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Many of us constantly grapple with the mind as it races through a disconnected maze of thoughts; we struggle to rein them in. Many coaches of mindfulness and meditation advise their students to `watch their thoughts’ without judgement or involvement.
Ever wondered why? Hari Haran, a psychologist and memory trainer from Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu, says, “Our brain has a special ability called metacognition or the ability to ‘think about thinking’.” The ‘watch the thoughts’ exercises are meant to create ‘space’ between thoughts intentionally.
Why the gap?
Metacognition is a complex phenomenon involving perception, planning and emotions, translating thoughts into implementable actions. In other words, metacognition enhances understanding of one’s thoughts and increases awareness. The result leads to regulated action.
Science has shown that some space between thoughts is necessary for the brain to retain and process information before exercising an action. Simply put, metacognitive practices enhance mental well-being.
Give thoughts a thought
However, metacognition is a type of thinking, explains Haran. “It is a little bit different from thinking because you do not directly think. But that thinking is driving your further thinking,” he says.
It can be visualised as a three-tier system where the brain is the base, then come the thoughts, and on top of them, metacognition, which supervises our thoughts and judgements.
Haran explains it as follows: while we are thinking about a particular thing, and we pause, it triggers a thought about whether we are going in the right direction. This deliberate action will slow us and reflect on the thought.
So, metacognition makes us aware of our thought processes and the associated emotions and helps us introspect.
The brain-mind link
Is it not fascinating to know that our thoughts and those that supervise them have origins in similar neural circuits! Only that while one set of neurons creates thoughts, another set monitors them. That familiar tug of war between thoughts of having — or not having – some ice cream to satiate a nightly craving stems from activating metacognition networks in the brain.
While science is yet to recognise the exact circuits involved in metacognition, Dr Jini K Gopinath, consultant clinical psychologist and clinical hypnotherapist, YourDOST, says: “According to neurobiology, the prefrontal cortex of the brain is involved in [metacognition].” He adds that the prefrontal cortex regulates our thoughts, actions and emotions by collaborating with different brain regions. It is also responsible for retrospective and prospective judgements.
Metacognition as a therapy
Dr Gopinath says, “Metacognitive therapy has been promulgated, which is a post-modern therapeutic programme part of CBT or cognitive behavioural therapy.” In CBT, metacognition is used to identify and manage mental health conditions. The brain is the structure that you can see, feel and understand, he says. “It is inside your skull. But the mind is the function or output of your brain.”
During CBT, one learns to put conscious effort into thinking, thereby triggering neuroplasticity or rewiring of neural networks in the brain. This leads to improved concentration and memory besides a shift in perspective.
Is it a special talent?
Definitely not, the experts say. We can cultivate metacognitive abilities, enhancing our experiences and responses to them. Metacognition can change our perspective as it lets us control thoughts and emotions mindfully.
Studies have found that metacognition has roots early in life and starts developing when one is around three years of age. By then, we begin to analyse our surroundings and mould our thinking based on the experience we have gained. Metacognition makes us think differently; often we may not simply follow instructions.
Benefits of metacognition practices
Several studies have shown that metacognitive practices help improve academic or other learning. Consciously exercising metacognition helps improve goal setting and achieving. It allows the person to monitor the learning process and correct their course to achieve their goal.
Metacognition drives self-regulatory behaviour and a problem-solving mind. Haran says, “The person will become more solution-oriented than problem-oriented.”
He cites the example of his client from Jharkhand, Asha Pandey (name changed on request), 18. Owing to past traumatic experiences, Pandey was fearful and lacked confidence. She would often dwell on negative episodes and it would influence her current thoughts and actions to the point of debilitating her.
However, with constant metacognitive practices under Haran’s guidance, Pandey became confident. She now thinks about her thinking patterns and chooses her actions consciously. Instead of getting lost in a labyrinth of thoughts, she focuses on the present.
“I choose the first and foremost task that should be done. [I am conscious that] I need to choose wisely whether I need to behave in a certain way, or whether I need a certain information now or later,” Pandey says.
Dr Gopinath adds that improved metacognition leads to clear thinking; it ultimately helps people become flexible in their mindset.
Also, read – More than just a habit: procrastination is in the brain
