The Rumination Cycle
The Rumination Cycle | By Murat Saban (PhD)
The Rumination Cycle
This is also known as a state of “mental blockage.” It is often described using terms such as cognitive deadlock, problem-solving failure, intellectual block, uncertainty, or working memory overload. When the thinking process results in an “output” or a “solution,” the brain releases dopamine as a reward. However, if this reward does not come, it leads to a loss of motivation, mental hunger, and ultimately a sense of emptiness. This feeling doesn’t always occur because thoughts are naturally subject to categorization. We ignore some, while we grant special importance to others, especially the emotionally charged ones. In other words, the emotional intensity we experience is the most significant indicator that allows us to recognize a crisis. Trivial thoughts leave no emotional echo; they appear and disappear without causing serious discomfort. The important ones, however, linger; they remind us of their presence at the most inconvenient times and preoccupy the mind. Essentially, we realize we are in a crisis when our mind falls into the “Rumination / Cycle” trap. Of course, one must possess the necessary knowledge and competence to realize this. But what if we don’t? That is exactly why experts exist. You go to them because they know you better than you know yourself.
A mind caught in a cycle trap is like an idling engine. It runs constantly, continues to burn glucose, but produces no output. The neurons cannot establish the relevant connections to complete the network. Until the network is complete, the thought will not mature. In short, we are stuck. We are spinning within the thinking process, trapped in a kind of mental whirlpool. This causes us to feel exhausted due to high energy consumption, even though we aren’t physically doing any work. I suppose we need a good night’s sleep. Because sleep restores the mind’s energy balance, stabilizes glucose consumption, and ensures memory consolidation. We could call this a form of “recharging,” but extra strategies are required for a permanent exit.
So, why does this happen?
Because our mental capacity has limits. Excessive cognitive pressure has paralyzed the production line; the processing unit has effectively surrendered in the face of an intense data bombardment. Raw materials are insufficient, meaning we lack the necessary data to make a decision; we are in a state of sheer deprivation. This lack might be related to external data or rooted in memory. Sometimes external data is sufficient, but we lack the memory resources to support it, our repertoire of accumulated experience is simply not enough.
Exposure to extreme stress is another reason for falling into this cycle. Under normal conditions, we possess the equipment and talent to solve the crisis we are in. However, due to the pressure of social and environmental factors, the natural flow of our mental activity is disrupted, and emotional tension hits the ceiling. Trapped within the handicaps of the business world, modern life, and societal expectations, our mind spends its energy not on solving the crisis, but on tolerating the pressure. This can lead the individual to feel helpless, inadequate, and even to question their own potential. At this point, stress has ceased to be an external factor and has transformed into an insurmountable internal barrier.
Let’s leave other causes that might lead to the “Rumination / Cycle” trap under the heading of severe cases requiring medical intervention. Problems of genetic, neurological, endocrine, and psychiatric origin are outside our current scope.
Most minds do not realize they are imprisoned within a cycle. They move in circles, return to the starting point without noticing, and may even mistake it for progress. They might start the day fresh with the motivation of “I will cover more ground tomorrow.” Even if they realize they are moving in circles, they are likely to fall into the illusion of a false sense of security. Returning to where they started generates a signal of “I am ready to start over.” Again, again, and again... These never-ending “agains” feed the cycle by boosting the mind with bursts of dopamine. There is a strong link between the strengthening of the cycle and the number of repetitions. Recall the concept of thoughts building permanent neural networks through constant repetition (LTP / Long-Term Potentiation). This network grows stronger with each repetition, becoming faster and more automatic. In exchange, alternative exit routes gradually weaken (synaptic pruning).
Ideally, this mind will sooner or later break free from this cycle. However, if it adopts this cyclical method as a thinking practice, its problem-solving ability will weaken, perhaps even be lost entirely, and it will embrace “shortcuts” as a character trait. Science attempts to explain this state with terms like cognitive rigidity, mental inflexibility, executive dysfunction, and “easy-way-out” mentalities. In common language, such people are labeled as freeloaders or “moochers.” Looks bad, doesn’t it?
“There’s something even worse.”
