Hypnosis Center of Southern California

How the Two Minds Work in Relation to Each Other

The subconscious mind "expresses" itself through feelings; the conscious mind, through thought. The subconscious is where all of our feelings are stored set up as "movies" of the associated events we had. Because of the enormous power of those feelings, ultimately it is from the subconscious mind that our power derives. Feelings are power. If you doubt this observation, consider how difficult it is to successfully overrule your feelings by conscious mind "willpower". Power -- control over our lives -- derives from thought only when there is no conflicting protection mechanism, belief, or other issues programmed into the subconscious.

For this reason, we say that the subconscious mind is the more powerful of the two minds.  When the subconscious holds an issue affecting a particular area or subject, that program will rule.  An individual may find that they are not getting the results they want, they get frustrated, angry, confused and in a constant struggle.  The conscious mind may hold a desire, even a plan, but as long as that desire or plan is in conflict with the program held in the subconscious mind, the program will control the outcome.  In other words, the conscious mind is not in control; the subconscious mind is, at least in any instance where there is an issue programmed in.
 This is especially obvious in cases where a person is talented or gifted in a certain area but can't seem to get anywhere, everything seems like a fight and struggle, they find themselves getting worn out trying to get results.  This person consciously realizes that they are struggling to get results--which, they feel should be simple for them and they become confused as to why there is such a struggle.  But the sense of struggle is not limited to those with a particular talent or gift.  It can be true for any of us in many different areas.

This struggle comes about because the subconscious mind is still doing its job of protecting the individual, or it has a belief about something, or it made some type of decision about a past event.  Since it has no awareness that circumstances have changed as the individual grew up, it will continue to do that job until the issue is either healed or the individual dies, whichever comes first.  The struggle is caused by the two minds each wanting something different.  The conscious mind consistently tries to overcome the protection or belief through willpower, planning or expending significant effort to get the results it thinks it should get in our real world.  Most often, where there is an issue present, it encounters struggle, conflict, inner turmoil and defeat.
 What has happened is the following: a) The subconscious mind has put up a protection or belief because of some earlier experience in life (a defense mechanism or survival technique);  b) the protection or belief is causing an unwanted behavior in the adult life of the individual, even though it did protect him/her as a child; and c) this unwanted behavior restricts or even stops the results in their real world.

So, the subconscious mind is the more powerful of the two minds because it can stop results intended by the conscious mind.  Since the subconscious communicates in feelings, it controls by sending strong feeling messages (discomfort).  The conscious mind tries to control these feelings with thoughts and thoughts have no power.  Even though the conscious mind never achieves the desired expected results, it is useful to point out that while the conscious mind knows it is not achieving those results, the subconscious mind, on the other hand, has no idea that the individual has not reached the desired results the conscious mind was trying to achieve; nor does it care!  The subconscious mind is simply doing its job of protecting the individual as it did when they were a child.

The subconscious mind is unaware of the individual's desired results because it no longer has access to, or information from, the external world.  It lives, as it were, in a box with no windows and a closed door.  That door, the door between the subconscious and the conscious mind, was closed by the conscious mind when it took over sometime between ages 6-12.  Generally, that door is only reopened either through an emergency situation in the adult's life or through specific, trained intention.
 For the most part, the two minds do not communicate directly with each other.  Hence, the reason the subconscious mind does not perceive the need to change the issue programmed in is that it is completely unaware unaware of any need to do so. The subconscious mind does not know about the results the conscious mind wants, is expecting and is struggling to get.  The issue programmed into the subconscious mind remains exactly the same as it was when it was first imprinted UNLESS it somehow becomes aware that its protection is no longer protecting the person and that in fact, it is now keeping the person from having the results they want and harming them.  Until the subconscious mind becomes aware that the protection is now harming them and making them unhappy, the subconscious mind will keep doing its job consistently forever.

As a child, the subconscious mind did its job by recording programs that protected us but later in life, these protections become unwanted behaviors and liabilities which prevent us from getting the results we what.   It bears repeating that the subconscious mind has no idea that the programs it has filed to protect us are no longer protecting us. If, for instance, the subconscious mind knew that the old programs were not protecting us anymore and if it was in charge of allowing access to itself, it would perhaps, open the door, take inventory of current external conditions and make a change whenever it "deemed" it appropriate.  This sounds good but is simply not the case.  Issues, i.e., unwanted behaviors which were programmed into our subconscious minds as children, even though they have become undesirable, even objectionable, even illness and death, stay in place unless dealt with directly in the subconscious mind.

There is a piece of very good news that derives from the observation that the subconscious mind is ready, willing and able to do anything to protect us.  Because of this, once the subconscious mind is brought to the realization that the issue, protection mechanism, etc., is HURTING us by keeping the issue in place, the subconscious mind demonstrates a great willingness to, heal the issue, delete or make a change in the 'program' immediately.

The subconscious mind perceives the conscious mind as "us."  As such, and in its role of protecting us, it will change, delete or do anything it needs to, once it knows it is harming us. It cannot make the change on its own.  However, it CAN be told BY THE CONSCIOUS MIND what change needs to take place.  If that is done in a particular way, the subconscious mind will make a change.  It has to know that the conscious mind is absolutely certain it wants to make the change and that the program is harming us. The conscious mind has to be completely clear as to the change it wants the subconscious mind to make. If the conscious mind has the slightest doubt about the change it wants the subconscious mind to make, the subconscious mind will not make the change. The subconscious mind requires instruction by the conscious mind as to the change to make because it, the subconscious mind, has no idea what is going on in the outside world and no idea of the change that needs to be made. As a result, it would not know what to change to in order to stop harming us. This is consistent with the subconscious mind's job of protecting us. It will not make a change unless it is certain the change it is making will not harm us. Since it can only get that information from the conscious mind and if the conscious mind has any doubt about changing a protection or belief, then the subconscious mind will "interpret" that doubt as an uncertainty as to whether the change will hurt us or not, it will do nothing. Despite instruction from the conscious mind that the old program is harming us, the subconscious mind will keep the old protection in place instead of making a change to something else, if there is any doubt or fear at the conscious level if there is any possibility that the change may be harmful in any way.

In order for this change to take place, then, the two minds must have direct access to each other. If the subconscious mind can be brought to see and understand that the issue, protection or belief that once protected us is now harming us, it immediately becomes willing to look at the possibility of changing or deleting the protection or belief. The reason we cannot get what we want is that the two minds are at odds, in disagreement; in conflict or out of alignment. Each mind is trying to achieve a different objective and, as a result, they are in disagreement or out of alignment. This causes conflict and inner struggle one of the biggest cause of stress. Observing this struggle at the conscious level, in identifying exactly what the problem is. It does not tell us where the problem came from or what to do about it, but it does give us a "handle" on exactly what the unwanted behavior, undesirable pattern, issue, might be.

Therefore, once we are able to communicate to the subconscious mind what we, the conscious mind wants it to change to, it goes to work to identify the event and the decision that was programmed in the original protection mechanism and it will make the change directly. The change is instant and permanent in the subconscious mind. The issue is healed, the protection mechanism reprogrammed. Once healed, there is never a reversion to an old program, it's gone. This can only be done through Hypnotherapy.

Call me I have an unlimited free consultation if you find you are fighting an issue and not getting what your conscious mind wants the number is 951.961.9000.