Do Plants Have Intelligency

Like higher organisms, plants appear able to make complex decisions. A new study shows that plants may be able to initiate a survival mechanism by aborting their own seeds to prevent parasite infestation.

Plants have previously been shown to draw alternative sources of energy from other plants. Plants influence each other in many ways and they communicate through“nanomechanical oscillations” vibrations on the tiniest atomic or molecular scale or as close as you can get to telepathic communication.

Plants exhibit intelligence with an intrinsic ability to process information from several type of stimuli that allows optimal decisions about future activities in a given environment.

Stefano Mancuso from the International Laboratory of Plant Neurobiology at the University of Florence, Italy, and his colleagues are starting to apply rigorous standards to study plant hearing (Trends in Plant Sciences, vol17, p323). Their preliminary results indicate that corn roots grow towards specific frequencies of vibrations. What is even more surprising is their finding that roots themselves may also be emitting sound waves. For now, though, we have no idea how a plant might produce sound signals let alone how they might detect them.

Scientists from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the University of Gottingen have now shown from their investigations on Barberry (Berberis vulgaris), that it is is able to abort its own seeds to prevent parasite infestation.

The results, as reported in a news release, are the first ecological evidence of complex behaviour in plants. They indicate that this species has a structural memory, is able to differentiate between inner and outer conditions as well as anticipate future risks, scientists write in the renowned journal American Naturalist — the premier peer-reviewed American journal for theoretical ecology.

The European barberry or simply Barberry (Berberis vulgaris) is a species of shrub distributed throughout Europe. It is related to the Oregon grape (Mahonia aquifolium) that is native to North America and that has been spreading through Europe for years. Scientists compared both species to find a marked difference in parasite infestation:“a highly specialized species of tephritid fruit fly, whose larvae actually feed on the seeds of the native Barberry, was found to have a tenfold higher population density on its new host plant, the Oregon grape”, reports Dr. Harald Auge, a biologist at the UFZ.

This led scientists to examine the seeds of the Barberry more closely. Approximately 2000 berries were collected from different regions of Germany, examined for signs of piercing and then cut open to examine any infestation by the larvae of the tephritid fruit fly (Rhagoletis meigenii). This parasite punctures the berries in order to lay its eggs inside them. If the larva is able to develop, it will often feed on all of the seeds in the berry. A special characteristic of the Barberry is that each berry usually has two seeds and that the plant is able to stop the development of its seeds in order to save its resources. This mechanism is also employed to defend it from the tephritid fruit fly. If a seed is infested with the parasite, later on the developing larva will feed on both seeds. If however the plant aborts the infested seed, then the parasite in that seed will also die and the second seed in the berry is saved.

When analysing the seeds, the scientists came across a surprising discovery: “the seeds of the infested fruits are not always aborted, but rather it depends on how many seeds there are in the berries”, explains Dr. Katrin M. Meyer, who analysed the data at the UFZ and currently works at the University of Goettingen. If the infested fruit contains two seeds, then in 75 per cent of cases, the plants will abort the infested seeds, in order to save the second intact seed. If however the infested fruit only contains one seed, then the plant will only abort the infested seed in 5 per cent of cases. The data from fieldwork were put into a computer model which resulted in a conclusive picture. Using computer model calculations, scientists were able to demonstrate how those plants subjected to stress from parasite infestation reacted very differently from those without stress. “If the Barberry aborts a fruit with only one infested seed, then the entire fruit would be lost. Instead it appears to ‘speculate’ that the larva could die naturally, which is a possibility. Slight chances are better than none at all”, explains Dr. Hans-Hermann Thulke from the UFZ. “This anticipative behaviour, whereby anticipated losses and outer conditions are weighed up, very much surprised us. The message of our study is therefore that plant intelligence is entering the realms of ecological possibility.”

But how does the Barberry know what is in store for it after the tephritid fruit fly has punctured a berry? It is still unclear as to how the plant processes information and how this complex behaviour was able to develop over the course of its evolution. The Oregon grape that is closely related to the Barberry has been living in Europe for some 200 years with the risk of being infested by the tephritid fruit fly and yet it has not developed any such comparable defence strategy. These new insights shed some light on the underestimated abilities of plants, while at the same time bringing up many new questions.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

April McCarthy is a community journalist playing an active role reporting and analyzing world events to advance our health and eco-friendly initiatives.

Credits: April McCarthy, Prevent Disease

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Three Scientific Concepts That Can Make Us More Spiritual

“There is nothing you can learn from as much as a problem you cannot fully solve. Unsolved problems can be some of the greatest tormentors, but also the greatest teachers. Unsolved problems keep the mind hungry and the eyes open.” –Jonathan Zap

When it comes down to it, the universe is a baffling place. There is perhaps nothing more baffling than the fact that there’s even a universe to be baffled by. How many universes are there? Some scientists claim the answer could be anything between zero (this universe is an illusion) and infinity (multiverse). Nobody really knows the answer. And yet, the more we know, the more fascinating everything seems. The more baffling the question, the more exhilaration we feel. It’s the unanswered questions that pull us forward and bring a sense of the spiritual to the task of figuring things out.

Even the things we have figured out are minuscule compared to the things we can’t even imagine we can’t explain. Like Werner Heisenberg said, “The existing scientific concepts cover always only a very limited part of reality, and the other part that has not yet been understood is infinite.” Here then are four basic unexplained scientific concepts that seemingly bridge the gap between science and spirituality, and just might make us more spiritual in the process of trying to figure them out.

1.) INFINITY

“We, aeronauts of the spirit! …it was our fate to be wrecked against infinity.” –Nietzsche

Infinity says we’re everything, finitude says we’re nothing. Between the two, we flow. From microcosm to macrocosm we are infinite beings perceiving an infinite reality using finite faculties. As such, infinity will always elude us. Infinity cannot be pigeonholed into finite scientific inquiry. The universe is infinite at every point. Every point is itself infinite, creating an infinite array of infinities: an infinite super-infinity multiplied by other super-infinities equaling an infinitely more infinite level of uber-infinity (Cantor’s Set Theory). And that’s just the infinite water molecule on the infinite ice cube balancing on the tip of an infinite iceberg, as this just speaks toward the spatial aspects of infinity. Once you throw in the temporal aspects of infinity then the brain-flipping really begins.

Temporal infinity leads us down a wormhole of infinite realities, where timelines are nothing more than quantized time-particles themselves. Every nano-second of every timeline is an infinite nano-second branching off into infinite timelines each with their own set of nano-seconds branching off infinitely through something outside of time. Huh? Toss in the never-ending irrational number Pi, which is so long that it cannot even be contained by our universe and may even contain the universe within itself, and then the brain-crushing somersaults really begins.

Are you baffled? Good, because that’s a healthy reaction. But there is a veritable boon of spiritual gold in the perplexing conundrum of infinity. I mean, as long as infinity is the rule, there can be no such thing as boredom. If spirituality means anything it means honoring the sacred and respecting the soul of things while also relating to the intellectual and higher endowments of the mind. It means having a genuine concern for that which is unseen and intangible as well as what’s physical and mundane.

If we’re bored we cannot be spiritual. There’s no space for spirituality if there is no awe, no astonishment, and no baffling curiosity to grapple with. The concept of infinity promises that we will never be bored. If there’s always something more to learn (infinite knowledge) then there can be no boredom, which brings up an interesting correlation between boredom and knowing. If we knew everything, we’d be cursed with eternal boredom and tedium. But since there’s always something more to learn, we’re blessed with eternal awe and fascination. It turns out that an infinite mind aware is infinitely bored, while a finite mind aware is infinitely enchanted.

2.) QUANTUM MECHANICS (SPACE & TIME)

“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. When we recognize our place in an immensity of light-years and the passage of ages, when we grasp the intricacy, beauty and subtlety of life, then that soaring feeling, that sense of elation and humility combined, is surely spiritual.” –Carl Sagan

Atoms consist of 99.9999999% empty space. That means: everything from the chair you’re sitting on, the computer you’re staring at, even you, are only 000000001% there. In all actuality, nothing can exist separate from anything else. Everything is needed for anything to be possible. Maybe intuiting “space” is the mind’s way of preventing everything from being in the same place. Maybe “time” is the mind’s way of preventing everything from happening at once. Either way, much spiritual abundance is here to be had.

Perhaps space-time is nothing more than the insomnia of Infinity. Perhaps our searching for an explanation to time is akin to a fish searching for water. The fact that scientists can’t even explain something as simple as why the “arrow of time” only seems to move in one direction is absolutely bewildering. Most physicists even go so far as to claim that time is an illusion. And that’s because most of the research is pointing in exactly that direction. Pun intended. From Einstein’s relativity theory to Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle, from Schrödinger’s equation to Gödel’s incompleteness theorem, from quantum tunneling to the now eleven dimensions of space, space-time is one giant conundrum. It screams paradox. But is it really?

We find ourselves looking back and wondering: if history has proven, time and time again, that human perception is inadequate for explaining the way things “actually” are (flat earth, geocentric solar system, uniform time, etc.) who is to say that our perceptions are not tricking us into seeing what we think is real, as opposed to what is “actually” real? Perhaps the paradox isn’t time and space. Perhaps the paradox is us. It’s not reality that’s begging the question. It’s us, we, the very things pointing at everything and screaming “paradox” that needs to be questioned, measured, and deemed fallible. When we grasp the utter futility and beauty of this conundrum, a sense of humiliation and joy combines to gift us a spiritual goldmine of cosmic proportions.

3.) CONSCIOUSNESS

“Human consciousness is just about the last surviving mystery. A mystery is a phenomenon that people don’t know how to think about – yet. There have been other great mysteries: the mystery of the origin of the universe, the mystery of life, the mysteries of time, space, and gravity… With consciousness, however, we are still in a terrible muddle. Consciousness stands alone today as a topic that often leaves even the most sophisticated thinkers tongue-tied and confused. And, as with all of the earlier mysteries, there are many who insist — and hope — that there will never be a demystification of consciousness.” -Daniel C. Dennett

Consciousness is the granddaddy of all unexplained scientific concepts, the be-all-end-all of all things unexplainable. I mean, we don’t even know how to go about thinking about not understanding it. Consciousness is the muddled soup of the previous two unexplained concepts combined, with the added bonus of being an unexplained concept itself, and the only tool we have to explain how unexplainable it is. Can you say Möbius-snake eating its own Möbius-tail? Can you say Schrödinger’s alive-cat chasing Schrödinger’s dead-cat around in a box that may or may not exist?

From Hugh Everett’s Many Worlds interpretation of the collapsing wave-function to the multiple histories in Feynman’s Diagrams, each and every particle (electrons, photons, protons) is in an infinite superposition across the multiverse of reality. The wavefunction of each infinite particle collapses only when something, a conscious observer, attempts to measure it. In fact, the research is showing that the particles are not even quantized particles UNTIL they are observed. Before observation, they are merely an infinitely smeared-out wavefunction quantum entangled with everything else.

Even stranger is how the research shows that each of us (who are also made up of protons and electrons), and every single object in the universe, are entangled in the superposition of each and every other particle. This means that not only are all particles spread out infinitely throughout the multiverse, but so are we. So is everything! It’s only conscious observation itself that is bringing tangibility to anything. Without conscious observation, everything is simply infinite, no beginning and no ending, merely infinite energy. With conscious observation, however, we have form and shape and texture and flowers and mountains and planets and galaxies and the universe. More importantly, we have ourselves, observing the absolute miracle of it all.

Consciousness is the medium by which reality, as we know it, exists. It is both the glue that binds all things and the force that separates things into conceivable constructs. It’s a matrix within a matrix observing and creating the matrix it’s in while branching out into an infinite amount of parallel matrixes in a multi-matrix which is spread out through the uber-matrix of time and space. Indeed, it is that which dares to count to Pi. Without conscious observation, everything is everything. With conscious observation, everything is separate, dynamic, beautiful, meaningful, and, yes, spiritual. And suddenly we are not so small.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gary ‘Z’ McGee, a former Navy Intelligence Specialist turned philosopher, is the author of Birthday Suit of God and The Looking Glass Man. His works are inspired by the great philosophers of the ages and his wide awake view of the modern world.

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The New Natural Testoesterone that boost your rave

Wow... I'm getting old.

It's a disturbing thought, one that usually hits after an unexpected physical challenge. Maybe you've been unable to maintain your usual workout levels, or recovery is taking a lot longer than it used to. Perhaps fixes to the house are just a bit more difficult, or you can't perform in the bedroom the way you used to.

What's most startling about this realization is that you don't normally "feel old" but, nevertheless, you know you don't look or feel like the man you used to be.

And the issue? You might not have enough free testosterone

A person's bloodstream contains two types of testosterone: bonded testosterone and free testosterone. Bonded testosterone attaches to molecules in the body and is mostly ineffective. However, free testosterone can enter your cells easily and plays a vital role in libido, strength, stamina, and vitality—all of which are important to men.

Over the last few years the market has been flooded with questionable options for increasing a man's free testosterone levels: useless pills, questionable supplements, and dangerous or illegal medical treatments. But now a group of researchers in Boston, Massachusetts have developed a dietary supplement that triggers the body to increase its levels of free testosterone naturally and safely.

Called Nugenix, the supplement primarily relies on an ingredient called Testofen®, which comes from the rare Fenugreek plant. Testofen® has been shown in clinical trials to boost free testosterone levels, increase sex drive, and improve libido. Adding to Nugenix's potency are additional key ingredients like zinc and vitamins B12 and B6, which have been shown to improve physical performance and strength, increase drive, and aid in recovery.

Nugenix has no harmful side effects, is manufactured in the United States under FDA Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), and has been shown to deliver improvements in strength and endurance in as little as a week.

This isn't product hype delivered by a know-it-all enthusiast from the gym. According to studies held in both Irvine, California and Queensland, Australia, the results from Nugenix are nothing short of spectacular. From greater muscle definition and quicker recovery times, to increased sex drive and feelings of alertness, these users are reporting virtual transformations as a result of safely boosting their free testosterone with Nugenix.

Nugenix is the top selling men’s vitality product in GNC, outselling every other brand —many of which don’t contain the clinically substantiated amounts of Testofen® needed to see actual results.

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Has Science Finally Sure the Existence of Acupuncture Points, Validating Chinese Medicine?

The number of acupuncturists, Traditional Chinese Medicinal (TCM) doctors, and complimentary alternative medicine (CAM) patients is growing in the United States, yet mainstream science, medicine and health insurance companies often disregard acupuncture as a legitimate medical treatment.

However, it appears that science may finally be able to visually verify the existence of acupuncture points, meridians (vessels within the body that conduct Chi, or life force energy, much like the wires in an electrical circuit), and Chi cavities within the human body.

Using a new combination of imaging techniques and CT scans (computerized tomography), researchers have observed concentrated points of microvascular structures  that clearly correspond to the map of acupuncture points created by Chinese energy doctors nearly 2000 years ago.

“In this study published in the Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, researchers used in-line phase contrast CT imaging with synchrotron radiation on both non-acupuncture points and acupuncture points. The CT scans revealed clear distinctions between the non-acupuncture point and acupuncture point anatomical structures.

A CT (computerized tomography) scan is a series of X-rays used to create cross-sectional images. In this study published in the Journal of Electron Spectroscopy and Related Phenomena, researchers used in-line phase contrast CT imaging with synchrotron radiation on both non-acupuncture points and acupuncture points. The CT scans revealed clear distinctions between the non-acupuncture point and acupuncture point anatomical structures.” [Source]

The CT scans have discovered that known acupuncture points within the body have a higher density of “micro-vessels and contain a large amount of involuted microvascular structures.”

According to Chinese medicine, life force energy is carried throughout the body in a complex system of vessels called Meridians, and follows the free flow of blood within the body. If the movement of blood is restricted within the body, then so is the movement of life force energy, thereby causing disharmony in the otherwise proper symbiotic functioning of the organs.

The physical and esoteric arts of Tai Chi and Qi Gong deliberately work to improve the vascular flow of blood in order to move Chi more freely throughout the body. The effect of which is improved health and immunity, higher energy levels, and improved mental and emotional functioning. This would appear to now be validated scientifically by this research, which concludes that acupuncture points have higher concentrations of micro-vessels near the surface of the skin. The points do indeed appear to be connected to locations within the body where more blood can be concentrated.

“Acupuncture points have a higher density of micro-vessels and contain a large amount of involuted microvascular structures. The non-acupuncture points did not exhibit these properties.”

This study also identifies some of the major Meridians in the body, which are credited to have been discovered over 2000 years ago during the reign of the mystical Yellow Emporer (Huang Di), who is broadly accepted as the founder of Chinese medicine and acupuncture.

“They also commented that other research has found unique structures of acupuncture points and acupuncture meridians using MRI (magnetic resonance imaging), infrared imaging, LCD thermal photography, ultrasound and other CT imaging methods. The researchers commented that many studies using these technological approaches have already shown that acupuncture points exist.”

Related studies using amperometric oxygen microsensors has revealed partial oxygen pressure variations which, again, correspond with the energetic maps of the human body developed by the Chinese, who, without our modern technology somehow derived this system of health and wellness which has benefitted millions over the years. Below are images related to these scans:

This research should provide a boon for complementary alternative medicine, which undoubtedly provides relief and healing to many people, yet is constantly being derided and downplayed by so called ‘skeptics’ and rigid scientists as ‘pseudo-science.’ Many detractors of acupuncture claim that the treatments represent nothing more than elaborate placebos, yet, for those who’ve directly benefitted from TCM or who’ve committed themselves to the practices of the Chinese energetic arts there really is no dependency on Western science for validation of the effectiveness of TCM.

About the Author

Buck Rogers is the earth bound incarnation of that familiar part of our timeless cosmic selves, the rebel within. He is a surfer of ideals and meditates often on the promise of happiness in a world battered by the angry seas of human thoughtlessness. He is a staff writer for WakingTimes.com, where this article was originally featured.

References:

http://arthuryinfan.wordpress.com/2009/08/16/how-many-acupuncturists-in-united-states-in-2009-how-much-dollars-business-these-provider-created/

http://www.acupuncture.org.uk/public-content/public-traditional-acupuncture/history-of-acupuncture.html

http://www.healthcmi.com/Acupuncture-Continuing-Education-News/1230-new-ct-scans-reveal-acupuncture-points

http://www.webmd.com/balance/features/acupuncture-goes-mainstream

This article is offered under Creative Commons license. It’s okay to republish it anywhere as long as attribution bio is included and all links remain intact.

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15 Tips For Empaths And Highly Sensitive People

Empathic ability allows you to read and understand people’s energy. This ability may be genetic, passing from generation to generation. You may share this ability with a relative, so look at your family tree; does anyone else seem to fit the description? Empaths have the ability to scan another’s energy for thoughts, feelings and possibly for past, present, and future life occurrences. Most empaths are unaware of how this really works, and have accepted that they are sensitive to other people’s energy. The ability to correctly perceive and to some extent mirror the energy of another is a challenge. This gift allows us to steer ourselves through life with added perception. You need to be selective and have coping skills in place, if not you will easily be overwhelmed.

These are some excellent methods for coping:

1. Schedule time with you:

Spending time alone creates the space needed to release emotion, energy and stress.

2. Positive Affirmations:

Short messages that train thought patterns. An example: “Let me receive what is in my best and highest good at this time”3. Shielding:

Placing a protective shield of white light that is around and encasing you in a bubble, remember to make a grounding cord so you don’t float away!

4. Chakra Cleansing and Balancing:

Regular cleaning of the chakras will keep your energy field free of negative or unwanted energy. Re-balance them by bringing in energy that will create alignment and balance.

5. Centering:   

Align yourself with spirit and get out of Ego.  Try to live in the moment and whatever emotion comes up express and release it.

6. Stones:

Some people find that crystals and gemstones aid in clearing negative energy and maintaining balance. Choose yours by trying several different stones,and by paying attention to how each feels.

7. Aroma therapy:

Essential oils can enhance well being. Choose what elevates or calms your mood.

8. Forgiveness:

Forgiving others and forgiving self is one of the most powerful tools you have. It will clear your energy and raise your vibrational rate.

9. Grounding:

We have a grounding cord in the root chakra that connects us to the earth. Being aware of this and using this cord to both send negative energy into the earth where it is absorbed and drawing nourishing energy up from the center of the earth will increase your energetic flow.

10. Meditation: 

Quiets the mind so you can center, be present and listen to the voice within.

11. Soothing Sounds:

Relax yourself using music or nature sounds.

12. Animals and Nature:

Being in Nature or spending time with our pets is a great way to relax, clear energy and connect.

13. Smudging: 

The Native Americans have been doing this with great results for years. Burning sage while stating an intention is a great method for clearing energy.

14. Yoga: 

Yoga is effective because it combines breathing, centering and grounding. A wonderful way to raise vibrational energy.

15. Gratitude and intention journal:

Ending the day by writing a list of things you are grateful for and then stating an intention to work towards keeps the energetic flow steady.

Credits: Lynn Zambrano of www.omtimes.com

About the Author:

Lynn Zambrano R.N., has worked professionally as a nurse on a psychiatric crisis unit. While working as a nurse she studied energy healing and further developed her intuitive gifts. As an intuitive life guide she helps others achieve the success they want by breaking through perceived barriers, finding inner wisdom, clarity of mind, and inner strength. Twitter and Facebook, or email her at Lightminded1@yahoo.com. You can also visit Lynn at www.holisticmindcoach.com 

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Research reveal Exercise Grow Our Brain

Scientists know that exercise can foster the growth of new brain cells, but the factors responsible for this phenomenon have not been well understood.

In a recent study, researchers have discovered the chemical process that makes this happen. What’s more is that they may be able to “bottle” the chemical that produces this benefit, so a brain-growth pill may be coming to your drug store in the future.

EXERCISE AND THE BRAIN

A part of the brain particularly receptive to new nerve cell growth in response to endurance exercise is the hippocampus, which is a structure associated with learning and memory. The process by which this happens was unclear until recently.

Scientists knew that when endurance exercise works up a sweat, the body produces and releases into the blood stream a protein known as FNDC5. In this study, they found over time that FNDC5 activates the production of another brain protein known as Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF). This protein is the factor that stimulates the growth of new nerves as well as the synapses, structures that allow information to pass between nerve cells. Additionally, BDNF helps facilitate the survival of existing brain cells.

How does this process affect you? Endurance exercise, such as jogging or brisk walking, makes your brain stronger and enables it to grow. It fosters improved memory and ability to learn, along with the other benefits of exercise like enhanced heart health.

These benefits are available to anyone who exercises — but what about those who are unable to have a workout? Researchers at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Harvard Medical School found the protein that activates brain growth could potentially be bottled and prescribed for patients experiencing cognitive decline. In effect, the protein would trick the body into thinking it had exercised, resulting in brain growth and improved brain function.

EXERCISE IN A BOTTLE

Co-senior author Bruce Spiegelman, Ph.D. expressed excitement that a natural substance can be given in the bloodstream that simulates some of the benefits of exercise on the brain. In the new study, this natural benefit from exercise was produced artificially in non-exercising mice.

The protein that exercise stimulates, FNDC5, was injected into the bloodstream of mice. After a week, scientists found a notable increase in BDNF in the brain’s hippocampus, a learning and memory region. In other words, the researchers were able to generate the brain growth benefit in the mice independently of exercise. The effect on the brain could be likened to “exercise in a bottle.”

Although the researchers caution that the effects of the study involving mice would need to be duplicated in studies involving humans, the results are promising. In the meantime, the study gives people one more reason to exercise.

About the author:

Mary West is a natural health enthusiast, as she believes this area can profoundly enhance overall wellness. Ms. West is the author of Fight Cancer Through Powerful Natural Strategies, and the creator of alternativemedicinetruth.com, a natural healing website where she focuses on solutions to health problems that work without side effects.

References:

http://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2013/10/13/how-exercise-makes-your-brain-grow/
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/267396.php
http://www.medicaldaily.com/exercise-could-prevent-alzheimers-boost-brain-health-through-domino-effect-protein-production-259836

Credits: **This article was originally featured on: Live in the Now

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The Conscious, Subconscious, And Unconscious Mind – How Does It All Work?

Just how does the conscious, subconscious, and unconscious mind work? And what is the difference between them?

In these series of articles we’ll have a look at how the three minds – conscious, subconscious, and unconscious – work together to create your reality … and how to use that knowledge to change your habits and create a happier, more peaceful and confident you.

A WALK THROUGH THE HUMAN MIND

The concept of three levels of mind is nothing new.Sigmund Freud, the famous Austrian psychologist was probably the first to popularize it into mainstream society as we know it today. Even though his theories have subsequently been widely disputed in Psychology circles because they are very hard to scientifically prove, Freud nonetheless created a useful model of the mind, which he separated into 3 tiers or sections – the conscious mind or ego, the preconscious, and the unconscious mind.

The best way I have found to illustrate the concept of the three minds is by using a triangle. If you imagine at the very tip of the triangle is your conscious mind. It occupies only a small portion of space at the top, a bit like an iceberg where only a fraction of it is showing above the water. It probably represents about 10% of your brain capacity.

Below this is a slightly larger section that Freud called the preconscious, or what some refer to as the subconscious. It is much larger than the conscious mind and accounts for around 50-60% of your brain capabilities.

The section below this is the unconscious mind. It occupies the whole width of the base of the triangle and fills out the other 30-40% of the triangle. It is vast and deep and largely inaccessible to conscious thought, a bit like the dark depths of the ocean.

A WALK THROUGH THE HUMAN MIND

The concept of three levels of mind is nothing new.Sigmund Freud, the famous Austrian psychologist was probably the first to popularize it into mainstream society as we know it today. Even though his theories have subsequently been widely disputed in Psychology circles because they are very hard to scientifically prove, Freud nonetheless created a useful model of the mind, which he separated into 3 tiers or sections – the conscious mind or ego, the preconscious, and the unconscious mind.

The best way I have found to illustrate the concept of the three minds is by using a triangle. If you imagine at the very tip of the triangle is your conscious mind. It occupies only a small portion of space at the top, a bit like an iceberg where only a fraction of it is showing above the water. It probably represents about 10% of your brain capacity.

Below this is a slightly larger section that Freud called the preconscious, or what some refer to as the subconscious. It is much larger than the conscious mind and accounts for around 50-60% of your brain capabilities.

The section below this is the unconscious mind. It occupies the whole width of the base of the triangle and fills out the other 30-40% of the triangle. It is vast and deep and largely inaccessible to conscious thought, a bit like the dark depths of the ocean.

HOW THEY WORK TOGETHER

Your conscious mind is what most people associate with who you are, because that is where most people live day to day. But it’s by no means where all the action takes place.

Your conscious mind is a bit like the captain of a ship standing on the bridge giving out orders. In reality it’s the crew in the engine room below deck (the subconscious and the deeper unconscious) that carry out the orders. The captain may be in charge of the ship and give the orders but its the crew that actually guides the ship, all according to what training they had been given over the years to best do so.

The conscious mind communicates to the outside world and the inner self through speech, pictures, writing, physical movement, and thought.

The subconscious mind, on the other hand, is in charge of our recent memories, and is in continuous contact with the resources of the unconscious mind.

The unconscious mind is the storehouse of all memories and past experiences, both those that have been repressed through trauma and those that have simply been consciously forgotten and no longer important to us. It’s from these memories and experiences that our beliefs, habits, and behaviors are formed.

The unconscious constantly communicates with the conscious mind via our subconscious, and is what provides us with the meaning to all our interactions with the world, as filtered through your beliefs and habits. It communicates through feelings, emotions, imagination, sensations, and dreams.

THE MIND IN ACTION

The following analogy may help to clarify the concept of how the three minds work a little more.

If you imagine you mind is like a computer …

Your conscious mind is best represented by the keyboard and monitor. Data is inputted on the keyboard and the results are thrown up on the monitor screen. That is how your conscious mind works – information is taken in via some outside (or internal) stimulus from your environment and the results are thrown up instantaneously into your consciousness.

Your subconscious is like the RAM in your computer. For those who don’t know, RAM is the place in a computer where programs and data that are currently in use are kept so they can easily be reached quickly by the computer processor. It is much faster than other types of memory, such as the hard disk or CD-ROM.

Your subconscious works in the same way. Any recent memories are stored there for quick recall when needed, such as what your telephone number is or the name of a person you just met. It also holds your current programs that you run every day, such as your current recurring thoughts, behavior patterns, habits, and feelings.

Your unconscious is like the hard disk drive in your computer. It is the long term storage place for all your memories and programs that have been installed since birth.

Your unconscious mind (and ultimately your subconscious mind) then uses these programs to make sense of all the data you receive from the world and to keep you safe and ensure your survival. The logic of these two minds is that if it worked in the past and you survived, then it will help you get through similar situations by the same means, no matter how misguided, painful, and unhelpful the results may be to you personally in the outside world.

THE JOURNEY BEGINS

As mentioned, these sections and their functions have been hotly debated over the years by many other psychologists, philosophers, and scientists, because it’s very hard to empirically prove they exist. Despite all this, I still find it a great analogy to use, and at the end of the day if it works for you and makes sense, then that’s all that matters.

THE CONSCIOUS MIND

If you ask most people to define what the conscious mind does you’ll get varying answers. Some say what distinguishes it from the subconscious (or even the unconscious) is awareness.

But to say the subconscious is unaware is plain wrong. It has been well documented that you can be influenced by your surroundings or what people say even when your conscious mind is totally out of it, such as when you’re under anesthetic or asleep. And what about when you drive to some destination but when you get there you have no memory of the trip. In those situations it’s your subconscious that stays aware and performs the necessary functions.

Another argument people put forth is that the conscious mind is where you do all your thinking and logical reasoning. But that too doesn’t entirely distinguish it from your subconscious or unconscious. Your unconscious minds are the storage place of all your memories, emotions and habits and are in fact very good at reasoning and logic.

Take, for example, when you were a baby. Your conscious mind had not yet developed enough to test and measure all the information from your environment, so at this age it sits in the background and it’s your subconscious and unconscious that does all the data gathering and reasoning – identifying that the bottle or nipple is a source of food, that crying gets you attention, that cuddles from mum means you are safe. In this stage it’s your other two minds hard at work forming logical patterns of association (habits, beliefs, and emotions) that help you to survive.

By far the best explanation that I have found for the two most powerful functions your fully developed conscious mind can do that the other two can’t is …

1. Its ability to direct your focus.
2. Its ability to imagine that which is not real

It’s these two very important abilities that can change your life. Lets take a quick look at each …

DIRECTING YOUR FOCUS

While your subconscious mind has a much stronger sense of awareness of your surroundings than your conscious mind (some suggest it’s where your “sixth sense” comes from) and is always switched on, even when asleep, it really does just obey orders from your conscious mind. If all you do is focus your conscious thoughts continually on negative things, then your subconscious will obediently deliver the feelings, emotions, and memories that you have associated with that type of thinking. And because those feelings will become your reality, you can then be caught up in a never ending loop of negativity, fear, and anxiety, constantly looking for the bad in every situation.

Take, for example, when you are laying in bed late at night and hear something go “bump” in the night. If you let your thoughts and imagination wander to all the horrible things that might happen, then your subconscious will throw up the feelings, emotions, and memories of past events that you’ve associated with those thoughts. Its your subconscious’s way of protecting you and preparing you for fight or flight in those situations.

On the other hand, if you consciously tell yourself and direct your focus to more rational, calming thoughts, then the feelings will subside or disappear.

Some people find it quite easy and natural to direct their thoughts towards a more positive outlook on life and every situation. It really depends on the type of programming your subconscious and unconscious has had since birth. For example – do you sway towards pessimism or optimism, negative thinking or positive thinking, happiness or anger, or somewhere in between? Identifying which way you sway is the start to improving it.

This ability of your conscious mind to direct your attention and awareness is one of the most important powers you have, and to create change in your life you must learn to control what you consciously focus on.

But how do you do that? The actual skill of directing your focus is quite simple … all it comes down to is making a choice. Deciding how you will think and what thoughts you will allow into your mind will determine your destiny. It can literally be used for good or evil, for constructive or destructive means.

Our mental thoughts are probably the only one true freedom we have in this world that we can actually control. A man can be physically trapped in prison in absolute inhumane conditions and yet still be free in his own mind – Victor Frankl and Nelson Mandela (among many others) are testament to that fact. We alone can choose how we are going to respond to our experiences in life.

USING YOUR IMAGINATION

The other important ability of the conscious mind is the use of visualization. Your mind can literally imagine something that is totally new and unique – something you’ve never physically experienced before. By contrast, your subconscious can only offer versions of what memories it has stored of your past experiences.

But the really neat trick is that the subconscious can’t distinguish between that which the conscious mind imagines and that which is real, so whatever is brought up by conscious imagination and intently focused on, also brings up all the emotions and feelings that are associated with that image in your mind for you to experience.

For example, if you’ve ever day dreamed before about winning lotto, or perhaps looked forward to being with that someone special you love, then you would have felt the joy that those thoughts had conjured up in your head, even though you knew intellectually it wasn’t physically happening at that very moment. But your subconscious thought it was happening to you, and that’s why it offered those feelings and emotions it associated with those thoughts. It truly is a marvelous gift we have!

Visualization can be used to create some amazing results. In one sporting study three groups of people were tested on their ability to improve their free throw accuracy in basketball. They were tested at the start of the experiment and at the end.

One group was instructed to physically practice free throws for 20 days in a row. The second group was not allowed to train at all. The third group spent 20 minutes a day getting into a relaxed state and only imagining themselves performing the free throws. They were also taught that if they missed in their minds, to adjust slightly and see themselves getting it the next time.

At the end of the experiment the results were incredible. The group that physically practiced each day improved their score by 24%. The second group who didn’t practice understandably didn’t improve at all. But the third group, who had only visualized doing it, actually improved their score by an amazing 23% – nearly as much as group one! Don’t under estimate the power of the conscious mind.

THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND

YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS IS THE WORK DESK OF YOUR MIND. CONTROLLING AND DIRECTING IT IS THE KEY TO PERSONAL CHANGE.

As I said earlier, your subconscious is a bit like the RAM in your computer. (For those who don’t know – RAM is the term used for the short term memory in a computer, and its job is to hold the programs and data that are currently in use so they can be reached quickly and easily by the computer processor. It’s a lot faster than the other types of memory, such as the hard disk or CD-ROM.)

Your subconscious works in a similar way to computer RAM. It holds short term memory and current daily used programs.

THE ROLE OF THE SUBCONSCIOUS

Apart from short term memory, the subconscious also plays an important role in our day to day functioning.

It works hard at ensuring you have everything you need for quick recall and access to when you need it. Things like -

• Memories – such as what your telephone number is, how to drive a car without having to consciously think about it, what you need to get from the shop on the way home etc.
• Current programs you run daily, such as behaviors, habits, mood
• Filters (such as beliefs and values) to run information through to test their validity according to your perception of the world
• Sensations taken in via your 5 senses and what it means to you

If it doesn’t happen to have a filter or reference point in its RAM for some bits of information that come in, then it has a direct line to the storage place of the mind – the unconscious. It will ask the unconscious to pull out the programs that it best associates with the incoming data to help make sense of it all.

The subconscious is also constantly at work, staying a lot more aware of your surroundings than you realize. In fact, according to the NLP communication model we are assaulted with over 2 million bits if data every second. If your conscious mind had to deal with all that you would very quickly become overwhelmed and not be able to get anything done.

Instead, your subconscious filters out all the unnecessary information and delivers only that which is needed at the time, around 7 chunks of information. It does all this behind the scenes so you can perform your daily work uninhibited. And it does this as logically as it can, based on the programs it has access to in your unconscious.

And as discussed earlier in the article, it then communicates all the results into consciousness via emotions, feelings, sensations and reflexes, images and dreams. It doesn’t communicate in words.

THE LINK INTO THE SUBCONSCIOUS

One of the truly great things about the subconscious (and one which we need to take advantage of to affect change) is … it obeys orders!

People often erroneously think that the subconscious is in charge and you are merely at its mercy. In fact it’s the complete opposite. Your conscious mind gives it the direction, the environment if you like, for which it operates in. The subconscious will only deliver the emotions and feelings of what you continuously think about.

Now I’m not saying it’s as easy as changing what you think of in one moment and your entire life will be changed. In most cases your default programs have too much energy attached to them to change instantaneously. It can be done though – such as after a massive life altering event or if enough pain is associated with the old behavior – but without a major shift like that it is likely the old programs will reemerge.

THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND

THE UNCONSCIOUS MIND IS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SUBCONSCIOUS MIND IN THAT IT ALSO DEALS WITH MEMORIES. BUT THERE IS A DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE TWO.

If you remember the symbol of the triangle I used to describe the levels of the human mind, then you’ll remember that the unconscious sits a layer deeper in the mind under the subconscious. Although the subconscious and unconscious have direct links to each other and deal with similar things, the unconscious mind is really the cellar, the underground library if you like, of all your memories, habits, and behaviors. It is the storehouse of all your deep seated emotions that have been programmed since birth.

If you want significant change at a core level, then this is the place to work on … but it’s not easy to get to!

UNCONSCIOUS VERSUS SUBCONSCIOUS – WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?

There’s been plenty of debate over what is the correct term – subconscious or unconscious.

Unconscious is the term usually preferred by Psychologists and Psychiatrists to refer to the thoughts we have that are “out of reach” of our consciousness. It shouldn’t be confused with the medical term for unconscious, which basically means knocked out or anesthetized, although both definitions do have similar qualities.

In simple terms, the unconscious is the storage place for all our memories that have been repressed or which we don’t wish to recall. A traumatic event in our childhood that has been blocked out is an example, but it doesn’t have to be so serious as this. It could be something very distant like what you had for lunch on your first day of school or what the name was of the childhood friend you played with a couple of times.

It’s a memory that we can’t pull out at our choosing. It’s there, but we can’t remember it no matter how hard we try. Certain psychoanalytical methods can bring back these memories (such as hypnosis) or it can be triggered by a particular event (a scent, a familiar place etc).

The important point to remember here, is that we cannot, by choice, remember anything in our unconscious without some special event or technique. This is the unconscious.

The subconscious, on the other hand, is almost the same, but the major difference is we can choose to remember. The memories are closer to the surface and more easily accessible with a little focus.

For example, if I were to ask you to remember what your phone number is, then you could easily bring that into conscious thought. The interesting thing is that before I asked you to recall it, you had no conscious thought of it at all. It was stored in your subconscious available for ready recall when needed, a bit like RAM in a computer because it’s something that you require quite regularly to remember.

If, however, it wasn’t important to you to recall your phone number that often then it may be stored a bit deeper, and as a result when you’re asked for your phone number on the spot you might struggle to remember it.

THE ROLE OF THE UNCONSCIOUS

In many respects the unconscious deals with all the same tasks as the subconscious – memory, habits, feelings, emotions, and behaviors. The difference between the two minds, however, is that the unconscious is the source of all these programs that your subconscious uses

It is the place where all your memories and experiences since birth have been stored. Its from these memories that your beliefs, habits, and behaviors are formed and reinforced over time.

HOW TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE

If you want to affect change in your life at a core level then you will have to work on your programs that are held in the unconscious mind. There are specialized ways to make that happen, and if you’ve read the entire series of these articles then you’ll know that the place to start doing that is in the conscious mind.

By continuously being in charge of your own thoughts through directing your focus and using visualization, you can influence what programs the subconscious mind constantly runs. Do this often enough (and with enough emotional energy) then it will start to reprogram your unconscious internal representation and belief system.

And when that happens you’ll experience change on a very deep level!

It’s very much a top down approach. After all, it’s how your habits, behaviors and beliefs were created in the first place. Give it a try and see how it works for you. And remember, enjoy the journey!

Credits: ** This article was originally featured on: www.mindset-habits.com

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