Understanding How Your Mind Works

The human mind is a potent force, capable of shaping our experiences and driving our actions. Yet, within this vast inner landscape lies a constant struggle between two powerful players: the conscious mind, driven by reason and logic, and the unconscious mind, governed by emotions and ingrained patterns.

It is useful to understand how the brain works and why you behave the way that you do, as this can explain why you make decisions (or not!). Once you understand how your mind works, you can then, start to control it rather than allowing your mind to control you.

Conscious and Unconscious Mind

As an NLP Practitioner I spend a lot of time working with the unconscious mind. But what is it and why is it important?

The Austrian Neurologist, Sigmund Freud claimed he invented the idea of the conscious, unconscious mind, however the concept can be traced as far back as Roman times. They had already noticed that some of the body’s operations, such as walking and talking happened without us thinking about it and we did these tasks automatically. We now know that these are the functions of the unconscious mind.[1]

However, Freud was responsible for making the concept of the conscious and unconscious mind popular and it was one of his main contributions to psychology. In fact, Freud believed that there are three levels, the unconscious, the preconscious and the conscious.[2]

The conscious mind serves as the realm where immediate decisions are crafted. For instance, when you feel thirsty, your conscious mind directs you to quench that thirst with a drink. It is also responsible for choices like what to wear. Deliberate actions, such as deciding to change jobs due to dissatisfaction, originate from the conscious mind. When you consciously make such decisions, you acknowledge them as the right course of action. However, concurrently, the unconscious mind communicates different messages. Recognizing the interplay and occasional conflict among the three levels of the mind is crucial for understanding their dynamics.

Freud's second level of the mind is known as the preconscious. Here, thoughts and emotions that currently escape your awareness reside, and they can easily surface into your conscious mind. Positioned just beneath the threshold of consciousness, these elements have the capacity to swiftly emerge into conscious awareness.

The ultimate level in Freud's framework is the unconscious mind, often termed the subconscious, although there is nothing substandard about it! The unconscious mind operates at a remarkable pace, firing off one million neurons per second, surpassing the conscious mind's output of a mere one neuron. According to Freud, the crucial aspect of his theory lies in the significant influence of the unconscious mind on behaviour, a force more potent than commonly perceived. Roughly 90% of our behaviours unfold at the unconscious level. Routine actions like teeth cleaning or walking happen automatically—they are learned and stored in the unconscious mind, waiting to be reactivated when needed. Memories, emotions, and beliefs are located in the vast realm of the unconscious mind.

Gut feelings and instances where something just "feels right", originate from the unconscious mind. Uttering the first thought that crosses your mind also stems from this powerful realm. Understanding the workings of the unconscious mind is essential, as it holds the key to exerting control over it, allowing you to navigate its powerful influence consciously.

Filing Cabinet

Picture your unconscious mind as a filing cabinet. Whenever you learn or adopt a belief, it neatly stores away in your unconscious. When the need arises, this information opens up and enters your conscious awareness.

We are born with two fears: loud noise and fear of falling. Every other fear is acquired through learning, becoming part of our unconscious filing cabinet. These files serve as reference points, readily available when we need them.

Whilst this is useful for positive habits like teeth brushing, it poses a challenge when the learned information is detrimental. The silver lining is that if we can learn something, we can also unlearn it.

Take giving a presentation, for instance. You approach it with dread, convinced you will be terrible due to past disastrous experiences. Your internal voice says: "Why bother? You're bound to fail, just like before. You might as well stay home." - Can you hear that internal chat?

These negative thoughts are inscribed on your presentation file, shaping your beliefs. Because you believe them, they feel unquestionably true. This is precisely why taking control of your unconscious mind and rewriting these files becomes imperative for personal growth.

Emotions

The same principle applies to your emotions—they all reside in your unconscious mind. If I were to ask you to retrieve your happy file, the positive contents would likely bring a smile to your face. This confirms the presence of positive files in your filing cabinet; the challenge is to access them more frequently. Unfortunately, some individuals tend to be glass-half-empty people, dedicating more time to their negative files than their positive ones. The more attention given to the negative, the stronger it becomes, evolving into the dominant file.

Now let’s get our sad file out. Some of the sad stuff we need but not all of them. We need to reduce the list by clearing away the stuff that isn’t serving us, so that if we do feel sad in the future we can handle it, and by reducing the amount that is on our sad file, our happy file can eventually become the dominant file. We all know happy people; they are happy as there is more written on their happy file than on their sad file and we should all aim to be this way.

How I Can Help

I have many tools to help you to rewire your brain and move you on from issues and thoughts that may be holding you back. I work on a 1:2:1 or group basis, in-person or online depending on your individual needs. If you’d like a free discussion to see how I can help, visit www.beeleev.co.uk or send me a message. I can help you to find your happiness!

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[1] https://scholars-stage.org/fredu-did-not-discover-the-unconscious .

[2] https://www.simplypsychology.org/unconscious-mind.html