Expectations and the Subconscious Mind

The more we read into the books of wisdom, the more we can begin to recognize a common theme. Whether these books are based on , religion, self-improvement, or psychology, there emerges a common factor that directly correlates with creating success in our lives.This common factor is the utilization of the remarkable power of the subconscious mind. I once heard a well-known psychotherapist and hypnotherapist, Dr. Jeffrey Zeig, describe the subconscious (or unconscious) mind as our inner “storehouse of learnings and potentials.” Our subconscious takes care of us in terms of body regulation, carries out our innermost desires, and is quite subservient to our conscious thinking minds.

Many of the popular self-improvement books like Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill, The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Joseph Murphy, The Message of a Master by John McDonald, and The Secret by Rhonda Byrne drive home the point that it is imperative to use expectancy and the power of the subconscious mind in positive ways to create success. This, of course, sounds like a good marketing ploy; but from a psychological perspective, the message is incontestably true. As Joseph Murphy explains, the subconscious mind is called subconscious only because it is “subject to the conscious mind.” What this essentially means is that we will eventually manifest what we think and believe. For example, the more a client says, “I don’t want to think about my ex! I don’t want to think about my ex! I don’t want to think about my ex!” the more he is actually subjecting his subconscious mind into thinking about his ex. The more a client worries that she will never amount to anything, that her beliefs about herself as a failure will be proven true, the more she increases the likelihood that this will, in fact, happen.

When we conceptualize the subconscious mind as something mysterious, something unknowable, things can start to feel a little hopeless. But although our subconscious mind may appear to be a dark, hard-to-reach closet somewhere inside ourselves, it is actually a very active, very vibrant aspect of who we are, and we can harness its power in significant ways in our lives. Have you ever had this experience? You work on a difficult problem, think very hard about it, and do everything you can to solve it. But nothing seems to happen. You finally give up and shift your attention to something less complicated, like playing a video game or going for a walk. Suddenly, when your mind is somewhere far, far away from that pesky problem you were engaging all your conscious effort in trying to solve, you figure out the solution. It seems like a miracle! Well, the truth is, what happens in common situations like that one isn’t about miracles, per say, but about the real potential of the subconscious mind.

Although the subconscious mind may not appear to be as accessible as other aspects of our being, it is operating in meaningful ways all the time. Through practices like mindfulness, self-reflection, and honest examination of our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors, we can improve our ability to utilize our subconscious toward creating powerful changes in our lives.