Seeding Your Subconscious Mind

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Ever heard of seeding your subconscious mind to help bring about change? If not, you may find Gerry’s journey instructive.

“You’re my final shot at this,” he told me during our first visit.

The “this” in question was his persistent but futile efforts to break out of the longstanding grip of depression. “I still function, but it’s like swimming through molasses, and I’m tired of fighting it day in and day out,” he explained.

Married with three kids, gainfully employed and nearing his 50th year on the planet, Gerry’s descent into melancholia crept up on him gradually over many years. “The down feelings would come, then go, then come again. Now, they’re just a permanent part of my life.” 

This man’s version of depression was the more common variety—moderate in intensity but exhaustingly chronic. He tried all the usual approaches, including medication, talk therapy, exercise, meditation and the like, but to no avail.

“You may be overlooking a key point,” I told him. “After so much effort, your conscious, rational mind has nothing left in its toolkit. So, that one last shot you’re looking for may require seeding your subconscious.”

The Deep Self

Call it what you like—the subconscious, the intuitive mind, the deep self or some other epithet. The label matters little. What does matter is tapping into the foundational reservoir of the mind that gives birth to creativity, intuition, epiphanies, gut feelings, dreams and, most relevant for folks like Gerry, the power of personal transformation. The conscious, thinking mind is but a thin veneer of awareness covering a much deeper and more powerful mental capacity, one we often overlook when wrestling with emotional issues. What some neuroscientists call the “subcortical brain” strives to maintain and, when necessary, restore biological and emotional homeostasis. While obviously not all-powerful in this regard, it has mental capabilities well exceeding those of the thinking mind. Throughout human history, it has served as a wellspring for creativity, innovation, intuition and many an emotional and spiritual awakening.

Granted, as Freud reminded us, the hidden mind harbors a dark side that, in some, overcomes their better angels. Yet, for most, this deep cognitive well offers many benefits. Few of us, however, make an intentional effort to establish a direct relationship between these two states of mind—the conscious and subconscious. Fortunately, it can be done, which is what I told Gerry.

His homework: Each night before falling asleep and every morning upon waking, he closed his eyes, took several deep breaths, and then, in his mind’s eye, he visualized what he was asking his subconscious mind to do. In his case, he would see the words “Please bring me back to my life,” repeat them silently to himself and imagine them sinking down through his brain and into his heart. 

“Will it give me an answer? Will it let me know if it’s going to work on it?” Gerry asked.

“It doesn’t give literal answers. It becomes the answer. You feel it, experience something moving in yourself and recognize how it changes you and your behavior. It’s a lived answer,” I explained.

For Gerry, that lived answer first bubbled up after just a few days of seeding. It was subtle at first, and he was a tad skeptical, thinking it might just be the so-called placebo effect, but as the changes grew and expanded, he became a believer. His cognitive bias gradually shifted from pessimism to realistic optimism. He became more present and engaged with family, friends and colleagues. Activities he’d put by the wayside years before drew him back.

Seeding isn’t the only conduit for mind-to-mind communication. Many exist. However, for most of us, it is often a good starting point. In doing so, it is important to ask your deep mind for what you want in a respectful manner. After all, when it comes to personal change, it knows a lot more than you do.

For more, visit philipchard.com.