The five principles of subconscious learning

So, you have decided you would like to introduce a change but do not know where to start or what will work? Maybe you have previously attempted to do things differently but have since slipped back into old habits, perhaps even without realising it?

The value judgement

The reason for this lies in how our brain is wired. Even if our habit is not beneficial to us, it still forms part of our subconscious programming and that is what we operate on. Our subconscious does not discern between habits that are good for us and habits that are not. The value judgement happens only when the message reaches our conscious awareness.

Brain resistance to change

The intention behind learning new things is to become able to do them automatically so we can direct our attention towards other activities going on in our surroundings. The problem arises when we want to learn something completely different to what we already know. The reason for this is that the new approach not correspond to already existing programmes, and so becomes rejected. An example of this may be when as children, we were told that our opinions do not matter, or that we should just behave and not ask questions. Then later on in life, this resurfaces, hindering our success whenever we need to express our opinion or step into the limelight.

The five principles of subconscious learning

Luckily, our brain is additive by nature, which means we can ‘upgrade’ our subconscious programming to create new templates. There are several ways of doing this. 

Charles Tebbetts, known for his impressive career as a hypnotherapist and teacher of hypnosis, defined these as the five principles of convincing the subconscious. The first, and maybe the most familiar to us, is repetition.

1. Repetition

We have heard so often that to achieve success we need to practice, practice, practice. Or the famous saying “Practice makes it perfect.”

Repetition is a good tool for learning, given the necessary time and no resistance.

2. Authority

When we were children, we accepted the views conveyed by authoritative figures almost automatically. The reason to this was because at the time we did not have the questioning mind. At that early age, parents, carers or school teachers were almost like gods to us.

As we grow older we encounter authorities that inspire us to acquire new ideas or rebel against existing ones. Many political and social movements occured because of some charismatic persona who attracted mass population.

3. Desire for identification

Our desire to be loved and accepted by our peers can open our subconscious to certain ideas or habits which we may not initially be particularly fond of. One of the most frequent examples is smoking or drinking.  Being part of something larger than ourselves can give us a sense of identity or a higher purpose. Advertisements are an excellent example of this in action, as they imply that using their products will bring us the lifestyle we desire.

4. Emotion

When intense emotions are attached to a certain event or information, this message is passed into our subconscious. Our emotions can be a strong driving force behind our actions and give us determination, strength and endurance.

Also, emotions may affect our reasoning and motivate us to make spontaneous decisions with long-lasting implications.

5. Hypnosis

And last, but not least, hypnosis is an excellent tool as it is gentle, easy and effective. Unlike repetition, it does not require extensive time for results. Moreover, the client is always in control throughout the process as otherwise, the suggestions would be discarded. Hypnosis allows us to pass the critical faculty of the mind and work directly with our subconscious mind.

So, you can see now why using hypnosis is amongst the best ways of implementing new ways of doing things. Whether you want to boost your confidence, let go of old fears or bring back that zest for life again, hypnosis can help. I am here when you are ready.

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