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

@GlenM

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

In my own words, denial is a situation when a person tries to refuse to accept what is true, either consciously or unconsciously. The problem they are trying to deny is something that is important in their life that needs to be addressed as it is difficult to manage emotionally.

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

I learned that these can be acquired through learning and practicing with effort. Although it may take time, if we learn it and practice with our heart, our learnings become unconscious providing us with the capacity to learn the next skill. At first we may need to focus on using these skills. But after some time, it will become like an habit which is more of an automatic response.

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

The top 3 distraction systems based on my personal thoughts are online distractions, accomplishments, and good. Online distractions, especially social media, are the most destructive distraction system as it continuously triggers unto exchange messages and peek through other’s lives which sometimes can make us demotivated and depressed when it seems like everyone except myself is having a good life.

Denial is the practice in which people deny reality to escape an uncomfortable or distressing situation.

I learnt that things that I had never considered before, such as driving or not missing my mouth with the spoon, actually operate outside of awareness.

Online distractions, social media and food are the top 3 distraction systems. I think online distractions are the most powerful as they are very entertaining but can quickly make us lose track of time. We could have used this time to do something productive, but the allure of entire new seasons of favourite shows can distract us very easily.

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

A: do not have the power to accept what one is going through.

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

A: Much what we think, feel, and do actually happens below the surface, outside our awareness. The part above the surface represents the conscious mind. When one is learning something, it is on the conscious mind, and one is used to doing that thing, then that thing will become unconscious.

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

A: The distraction systems are: defense (against anxiety), anxiety (reacted parts of oneselves), and repressed feeling (or unconscious emotional need). I believe that anxiety is the most powerful, because anxiety are first stirred by anger, so the two others are easily to follow.

@GlenM

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

Trying to convince yourself that a proven fact or situation is not true.

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

They could 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?

Internet- platforms such as instagram tiktok or facebook are truly a distraction and are a very dangerous tool

Society - When you're with people you tend to be distracted. Sometimes you feel weird or judged too.

Food - sometimes people spend hours thinking what they're gonna eat

@GlenM

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

I would define denial as a process or experience where people tend to leave out or not take into concern some of the experiences or possible scenarios in order to continue to survive and sometimes not experience unnecessary anxiety.

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

The most important thing I learnt is that most of the times when things are fed into our subconscious for long, it could result in us not trying change that could be healthy for us. We could remain in the same state only because it feels familiar.

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

The top three distraction systems according to me are

Food - Food has got immense varieties to keep us hooked. It isn’t a myth that almost ½ of the world population will be obese by 2030 which is more than the number of people who will be malnutritioned. Food companies are constantly trying to enlighten the taste buds which is obviously a hefty distraction.

Online Distractions – The Internet has got a plethora of ways to keep us hooked and be it social media or sites we enjoy, they all are developing and getting better to plug us in.

Employment – The race can in itself give us anxiety and serve as a distraction. Sometimes we get so addicted to holding ourselves up in a manner that we don’t take care of our personal growth as a human.

According to me, the most powerful is the internet, and to be specific, it would be cell phones because everyone seems to be glued to them and they have ways of bringing us back to those sites time and again.

@GlenM

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

Denial I think is defined as the act of refusal of certain events and situations which is completely true. It's also like a mechanism that activates in distressing events and situations. Being in denial that a loved one is sick, thinking of our death and the loss of a loved one are all situations that we deal with all the time.

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

Our basic behaviours and characteristics are all learnt or operated unconsciously.

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

Social media : People these days are driven by what I would like to call, instant gratification. The need to be instantly rewarded and gratified. It’s like when we post on instagram we hope to get instant likes and comments. This is how we learn to distract ourselves from reality.

Relationships: We tend to always go to our family and friends when we need a moment of distractions, when we spend time with people that we love and enjoy it allows us to experience positive emotions that overweigh the effects of negative emotions.

Hobbies : Personally, when I need to be distracted, I always tend to shift focus on my hobbies, like singing, dancing and volunteering. As mentioned above the positive emotions that I feel overweigh the negative emotions felt at the moment. I personally believe that Relationships are the most powerful because even if social media provides us first hand entertainment and distraction, the feeling of being able to talk to someone face to face and share moments exceeds all forms of distractions and creates positivity.

1. How would you define denial in your own words?
I would define denial as the non-acceptance of a difficult truth or reality and the refusal to acknowledge or confront it.

2. What is the most important thing you learned about things that operate outside of awareness or the unconscious?
The most important thing I’ve learned is that in the unconscious mind, there still exists, the parts of us that were not accepted in our early learning years – that even though we thought we’ve discarded them, they still exist outside of our awareness and it is these rejected parts that cause us anxiety.

3. What do you believe are the top 3 distraction systems?
i) Food
ii) Online Distractions
iii) Wealth

Which one of these is the most powerful and why?
Personally I think that all three of the above are most powerful since the common denominator between all of them is that it is always never enough i.e. there is never enough food or online distractions to indulge ourselves in, and never enough money to keep the illusion of happiness and fulfillment in our lives. All three are equally as powerful as the other, because they always manage to keep us coming back for more.

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

In my opinion, denial is forcing ourselves not to believe in something, or to believe against something.

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

Thoughts and emotions outside of our awareness continue to exert an influence, even though we are unaware of these underlying influences. The unconscious can include repressed feelings, hidden memories, habits, thoughts, desires, and reactions.

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

I think the top three distraction systems are:

Food

Social Media

Celebrity News Sites

I think social media is the most powerful amongst these as the developers make it in such a way that it captivates people to the point of their lives completely revolving around social media.

1. Denial is something that we use in order to protect ourselves from reality. Denial is rejecting the truth continuously just because either we don't want to face it, or it's not the kind of truth we would like to acknowledge. 2. That it is a learned behaviour 3. I think that the top 3 distraction systems are - social media, mobile and all electronic gadgets. All three are powerful. But the most powerful one, I believe, is social media. Unknowingly, it is controlling our lives to a huge extent which is leading into depression, comparing our lives with others, etc.