Can Thinking Bad Thoughts Make Bad Things Happen?

Do you shudder when you think of something bad? "Watch what you say, or it might happen to you" — this belief is not as harmless as it seems.

For someone who overthinks, it is a real trap. In psychology, it has a name: Thought–Action Fusion (TAF). This is the belief that "thinking about something makes it more likely to happen" or that "thinking something bad is just as bad as doing it." As this belief grows stronger, unwanted thoughts become more frequent and harder to let go of (Shafran et al., 1996; Berle & Starcevic, 2005).

So is the solution to "suppress the negative and think only positive thoughts"? Quite the opposite. It is like saying, "Now, don't think of a white bear": trying to push a thought away often brings it back (Abramowitz et al., 2001). Suppressing negative emotions may also bring short-term relief, but it increases distress and physical strain in the long run (Aldao et al., 2010).

There is a grain of truth here — but it is not "magic": negative expectations can increase pain/side effects (the nocebo effect), and chronic repetitive negative thinking (rumination) predicts depression. The problem is not the content of the thought; it is getting caught up in it.

Metacognitive Therapy (MCT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) convey the same message: do not fight the content of your thoughts; change your relationship with them. Research shows that targeting the process of repetitive thinking is more effective than "turning its content into something positive" (Bell et al., 2022).

5 steps: label the thought ("I'm having the thought that …"), allow it rather than suppressing it, name the emotion, act in line with your values, and postpone rumination.

A thought is just a thought. You do not have to act it out, believe it, or push it away.

Note: This content is for educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice.

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