3 min

Defusing Negative Thoughts

3 Min
Meditation
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Cass Carlopio
Sleep Expert, Psychologist & Meditation
This guided meditation teaches a specific technique to defuse negative, judgmental or self-critical thoughts.
From the community
50 reflections
K
Karie
Negativity
I have a choice. I can be negative or I can be positive. It is up to me. When I feel negative I need to stop & force myself to recognize my blessings.
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Robin
I like this one because I feel it is something I can do that I never thought of before.
I have the tools I need and now I know how to use one. I’m feeling confident
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Leena
Breakup
I noticed that the things that he had me worrying about were only things that he believed. I shouldn’t believe them about myself because they’re not true.
K
Keshawn
Funny
I actually started to laugh while doing this meditation. I’ll keep this gem with me and remember to activate it to move through negativity. Thanks Aura!
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Cherish
Different Take
Cassandra teaches a new technique to use when you have negative thoughts. It is quite amusing actually. I began thinking of the cartoon character, Scooby-Doo and all of the sudden, I found myself having a smile on my face. I need to remember that these negative thoughts do not define me. Being self critical and judgmental towards myself does not and will not help me. I will remember Cassandra’s technique on defusing negative thoughts. I invite anyone who is having negative thoughts to give this meditation a listen to get a different take on defusing those pesky negative thoughts. Namaste! 🙏🏻❤️
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Matthew
Tried it.
Today’s issues are not internal, so Cassandra’s idea of forcing negative thoughts into the voice of a comedian or character aren't working for me! Rather, on this second full day of summer vacation, we've already RUNINED an 11y/o’s summer! Youngest child, Ariel, wants to go to the community pool with friends, or barring that, to be driven an hour north to a local water park, completely out of our budget today, AND I FINALLY have a long-awaited and often-cancelled dental appointment this morning anyway! I HATE summer vacation now. Remember as kids the total anticipation? The imagined joy? Yeah, as an adult with kids, not so much!😡
WJ
Walter J
Laughing...
What a great idea! I have been having some challenges lately that I have allowed to get in my head and cause me to be less positive than I like to be, so this was good timing - Thanks Cherish for suggesting this. I saw Daffy Duck trying to sputter thru telling everyone how bad things were and I had to laugh. I took each issue I had and let him tell me about it and laughed thru them all and now I really do not have any serious issues! (Well... that’s my opinion anyway) Laughter really is the Best medicine! ❤️😂🍀
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Tara
This is fun
The cartoon character that came to mind for me was Fred Flintstone. It is pretty hard to imagine Fred whining about negative things. I just couldn’t do it. It made me smile. Yabba dabba doo.😎
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Shayla
Positive thinking
I learned that I need to make less serious thoughts. I could replace negative thoughts with a comedians or cartoons voice instead of my own to make it less serious and stressful.
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Charleigh
I noticed...
That she used the reference of our favorite comedian or cartoon character to help think less of our negative thoughts. I’ve never thought of it like that before. And I’ve had so many different people tell me to think this way or that way. But never this. It really spoke to me and helped me learn that my thoughts don’t make me who i am. Thank you.
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Andrew
Great technique
I learned this is a great technique to defeat your negative thoughts before they progressively take over your mind.
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Heather
Diffusing Negative Thoughts
I loved learning this technique and think it can be really powerful. My thoughts have so much control over my mood and emotional state that it’s nice to be able to create some space and take back control. I found myself chuckling at the thought of Seinfeld speaking my negative thoughts and they seemed to go away.
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Brianna
Don’t Be So Hard On Yourself
Lately I’ve been the duchess of self-bashing. I’m definitely my biggest critic & while it can be good at times, for the most part I find myself being WAY harsher than I should be. I like this concept of turning negative thoughts around to where they come off as less serious. Take the pressure off yourself & keep doing your best.
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Jenny
Defusing Negative Thoughts
A novel way: humor to diffuse! Laughter indeed is the best medicine. The best way though is to distance myself from toxic people who trigger negativity. If some are unavoidable then the discipline of detachment is needed, sprinkled with a smile in my mind. 😀
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Patricia
Negative thoughts
We are our own worse enemy, and this self sabotage is (does) damage us. I like the idea of seeing them as a comedian or cartoon i, it’s not so harsh
F
Franny
Headliner featuring Me
It’s easy to react on our thoughts. Though we are alone with them and have no external force refuting their authenticity, we have the power to work with them. Using them to make us laugh. Allowing an extra degree of separation between my thoughts and myself highlights how innocuous they can be. Mitch Hedberg saying my thoughts in his famous, monotone voice. He would have an endless amount of material. I realize that life does not have to be taken so seriously as I allow.
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Andro
Negative thoughts
Idea of repeating negative thoughts in the voice of a comedian or cartoon character is marvellous :) Will give it a try for sure.
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Cara
Laughing at the negative
Imagining negative thought coming out in Donald Dick's voice really helped!
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Ashley
Panic
Once I was told to notice my thoughts I felt immediate panic and had to turn off the volume. I still feel panicked and incredible depressed. Grieving.
J
Jaqui
I am not my thoughts
My reality is different than the thoughts in my head. When I think negative or irrational thoughts, they are not true to who I am or the people I love. It a good reminder to not take those thoughts so seriously, because they are not real. Life is not always so serious and negative as thoughts can project it to be.
K
Kimette
Taking myself less seriously
This was so perfectly timed for my life right now! Imagining my anger and frustration as a cartoon character left me feeling happier and a little fun and silly. My day has suddenly feels a lot lighter!
K
Kestrel
That was funny
I really wasn't sure where this was going to go. I visibly contracted with laughter at the thought of my self deprecating thoughts said through a comedian. I think we always imagine our negative thoughts in our own voice or the voice of someone who we think knows us very well. This was a good exercise in separating that perceived closeness and seriousness.
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Emily
I learned
... that I should assign my negative thoughts a character of a grumpy old man. I am not my thoughts!
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Chu
This made me laugh for sure!!!
I will always remember this practice because it made me laugh half way through it. And a laugh is exactly what I needed at this very moment!! Nameste
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Tania
I am not my thoughts
I learnt that I'm not my thoughts, something I never considered before this session...
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Diamond
Feelings
I learned nothing from this experience yet, I do feel a lot of emotions bouncing around.
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Amy
Paying attention to negative thoughts
Feel your breath. Take notice to your thoughts. Be aware of them . Your negative thoughts spoken through your favorite comedian or comic character
K
Kiki
Diffusing Negative Thoughts
Ok this was three minutes of sheer genius. I like to think I’m a strong person and have overcome lots to arrive where I am but everyone has negative thoughts. This technique taught me how to put space between me and the thought itself. Bravo!!
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Ellie
LOL
Laughed out loud in the middle of this visualization. This was a good strategy to change mindset!
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Susan
Defusing Negative Thoughts
Remember to set your intention for the day. The mind will seek out those things
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Shannon
Defusing Negative Thoughts
I liked the technique taught. We often forget that we are not our thoughts. Putting space between you and negative thoughts that pop in unbidden is a wonderful way to keep the positivity going and not dwell on something that may or may not be able to be changed.
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Laura
You are not your thoughts
This meditation reminded me that my thoughts are not my personality. My thoughts are not true I am I learned that imagining my negative thoughts oh my favorite comedian or cartoon character (I Imagined by negative thoughts in the voice of John Oliver) was very effective and allowing me to take these thoughts like seriously. I will definitely use this technique in future when I have a Negative thought. I am grateful to the people who work with the app for reminding me Avoid the others have a told about the nature of the mind. The mind is basically a random thought generator .it produces thoughts all the time I have no control over what my thoughts are. This meditation reminds me however that I can control which thoughts I focus on and dwell on and decide to give me attention to others have told me then when we give our children the negative thoughts first thoughts power to affect our actions. However with the exercise imagining or negative thoughts as this is a cartoon character or comedian call math we do not seriously attend those thoughts. Therefore or negative thoughts lose power and therefore the ability to affect her mood and our lives. Thank you to those who work for this app for reminding me of these words of wisdom , Putting this track together, and providing me with the tools to disarm my negative thoughts. I am also grateful for the community on this app for taking the Time to read this post. I hope everyone is OK call me happy, and well.
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Amanda
Diffuse Negative Thoughts
I learned that one way to diffuse negative thoughts is to imagine a cartoon character or comedian saying them... I chose Minnie Mouse and it was pretty silly and weird. I like this technique, it was memorable.
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Davidica
Perspective
I learned that putting your negative thoughts in the voice of a comedian helped me to gain perspective on how they’re really not that serious.
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AirE
Learned something..
We are not our thoughts. Hearing “Chris Rock or Kevin Hart” spew my negative thoughts made me laugh to the point it wasn’t even negative anymore lol just.. funny. I see what you did there clever meditation! Namaste
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Karen
Negative thoughts /judging
I learned that I don’t have to take my thoughts so seriously. I don’t even have to believe them.
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Mariah
Kevin Hart
I felt a sense of relief and even laughed when I started imagining my negative thoughts in the voice of Kevin Hart! Absolutely love this technique.
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Kristen
Negativity
I am NOT my thoughts, genius! I know that I am so critical of myself. I literally chucked hearing the negative thoughts in another voice. I am definitely going to save this one and come back again when I need it.
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Krista
Negative Thoughts
I learned that I can turn the internal negative thoughts to sound like a cartoon or Robin Williams was saying them to me...made it funny and hard to take seriously. I’m just looking for something to take pain away.
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Carolyn
Negativa Thoughts
How can one get rid of negative thoughts when they are all true?
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John
Cartoon character
Anytime there’s a frustration or angry thought, imagine your thoughts coming out of a cartoon characters or comedians mouth.
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Malia
Medication
I felt so relaxed and felt like my chest wasn’t as heavy. Focusing on your breathing during this is a huge thing and it helps a lot❤️
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Catherine
Not effective
This was pure crap!!! It didn’t help my anxiety , change my thoughts or decrease negativity!!!!! I’m so sorry I paid $60 for a year of this.
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Olga
Complete mood switch in under 3 minutes :)
Amazing and quick way to change your mood and separate from your negative thoughts ! Such a great result in just 3 minutes. I guess people who didn’t like it simply don’t have a favorite comedian or a cartoon character.
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Shannon
Much Lighter!
I love this. I laughed out loud picturing and hearing my thoughts come out of Foghorn Leghorns mouth. I love the concept and action of putting some space between yourself and your thoughts. You are NOT your thoughts. ❤️ Definitely lighter after this session.
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Jennifer
I feel like the voice I’ve chosen as a comedian was laughing at me for thinking the way I think
That I perceive my thoughts as unimportant. I can’t even put a laughing voice to the negativity. But I can make people laugh and smile daily. Why can’t I be happy?
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Cassandra
Diffusing Negative Thoughts
This session allowed me to feel a space between myself and my thoughts. Revisit as needed.
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Maria
Giving negative thoughts to God
I can use some of these modules my way and orient them using God’s redemption as basis for comfort and ease.
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Scott
Cartoon character
What a wonderful technique that immediately made me laugh when I pictured Goofy saying this thought that has been plaguing me for weeks. Injected some levity into my situation for sure!
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Eric
So good
I loved using this , thinking of my negative thoughts being spoken from Jim Carey couldn’t help but smile and laugh really helps you realize those thoughts are not yourself .