What is “Thinking”?
What I’ve learned as a Psychologist about the ways our Minds works
WHAT IF…
All written knowledge in the world would disappear?
What if…
You were the only one to know about this and you had the opportunity to save five books from vanishing? Which ones would you choose? Why these? What would you do with them?
As you read these questions, your mind is probably working hard. Even if your first reaction is disbelief, like “This could never happen,” it likely still elicited a response from your mind.
We all engage in thinking daily, and it is a constant presence in our lives. It encompasses a variety of activities, such as rumination, analysis, fantasy, problem-solving, and storytelling, and we have little to no control over it (although some may argue otherwise). However, this article will not focus on the content of our thoughts, but rather on the nature of “thinking” itself.
Interestingly, there is no universally accepted definition of “thinking.” It is a complex phenomenon that involves cognitive, emotional, and sensory processes, and can be approached from various perspectives, such as neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and even software engineering. Each of these fields has its experts and opinions on the matter.
Overview
In this article, we will first have a look at the objective nature of thinking (biology), then venture further into the subjective nature of thinking (psychology).
In future articles I will look more at the practical side, how can we change the way we think & How can we stop thinking?
On my own biases: Since I am a psychologist, my mind has been mostly habituated with thoughts from these schools. I often describe thinking as „mental habits“. Processes that try to become automated through continuous repetition. More on that later.
Thinking as the Brain
Thinking is an intricate process that has long captivated our curiosity. At its core, thinking is a product of the mind, a repository of thoughts accumulated over a lifetime. Yet, the mind finds its physical residence within the brain, one of the body’s remarkable organs, akin to the heart, liver, or lungs. There is much to be said about the interplay between these organs but neuroscience looks at the brain mostly in isolation and is one of the most dominant influences on the way we think about intelligence.
The brain’s infrastructure is composed of neurons, specialized cells that conduct electrical impulses and communicate chemically with their neighbors. It’s through these intricate neuronal networks that the magic of thinking unfolds. Here are some fascinating insights from the realm of neuroscience that will be relevant to understand the experience of thinking:
- Efficiency Through Experience: Neuronal networks frequently used become remarkably efficient. This optimization happens through a process known as ‘myelinization,’ where fatty insulation wraps around neurons, dramatically increasing the speed of communication. These well-traveled neural pathways resemble mental ‘highways,’ streamlining our thoughts, even if they don’t follow the most direct route.
- The Rewiring Potential: Neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to rewire itself, is a revelation. It implies that our brains aren’t fixed entities but malleable structures. Negative patterns can be unlearned, and positive ones can be cultivated through deliberate practice and conscious effort. This offers hope for those seeking to change entrenched thought patterns.
- Emergence and Complexity: From the simplicity of individual neurons emerges the complexity of brain structures. These structures give rise to our personalities, desires, and goal-directed behaviors. The remarkable aspect is that an individual neuron, minuscule on its own, contributes to the grand tapestry of our experience.
From a deterministic perspective, the brain operates like a meticulously set domino lane. Researchers have uncovered studies suggesting that brain activity can predict decisions before individuals are consciously aware of making them. This has led to the notion that free will might be an illusion, as every biological process could theoretically be foreseen with all variables beeing known.
But within this deterministic framework, a fascinating concept emerges: ‘free won’t.’ While we may lack control over our automatic, unconscious patterns, we retain the power to choose not to act according to them. This conscious intervention may pave the way for a deliberate rewiring of thought patterns and behaviors.
It’s important to acknowledge the intricacies that this simplified view doesn’t capture. The brain’s complexity extends beyond neurons and myelinization. It involves neurotransmitters governing mood and attention, and it operates at various frequencies of communication. I’ve chosen to highlight these points because they are well understood and are helpful mechanisms to know when trying to look at the subjective nature of thinking.
In a nutshell: Individual neurons can emerge to larger, complex networks. Neuronal networks become efficient through repetition and even though accompaniend by resistance, even these engrained highways can be changed or “rewired”.
embodied cognition
Embodied cognition is a contemporary framework in psychology and cognitive science that asserts cognitive processes are profoundly influenced by the body and its interactions with the environment. This perspective challenges the traditional belief that cognition is exclusively a product of the brain, instead emphasizing the role of the body in shaping our thoughts and perceptions. It does not oppose the idea that the brain is involved in thinking, but rather asserts that it co-evolved with the body, making it deeply influenced by bodily experiences.
In my experience, this framework offers a highly practical and effective approach to engaging with cognition and its interplay with emotions. For instance, when you are anxious, you may experience a racing heart, muscle tension, shallow breathing, and other physical sensations. Simultaneously, your thoughts will significantly differ from those in a relaxed state. Becoming aware of the array of bodily sensations accompanying the experience of anxiety can be tremendously helpful in refraining from engaging in thoughts and behaviors associated with anxiety.
Thinking as Experience
From the lens of psychology, it is not the underlying mechanisms behind what we think constitutes thinking but the underlying experiences and functions of thinking. While there are different schools of thought too. Most would agree that thinking is an active process through which individuals construct knowledge by interacting with their environment.
Thinking changes and modifies the existing mental structures that have been put in place by prior experiences.
Jean Piaget differentiated between two different processes — assimilation and accommodation. While assimilation involves the incorporation of new experiences, accommodation involves modifying existing schemas to fit a new experience.
This translates into first, thinking as a tool of pattern recognition, learning, problem-solving, and idea generation, and second, as a tool to make meaning and tell stories, mostly about our one life to make it seem coherent.
Thinking as a habit
Our Minds are fantastic at recognizing patterns and then making the desirable patterns more efficient, faster, easier, and unconscious — just like habits.
From an energy perspective, habits are incredibly resource-efficient ways to solve an evolutionary problem. Like habituating scrolling through our phone to solve the problem of getting a reward for new information. It is more resource-efficient to not have to put thought into every action that involves pulling out our phones, unlocking the screen, opening social media and so forth.
Since emotions seem to be a huge driver for neuronal networking, these habits are especially easy to build if an undesiarble feeling can temporarily be replaced by something lighter.
In the same way, mental habits can be born. Stories we keep telling ourselves become internalized, thoughts about things we like or dislike become habitual, and ways in which we approach problems in life or at work become repetitive. We fall into the same pattern over and over again and lack „creativity“ — thinking outside of the norm.
This also implies that thinking is not strictly rational, as we would like to believe, but more of a believe than we would like to think. Thinking is believing because we build mental habits upon already existing structures we have believed to be true in the past.
Interestingly we are mostly unaware of this. We do not know what the alternative would hold, often we are even afraid to think about it because it would interfere with our existing mental models, and on top of that it requires effort to think outside of our engrained patterns.
When thinking goes right
Thinking as problem-solving
One thing that the mind seems to be very good at is the solving of problems. Think of the question at the beginning of this article. Face the mind with a question and it will inevitably try to find an answer to that question.
It will likely do so by drawing on past experiences.
What books have I read that would be valuable for the entire world?
It might also ask further questions to stimulate new thoughts.
What parts of society would be most and least affected by the absence of written language?
Who would suffer? Who would be better off?
In our internal monologue, the questions are posed from our mind itself though. It does not seem ideal if the party posing the question is also the one to answer it. Some would call this a conflict of interest.
This can be one reason why we can get „stuck“ in thinking and why coaching or generally talking to other people can be valuable. They might ask questions our mind has never thought of before and stimulate it to generate new outputs. Some of which might be useful enough to become assimilated and increase the quality of our lives.
It does not change anything about the fact that our minds can be incredible at solving problems if we just let it openly generate ideas without judgment (which are often a set of thoughts that constitute a believe). Most of these ideas will likely be useless, but some might be game-changing.
It’s interesting to note that there’s one thing that AI cannot mimic — at least not yet. Artificial intelligence is great at logical thinking, with higher speed and fewer mistakes, but it lacks the ability for inefficient thinking. This type of thinking is what can lead to new insights. Throughout history, innovative ideas have played a major role in advancing society, even when they appeared unproductive or inefficient at first.
Lightbulbs were smiled upon at first for being an inefficient and expensive way to produce light.
From thoughts to constructs
Just like we can observe the phenomenon of emergence in the brain (from neurons to networks to brain structures), we can observe the concept of emergence in the mind.
We can go from a single thought to constructs of thoughts to entire personalities to multiple personalities. Each level adds a new layer of complexity to the human experience.
When I say „multiple personalities “ I am not talking about multiple personality disorder or other mental „Illnesses “ but the mere fact that we as humans often have contradictory opinions in our minds. We may have a part that wants to be independent, show its work, influence others, and be successful but at the same time, we have a part that wants to be secure, held in the warm embrace of dependency, and hide from the world.
Each of these parts can have its own thoughts and feelings, even different voices and postures without contradicting the larger nature of the Self.
As we construct our reality by interacting with the environment, we build up certain reactions, thoughts, behaviours, and feelings that are congruent with the current environment. But environments change. As we grow up, we take on different roles. The way we communicate with others or ourselves can drastically change depending on the environment. It would be awkward to have the same construct of thought “online” during work, visiting our parents, or talking to a child.
Communicating with these parts separately is becoming a popular approach in therapy and coaching alike, simply because it can work wonders for some. How can I be mad at myself when I see that the behaviour/thinking I condemn originates from a hurt child who has been forced to step into a role it never wanted to play?
Thinking as Storytelling/Meaning-Making
When it comes to personalities, many of us have an inner narrator that we’ve become acquainted with. This voice is always there, narrating our experiences to us in the form of an inner monologue. It’s like we’re telling a friend about everything we’ve done today or in the past.
Most psychologists would consider telling our own story as a means to bring coherence to our lives and add more internal consistency. By doing this, we prevent ourselves from being victimized by the randomness of the world and instead place ourselves at the centre of it. I have made this decision, and I am in control.
Let’s assume we had an upcoming project that involved public speaking and got cancelled. Our narrator might sound something like this:
„I’ve always been bad with speaking in front of people, I am glad that Project got cancelled it could have been a disaster and now I have more time to catch up with some friends. “
Now let’s assume that the project did not get cancelled, our voice might sound something like this:
„Public Speaking has always been so uncomfortable for me but the reward I got was always greater than the struggle. This is going to be an amazing opportunity to grow. I can’t wait to tell my friends about this. “
In crafting stories about our lives, the narrator tends to tailor them to align with our current beliefs. This can be beneficial as it allows us to imbue meaning into our decisions, especially when we’re in good mental health. Given that many of our choices lack clear-cut right or wrong answers, such as whether to switch jobs, we may subconsciously or consciously modify the story we tell ourselves to justify our decision as correct. This example is an optimistic narrator with a growth-oriented mindset. However, these stories sometimes end up being considered as Chatter or “Lies we tell ourselves,” as Jon Frederickson puts it, which don’t always benefit us in the same way.
When thinking goes wrong
So far, we have mostly looked at the healthy side of thinking. Thought constructs interacting with the world in a way society would deem as „normal“ or „helpful “. But often enough these mental habits can be „dysfunctional “, degrade the quality of life and be a hindrance to our „higher Selves “.
One way to do so is by leaving the stories we keep telling ourselves unchecked. Although these stories may seem true, it’s often because we repeat them to ourselves. However, they may not be based in reality. We may portray ourselves as independent and hardworking but fail to acknowledge the dependencies we have created by neglecting important responsibilities we’ve been putting off for a while, such as our relationships or health. We avoid acknowledging these parts because they do not fit the narrative we want to present. So we ignore them and keep repeating the stories we want to hear.
Continuous repetition leads to automization, which means these mental habits become unconscious and effortless. We create shadows by shining only partial light on a fake story and begin to project them outwards. This can result in a world full of individuals who appear lazy and dependent on others.
This is commonly known as the “story gap”. It measures the distance between the story we tell ourselves and the reality we experience. This gap is strongly linked to our level of life satisfaction. When the gap is wider, we tend to suffer more. We become haunted by our insecurities and are triggered by anything that doesn’t align with our ideal version of reality. On the other hand, when the gap is smaller, we experience inner peace and are less affected by external events. This results in a happier state of being.
Another way when thinking goes wrong is manifested in chatter. Continuous rumination (thought loops stuck in the past) or worry (thought loops stuck in the future). “Stuck in our heads”. Ethan Kross described this chatter as a loss of perspective, a narrowed “zooming in” that makes us lose the bigger picture.
One common reason for getting trapped in negative thought patterns is misusing our problem-solving abilities. As we’ve previously discussed, our minds generate answers when posed with a question, which can be helpful. However, it can also lead to negative thinking. For example, if we ask ourselves “Why am I unhappy?”, our minds will try to find reasons and justifications for our unhappiness. This can create a negative story in our minds that reinforces our unhappiness.
When it comes to questioning undesirable behaviours or thoughts, asking “why” can be counterproductive because our minds will generate reasons to justify those behaviours or thoughts. However, asking about the “why” behind the habits we value can be beneficial. For instance, asking yourself “Why do I want to exercise?” can reinforce the idea that exercise is beneficial and help build a habit of regular exercise.
A much bigger contributor to chatter, however, is the distance between “I” and thought.
Simple example:
“I am miserable, I am depressed and unhappy, I cannot get my life right”.
Or
“I am having thoughts that keep telling me how unhappy I am and how little I can do about it”.
Both are telling the same story, just from a different perspective. The first story is told from the perspective of thinking, and the second from the perspective of the one who experiences thinking.
If a person experiences a thought from the same level as the thought itself, there is nothing else to focus on but that thought. As a result, they may ruminate on it. However, if one experiences a thought with some distance, it may offer more options. It may help to break the pattern and create a new one. For example, going to the gym could become a viable option.
I have two more articles upcoming about practical ways to deal with chatter. Here is the short version showcasing some methods:
- Consider asking yourself a new question to gain a different perspective. One helpful approach is to think about the opposite of your current situation. For instance, if you’re asking yourself “Why am I unhappy,” try asking “What if I was happy?” or “What would I do if I were happy?” This may seem unusual at first, but the goal is to break out of the cycle of negative thinking.
Another way to gain perspective is to imagine a friend asking you the same question. What advice would you give them? This can help you step back from your situation and see it from a more objective point of view. - Redirect your Attention. When we get lost in our thoughts, our attention tends to follow suit. However, we have the power to direct our attention where we choose. One effective method is to pay attention to our bodily sensations. Can you shift your focus to the sensations in your body right now? For example, take note of how your face feels. Are there any specific sensations you can identify? Make a conscious effort to concentrate on any bodily sensation you are experiencing at this moment. This can help break the cycle of repetitive thinking and yield some added benefits as well.
If you are having a certain emotion, like anxiety, you can try to locate the accompanied bodily sensations to that feeling. what do you feel? where do you feel it? a contraction/expansion in the chest? warmth/cold? what are your hands doing? this can be an incredibly usefull tool to work with certain patterns.
Additional perspectives
The role of emotions
Many of our interests and motivations, which shape our perception of the environment, are strongly influenced by emotions. While I initially focused on thinking rather than feeling, it would be shortsighted not to acknowledge the bidirectional relationship between thinking and feeling. Some psychologists even argue that they are inseparable, essentially two sides of the same coin.
Here are insights from studies that illustrate the reciprocal relationship between the two:
Research has consistently demonstrated that emotionally charged events are often better remembered than neutral ones, a phenomenon referred to as the ‘emotion-induced memory enhancement effect.’ A seminal study conducted by Phelps et al. llustrated that emotionally arousing pictures were significantly more likely to be remembered than neutral ones.
Studies on decision-making have repeatedly shown that emotions play a pivotal role in risk perception and decision-making. For instance, individuals experiencing fear tend to perceive risks as higher and are more inclined to make risk-averse choices.
Conversely, positive emotions like happiness and joy have been linked to more optimistic decision-making. A study conducted to investigate this phenomenon found that individuals in a positive mood were more inclined to make optimistic predictions about future events.
So far these older studies have withstood the test of replication, while newer, more comprehensive variables, such as hormonal status and personal preferences, are striving to be included.
All of this leads to the realization that emotion and thought cannot truly be separated, even though I attempted to do just that in this article for the sake of clarity. However, I will delve into the roles of emotion and embodiment more extensively in the next article, where I explore how we can change the way we think in a practial way.
Conclusion
As we explore the complexities of thought, we’ve glanced at the pathways of the brain. Looking at it from a neurological perspective, thinking is a collection of neural signals that work together in a complex pattern. These signals can lead us down familiar trains of thought through repetition.
Equally enchanting, however, is the psychological dimension of thinking, where narratives shape our experiences and meaning flows like ink on parchment. The mind’s storyteller weaves tales of self-discovery, adapting, and accommodating as we traverse life’s labyrinth. We construct meaning, challenge our perspectives, and venture to understand the complexities of our existence.
While neuroscience offers insights into the physical processes, and psychology unveils the intricate narratives, both perspectives fall short of capturing the entirety of this phenomenon.
I hope this exploration was able to bring some awareness into the reader’s mind or at least to question the habituated patterns of thinking, to stimulate the creation of new thoughts.
To shine light in the gap between the deterministic and the creative, the processes that make up the experiences of being human.
