Using Your Subconscious Mind To Solve Problems

Let's first define what we are talking about when we say conscious mind and subconscious mind. Both of these terms are dealing with consciousness but in different ways. In one way you can say the conscious mind is the physical mind while the subconscious mind is the spiritual mind. But there is much more to it than simply this.

The vast majority of our lives are spent dealing with the conscious mind. Pretty much all our day to day activities make use of the conscious mind. When we are in the present moment doing work, talking to somebody or driving a car we are in our conscious mind. With the conscious mind we are dealing with the immediate reality and making use of our physical brain and the 5 senses.

The subconscious mind, on the other hand, is the part of the mind that goes beyond the 5 sense reality. The subconscious mind is sometimes used synonymously with intuition, soul, higher self or universal mind. The subconscious mind is also like a memory or database that logs everything we experience, regardless of whether we fully know it or not. The subconscious holds information that we don't consciously know exists. The subconscious is like the Internet with virtually unlimited information that we are able to pull from when we focus and direct our intention on it.

Now, in order to solve a problem we have to understand what a problem really is. So what is a problem? What is the problem that we are trying to solve? Well, a problem is simply a hurdle that stands in the way of our desire. A problem is something that we basically need a solution for. We are beings of unlimited wants and desires and in order to create these desires there are usually problems that must be solved, or rather, steps that must be taken.

The subconscious mind is a great tool for solving many of the problems we have. Now this doesn't mean that the subconscious will do all the work or that it doesn't require any preparation from our conscious mind. It simply means that when we understand how the conscious and subconscious mind work we can then understand how we can use both of them to work harmoniously in shaping our lives and fulfilling our desires.

In the words of Neville Goddard:

Consciousness is the one and only reality, not figuratively but actually. This reality may for the sake of clarity be likened unto a stream which is divided into two parts, the conscious and the subconscious. In order to intelligently operate the law of consciousness it is necessary to understand the relationship between the conscious and the subconscious. The conscious is personal and selective; the subconscious is impersonal and non-selective. The conscious is the realm of effect; the subconscious is the realm of cause. These two aspects are the male and female divisions of consciousness. The conscious is male; the subconscious is female. The conscious generates ideas and impresses these ideas on the subconscious; the subconscious receives ideas and gives form and expression to them. By this law-first conceiving an idea and then impressing the idea conceived on the subconscious-all things evolve out of consciousness."

Focus and The Vortex

The subconscious mind is like a vortex that builds to our focus. Anything we consciously focus on builds a vortex of attraction in our subconscious mind. The more energy we put on something the more it grows. The more we concentrate on something and spend time on it consciously the more it grows in our subconscious mind. This is happening all the time, whether we want it to or not. There is no on/off switch, there is only on.

Picture a great big whirlpool in the water that is twisting and pulling everything into the center of it. The whirlpool takes everything from around it and funnels it into a single focal point at the tip. This is how the subconscious mind works. All the thoughts and feelings we have throughout the day get pulled into our vortex. And the more we focus on one particular thing the greater the vortex that we create in our subconscious.

The subconscious mind is based around desire. What do we want? What are we trying to accomplish? The desires we have shape our focus which determines where we are going to place our energy. And of course our desires change all the time. Sometimes we may have a desire to do one thing and then after we reach that desire we change to another desire. Sometimes certain desires we have lead us away from other desires. This is how we shape a lot of the things we want and don't want. And sometimes we determine what we do want by determining what we don't want.

So we first have to know what we want, and for many of us this in itself can be quite the challenge. If we don't know what we want then the subconscious will not create a strong enough pull to answer any one particular question. If we are unsure of what is most important to us then we will keep destroying any vortex that is built up by focusing on multiple focal points at once. We want to put all our eggs in one basket at a time instead of multiple baskets at the same time. We can't keep hopping around from desire to desire and expect the subconscious to work correctly. We need to focus on one single desire at a time to get the best results. Once we have achieved our desire we can move onto the next thing. But we need to have an understanding of what we truly want for the subconscious to fully aid us in the best way possible.

Feelings and Vibrations

Now, the subconscious isn't like our conscious mind. We don't force or think our way through it, we feel our way through it. Or more specifically, our subconscious mind is based on vibration. We already scientifically know that everything in the world is based on vibration. Physical things are made up of atoms which are just vibrations of energy. Everything in this universe is a vibration and the subconscious is no different. It is based on vibrational energy. And how we feel determines the vibration that we feed into our vortex.

Understanding your internal vibration is the most important part of understanding the subconscious mind.

The subconscious mind doesn't take into account the words we use, it looks beyond the words and into the feelings behind the words. If you tell the subconscious that you want a good relationship but all you're really thinking about is how bad your last relationship was then your subconscious is going to build around the vibration that you're giving: how bad your last relationship was.

You need to focus on what you do want and not what you don't want. If you focus on what you don't want you are going to get more of what you don't want. Whatever you focus on you get. This is why it is important to focus on what you want the solution to the problem to bring you as opposed to the problem itself.

In order to solve a problem it is less about focusing on the problem and more about focusing on the solution.

You need to learn and train your conscious mind to focus on the creation aspect of what you want and to completely ignore the parts you don't want. You need to become so obsessed with what you do want that you have no time or energy for what you don't want. This can be quite challenging at first and seems somewhat counter to what we normally think.

The conscious mind is the filter that is used to send vibrations into our subconscious. When we are feeling angry or sad we send that into our subconscious. When we are feeling joyful or happy we are sending this into our subconscious. The subconscious doesn't qualify whether the emotions and feelings we send it are good or bad, it simply builds on them and works with them. So we need to be aware of what we are feeding our subconscious. We truly hold immense power and we need to use this power wisely.

So the first thing we need to realize is that our subconscious builds on what we send it from our conscious mind. The more focus we put on what we truly want the more the subconscious mind will work to those desires. The clearer we can define what we want and the more joyful and eager we are for this desire the more our subconscious mind will grow a vortex to create this.

Depth and Time

This now gets into an interesting part. How much time do we put into something and how far do we take it? Well, that depends on how much we want to know. How far do we want to solve our problem? At what point will we be satisfied with the answer or solution? Do we want a really deep answer or are we okay with just the cliff notes?

Different problems have different scopes. Some problems are very small and simple in scope while others are much larger. From the subconscious perspective all problems are the same, but the way they unfold in the physical world varies based on the existing inertia and energy behind them. If you have a boulder that is stationary it is harder to move than a boulder that is tumbling full speed down a hill. And these physical dynamics come into play when unfolding the solutions to our problems.

There are 2 parts we need to look at when solving problems and bringing our intention into reality:

1. Figuring out the steps
2. Doing the steps

The conscious mind is more so the execution part that is concerned with the doing while the subconscious mind is the guide that determines the proper plan that should be executed on. So you have these 2 parts, discovery and execution, planning and doing.

Or stated another way, the subconscious mind is concerned more with creativity and openness while the conscious mind is concerned more with structure and order. The subconscious mind orchestrates pieces together in non-linear ways that the conscious mind just can't do. The conscious mind tries to force and push pieces into place while the subconscious mind lightly allows the pieces to fall into place ever so elegantly and perfectly. The subconscious mind works in peace and clarity as opposed to force and constraints.

It's worth mentioning that if you have a really simple problem you don't need to worry about the subconscious mind. Sometimes people get too caught up in the subconscious mind when in reality the subconscious has done all the work or is not needed. When you know what needs to be done and all that is necessary now is acting it out then there is nothing else to solve. Now all that's needed is for you to actually do something physically. Sometimes we know what we need to do but are too afraid and fearful to actually do what our subconscious mind has found that we should do. This is an entirely different topic about overcoming fear but it is worth mentioning. You can become too in the clouds where you don't get anything done.

So we have a few different groups of people:

1. People that act without any subconscious mind (most people)
2. People that are stuck in the subconscious mind and don't act at all (some people)
3. People that use their subconscious to direct their life and then act accordingly (few people)

The goal is to find that harmonizing of the subconscious with the conscious. Very few people use their subconscious mind on a regular basis. Fewer still are people that act on their subconscious with earnest joy and fearlessness.

The subconscious mind is also not a one time thing for each problem. Depending on the size of the problem it may require planning and doing to be done over and over again as pieces of the problem are solved. Some problems require sifting multiple times. Some problems are multi-step problems where later answers come after answering earlier questions. It all depends and varies on what we are trying to accomplish.

It works very similar to traveling somewhere. If we are traveling to a place close by we may only need to know 2 or 3 different steps to get there. We may get in the car, drive a mile, turn left and then reach our destination. Easy peasy. But what if we don't know how to get to a place we want to go? What if we know the destination but we don't know the steps to get there? What if we need to tread a new path to go where nobody has gone before? Well, then we may need to first figure out the steps on how to get where we want to go. In this scenario we may do well to reach into our subconscious to help assemble the steps.

Procrastination

We've probably procrastinated in our lives before. But what we may not know is that procrastination can actually be a good thing. In his book, "Originals", Adam Grant talks about the power of procrastination and how it is usually a good thing when it comes to solving problems. When we procrastinate we are giving the subconscious mind time to work out the correct solution for us.

Think about it. When we immediately dive into something we are less likely to have all the information necessary to understand all the perspectives needed to reach a favorable conclusion. You've probably met people who are very impulsive who will just dive right into something only to end up not liking the result. Sometimes jumping right into something may be a good idea, but a lot of the time it isn't, especially if you are dealing with a problem that needs a creative or quality solution.

The way Adam Grant recommends handling a problem is as follows: You jump into the problem as quick as possible in order to give yourself the most time possible. But once you start the problem you don't try to quickly finish it. You wait. You procrastinate. You simply give it time and let yourself accumulate more information and perspective on the problem, often times when you're not even thinking about it. Your subconscious will pull and assemble this information for you now that you've planted the seed in your subconscious mind. You sit back and let time solve the problem through your subconscious mind rather than wasting all your energy and getting nowhere with your conscious mind.

We're all familiar with this as we have all heard the saying "sleep on it". When somebody says to sleep on something they are basically saying let your subconscious mind work on it. People instinctually know this is a valuable thing to do because at a base level they have a cursory understanding of how all this stuff really works. People have seen the positive effects sleeping on something can have. Often times when we are most relaxed and not thinking about a problem is when we will solve it. This is the power of the subconscious at work.

We've probably heard stories about some mad scientist or philosopher who is working really hard on a problem and then out of nowhere, when they least expect it, the solution just pops into their head out of nowhere, as if by some magical voice. This is the subconscious at work. And this is what a healthy amount of procrastination will do, it will allow time to work on the problem and allow a larger and larger vortex on your desire to build. When you have a clear focus and a peaceful resolve the subconscious can't help but help you.

Your problems are belong to me!!

Meditation and Accessing the Subconscious

Every problem has a solution to it and already has an answer. It is just a matter of how well we can access the answer and the time it takes to turn that non-physical answer into a physical reality. Larger solutions may take time to physically manifest but that doesn't mean they aren't possible. The subconscious does not differentiate between small or large problems, a problem is a problem in the world of the subconscious.

This is where things like meditation come into play. Meditation is simply turning off your thoughts (conscious mind) and just being at peace. When you are at peace is when you are open to receiving blips of insight from your subconscious mind. And your subconscious mind is working on and has a vortex brewing of everything you have sent into it from your physical experience through your conscious mind. So when people meditate or do something similar they are accessing their subconscious -- they are listening, not with their ears but with their intuition. They are seeing not with their eyes but with their 3rd eye.

In the past I have talked about the difference between intuitive people and sensing people when it comes to MBTI. This is exactly what is going on here. Intuitive people are much more in tune with their subconscious mind which is why they are generally more creative and able to see how pieces of information can fit together. They can see how things work out and play out because they are allowing their subconscious mind to do the heavy lifting while they just sit back and listen to it. Rather than trusting their 5 senses they instead trust their 6th sense, their intuition and subconscious mind.

And the only way to access this subconscious wisdom is by going within. This is why so many of the world's masters like Jesus or Buddha talk about going within. It is because you already hold all the answers within you. You don't need to go to some priest or guru to find the answers. Of course you can do this, however, any true priest or guru will tell you the same thing: go within. You ultimately need to learn how to master your own energy and your own subconscious mind. If you really want to unlock your outer world you will first need to unlock your inner world.

How To Use Your Subconscious

In his book, "The Secret of the Ages", Robert Collier outlines a way of accessing your subconscious mind which fits in with all this. In his own words:

'The way to contact with your subconscious mind, the way to get the help of the "Man Inside You" in working out any problem is:

First, fill your mind with every bit of information regarding that problem that you can lay your hands on.

Second, pick out a chair or lounge or bed where you can recline in perfect comfort, where you can forget your body entirely.

Third, let your mind dwell upon the problem for a moment, not worrying, not fretting, but placidly, and then turn it over to the "Man Inside You." Say to him--"This is your problem. You can do anything. You know the answer to everything. Work this out for me!" And utterly relax. Drop off to sleep, if you can. At least, drop into one of those half-sleepy, half-wakeful reveries that keep other thoughts from obtruding upon your consciousness. Do as Aladdin did summon your , give him your Orders, then forget the matter, secure in the knowledge that he will attend to it for you. When you waken, you will have the answer!

[...] Of course, not everyone can succeed in getting the right thought across to the subconscious at the first or the second attempt. It requires understanding and faith, just as the working out of problems in mathematics requires an understanding of and faith in the principles of mathematics. But keep on trying, and you WILL do it. And when you do, the results are sure.

If it is something that you want, VISUALIZE it first in your mind's eye, see it in every possible detail, see yourself going through every move it will be necessary for you to go through when your wish comes into being. Build up a complete story, step by step, just as though you were acting it all out. Get from it every ounce of pleasure and satisfaction that you can. Be thankful for this gift that has come to you. Then relax; go on to sleep if you can; give the "Man Inside You" a chance to work out the consummation of your wish without interference.'

What he is describing here are the steps on how to build a subconscious vortex and put it to use for you behind the scenes. In a way it is a lot like brainstorming. You collect and map out as much information that you can on the problem at hand. You look at it from as many angles as possible and you just get out and find as much information that you can on this topic. Once you have fleshed out as much possible information that you can, and there is nothing else you can put down that you haven't already, then you let go and surrender. At this point you relinquish all control to the subconscious mind and you relax and wait for the solution to come. Sure, you can continue to feed this vortex and help it grow, but you also should relax at peace and allow for the answer to come to you. Anything you put energy on eventually has to manifest, it is just a matter of time, or more accurately, ready for you to access it when you turn off all outside interference and listen for it.

Creating In The Non-Physical First

The great scientist Nikola Tesla has a very interesting quote on this subject:

"My method is different. I do not rush into actual work. When I get a new idea, I start at once building it up in my imagination, and make improvements and operate the device in my mind. When I have gone so far as to embody everything in my invention, every possible improvement I can think of, and when I see no fault anywhere, I put into concrete form the final product of my brain."

Here he is talking about something similar. Nikola Tesla pulled everything from the subconscious mind first. He did not start experimenting with physical experiments first, he instead brainstormed. He instead built everything in the non-physical world first. Nikola Tesla would solve a problem in his head first, where it was not restricted by any type of form. By doing this he didn't face any existing prejudices or limitations that his conscious mind currently held. Instead he perfected the idea in its most malleable form. And once the idea had finally become so real and so perfect in a non-physical way he would then build it in the physical.

Albert Einstein did something very similar:

"If I had an hour to solve a problem I'd spend 55 minutes thinking about the problem and 5 minutes thinking about solutions."

This is him spending time just gathering information before trying to reach a conclusion. This is like Robert Collier saying collect as much info as possible. This is like Nikola Tesla building up a vortex in his subconscious mind first. When we think about solving problems we usually incorrectly think it is about just jumping in and trying to get the answer. But what I am trying to say is that often times you are better off building as much information into a subconscious vortex first. Collect as much information as possible and just try to define and understand your problem first. Sometimes the answer isn't so much about finding an answer to the problem as it is understanding the problem. And sometimes understanding the problem is the answer itself. And when you give your subconscious time to act on this information that your conscious mind feeds into it then you will more easily reach the correct answer and blow yourself away with how insightful and powerful you really can be.

Conclusion

So hopefully this will give you some insight into how the subconscious mind works and how you can use it to your advantage. It's interesting because ever since I was really young I have instinctually worked like this, and maybe many of you have as well. When I came across a challenging problem I would always follow similar steps where I would collect information, sit on it and then wait for the answer to come in a blip of insight. I would put some uplifting music on, sit back and just relax while I explored the problem in my head. To me this was and is such a beautiful experience. And now that I have studied these topics and come across this information I can see that there is an actual process behind what I was instinctually doing.

This article itself was created this way. Pretty much everything I do in life is done this way and it has brought me great success in life and in business. You are much better off jumping in immediately but then giving the answer time to unfold. Know what your desire is and feed this desire with more and more sensory information. Find what your focal point is and double down on it. Build your vortex for your desire and give 100% of everything you have to it. If you do this with all your heart you will surely reach the right answer. It may take some practice, it may take some time to get used to, but once your process becomes more in alignment with this method then your answers will be more in alignment with the universe and perfection.

Don't go with the surface level answer your conscious mind gives you. Dig deeper and let your subconscious mind deliver yourself a diamond.