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What is the subconscious mind and how can I change the thoughts in
that part of my mind?
By Claire Bramham of Mind & Body Therapy When we
talk about the mind, we often refer to both the conscious and the
subconscious mind. Your conscious mind is your short term, everyday waking
awareness. Consciousness is awareness of our thinking, feeling and actions.
The term subconscious is defined as “existing or operating in the mind
beneath or beyond consciousness.” This part of our mind is the seat of our
imagination, memories, beliefs, emotions, dreams, values and behaviours, and
it controls functions without conscious awareness, such as breathing and our
automatic nervous system. Often called the “heart of the mind”.
Our thinking affects our feelings, which in turn affect our behaviours. Have
you ever tried to change a habit only to find your subconscious mind resists
your conscious efforts? There is a law of the mind at work here: if your
conscious and subconscious mind are in conflict, your subconscious
invariably wins.
People try to consciously change their habits through will power or
self-discipline. Yet the reason for most people’s unhappiness and lack of
success is that they are heavily influenced by this child-like, emotional,
subconscious mind. There is a statistic that 80 percent of the things we
believe about ourselves were formed before the age of eight. This was before
we had the ability to discern and rationalise. Therefore much of what we
believe is outdated, unwanted and not necessarily true or factual. Sadly the
bottom line belief for many people is “I am not good enough.”
If you really want to change, then you need to address these old, outdated,
unwanted thoughts at this level. There are a number of methods you can use
to directly affect the subconscious mind such as Hypnosis, meditation,
visualisation or affirmations. Hypnosis, for example, is a powerful tool in
therapy because in this natural, relaxed state you are able to access the
subconscious plus you are more open and responsive to new, positive
suggestions.
Your suggestions or affirmations should always be phrased in a positive way
such as “I feel comfortable”, rather than “I will not feel uncomfortable”.
The subconscious does not recognise negatives and will literally hear “feel
uncomfortable”. When your conscious mind and subconscious mind are in
alignment you are happier, more congruent and are able to accomplish more in
your life.
For advice on how to change your subconscious thinking, contact Claire
Bramham, Clinical Hypnotherapist at Mind and Body Therapy at 403.397.0011 or
visit her website at
www.mindandbodytherapy.ca
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