Ever wonder why, even after reading “The Willpower Instinct,” your self-control doesn’t seem to improve? Or after diving into “The Power of Habit,” why you still struggle to manage your habits? Or even after attending Harvard’s course on positive psychology, why your mindset remains somewhat negative?
The crux is, you might have changed your conscious thoughts, but have you genuinely reshaped your subconscious beliefs?
Think of it this way:
- The subconscious is the root, while the conscious is the branches and leaves.
- The subconscious is the vast portion of an iceberg below water, while the conscious is just the tip we see above. Without nurturing the root or understanding the vast part beneath, we’re only treating symptoms, not addressing the core issue. Consequently, old habits, outdated thought patterns, and inherent flaws can persistently resurface.
As Carl Jung wisely said, “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate.”
So, how can we genuinely reshape our subconscious? Let me share some insights, hoping to spark further reflection:
3 Key Ways to Reprogram Your Subconscious Mind
1. Deepening Your Understanding to the Soul Level
Our souls blend rational and emotional elements and act as a melting pot for various subconscious beliefs. When a realization penetrates deep into the soul, it becomes an integral part of the subconscious.
For instance, when you see a snake and instinctively dodge, it’s because the idea that “snakes can be dangerous” has deeply imprinted on your subconscious. Similarly, if someone in a bar entices you to try drugs and you instantly refuse, it’s because the dangers of drug abuse are deeply entrenched in your subconscious.
As for habits like smoking, many understand its health risks but continue because they subconsciously perceive benefits, such as relief from stress. If we truly embed the detrimental effects of smoking deep within, the habit might change.
In a nutshell, to reshape your life, you must first reshape the beliefs and habits deeply seated within your subconscious.
How can you deeply imprint knowledge into your soul?
(1) Dare to Experience and Fully Embrace Life
Some life events leave profound impacts on us, especially during our younger years. These include facing death or the loss of loved ones, experiencing love’s highs and lows, and surviving severe illnesses. Such profound experiences, whether sought after or encountered unexpectedly, have the power to embed new knowledge deep within us, subsequently altering our subconscious beliefs.
While we cannot always control the passive experiences life throws our way, we do have a say in actively seeking out new ones. Embrace your youth! Explore unfamiliar places, meet new people, and immerse yourself in experiences that your heart truly yearns for.
(2) Contemplate, Reflect, and Understand True Realities
Truly resonant insights can penetrate the soul and, in turn, change the subconscious. But what constitutes such deep understanding? It’s recognizing the actual truths or the objective realities of life.
While education and experiences teach us various principles, our subconscious might still hold opposing beliefs. For instance, there’s a saying, “Do not judge a hero by their successes or failures.” Yet, another states, “Victors are kings, and losers are bandits.”
When we’re torn between two beliefs, it often indicates our understanding isn’t deeply rooted. Superficial knowledge can lead to muddled thinking and impulsive decisions.
As another example, there’s an adage, “Great achievers don’t sweat the small stuff.” Yet, another reminds us, “Details determine success or failure.” By constantly reflecting, if you genuinely grasp when to overlook minor issues and when to focus on details, your conscious and subconscious will align, allowing for quicker, error-free decisions.
2. Observe Your Innermost Thoughts and Desires
What are innermost thoughts and desires? They could be a kind thought, a fleeting urge, a spontaneous desire to scratch your head, consider marriage, or perhaps check social media.
Why can observing these thoughts alter the subconscious? Because every action we take starts with a thought, often originating from our subconscious, much like bubbles rising to a lake’s surface.
Through meditation and introspection, when we observe the birth, presence, and dissolution of each thought, our minds become sharper, gaining an almost microscopic insight into every arising idea. This vigilant observation gradually Reprograms the subconscious into conscious awareness.
How can you practice this observation? Meditate, sit quietly, or use any brief moment of stillness to focus intently on how each thought forms, agitates, and fades. Then, watch the next thought follow the same pattern.
For instance, perhaps you once mindlessly grabbed your phone beside your bed to scroll through social media or play games, losing track of time. But with frequent introspection, the moment you consider this action, you’ll be keenly aware of your intent and the potential consequences (like ruining your early sleep schedule). Recognizing this, you’d be more inclined to set the phone aside.
The saying “in a blink of an eye” illustrates the fleeting nature of time. Within a minute, dozens of thoughts arise and dissolve. Hence, any moment is perfect for introspection and observing our transient thoughts.
In essence, connecting deeply with our inner self helps us navigate life with more clarity and intention.
3. Explore Your Dreams
The renowned psychologist Carl Jung, once a student of Freud and later his critic, remarked, “The notion that dreams are merely suppressed desires manifesting in imagination has long been discarded.”
Dreams act as a window to our subconscious, offering invaluable insights into our deeper selves.
By analyzing and studying our dreams, we can gain clarity about the subconscious beliefs and thoughts buried deep within us. Remember, not all subconscious thoughts are created equal; some are more profound than others.
When we truly understand certain elements of our subconscious, it becomes possible to untangle complex emotions and even change our underlying beliefs. This exploration deepens our self-awareness.
So, how do we study our dreams? Think of each dream as a rich piece of literature filled with deep meanings.
Dreams tend to fade quickly upon waking. It’s a good idea to jot down whatever you remember as soon as you wake up, providing material for later reflection.
In Jung’s book “Modern Man in Search of a Soul”, he shared an insightful dream interpretation:
A young man told Jung about his dream: “My father was clumsily driving his new car out of our home. His clear ineptitude excited me. He was swerving left, right, forwards, and backwards, eventually crashing into a wall. Furious, I yelled at him to be more careful, only to find he was heavily intoxicated.”
The young man insisted this dream had no basis in reality. He believed his father would never act like that, even if drunk. They shared a great relationship, and he deeply respected his successful father.
So, was this just a nonsensical, meaningless dream? Not at all.
Jung, after careful analysis, deduced:
“His subconscious was clearly trying to belittle his father. Not only did he have a good relationship with his father, but it was overly dependent. The young man, akin to what the French call a ‘mama’s boy’, still relied on his father for financial support and was leading a dependent lifestyle. His risk of not truly knowing himself stemmed from his father’s omnipresence in his life. Thus, his subconscious created this irreverent scenario, trying to reduce his father’s stature and elevate his own.”
Hearing Jung’s interpretation, the young man had a moment of realization.
