Do you truly control your thoughts and actions? The relationship between our conscious and unconscious mind can be compared to an island rising above the ocean. While we recognize the visible land as our conscious awareness, the vast unseen depths represent unconscious processes shaping our behavior and decisions.
The term subconscious can be misleading—it’s not “beneath” anything but rather a collection of thoughts, habits, and emotions operating outside of our direct awareness. Richard Bandler humorously described it as being “chained to the back seat of a bus while a madman drives.”
Understanding the Conscious and Unconscious Mind
NLP often uses the term unconscious mind to describe everything happening beyond our awareness, including emotions, habits, and automatic reactions.
The Conscious Mind
The conscious mind is the executive control system—our active awareness, like the visible part of the island. It allows us to focus, make decisions, and direct our thoughts. Right now, you are reading these words, but you might also be aware of how your body feels. Your attention shifts between what is in the foreground and what remains in the background.
Skills and Learning
When we learn something new, we do it consciously. Think about when you first learned to drive—it required intense focus on multiple tasks at once. This stage is called conscious competence. Over time, with practice, skills become automatic and move into the unconscious realm.
Intent and Awareness
Unlike animals that respond purely to instinct, humans have the ability to set intentions. For example, you can deliberately imagine an elephant right now. This conscious control helps us navigate beyond basic impulses.
Short-Term Memory and Processing
Our working memory plays a crucial role in conscious thought, but it has limits. George Miller’s research suggests we can only process about 5 to 9 chunks of information at a time, impacting how we absorb and retain knowledge.
Hypnosis and the Conscious Mind
In hypnosis, the conscious mind is what practitioners aim to engage—keeping it occupied while allowing deeper, unconscious processes to emerge. The idea of “left brain versus right brain” consciousness is more of a metaphor than a scientific reality, as both hemispheres work together.
The Unconscious Mind
The unconscious mind governs behaviors and responses we don’t actively think about. Sometimes, it even seems to override conscious decisions.
For example, someone might consciously want to quit playing video games, yet another part of their mind resists the change, craving the escape it provides. Similarly, smokers often know why they should quit, but their unconscious mind holds onto the habit.
How We Influence Our Mind
Indirect Control
Although we don’t have direct control over automatic functions like our heartbeat, we can influence them. Thinking about a stressful situation can make our heart race, while imagining a peaceful place can slow it down. Diet also plays a role—refined carbohydrates briefly boost serotonin, while caffeine increases heart rate and alertness.
Direct Control Through Reprogramming
The unconscious mind doesn’t always follow logical reasoning, which is why breaking habits can be difficult. NLP and hypnosis work by rewiring mental pathways, replacing old patterns with new, more beneficial ones. Through techniques like strategic programming, hypnotic suggestion, or NLP exercises, lasting change becomes possible.
By understanding and working with both the conscious and unconscious mind, we can unlock greater control over our thoughts, behaviors, and overall well-being.
