The mental body (or energy field) is sometimes defined in two, or three, or even seven parts; but it is easiest to think of the mind as being either higher (intuitional) or lower (concrete). The higher mind is from the soul, while the lower mind (lower not implying bad) is part of the personality. The lower mind can receive abstract ideas and intuitional impressions from higher mind, then make these into useable and practical thought.
The higher mind (or intuitional mind) is the dimension from where we realize spiritual ideas, principles and ideals. This is also the realm of our soul. Our intuitional mind and the mind of our soul are the same. The soul's mental reality is the intuitional realm. So when we enter into soul experience we also enter directly into the higher-intuitional mind. In other words then, our 'higher mind' is our connection with soul, since here we are entering into the spiritual mind of our soul.
However, in order to know how to manifest practically in the world and in order to explain certain things, the soul needs to use the lower mind. It needs a useful and practical lower mind to work through. In summary, each aspect of the three-fold personality is important for manifesting spiritual purposes, for this is key to our outward expression in the world and how we relate with others. Thus, the 'lower' just means that it is meant be the instrument or the vehicle for the 'higher'.
Our soul has connection in our highest intellect (higher mind), which then can lead the lower mind and personal action. Higher mind in oneself, as one's highest intellect, which is an aspect of one's spiritual soul, is meant to be the ruler of the lower self, or the master of the chariot of self. It is meant to be the leader and master of the lower self, the practical thinking mind and the body. The higher intellect is not the same as ordinary practical intellect - which is part of the lower self of practical thinking mind, emotion and body. The higher intellect has a much broader and more Holistic view, and it understands greater purposes of life. It is wise and understanding about purpose.
The lower self is our automatic self, or also known as the subconscious. It follows its own patterns (or habits) of desire. It simply follows its habits of like and dislike. The lower self is like a donkey. It is useful when trained, but it's a burden when not. Very often, though, our lives are ruled by our donkey. It takes us places it wants to go. Now it might seem that this is simply who we are, and these places are simply where we want to go. But then we do not realize that this donkey is not who we really are, and these desires of the donkey are not our truest and deepest desires. For there is an inner self deep within what is apparent, which is who we really are. This is a deeper consciousness, a deeper love, and a higher intellect.
Spiritual intuition, or what we could call higher intuition, is in the level of Intuitional mind, which reveals the principles and truths as known in the Superconscious Mind. Our own higher intuition, or spiritual intuition, is really our ability to access the Universal Superconscious Mind. To be more precise, our own intuition is a tool or a doorway for accessing the knowing mind of our soul, then on the next level we can access the collective wisdom mind of all souls, and then on the Highest level we can access the Divine Cosmic Universal Mind itself.
A useful practice is to build a connection to the intuitional mind – between our thinking-reasoning mind and the intuitional mind. Begin with the reasoning thinking mind, or the power of our conscious reasoning. Now visualize that a higher level of mind is available to access. This is the intuitional mind, the spiritual intuition, or it can simply be called Intuition, the level of Intuition. Here is the Universal Wisdom, already known by advanced souls and in the Mind of God. We can tap into this Wisdom through our spiritual intuition. Visualization of this can at first be used, as a tool for making the connection. Yet once we are consciously in the Intuition, we will have direct realizations. At the level of intuition, there really is no thinking, but rather just a direct knowing. It is like coming into a lighted room of truth.
So the useful practice is to connect conscious mind with this higher level of Intuition, then enter consciously into this Intuition. Then next, build this mental connection by reflecting upon the realizations found in this Intuition. Or think about what is directly realized. This kind of thinking is a meditative reflection, combined with some degree of analysis and reasoning. This helps to connect, synthesize, and unify our intuition with our thinking mind, {or higher mind with lower mind}.
The Spiritual Triad is the very highest level of Mind which can be reached or entered into, but it is actually more than mind as we normally define mind. In some teachings it is known as the Triad of God's Attributes, or the Primary Qualities of Universal Being. This is a Triad of Power, Love, and Mind. Power is also related to the Divine Will, Love is related to Inclusive Compassion and Caring, and Mind is related to Intellect and Intuition. {This third aspect of the Triad is really the same as the 'Intuitional Mind' or also called the 'Superconscious Mind'}.
Our first important step is to reach into our higher mind, our intuitive mind, and draw wisdom from this. Our intuitive mind is the bridge to the full universal wisdom and knowing of God. This is more often called the Divine Wisdom; yet understand that this is more like a direct knowing (or seeing) than pieces of information. Thus, if we hope to reach the very highest truth, the very most knowing, the very greatest wisdom; this is found in the Mind of God. It is found in the Divine Knowing. Reach high and deep.
As well, reach deep into the Heart of God. But how? Reach deep in your own heart, because each heart is a doorway into the Divine Heart of God. And through this pathway, we can experience and know Divine Love. For here in the Divine Heart is the very Source of all love. Remember that from the perspective of the Universal Being, God, all is included in love and all is loved, because all is within the Being of God.
Next, we may reach the divine attribute of Power. But this cannot be reached unless one is already consciously in the Mind and Love of God. In order to open the Door to Divine Power, one needs two keys: the keys of Knowing Mind and Inclusive Love.
The higher mind is the same as our intuitional mind; same meaning. And the lower mind could also be called the subconscious mind. Mediating between these is the conscious mind. Intuitional mind is a higher level of mind which has direct spiritual perception – though mostly regarding general principles or general visions of the good. Whereas the subconscious mind only contains knowledge, beliefs and skills that were gained by the conscious mind or by way of conscious experience. Intuition brings to our conscious mind a knowing that we never previously had. So it's not like the subconscious storehouse which mostly repeats patterns – some very good patterns, some not so good.
Essentially, the intuitional mind of Being brings us direct knowing of our potential spiritual qualities and also a knowing of cosmic truths. Intuitionally, we see into the truths of our self and of the cosmos and also of the whole divine purpose. This is different from our subconscious, because it is a fresh new knowing, rather than the mere repetitive played back thoughts of our subconscious. When the intuitional realm enters in our present consciousness, we realize truth in a direct, immediate way, and it is not merely from our past conditioning nor a repetition of already ingrained beliefs. One sees directly and freshly into the reality of self and world.
Symbolically speaking, intuition comes from above, while the subconscious is under the ground of present consciousness. In shamanic symbolism, the subconscious is called the underworld or lower world, while the intuitional realm is called the skyworld, the heavens, or the higher world. The middle world, surface world, or ground, is our present conscious experience. In the subconscious are the hidden roots of our present thoughts, emotions and behavior; and these roots developed from seeds planted from our past thoughts and reactions. The subconscious holds roots seeded from our past. The intuition, conversely, is like the future coming to us. It is new and fresh, new insights and fresh energies, which come from Universal Mind. It is our connection to the Infinite and the Absolute Mind, the very Highest, which can be called the Superconscious.
Our good ideas and right ideas originate from Universal Mind, the Divine Mind. We happen to meet up with these ideas, or in a sense they enter into us. But the Universal Ideas are general, rather than specific. So we each have to make these universal general ideas into practical specific ideas. We do this with the power of our own reasoning intelligence. On the one hand, our conscious intelligent mind has to intuitively receive the best universal ideas, the divine ideas, the higher ideas or vision. On the other hand, our conscious intelligence has to creatively transform these general ideas into more specific, concrete and practical ideas. This could be called creative mind.
Remember, we do not want our subconscious mind to merely lead us at all times. The subconscious probably already does lead us far too often; or in other words, too often we are merely acting and thinking under the power of the subconscious mind and thus merely repeating patterns of the past. But do we want to always be repeating the past, or always thinking and being the same? If we remain under the power of the subconscious, then we are no more than mere robots.
So at some point we have to consider the following question – Are we going to just let our subconscious mind determine our thoughts and actions, or are we going to tune into a Higher Source of thought, and begin living at a higher level of being?
If we want to be real conscious beings, we must take charge of our mind. Decide thought. Create new thought. Don’t just live by past thought. Make new. Help create reality. Receptively intuit the truest and best ideas from Divine Universal Mind, and be guided by your Spiritual Intuition.
The mind can also be distinguished into three parts (instead of two parts, higher and lower). Though each of these three parts can then be sub-divided into three layers. The primary three parts of mind are the conscious, the subconscious below, and the Superconscious above the others.
From the top, it goes:
The most obvious level of mind is conscious mind, which is in the very middle of the other levels This is the mind and the consciousness that we are normally in. Here we are conscious of our own personal self - our thinking, emotional, and physical self. In addition, this is our mind conscious of the world all around, including nature and other people. So, also included in conscious mind is sensitivity and sense-knowledge. But also, the conscious mind can mediate between the Superconscious and the subconscious, bringing the upper into the lower, which will be discussed later.
The conscious mind has three layers, or three parts. One part is the sensory conscious mind, which is conscious of the what the five physical senses communicate about the world and our bodies. This is a very ordinary and normal aspect of our conscious experience -- to experience the physical world through the medium of our senses, our seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, as well as skin and sexual sensations. In many ways, the intensity of sense experience is what keeps many of us conscious.
Next is the emotional conscious mind, which is to be conscious of emotions or feelings -- our own feelings or those of others. This is the part of possible experience that is least likely to be conscious for many people, though other people seem to relish in this. For understand that our emotions can go quite unnoticed yet still be effective and influential; so our emotions can of course still be active, even if we are not actually conscious of them, and this happens more than people would expect. People will have a very strong emotion in a given moment, yet not be conscious of it. Some will even deny the emotion when asked about it, even though it is quite apparent. This is because emotions can be active, at any time, in just a subconscious way. An emotion might be so very routine or habitual, in reaction to a certain kind of experience, that the emotion has become automatic and sub-conscious. So it takes extra intentional effort to consciously observe our emotions at work in these usually automatic subconscious moments.
Third is the thinking conscious mind. Obviously of course, this is the part of mind that thinks. Yet thinking, like emotions and sensations, can also be just subconscious. But here we are speaking about thinking that is conscious. Most modernist people of this world age are thinking people, but less educated people and most of the ancient peoples were not so thinking as much as they were experiencing feelings and sensations. Thinking is great. But one needs to also understand that thinking can get out of hand - too much thinking at times - or sometimes thinking becomes mere fanciful illusion and glamour. So just because we think doesn't mean that we are headed in the right direction; because some thinking is simply illusional or simply coming up with false conclusions. Therefore, some thinking can be useful, while some thinking may be un-useful. Thinking itself is just the tool, but wisdom is in how we use it and to what greater purpose it serves.
There are two main kinds of thinking: practical thinking and philosophical thinking. Philosophical thinking could of course also be practical, but not always, and it could also be false thinking. Practical thinking could be based on high philosophical ideals, or it might be just a tool for the selfish ego or a delusional philosophy. We all need to develop our practical thinking mind, because this is what helps us get things done and be successful. Practical intuition is when we have a natural sense or instinct for what to do in a practical situation. This practical intuition most usually comes from our accumulated intelligence stored in our subconscious mind; and therefore, practical intuitions usually come from our subconscious – sort of like how a computer might tell us the best practical step to take, based on its accumulated information and intelligence.
But our philosophical mind is also important, because this is our possibility to pursue and understand natural and cosmic truths. Philosophical thinking is certainly part of our thinking mind. In fact, most people philosophize at times, even though few people would label themselves as philosophers. This is because philosophical thinking is really natural for the human being. It is just that in western modernist times, the going belief is that practical thinking is useful while philosophical thinking is a fanciful waste of time.
One extra possibility of the thinking mind is to evaluate the truth of our beliefs, or re-evaluate the truth of what we were taught is true. Most beliefs (presumed 'truths') become subconscious, then subconsciously accepted and presumed to be truth. But the conscious thinking mind can regain consciousness of these undercover sub-conscious beliefs, then re-evaluate these assumed beliefs with a newer, better developed reasoning and intuition. Note though that reasoning or intuition, or both, could later be discovered as false or as confused. In other words, there is no absolute guarantee that our reasoning or intuition will be true; though it is more likely that truth will be derived from our exercise of reasoning and intuition. Therefore, it is better to use these tools rather than not, because if one does not then the mind can only assume that what others tell us is true is true.
Yet bear in mind that reasoning and/or intuition can be misleading. Many religious and spiritual people tend to rely on intuition, or someone else's intuition, yet neglect to apply reasoning. This can lead to fanciful ideas about truth which are incoherent or contradictory. On the other hand, if reasoning is too simple-minded or too rigidly based on certain presumptions, then truths discovered by intuition will sometimes appear to be wild and impractical speculations; and therefore, those locked into 'just reasoning' will too easily reject ideas and ideals that come from our intuition. Yet if reasoning can enlarge itself and make more connections, then certain intuitions will be understood by reasoning. Note also that some philosophical thinking that might seem to be intuitional is really not, but rather is just a derivative of already presupposed beliefs.
The best tactic for discovering and evaluating truth is to apply our keenest and most objective reasoning, combined with our 'higher intuition' - which is our spiritual knowing of truth. Historically, some philosophies accept intuition as a legitimate tool for discovering truth, while others do not because of how impossible it is to objectively verify this on its own. The best tactic, therefore, is to always include both. Thus, if we continually test intuitions with our best reasoning, then we might as well include intuition as a useful tool for gathering ideas and possible truths. Both reasoning and intuition have their respective possible problems, but if we combine them or use them dialectically, then we are using all of our philosophical mind to discover truth. And of course, in this we must also combine a third tool for truth, which is to verify with direct experience - with our practical experience and our sense experience. The three mental tools to combine are intuition, reasoning, and practical direct experience.
The Superconscious might be a term that is unfamiliar to many. It basically means the same as 'spiritual mind' or 'intuitional mind'. Or another synonymous term is 'higher mind'. The term 'Divine Mind' is also similar, though we reserve this term for God's Mind; however, we can be in a realization of Divine Mind, and our own mind is a part of the Divine Mind.
The term 'Superconscious' has a useful connotation of being a level of mind that is Super or extra conscious, yet only when one is actually in it, because for the ordinary person this whole level of mind is unconscious to them.
This is called the Superconscious because it is an extra step in consciousness and also because there is Super-consciousness in this realm. The Superconscious is conscious in its own realm; and in fact, in this realm there is more consciousness. So it is not, in itself, unconscious. Yet it is most often unconscious to us. The Superconscious exists on its own, but we (as ordinary conscious mind or as personal consciousness) have to come into it. This level may have many alternative names, such as 'Spiritual mind' or 'Higher mind'.
The Superconscious is that which is possible for us. Yet we have to make contact and connection with this higher-possibility, this greater mode of consciousness or mind. The subconscious mind works through us automatically, whether we know it or not; but the Superconscious mind does not. So one needs to make an extra effort to increase and expand regular consciousness, in order to reach and be in the Superconscious realms. The ultimate goal is for all three levels of mind – the subconscious, conscious, and Superconscious – to be well coordinated and aligned with the Divine as it is known in the Superconscious. Like the subconscious, the Superconscious has three layers and these layers are interpenetrating rather than being separate.
The first layer, the one just above the conscious level, is the realm of our spiritual intuition. Our spiritual intuition is different from our practical intuition. The former is from our Superconscious intelligence, while the latter comes from our subconscious intelligence. Subconscious intuition is different, because it is produced by sensory information, and it is particularly a practical intuition, solving particular concerns, questions or problems. Subconscious practical intuition comes from our earthy sensory abilities, our sensing of what is going on right now around us, and what is a worked out (by subconscious intelligence) to be a useful solution to a practical question.
In contrast, our spiritual intuition comes from beyond our normal senses and from beyond our thinking mind. It is not derived from rational mind, yet it is not irrational. It comes from beyond the normal mental plane, from what can be called the Superconscious realm or from Universal Mind, or what is sometimes called Buddhic Mind. From here where we can have a direct knowing of universal-cosmic principles, metaphysical structures, and spiritual visions of what can be and ought to be. Spiritual intuition essentially reveals spiritual wisdom and guidance – regarding spiritual truths, values, goals, and visions.
Spiritual intuition is also the mental realm of our soul. It is the mind of our soul. So from this level of the Superconscious (or Greater Mind) our conscious mind can learn the wisdom of our soul and the whole universal wisdom as well. An important personal work, in fact, is for conscious mind to open up receptively to Spiritual Mind, and to develop a clear connection (esoterically called a lightened bridge) and transparency with this Intuitional level of the Superconscious. This is in order that spiritual intuition is more easily reached and consciously realized in one's regular conscious mind, or it could be seen that the spiritual intuition more easily enters into our conscious mind.
Our soul, through our higher (spiritual) intuition, is wishing to guide the personality self. But this guidance and this wisdom is not guaranteed. It does not just automatically come to be; that is, we are not necessarily guided at all. This is because our soul guidance depends on our personality-self receiving it. It depends on our receptivity and our attitude. It depends on our openness and our willingness to listen. And finally, it all depends on our willingness to make action upon the wisdom or guidance that we hear. Our soul is in touch with the Divine Self. Our soul is a child of the Divine Self, which is God. But the personality self has to be in touch with the soul and also respond to the soul, in order for the soul to really be effective in our conscious life.
The next layer of the Superconscious is the whole Mental Realm of the Spiritual Hierarchy, which is the sum total of all souls and all wisdom known in this planetary sphere. Here in this level of mind, we can tune into any soul of humanity, even the highest souls of the whole Hierarchy, including Christ, Buddha, Muhammad, Krishna, etc., and also all Groups in the Hierarchy. Similar to the level of soul-intuition, this is a source for guidance and wisdom, and if we wish to be in alignment with the Divine Purposes of life, then we need to come into alignment with this Hierarchy.
Soul-intuition is experienced as one's own higher mind, higher conscience, or higher wisdom, or it can also be experienced as the depth of knowingness and sense of purpose within one's own heart. Contact with Hierarchy, though, is experienced as either a greater Being or a greater Group consciousness, which could be spiritually imagined as above, or as enfolding one's own consciousness, or it could also be experienced as within. Generally, Hierarchical mind is experienced as much greater than one's own mind or consciousnesses, and often in this realm there is an experience of Group-mind or of being part of a larger Group-consciousness.
Use of the imagination, by the way, does not mean that something is unreal; imagination or visualization can be used as a mental tool for both contacting and understanding these realms of mind beyond the ordinary. Imagination (spiritual imagination) can thus be a useful tool of mind for reaching beyond ordinary thinking and beyond ideas derived just from the physical senses. Spiritual imagination is when imagination is used for greater understanding, in contrast to fantasy imagination which is related to wishes or fears of our emotional body. Of course, though, use of visualization or the imagination is not the same as real experience. It is a helpful tool; it is a means to an end, but not the goal itself.
The third layer of the Superconscious, the Highest and Greatest, is the Divine Mind itself, which could be called the Mind of God, or again, there may be alternative names for this, depending on tradition and language. Essentially, this is the Source, the great Cosmic Mother, the Universal Mind, from which all mind, all consciousness, and all wisdom is derived. All mind, or all minds, come from this One Mind, and are within this One Mind and enfolded by this One Mind. So this realm, this Mother of all mind, could also be called the Great Wisdom.
Yet it needs to be also understood that this Wisdom includes Love; in fact, Love is at the heart of this Wisdom. Within the Universal Mind is also Will. Thus is the Divine Triad of Mind, Love, and Will; all three are necessarily and intrinsically related. Purpose comes from all three of these Divine Attributes. Divine Will has Purpose, Purpose comes from Love, and Purpose needs to be known in Mind. Similarly in our own lives, our own will can be guided by greater spiritual Purpose, through mind we can understand this Purpose, and through love we can experience this Purpose.
In summary, the three layers of Superconscious are: spiritual intuition (for knowing spiritual-metaphysical principles or truths), the realm of Hierarchical Mind (which includes all great teachers and guides in the Spiritual Hierarchy), and finally the Divine Mind Itself (the Source of all Intelligence and Knowing).
Lower from the conscious mind is the subconscious mind. The subconscious is a term that many people use and also psychologists, yet there are quite a lot of diverse meanings. It makes sense, though, to define the subconscious in the simplest way. It should simply refer to a realm of mind that is below consciousness, or in other words, referring to any dynamics of the mind that we are not conscious of. This does not mean, though, that the conscious mind has no access to this subconscious realm, nor that the subconscious stuff is permanently hidden from consciousness; rather, the subconscious is simply the part of mind that one is presently or even normally not conscious of.
The subconscious is the area of mind that holds memories and patterns of behavior. The subconscious is, fundamentally, a deposit-storage of our experiences and impressions, as well as thoughts and emotions from our conscious life and also from energies received from others around us. Then, all of this forms patterns, habits, and automatic reactions. All of this becomes the subjective background of self. The subjective reality we live in, or that which we call our self, is only portionally conscious; or in other words, we are conscious of just a small portion of our whole subjective self, the whole of our mental and emotional being. So, very much of our mental and emotional being is sub-conscious. And this content of our subconscious enters regularly into our conscious experience. The greater portion of our individual self is hidden from consciousness, like a submerged underground realm, and it rarely ever emerges to be consciously known, though whatever is subconscious is potentially accessible to consciousness.
An essential feature of the subconscious is memory. Memories of people, things, places, and events are held in the subconscious. We usually regard memory as just receptive and passive, a recorder of things. But in this hidden part of mind, the subconscious, memory is also dynamically active; moreover, it is re-active. So from the sub-conscious come memories and reactive patterns of thought, emotion and behavior. This is our data storage, plus the response programs already created that have become repetitive and automatic.
So, in addition to memories and stored impressions, patterns of behavior are in the subconscious, both as memories and as active programs. So because the patterns are active, these could well be called active patterns, activated from the subconscious and also subconsciously arising - meaning that one might not be conscious of an active pattern arising, nor why, but it arises into personal manifestation nonetheless. In fact, an active pattern of the subconscious will keep arising and manifesting, unless it becomes conscious (or conscious mind notices it) and then some change is made to this pattern/program from the conscious will or conscious decision.
Understand that sub-conscious means below-conscious, and it also means that one does not need to be conscious of these memories and patterns, in order for them to be effective or at least ready to be effective.
The subconscious accumulates memories from conscious life, or from sensitivity and the senses. It accumulates active patterns from our personal behaviors, our actions and reactions. Whenever actions or behaviors are repeated a number of times, this sets forth a pattern or a program. These could also be called habits; whether good/useful/functional habits or unuseful /dysfunctional habits. Thus, whatever we do is recorded in the subconscious memory, and if repeated enough this activity or behavior will become a pattern or habit in the subconscious, then it will sub-consciously arise, often without any conscious notice and without any conscious control.
Subconscious activity always has an automatic characteristic. It already has a definite and fixed pattern, which comes forth in basically the same way every time. This is an advantage for consistency and reliability, but only if the pattern is actually useful or ideal. For example, there is a great advantage in survival and in achievement because of our mental ability to subconsciously react automatically with a consistent, reliable, dependable, successful strategy or pattern of response. This could be a subconscious pattern of behavior, or a worded belief, or an instant idea-solution (as when someone says they have a cold and you instantly say ‘garlic’, or some other instant solution-advice we automatically give to others). However, it is problematic when the subconscious automata is not actually useful to our success. For it may be consistently reliable in what it delivers, yet a poor repeating failure.
The subconscious is basically a recording of what goes on in our conscious mind, and the subconscious plays this back when there is an associative stimuli, or else when the conscious mind wants to retrieve something. These subconscious contents (beliefs, patterns, reactions) will sometimes arise spontaneously, or so it will seem this way. Really though, if something arises from the subconscious there was a cause of this; which could be a need for it or it could just arise from an associative stimulus.
The subconscious is the part of mind that records what goes on consciously or in our experience, and it also mechanically functions in a patterned way. So, the subconscious mind can be divided into a memory component and a mechanical component. What happens in the conscious mind or in conscious experience is thus recorded in the subconscious mind. Or another way to explain this is that conscious experience soon becomes sub-conscious. Conscious experience and thoughts seem to pass by, but this does not disappear completely. Rather, it goes subconscious.
We usually think that thoughts are only conscious thoughts, but we also have subconscious thoughts and also subconscious emotions, of which we are not conscious yet they nonetheless are in our mind. These are thoughts that once were conscious but have gone subconscious, stored for a later use.
Some subconscious thoughts are right on the verge of being conscious, but they are very soft, almost like whispers. These can be noticed if we increase our awareness of what's going on in our thoughts, but most often these are not conscious just because they are subtle and not so loud.
Then, some thoughts are much more deeply subconscious. They exist as thought-forms, thought-structures, sentences, or beliefs; but our conscious mind is aware of them. Yet they are already packaged and ready to come into consciousness. They come into consciousness as pre-packaged and quickly delivered. The same is true of beliefs. In fact, all our beliefs, opinions, and habitual thoughts are retained in our subconscious; they can arise into consciousness anytime if needed or if there an associative stimulus (as when someone brings up that belief in conversation).
We don't regularly ponder consciously on our beliefs; so most usually they remain intact in our subconscious storage, yet ready to repeat themselves for our listening conscious mind, like memorized stanzas of our favorite song. Our beliefs are rarely considered consciously or consciously reflected upon. Rather, they emerge repetitively into consciousness from the subconsciousness, when we wish to share them, or when needed to justify something, or when there is an association stimulus. Thus, they usually remain just as they are, prepackaged in our subconscious. Of course we can conscious know our beliefs, and even change them.
Mostly, we are repeating the same thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, as recorded in the subconscious and emerging from there, then reinforced further as an automatic pattern each time it is repeated. Emotions also linger in the subconscious, which are the emotional patterns recorded from our conscious life and still alive in us, though now below consciousness.
Yet all of these subconscious thoughts and beliefs, and also our subconscious patterns of response, were originally brought into the subconscious by way of the conscious mind; either received from the world through our subconscious or else created by the conscious mind. So whatever happens in the subconscious is founded upon the thoughts, ideas and emotions experienced in the conscious realm. What emerges from our subconscious (the thoughts or emotions that suddenly arise) are usually repeating playbacks of previous conscious thoughts, beliefs, or emotions. Thus, the subconscious is basically created by way of the conscious mind. It's like a repository, a filing cabinet, a storage, or closet.
Conscious thoughts go into our subconscious, then come back into our conscious mind from the subconscious, which then pass again back into subconsciousness. The subconscious will collect (record) conscious thoughts and experiences, and then it will give those back into conscious mind when future conscious thoughts seem to relate. And because the subconscious is composed of memories, or past thoughts and experiences; it follows that whatever comes from the subconscious are patterns from the past, and the functional activity of the subconscious is a patterning of behavior based on past patterns.
What we think, or the quality of our thoughts, gets recorded and repeated in the subconscious. This makes our present thoughts very important. Also significant is how the subconscious contents and patterns very often determine what goes on in our lives and around us. Its like karma in our own mind. Positive and correct thinking will be recorded into our subconscious; which will then result in positive and useful patterns of thought coming forth when we need it. Even the energies and circumstances around us will tend to manifest in a more positive and good working manner. Conversely though, negative and incorrect thinking will be recorded, which will result in negative and incorrect patterns of thought emerging from our subconscious, and the energies and circumstances around us will tend to manifest in a negative and incorrect manner.
We should also realize that some of the content going into our subconscious is from others and even from general humanity. A part of our self is continually sensing energies and picking up on stuff from others and all around. Luckily, most of this stuff from the world around us is filtered by a protective shield of our subconscious, which only lets in what is deemed acceptable, as decided consciously by us. Unfortunately though, many people are open to negative and even harmful energies, because they have not, with certainty, decided to ignore and disregard these negative energies. This is why it is obstructive to our spiritual path to open ourselves to everything. In this world we need some degree of discernment and protection. If we decide this consciously and intentionally, then our discernment will become regular and automatic in the subconscious, thus protecting our subconscious mind from negative energies and attack. This is a good example of how our subconscious can serve a useful purpose and be our friend.
Still, our subconscious can be vulnerable. For realize that this vulnerability and what it allows in is below our conscious knowing – it is happening subconsciously. Consider the child (and realize that everyone is still a child in some degree). Children are most vulnerable to receiving energies, thoughts and emotions from others, as this enters into their subconscious mind (and also into their sub-conscious emotional body). In psychology this is called introjection, which means that we take in, receive and accept various energies, thoughts or emotions from others. These may come directly from parents, but also indirectly from the group or culture that we are in.
A child cannot really change this tendency to take in the energies and emotions of others, especially those close in their family. Then their subconscious will automatically play back, imitate these patterns. This is generally called psychological conditioning and imitation. Children tend to practice normal behavior, and they learn what is “normal” from parents and teachers. The best solution to these potential problems is for children to have a diverse social environment, so that their “reality” is not merely confined to a narrow social pattern of behavior. The other solution is for parents and all people to realize a special responsibility in how they interact with children and be careful what influences they are open to. But as adults we need to protect ourselves as well, though as adults we can do this consciously and intentionally.
If we understand the positive purpose of the subconscious, then we will understand where it can go astray. It’s like a computer; it can be quite useful because of its automatic repetition based on instructions, but it can also be quite restricting to our progress because of the very same reasons – that it is repeating patterns automatically. In this subconscious realm are routine habitual patterns, strategies, beliefs, and thoughts, which are analogous to computer software micro-programs that are triggered into activity by corresponding stimuli. For example, program X is set off into activity whenever stimuli Y is present, and this stimuli might be an actual activity from others or it might be a conscious request we make.
The subconscious is like a power of repetition. It is like a software program that repeats itself. It is very consistent; it will do things the same every time. That is good, but only if the program works well. A repetition of successful performance is good, as we see in trained athletes, but poor behaviors and habits can also be repeated just as well by the subconscious. Imagine having a computer or robot that can be programmed to repeatedly perform in the same consistent way. This is great if we get it doing things in good ways, but not so good if the repetition is consistently makes problems.
So we want to get the subconscious working in a mechanical pattern that is helpful in our conscious lives; in other words, having helpful-good routines, patterns and behaviors, rather than negative, dysfunctional or un-adaptive habits. To make changes we have use the conscious mind to get the subconscious mind on a better track, repeating useful and helpful patterns. Thus, if we discover un-useful patterns being repeated, we need to make some efforts to change these, which we can do by the power of conscious decision, will, and concentrated thought, visualization and intention.
Because of the repeating patterns of our subconscious and its automatic behavior, the subconscious can often seem to be our main obstacle along the spiritual path of expanding consciousness and improving our self. In other words, our conscious mind might have the good intentions to improve our self behavior, actions and responses; but our subconscious keeps tripping on the same stones along the path, acting out old patterns of behavior, thoughts and emotions. So in many ways, the subconscious and conscious are antithesis to one another. In addition, most problems in oneself and in the world are due to old and outdated subconscious patterns repeating themselves and thus impeding progress and improvement. Moreover, most people aren't really conscious much at all; they're just subconscious.
However, these problems and oppositions do not have to be. Instead, the subconscious mind can be the tool and servant of the conscious mind; much like the value of computers and vehicles in our lives. But the conscious mind first has to see the subconscious in this positive way and treat the subconscious with this positive respect, though not letting the subconscious run one's life.
The conscious self needs to become master of the subconscious, rather than the subconscious dominating the conscious self. The conscious mind is meant to be the driver, while the subconscious is the car. If it's not working properly, then fix it. If the computer is not doing what you want, then re-program it. The subconscious automatically repeats the same program or patterns, unless these are consciously changed; which one can do by visualizing the new way and using conscious will to decisively do what is visualized or intended. Changes are made by consciously observing and thinking about what one is automatically doing or reacting to, and then consciously doing in a new way. This re-sets, re-programs the subconscious.
We need to remember that the conscious mind ought to be in charge; it ought to be making the decisions, and it needs to take this responsibility, because the subconscious is just mechanical and can do nothing more than loyally repeat patterns or thoughts which the conscious mind created or which was conditioned by social experiences. So the subconscious can be a great power for a successful life, if it is directed and programmed well, which is done by deliberate conscious positive thought. Remember that you, the conscious part of self, are responsible for training and programming your own subconscious, so that its repetitive patterns will work well to manifest your decided goals.
The subconscious is also involved with filtering and interpreting information gathered from the senses. Filtering is a process allowing some energies in but not others. There is a huge amount of energies going on all around us in our daily lives. Some of this is positive but some is negative, some is useful for knowing but some is not. If not for our filtering faculty, we would be overwhelmed with too much sensory information for our recording faculty and response faculty. Our filtering ability keeps the amount of dealt-with information to a useful minimum. Our daily conscious mind can receive and deal with just some of what the world is sending us, but our subconscious can handle more. Yet of course, the subconscious needs rules to apply in this filtering process. This means that each filtering system has its particular rules for determining what kinds of energies to regard as significant or not. These rules are set in place by our beliefs, intentions, and patterns of reaction that have become subconsciously routine.
Interpreting the information is related to filtering. Interpretation is the mental process of forming a belief about the meaning of outer events, words, or emotional energies. Interpretation is the making of meaning (or finding of meaning) from what is received. But interpretation is not an exact science; it is somewhere between fact and opinion, and interpretations can be quite incorrect at times, even delusionary. But each person has to just do their best in this. For example, one can only do one’s best in interpreting the meaning of what people are really trying to communicate or the intention of someone. It is not often clear and without ambiguity. So, each mind has its own patterns and rules for interpretation; such that X means this, but Y means that. These patterns and rules for interpretation are subconscious, just as beliefs. However, consciousness has the power to introspectively see such things.
Sensing is an important function of our subconscious. We usually think of sensing as a conscious function, which it can be, but a lot of sensing happens sub-consciously – below our consciousness. Our sensing abilities, and even the processing of this sensing into practical information, happens a lot subconsciously (below normal consciousness). This is of course understood by ordinary science. Much of our sense-experience is conscious; for example, what we see and hear and smell when we are conscious in the world. Yet there is also a lot of sensing and processing that goes subconsciously, without our conscious awareness and conscious knowledge. So we are receiving and processing sensory information, to some extent, even without being aware of this.
Our senses, our sense instruments, then inform our subconscious, which then accumulates into what can be called subconscious knowledge. Making this possible is an intelligence within our subconscious: our subconscious intelligence. So, our subconscious mind (or subconscious intelligence) is learning from our senses, even if this process is not conscious, and this learning tends to build a subconscious understanding of our personal world, which can be discovered in dreams; and note that dreams (from our subconscious) can tell us knowledge (about our own self and our world) that we have not yet realized consciously.
Some of this subconscious sensing and processed sense-information can become useful practical knowledge, if we can gain access to it. In other words, our subconscious sensing, which is then processed into an accumulation of information, could be helpful to us. This practical information, produced from subconscious sensing and stored in subconscious memory, could be called 'subconscious information' or 'subconscious knowledge'. This form of knowing is actually quite normal for many cultures. It is also accepted in ordinary folk western culture; for example, it is not at all odd for people to say that they 'just know something', or 'have a feeling' about something, or that something is either true or false. The knowing just comes. This is because practical information can arise from our subconscious, but only if we are receptive to this. Though it can also be intentionally evoked.
This can also be called our subconscious intuition, which is a practical intuition, informing us about practical and everyday concerns. But this subconscious intuition needs to be worked with intentionally and also trusted; otherwise, it will lay in atrophy and never have a chance to be acknowledged in the conscious mind. Although, our subconscious intuition will sometimes cause a subtle emotional disturbance when an important practical message is being neglected. So pay attention to this, and pay heed to it.
Therefore, this subconscious intuition is a very positive, practical, and helpful ability of the subconscious. Yet in order for it to actually work in practical life, our conscious mind has to make a positive conversation with our subconscious intuition. The first key is to be consciously and intentionally receptive to subconscious intuitions. The second key is to practice trust in this intuition. Now it must be stated that mistakes can still be made. Our subconscious intuition might be wrong at times. Nothing is absolutely perfect or infallible. But most of the time, our subconscious intuition is right, as long as we have cleared our psyche of aberrant deceptions. Our subconscious may not always be right; but nonetheless we must learn to trust it, because without trust, this relationship between conscious mind and subconscious intuition will simply fail.
Another helpful principle is learning how to intentionally evoke our subconscious intuition. This can be done by consciously going straight to a particular communication portal, or connection line. For example, one might find that a feeling in one's gut is their communication link to intuition, or maybe it's a feeling in the heart, or perhaps it's a scratch in the elbow, or whatever. Each person has to find something in them that they can learn to trust as the sign of practical intuition.
The subconscious can use many possible portals or pathways to conscious recognition. Dowsing is a classic example, or any oracle reading, or diving leaves or whatever. All of these are just different ways to access one's subconscious intuition – which is the practical information acquired from subconscious sensing. Our subconscious intuition, however, is different from our logical thinking mind. But both are useful in life. Each complements the other. However, sometimes we have to let go of our logical thinking mind, as well as our worrying mind, and then just trust our practical intuitional sense.
Dowsing, for example, is a technique that requires one to suspend conscious desires, logic and thinking; in order to access our subconscious information database and intuitional output. Our conscious thinking mind is what so often gets in the way of direct intuition. The thinking mind thinks of so many reasons why this or that cannot be right or cannot be true; so this part of mind has to be suspended for a time, in order to allow the subconscious part of mind to show itself, which it does through any number of dowsing methods. But all dowsing methods are based on a trust of some part of the body or hands or sight to immediately know an answer to the practical concern. The dowser allows his hands to move the dowsing tool in a way that shows the answer, or he allows the tool to move his hands in the right intuitive direction. The dowser must allow, and he must trust.
The subconscious is primarily a repetition of memories and patterns already in it. However, creativity can emerge from our subconscious. This is because creativity is an intrinsic quality of our human psyche.
Painters, musicians and writers all experience new creativity emerging from their subconscious; however, whatever emerges is based only on what has been planted there from past thoughts, emotions, and experiences. Predominately, this creativity of the subconscious is a shifting around of what is already there, like moving around parts of a picture until something better happens to appear. Of course though, this is not a bad thing at all; for most creativity or creative art is simply a re-arranging of previous patterns.
Yet of course it is the conscious mind that has to make a decisive discernment about the usefulness or value of whatever emerges from the subconscious. Whatever emerges is not necessarily gold, as it were, just as every dream conjured from the subconscious is not necessarily a wisdom solution to anything. Mostly, dreams reveal our repetitious belief and reactive patterns; that is, they reveal pictures about how we presently are mentally and emotionally. Though some dreams do reveal actual creative solutions.
Most usually, our subconscious ability to be creative is a kind of unrestrained artistic re-arrangement of patterns already existing in memory. Thus, in this experimental method of creativity, there are bound to be many silly or unusable pieces thrown to us from the subconscious, yet at the same time, some great solutions and great creative beauty can emerge from this. Like searching in a thesaurus for a possible different word to use, our subconscious mind sends forth a bunch of possibilities. Then our conscious reasoning mind must decide what out of all of this is useful.
Conscious mind is meant to be The Superconscious is the realm of spiritual intuitions and realizations. It reveals to us greater principles, values, and purposes in life, and it provides wisdom and guidance. Yet this has to enter into consciousness; that is, it has to become conscious in us. Then, through the medium of conscious mind, these Superconscious realizations can enter into the subconscious, thus positively changing wrong or dysfunctional beliefs and patterns, and generally evolving the whole person. So, one of our goals in being a whole person is for the subconscious and Superconscious to be connected, related and aligned - by way of conscious mind.
However, the Superconscious and the subconscious can be disconnected, unrelated, and remain divided. This is possible. It happens when subconscious elements remain disconnected and even resistant to higher spiritual intuition. An example would be dysfunctional or poor habits developed in the subconscious, either in this life or continued from past lives; or harmful reactive emotions or delusional beliefs. Any of this is of course possible and even prevalent throughout history. For until there is sufficient conscious reflection made upon these subconscious elements, and until there is enough consciousness in the higher conscience and intuition of the Superconscious, the subconscious might remain automatic and unaffected by Superconscious energies. This is why bad habits and evils in the world are so difficult to transform – because they become so cutoff from higher spiritual conscience and wisdom.
Superconscious needs to pattern itself into our subconscious, to bring Heaven on Earth, yet this requires the intermediating work and presence of conscious mind. Superconscious is the Higher, Greater Intelligence; which conscious mind has capacity to access and realize, or to actually enter into. Again, this is the Universal, Greater Intelligence, which for us is often understood as spiritual intuition or spiritual guidance.
The key though, in building connections between the divinely inspired Superconscious and the automaton subconscious, is the middle level between them – the conscious mind. For conscious mind is the bridge, and it is also the key to transformation. But the conscious mind is part of a larger struggle; for our conscious mind can either fall easily into subconscious patterns or it can possibly raise its sights towards the Superconscious levels of mind, upwards towards the Divine.
The Superconscious can also gain from our conscious reflection upon subconscious elements, if some understanding is gained. We can learn from our subconscious, if we observe it objectively, without getting sucked into it. We can learn from studying our own psychological dynamics, just as we can learn from any experience in the world. We learn from studying our inner world and the outer world all around us. And when we really learn something, meaning that we understand something, then this adds to the wisdom petals of our soul. Wisdom of the soul is gained by conscious learning and understanding from life experiences. This is how the soul expands its wisdom and knowingness: from conscious life experiences. This is why life incarnation is so significant for every spiritual soul. And each expansion of wisdom gained from life experience is what brings a soul towards realizing the whole Wisdom of God.
We can learn from and gain wisdom each present moment of life, but we can also learn and gain wisdom from the past and the subconscious. The past and the subconscious are actually quite related. Since the subconscious is an accumulation of the past, we can learn from the past from what is continuing on in our subconscious. In other words, our subconscious is a reflection of the past. In esoteric symbolism the subconscious is the moon -- reflecting memories and patterns from the past. So until we actually succeed at transforming negative or un-useful patterns of the subconscious, as carried on from the past, we might as well learn from all of this and gain wisdom from this understanding. Of course, we can learn from anything and from any experience, and if we can truly learn and understand something, then this makes petals of wisdom in our soul, which will then be carried onward into the future.
An interesting connection between the world subconscious and the Superconscious is in how the deepest layer of the subconscious also contains Universal Wisdom. In other words, a Universal Subconscious is at the very deepest level of the whole subconscious realm of Mind. Though it is not at the usually accessible level of our subconscious; for it is much deeper and seldom accessed. This means that the Superconscious Wisdom, the Universal Wisdom, is also found in the deepest level the world subconscious and even in the deepest level of everyone's subconscious. And because of this, the Universal/Divine Wisdom influences the natural evolution of nature, including humanity. Thus, in esoteric metaphor, there is some Divine Light in the moon of subconsciousness, which periodically waxes and wanes.
So how does this happen? In the most Cosmic beginnings and from then on, the Divine Archetypes of our Universal Being, God, pervaded into every space of the whole universe and thus became the essence of each part of the universe, of each part of nature. Therefore, God is within all things, in the deepest essence of each -- in the sub-conscious nature of each. Thus, the most fundamental pattern underlying any living being (and even any physical thing) is a reflection from the Universal Divine Pattern; and thus, the Divine Archetypes pervade and sub-exist in the sub-conscious of every being in nature, including every human being. Therefore, it can truly be said that all Divine Wisdom exists within us and within all of nature. For remember that we all came from the Divine. We all came from God, and all of nature came from God; therefore God is within us and all of nature. But then as human souls, we are returning to God consciously.
The subconscious mind can be distinguished into three sub-levels. Though these could also be re-worded as three layers of the subconscious. Layers is a better understanding in some ways, rather than levels, because they are layered together and inter-permeating, rather than being separated levels.
The first layer of the subconscious is our personal subconscious. This is the layer of our subconscious that we personally created by our repetitious behavior and reactions, as well as being created by social conditioning. Here are the accumulated memories and patterns of our present lifetime. Much of our subconscious content are learned automatic patterns, and these could be physical, emotional, or mental patterns. Some of these are useful and helpful. But some are not, because sometimes we learn to do things in a less-than best way. So our physical body accumulates patterns, some very useful and some perhaps not. The same is true of our emotional body; some patterns being useful and worthy, but other patterns perhaps not. And the same goes for our mental body, in its accumulated patterns of thinking and belief.
Many of these patterns of reaction and desire, and patterns of belief, are introjected from our parents, education, culture or media. Introjected means that impressions, emotions and ideas from our social world are swallowed up and stored in our subconscious. In effect, this is social conditioning. It is the power of social persuasion and the resulting conditioning of who we become. But mostly this all happens subconsciously (i.e. without conscious recognition and decision). Much of all this happens early on in a life, but it can also continue on into adulthood; again, based on the power of social persuasion and one's subconscious introjection of those motivators and ideas given to us by our social world.
The next layer is from our past lives. Each of us are souls traveling through lifetimes, incarnating into lifetimes. So in this layer are the memories of past lives, and also the patterns carried on from past lives. Memories are not so much accessible, but pieces of wisdom can come from these past experiences, and it is possible to recollect some of these wisdoms from our past life subconscious. Yet mostly we must deal with our past life patterns, also known as karmas, as these are carried through incarnations until transformed at some time. These patterns could be positive and very useful, just as they could be negative and very dysfunctional. Patterns can be either, so don't think of all patterns as bad or as something needed to be rid of; because we will want to keep the good patterns that are connected to useful wisdoms and skills. Lastly to mention, in case it is not obviously inferred, is that this past life subconscious can be influential in our present life.
The third layer of our subconscious is the world subconscious. This is the subconscious of the whole human world, the subconsciousness of all humanity. It is the accumulated emotional and mental realm of humanity –the emotional and mental patterns of all humanity, including reactions, desires and beliefs. All of which continue on through many generations of history, until transformed in some way, or until resolved and evolved. This layer will also include cultural mind beliefs and patterns. And at its deepest part, it will include the most fundamental emotions and beliefs of all humanity. Again to mention, in case it is not obviously inferred, is that this world subconscious can be influential in our present personal life. In fact, all persons are, in some degree, influenced by the totality of everyone. We are much more related in mind, than most people would imagine. Sure, many of us have differing beliefs and we often fight over these, but what is most unrecognized is that we share so many underlying beliefs and mind-patterns.
Now this world mind may seem to be just a deeper or more general process of introjection, as mentioned in explaining the personal layer. This is true. However, this layer of world mind, or mind of humanity, does not need to be communicated through any physical means or through people closest to us. Instead, this influence comes from the humanity's mental field, and this communication of world beliefs and emotions occurs through a causal field physics, not a kinetic physics of causal relations requiring the ordinary senses.
Similar to the subconscious mind of each person is the greater Subconscious Mind of Nature. This is comprised of the forces at work in nature, which is synonymous with what are called the laws of nature. The actual physical forces of nature do not need to be discussed here, because any good science book will do this. Rather our unique interest here is in regards to metaphysical forces or laws having to do with mind affecting manifestation. For example, what we think, or the patterns of our usual thought, becomes part of the great Subconscious Mind whereby the forces of that Mind begin to manifest that thought. People have called this the power of thought, and this power of thought is not merely confined to our self but involves a greater field of manifestation as well.
In other words, our thoughts begin to take shape in the world. Our thoughts do not necessary complete themselves in the world, but they at least begin to take shape and they certainly have an effect. Of course, not all thoughts can actually manifest, since other people tend to have their own thoughts that happen to counteract ours. False teachers have said that every thought will manifest in the world; so to make something happen all one needs to do is to think it. This is partly true in the sense that all thoughts have some effect, but it is ultimately misleading because the thoughts of one person may be counteracted by opposite thoughts of others, and the great Subconscious Mind does not play favorites. In order to really manifest something we need to get more and more people believing in and agreeing to our thought.
Here is another model of life that can be useful to work with. This model relates to life in general and also with human psychology. First of all, we divide life into mind and matter, or mental and physical. Each life, even at the plant level and even at the simple organism level, is part physical and part mental.
The physical part is the manifestation, the body and activity of the life form, and the same can be said of the human physical part. The mental part is the awareness, the sensory experience, and the intelligence of this life, or of this human being. These are mental aspects of every life.
Consider your own self, first. You have an awareness, you have a sensory experience of the world, and you have intelligence which includes ideas, thoughts and plans. Awareness is like the very substance of mind, sensations and intelligence are its basic abilities, and the content of our awareness forms our sensory experience and also our thinking about life.
So, we have divided mind into these basic aspects: awareness, sensory experience, and intelligence. Other lives, we argue, also have these aspects of mind; that is, we propose that all life forms have at least some small degree of awareness, sensory experience, and intelligence. Though it is probable that only humans have ideas, unless we grant that other lives might have very simple ideas.
Now, one more aspect of mind will be added, which is decision. This can easily be acknowledged for humans, but it can also be acknowledged for other forms of life. Decisions are being made all the time by animals. To agree with this universality of decision, it should be noted that we are speaking about decision in its most elementary sense; that is, decision is merely the need and ability to choose one path over another, and so a decision could seem quite mechanical if it is done routinely and according to need.
For example, we might agree that a simple animal or even a plant could be making a decision to move this way and not that way, but this decision might be routinely made according to strict and fixed criteria based on its physical needs. Each life has an evolutionary developed intelligence about what it needs and how to get this need fulfilled, so the life intelligently moves to meet its need; and we can call this intelligent movement its decision, even though this might well be automatic and without any time to deliberate or weigh various alternatives.
We ourselves often make decisions spontaneously and guided by an automatic or instinctual intelligence, without deliberation. These are still called decisions. Anyways, the debate about other animals or life forms having similar abilities as our own is much a matter of semantics. At least we might agree that humans have these aspects of mind: awareness, sensory experience, intelligence, and decision.
Now, we will divide mind in another way. This other way of understanding mind is not in competition with what was said above; rather it will complement the other model of mental aspects. In this next model we will distinguish three different kinds of mind, or levels of mind. Let us consider the first two levels. These are called conscious and subconscious mind. There is already much written about this, so we will keep this brief and essential.
Conscious mind involves four aspects:
1) being here consciously present right now
2) intelligent thoughtful deliberation,
3) emotional and sensory experiences,
4) making decisions
Being here consciously present, or present awareness, is the essence of conscious mind. The three other aspects are about what happens in our conscious mind. The second aspect we called intelligent thoughtful deliberation, though some people might be skeptical about how intelligent our thought is at times. Nonetheless, all thought and deliberation involves some degree of intelligence. In the third aspect of emotional and sensory experiences, this is a lot of what we daily experience. And finally we all make decisions with at least some degree of conscious mind. Decisions might be about the future, as in making plans or deciding what we will do next month; yet nonetheless, decisions are made in the present moment, and if they are made tomorrow, they will be made in tomorrow’s present moment. Decision is intrinsically related to will, or the power of will, or will-power. Essentially, human will is the power to make decisions, and ‘will-power’ is the added ability to complete those decisions.
The subconscious mind is underneath the conscious and is hidden from view. The subconscious works on its own, without any need of conscious decisions. It makes its own decisions based on the needs and the factors known to it. Most of our intelligent thinking is actually going on in the subconscious, and much is being ‘figured out’ in the subconscious; for it is kind of like our own personal computer. One important thing to know about the subconscious is that it works in a routine, mechanical manner; kind of like the computer that gets things done. Though a possible problem is that the subconscious follows patterns of the past, or it tends to routinely repeat past patterns, so it fosters habits, whether good or bad habits, good or bad patterns. And as such, the subconscious is reliable, but it is also more difficult to change, or say re-program. Thus, another important thing about the subconscious is that it can be re-programmed or re-patterned. The subconscious needs to become our helpful consistent tool, or computer mind, but we have to consciously program or train it, and then it work consistently and reliably for us.
One more note is that, although we have said that the subconscious is hidden from conscious view, which it normally is, it is possible to consciously witness the subconscious at work. It is like looking into the sea or a lake; you can see into the upper parts of it, but the lower parts remain hidden. It is like seeing into how our mind is working – how it is working unintentionally or automatically. This is a power of the conscious mind – to watch and study the subconscious mind – at least to some degree. And this gives our conscious intelligence the information needed to make new decisions and new re-programming of the subconscious.
Finally to say is that other forms of life have much more subconscious mind at work in relation to conscious mind. Some humans have very little conscious mind at work, but they function quite well in society with their subconscious. This is even more true with other animals and plants; for they function for the most part subconsciously. And the last final thing to mention is that subconscious mind is the level closer to manifestation. It is closer to structure and physical form; while conscious mind is more in the realm of immediate possibility and potential. So, the subconscious works out its patterns into manifestation, while the conscious mind is meant to make immediate and new decisions, as well as to have immediate present experience of life.