Watson and Holmes in “Unfinished Business”

Watson

What do you mean you put yourself into a trance?

I hypnotized myself. It's simple, really. The key is word repetition. My word, as you may have guessed, is amygdala.

Watson

So you hypnotized yourself at your first group support meeting.

I couldn't listen to all those sob stories, now could I?

Watson

That's the whole point and when, you know, you feel comfortable, you can share.

You've been with me a week now, Watson. You know I don't share.

Watson

Well then why can't you listen?

Attic theory. I've always believed the human brain is like an attic: storage space, facts, but because that space is finite, it must be filled only with things one needs to be the best version of oneself. It's important, therefore, not to have useless facts: the natterings that comprised your support meeting, for example, crowding out useful ones.