Forrest and Dr. Rick delve into one of the questions we’re asked most frequently: how we can let go of obsessive and intrusive thoughts. We explore why we tend to get trapped in certain thoughts, the negative effects of rumination, and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). We then discuss facing our fears and how we can balance getting close enough to a problem that we can do something about it…without getting so close that we become overwhelmed by it. 

Key Topics:

• 0:00: Introduction
• 1:20: What is rumination?
• 5:00: Why we get stuck in certain thoughts
• 8:10: Two kinds of obsessive thoughts
• 11:00: The brain’s attempt to problem solve
• 13:40: Assessing a hypothetical client
• 20:15: We all have weird thoughts
• 25:20: Feeling the hypothetical outcome, or completing the gestalt
• 31:40: Rick completing a gestalt on psychedelics
• 33:45: Balancing closeness and distance
• 39:45: Exaggerating the obsession vs. thought suppression
• 42:35: Widening your view and surrendering to the worst
• 44:50: The intrinsic emptiness of a ruminative thought
• 48:10: Another hypothetical case study
• 56:10: Doing good in the world as an antidote
• 59:30: Recap