Topic Guide
What Is Self inquiry?
Self inquiry is a subject covered in depth across 1 podcast episode in our database. Below you'll find key concepts, expert insights, and the top episodes to listen to — all distilled from hours of conversation by leading experts.
Key Concepts in Self inquiry
Structured thought interrogation process
This is a multi-step cognitive framework for dismantling negative thoughts. It involves writing down the thought, questioning its absolute truth, analyzing its emotional and behavioral consequences, and then contrasting it with the perceived outcome of not having that thought. The episode presents it as an effective method for reducing the power of distressing thoughts.
What Experts Say About Self inquiry
- 1.When feeling negative emotions like sadness, anger, or nervousness, the first step to breaking the cycle is to explicitly write down the thought causing the distress.
- 2.A crucial part of challenging negative thoughts involves rigorously questioning their absolute truth, asking, 'Is it true? Is it absolutely true?'
- 3.Understanding the impact of a negative thought requires evaluating how it makes you feel, how it influences your actions, and what its overall outcome is in your life.
- 4.To diminish a negative thought's power, consider the opposite scenario: how you would feel, act, and what the outcome would be if you did not entertain that specific thought.
- 5.The episode proposes that by systematically applying this entire process to a hundred of your most problematic thoughts, the majority of them will cease to bother you after approximately 30 repetitions.