intrusive thoughts are about fears and the things we least want to happen, not from any instincts or hidden/suppressed desires that we have. that’s why they’re so upsetting and sometimes end up getting worse when trying to avoid them, because it ends up fuelling that fear.

sometimes intrusive thoughts are caused by the smallest things, too! i once had a minor accident with a knife, and then couldn’t be around knives for years without having intrusive thoughts about stabbing myself, for example. there’s no ancient instinct telling me to stab myself, nor did i have some secret suppressed desire to stab myself, it was just my brain processing fear badly and coming up with nightmare scenarios as a way of saying “don’t do this, this would be bad”.

tl;dr: you’re not a bad person if you have intrusive thoughts, no matter what they are. they’re just examples of what you don’t want to happen.

First step in processing intrusive thoughts is indeed to understand that they generally comprise of things that would greatly upset you (leaving out any physical aspect). They are not born out from a place of want but more from a place of terror. Many people get obsessive with intrusive thoughts thinking it is what their mind secretly wants which leads them to a vicious cycle of increasing intrusive thoughts.

I would say Intrusive thoughts are us processing reptilian instincts, and our logic mind countering instinctual behaviours.

People should let them flow through without giving them focus. But I know some people get stuck on them, which seems to make them more active.

Not limited to children. At my last job I imagined dumping my drink on my seated coworkers many times.

This, but with my phone.

Loooool that’s a dad, passing, intrusive thought alright. I’m not even one but I can picture it. Yeah, we decide! Free will and all of that.