Fusion and Defusion - Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength

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 Cognitive Fusion and Defusion

Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength 

Another Intersection of Theology and Psychology 


Defusion--Looking at thoughts rather than from thoughts.  Noticing, rather than being
caught up in thoughts. When we move from a state of psychological fusion to defusion, our aim is to reduce the influence of intrusive or  negative cognitive processes in order to enhance psychological flexibility. 

Psychobabble translation = we are able to decide what to focus our thoughts and mental energy on and stop assuming & behaving as if all thoughts need our attention. 


Cognitive defusion is the process by which you change the relationship with your thoughts by stepping back and simply witnessing their presence. When you defuse, you disentangle from your self-talk and observe cognitions as entities separate from yourself, as just words. This allows you to look at your thoughts rather than from them.

In Cognitive Fusion: 

  • Thoughts are reality; it's as if what we're thinking is actually present, here and now

  • Thoughts are the truth; we literally believe them

  • Thoughts are important; we take them seriously, and give them our full attention

  • Thoughts are wise; we assume they know best and we follow their advice (Harris, 2019)


In Cognitive Defusion:

  • Thoughts are merely sounds, words, stories, bits of language passing through our heads

  • Thoughts may or may not be true. We don't automatically believe them.

  • Thoughts may or may not be important.  We pay attention only if they are helpful. 

  • Thoughts are not orders.  We do not have to obey them. 

  • Thoughts may or may not be wise.  We don't automatically follow their advice. 

(Harris, 2019)


Observing Self and the Soul

Your True Self/The Observing Self is the part of you that can think about what you think. It is consistent perspective from which to observe and accept all changing experiences.  The place to look at emotions from rather than within them.  It is important to understand that we are more than our thoughts.  

Heart, Mind, Soul, and Strength 



We are invited to love God with all of our “heart, mind, soul, and strength.”  Spiritual formation writer Dallas Willard (2018) offers helpful distinctions.  Simply stated, consider the mind as your thinking cognitive component, your heart as your hub of emotional experience and your strength as this flesh and bone incarnate body container we have been given to live from. 

SOUL is this true, observing self..our eternal being knit into the Holy Spirit that runs like a cohesive “operating system” cloaking in unity all of these three other inner dynamics with Christ as we abide in Him.  In the psychological tactic of stepping back from your thoughts, the soul is the greater place to anchor. 


Above thoughts, beneath emotions, and beyond body lies a resting place from which to govern your life.  


Want to learn how to leverage that invisible muscle that will anchor your sovereign soul?  You have options!  

  1. Check out Mandi on Mindfulness YouTube and Facebook Live. {Subscribe! New videos every Monday! YouTube:  Mandi Peek} 

 
 

  1. Search the Jordan Stones blog for mindfulness content...there’s a lot! http://jordanstones.blogspot.com/ 

 
 

  1. Check out the JS E-Course on Spiritual Temperament...there are many threads of inner formation that are in the service of rooting into your true-self-soul: Jordan Stones E-Courses and Resources 

 
 

  1. Text me for an appointment and meet me in the therapy cave to personalize this for you and hash it out: 678-757-5785 

 
 


Harris, Russ. ACT Made Simple: an Easy-to-Read Primer on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. New Harbinger Publications, Inc., 2019. 

McCall, Darren. “Cognitive Defusion Education and Exercises for Clients.” Darren McCall LPC, 2019, eightfoldcounseling.com/wordpress/cognitive-defusion/. 

Willard, Dallas. Renovation of the Heart: Putting on the Character of Christ. IVP, 2018. 

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