“Something common to both is repetitive thought. Experiences seem prerecorded, stylized. Particular patterns of thought get attached to particular movements or activities, and before you know it, it’s impossible to approach that movement or activity without dislodging an avalanche of prethought thoughts”(77).

This section strikes me as interesting and important to the book as a whole. In the quote above Susan gives us a gateway into understanding the patients are the hospital even more. The idea that experiences seem to be prerecorded and that patients seem to have a “patterned” thought process can be critically damaging. I feel that these observations above give us more understanding to how these “mentally ill” patients remain mentally ill. I feel has though the patients are programmed to think and overthink themselves to the point of believing they need the hospital. Sanity and insanity seem to grow farther apart when patients think and as exampled in this section; a tongue and the idea of tiredness. Simple thoughts that for us seem so practical and normal and thoughts that don’t require efforts to fathom are complex thoughts for patients at the hospital. Thinking about sleepiness can produce thoughts of a sea monster and thinking about your tongue can lead to a paradox like the tortoise and the hare. Thoughts and a patterned thought process is extremely un-healthy and can take days to fade and fall. The theme that emerges can be the idea of repetition. The patients go through circuits throughout the whole day that contributes to their whole prearranged cycle. These thoughts usually seem to have no meaning and hold no significance but in the long run I feel keeps the patients insane. The avalanche that is bombarded synthetic thought is very important in evaluating the patients. I think it will be interesting to observe the idea of repetitive thought as the book