A digest for conscious living
For the past few days I have been practicing self hypnosis as an addendum to my meditations. In addition to a book I read on the subject a few years ago, I have recently been reading a new book on self hypnosis which has inspired me to begin experimenting with it again.
Fundamentally, self hypnosis consists of calming one’s conscious mind in a specific way in order to be able to access the subconscious. Once this has been achieved one can then literally speak to the subconscious and make suggestions, thereby influencing the behavior of the mind on a subconscious level.
The subconscious part of the mind makes up the large majority of a human being’s consciousness. It is non-localized, which means it resides not only in the brain but throughout the entire body. All of the body’s involuntary processes, which is to say the overwhelming majority of them, are regulated by the subconscious mind. The immense complexity of all the inner organs, the beating of the heart, the growth of hair, the balance and distribution of hormones, the metabolic process, the maintenance and directing of the immune system, and the coordination of all these different systems- it is quite awe inspiring to think about the intelligence and organizing power that our subconscious must wield.
Interestingly however, in certain ways, the subconscious is surprisingly unsophisticated. Once the subconscious has been accessed, it is surprisingly easy to manipulate, as it is very impressionable. In a way, communication with the subconscious has much in common with the way one would communicate with a small child. It is important to be aware that all suggestions are taken completely literally by the subconscious.
Over the past few days, I have been going into a hypnotic state and suggesting to my subconscious that it relieve me of some nagging back tension and discomfort that I have been suffering from. I have been pleasantly surprised at how well and how quickly this treatment has worked. Granted, I believe that I was easily able to go into a fairly deep hypnosis because it is just a small lateral step from a meditative state, but even after the very first session, I felt a marked decrease in my back pain. The positive result of my first attempt was supported by the fact that it has worked at least as well if not better with each successive session.
What a powerful tool this could be! There are so many beneficial applications for being able to influence the power of my subconscious that I hardly know where to begin. I will continue experimenting with it, but I am beginning to suspect that self hypnosis might become an invaluable resource in my journey toward Lucid Living.
Goodnight,
Kikta