One of my main fascinations since I was a young child, cantered around why people believe what they believe. Therefore, the study of psychology was a god send for me when learning about formulations. However, what has peaked my attention more, especially when learning how to help my client actually improve there lives (rather than pure understanding of belief origin) is around why people seem to maintain them.

This brings me to what I would consider to be one of the most crucial components in creating belief change, which is understanding blind spots.

Humans develop many destructive beliefs that wreak havoc on their lives. Like believing you are a failure, incapable or even just bad, after being criticised by others, failing tests or scolded for dropping a plate. Crucially, these beliefs form in moments when we lack context understanding or awareness: a parent may be suffering from their own mental health issues and letting it out on you, we may have been much younger than other kids in our class and therefore lacked the extra 6 months of brain development to help us learn at the same rate; or we may have not had the knowledge to understand we weren’t supposed to have the fine motor skills required to carry plates at 5 years old. It may seem obvious yet in the moment, the picture was incomplete, and we drew conclusions with only part of the story.

That’s the nature of a blind spot. It’s not that we’re careless or unaware; it’s that our mind is limited and it can’t always account for everything, especially when we are young and do not have such capacity. 

Then why after years have gone by do we still not use hindsight to easily. Well that is why I bring to you the understanding of scotomas. 

What Are Scotomas?

Have you ever looked back on a situation and thought, “How did I not see that at the time?” Maybe it was a pattern in a relationship you didn’t recognise, a habit that kept you stuck, or a thought that felt like fact. This perfectly highlights the impact of a scotoma.

A scotoma (pronounced sko-toe-ma) is a psychological blind spot or a gap in awareness caused by mental filtering. In short, our brains only see what they are looking for. It’s not that the information doesn’t exist; it’s that our brain automatically edits it out because it feels inconsistent, uncomfortable, or irrelevant.

These filters serve a purpose — they protect us from overload. But when they’re too rigid, they distort our perception. We may end up twisting or dismissing evidence that contradicts our assumptions, reinforcing the very beliefs that hold us back.

Functionally, there are two main types of blind spots:

1. Things we can’t see
   These are the patterns, behaviours, or assumptions that operate automatically and outside of our conscious awareness. We can’t question what we don’t pay our attention to.

For example:

• You might interrupt others in conversations without noticing, because it’s an automatic habit formed over years.

• You may assume you’re “not good at public speaking,” without recognising times when you’ve successfully presented ideas.

• You might react defensively in certain relationships, without seeing that your response is tied to old patterns rather than the current situation.

These blind spots aren’t about ignorance, they’re because our brain is looking to confirm what we already think. Our brain simply doesn’t register these patterns until something triggers awareness.

1. Things we don’t know
   These are the gaps in experience, knowledge, or understanding that influence the beliefs we form. They often arise from avoidance, limited exposure, or circumstances outside our control. For example:

• Believing you’re “bad with money” because you weren’t taught budgeting as a child.

• Assuming you’ll never enjoy a certain hobby because you’ve never tried it.

• Thinking a colleague or par

Why This Matters

Mental filters quietly shape our thoughts, emotions, and behaviour. They influence what we pay attention to and what we ignore. Over time, these scotomas can keep us stuck in unhelpful cycles: replaying old stories, assuming things “always go this way,” or discounting progress we’ve made.

When we start to notice what our mind filters out, we expand our field of awareness. Suddenly, we have more data and context to work with and that means more choice, flexibility, and compassion for ourselves.

Humans are not random. We are all a culmination of all our experiences, modelling, teachings and memories. 

Full Awareness is often where change begins.

What We Can Do

Start by asking gentle, reflective questions that help you look beyond your mental filters:

• “If this thought wasn’t true, what would be the indicators of that?”

• “Has it always been this way?”

• “Does it always have to be this way?”

These questions disrupt the automatic filtering process and invite curiosity rather than self-criticism.

From there, behavioural experiments can be powerful. Instead of debating your thoughts, test them. Collect evidence through lived experience. Notice what your mind pays attention to and what it leaves out.

As you begin to contextualise your evidence (seeing the bigger picture rather than one filtered view), your psychological “vision” becomes clearer and more balanced.

How Therapy Helps

Therapy offers a structured space to explore these mental filters safely. A psychologist helps you through a process of collaborative discovery uncover what may be out side of awareness.

Through evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Schema Therapy helps expand awareness to see where beliefs were formed bring flexibility and perhaps even full belief change.

Begin Your Next Step

At Elevare Psychology and Wellbeing, our work is designed through progress and purpose. We focus on helping you understand your own filters and find clarity in the areas that have felt hidden so you can respond to life with insight, not autopilot.

If you’re ready to explore the blind spots and mental filters that might be shaping your story, we’re here to help.
Book an appointment with Elevare Psychology and Wellbeing and take the next step toward seeing yourself and your world more clearly.