The Language of Our Subconscious Mind
“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will rule your life and you will call it fate”. – Carl Jung
From the moment we are born into this world, our minds are on record. They take in everything we do, everything we say, and what is said to us. Everything. Yet we walk around conscious of 5-10% of all of this information throughout our lifetimes. The rest of the information sits in a repository, which is inaccessible to us unless we can unlock it. And unlocking it requires becoming fluent in its language because it doesn’t speak in words.
The Concept of Subconscious Mind
The subconscious mind, the part of us that operates 90-95% of our mental processes, includes our habits, thoughts, and emotional responses/triggers shaped by our past experiences. It’s like autopilot on a plane, which is great for bodily functions like breathing, but it also shapes who we are and guides our behaviors without our conscious awareness.
As we look to becoming more evolved and self-aware, we must take ourselves off of auto-pilot and observe. Because we may be unconscious of where these habits, thoughts, and behaviors come from, we are tasked with exploring our “shadows” to understand and gain insights. We begin to observe our thoughts and work with our plant allies and dreams to begin to decipher the messages we are being given and we notice right away that the communication between our conscious and subconscious mind is not speaking to us in any language we can learn in school, but through something much more complex.
How the Subconscious Mind Communicates
I often dream of tsunamis; the kind that take out whole cities in one wave. I’m usually standing right on the beach, and all of a sudden, they’ll rise in front of me out of nowhere. They are very scary when they happen, but I also have a strange sense of calm, knowing that it will be over soon and there is nothing I can do about it and nowhere to run. So, I usually stand there, close my eyes, and wait for it to end.
In my specific case, the wave is feeling overwhelmed by my emotions, and the calm I feel is surrendering to the storm which I clearly can’t run away from. But it was only after digging deeper into this dream that I started to know what that dream was really trying to tell me. Maybe I shouldn’t wait until the emotions turned into a tsunami and perhaps surfing the smaller/mid-sized waves is a better tactic. I haven’t had a tsunami dream in a while since noticing the ultimate message – feel more.
Carl Jung, my favorite psychologist, believed that the subconscious mind communicates through symbols, archetypes, and imagery. He believed that dreams, emotions, images, and intuition are key ways the unconscious expresses itself, often using universal symbols that resonate across cultures. Jung emphasized the importance of interpreting these symbols to gain insight into one's inner world and personal growth. He also introduced the concept of the "collective unconscious," suggesting that certain archetypal images are shared among all humans, reflecting common themes in human experience. This symbolic language serves as a bridge between the conscious and unconscious mind, allowing individuals to understand deeper aspects of themselves.
Symbols and Imagery
Symbols and imagery, as the universal language of the subconscious mind, surpass the limitations of language to convey meaning. For us to unlock our subconscious minds and become conscious affecting our evolution, we must become fluent in this language. Dreams are a prime example of where these symbols and images are shown to us. It’s a direct communication from our subconscious that can share insights through vivid symbols and scenarios. Working with tarot is another great example of how these symbols and images can be used to gleam divination/advice directly from this world of the subconscious. In the case of tarot, we are tapping into a collective unconsciousness for help or insight.
Oftentimes, when sitting with Mama Ayahuasca, she’ll start sending seemingly random images that evoke memories and feelings. These symbols can be deeply personal, reflecting trauma or a specific story to evoke release. It’s a miracle how these symbols are tied to exactly what we need to see and feel to move forward. Our subconscious mind is referred to as our “higher self” in Dolores Cannon’s past life work because of its divine orchestration and intelligence. It knows exactly what we need to heal and fulfill our purposes in this lifetime
Emotions and Feelings
Another way the subconscious communicates is through emotions. When we are triggered or experience intense reactions, it's often a way the subconscious is looking to communicate a shadow for us to explore. Have you ever had something small in your external world create deep anxiety? There is usually an underlying trauma that creates that response in you. Conversely, you can have positive emotions that come up relating to passions and drives that excite you. Those are messages to follow your bliss!
Dreams
Dreams, with their blend of symbols and emotions, offer a robust and direct channel of communication from our subconscious. Dreams are not random, but carefully crafted stories that reflect our inner thoughts and unresolved issues. Understanding the symbols in your dreams and how they relate to you can pave the way for personal growth and healing. Dream journaling is a powerful tool to uncover these dream scenarios and understand the meaning behind them.
Dreams are therapeutic, offering us a place to process and resolve emotions and experiences. They also act as a safe space for the subconscious to explore and express feelings without having to play them out in our waking hours.
Intuition
Intuition and the subconscious mind are like two best friends navigating the complexities of life together. When you feel that sudden spark of intuition—a gut feeling nudging you to take a different path or a hunch that something isn’t quite right—it’s often your subconscious speaking up. It’s an inner compass that guides you, even when you can’t quite explain why you feel a certain way. By tuning into your intuition, you tap into this treasure trove of insights, allowing you to make decisions that resonate more deeply with your true self.
The Power of Subconscious Thoughts
Working with our subconscious and reprogramming it with positive thoughts can lead to transformative changes. By consciously choosing new ways of thinking and behaving, we can overwrite old, negative programming and build a more positive self-image. This process involves delivering positive messages to the subconscious, healing past traumas, and changing habits to align with our goals and desires.
Positive programming creates empowering beliefs that encourage growth and evolution while challenging negative programs. It also allows us to overcome the impact of these negative thoughts on our behaviors and emotions.
4 Techniques to Access and Reprogram the Subconscious Mind:
Plant Medicines
Plant medicines are an important tool to access the inner workings of our subconscious minds, and they speak the same language using symbols, emotions, and imagery to facilitate exploration and healing. Our plant allies help us confront and resolve patterns brought about by trauma and help us gain insight and clarity around our behaviors. They help us integrate our shadows back into our consciousness, allowing for completeness and connection as well as compassion and self-love.
2. Visualization
By imagining successful outcomes in rich detail, we activate the same neural pathways in our brain as if we were experiencing those events in reality. This mental rehearsal strengthens our belief in achieving our goals and primes our subconscious to support us in making them happen.
Engaging all our senses and emotions during visualization makes these mental images feel real and more effective. Daily visualization rituals can reinforce these neural pathways, making the desired outcomes more likely to manifest. By frequently visualizing ourselves succeeding in various scenarios, we can reprogram our subconscious mind to align with those positive outcomes.
3. Affirmations
By speaking or writing affirmations regularly, we can instill new, empowering beliefs and reshape our internal dialogue. Effective affirmations are specific, in the present tense, and emotionally charged, helping to reinforce self-worth and align our subconscious with our goals. Mirror work is a fantastic tool to use and speak affirmations to yourself daily.
Alleviation of Depressive Symptoms and Anxiety
Change of Perspective
Improved Emotional Resilience
Facilitation of Personal Growth
Mindfulness and Presence
Learning the Art of Forgiveness and Letting Go
Mood Regulation
Deep Emotional Release
Spiritual Connection and Insight
4. Meditation
The act of observation is easiest using meditation. A consistent meditation practice slows down the monkey mind and creates discipline in thought. As thoughts become more disciplined, observation of these thoughts becomes easier. Once observed, we become conscious of what comes up to be seen by our subconscious and address shadows as they need to be addressed. Meditation is one of the most powerful tools in our toolkit.
Becoming fluent in the language of our subconscious minds is a key to our evolution. By opening the dialogue and using the tools to help us become aware, integrate, and reprogram our minds, we can heal traumas and unlock our potential in this world.
If you’re feeling called to dive in and learn more about your subconscious mind, I’d be happy to connect with you here.
About the Author
Marwa Mitchell has been working with Plant Medicines for many years, and is well versed in helping people set clear intentions and feel safe and excited about the journey into altered spaces. Her degree in psychology with an emphasis in neuroscience gives her both clinical and spiritual expertise. Marwa is also a certified past life regressionist (PLR) in both Dolores Cannon’s QHHT methodology and the Beyond Quantum Healing (BQH) modality, as well as a Reiki practitioner. A lifelong student of consciousness exploration, Marwa is particularly adept at understanding how the subconscious mind operates in connection with the universal consciousness to reflect our traumas and illuminate our paths to growth.
