I’ll endeavour to explain in layman’s terms. Firstly, we need to understand the subconscious mind. Our subconscious is not a tangible part of our brain however it’s the part of the mind that is not in focal awareness – so the stuff we don’t think about, but know. It influences thought, beliefs, feeling, and behaviours. It’s also known as the unconscious mind. Our subconscious is the tool that allows us to do multiple things at any given moment in time.
For example; think about what is happening now in your body without you even thinking about it. Your hair and nails are growing, your skin is regenerating and shedding, your organs are all fighting to keep you alive, your heart pumping blood and oxygen around the body, and now you’re reading this the brain and eyes are processing this information and maybe your hands are clutching a phone or tablet and you’re scrolling as you’re reading. Your subconscious is running the show.
Here are some things to know about the subconscious mind:
- It’s a protective barrier to prevent us from being overwhelmed by the constant stream of sensory information we receive every second of our waking day.
- The subconscious mind guides automatic movements, such as those involved in learning new skills. For example, think about learning to drive a manual car. When using the gear stick in conjunction with the foot pedals with repetition the movements become automated.
- It’s involved in creativity and ideas and is used as storage and a processor for divergent thinking, experiences and knowledge.
- In dream sleep it provides a platform for processing and integrating information, memories, and emotions that we may not be fully aware of in our waking life.
In hypnosis and hypnotherapy work with the subconscious part of the brain and here’s why…
It’s the driver for our behaviours and beliefs. Let me give you an example. For many years I was bullied for being ‘ugly’. The bullying came from multiple people, from different locations (i.e. my home town and school which was in a different town). My deep-rooted belief on an unconscious level was that I as flawed, ugly and socially unacceptable leaving me full of shame and self-loathing.
As I got older people would tell me I was attractive however, and on a conscious level I thought I was reasonably so, however my subconscious had already formed this very debilitating belief that I was hideously ugly. It didn’t matter how many people told me I was beautiful, gorgeous and attractive my subconscious was saying nahhhhh.
This belief manifested in my life in many forms: Low sense of self-worth, promiscuity, toxic relationships, excessive drug taking and drinking, depression, anxiety,
The subconscious doesn’t know fact from fiction only what it is repeatedly told. I had counselling however I couldn’t seem to change this negative view of myself. Working reprogramming the subconscious mind I was able to form a new belief one that was that I am of infinite value and acceptable, loveable and beautiful merely for my existence (as are we all). If you were born in the 80’s or earlier think of the reprogramming like recording something over the top of an existing video cassette. When the new beliefs are in the subconscious they are accepted as new truths.