democritus, firstly you are welcome and secondly thank you for a very filling meal of a message as well.
i totally get what you are saying about the cognitive control needed to just stop worrying, even when you know it's useless. you are right that the whole thing tends to spiral into a big ugly loopy mess.
upthread, demk and jan mention observing one's emotions, which of course allows one to detach from them somewhat, which prevents one from pumping more and more psychic energy into them.
among the many madges that exist inside of me, i find myself quite often turning to the margaret mead madge, the one who sits and watches the antics of the others. it's not passive watching though -- it is utter fascination. at times, i find my emotional responses to events completely fascinating, and i watch myself like i used to watch bugs and their patterns as a child. my mind goes blank -- i am absorbed into the watching.
this fascination feels like the opposite of getting wrapped up in your feelings. it also makes fantastic raw material for art.
it's tricky though -- there can be a very fine line between observing emotion and being ruled by it. and sometimes, for me at least, emotions can be so overwhelming that there's barely enough of your consciousness to feel it all, let alone observe it as well.
that's when i either tell myself "this too shall pass" or "remember this moment and be grateful for it."  |