Just how does a 'Think Thunk' machine work?

'It's really all very straight forward ,' mooed Norma, 'or at least it seemed so when Annie first explained it.'


'Right,' said Captain Bill.


'And the principal is sound enough.'


'Really?'


'Well no, not really,' replied Norma, 'but as no one had had a better idea we went along with it.'


'So?' asked Captain Bill.


'So,' replied Norma, 'Annie has got an idea about how we can find the pirate sheep but that idea is buried so deeply in her subconscious that she can't access it.'


'OK!'


'So...we're going to scare it out of her.'


'By dropping...'


'...A twenty ton block of granite on her head,' confirmed Norma.


'Well you've already managed to scare me,' replied Captain Bill.


'Of course it won't really happen...hopefully.'


'.....Fine!' replied Captain Bill.


'But the danger has to be for real,' continued Norma, 'or Annie will sense that it's not truly life threatening and that might transmit to the 'think'.'


'I may need to lay down for a while at the end of this,' replied Captain Bill.


'No problem,' mooed Norma, 'but basically we drop the twenty ton block of granite towards Annie, she knows that she's about to be splattified, her words, and the 'think' flees from her head and we catch it in a big net, Bertha's worked out the angle of deflection as accurately as she can and Annie whips her head out of the way at the last moment.'


'Does it ever occur to you,' asked Captain Bill, 'that there must be people out there living normal lives?'


'Normal lives,' replied Norma, '...or boring lives?'


'............................................................................Fair point!' said Captain Bill. 'Just one last question, why did we have to do all the knitting?'


'Search me!' replied Norma. 'I think Annie just likes knitting.'