How Woo-Woo Is Your Subconscious?

What Is It, Anyway?

As a therapist and life coach, I often hear clients talk about the subconscious. This is, at best, a murky subject. Everyone has their ideas on what the subconscious actually is. Some refer to it as the unconscious because it’s the part of ourselves not accessible without some type of intervention. 

Loosely, going to sleep might be considered an intervention. Dreaming, known as REM sleep, is one gateway to the subconscious. But, how often do you even remember the content of your dreams? It’s hard to receive messages or even begin to do dream interpretation if you don’t even remember the dream. Yes, sometimes I get brief snatches of a scene, but they evaporate at record speed, leaving me frustrated and still clueless about what the dream might mean.

 According to Carl Jung, a Swiss psychoanalyst, the subconscious is genetically inherited, and is not shaped by personal experience. Freud, however, did believe it was formed as a result of personal experience.

What seems to be the popular notion is that the subconscious is the receptacle for all our memories and experiences. One method of accessing these is through the Energy Therapies, such as hypnosis and The Emotion Code.

I have to admit. I love the Energy Therapies…in particular The Emotion Code. Developed by Bradley Nelson, it’s based on the belief that emotions are bits of energy, and, as such, are always in motion in some form. However, unprocessed emotions can become stuck at various locations in the body. 

For Instance

Let me give you an example. An argument with your spouse is likely to cause anger or anxiety. If you’re able to process these emotions through self -talk or a healing discussion, the energy generated by these emotions will quickly leave your body. However, if you’re not able to resolve the emotions, they can become stuck in your body, causing residual problems in your relationship or your sense of self.

Through a process called Muscle Testing, which essentially uses the strength of your arm to gauge the validity of certain statements, you’re able to get information from your subconscious mind.

How is this possible?

 Your muscles actually weaken slightly when presented with an idea or statement that doesn’t resonate as true with your subconscious. In that way, you’re able to communicate with your subconscious and easily and painlessly release the emotions connected with that event. 

I know this sounds really “out there”, but I’ve witnessed amazing healings with this method.

We all have a subconscious and it’s the repository for everything we’ve ever experienced. 

When they talk about a “Life Review” after death, I wonder if they’re simply rewinding the tape of our subconscious mind.

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What Are The Odds? The Story of Mike Lindell

Don’t Say You Don’t Know Him

I’ve decided to share a book review I wrote for my blog, I Read the Book. This book is written by a man most people will recognize immediately…Mike Lindell. If you watch infomercials, I know you’ve seen him…maybe too many times. He’s the My Pillow guy.

He’s nothing if not a “character”. Even though he describes himself as shy, he’s exuberant and outgoing. If you’ve seen him on TV, you know what I mean. He either doesn’t have a shy bone in his body or he deserves an Academy Award.

Success didn’t come easy for Mike. He struggled with alcohol and drug addiction for many years. Owning a bar was probably not the healthiest occupation for him, but his life has been nothing if not colorful. 

Mike is, or was, a card counter. If you’re like me, I had no idea what that was. But if you spend much time in Vegas, you know exactly what it is. Numbers are his strong suit, and even in his druggie periods, he could memorize cards with the finesse of a savant. This is what kept him from going under financially. He was like those plastic dolls that pop back up when you knock them down. Mike is a fighter.

The fascinating thing about Mike is his strong intuition and connection to God. In my opinion, he’s a psychic. He trusted the messages he received, and they were right on. He seemed to have a direct line.

Ultimately, he made a success of My Pillow, and the book details his struggles. If I had to choose one word to describe him, it would be “tenacious”.

I Confess

To be honest, I’ve never owned one of his pillows, but I highly endorse his Giza Dream Sheets. I recently visited a hotel in Austin, and those sheets felt just like the Dream sheets I sleep on at home. 

All in all, his book is an interesting read because he’s a fabulous storyteller, and discusses his ups and downs with no holds barred. His personality jumps off every page. Simply stated, the book is page turner.

I can’t wait to see what he does next.

The Benefits of Meditation

The Perks

Let’s talk about the perks of meditating. You’d be amazed by the many benefits of this ancient practice. In an 8-week study, a meditation style called “mindfulness meditation” reduced the inflammation response caused by stress. Ever experienced stress?

I thought so.

Furthermore, research has shown that meditation may also improve symptoms of stress-related conditions, including irritable bowel syndrome, post-traumatic stress disorder, and fibromyalgia. 

Another study found that people who completed a meditation exercise experienced fewer negative thoughts in response to viewing negative images, compared with those in a control group

Meditation can also increase your ability to focus.

How?

First, let’s look at how meditation works. Because your task in meditation is to focus on one thing instead of letting your mind wander, it conditions your mind. You’re building your focus muscle. This helps you feel more in control of your mind. Ever walked into a room and wondered why you’re there? Meditation helps you feel less like you’re losing it.

Meditation can make you kinder. In “Loving Kindness Meditation”, you think kind thoughts about others, starting with those you love, and, with practice, advancing to those you’re not so crazy about. For example, the thought “May she be at peace” actually helps you feel more loving, or at least, more tolerant.

See For Yourself

If this sounds too airy-fairy to you, go to PubMed.org and research “meditation and telomeres”. Then comfort yourself by reading about your telomeres. These are the caps, somewhat akin to the caps on your shoestrings, on the end of each of your chromosomes. The more your body ages, the shorter your telomeres become. Aside from the aging process, stress shortens your telomeres. So, stress is not innocuous. It can affect the number of years you have on this planet. 

Meditation protects your telomeres. Check out the research.

The average meditator doesn’t look like a monk sitting atop a mountain, or even Buddha sitting under the Bodhi tree.

News flash…the average meditator looks like you.