The Subconscious Mind
The conscious and subconscious parts of the mind are identified, and the role of the subconscious in human behaviour is discussed
Surprisingly, it is the subconscious that can be in control of our behaviour most of the time
Conscious/Subconscious
The mind has two parts: the conscious and the subconscious. A useful analogy is an iceberg. The conscious mind is the bit that sticks out of the water. The subconscious mind is the bit hidden away underneath the surface.
The subconscious is where all the things that you have learnt to do without thinking are done.
For instance, when you first drove a car, you had to consciously work out where to put each foot and how to use each new control. As your driving skills developed, you handed more and more control over to your subconscious mind. Now you are so proficient that you can drive, navigate and talk to your passenger all at the same time!
The subconscious works in a different way to the conscious mind:
| The Conscious Mind | The Subconscious Mind |
|---|---|
| The conscious mind uses rational thought | The subconscious processes symbols |
| The conscious is good at working out how to do things | The subconscious is good at doing things for you (skills and habits) |
| The conscious works hard at understanding things | The subconscious doesn't care HOW something works, it will use the first thing it comes across irrespective of how well it works |
| The conscious mind is apt to waste time figuring things out for the sake of it | The subconscious will carry on doing things a certain way even when it is abundantly clear that it is not in your best interests. |
The Subconscious Processes Symbols?
Yes; for example, you see an object which has four legs, and a flat surface about three feet off the ground, and you instantly recognise it as a 'table'. It could be any colour or it could be made of wood, glass, metal or plastic - you would still recognise it immediately.
You could walk into a room you've never been in before, see an object matching this description but of a design you've never come across and made of a material you've never seen, and yet you would put something onto this 'table' without a second thought.
Subconscious in Control
Surprisingly, it is the subconscious that can be in control of our behaviour most of the time. Once you realise that, a lot of things begin to make sense. This is the reason people find it very difficult to stop smoking - they have consciously decided that smoking is bad for their health, costs a fortune, is ruining their complexion, etc. However, they have not taken into account their subconscious reasons for wanting to carry on smoking. Go back to the iceberg analogy; if the little bit at the top wants to go one way and the huge bit at the bottom wants to go the other way, guess who's going to win? That's why it is very difficult to give up smoking without professional help.
The Subconscious Mind and Human Behaviour
Once you understand about the role of the subconscious, you can understand where a lot of odd behaviour comes from. People get stuck in a rut because their subconscious doesn't know how to change. People can get disturbing thoughts or feelings because the subconscious thinks that something bad is about to happen.
Therapy
This is where therapy comes in. You can see a therapist to understand what is happening to you, and discover a new way of being. With just a few sessions, you could make radical changes. You could become the person you always wanted to be!
Call 07815 596 628 now and book an appointment
