White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts: Suppression, Obsession, and the Psychology of Mental Control

by Daniel M. Wegner

In a series of groundbreaking experiments, Daniel M. Wegner told subjects not to think about white bears. Of course, they found it impossible to avoid thinking of the bears--just as it often seems impossible to stop thinking about forbidden foods, a painful memory, or everyday fears and worries. Synthesizing a wealth of scientific knowledge in an accessible, engaging style, this book reveals that the more we attempt to push away or avoid unwanted thoughts, the deeper they take hold. Wegner offers compelling insights into how unpleasant or obsessive thoughts get out of control--and what we can do to break free of them. Written for general readers, the book has been widely used in undergraduate- and graduate-level courses.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Mental Health, Health

207 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1989

About the author

Daniel Merton Wegner, Canadian social psychologist.

Reviews

[Emily Reimold · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was quite enlightening. A little hard to understand at times, but still good.

[Rawan Ahmed · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many events happen once we face an unwanted thought. We can find meaning in our lives when we do this. The key to this is to recognise that suppression must stop.
Suppression triggers obsession and if we stop suppressing thoughts, we no longer have thoughts we don't want. It's not easy, but turning off suppression is the ultimate act of mental control.

- Unwanted thoughts arise from unwanted realities, and when we cannot change our realities, we are stuck trying to control our thoughts.

- Good things require work, you can't get something just by wanting it.

[Karen Hewitt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts" is a captivating exploration of the human mind and the fascinating phenomenon of thought suppression. The book delves into the intricacies of how we try to control our thoughts and the unintended consequences that often arise from such efforts.

The author provides a thought-provoking analysis of the psychological processes behind thought suppression and offers valuable insights into why our attempts to suppress certain thoughts often lead to their persistence and resurfacing. Drawing from a wide range of research studies and real-life examples, the book presents a compelling case for understanding the complexities of our thought patterns.

One of the strengths of this book is its ability to challenge conventional wisdom and shed light on the counterintuitive nature of thought suppression. The author emphasizes the role of acceptance and mindfulness in dealing with unwanted thoughts, suggesting that acknowledging and observing them without judgment can lead to more effective management.

The writing style is engaging and accessible, making complex psychological concepts easily understandable for a wide range of readers. The author balances scientific research with relatable anecdotes, creating a cohesive narrative that keeps the reader engaged throughout.

While the book offers valuable insights, it occasionally lacks concrete strategies or actionable advice for managing unwanted thoughts. Some readers may have expected more explicit guidance on how to navigate thought suppression in their daily lives. However, the book serves as a thought-provoking resource that encourages self-reflection and invites readers to reconsider their approach to dealing with intrusive thoughts.

In conclusion, "White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts" provides a captivating exploration of thought suppression and offers valuable insights into the intricacies of the human mind. While it could benefit from more specific strategies for managing unwanted thoughts, the book's thought-provoking nature and accessible writing style make it a worthwhile read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of our thought processes.

[Alice Wardle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I hold the belief that you can't control your mind if you don't understand it. This book was an enlightening read that has changed the way I perceive the way I attend to my thoughts, and I thoroughly recommend this to everyone (whether you have regular unwanted thoughts or not).

The general takeaway from this book is that suppression results in obsession; the more a thought is avoided, the more likely it is to push to get itself heard. Therefore, it's important to pay attention to what thoughts pop up, and not only this, but to unravel them and understand them. Wegner focuses a lot on releasing suppression, and less so on trying to explore the underlying problem of why the mental mechanism went wrong in the first instance. It is only once they have been heard and understood that it is possible for them to disappear. Obviously, this is not a panacea of unwanted thoughts, otherwise no one will have unwanted thoughts. But, it's a useful intervention to potentially reduce unwanted thoughts.

This was quite a short book. The number one thing I think about when obsessions and unwanted thoughts are mentioned is obsessive-compulsive disorder. I don't think this was discussed in as much detail as it should have, but it does raise the question of what mental or biological mechanism goes awry in the mind of someone with the disorder.

The theory of object language (first-level thoughts, typically about the physical world) and meta-language (a thought about a thought) is one of the most interesting ideas discussed in the book. Obsession has a way of fuelling itself (thoughts about thoughts about thoughts about thoughts, and so on), and at some point, you've got to get back to the first-level thought and explore why the recursion got out of hand.

[Juliano · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Each human mind is carried around, serviced, and ultimately constrained by an elegant sack of meat, a body.” It took this (elegant?) sack of meat quite a while to work through Daniel M. Wegner’s book on thought suppression, White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts: it is the ultimate proof of his argument that even just by reading the words “unwanted thoughts” every other page — and even now, just writing them — I find myself plagued by my own unwanted thoughts, numerous and loud and menacing. I am beset, and was each moment of reading, by my own belligerent army of white bears. Maybe exposure therapy works? Maybe not? Wegner posits the only way out is through: “The key to disbelieving is having something to believe. If we wish to deny one idea, we must have another that we can put in its place.” “We must relax our body and soothe our mind, or the one that remains upset will soon stir up the other.” When I wasn’t hiding in thickets from my white bears, I was able to enjoy Wegner’s writing very much — accessible metaphors and curious anecdotes, observations of why depressives are vulnerable to unwanted thoughts, how mental control can be crutch and liberation, and how we might find ourselves with missing chapters in our memory as a result of avoiding certain parts of our pasts, in particular (as the example he uses) after a breakup. I was also struck by how shame and rebounding thoughts explains so much about the psychology of people who have lived parts of their lives, especially formative years, in the closet. Did I vanquish my white bears? No. Was I comforted by Wegner’s work? Almost! Kinda!

[Rick Yvanovich · Rating 4 out of 5]

My notes to myself:

1 - Explains the ironic process theory, which states that trying not to think about something makes it more persistent.
2 - Reveals how suppression of thoughts can lead to obsession and how to manage this counterintuitive effect.
3 - The suppression challenge arises when we envision blocking a current thought. The suppression metathought (I’d rather not think of a white bear) exists, but so does the original thought (white bear). It remains there as long as we keep the metathought active in the conscious window.
4 - Provides strategies for managing intrusive thoughts using mindfulness and other psychological techniques.
5 - Discusses the relationship between thought suppression and anxiety disorders.
6 - Research highlights how distraction and commitment to confronting fears can help manage unwanted thoughts.
7 - Self-distraction sounds like suppression, but it isn’t.
8 - Some thoughts are harder to forget than others, and research has shown that this occurs as a result of the thoughts that come after them

[Michael Silverman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Every problem has an easy and swift solution, that is usually wrong.

I knew Dan Wegner as a truly impressive faculty member when I was at Harvard. When I coordinated a conference in NYC on consciousness, I invited him to speak. I was fortunate to get even the small amount of time I did with him. He was a brilliant thinker. His death represented a loss to the fields of psychology beyond measure.

This is a spectacular book that few will read. It is a bridge between cognitive science and clinical psychology that only a few could build.

In some ways reading this book hurts. What Dan wrote in 1994, which is still very relevant today only serves as a reminder for what he could have written today, 26 years later, had he lived.

[Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It gave me a different perspective on things, like my brain or thought suppressing. I thought the author was informative but able to present things in a very approachable manner for dumb dumbs like myself. I also thought Wagner was pretty funny at times, I would enjoy reading his thoughts on other topics.

[Ariane Milot-ledoux · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant and timely

[Marwa]

قهركلمات عمل حب value لأ
Value
معرفة
The body, autopilot

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

احتاج الى هذا الكتاب

[Robert Bogue · Rating 5 out of 5]

We’ve all had that song we couldn’t get out of our head or that situation we kept playing over and over in our minds. We’ve had the mental Groundhog Day that some thoughts seem to generate. White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts is a thoughtful walk through the research about what happens when we try to suppress thoughts we don’t want – particularly those that stop, block, or freeze our thinking.

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[Mary Karpel-Jergic · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting book which includes some interesting information based on a wide selection of research evidence (mainly experiments with, as I suspect from psychology, undergrads as participants). The late Daniel M Wegner has a number of funny asides which you catch you unsuspectingly and a number of interesting suggestions with regard to dealing with unwanted thoughts. However, I found myself getting a bit lost in the reams of data and found them presented a in a bit of a disorganised manner - lots of cross over and main focus sometimes lost.

Nevertheless, after reading this book I don't think anyone would advise supressing unwanted thoughts!

[Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full review here:
http://opinionsyoudonotcareabout.word...

Some key quotes were transformative but a lot of the book was build-up. The style and humour was well-intentioned but I found it falling flat more often than not and at other times coming across as trying too hard. The big points were big, though, and the insight into myself and my thoughts, emotions, and actions this book brought to me are going to be incredibly and unexpectedly useful for personal growth and making me a better human.

RIP Daniel M. Wegner

[Timothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a lot of content. Each chapter basically makes a simple psychological observation that could have been explained in one paragraph. I found most of these observations to be uninteresting anyway. I definitely do not feel like I have a better grasp on how to control my thoughts after reading this.

[Geldar · Rating 3 out of 5]

Look, a psychology book! Psychology was my major. I did a project on this book.

If you have a sucky psyche, try reading it, otherwise, just come to the pseudo-professionals with your problems (such as Mr. Gerry Norbster).

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Deeply interesting, very well written, and mostly sensible.

[Jeni · Rating 1 out of 5]

Go with the obsession?