Consciousness can be described as our awareness of our internal and external environment around us, gained from monitoring our environment. Freud believed that the mind is divided into the conscious and unconscious, like an iceberg with the conscious mind being only the tip of the iceberg at the surface, and the majority lying in the unconscious mind under the surface.
He believed that the unconscious mind contained thoughts and impulses that cannot be accessed in the conscious mind that can influence our actions even when we are not aware of it. Indeed it we have mental processes that operate without us being consciously aware.
One example would be the activities that we perform so often that it becomes habitual and automatic, and no longer requires conscious attention. Driving is one of these activities that many of us will be able to relate to. While learning to drive a car requires attention to the different actions, when the responses become learned and habitual, we no longer need conscious control and can focus attention on other actions, such as carrying a conversation.
A second example would be Freudian slips that are mistakes or substitution of words that are contrary to the speaker's conscious intention, suggested to be the expressions of repressed wishes and thoughts of the unconscious mind.
A third, perhaps more interesting example would be individuals with visual conditions. While individuals with the inverted spectrum, a colour-blind condition will have an entirely different experience when they see red, seeing it instead as green, they would still report it as red, the same as others. Studies have also shown that individuals with a scotoma, an inability to see a particular spot, will still be able to reach out to a stick within the blindspot with its orientation changed, even though they should not have seen the stick's orientation.
So it could be fair to say that to an extent, we can't help thinking some of the negative thoughts and worries that lie in the back of our minds and surface in potentially threatening situations.
However, even unconscious mental processes can be influenced by conscious actions. Studies have shown that the form of thinking we do in our dreams can be influenced - individuals wearing red goggles for several hours before sleeping will report having red tinted visual dreamworlds and overt predream suggestions of desired personality characteristics will cause individuals to report dreams with contents of the intended traits recognisable.
Meditation and hypnosis have also shown to be effective methods of achieving an altered state of consciousness with the former being beneficial for losing self-awareness and gaining a sense of being in a wider consciousness, and the latter involving reduction in conscious planning and the relinquishing of control to the hypnotist.
Neuro Linguistic Programming is one effective method that has proven to be effective working with the unconscious mind to reduce and change some of the undesired patterns of thoughts that affect our behaviours and language in negative ways. It is not therapy but simply tested exercises that allows you to reach into the unconscious beliefs, attitudes and values that influence your behaviour negatively and become more consciously aware of how these impact you, so you have more control over what you previously did not.
With the CCC Travel NLP Coaching, you could, for example, reduce your negative thoughts and habits to increase your positivity, confidence and engage in more productive behaviour. Don't miss out on your free consultation.
He believed that the unconscious mind contained thoughts and impulses that cannot be accessed in the conscious mind that can influence our actions even when we are not aware of it. Indeed it we have mental processes that operate without us being consciously aware.
One example would be the activities that we perform so often that it becomes habitual and automatic, and no longer requires conscious attention. Driving is one of these activities that many of us will be able to relate to. While learning to drive a car requires attention to the different actions, when the responses become learned and habitual, we no longer need conscious control and can focus attention on other actions, such as carrying a conversation.
A second example would be Freudian slips that are mistakes or substitution of words that are contrary to the speaker's conscious intention, suggested to be the expressions of repressed wishes and thoughts of the unconscious mind.
A third, perhaps more interesting example would be individuals with visual conditions. While individuals with the inverted spectrum, a colour-blind condition will have an entirely different experience when they see red, seeing it instead as green, they would still report it as red, the same as others. Studies have also shown that individuals with a scotoma, an inability to see a particular spot, will still be able to reach out to a stick within the blindspot with its orientation changed, even though they should not have seen the stick's orientation.
So it could be fair to say that to an extent, we can't help thinking some of the negative thoughts and worries that lie in the back of our minds and surface in potentially threatening situations.
However, even unconscious mental processes can be influenced by conscious actions. Studies have shown that the form of thinking we do in our dreams can be influenced - individuals wearing red goggles for several hours before sleeping will report having red tinted visual dreamworlds and overt predream suggestions of desired personality characteristics will cause individuals to report dreams with contents of the intended traits recognisable.
Meditation and hypnosis have also shown to be effective methods of achieving an altered state of consciousness with the former being beneficial for losing self-awareness and gaining a sense of being in a wider consciousness, and the latter involving reduction in conscious planning and the relinquishing of control to the hypnotist.
Neuro Linguistic Programming is one effective method that has proven to be effective working with the unconscious mind to reduce and change some of the undesired patterns of thoughts that affect our behaviours and language in negative ways. It is not therapy but simply tested exercises that allows you to reach into the unconscious beliefs, attitudes and values that influence your behaviour negatively and become more consciously aware of how these impact you, so you have more control over what you previously did not.
With the CCC Travel NLP Coaching, you could, for example, reduce your negative thoughts and habits to increase your positivity, confidence and engage in more productive behaviour. Don't miss out on your free consultation.
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