What I loved in the reading about the divided self was when the author brought up mental intrusions. My best friend and I have discussed at length how we sometimes feel this urge to do something completely inappropriate for the situation and consider what would happen were we to do it. For example, when I watch a play I often wonder what would happen if I were to take off all my clothes and run onto the stage. I have never seen this compulsion to think of these things actually written down and spoken about by a scholarly source. The author states "Whenever I am on a cliff, a rooftop, or a high balcony, the imp of the perverse whispers in my ear, "Jump.'" My "imp" does the same thing, while cutting vegetables I sometimes look at the knife and think "What would happen if I just shoved this into my side right now?" I know I am not crazy and that I would never actually act on this impulse, but it boggles my mind to think about the fact that at that moment I could stab myself, no one but myself is stopping me. I used to refer to this compulsion as "The urge to run on stage during a play" now I know to call it "Hearing the imp of the perverse."
Trying hard not to think about something is always an interesting exercise to try. If I tell myself not to imagine a purple lamp, then that is all I can think about until I forget about my project of trying not to think of that darn lamp. "Whenever one pursues a goal, a part of the mind automatically monitors its progress."as explained by the author. When a person is consciously trying to do something, their mind will be focused on that goal and it is therefore impossible not to think of a white bear when one tells them-self not to do so.
The mind is a huge and complicated place!
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