What Is The Subconscious Mind And How Does It Influence Our Choices?

We navigate the outside world with the assistance of our curious, constantly active minds. They influence how we feel and behave. 

And while many of us will assert that every choice we make is consciously considered, many scientific studies refute this claim. Research in psychology and behavioural economics, for example, has shown that our cognitive processes can be influenced by completely external factors that we're not even aware of.

 That is not to say that we're completely unaware and can not control our decision-making, but to point out that our subconscious plays a big part in shaping our conscious mind.

Before we dive into this topic, it's important to understand what the subconscious is and what other states of consciousness exist.

Which Are The Three States Of Consciousness?

 Consciousness is the awareness of your physical and psychological experiences.

Besides that, there are many states of consciousness. They can arise naturally or be the result of external or internal factors. All mental and physiological states, from wakefulness to sleep, are included. 

This starts with the most aware state that we all presume to be in our daily lives, the conscious state.

The conscious state presents itself in two different levels of alertness. One of them is high and the other is a low level of alertness. A high level of alertness means being more in control of your thoughts.

When you're in a state of increased alertness, you're able to analyse your surroundings. In contrast to that, a low level of alertness is defined by the perception of less stimulation and the inability to react to many stimuli at the same time. Other signs that you're in a low alert state are if you're easily distracted, have a diminished working memory or a smaller attention span.

Considering that explanation of consciousness alone would be far too simple an explanation of a person's mental state in everyday life. While some decisions are conscious, many of the things we do are controlled by the subconscious rather than our will.

Subconsciousness - An Enemy Or A Friend?

All our reactions and automatic actions are driven by our subconscious state of mind. It is this level of the mind that oversees the automation of certain actions.

The subconscious resides in the subcortical regions responsible for information processing prior to its transfer to the conscious part of the brain. It is this level of the mind that is in charge of the automation of certain actions. 

Learning a new language is an example of this type of action. When we first begin using a new language, we tend to be very cautious about what we say or write. We must use our discernment to make decisions and navigate the unknown waters of something new to us. However, as time passes, some words become familiar, and we begin to use them without much thought. That is referred to as the subconscious process. 

That being said, we can now see why our subconscious is responsible for the majority of our habit formation. It's hard to understand that the majority of our thoughts are induced in some way by a part of our brain that we don't even notice most of the time. In no way does that mean that this is a bad thing. 

Studies suggest that decisions made by the subconscious mind tend to lead to more fulfilling circumstances for a person and help us in our self-actualisation. In a way, it's very healthy to listen to and trust your subconscious mind to some extent. It’s also important to train our subconscious mind to help us fulfil our needs and to lead us to better results in life.

The Unconscious Mind - Hidden From Our Sight

While the subconscious mind is made up of thoughts that we can barely feel but still recognise when we put our mind to it, the unconscious mind presents us with a whole different story.

The human unconscious mind is made up of all past events and memories, which are sometimes inaccessible to us no matter how hard we try to recall them. For example, the first word we said or the sensation of being able to walk on our own for the first time. 

The unconscious mind is a storage facility for feelings, thoughts, urges, and memories that we don't usually have access to. It contains unacceptable or unpleasant experiences, such as pain, anxiety, or conflict.

While it may be somewhat annoying to know that in your mind there's a whole world of experiences that you can never reach, our unconscious mind is there for a reason. If we were able to remember everything, we might not be able to focus on the present and form new memories. In addition to that, not everything that we've experienced in our lives is something that we can process healthily. This is where the unconscious mind plays a part in protecting us and allowing us to live our lives.

However, the subconscious mind sometimes plays the role of a modulator between the conscious and unconscious, while still allowing us to continue living.

We talk loosely about the different states of our minds, but in what way can we see these states and recognise which state our brain is in? To answer that, researchers have described 5 types of brainwaves. 

What Are Brainwaves?

The brain is well known to be an electrochemical organ. That means that it can generate a given amount of energy in the form of information that's transported between different parts of the brain and the body. 

Even though this electrical power is very limited, it does occur in very specific ways that are unique to the human brain. Brainwaves are representations of electrical activity emanating from the brain. These brain waves are classified into five types that correspond to the different states of mind and body.

The highest frequency that a brain wave can reach is around 35 Hz, and this state is known as a gamma brain wave. It is related to high brain activity, stress, and good memory.

When the brain is awake and highly alert, it generates beta waves. They are the fastest of all brain waves and have relatively low amplitudes. 

By contrast, when the brain is in a state of deep relaxation, it generates theta waves, which are usually responsible for our subconscious activity. When a person is often in this state, they tend to get interesting ideas and inspiration from simple everyday activities. Very often, a person finds themselves in this state when they're on a long drive, or when they are running slowly on an open track. Every action that allows us to daydream induces that type of brainwave activity. 

Somewhere in between those states, we find that the brain generates alpha waves. They correspond to situations in which a person is relaxing or meditating. These brain waves are directly connected to the frontal cortex of the brain, which in turn is connected to cognitive thinking and decision-making. That's why, in many cases, meditation is beneficial for concentration and critical thinking. 

Delta is the final brainwave state. The brainwaves have the greatest amplitude and the slowest frequency. While they never go down to zero, these waves are present while a person is in deep dreamless sleep and are typically very low.

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are many different states of consciousness, which can arise naturally or be the result of external or internal factors. Our subconscious plays a big part in shaping our conscious mind, so it's important to understand what it is and how it can impact our choices. Scientists have shown that our cognitive processes and the majority of our thoughts are induced in some way by a part of our brain that we don't even notice most of the time. Studies suggest that decisions made by the subconscious mind tend to lead to more fulfilling circumstances for a person and help us in our self-actualisation.

References: 

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