Our subconscious mind is a powerful force that contains all kinds of memories, beliefs, and perceptions. It is the source of our emotions, feelings, and thoughts, and it can also have a significant impact on our physical body. Our body is a reflection of our subconscious, and when we try to do something new or different, or change any of our established behavior patterns, we may experience uncomfortable feelings, dreams, or passing thoughts. These are signs that our subconscious has been activated. The thalamus is the center of exchange for all sensory information except smell.
This information is then sent to the hippocampus and amygdala. However, the sense of smell goes directly to the hippocampus and amygdala. Hormones are essential for the brain to protect and adapt, but stress and stress hormones such as cortisol can alter important brain functions like learning. Prolonged stress can be as damaging to the brain as a well-organized network of employee thieves or embezzlers of funds can be harmful to a company's profits. When we experience emotional stress, it means that our subconscious mind interprets the event or thought that caused the stress as dangerous or threatening.
We can use our consciousness to reprogram or retrain our subconscious to do things that are more beneficial for us now and in the future. The subconscious also guides the autonomic nervous system which is responsible for controlling bodily functions that are not consciously directed such as breathing, heartbeat, blood flow, organ function, and digestive processes. When we experience something other than what we have been programmed with, we can form a new belief. We can also use our consciousness to create patterns on purpose so that we can harness the power of habit and purposefully instill new comfort zones that our subconscious will adapt to. Since our subconscious mind has great control over our positive and negative behaviors, it is important to train our brain to produce more positive behaviors. Our subconscious mind makes everything we say and do conform to a pattern consistent with our self-concept or “master program”.
When we want something on a conscious level such as losing weight or changing profession, if our subconscious believes that any part of that goal is threatening it can prevent us from achieving long-term success. There are many ways to program the subconscious mind to help us get what we want on a conscious level. For example, if someone believes they are not enough they may be unconsciously attracted to situations that prove this belief true. It is important to listen to and understand ourselves so that we can become more aware of our growing purpose and next steps.
