Subconscious mind vs Unconscious mind distinction (and how the subconscious rules your behavior)
Let’s clarify subconscious vs unconscious.
I only use the term “subconscious mind”, but you will commonly find it called the “unconscious mind” on the interwebs. You may even have found your way to this blog because you searched for something like “How your unconscious mind rules your behavior.”
I am different from most other hypnotherapists and hypnotists because I don’t use the term “unconscious mind” to describe where the healing work is being done. Unconscious mind is the traditional term used, but it is incredibly misleading and sets up a lot of false expectations for the person being hypnotized.
What kind of imagery does the term unconscious evoke in you?
Here’s what I think of:
Being passed out/ sleeping
Completely unaware of what’s going on
Out of control of what’s happening
Gross and icky right? Not something comforting or conducive to healing.
What is meant by “unconscious” mind, is it’s the part of the mind that drives our behavior without our awareness. But because the term unconscious has many different layers of meaning, it can set up a level of fear in someone new to the hypnotic state. Even when you pair it with “mind.”
Subconscious mind on the other hand is a safer sounding word. It still means the part of the mind we are not consciously aware of, but saying it or hearing it doesn’t evoke negative images typically. It is the layer beneath the conscious mind that drives our behavior because it holds our beliefs and emotions. It is even known as the “feeling mind” in some circles. (yes, they are probably very small nerdy, hypnotherapist circles, but nonetheless they exist! 😄)
You can make known things that are in the subconscious mind. In fact, that is one of the purposes of hypnotherapy, to make patterns and behaviors known to you, so you can change them.
Whenever I start with a new client I give them a warning. As you start diving into the subconscious and programming new ideas into your mind, the old beliefs and other things getting in the way of new beliefs taking root, will pop up and make themselves known. This is your mind helping you by showing you what needs to be healed, but it can feel like things are getting worse before they get better. Journalling and becoming an observer of your thoughts are key to getting through this phase. And also, why it’s good to be seeing someone regularly who can support you in the initial stages of any healing journey.
How Your Subconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior
In case, you did find your way here because you googled “How your unconscious mind rules your behavior” and you’re wondering why it’s a rant about Subconscious Mind vs. Unconscious Mind, let’s talk more about how the Subconscious Mind does rule your behavior.
The Subconscious Mind holds the beliefs and emotions from our life. And it rules your life because of the Law of Correspondence.
Law of Correspondence: Your experience of the world directly corresponds to the dominant subconscious thought that is active.
Essentially your subconscious beliefs cause you to project out onto the world thoughts and images that are consistent with the programming in your subconscious mind. We color the present with our past. When you get really upset about something, it is almost always because it is triggering a past wound, usually from childhood.
Then we attract, and are attracted to people, places, things and events that reflect the quality of our programming. And we can even transfigure things with our projected beliefs.
Ex. You are typically a demonstrative person to those you love. Then you get into a relationship with a person who has a belief they are unlovable. You find yourself acting different from normal and not showing much love and affection like you usually would. This is because that other person's belief that they are unlovable is transfiguring your behavior, so that the “unlovable” belief is reinforced for your partner..
Real life examples for me around my old belief that “I wasn’t good enough.”
Dating men who always found fault in me and would get me to believe everything is my fault. Thus proving I wasn’t good enough.
Struggling to move up in my career even though I was usually one of the most skilled employees at my jobs.
Rarely getting praise for things I did great, and mainly receiving criticism for the parts I didn’t do well.
Feeling embarrassed when I did receive praise because I didn’t think I deserved it.
Until we update the beliefs in our subconscious we are doomed to stay stuck in a loop, repeating the same things over and over. Such as changing jobs, only to end up in a similar environment each time. Dating the same type of person over and over again.
How do you change your beliefs at the core level?
By using an altered state that allows you to access alpha, theta or delta brain waves. Once you are in the altered state it relaxes the critical portion of your mind and you can put new ideas directly into your subconscious. Once these ideas are rooted in your subconscious these will be the ideas you project into the world, and bring in new experiences in alignment with these updated beliefs.
The critical portion of the mind is like a bouncer at a fancy night club. The bouncer only lets in people who fit in with the crowd (ideas) inside and rejects those that don’t. Using a trance state gives the bouncer a break, so you can get new people (ideas) into the club. When the bouncer comes back it sees that there is a new crowd, and continues to let in people (ideas) who are similar.
Hypnotherapy is a great way to access an altered state.
Other options include:meditation, listening to recordings in your sleep or psychedelic assisted help. (yes, I do live in Denver, Colorado, and yes we did just allow facilities to be created that use natural medicines. I’m excited for the amazing possibilities in this field.) Once you’re in this state you can put new ideas directly into the subconscious mind, so that they become your reality.
What is an altered state?
It is accessing your natural brain waves while awake that you experience while sleeping. This is why the hypnotic state is a natural state for your body. This is also why using recordings while sleeping can have a profound effect, because the ideas root directly in your subconscious mind.
Repetition does matter a lot here. You’ve spent how many years with the old ideas? It takes some time for the new ideas to take root, but you’d be surprised at how quickly you start having new experiences in alignment with the new ideas.
I generally work with people for only 8 sessions over 8 weeks, and they have profound shifts in this time. For repetition I give them custom recordings to listen to in between sessions.
Your Subconscious Mind will always rule your behavior. It is up to you, to input the ideas you want into your subconscious, so that you create the life you want.. Essentially your mind is like a computer that was last updated when you were 7 years old. Now that you are 28, 35, 42, 50, 65 is that old programming serving you, or keeping you stuck in a Groundhog Day loop? If you’re ready for real, lasting change, you know where to find me. (it’s here, right here https://app.acuityscheduling.com/schedule.php?owner=16375860&appointmentType=35835533 )
Resources:
Check out my sleep and heal recording, specifically for helping support your body's natural function and restore common ailments. https://www.focusedhealing.net/recordings-1/p/heal-and-rejuvenate-your-body-as-you-sleep
A great mini series about natural medicine can be found on netflix. Change Your Mind documentary
It is also based off a book that you can get here:
https://bookshop.org/a/23512/9780735224155 (this is an affiliate link, I will get a small fee if you buy through it)
You can also find it cheaper here https://prf.hn/click/camref:1011lqSGk/[p_id:1100l459284]
P.S. I am apparently trying to write Britishly today because I keep adding extra U’s in words they don’t belong in, in American English. Such as Behaviours.
