Hypnosis And The Unconscious Vs. The Subconscious Debate
Hypnosis has been around for centuries and has always had a very interesting and complex relationship with human consciousness.
This blog post explores the two ideas of how hypnosis affects the unconscious and the subconscious, as well as what each term means in depth. You'll also learn about some of the routines that real-world professionals use to help clients reach these different states of consciousness.
What Is The Unconscious Mind?
The unconscious is a large and complex subject that is hard to define within the context of hypnosis.
Results from research and experiments over the last couple of decades have led to several definitions for one of the most mysterious and intriguing regions of consciousness. The unconscious mind was first introduced during the middle-ages, but it wasn't until much later on in history did science begin to take interest in it and attempt to figure out what exactly it is. Since then, researchers have spent their time exploring theories concerning its nature, origins, purpose and a whole lot more.
In psychology, the term "unconscious" refers to both processes (e.g., perception) and contents (e.g. thoughts, memories, wishes, desires) that are outside of conscious awareness.
This definition is also why it is sometimes referred to as the "subconscious mind," since human beings go through a variety of processes in order to obtain data and process it. Some of these processes occur at a rapid rate and take place on a subconscious level.
The term "unconscious" was first introduced by the Scottish physician James Braid in 1843 and then was later widely popularized by Sigmund Freud in 1895 to 1896. Freud later became known for his theory that the unconscious mind acts independently and has its own unconscious desires – or urges – which he called "the id.
There are a lot of different definitions for the unconscious mind, but what is known for sure is that the unconscious mind plays a major role in human consciousness.
The human brain consists of two hemispheres, each with different functions. The right hemisphere is responsible for creativity, visual-spatial skills and intuitiveness. It also controls the left side of your body, which is why you will see many right-handed people who draw with their left hand.
At the same time however, this does not mean the right hemisphere does not play any role in logic or math.
Another example would be face recognition – which is usually left up to the right part of your brain (the rational side).
Although this explains why the right hemisphere is primarily associated with the left side of the body, it does not explain why some people take on characteristics of both sides of their brain.
The simple answer to this question is that at some point during development, a person acquires the ability to use one side or another hemisphere. It's like asking a person which hand they use more often when writing and drawing – it's possible for them to use both equally well. This also means that a person can either consciously or subconsciously decide on which side of their brain they want to use more often – resulting in different personality traits and behavior.
The left hemisphere is responsible for logical reasoning and language comprehension. The right hemisphere is responsible for creative projects and artistry.
How Does Hypnosis Affect The Subconscious?
There are several different theories as to how hypnosis affects the unconscious mind. Some people believe that the unconscious mind is somehow connected to the subconscious or unconscious, but others say these two terms have no real relation – that there is only one unconscious mind that encompasses all of our past memories and thoughts, but it exists independently from both the conscious and subconscious minds.
However, from a psychological standpoint, there are several widely accepted theories that give some kind of insight into how hypnosis works on the unconscious mind. One is that hypnosis causes the conscious mind to slow down and eventually stop, while the subconscious takes over and begins to process the hypnotist's suggestions. A different theory also suggests that hypnosis also slows down your conscious mind, but instead of stopping completely, it processes new information at a much slower rate.
Another popular theory is that hypnosis switches on a different part of our brain, which combines thought and action. By doing this, people are able to create positive changes in their life by taking action – which causes them feel more confident and makes them more motivated.
This idea first surfaced in 1933 when James Braid suggested that hypnosis was a method of communicating directly with the subconscious mind. The theory has been tested several different ways since then, but in 2017, some of the most compelling evidence was collected by a team of researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
In 2017, Bianca Acevedo and her colleagues from the University of Wisconsin-Madison have published a study based on data collected by fMRI scans. The study included 22 participants who were all female and had no prior experience with hypnosis. Each participant completed two main trials which were designed to study how hypnosis affected the brain and its activity.
The results showed that during hypnosis, there was increased activity in both hemispheres of a person's brain during certain tasks and scenarios. This was seen to be the most prevalent when the participants were asked to imagine that they were entering a major exam, or talking with a friend, or going through a tedious task.
Subliminal Messages And The Subconscious Mind
When we think of subliminal messages, most people believe that they are dangerous and can potentially harm someone. However, this is not as much of a widespread concern as it used to be – and new research has shown that subliminal messages are only dangerous if they contain any form of command. This is because your subconscious mind cannot consciously come to terms with the difference between what you consciously see, and what you unconsciously see.
Another example of this would be if you were to look at the word "apple" in a regular font, and then to look at the word in a fancy script. The reason why you can't read it is because your brain only recognizes words written in block letters.
The way that a subliminal message influences or alters our behavior or thoughts, is by taking advantage of how we consume information. This is why subliminal messages can affect us so much when we watch TV, listen to songs, or even when we read books. The simple fact is that our bodies are always trying to make sense of the world we live in, and subliminal messages work on this principle.
The bottom line is that our subconscious minds have a unique way of interpreting and assimilating information. They rely heavily on visual cues, but this does not mean they are incapable of hearing words or sounds.
Subliminal Messages In Advertising And Marketing
Many people may be surprised to know that certain forms of advertising or marketing can actually contain subliminal messages.
Conclusion
The human brain contains a complex inner world, which can be confusing to understand. However, the study of psychology can help people unravel the mysteries of their mind and discover new ways to use their brain for creativity and logic.
Although it's not always possible to detect what is going on in your unconscious mind, being able to know that it exists is one thing – and understanding how it works is another.
To learn more about the human brain, check out this guide written by Joseph Maroon, MD, Professor and Vice-Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at University of Pittsburgh Medical Center: http://faculty.pitt.edu/jmarr...