almost all of our grey matter, they are still able to learn new things that we are capable of.
Some Random Thoughts
- Why is my birthday on PI DAY? (3.14)
- Data is flying to the cloud so fast, that one might wonder if the skies can hold it all.
- I really like being alone.
- On a similar note, I find that I am happiest when I am with friends.
- I can be reserved at times.
Is it normal to have random thoughts? I mean in my case, I did experiment with numerous drugs in the eighties.
But, thankfully, the answer is yes. These are called intrusive thoughts. While doing, or wanting to do, any of these things are not normal, having intrusive thoughts like these is normal. Sometimes thoughts like these come to us precisely because we do not want to act in this way; they are simply the most inappropriate thing your mind can imagine.
In some cases, intrusive thoughts are the result of an underlying mental health condition, like OCD and PTSD. These thoughts could also be a symptom of another health issue, such as a brain injury or dementia.
So here’s the thing, our thoughts aren’t always as controlled as we like to think. You can still be a decent person in action but have judgmental, angry, or even violent thoughts. More importantly, actions are the best way to define character. In all seriousness, most, if not all of us have unwanted and negative thoughts.
The good news is it’s not just me. You have these thoughts as well.
So, how do we stop all this maddness?
- Meditate daily. If you’re one of those persons who quickly excuses yourself as having tried meditation and discovering it does not work for you, that’s the first thought you need to change.
- Observe your thoughts. Don’t judge them, notice them.
- Cultivate the space between thoughts.
The random thoughts are normal (whatever that means), just what the mind does.
Attaching anxiety to the thoughts can be dealt with.
Deliberately, consciously, breaking into your thought stream and choosing to think about something pleasant can be done.
There is also a technique called “gently pushing away .” Just push the negative thought out as though you were in a video game and you had a tool that would sweep.
I’m not sure about that last one. I have yet to push any thought in my head, gently away.
If things get bad you yell ‘Stop!’ either out loud or in your mind.
When it gets really bad I think back to the sales rep I hired years ago. He asked me why I said yes to employment when three other sales managers denied him an opportunity to work for them.
“Oh,” I explained. “I overheard you speaking to one of the reps while I was finishing my phone call. You said, “I think oxygen is slowly killing me. It just takes 75 to 100 years to fully work.”
He rubbed his forehead. “Do you think twins ever realize that one of them was unplanned?”
“Random thoughts?” I asked.
“They just pop into my head. Might as well deal with them because they are not going away.”
He observed the thoughts with a stranger. He must be well adjusted.