Brian K Proulx, CCHt
The Conscious Mind: A Hypnotherapists Perspective
The Conscious Mind
The conscious mind is aware while an individual is awake. Most people operate day-by-day in life and associate with as who you are. Your character, your personality. How the world sees us.
I once read a good analogy that the conscious mind is like the captain of a ship standing on the bridge giving orders to the crew in the engine room located in the lower deck. The crew in the engine room carries out the orders of the captain. The captain (conscious) is in charge, but it is the crew (subconscious) that guides the ship (You). The ship’s ability to operate depends on how the crew has been trained over the years. How they have been “conditioned” to function under any situation.
The conscious mind is conceptual, calculating, and interpreting data. It is the part of your mind that brings up the “would have, could have, should have” and the part that is questioning and second-guessing. It is the monkey mind we constantly “hear” when we try to close our eyes to go to sleep or meditate.
It is the Look, Listen, and Learn part of our mind! It learns how to fix a washing machine by reading a manual or watching a YouTube video.
The conscious mind can only focus attention on a few tasks. Short term memory. Research indicates that the conscious mind can be aware of five to nine pieces of information. Anymore it overloads. Now where did I put my keys?
Analysis/Choice
The conscious mind mentally goes through an analysis and steps to eliminate limited alternatives based on needs, goals, or a problem, i.e. deciding to quit your current job with higher pay and no benefits vice accepting a lower paying job with benefits.
It makes choices, the option of possibilities. Making a decision when faced with two or more alternatives, for example, choosing between a red or blue car.
It accepts or rejects information; i. e. a job offer with better pay.
It judges, analyzes, and criticizes people, places or things. “That girls dress is ugly; I would not be caught in my worst nightmare in it! She must be trailer park trash!”
The ability to decide is the most important aspect of our conscious mind, freedom of choice! It is what makes us human!
Inductive and deductive reasoning.
Inductive reasoning takes specific information and makes a broader generalization that is considered probable, allowing the fact that the conclusion may not be accurate. For example, “My dog is small, and his fur is brown, so all small dog’s fur is brown”.
Deductive reasoning is a type of reasoning, which goes from general to specific. Deductive reasoning is based on logic, and if the logic is true, then the reasoning will be valid. All dogs have two ears; my shelties are dogs, and so shelties have two ears.
Logic
It is the ‘Thinking” aspect of our conscious mind. Logic is correct reasoning from wrong reasoning. Analyze a problem. It is evaluating arguments and explanations from several sources of information or data to reach a conclusion based on the knowledge an individual possesses, as accurately as possible. If X > 20 and 20 > 2, then X > 2.
Logic is not common sense.
Will/Volition
Volition or will is the cognitive process by which an individual decides on and commits to a particular course of action. Being able to do a thing at any given moment. When a person makes up his or her mind to do a thing. It is where our willpower stems from to accomplish a task, or run that extra mile.
Five Senses
It is aware of the five senses, sight, taste, smell, touch, and hearing.
It is aware of the present moment. It is aware of the current environment outside as well as thoughts that are present on the inside. It is aware of any physical activity, walking, breathing, muscle movement, etc. The touch of two connecting hands, with your wife, girlfriend, boyfriend in the park. Listening to the sounds of the birds make, feeling the breeze upon your skin. Seeing children play in the background amongst freshly cut grass. The smell of the freshly cut grass thru your nostrils, Got to love the smell of freshly cut grass.
The Critical Factor
The critical factor is part of the conscious mind. It is the gatekeeper and filtering mechanism of the conscious mind. The doorway to the subconscious.
It examines, interprets, and filters new ideas and information. Its function is to compare the new ideas and information to what is stored in the subconscious mind from past experiences and interpretations. If the ideas or information match it allows them into the subconscious mind, if the new ideas or information does not match or conflict with past programming, it rejects them back into the conscious mind for further review and analysis. If the idea or information, match earlier past programming, then it is accepted by the subconscious, reinforcing old ideas or information.
The critical factor is not present in young children. As a young child, the door is wide open to the subconscious mind. From the age of seven to 11 the critical factor begins to “solidify” and by the age of 15 the door is closed. Any belief in one’s self, idea or information that is accepted or decided to be true, positive or negative, is imprinted and programmed into the subconscious as fact. This is not permanent and can be amended or changed.
Note: Bypassing the critical factor is the key to real change. Hypnosis lifts the “veil” of the critical factor; so new ideas and information can be placed into the subconscious mind.
To Learn about the subconscious mind <Click Here>.