Whatever you do, don't think of a pink rhinoceros... or whether a duck's quack has an echo

you know how it is, when people tell you "don't think of a pink rhinoceros" and try as hard as you might you just can't help yourself? and the more you try not to think of the damn rhinoceros the more you do end up thinking about it? so... is it really possible to follow the instructions and not think of a pink rhinoceros.... according to some rather reliable sources...

"Studies have shown that thought suppression may actually lead to continued expression. (E.g. if I would like for you not to think about a white bear; think about anything but a white bear. You will find it very hard not to think about a white bear.) However, such ironic process of mental control will only show up if you're under stress. In fact, the more you try to think of something else (say, y) to distract your attention (from x), the chances that this very thing (Y) may become a retrieval cue to think about x. Yup, that's how ironic our mental control can be"

and based on all that information, the answer would be that yes, it would be possible (though albeit very difficult) to obey instructions to not think of a pink rhinoceros. then again... what if you didn't know what a rhinoceros was? hmmm....

p.s. i thought of this weird question after remembering this comic (wiley's non-sequitter) a few weeks back about how this girl Danae couldn't stop thinking about whether a duck's quack has an echo.... and as a result of telling other people, they couldn't stop thinking about it either....