Round and round. Friday February 17, 2012

In 1964, when John Lennon plucked a single guitar note at the beginning of The Beatles' 'I Feel Fine', its sound issued from a loudspeaker where it was picked up once again by the guitar and returned to the speaker.

Round and round went the sound, causing distinctive 'feedback', the first time this phenomenon appeared on a commercial recording.

Thanks to producer George Martin, Lennon's feedback was musical and under control.

But that's not always the case. I'm sure we've all experienced the ear-splitting howl which results from a public address system whose volume is turned up to 11.

Now and then, a similar kind of behaviour can be exhibited by our thinking style.

Thoughts go round and round, becoming amplified in the process.

If George Martin was at the mixing desk, only the good stuff would be allowed through, and these circular thoughts would make you feel, well, fine.

In fact it's you at the controls, of course, and if you're anything like me, it may be the negative ideas which seem to resonate most.

An anxious view, a worried thought, can remain cascading with you for days if you're not careful.

So quite simply don't let them. Just as shielding a microphone, or turning the volume down, can prevent audio feedback, so you can deliberately tell yourself to Stop thinking those thoughts.

Nobody can tell you what to think.

But you can.

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