We all know that there is a part of our mind called the subconscious mind. But, do you understand how powerful it is for your success and happiness in life? Once I grasped the reality of how that part of my mind was dictating my reactions to everyday situations, I was able to start changing my life. I’m still learning about it and how I can use it to my advantage. I know that if you want to change your life in any way, understanding the subconscious mind is a very good place to start.
What Is The Subconscious Mind?
The subconscious mind is also known as the reactive mind. – Dr. Darren Weissman
Your subconscious mind easily takes care of all your body’s processes. You don’t need to be conscious of when you should breathe, your subconscious mind takes care of that for you.
It’s also a storage center for all your memories, emotions, and experiences. Even experiences that you didn’t consciously note are kept in your subconscious. For instance, the way you were treated somewhere, an image that flashed on TV for a moment, or a feeling you had around a particular person are all stored in your subconscious mind.
It’s also the place where your beliefs live since your beliefs are based on all that happens in your life. And just like with the physical processes in your body, your subconscious mind leads the show when it comes to your reactions.
Your subconscious mind always accepts the dominant of two ideas. That is, it accepts your conviction without question, whether your premise is true or absolutely false. – Dr. Joseph Murphy
Even when you think you are making a conscious decision, your subconscious mind plays the biggest part.
For example, you may have had experience with someone who was not a good person. Your subconscious mind may remember the way they acted, talked, and even looked at you. If you meet someone who acts, talks, and looks at you like that person, then your subconscious mind will instantly react in a negative way towards them. You may not understand why you don’t like them, but your subconscious mind knows!
Your subconscious mind, for the most part, controls what you say, how you act, and what you do.
Can Your Subconscious Mind Change?
He can sit down every night prior to sleep, and also in the morning and the afternoon, and he can affirm as follows… he can write these in the subconscious – he can reprogram his mind, he can redirect it, he can write upon it. And the nature of the subconscious is compulsive; therefore, he’ll be compelled to be congenial, cordial, a man of good will. – Dr. Joseph Murphy on a how to change a man who has grown to be a sourpuss, hothead, or complainer.
I realize this quote is quite long and there are many other quotes I could have used. But I like this one. It comes from a talk Dr. Joseph Murphy did about the power of the subconscious mind, and it’s so matter-of-fact.
He makes it clear that you need to sit down and start affirming new things to yourself if you want to change your beliefs, reactions, and overall presence in the world.
The video I took the quote from is below. You can watch it to learn what he recommends a man (a person) should affirm to themselves to start becoming more pleasant.
The bottom line is that while your current subconscious mind is the driving force behind your life, it is not unable to change. According to Dr. Joseph Murphy and many other experts, you can change it – or, as some people say, reprogram it.
The changes are not immediate, though. So, don’t go into the process expecting great changes quickly. Your whole life has brought you to where you are today. And if you have been programmed to believe certain things for your entire life, it’s going to take some time to drive home your new beliefs.
Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind
We have to recognize that the subconscious mind and the conscious mind do not learn in the same way. – Bruce Lipton
If something is not working the way you want it to in life, you need to take a look at your subconscious mind. Your beliefs in that part of your mind are causing you to react in a way that is holding you back from experiencing the life you want.
Once you realize which limiting beliefs are holding you back, you can start to work on replacing them with better beliefs that help you achieve the life you want.
It’s Not As Simple As Just Wanting To Make A Change
The problem is you can’t just read a self-help book and be on your way. While it can give you aha moments and help add reasons to help you change your beliefs, your subconscious mind won’t change by affirming something to yourself once.
As Bruce Lipton said, “The subconscious mind is a habitual mind.” So, just as you programmed your current subconscious mind through habituation and repetition over the years, you need to focus on habituation and repetition in order to change your subconscious mind.
Bruce Lipton also says that your subconscious mind is like a tape recorder that constantly records things happening in your life. So you can’t just talk to your subconscious mind (tape recorder) and tell it to change. That’s not how it works.
He says there are 3 ways to reprogram it.
- Hypnosis – I used to be skeptical of hypnosis until I tried it for myself at home. Out of the home my conscious mind was too busy and on guard to allow hypnosis to work. But at home, where I could relax and get myself into a calmer and more receptive state of mind, I realized how powerful it really was. I first started understanding how we can tap into the power of the mind with the Silva Life System, but after a week of struggling to accept a diagnosis my husband received, I turned to something different – Hypnosis Live. It was amazing and instantly helped me get out of my funk.
- Repetition – As with anything, you need to use something continuously in order to get strong in that area. Therefore, if you want new beliefs in your subconscious mind dictating what you do and how you act, you need to repeatedly exercise the words and behavior that will help you do so. This is true with affirmations, habits, and routines.
- Energy Psychology: This is very interesting to me. I’ve taken an Energy Medicine course by Donna Eden, but I had never heard of the term Energy Psychology before. Following is a short video on it with Dr. George Pratt being interviewed by Larry King.
A New Way Of Life Comes From Reprogramming Your Subconscious Mind
In the end, it’s not just about wanting something new in your life. If you want to make a positive change, you need to reprogram your subconscious mind. If not, you will always end up doing the same things, thinking the same way, and maintaining the same beliefs (often, limiting beliefs) that hold you back from the life you want.
