MindCraft Challenges

Metacognition is the term used in psychological science to describe thinking about one's own thinking. Metacognition encourages people to think about their thoughts from new perspectives, which opens up the possibility of introducing new and different responses. You have already seen this example in Challenge #4, where it was used in distant self-talk. We can apply a similar kind of distancing to dealing with cravings (remember that for uncontrollable cravings, you should talk to a professional).

Challenge: When you feel a craving for something you are trying to avoid or a habit you are trying to break, imagine distancing or looking at your thoughts from far away and remind yourself that the craving is “just a thought”. If you are a Christian, you may find it helpful to consider the craving as “just a thought,” subject to Romans 7:25—you can be delivered from it through Jesus Christ.

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Distancing is the key skill to developing control over cravings
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2014.01.072
Metacognition involves distancing
https://doi.org/10.1177/1745691615594577

Kristin Laurin and her colleagues conducted one of many studies demonstrating that thinking about God can change people's behavior. In their study, they activated people's thoughts about God. People were more likely to be resistant to temptation—however, they were also less likely to actively pursue goals when they thought about a controlling God. Laurin and her colleagues interpreted this as people feeling less like agents while thinking about an omnipotent God (the participant’s religious beliefs didn’t change the pattern). When people thought about God as a guide, they were both resistant to temptation and willing to pursue their goals.

Challenge: Spend a day regularly reading, memorizing, and reciting Psalm 121. Did your motivation or susceptibility to temptation change from what it usually is as you thought about God’s constant guidance?

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The Laurin “thinking about God” study:
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0025971
More about religion and self-control:
https://doi.org/10.1037/a0014213