A few definitions:
Spirit-Satchitananda-Divinity Spirit-Divinity is self-explanatory – Sat refers to ‘Isness’, Existence or Peace, Chit refers to Awareness, Love (as in understanding and sensitivity) or Consciousness and Ananda refers to Bliss, Joy or Happiness without Cause.
Superconscious Mind The higher reaches of our interface with Divinity…our Soul and Atman.
Conscious Mind The conscious mind ‘I’ can be focused in any direction outwards or inwards or some ratio of both – this is locus of a sense of having choice
Subconscious Mind ‘My Body’ consciousness – the source and locus of emotions, feelings, intimacy and memories (that play out habitually), dreams and impressions; is something like 80%-90% of the Mind and works ‘under the radar’ most of the time. Watching it intently brings great insights and wisdom.
More on what is meant by the Subconscious Mind It is the Mind most closest to the Body – that which represents the world and the environment to the Body – given to working mechanically with Memory replaying archived & retrieved thought sequences and emotional triggers, thought patterns and mental habits… it works seemingly of its. own unless observed by the Conscious Mind – that Mind which steps out of an experience and looks at itself, looks at its Un/Sub-Conscious part or Mind… The Subconscious Mind here refers to the phenomenological description of that part of the Mind which is not usually recognised by the Conscious Mind with its focus on the external environment but needs a re-orientation (‘look inwards’) and refocusing of the Conscious Mind to bring it to light, at least partially. The Un/Sub-Conscious Mind is the locus from where Need appears to arise and the various cathects (i.e. the objects focused on from its experience – actual, remembered and imagined) to fulfil Wants and Desires. Mind:Body interaction at this level leads to emotions (mental disturbances caused by the Body reacting to its worldview). It is also the locus of Dreams or the Dreaming State of consciousness, of
….with the senses turned inwards one lives the impressions of past deeds and present desires (Mandukya Upanishad).
Also, the Subconscious Mind represents the interface between our bodily Vitality and our Mind/s or Selves (Un/sub-Conscious Self, Conscious Self, Super-Conscious Self and Divine Self or SELF). So what happens here determines our ability to connect with our source of vital energy. Given below is a research of the understanding of the Subconscious in some powerful therapies, philosophies and its role in storing and playing out memories from the past and other introjections, and the enormous potential that bringing awareness to this part of the mind holds
The Subconscious Mind approximates to….:
1. The Child and The Parent in Transactional Analysis (TA) – developed by Eric Berne
Child (“archaeopsyche”): a state in which people behave, feel and think similarly to how they did in childhood.(Wikipedia)
We react in emotional situations like being shouted at by the Boss by crying or whining and seeking another’s attention and support when we feel we have been treated unfairly or we have lost something. On the other hand, a huge personal achievement for oneself or one’s near-and-dear could be spontaneously celebrated with jumping around, breaking into an impromptu dance and smiling incessantly. Indeed, the Child is the source of emotions, creativity, recreation, spontaneity and intimacy.
Parent (“exteropsyche”): a state in which people behave, feel, and think in response to an unconscious mimicking of how their parents (or other parental figures) acted, or how they unconsciously interpreted their parent’s actions. (Wikipedia).
We tend to sound like are parents when we deal with our children…use threats and punishments such as locking the child in a room all alone because that’s how we were treated and now feel that’s the way to discipline our children. Being aware of which ego-state one is in helps one shift between Parent, Adult and Child to meet most resourcefully and effectively the challenges and opportunities in one’s environment and in the moment.
2. The Unihipili or The Child in Ho’oponopono – the Hawaiian method of healing and problem-solving.
And the subconscious part, this is like a child, it doesn’t know how to discriminate. It needs to be guided. It is like a computer in that it carries all the memories within. (from Freedom:Within, Worldwide & Beyond by Pua nani Peton & Gary Peton)
UNIHIPILI – Lower Self/Companion Self is described as the Unconscious Mind, the Subjective Mind, the
mind that never sleeps.
It governs the body and emotions, holds memory and has the mentality of a child or adolescent. It moves toward pleasure and away from pain. (from huna-ohana.com/huna-definitions.html © 2009 Rev. James Vinson Wingo, DD) The essence of the method articulated by Kahuna Mornah Simeona and Dr. Ihaleakala Hew Len is to tend to the Child, the storehouse of memories and through liturgy (prayers and affirmations) dissolve the toxic memories that play and re-play in the Subconscious Mind, unbeknownst most of the time to the Conscious Mind. This opens the connectedness with the Divinity and dissolves the root cause of all problems – memories replaying in the subconscious. One begins by taking hundred-percent responsibility and asking
what’s happening inside of me (subconscious) that’s causing my experience of my environment to be a problem?
and then ‘cleaning’ all problem causing memories and blocks through the liturgies of prayers, affirmations that move one into a state of forgiveness and letting go and then rounding it up with gratitude.
3. Hynotherapy (Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapy and subconscious.html)
The Hypnotherapist induces a sleep-like state in the client thereby gaining access to the subconscious mind (that part of the mind which is not usually available to the Conscious Mind). The subconscious mind is seen in Hypnotherapy as that function of the mind that stores past experiences, learnings, memories, emotions, and beliefs, and if left unattended could create anxieties and other psychosomatic pathologies like sub-clinical depression, habit disorders and others. Habits are those repetitive behaviours that you do ‘without thinking’. The Conscious Mind does the thinking and the Subconscious Mind everything else. This part of the mind doesn’t think in the conscious way – it reacts. It doesn’t distinguish between reality and unreality and takes what comes to it through the senses as real. By accessing this part of the mind by inducing the sleep-like state of the Conscious Mind and creating a state of ‘hyper-suggestibility’ the therapist helps the client to reframe and restructure the mind patterns that cause the pathology.
4. The ‘Taijasa’ dreaming state of consciousness in the Upanishads (Mandukya – Eknath Easwaran translation)
The dreaming state of consciousness where
….with the senses turned inward one enacts the impressions of past deeds and present desires.
In this state we lose the sense of ‘I’ or our Conscious Mind. Getting awakened to this state is like finding the crown jewels but when unaware we were
like someone walking unknowingly back and forth over a buried treasure (Chandogya Upanishad VII 3.2).
The Mandukya Upanishad goes on to say that those who master this state of Dreams become established in Wisdom. So how does one ‘respond in the moment’ acting beyond the mechanical, sub-(or un-) conscious mind? The way recommended is – through self-observation, self-awareness and empathy for oneself. Empathy for oneself could be described as a cognitive capability to step out of one’s immediate situation and observe oneself as a third person. With caring, sensitivity and with a view to understand… (Seek first to understand – oneself) Self-reflection with honesty and truthfulness (Ken Wilber’s Quadrant 1 validity claim) keeps the exercise healthy and wholesome… Most mental maturation-oriented spirituality gravitates towards self-observation and acceptance of oneself (Ramesh Balsekar, Tony De Mello, the Upanishads, Eckhart Tolle to name a few) The same fundamental approach is taken in self-help tools such as the Work by Byron Katie, NLP (the observer in perceptual positions to name one), and Carl Roger’s Person-centred counselling, for example.
Coaching Application
Coaching is a process that seeks to initiate, empower and sustain a desired change for the client, and inviting the client to be open to being inspired to make his desired change, which is best served by his being in his most resourceful and empowered state of consciousness. That is – Responding in the moment and effortlessly living with Joie de Vivre! To enable the client to live his best moment-to-moment, the coach offers a process that leads the client to explore what is his most wonderful state in the context of his needs and ambitions, how motivated he is now and can possibly be to achieve his dreams, how to tap into his abundance of resources and take action and follow through to sustaining his deeds and results. A model based on this process, Joie de VIVRE, is attached below as an appendix.
Conclusion
The coaching process invites the client to find his most resourceful and empowered state of consciousness by working on how he is using the marvellous faculties of Memory and Imagination by becoming self-aware. By freeing the client from disempowering memories and imagination-spurred blocks – the result of the faculties being improperly used, the process leads the client to discover his best motivations and become his most wonderful ‘I’ – Responding in the moment – moment after moment 24/7.
References:
Tony Buzan, The Mind Map Book, 1993
Eckhart Tolle, The Power of the Now, 2001, Yogi Impressions
Ken Wilber, Integral Psychology, 2000, Shambhala Publications
Joe Vitale and Ihaleakala Hew Len, Phd , Zero Limits – The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth,
Health, Peace, and More, 2007, John Wiley & Sons Inc.
Pua nani Peton & Gary Peton (for quotes from Kahuna Mornah Simeone & Ihaleakala Hew Len) from
article entitled Freedom: Within, Worldwide & Beyond
huna-ohana.com/huna-definitions.html © 2009 Rev. James Vinson Wingo, DD
Transactional Analysis (TA): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transactional_analysis
Hypnotherapy: Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypnotherapy, and http://
www.findcounseling.com/journal/hypnosis-hypnotherapy/hypnotherapy-subconscious.html
Eknath Easwaran Translation from The Upanishads, 1987, Blue Mountain Center of Meditation – for all references to the Upanishads