Conscious and Subconscious Learning — Part 1
Our subconscious mind is a “habit mind.”

Understanding how your brain works can provide valuable insights into your behaviors, beliefs and habits. 

Let’s start off with an understanding of how both minds work: we humans have developed a  conscious mind and a subconscious mind.

Our conscious mind, being creative, can learn in a creative fashion. Suppose we read a self-help book — reading engages the conscious mind — and this one reading serves to educate us on the topic. 

And then, when nothing changes as a result, we wonder, “Well, I just read this book and I understand how it all works. And yet my life is still exactly the same. What is happening?” 

This is where the subconscious mind plays a big role in bringing about changes we may be seeking. The challenge is that our subconscious mind is a “habit mind.” 

In fact, reading that self-help book did educate you and enhance your conscious awareness. However, it did not touch you on any subconscious programming level. 

In other words, your subconscious mind did not learn anything from that one reading of the self-help book.

Basically, that illustrates how both minds learn in different ways. 

How can I teach the subconscious mind? 

First, when attempting any connection with your subconscious mind, it’s important to understand that there’s nobody “in there.” Think of your subconscious mind as a machine, like a CD recorder. 

And this is very relevant to new learning on a subconscious level. Why? Because the machine on its own can only go so far as a learning tool. Let’s say I record a program on a CD, put it in a machine and push “play.” However, I realize that I don’t like the program. That program will continue to play regardless; it doesn’t matter how much I talk to my subconscious mind requesting something different. 

Trying to talk yourself into change is not going to be the most efficient way for changing and adopting new healthy habits. That’s because the subconscious mind running all your programming has nobody to listen to your conscious suggestions. 

So how can you make it receptive to change? How does the subconscious mind learn? I will share with you three things that will help you rewrite your subconscious mind.

• Theta brainwaves

During the first seven years of life your brain was in a low vibrational frequency called theta — essentially like hypnosis. So if I use hypnosis, I can download a new program or change an old one?

The low brain wave vibration level of theta — below consciousness — is an imagination phase. If you’ve ever seen children younger than age 7 mixing their real world and imaginary world seamlessly, well, they are in theta brainwave. 

Here is the trick to access theta in your adulthood: every day when you wake up, you’re coming out of sleep, when you feel a little groggy, that state is theta. 

That’s where imagination, hypnosis and reality start to mix together.

So guess what: every day when you’re going to bed, or when you’re waking up, you go through a zone of theta, naturally from sleep. 

The idea is that you can put earphones on and play an uplifting program or affirmations, as you’re going to bed or as soon as you wake up. (Avoid using bluetooth … you don’t want those frequencies blasting your brain as you fall asleep).

Theta is engaged in those moments. What it is doing is taking the program/affirmations and downloading them into your subconscious mind.

• Of two minds
  

Can I use my conscious mind to rewrite a program in my subconscious mind? 

I will be answering this question, and talking about another possibility, in my next Howler article. Make sure to stay tuned! 

See this article in the magazine