Subconscious and Conscious Mind, What Are They?

Understanding the relationship between the conscious and subconscious minds allows us to finally see what’s influencing our realities and our relationships, and it lets us see it in a way that creates the growth and change we strive for… and yet, it’s not something we hear about often.

This is a great video with Dr. Bruce Lipton that explains the difference.  

You’ll hear him talk about these points: 

• Between the ages of 0-7, we operate in a state of hypnosis (imagination). 
• We have a subconscious mind and a conscious mind.
• Our subconscious mind is where we have downloaded all of our programming, or whatever our childhood environment deemed acceptable or unacceptable(rules, beliefs, thoughts, cultural, religious, and societal conditioning).
  • For example, when we giggled and our caretakers responded with excitement, we perceived our behavior as ‘acceptable’ and giggled more. We interpreted that, in order to be loved, we should giggle more. When we cried and our caretakers reacted with frustration, we perceived that our behavior was ‘unacceptable’ and learned to shut down. We interpreted that we were alone. Both states became our programming.
• At 7, our brains develop our conscious (creative) mind, but because the programming/habit/ego mind developed first, it lays the foundation; and therefore we operate out of this mind 95% of the time.

So, what is wrong with operating out of our subconscious mind? 

There is nothing wrong with it.  The problem is when the programming and ingrained beliefs create reactions (suffering) within us and our children, because we’re worried that the outcome of our belief will be true.  

Let’s take for example ways in which we create the suffering:

If you resonate with these worries, use Byron Katie’s questions to determine if your worries are true.

Is it true?(ex. is it true that he’s bossy?)

Can you absolutely know it’s true?(ex. are 100% sure he’s bossy?)

How do you react when you believe that?(ex. feel exhausted and angry)

Who would you be without that thought?(ex. trusting)

Turn the thought around(ex. I am bossy). Does it resonate? Can you find examples of where you are bossy?

Give it a try. Take any thought that you have, preferably one that creates suffering within you, and answer the questions above.   

Share what new revelations you have about this thought with me, in my FREE Private Facebook Group, Moms Who Want to Communicate with Clarity.  I’m looking forward to connecting with you there!