The subconscious is a little tricky....

1/19/2010


The subconscious is a little tricky. The mind can be divided along multiple dimensions, both vertical and horizontal. I think the mind will also be found to be divisible along the dimension of time but I'm not ready to speak to that. In Yoga the vertical divisions would be the Negative, Positive and Neutral Minds. The horizontal division that would be most significant to this discussion would involve the threshold which separates conscious from unconscious. Like an iceberg, 15% of our mind is above the water while 85% is submerged and consequently not visible. When a goal is set or a plan is adopted this 15% of the mind that is visible seems to be working in a uniform and coordinated fashion. We should reach the goal according to the plan. No problem. In the 85% that is out of sight however other plans and agendas exist that are just as influential and just as committed as the one consciously adopted. These alternate agendas have multiple sources. They may represent illogical value patterns or belief systems, They may reflect childhood experiences or thoughts inserted by our parents, accepted before we possessed critical thought and now accepted as fundamental bedrock in our identity.