What is a Subconscious Mind and What Does it Do?
As new science continues to illuminate the fact that we have a conscious mind and we have an unconscious or a subconscious mind, and it seems this non-conscious part of our mind is, for the most part, in charge. Do you ever wonder, “What does the subconscious mind do? Really?”
I’ve been hearing a lot of friends and clients complaining that their subconscious mind “doesn’t want them to succeed,” or they personify this part of themselves, telling me how “it must be mad at them and taking vengeance by holding them back.”
Of course, if you believe that, you’re bound to continue to experience exactly those same results. Welcome to your hamster wheel.
If, instead, you’d like to create some positive change in your life and learn how to work WITH your subconscious mind, then the first step is a complete and deliberate introduction.
We’re wired to be generous and helpful, but even more so with those we consider close, so let’s make our subconscious mind kin.
Functions of the Subconscious Mind
Our subconscious mind has many functions and for the most part having to do with tasks much too large for us to handle consciously.
The Subconscious Mind Stores & Organizes Memories
Memory is a fascinating topic on its own. We have working memory, short term memory, long term memory, muscle memory, and the list goes on. Our subconscious mind stores memory. It stores memories, often temporally or in relationship to time–“I can remember, when I was five….” and it does this holographically–actually it stores an enormous amount of data holographically in relationship to our bodies.
This includes an entirely different category of memory which is a-temporal, for example language has no relationship to time whatsoever. You remember the definition of a word, let’s say proprioception, but the meaning of that word is the same with no respect to time at all.
Our incredible subconscious mind, also represses and presents memories. Have you ever had this experience, you aren’t doing or thinking about much at all, but suddenly you remember something that you haven’t thought about in ages?
Our subconscious mind represses memories with unresolved negative emotions and presents memories for resolution.
I could write an entirely separate article, if not a book on this one function, but suffice it to say that repressing memories with unresolved negative emotions takes A LOT of energy–the same energy that it takes to create something new. Often the reasons people can’t move forward or accomplish big goals is because so much of their creative energy is used keeping them safe from these emotions.
If you have a memory that seem random, or you have a negative emotion that seems irrational–lean in! Too often people’s response to the presentation of these memories or emotions is to berate the subconscious mind (not on purpose, but “Why do I feel this way?” “I don’t want to feel this way.” “I’ll ignore it.” “Put on a happy face..” and other such thinking is doing the opposite of what will actually help the problem). This often escalates the problem and just when you though everything was going really well, something terrible happens out of the blue (ever have that experience?).
When shit hits the fan, make your mantra, “Thank you subconscious mind (or you can name yours if you want–I call mine Fred) for presenting this, I am Ready to Resolve and Release this! What do I do from here?”
At that point you can journal, or practice forgiveness or negative emotional release any way that works for you. I will be linking my favorite tools as I post them.
Intuition, Instincts & Habits
The subconscious mind is a habitual being. It maintains all instincts and habits. This is more a function of security than anything else. If I’ve been doing it a certain way for so long, I know that way is safe. Changing habits can be a challenge, unless you know how to speak the language of the unconscious mind.
The subconscious mind also makes associations and controls and maintains all perception, both regular and telepathic. This is the function of intuition.
Here’s the thing, at any given moment you are being bombarded with about 11 million bits of information. You may have heard different numbers for this point, the point is the same, and I like Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi so I’m using his.
Okay, so each second you are being bombarded with about 11,000,000 bits of information. That’s the world around you, all the sounds, sights, feelings, smells and so on. The feeling of your tushy on the seat, or your feet on the floor. The light in the room. The facial expressions of the people you’re interacting with. 11 million bits of information per second are coming in through all channels of the input systems of your neurology and being correlated and cross referenced by your subconscious mind.
The human brain is capable of handling only about 128 bits per second, that is our conscious mind.
So we need to filter out and make split-second decisions about what matters and what doesn’t and our amazing unconscious mind is doing this all the time. Sometimes, we experience this as intuition, we get the sense that something feels right or not right as a result of this very elaborate math problem and our subconscious mind’s ability to process data, make associations, then offer perceptions.
Matter & Energy
The most obvious function of the subconscious mind is to run the body. I’ve heard many speakers ask from the stage, “Who beats your heart?” “Who digests your food?” or “Who breathed for you while you were sleeping last night? Certainly it wasn’t your conscious mind.” These are all functions of the subconscious mind.
Since we know that the subconscious runs the body, then we must surmise that disease is also a function of the unconscious mind, as is healing. I talk to a lot of clients with health problems and I always remind them of the same thing.
Your body is smarter than you are.
Go inside and do healing work, heal the parts of yourself you’ve been attacking, ashamed of, and fearful of. Become whole on purpose and remember that it must have an effect because how you do anything is how you do everything.
The subconscious mind also generates, stores, distributes and transmits energy. I’ve created some guided visualizations for myself to help get to sleep on a particularly energetic night. They help me connect directly with my subconscious mind and turn the dial down on my energy.
Other times, if I’m in need of a pick me up, I do a quick meditation to turn the dial up on my energy.
By far, the number one function or goal of the subconscious mind is to preserve the body. This is the source of many personal conflicts as a person wants to create new experiences which may seem in some way unsafe to the subconscious mind. I cannot count how many people, when asked what the purpose is of playing small in their business have told me, safety.
Remember, the SAFEST thing you can do is be massively successful, be happy, live in a healthy body, and have amazing supportive relationships. The more goals you meet, the safer you are!!! Even if the steps to get there don’t always feel safe because we need to be vulnerable and put ourselves out there–but it’s the safest thing you can do.
Characteristics of the Subconscious Mind
The functions of the subconscious mind are what it does! The characteristics or attributes are How it operates. Knowing this about the unconscious mind can help us clear up how to actually communicate with this magical part of ourselves.
Joy, Sadness, and the Inability to Time Travel
The subconscious mind is the domain of the emotions. This is, of course, how it’s able to choose which memories to suppress or present. Our emotions are how our subconscious communicates with us! If we don’t bother listening, it moves to more drastic forms of communication leveraging its control over energy and the body.
We do a lot of time traveling in our conscious minds. We think about the future, where we either anticipate reward or fear punishment. We also travel to the past where we either relish the good old days, or regret our choices or memories. Our subconscious mind doesn’t do that, it is perpetually present. When we think and time travel, whatever we’re thinking about, our unconscious mind just experiences it as if it were happening in the present moment.
Our unconscious mind is both highly moral and what could be thought of as lazy. Morality is a complicated subject because it isn’t objectively moral, the subconscious mind will never let you violate your own subjective morality and it’ll always take the path of least effort. This is why when people write about goal writing, they talk about being specific. If you say, “I have a goal! I want more money!” The unconscious mind thinks it’s been successful if you find a coin on the ground, “Winner! I got us more money!”.
It deeply enjoys serving! I’m serious your unconscious mind loves you, it’s loyal. It’s your MVP and the captain of your cheer-leading squad! The only reason you don’t know that is because you haven’t learned to communicate with it! So, how do you actually do that?
Speaking the Language of the Subconscious
So your subconscious mind deeply enjoys serving but it needs clear orders!
Those orders need to be in the language of the unconscious mind which means highly symbolic.
Imagine we figured out the technology and you’re allowed to teleport through all of space and time commercially. You’ve decided to go visit a distant alien planet where they don’t speak your language and we haven’t figured out universal translators just yet.
So as you settle into the resort, you decide you want something to eat. Now, you can’t order or communicate what you want, the only way to communicate is with your mannerisms and energy.
You cautiously point to a menu item and when it comes out, it’s disgusting! So you start exclaiming how awful it is, jumping up and down and flailing your arms in protest. The staff, however, doesn’t understand your language and they mistakenly think you all that thrashing around is your praise. They bring you more, and then more of the same disgusting dish.
The only choice you have, to get a different meal, is actually to just push the plate away and give it zero attention or energy, then the staff get’s the message and allows you to point to a different menu item.
This is how it works with our subconscious mind.
Because our subconscious mind is deeply symbolic, we need to communicate in images (visualization), sounds (music), and feelings. Pour ALL of your attention on the positive aspects of your life, and just push the negative parts across the table and deny them your energy.
Don’t say not.
On that note: The subconscious mind does NOT process negatives. Unfortunately, we have evolved to think about what we don’t want a lot. It’s called the negativity bias.
Basically, our ancestors ancestors were very cautious which is why their genes survived and why we became very cautious. If an ancient human heard a sound come from a bush and assumed it was dangerous, it would avoid that direction, “Ah, I bet that’s a dangerous hyena, I’ll avoid it!” Even if it was a friendly sound, they survived and are safe.
If, on the other hand, an ancient human who heard a sound in a bush and assumed it was a friend and moved toward the noise, if they guessed wrong, then they became hyena dinner and their genetic code died.
Fast forward many many many years, and we focus our attention on the dangers of today. “I don’t want debt.” “I don’t want a mean partner.” “I don’t want to be treated like that.” “I don’t want to gain weight.” “I don’t want to catch coronavirus.”
I am not saying that you should ignore the risks involved in any situation. Quite the contrary.
I am saying that right now, you are aware of the best possible outcomes, they’re there in your periphery, but your FOCUS is on the worst case scenario. All I am suggesting is to switch those. Absolutely, be aware and prepared for the worst case scenario, then realize that your fear, anxiety, and worry doesn’t make you any safer. It just ruins your experience of this moment, right now. So, why not FOCUS on all the things that could be awesome?
Change the script from “I don’t want…” to “What I would really love to experience is…” Then make it into a picture with sounds and feel it. Get in touch with the symbols that represent it. That’s the language of the subconscious mind.
Repeat until it becomes a habit.
Our subconscious mind needs repetition! How old are you? It took you that many years to become this person–you can’t just undo that in one flimsy week of meditating.
I don’t mean to sound like I’m lecturing. I myself kept being disappointed with my lack of progress as I spent over a decade and many thousands of dollars fully immersed in personal development, meditating, visualizing, doing affirmations and every other exercise I found. It took a while and some very special techniques but I finally started successfully manifesting.
If you’ve been faithfully repeating habits and aren’t seeing the dial turn on your own results, likely this issue is unresolved issues. Please contact me, either I can work with you or I can recommend someone that I trust to help you release negative emotions and refocus your energy.
The subconscious mind takes everything personally!
I think one of the reasons that people struggle so much with boundaries, setting boundaries, and saying “no” is because our subconscious mind is boundaryless and cross contextual.
We might be able to see the line between where we start and where “not us” starts, the air, or the chair, or the keyboard. There is me and there is not me. I am here, and everything that is me is inside these boundaries.
That’s not actually how it works though, is it? If you could look close enough, there’s no real difference between me and “not me.” This is how the subconscious mind already sees it. There are no separations.
So if you point at that jerk and say, “You’re a jerk!” Our subconscious mind hears, “I’m a jerk.” “You can’t do that,” turns into “I can’t do that.” “People never really change,” turns into “I can’t change.” “The universe is scary and dangerous,” turns into “I am in danger, and I am scared.”
Conversely, if you point out there at any one of those people and say, “You are god manifest as a human.” Your subconscious mind hears, “I am god, manifest as a human.” “You is kind. You is smart. You is important,” turns into “I am kind, smart, and important.” “You are powerful and capable,” turns into “I am powerful and capable!” “The nature of the universe is one of abundance and expansion,” turns into “I am always safe, secure, and provided for. I can grow and be/do/have more!”
Remember, the subconscious mind takes everything personally, it sees no us and them. You are, in fact, God, manifest as a human to experience your power as a kind, smart, and important entity capable of anything you set yourself to achieving!