Conscious versus Subconscious

(I haven't written any blog posts in November. Oy. Sorry about that. Hopefully I'll be back in business soon.)

I've been reading a lot lately in my downtime lately. Reading and thinking. In my diet app (which wasn't open in November, either), there was an article that stated the human mind picks up forty conscious details every second. The subconscious picks up two million cues.

Walk into a different room and it is familiar, right? Unless you have dementia, you will know that you have moved from the kitchen to living room. You won't walk into it and say "Where the hell am I?" Likewise, re-arrange your furniture and you will probably bump into it for a week. Visit a friend's house that you see regularly. You might not know where they keep the colander, but you probably know where they keep the tea mugs. You don't have to rack your mind nor did they say "This is where I keep the teacups. Can you remember?" You just "know" with no work required.

What do we do with those extra 173 billion cues we pick up in a day? The 63 trillion cues we pick up in a year? I saw an article in the New Yorker (that I didn't read yet) about how animals navigate when traveling. Think of the Arctic terns that fly from the north pole to the south pole and back every year. how do they know? Perhaps an individual bird doesn't fly alone, maybe they fly in flock, which brings us to another wonderful idea of hive mind, the collective conscious. I am guessing that these birds must use their subconscious cues to navigate, they tap into these cues they've picked over their fifteen to thirty-five year lifespan.

We invented the internet and cars and refrigerators, indoor plumbing and HVAC systems using our conscious minds. Very cool. But what are we humans missing out on by not tapping into our subconscious? 

"Trust your gut."

"The heart has reasons that reason doesn't know."

I've been practicing mediation for a year, and I find so helpful for staying calm in all kinds of situations. When I was struck with a fearful event a few months ago, my heart rate skyrocketed. Instead of doing my usual freak-out, I stopped and meditated for ten minutes. The short mental break gave me best use of my powers of reason and I could start problem solving. I didn't deny my worry or angst. Instead, I was able to deal with it. When I am not in crisis, mediation helps reduce my anxiety the next day. How do I know this? On days I don't meditate, the next day is usually freak-out city about things that aren't a big deal. Likewise, sometime meditation can uncover the bullshit in our lives, the unacceptable, the crazy, the toxic, the unfair. I've heard that meditation can sometimes trigger depression cycles. While that can be unpleasant, it can be a truth bomb that tells us we need to change, that the status quo cannot hold. I don't think that is a bad thing. Depression at times can be a messenger. Suppression of difficult emotions can only last so long before we explode. Or, we become so good at suppressing our feelings that we forget how to feel. If we can't feel pain, we can't feel joy. It is interesting how life works that way.

Why does meditation work? How does it work? I am guessing that at some level meditation allows our conscious mind to take break (like sleep, but different) and our subconscious mind can reconcile. 

What is prayer, then, and how does that work? I don't believe the usefulness of prayer to ask that UW beats Washington State in the Apple Cup. Instead, if we ask for direction, we are asking our subconscious to take over and help us solve the problem. I've been dipping into prayer lately. When I ask for guidance, insight will usually arrive in a few days. I might see new information that I didn't see before. My perspective might change so I can see things more clearly. Sometimes the direction is to talk to a friend, and listen to how they see things.

I accepted a new job in October. Before I did, I asked a friend if I should take it. He knew all about my job search, and we've talked extensively about my career. I thought he would ask me a bunch of questions about my goals and whatnot. Instead, he cut to the obvious: "Do you have another job lined up?" No. "Then take this one." Of course, nothing is so simple. He knew the job was a reasonable fit at a very good company. He had already ruled out reasons why I shouldn't take the job. He cut through the clutter, which I needed. His insights made what I thought was a tricky question simple. I knew instantly he was right. I didn't need to logic through it. My inner voice, subconscious, Higher Power, my gut, my heart, whatever, knew it was right without needing to get my brain involved. It felt right. I could feel it in my bones, I could feel it in my body, where my subconscious reigns.