RE: Attention spent avoiding thinking
I think the best way to combat this is active analysys. When you are studying and or class your goal should not be to remember and retain the information you are presented with, but to understand it. So instead of occupying your brain with the scan process, I suggest that you focus your attention in analyzing what you are looking at. You can use question like "Why is this the case?", "What does this entail?", "Could this information be wrong and why?", "What is the underlying principle that causes this?", "What else am I familiar with that is similar?" and so on. When you are engaged in analyzing things, you are much more likely to understand them and the only real way to learn something is through understanding and making real mental connections.
Maybe I didn't explain well. It is hard to consider when I have already tuned out if you know what I mean.
I agree with you but this happens before I have a chance to do anything with it. Essentially, unless I stop the process from happening, nothing goes in.
You are right, it's very hard to understand. Each of us is used to their own inner workings and I guess I can't fully comprehend what you are explaining since it seems that my brain works in a pretty dissimilar way in that regard. So I think you are explaining it pretty clearly, I guess I wasn't fully getting it because of my own presumptions.
So.... maybe I am crazy :D
I actually do what you suggested but I can only do it if I have first tuned in which means catching the bad habit before it has a chance to take hold.
For my memory to hold anything, I have to understand it. I had a lot if trouble in maths because it was taught by memory rather than application and at the time, I didn't have the gumption to learn without the teachers.
You're surely not crazy, it's just that we're all a bit different and have our own ways of processing information and the world in general. It's all fine as long as you manage to find something that works for you! :)