The internet is a place full of wonders and horrors.Maybe your curiosity got the better of you and you ended up on a nasty website.Maybe you accidentally opened a link to a horrible picture.Either way, you saw something terrible, and you are haunted by it.To forget what you saw, you need to move forward and fill your mind with happier images.
Step 1: Think substitution can be used to change the horrible image.
The idea behind thought substitution is that you can control what you think and how you react.If you fill your mind with more positive things, you can forget bad memories.You can only keep so many thoughts in your head because your brain has a limited focus.If you want to replace the negative memory, expose your brain to something brighter.You can watch a video, lose yourself in a story, or look at pictures of cute animals.Try to pay attention to something that will bring you back to the present.
Step 2: Something positive, but equivalent, should replace the memory.
When there is a relation between the replaced thought and the "overwriting" thought, thought substitution works best.If you watched a horrifying video, look for an inspiring one.Look at pictures that make you happy.If you read something that made you angry, read a story that calms your mind.
Step 3: Do something positive.
Video chat with a friend, play a sport, or do yoga.If you can get both your mind and body moving, do something unrelated to the internet.
Step 4: Look at pictures that make you happy.
There are lists of pictures of cute animals.There are good memories with friends and family, pictures of pets, and places.To find the photos you need, run a web image search for "cute baby pandas" or "lazy sloths."
Step 5: There are positive videos.
You can find comedy videos on the internet, or watch an episode of your favorite show.There are videos of a baby laughing, an ecstatic puppy, or someone smiling.There are videos of peaceful things, such as the lull of the waves, the hum of a summer forest, or a panoramic mountaintop view.You can run a search for videos on the internet.You can find content to soothe your mind by searching for "happy videos" or "puppy playing".You can check out short but engaging videos on the internet.
Step 6: When the memory emerges, try to push it down.
Suppressing memories can help people forget bad memories.Triggers that remind you of what you saw and felt are linked to your negative memories.You might be able to break these links if you force yourself to ignore the memory when it comes back into your head.
Step 7: Understand how memory suppression works
There are two patterns of memories: episodic and semantic.Episodic memory is subjective and factual.When you see something horrible online, you experience a negative reaction and it is linked to things that remind you of what you saw.You may be able to forget what you saw by forming new associations.Our mode of remembering is called Episodic memory.These memories are usually tied to what happened.Triggers that bring back the image might be linked to the memory of the horrible thing that you saw.A more structured record of facts, meanings, ideas, and observations can be found in Semantic memory.Our brains store this knowledge in a different way than we do.Semantic memory doesn't usually include the emotional context.
Step 8: Practice letting go.
It's a good chance that you'll see an image of the horrible thing if you come across it online.Turn your thoughts around by trying to catch them.You can either let go of the thought by confronting it and coming to terms with it, or you can suppress it by pushing it deeper into your mind.When your mind wanders to a dark place, try to remember brighter things.You can either look up or down.
Step 9: Go outside.
If you want to immerse yourself in the world around you, leave the internet behind for a while.Go for a run, catch up with friends, or spend time in nature.Fix your mind and do something you love.Once you've stepped away from the keyboard and involved yourself in more relevant things, the horrible thing that you saw online may seem more abstract.
Step 10: When browsing the web, be careful.
The dark depths and soaring heights of the human condition are projected by the Internet.It is a maze of code, and each click leads to a different corner.You could come across a beautiful thing or a soul-crushing thing.Think before you click.Try to be aware of the context of each click you make, and ask yourself if you trust the source that provided the link.If you don't know what you're going to see, click the link.Do you want that in your head?It is possible to use an Internet filter.pornography and violence can be blocked by most internet filters.There are categories of sites that you wouldn't feel comfortable looking at.It can be hard to tell if the content is safe or not.Some people don't put filters on their inappropriate content, and there are some terrible people that hide upsetting/disgusting content behind something that seems innocuous or even tempting.If you want to only look at content from people you trust, try to pause and check the comments.
Step 11: If you see illegal content, please report it.
If you found something illegal or harmful, you should report it to the police.It's been done before to track down Internet criminals.Someone posted photos of a dog that had been badly abused.You think there's a chance that the poster was abusing this dog in your area, because the photos were posted to a local forum.Someone posted child pornography.This activity is harmful to children.A child's life could be at stake.