Cognitive Bypassing

The way I understand this is that bypassing happens when we use some parts of our experience - the one we are more comfortable with or more familiar with - to disregard or not deal with the parts that are hard. We do get lost in our minds, and thinking that this is the only truth, can run away from the discomfort. I think "Cognitive bypass" is an important term and observation, and I think it should be discussed together with emotional bypassing or spiritual bypassing - and maybe even physical bypassing (by exercising to make ourselves feel better). Every one of these facets of our wholeness can be used to divert attention from facing life fully - from experiencing life fully. Many people get lost entirely in overwhelming emotions, losing the ability to engage and make cognitive sense. Others will never rest for long enough to feel or notice their thinking. So where is the approach that will include all of it, and refrain from excluding? We even exclude 'the head' from 'the body' while really, it is part of it. In the same way, cognition is part of emotion. Without naming an emotion it is nothing but sensation. Without using cognition to explore the underlying thoughts around grief we don't even allow it to come to the surface fully - grief is part of a story of our life. Thought and emotion belong together and enhance spirit and body.

So very interesting! Thank you for sharing Stefanie!