Intrusive thoughts rarely feel like random mental noise. They feel like accusations. Like your mind is holding up a piece of “evidence” and demanding a verdict:
“Explain this.”
“Prove you’re safe.”
“Prove you’re a good person.”
“Make sure this doesn’t mean something.”
And suddenly you’re not living your day—you’re stuck in an inner courtroom.
You become the defendant, the prosecutor, the judge… and the jury. You replay memories to check your intent. You examine your feelings for clues. You look for certainty like it’s the only way to relax. And the case never closes—because intrusive thoughts always find a new angle.
Why the courtroom never works
The mind is not asking questions to learn. It’s asking questions to keep you engaged.
Every time you put the thought on trial—arguing, analyzing, neutralizing, checking—you send your brain one message:
“This thought matters…