Thought loop: Difference between revisions

A '''thought loop''' is defined as the experience of becoming trapped within a chain of thoughts, actions and emotions which repeats itself over and over again in a cyclic loop. These loops usually range from anywhere between 5 seconds and 2 minutes in length. However, some users have reported them to be up to a few hours in length. It can be extremely disorientating to undergo this effect and it often triggers states of progressive [[anxiety]] within people who may be unfamiliar with the experience. The most effective way to end a cycle of thought loops is to simply sit down and try to let go.

This state of mind is most likely to occur during states of [[memory suppression]] in which there is a partial or complete failure of the person's short-term memory. This may suggest that thought loops are the result of cognitive processes becoming unable to sustain themselves for appropriate lengths of time due to a lapse in short-term memory, resulting in the thought process attempting to restart from the beginning only to fall short once again in a perpetual cycle.

 

Thought loops are most commonly induced under the influence of [[dosage#heavy|heavy]] [[dosage|dosages]] of [[hallucinogen|hallucinogenic]] compounds,<ref name="BersaniCorazza2014">{{cite journal|last1=Bersani|first1=Francesco Saverio|last2=Corazza|first2=Ornella|last3=Albano|first3=Gabriella|last4=Valeriani|first4=Giuseppe|last5=Santacroce|first5=Rita|last6=Bolzan Mariotti Posocco|first6=Flaminia|last7=Cinosi|first7=Eduardo|last8=Simonato|first8=Pierluigi|last9=Martinotti|first9=Giovanni|last10=Bersani|first10=Giuseppe|last11=Schifano|first11=Fabrizio|title=25C-NBOMe: Preliminary Data on Pharmacology, Psychoactive Effects, and Toxicity of a New Potent and Dangerous Hallucinogenic Drug|journal=BioMed Research International|volume=2014|year=2014|pages=1–6|issn=2314-6133|doi=10.1155/2014/734749}}</ref> such as [[psychedelic|psychedelics]] and [[dissociative|dissociatives]]. However, they can also occur to a lesser extent under the influence of extremely heavy dosages of [[stimulant|stimulants]] and [[benzodiazepine|benzodiazepines]].