The unconscious is the sum of all processes that run in the body without conscious influence. Everything the conscious mind cannot or does not want to do, the unconscious takes over. Because of this, it is often depicted as an iceberg, where the largest part is under the surface.
The systems of the unconscious include, among others, the immune system, the endocrine system, the nervous system, and even memory. But also our desires, dreams, imagination, and habits. Even though most of these systems seem closed off, they can still influence and communicate with each other.
That is why we give our unconscious systems and processes a unified label. Because even though things get incredibly complex, most of it functions according to certain similar principles. So we can refer to it collectively as the unconscious.
So if we are the main character in our life, then the unconscious is the inner director that ensures everything runs smoothly. Whether it’s our heartbeat or our memory, the unconscious controls everything for us.
Because it has so many tasks, it is important to understand how it works.
What distinguishes the unconscious from the conscious mind?
The language of the unconscious
The unconscious speaks a different language than the conscious mind. Anyone who has ever had a weird dream knows what I am talking about.
The conscious mind functions in words. Just as you are reading this and piecing together words, sentences, and meanings from the letters, the unconscious uses images and feelings.
So it can only sparsely handle conscious words. If we tell ourselves, for example, “I am happy now,” do we become happy? Or is it better if I write, “If you can think back to the happiest day of your life, what did that feel like?” In the second example, we are using more of the language of the unconscious. The question often brings up images and feelings that are immediately understood.
Understanding this language is important when understanding the unconscious.
Dreams
Dreams are an important insight into the function of the unconscious. Dreams speak its language. Sometimes absurd, sometimes very close to reality, they mostly function in images. Logic is pushed back so far that whatever belongs together for the unconscious can come together.
Fast
The unconscious functions very fast. While the wheels of the conscious mind grind slowly, the unconscious reacts immediately. It is the world of impulses and reflexes, both in thinking and in moving. A flash of inspiration comes quickly and directly from the unconscious. The reflex to catch something falling to the floor functions exactly the same way.
Simultaneous
In conscious thinking, everything happens sequentially. One thought leads to the next in a direct chain. In the unconscious, many things happen simultaneously. Logically, the immune system can attack an enemy and the heartbeat can be regulated at the same time.
Whatever the conscious mind hands over, the unconscious immediately takes on, so we can, for example, speak and walk at the same time. However, the simultaneity doesn’t stop here. Because time itself also functions simultaneously in the unconscious.
In the world of feelings, emotionally significant moments are valued higher than temporally close ones. So we can probably remember our first kiss better than our lunch from the day before yesterday. This is how past experiences can still influence us in the present.
Because the unconscious sets them in parallel, the past and the present can flow together. But the future is parallel too. That is why visualizing successes in the future helps in achieving successes in the present. Because the unconscious makes no big difference between images of how we imagine the future and the actually occurred past.
That is why we can also draw strength from future convictions. Or hinder our progress with negative visions of the future (see also “self-fulfilling prophecy”)
With feelings
Both the conscious and the unconscious mind have an urge for meaning. However, not everything makes sense to both. While the conscious mind likes to have causes for effects, for the unconscious, things only align when the feeling fits.
So something can make sense, without you having a sense for it.
The unconscious has friendly intentions.
Over millions of years, the unconscious has specialized in protecting us from harm. It protects us from harm whatever the cost. For this reason, it is often so hard to take the small steps that move us forward.
Often the exhausting, the arduous, or the difficult led to death. Facing our fears is so hard because our unconscious is designed to keep us from doing it. In so many moments, our brain assesses something as a danger and tries to protect us from it, even though it could actually move us forward. But this “could” is not enough.
The unconscious is bad at calculating probabilities. You might win the fistfight against the saber-toothed tiger, but the unconscious wants to protect you by making sure you don’t even try. That is why people who are fully convinced of something are so impactful.
It doesn’t have to protect you from something that isn’t dangerous. Therefore, working with the unconscious is always about convincing it that something is possible. That is why self-confidence has such a huge influence on so many topics. Be it in self-healing or self-actualization. Only when the unconscious is completely convinced does it stop wanting to protect you from impending danger.
Drastic measures
The measures the unconscious takes can sometimes be very drastic. Pain, illness, and fear can be understood as communication.
If Mom only pays attention to the child when it is sick, then the child will constantly be sick. If someone works constantly even though it is unfulfilling, then they just have to be stopped by a heart attack.
In the social realm, too, the unconscious will try to ensure your survival. For people who cannot do it themselves, or who perceive themselves that way, the herd is vital for survival. So it would rather make you freeze or stutter than let you say the wrong thing.
Standing in a bad light in the herd could easily mean death. So it pumps you full of stress hormones when it’s your turn to speak in front of others.
Even with addictions, it tries to help. If you are convinced “I can’t live without it,” then you would be crazy to stop.
That is why the hypnotherapist has to make it clear to the unconscious that there is another way to achieve the same goal. “Hey, there’s another way to do this” is a powerful conviction.
Influencing the unconscious
We influence our unconscious every day. Every experience can shape us in one direction or another.
Many, however, would like to be able to consciously influence how the unconscious reacts in certain moments. That is where hypnosis comes into play. One of the most important aspects of hypnosis is speaking the language of the unconscious.
For it to understand the requests and suggestions, they must be formulated in a special way. Furthermore, it is much easier to reach the unconscious when the person is in a hypnotic trance.
Possibilities
But then, if we formulate our desires and goals correctly, a great deal can be possible. From motivation to learning to health, everything is regulated by the unconscious. With the right communication, everything can be influenced for the positive. That is why hypnosis is not only good for treating problems, but also for preventing them.
Utilizing unconscious resources
The relationship between the unconscious and the conscious mind is also often described as the relationship between the elephant and its rider. The elephant doesn’t have to do what the rider tells it to do; it is much stronger.
The better the relationship between the two, the better they are attuned to each other.
In certain things the elephant is better, and in certain things the rider is, and together they are almost unstoppable. That is why it is important to be in harmony with the unconscious. Only then can we utilize the resources of our inner elephant.
If we understand the language of the unconscious and start listening to our gut feeling as well, our elephant can communicate with us too. This way we learn better, are more motivated, healthier, and generally more satisfied.
We can only achieve a balanced life if we also include the unconscious.
If you too would like to become a team with your unconscious, then perhaps hypnosis in Zurich is a good idea for you.
