Course 3: PL 102 - Denial & Distractions (Discussion 3)

@GlenM

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

Blanking out something that I cannot change so that it does not exist in my conscious mind. That way it is possible to carry on functioning as normal without that stress, or pain or anger of what I am blocking out.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

These can be very old experiences and so we have learned behaviour that is hidden in our unconscious.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

Food - Food the smell taste and anticipation of food as a distraction. For most it is easy and accessible and thrust at us in the streets and with takeaways and deliveries!
Internet - People crave attention and release and the internet provides all. We feel stressed we check our phones for activity, we get compulsive feelings for sites and check them on and on.

Family - Really family shouldn't be a distraction they should be a focus. But family can distract us from our emotions and help us to relax and heal and feel satisfied.

Listening - One Step At A Time!

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

Denial is when one does not acknowledge some truth about themselves or other external factors.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

I liked learning that the more we ignore unintegrated pieces of ourselves, the more stunted and immature they are. I hadn't considered that these unconscious parts of ourselves still have significant effects on our lives when we don't attend to them properly.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

I'd say the top distraction systems are food, wealth, and accomplishments. Wealth seems to be the most powerful because we do need a certain amount of wealth to survive and thrive in our society. Even after being financially stable, people tend to be distracted by wealth because it is so powerful. However, while wealth can help us get what we want, it isn't actually what we want, and that's easy to lose sight of.

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

Knowing something to be true, but lying to yourself about it.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

That it can be a learned behaviour.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

Social media, video games, friends/family. Friends/family are the most powerful since they have physical influence over you.

@GlenM

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

Denial is the process of pushing things away from our conscious thoughts in order to maintain a sense of balance.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

That, without recognition and change, we are apt to repeat behaviors that can be unhealthy because we have adapted what is acceptable and comfortable from childhood experience.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

Accomplishments for the sake of accomplishments, video games/app, and social media. I think social media is the most powerful distraction system, and the most destructive, for many reasons. Many people post a ‘highlight reel on social media that can lead us to compare ourselves in a negative light. We often dont consider the most successful appearances may have a deeply troubled relationship, may have a mountain of debt, or may be usings so many filters to achieve that glowing, naturally young look. Social media works to gain our trust through paid influences that recommend everything from high end cosmetics to expensive energy drinks that are likely unhealthy. Social media is great for connecting us with others who may have similar interests but some of those interests are unhealthy, like pro ED profiles and private groups. Some sites give anonymity, which can be a positive or a negative thing. Its easy to create an anonymous profile to spread love or to spew hatred.

@GlenM

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

Denial for me, means refusing to accept reality or keeping yourself distracted from reality to attain something (most often to feel better or to focus on what we can change).

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

The unconscious can be a learnt behaviour.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

1. Food : food is essential for survival however certain food are made in such a way that it is addictive. Falling in the trap of food is way more easier and more dangerous than other distraction systems.

2. social media : The way it slowly slowly start to make us feel like it is an important part of our life and drains a lot of our time.

3. School : school takes up a huge part of our childhood and teenage. In fact our lives revolve around school now.

@GlenM

1.How would you define denial in your own words?

Denial for me is refusing to acknowledge certain things that needs to be accepted. Something like ignoring it or convincing ourselves that it isn't the truth

2.What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

They're mostly learned behaviours thay we adopted from experienced and continue doing without being aware of it

3.What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

Social media, creative hobbies, books/music, travel. Social media is really a powerful distraction system because it does create a sense of not being alone. Personally, my favourite distraction system would be books/music.

@GlenM

Noni

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

Denial to me means refusing to believe or accept something as is

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

We are more likely to stick with them due to the sense of familiarity it gives us and how comfortable it feels being there no matter how bad it may be for us

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

I believe the top 3 distraction systems are Online Distractions, Accomplishments and Social Media. I think Social Media is the most powerful distraction system because it takes so much away from us as well as it gives us so much too.

@GlenM

1. How would you define denial in your own words?
Denial is a process through which we deny or push out of our awareness, the things about ourselves that threaten ourselves and causes us anxiety.
There are certain parts or emotions of us on which when we acted upon in the past especially when we were young brought to us difficult experience and thus, we placed those parts in our unconscious bag.

Later, whenever we would experience those emotions or parts of us in our unconscious bag, we feel anxiety. Our body has an internal mechanism to reduce this anxiety and the emotions or parts of us that kicked this anxiety. This internal mechanism is called denials and it helps to deny or push out of our awareness, the things about ourselves that threaten ourselves and causes us anxiety.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

Things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious are still the part of our identity and they are of two kinds. The first is the kind of things like eating, driving, typing, writing, walking etc. that are initially learnt through conscious efforts, concentration and hard-work but these later moved to the unconscious mind so that the activities (like eating, driving, typing, writing etc.) which once were learned through great efforts become automatic. The second are emotions (like anger etc.) or those parts of us which when we acted upon in the past especially when we were young caused us unpleasant and difficult experiences. Resurfacing of these emotions (like anger etc.) or parts of us triggers anxiety. Triggering of these anxiety activates the automatic process of denial where a person deny or push out of her/his awareness, the things about herself/himself that threaten herself/himself and causes her/him anxiety.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

Top 3 distraction systems are Social Media, Food and Online Games.
I think Social Media is the most powerful distraction system. People in general, aspire the attention of other people. They aspire to have the same attention as received by celebrities and influential people. They want others to think that they are living their lives in the way celebrities and influential people live. Social Media provides us with a gateway or a platform or an opportunity to present ourselves (through various features like posting a picture, stories or tweet etc.) like celebrities, politician, and influential people. Social Media also provides an opportunity for people to closely observe and interact with famous celebrities, friends and family members or acquaintances. Social Media also provides an opportunity to people to express their idea or opinions on a wide range of issues (Movements like #Metoo are successful because of social media.) or display their talent to millions or billions of people (TikTok has made so many people successful). The carefully and scientifically curated features of social media capture the aspirations, urges and emotional needs of billions of people across the globe.

@GlenM

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

Denial is when you try to believe within yourself that something is not true.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

Things that operate outside my awareness are things that I don't put act upon by my conscious mind. They also be things I have master.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

(a)School - I discovered school to one of the greatest distraction. This is because we measure our success, wisdom, smartness, fortunes, relevance among other things by grade which is not true in itself to determine success in real life. I think many are distracted chasing the Shadow of grades that will not bring real satisfaction in Life.

(b) Social Media - this is also one of the most powerful distractions! We are living in the digital age and being able to talk to people in an instant, search and watch any videos and scrolling through pages designed to make you feel good - all at our fingerprints is truly a dangerous thing that can get you more distracted.

(c) Food - sometimes people may get hungry and spend more time worrying about what to eat instead of having definite plan of kind of food to eat. With the capitalist system of economy, goods produce for eating are mainly to appeal to taste buds and not satisfying or nourishing.
People can also loose how the food they eat actual taste if distracted by watching Video or doing something else while eating.

1. How would you define denial in your own words?

I would define denial as refusing/not being able to accept something that actually happened, to the point where you might have no memory of it at all.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?

The most important thing I learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious can be behaviors we have learned that we might get so used to that they move to our unconsciousness.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems? Which one of these is the most powerful and why?

I believe the three top distraction systems are social media, accomplishments, and school. I think accomplishments are the most powerful because they can feel good, and it can be easy to want to complete the next one, and then the one after that, and then another one. Accomplishments can also give people a sense of purpose, which can feel incredible, so accomplishments can become something we chase, and can be so distracting.