Words of Wisdom from the Subconscious

Hypnosis can be used to facilitate communication with the subconscious.

Reviewed by Davia Sills

Key points

• The subconscious can be accessed in many ways.
• Even children can gain wisdom through listening to their subconscious.
• Communications from the subconscious often require interpretation.

The subconscious can be a source of wisdom. Such wisdom can be accessed in many ways, including through dreams, quieting the conscious mind through hypnosis and noticing what thoughts come to mind, asking the subconscious direct questions while the patient is in a hypnotic state, and paying close attention when the subconscious presents unusual experiences.

For instance, one of my 11-year-old patients has reported seeing hallucinations off and on since the age of 9. Initially, he felt anxious when dealing with these visions, but through our work, he now interprets them calmly. He told me at a recent visit that he saw a very tall, yellow figure in the hallway at his home. He was unsure of the significance of this apparition.

I encouraged him to ask his subconscious regarding the reason for this encounter. The patient said that his subconscious stated that the figure wanted to deliver a message. I inquired as to the nature of the message, wrote down what my patient reported, and discussed the possible reasons for the message.

I then asked if the figure had another message. The subconscious replied in the affirmative. Again, I wrote down the message, discussed it, and asked if there were more. We continued this process for 20 minutes, until we had no further time during the appointment.

As examples of the wisdom of the subconscious, here are some of the messages offered by my patient, followed by our thoughts regarding the possible rationale for these particular messages:

To win, you must lose.

The most effective form of learning involves constructively dealing with mistakes, losses, or failures. Thus, losses indeed pave the road to winning.

This phrase might also mean that to win, we might need to lose (or sacrifice) time that could be devoted to other aspects of our lives.

Another meaning could be that by losing, you can allow someone else to win, and this can represent a victory for you as you succeeded in making someone else happy.

To fail, you must go fast.

We are more apt to make mistakes when we go fast. Thus, going fast may be a quick way to cause us to make mistakes, which allows us to have more opportunities to learn.

This phrase might also serve as a caution against doing things rapidly, as this can lead to more careless mistakes.

To lose, you must win.

To appreciate loss, you usually need to have the experience of winning or at least be able to envision winning. Analogously, to appreciate winning, you usually need to have the experience of losing.

For instance, I once worked with a patient who was incapacitated by chronic pain. When I asked her how she would feel if her pain resolved, she was surprised, as she had never considered this as a possibility. Once she recognized that her healing was a possibility, she became dissatisfied with sufficing with the accommodation of her pain and more determined than ever to overcome it. This change in thinking helped her improve greatly.

This phrase might also apply to people who hurt others while striving to the top of their field. For instance, consider professionals who sabotage the career advancement of their peers or neglect their relationships with family members or friends in order to get ahead in their field.

To succeed, you must practice.

Some people believe that success can be achieved through luck, prayer, or setting a positive intention. However, on the rare occasions when such achievements arise without much effort, they often seem hollow.

Conversely, working hard and repeated practice allows for success, even when a specific goal is not achieved. For instance, lessons learned because of practice can be applied in many ways throughout the journey of life.

To learn, you must focus.

Focusing allows you to become an active learner by interacting fully with the material at hand.

To achieve a state of focus, it can help to study in a quiet area and minimize distractions, such as easy access to open tabs on the computer screen or studying in the presence of electronics with audible alerts such as smartphones.

To gain loyalty, you must respect others.

Earning someone’s trust requires showing genuine respect. People are far more likely to remain faithful, supportive, or committed when they feel valued.

People tend to respond in kind. When you show respect to others, they tend to respect you in return and are more apt to become loyal.

To respect others, you must listen.

Listening is a key feature of demonstrating respect and developing meaningful relationships, as it implies that you value others’ thoughts. Even if you disagree, people will appreciate being heard.

When you listen, you become more apt to develop empathy for others, which can help foster respect. For instance, you might be more apt to forgive someone if you gain an appreciation of their stressors.

When you listen, you will have.

The lack of designation of what you will “have” invites several possibilities to mind that might summarize some of the lessons provided by my patient’s subconscious. When you listen, you may have increased understanding, respect, loyalty, or empathy.

Takeaway

I continue to be amazed by the sophistication of wisdom that can be conveyed by the subconscious of pre-adolescents. Notably, all my young patients who report such insights only do so following interactions with their subconscious.

Many faiths credit the origin of their wisdom and traditions to thoughts that arose through the minds of their founders or prophets. I wonder if these faith leaders engaged their subconscious minds in a fashion analogous to that demonstrated by my patients.