Table 10.

Categories of unexpected thought

Negative simulation

1. When driving my car, I thought of what would happen if my car randomly broke down in that moment and what I would do. 2. Once I was at my job (daycare) and I was thinking about what would happen if there was a tornado. 3. I was driving and thought what if I just drove off the side of the road.

Insight/new information

1. I randomly thought that everything must happen for a reason so there is no need to worry. I was in a bad place at the time. I basically came to the conclusion that our environments and our genetics determine who we are, and nobody chooses the circumstance they are born into or the genes they have to live out that circumstance. This took the burden off me and allowed me to relax. 2. When I was taking my most recent biology exam I had not studied nearly enough and I could not remember most of the content. When I was looking at a math problem that required an equation, suddenly it popped into my head and I did not even remember learning it in the first place. 3. I think when I was thinking about maybe learning how to surf. This is not something I would normally do.