There are three levels of mind, conscious, subconscious, and unconscious.
The conscious mind is the part you’re aware of, thinking and making decisions. Below that is the subconscious, which stores memories and controls habits, hence influencing you without you realising it. Deeper than that, you have an unconscious mind that houses primal instincts and hidden memories.
A thorough understanding of these three levels can be a powerful aid in addressing deep-seated behavioural issues and cultivating positive habits. Therefore, in this article, we will talk about the difference between subconscious and unconscious and how they work, as well as some of their distinct examples.
What is Subconscious?
Before we explain the differences between the subconscious and the unconscious, let’s first understand what they mean.
Subconsciousness is the second level of your mind that operates beneath the surface of conscious awareness and influences thoughts, emotions, and behaviours.
Unlike the conscious mind which is part of our awareness, and that we actively engage with, the subconscious works behind the scenes.
At its core, the subconscious is essentially a repository of memories, habits, and automatic responses that we accumulate throughout our lives.
These memories can range from significant events, such as childhood experiences and traumas, to seemingly insignificant details that we may not be able to recall. However, despite their invisibility to our conscious awareness, these events are stored and continue to shape our perceptions and behaviours.
How Does the Subconscious Mind Work?
When the subconscious mind is at work, various neurotransmitters and hormones are released in the brain, via which our subconscious processes information, retrieves memories, and regulates emotional responses.
Let’s have a look at the role of subconscious mind in more detail:
Memory Bank
As we said before, the subconscious mind is a vast reservoir of memories. It stores every experience, emotion, and detail we’ve encountered throughout our lives.
These memories form the foundation of our beliefs, habits, and perceptions of the world.
Automatic Processing
One of the remarkable features of the subconscious mind is its ability to run on autopilot. It processes information and executes learnt behaviours automatically, without any conscious effort.
This allows us to perform routine tasks like driving or tying our shoes with little to no conscious awareness, freeing up mental resources for more complex activities.
Emotional Regulator
The subconscious mind also serves as a regulator of our emotions, filtering incoming stimuli through the lens of our past experiences and beliefs. This influences how we perceive and respond to situations, shaping our emotional responses and overall well-being.
Influence of Suggestions
The subconscious mind is highly receptive to suggestions, making it susceptible to external influences such as media, advertising, and interpersonal interactions. These suggestions can shape our beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours, often without us even realising it.
Problem-Solving
When faced with challenging situations, the subconscious mind continues to work behind the scenes, processing information and searching for solutions. Sometimes, you might notice that insights seemingly arise out of nowhere, as the subconscious mind presents them to our conscious awareness.
Example of Subconscious Behavior
The way your subconscious operates is both amazing and confusing. Here are some of the routine stuff you probably don’t know is driven by your subconscious:
- Automatic Habits: Such as brushing teeth or tying shoelaces without conscious thought.
- Emotional Reactions: Immediate responses to stimuli based on past experiences and beliefs.
- Intuitive Decisions: Making choices instinctively, guided by subconscious cues rather than conscious analysis.
- Dreaming: Processing unresolved emotions and experiences while asleep, often revealing subconscious thoughts and desires.
- Slip of the Tongue: Unintentional verbal errors that may reveal underlying thoughts or feelings.
- Body language: Nonverbal cues and gestures that convey subconscious emotions or intentions.
What is Unconscious?
The unconscious mind encompasses the deepest layers of our awareness, housing primal instincts, repressed memories, and automatic bodily functions that are beyond the reach of conscious awareness.
Unlike the subconscious, which operates just below the surface of consciousness, the unconscious remains entirely inaccessible without specialised techniques like psychoanalysis or dream analysis.
Our primal drives and reflexes such as survival instincts are stored within the unconscious, influencing our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours in ways that elude conscious understanding.
Additionally, repressed memories and unresolved traumas also linger in the unconscious, which is why their impact on our daily lives and mental health is profound.
How Does the Unconscious Mind Work?
Here’s how the unconscious mind works:
Primal Instincts and Drives
The unconscious mind is home to primal instincts and drives that are essential for survival. This includes the fight-or-flight response as well as basic physiological functions like breathing and heartbeat regulation.
Repressed Memories and Trauma
Our unconscious also harbours repressed memories and unresolved traumas that have been pushed out of conscious awareness due to their emotionally distressing nature.
Despite being inaccessible to conscious recall, these memories continue to exert influence over our thoughts, emotions, and behaviours, often manifesting in patterns of anxiety, avoidance, or emotional distress.
Symbolic Representation
The unconscious communicates through symbolic representation and often manifests in dreams, fantasies, and slips of the tongue.
Through these symbolic expressions, the unconscious brings out hidden conflicts, desires, and fears into conscious awareness for resolution.
Defence Mechanisms
To protect the conscious mind from overwhelming anxiety or distress, the unconscious employs defence mechanisms such as repression, denial, and projection.
These mechanisms serve to distort or block awareness of threatening or unacceptable thoughts and emotions, allowing individuals to cope with psychological stressors.
Influence on Behavior
While the unconscious operates beyond conscious awareness, it has immense control over behavior.
Through subtle cues, instincts, and repressed memories, the unconscious shapes our decisions, perceptions, and interpersonal relationships. This is used to guide us toward actions that align with our underlying motivations and desires.
Examples of Unconscious Behavior
Here are some common examples of unconscious behavior:
- Freudian Slips: Accidental verbal errors that reveal hidden thoughts or desires.
- Defence Mechanisms: Unconscious strategies like denial or rationalisation to protect against anxiety or distress.
- Phobias: Irrational fears stemming from unconscious associations or repressed memories.
- Procedural Memory: Performing tasks like riding a bike without conscious recollection of how.
- Emotional Reactions: Immediate responses to stimuli based on unconscious associations or past experiences.
- Dreams: Manifestations of unconscious desires, fears, or unresolved conflicts during sleep.
Difference Between Subconscious and Unconscious
To sum everything up, the unconscious and subconscious mind both operate beneath conscious awareness, but they do differ in accessibility and function. The subconscious is mainly associated with memories, habits, and automatic processes, while the unconscious holds primal instincts and repressed memories.
As you now know, both the subconscious and unconscious mind play vital roles in shaping behaviours, thought processes, and personalities. Reprogramming them via interventions like hypnotherapy naturally alters the ingrained beliefs, and leads to positive development and overall improved wellbeing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Sleeping Unconscious Or Subconscious?
Sleeping is primarily an unconscious activity. During sleep, the conscious mind is inactive, and we are not aware of our surroundings or thoughts. However, some subconscious processes, such as dreaming may occur during certain stages of sleep.
Are Dreams Subconscious Or Unconscious?
Dreams are a mix of subconscious and unconscious processes. While dreams often stem from subconscious thoughts, emotions, and desires, they can also be influenced by deeper unconscious material, such as repressed memories and unresolved conflicts.
Is Breathing Subconscious Or Unconscious?
Breathing is both subconscious and unconscious. We can consciously control our breathing, such as during deep breathing exercises.
However, at the same time, breathing is also regulated automatically by unconscious parts of the brainstem. We don’t typically need to think about breathing for it to occur, which makes sit a primarily unconscious process.
