During a game I am not thinking in anything besides the game. However, sometimes during my life I had some
Is it normal to have race thoughts during chess games ?
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Saloooh91 hat geschrieben:
Hey everyone.
So I'm currently in a tournament and was wondering is it normal to have race thoughts during the game ? I normally get them by the endgame. I'm diagnosed with schizophrenia/bipolar mania.
I like to think about motor sports at times, is that the kind of "race thoughts" you are talking about ?
bb_gum234 wrote:
During a long game, I always think about something else. I can't possibly focus on only chess for hours at a time.
For example many times some old song I haven't heard in a long time suddenly comes into my head.
That's excactly what happens to me. In long games I sometimes get these random race thoughts about music or movie quotes.
Jul 9, 2015
0
#5
I'm not an expert, but wouldn't chess be just the kind of activity that would induce racing thoughts? You should probably consult your doctor about this also, since you have a condition.
Also, just as a note, the endgame is deceptively the most complicated part of chess. Computers have a lot of trouble understanding a board with so much space. It probably gives people with bipolar mania problems due to all the loose possibilities inherent. Again, talk to your doctor if its bothering you, you may want to consider switching medications if you're taking them.
rubbeldiekatzunso wrote:
Saloooh91 hat geschrieben:
Hey everyone.
So I'm currently in a tournament and was wondering is it normal to have race thoughts during the game ? I normally get them by the endgame. I'm diagnosed with schizophrenia/bipolar mania.
I like to think about motor sports at times, is that the kind of "race thoughts" you are talking about ?
You could say that. You can read about race thoughts on wikipedia. They're random thoughts that comes to your mind and go from time to time. You'd think about a song and a second later think about the beach then a car then travelling then focus on the game again and again you get random thoughts again.
Whip_Kitten wrote:
Are they simply random thoughts that pop into your head, or are they racing from thought to thought to thought?
In other words, what do you mean by racing?
Generally, racing thoughts are described by, an individual who has had an episode where the mind uncontrollably brings up random thoughts and memories and switches between them very quickly. Sometimes they are related, as one thought leads to another; other times they seem completely random. A person suffering from an episode of racing thoughts has no control over his or her train of thought and it stops them from focusing on one topic or prevents sleeping.
From Wikipedia.
Basically you think about the beach and a second later you think about a car then the sky then get back and focus on the game then have random thoughts again.
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Whip_Kitten wrote:
Are you trying to determine whether these thoughts are from the mania or what non-bipolar people experience?
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Both. I'd like to know if people who do not suffer from mental illness do get these random thoughts. During a game or even in life in general. Specially before while trying to sleep.
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Seems like the racing thoughts are symptoms of your mania. You may think that the chess is causing this, but it's probably because a lot of external stimuli (music for example) aren't there, and because you are trying to focus on one thing, the racing thoughts come in. A lot of people with ADHD/mania experience racing thoughts before going to sleep. I think that's because you're forced to be still then, so there is more space for the static. Same with the extended focus of a chess game.
Maybe you should talk to your doctor about this. But don't worry too much. Dealing with this flow of rapid thoughts is part of learning to deal with your mental illness. There are probably some focus techniques you can use. Mindfulness etc. Then again, they could be useful, as long as they're not causing too much static. A lot of bipolar people talk about how useful that "flight of ideas" can be as long as you're not stepping into full-blown mania.
Jul 9, 2015
0
#11
Jul 9, 2015
0
#12
bb_gum234 wrote:
During a long game, I always think about something else. I can't possibly focus on only chess for hours at a time.
For example many times some old song I haven't heard in a long time suddenly comes into my head.
Clearly every time he blunders, he's thinking about "Oops!...I Did It Again"
ThrillerFan wrote:
And when he wins he starts a flash mob with the song "Can't touch this".
bb_gum234 wrote:
During a long game, I always think about something else. I can't possibly focus on only chess for hours at a time.
For example many times some old song I haven't heard in a long time suddenly comes into my head.
Clearly every time he blunders, he's thinking about "Oops!...I Did It Again"
Depends. If your running at Talledega, or Daytona, there's nothing wrong with chess moves.
Mikhael Tal wrote in his biography "The Life and Games of Mikhail Tal":
I do not know from what associations the hippopotamus got into the chess board, but although the spectators were convinced that I was continuing to study the position, I, despite my humanitarian education, was trying at this time to work out: just how WOULD you drag a hippopotamus out of the marsh? I remember how jacks figured in my thoughts, as well as levers, helicopters, and even a rope ladder.
After a lengthy consideration I admitted defeat as an engineer, and thought spitefully to myself: "Well, just let it drown!" And suddenly the hippopotamus disappeared. Went right off the chessboard just as he had come on ... of his own accord! And straightaway the position did not appear to be so complicated. Now I somehow realized that it was not possible to calculate all the variations, and that the knight sacrifice was, by its very nature, purely intuitive. And since it promised an interesting game, I could not refrain from making it.
And the following day, it was with pleasure that I read in the paper how Mikhail Tal, after carefully thinking over the position for 40 minutes, made an accurately calculated piece sacrifice.
I do not know from what associations the hippopotamus got into the chess board, but although the spectators were convinced that I was continuing to study the position, I, despite my humanitarian education, was trying at this time to work out: just how WOULD you drag a hippopotamus out of the marsh? I remember how jacks figured in my thoughts, as well as levers, helicopters, and even a rope ladder.
After a lengthy consideration I admitted defeat as an engineer, and thought spitefully to myself: "Well, just let it drown!" And suddenly the hippopotamus disappeared. Went right off the chessboard just as he had come on ... of his own accord! And straightaway the position did not appear to be so complicated. Now I somehow realized that it was not possible to calculate all the variations, and that the knight sacrifice was, by its very nature, purely intuitive. And since it promised an interesting game, I could not refrain from making it.
And the following day, it was with pleasure that I read in the paper how Mikhail Tal, after carefully thinking over the position for 40 minutes, made an accurately calculated piece sacrifice.
It would appear that one is able to be a decent chess player even with racing thoughts...
Also, in one of his videos Seirawan expresses his amazement with John Nunn, that how he was able to keep his thoughts solely in the game for hours in a row.
Schizophrenia/bipolar mania is caused by cow milk.
lisa_zhang_tok wrote:
Schizophrenia/bipolar mania is caused by cow milk.
If only things were that simple.
Hey everyone.
So I'm currently in a tournament and was wondering is it normal to have race thoughts during the game ? I normally get them by the endgame. I'm diagnosed with schizophrenia/bipolar mania.