Getting Off the Ferris Wheel: Ending Spiritual Loops

By Trish Briggs

There are many types of looping. I want to spend a few moments talking about the looping one experiences during their spiritual journey. (We can save time-looping for another day.)

The looping I’m referring to involves repeated patterns of thinking, emotions, behaviors, experiences, and relationships related to your spiritual and/or emotional growth. These are recurring challenges that cycle through your life.

In my mind’s eye, I see looping as a Ferris wheel—spinning in the same place, at the same speed, never stopping. It can become monotonous, frustrating, and eventually predictable.

I’ll share one of the loops I found myself in. On several occasions, I found myself listening to friends talk about major life changes they wanted to make. I never expressed interest in making the same changes—I believed I was simply being a good friend: present, supportive, and a sounding board.

In one case, a friend was starting a new business venture. By listening and asking questions, she assumed I was interested in going into business with her as a partner. That was never my intention. From her perspective, it was implied and should have been understood. But because it was never explicitly stated, I missed this subtle, unspoken agreement.

Each time this happened, I lost a friendship. The other person felt let down or betrayed, and I was left devastated and blindsided. Eventually, I noticed this was a pattern. I couldn’t understand why my friends became angry with me when I thought I was simply being supportive.

This concept of looping is not new—but becoming aware of it in our own lives might be. In Buddhism and Hinduism, this is referred to as karmic cycling: unresolved lessons or emotions repeating until they are mastered. Spiritual psychology also suggests that unprocessed life events can return to the surface, highlighting the need for growth.

When we’re stuck in familiar thought or behavior patterns, it can halt our spiritual and emotional progress.

When this happens, we must find the secret to stopping the Ferris Wheel so we can step off and move on to something new.

The first step is to identify the repeating pattern - whether it’s a behavior, negative thought, or even a recurring symbol. Ask yourself:

• What do I keep repeating?

• What keeps showing up in my life?

• What thought pattern keeps reappearing in my mental space?

  
  

Once we’ve identified the loop, we can begin breaking free by engaging our self-awareness. We can then ask with a curious mindset:

• What is this loop trying to teach me?

• Are there unresolved emotions or outdated beliefs involved?

• Is this thinking pattern still valid, or is it tied to a past version of me?

• Can I consciously choose a different response or take a new action?

• Do I need support—or maybe just self-compassion and grace?

  
  

These questions help us create a strategy to shift the cycle.

In my own case, reflection helped me realize that no decision is a decision—and no input is still input. I had to begin clearly stating my position when friends shared their plans. I needed to lovingly say, “I support you, but I’m not signing up.” I had to find and use my voice. It was through this voice that I began to feel empowered and eliminate the misunderstanding that support means participation. Another moment of growth for my throat chakra!

With this realization, I can truthfully say I got off that particular Ferris Wheel ride. Of course, there are more Ferris Wheels out there—but now, I’m better equipped to recognize them, learn from them, and eventually step off.