building a compartmentalization algorithm

Feeling overwhelmed? Like your thoughts are a jumbled mess, pounding on the door of your focus? That’s me recently. However, I've been experimenting with adapting the principles of the EMDR container exercise to create a personalized compartmentalization algorithm and it’s been a game-changer for me. Maybe it will be for you too…

Since each person's mind works differently, I'm sharing the generalized process I used to create my own container, so you can build one tailored to your unique needs. I even used ChatGPT to create visualizations for myself, and I highly recommend you do the same!

What is the EMDR Container Exercise?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapeutic modality that developed in the 1987 by Francine Shapiro. Alongside its core methodology of bilateral stimulation to reprocess traumatic memories so they can be stored in the mind and body more effectively. EMDR therapy often uses a "container" exercise to help individuals process traumatic memories.

The basic idea is to visualize a safe, secure container where you can store difficult thoughts, feelings, or memories until you're ready to process them. This helps create a sense of control and reduces the feeling of being overwhelmed by intrusive thoughts.

Beyond Therapy: Compartmentalization for Everyday Life

The container concept is also powerful for everyday compartmentalization. Think of it as creating mental folders or contexts for different aspects of your life rather than storing all the information in your brain in an unorganized global context. This concept is very similar to a memory palace.

I do this exercise once a week or more in order to “deposit” the thoughts that would otherwise distract me from being productive at my job. Unlike computers, our minds are squishy so you’ll need to habitualize this ritual over time through consistent practice for it to reach peak effectiveness. However, after only a couple sessions you should find yourself with a noticeably clearer mind ready to tackle whatever’s in front of you. Imagine how amazing that would be!

Building Your Personalized Container Algorithm

Here's a generalized process, extrapolated from my own experience, for creating your container:

1. Determine Your Needs: What areas of your life need to be compartmentalized? Work, relationships, creative projects, anxieties? List them out. These will become the categories for your containers.
2. Choose Your Metaphor: The standard container is often visualized as a box, safe, or vault. However, choose a metaphor that resonates with you. My container is a box within a pyramid in a Peruvian jungle, accessible by plane. Yours could be a spaceship, a library, a garden – anything that feels secure and personally meaningful.
3. Design the Journey: How do you access your container? Create a step-by-step process, almost like a ritual. Mine involves boarding a plane, flying to Peru, ascending the pyramid, and entering a control room. This may sound like a lot, however you’ll only need to briefly imagine these steps in your head and the more detailed and sensory-rich your journey, the more effective the compartmentalization. Consider using ChatGPT to help flesh out the details of your visualization.
4. Define the Operations: What actions can you perform with your container? The core function is typically depositing (storing away) and withdrawing (retrieving). My container also includes a "naming and listing" meditation before deposit, to clearly identify what I'm storing. You can add other functions as needed but I recommend starting simple.
5. Visualization is Key: Use an AI like ChatGPT or Midjourney to generate vivid descriptions of your container and the journey. The more detailed and sensory-rich the visualization, the stronger the mental separation. Experiment with different prompts to find what resonates with you.
6. Practice Makes Perfect: Like any mental exercise, the container algorithm becomes more effective with practice. Use it regularly, especially when feeling overwhelmed.

My EMDR Container Algorithm: The Box in the Heart of the Pyramid

Here's my container as an example. Remember, this is my personalized algorithm. Yours will be different.

Step 1: Determine Purpose: Deposit or Withdrawal?

Step 2: The Journey:

1. Board your plane to Peru.
2. On the Plane:

• Deposits: Perform the "Naming and Listing" meditation (5 minutes of listing everything on your mind). Write down the items to be stored.
• Withdrawals: Write down the specific memory or information you need to retrieve.

1. Land at an airstrip beside the pyramid deep in the jungle.



2. Ascend the pyramid steps.

Step 3: Control Room Operations:

1. Enter the control room with a wall panel UI and dispensary. A small pelican case sits on the desk.

• Deposits: Imagine the information flowing from your mind into the case. Place the case in the dispensary, use the UI to make the deposit. The case is deposited into the chamber at the heart of the pyramid.
• Withdrawals: Use the UI to select the memory. The case containing the memory is retrieved from the chamber. Open the case; the memory flows back into your mind.

Note: Visualize golden rays of light and swirling plasma-like dust during transfer, both within the chamber (viewable through the UI screen) and the case.

Step 4: Return:

1. Exit the pyramid.
2. Descend the steps.
3. Board the plane and fly home.

Important Note: The deposit/withdrawal functionality, along with the "naming and listing" meditation, are modifications I added to the basic container exercise.

Conclusion: Building Mental Order in a Chaotic World

Building your own EMDR container algorithm is a powerful way to create mental order in a chaotic world. It's about reclaiming control of your attention and creating space for focus and presence. By adapting these principles to your own needs and using vivid visualizations, you can build a personalized compartmentalization tool that empowers you to navigate the complexities of life with greater ease and resilience.