Covert Metaphor

In psychology and hypnosis we often hear the terms conscious and unconscious mind. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what exactly is the unconscious mind. We can’t exactly see it; it’s just an abstract concept. What the hell is it exactly?

I was under the impression for a long time that psychologists and hypnotists viewed the unconscious mind as being the same thing. I’m still unsure of their subtle differences on perspective.

If you’ve ever ventured into the occult you’ve no doubt heard of or used a pendulum. Most pendulums you can buy these days consist of a string or metal chain tied to some ornate piece of metal or quartz crystal. From time to time people involved in the New Age scene still believe the pendulum moves by itself or by a spirit guide. There is actually a scientific explanation for it.

If you’ve studied psychology and hypnosis before I’m sure you’ve already learned that the unconscious mind can’t differentiate between something real and something vividly imagined. Well, a French natural scientist named Michel-Eugene Chevreul discovered in 1883 while using a pendulum that the unconscious mind can effect physical movements which are not controlled by the conscious mind (see my post on subcommunications); these movements can be sustained by the unconscious mind despite any interference from the conscious mind; and the unconscious mind can be conditioned by repetition.

This is interesting because if we think of our body language as a system of unconscious ideomotor signaling, how is it possible to consciously be aware of it? And what about the rest of our unconscious behavior that  is never physically expressed?

By using a pendulum you can actually get a dialogue going with your unconscious mind. Take a look into it when you get a chance. There are some interesting applications. I’ve had some interesting experiences with automatic writing as well. Please comment if you have any experiences to share.

admin :: Jun.29.2007 :: hypnosis, psychology :: No Comments »

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