The Mind Explained

In scientific terms the mind is as yet poorly understood.  It is intangible, it has no definite location, and yet it seems to be responsible for much of what makes us who we are.

The mind is sometimes seen as the personalisation of the brain, depending on the unique pattern of links between brain cells which builds up over our life time as we grow and develop according to our individual experiences.  Some say that the mind also extends to every cell in the body.  Then there is the question of the apparent division into the conscious mind and the subconscious.

Conscious or Subconscious?

The subconscious as an iceberg

For the purposes of hypnotherapy with Life Changes Now, just imagine an iceberg.  The top part, that is the bit above the water, represents the conscious mind, and the part hidden below the water line represents the subconscious.

What is understood about icebergs is that the visible part is a tiny proportion of the whole.  The majority of what makes the bulk and power of an iceberg is concealed most of the time.

In the same way, as we go about our daily lives, we are usually aware only of our conscious thoughts.  But we are really driven by our subconscious.  From the urge to survive, to eat, to avoid danger, to interact with others, through the storage of memories, the triggering of emotions, the development of habits, to the complete management of every cell in the body, the subconscious is responsible.  Funny how we hardly think about it most of the time.

Making changes

So is it really surprising that it is so difficult to make changes with the conscious will alone, when it is up against the might of the subconscious?

There are three ways that changes can be made.  One is through repetition, where over a period of time some new way of behaving moves from the conscious to the subconscious.  When you learn to drive it seems incredibly complicated, but with practice it becomes easier and eventually becomes so automatic you don't give it a second thought.

The second is when there is a very strong emotion associated with the change (and of course strong emotions come from the subconscious)  That feeling of being totally fired up and focused on a new project so that you just know that you'll go through with it is an example.

And the third is of course through hypnosis and hypnotherapy.  Whilst the conscious mind alone is largely ineffective against the power of the subconscious, through hypnosis we can get in touch with that deeper part of ourselves and with the use of hypnotherapy make positive and lasting changes at a fundamental level.

Trying to work for us

It is important to remember at this point that the subconscious is nearly always trying, albeit in its own way, to work for us.  Take the overeating habit for example; it is a primitive instinct to eat when there is plenty of food.  At some level we don't know where the next meal is coming from.  Small wonder that many of us put on weight in modern western society where food is constantly available.

However the result of being overweight seems to suggest that the subconscious, whilst endeavouring to work in our favour, is working against what we really desire, and often our experience of life is compromised through unwanted habits, stress and anxiety, or some other behaviour that holds us back.

The Power of the mind

Never underestimate what can be achieved with the power of the mind.  There are many stories of people, through deep determination, overcoming terrible injuries against all odds, and astounding the medical profession. 

And in 2007 an Arctic swimmer has been in the news who seems able at will to increase his core body temperature in order to swim in such harsh conditions.

The mind is awesome and most individuals have no idea of the resources it can harness in order to bring about beneficial change.