What Is a Negative Cognition in EMDR?

What Is a Negative Cognition in EMDR?

Short Answer: In EMDR, a negative cognition is a negative belief about yourself that feels connected to the memory or experience you are working on. It is usually a short statement such as “I am powerless,” “I am not good enough,” or “I cannot trust myself.” The belief does not have to make logical sense or reflect what you know to be true today. It simply describes what the experience makes you feel or believe about yourself when you bring it to mind.

Key Takeaways

• A negative cognition is a negative belief about yourself connected to the memory or issue you are working on.
• It is usually phrased as a short “I” statement.
• The cognition reflects how the experience feels now, not necessarily what you logically believe.
• Common themes involve responsibility, self-worth, control, trust, or vulnerability.
• You do not need to find the “perfect” negative cognition before continuing with EMDR.
• During EMDR, the negative cognition may become less believable or emotionally important as your response to the memory changes.

What Does “Negative Cognition” Mean?

The term negative cognition can sound more complicated than it really is.

In EMDR, “cognition” simply means a thought or belief. A negative cognition is a negative belief about yourself that seems connected to the memory, situation, or feeling you are focusing on.

For example, imagine remembering a time when you were badly criticized in front of other people. The memory itself might be:

“My boss criticized me during the meeting.”

But the negative cognition might be:

“I am not good enough.”

The first statement describes what happened.

The second describes what the experience seems to say about you.

That distinction is an important part of identifying a negative cognition.

A Negative Cognition Is Usually About You

Negative cognitions in EMDR are generally phrased as statements about yourself rather than statements about someone else.

Description of what happened:

• “He betrayed me.”
• “They treated me badly.”
• “She embarrassed me.”
• “I lost the job.”

Possible negative cognition:

• “I cannot trust anyone.”
• “I am not good enough.”
• “I am powerless.”
• “I am a failure.”

The negative cognition is not simply a summary of the event. It reflects the meaning the experience may have taken on for you.

Sometimes that meaning is obvious. Other times, you may need a moment to notice what comes up when you think about the experience.

Common Examples of Negative Cognitions

There is no single list that applies to everyone, but negative cognitions often fall into a few broad themes.

Self-Worth

Examples may include:

• I am not good enough.
• I am a failure.
• I am unlovable.
• I am worthless.
• I do not matter.
• There is something wrong with me.

Responsibility or Blame

Examples may include:

• It was my fault.
• I should have done something.
• I am responsible.
• I did something wrong.
• I cannot forgive myself.

Control or Choice

Examples may include:

• I am powerless.
• I have no control.
• I cannot do anything.
• I am helpless.
• I have no choice.

Trust

Examples may include:

• I cannot trust myself.
• I cannot trust anyone.
• I cannot rely on my judgment.

Vulnerability

Examples may include:

• I cannot protect myself.
• I am vulnerable.
• I cannot handle this.
• I am not secure.

The exact wording matters less than whether the statement captures what the experience brings up for you.

Does the Negative Cognition Have to Be True?

No.

In fact, you may logically know that the negative cognition is not true.

For example, you might remember being rejected for a job and notice the thought:

“I am a failure.”

At the same time, another part of you may know perfectly well that one rejection does not make you a failure.

That is not a contradiction.

EMDR is interested in how the memory feels when you bring it to mind, not simply what you can reason through intellectually.

A useful negative cognition is often something that feels emotionally connected to the experience even when your more rational thinking disagrees with it.

Negative beliefs about yourself can also appear alongside anxiety, especially when a difficult memory makes you question your safety, abilities, or judgment.

Why Does EMDR Ask About Negative Cognitions?

Identifying the negative cognition helps define what feels distressing or unresolved about the memory.

Two people can experience very similar events and come away with completely different beliefs about themselves.

For example, after a difficult breakup, one person might feel:

“I am unlovable.”

Another might feel:

“I cannot trust my judgment.”

Someone else might feel:

“I am powerless.”

The event may be similar, but the meaning attached to it is different.

Identifying that meaning gives the EMDR process another way to track what changes as you work with the memory.

What Is the Difference Between a Negative Cognition and an Emotion?

A negative cognition is a belief or thought.

An emotion is a feeling.

For example:

• Negative cognition: “I am not good enough.”
• Emotion: Sadness
• Negative cognition: “I am powerless.”
• Emotion: Fear or frustration
• Negative cognition: “It was my fault.”
• Emotion: Guilt

They are connected, but they are not the same thing.

During an EMDR exercise, you may be asked to notice several parts of an experience, including the memory itself, the negative cognition, the emotions you notice, and any physical sensations that come up.

You do not have to force these pieces to fit together perfectly. They are simply different ways of noticing your response to the experience.

What Makes a Useful Negative Cognition?

A useful negative cognition is usually:

Short

A simple statement is generally easier to work with than a long explanation.

Instead of:

“I feel like because of everything that happened I probably cannot handle difficult situations very well.”

A simpler version might be:

“I cannot handle this.”

About Yourself

The statement usually describes what you believe about yourself rather than what someone else did.

Instead of:

“They abandoned me.”

You might notice:

“I am unlovable.”

Connected to the Experience

The negative cognition does not need to describe everything you have ever believed about yourself.

It only needs to fit the memory or issue you are working on.

Something That Feels Relevant Now

You may know intellectually that the belief is outdated or inaccurate, but it can still feel connected to the memory.

That is enough.

What If More Than One Negative Cognition Fits?

That can happen.

A single experience may bring up several beliefs.

For example, a difficult relationship might bring up:

• “I am not good enough.”
• “I cannot trust myself.”
• “I am powerless.”

You do not necessarily need to figure out which one is objectively “correct.”

Notice which statement feels most closely connected to the part of the experience you are focusing on right now.

If another belief becomes more relevant later, you can notice that too.

EMDR is not a test, and there is no prize for choosing the perfect wording on the first try.

What If I Cannot Think of a Negative Cognition?

You may not immediately have one, especially if this is your first time doing EMDR.

One simple approach is to bring the memory or situation to mind and ask yourself:

“When I think about this, what does it make me believe about myself?”

You might also consider:

• What feels most upsetting about this?
• What does this experience seem to say about me?
• Do I feel powerless, responsible, inadequate, unable to trust myself, or something else?

Sometimes one of those questions makes the belief easier to identify.

Other times, the wording comes gradually.

You do not need to force an answer.

Negative Cognition vs. Positive Cognition

EMDR often pairs a negative cognition with a positive cognition.

The negative cognition reflects the belief currently connected to the experience.

The positive cognition reflects what you would prefer to believe about yourself instead.

For example:

• Negative: “I am powerless.”
• Positive: “I have choices now.”

Or:

• Negative: “I am not good enough.”
• Positive: “I am good enough.”

Or:

• Negative: “I cannot trust myself.”
• Positive: “I can trust myself.”

The goal is not simply to repeat a positive sentence until you believe it.

Instead, the positive cognition gives you a way to identify how you would rather relate to yourself and the experience.

Can Your Negative Cognition Change During EMDR?

Yes.

As you work with a memory, you may notice that the belief you started with no longer feels as relevant.

For example, you might begin with:

“I am powerless.”

Later, you may notice that the memory no longer gives you the same sense of powerlessness.

You might also realize that another belief better describes what remains.

There is nothing wrong with that. Your thoughts, feelings, memories, and associations can shift during the process.

The original negative cognition is a starting point, not something you are required to hold onto throughout the entire session.

Negative Cognitions in Self-Guided EMDR

In self-guided EMDR, you may be asked to identify a negative belief as part of setting up what you want to work on.

The same basic idea applies: choose a short statement about yourself that feels connected to the memory or issue.

You do not need advanced psychological knowledge to do this.

If several options seem possible, choose the one that feels closest to your experience and continue. If your understanding changes later, you can adjust.

With Virtual EMDR, the program guides you through the process step by step, including identifying the thoughts, feelings, and other parts of the experience you want to focus on.

Is a Negative Cognition the Same as “Negative Thinking”?

Not exactly.

The term does not mean that you are a negative person or that you have a habit of thinking negatively.

It is simply the EMDR term for a belief connected to the particular experience being addressed.

Someone who is generally confident might still have one memory connected to:

“I am not good enough.”

Someone who normally trusts their judgment might have a particular experience connected to:

“I cannot trust myself.”

The cognition belongs to the experience you are working with. It does not have to describe your personality or your beliefs about yourself in every part of your life.

Conclusion

A negative cognition in EMDR is simply a negative belief about yourself that feels connected to the memory or experience you are working on.

It might be something like “I am powerless,” “I am not good enough,” “It was my fault,” or “I cannot trust myself.”

The belief does not have to be logically true, and you do not have to find the perfect wording. The purpose is to identify the meaning the experience seems to carry for you so that you have a clear starting point for the EMDR process.

As you work with the experience, that belief may begin to feel different, become less convincing, or be replaced by a more helpful way of seeing yourself.