When I hear the word “rehearsal”, I most often think of the arts. I remember the hours I spent rehearsing for stage plays and at band practice when I was young. Whether it was running lines for a play or playing with band mates to get our timing right, rehearsal was meant to make doing something almost automatic. Practice a thing over and over and it becomes second nature. I used to think of a “rehearsal” as a deliberate practice session but as a dog trainer I now think of any repeated behaviour as a rehearsal.
You make an excellent point Eric, us don’t realize what is happening during our inattention and then wonder where the unwanted behaviour came from!