You know when you're looking for something and start repeating the mantra in your mind? 'Hairbrush hairbrush hairbrush' etc. And then if you can't find it you end up murmuring it and eventually saying it aloud in a distracted manner?

Yeah, I got as far as the mind mantra today, saying it to myself silently, one step below saying it creepily under my breath. Which could have been a problem, as I was trying to look up how blood effects were created in the Early Modern Theatre.

It suddenly occurred to me that sinisterly muttering 'blood blood blood' in the library could earn me a chat with the university counsellors.