In my last blog I shared an effective approach that helps to systematically break down negative thoughts and feelings and helps to build up positive ones based on truth. As a result, the neuronal paths in our brain change from withered dark tree patterns to healthy, vibrant neuronal trees. We can literally change the physical structure of our brain when we uproot unhealthy thought patterns and establish healthy new ones.
I also shared that neuroscience has found out that only 3 to 5 percent of our processing powers come from the conscious mind. The rest of it comes from our paradigms—deeply ingrained beliefs in our subconscious mind. And here is the dilemma: If you try to change your thoughts with positive thinking techniques and only focus on a cognitive level only, you will not experience real change, because consciously you might be thinking something new, but subconsciously your paradigm and deeply ingrained belief system is still controlling your results!
Some examples:
Everybody knows that smoking is bad for your health. Those who smoke know they should quit, a majority also has the desire to quit, most of them even know the actions they need to take in order to quit – and yet they don’t do it, or don’t manage. Why? There is an underlying subconscious cause why they smoke, and it usually as to do with numbing a specific area of emotional pain.
Or take a person among your acquaintances who always seems to end up with the ‘wrong partner’ or attracts the ‘wrong type of people’ or the ‘wrong job’. The majority of people don’t choose to do the wrong thing on purpose. But they end up with these undesirable results, because subconsciously an unresolved pattern is still active, which usually stem from experiences that have been buried or stored deep in our subconscious mind.
How the Brain Works
This has all to do with how the brain works and how it stores information and our experiences. Not only does our brain store the content or factual information of the experiences, but also the emotions attached to it – and these are stored in two different parts of the brain: the hippocampus and the amygdala.
The hippocampus is called the archive of our memories: it stores biographical, chronological and narrative information. Feelings and perceptions, along with the physiological reactions (heart rate, sweating, stomach cramp etc.) however, are stored in the amygdala.
The hippocampus is referred to as the “cool-system” and is active most of the time. The amygdala is labeled as the ‘hot’ system because it works like a fire department of our brain. It is an alarm system that gets activated when we are in dangerous and emotionally overwhelming situations. Adrenaline and cortisol is produced to create high alertness and prepare us for fight or flight responses.
When the “hot” alarm system of the amygdala is activated, the cognitive processing powers of the frontal lobe with the hippocampus are slowed down and temporarily deactivated, and our whole system is focused on escaping the dangerous situation that we feel threatened by.
How to explain Irrational Behavior
When this happens, data is directly stored in the subconscious mind and later on we often can only recall fragments or we may not be able recall the entire experience at all, let alone details of thoughts, emotions, feelings and perceptions.
Our feelings and physiological reaction are stored separately in the amygdala, and when the information coming in via our five senses is not processed by our conscious mind (frontal lobe system), it is fragmented and directly stored in the subconscious mind with the emotional load we experience in the given situation.
The problem though is this: the high emotional load can get activated by unrelated situations and experiences in the present when there is sufficient material that correlates with the original situation that caused us to get into the “emergency’ fight or flight mode – and we might only in part or not even at all remember this event or its details consciously.
When there is sufficient correlation in sound, smell, sight or touch in the present with the threatening experience in the past, the same physiological reaction can be triggered. That can be a simple as a combination of color and sound – the rest of the situation in the present is totally unrelated.
As a consequence, we could be overcome by a sudden feeling of panic, irritation, emotional pain or discomfort with no plausible cause in the present. Because we are in need of logical explanations of seemingly irrational feelings and behaviors we experience, we invent all kinds of explanations of what caused us to feel the emotions we have no explanation for: sudden panic, intense feeling of unease, fear, anger – you can name it.
Following the Smoke Trail
Unreasonable emotional reactions (which are physiological changes that occur in our body and that we ‘perceive’ as feelings) are like a smoke trail. The sudden mood change or state of emotion is just a smoke trail indicating that there is a fire going on elsewhere – and when you follow the smoke trail of the ‘hot system’ (the amygdala which stores feelings and physiology), the origin of the ‘real fire’ that caused the alarm system in our body to be activated will be released into the conscious mind.
Once the fragmented data comes to the surface, the conscious part of our brain can process the information properly and the emotional load of the original alarming situation is taken off.
Together with the emotions, deep ingrained convictions and belief systems are released via the amygdala, and once they are brought from the subconscious to the conscious mind, they lose their power and the mind can be renewed with the truth. But when they remain hidden, they remain active ‘under cover’ and hamper our progress.
If there are unhealthy certain patterns in your life that seem to repeat itself over and over again, it is an indication that you are driven by unresolved subconscious hidden drives. If present situations trigger an emotional response that is out of proportion to what actually just happened, it is a smoke trail indicating that there’s still a fire active in the subconscious mind which can consume your well-being, relationships, health and progress in life.
The following symptoms can be a sign for unresolved material you carry in your subconscious mind: sudden mood changes, fear, panic, depression, getting hurt easily, low self-image, burn-out, chronic fatigue, anger, irritability, persistent relationship conflicts. If you recognize any of these signs in your life and you want to eliminate the subconscious hidden drives, book your first coaching session for a discount of 50% here.
Breakthrough and Transforamtion
There is good news though: the subconscious hidden drives that are interfering with your life right now can be located and eliminated with a scientifically underscored technique that I apply in my personal transformation coaching.
This approach works form the inside out and is one of the most effective methods I know to deal with the negative emotional load that drive our belief system, decisions and behavioral patterns. Coaching session result in more freedom, more peace, more joy, more energy, improved health and improved relationships. I have tested and seen the in my own life: In 2011 I ended up in a burnout for 9 months and was incapable of working, and no counseling or therapy brought the change I needed. However, after I came across this appraoch and had a series of coachng sessions myself I was working full-time again within three months!
I am able to walk out my destiny and live my dreams, traveling all over the world, interviewing some of the greatest leaders of our time and publishing my book Dream Chasers: Overcoming Life’s Obstacles On Your Way To Your Destiny because I have dealt with the intertnal roadblocks that have hampered my progress.
Read some of the experiences other people have had with this approach here.
If you want to understand more of the science of the brain and how this unique approach works in detail you can purchase my video training “Unleashing Your Hidden Potential” for 50% discount here.
If you want to make 2017 a year of breakthrough and change, if you want to walk out more of your destiny, pursue your dreams and experience more freedom, one of the strongest assets you can invest in is your emotional wholeness and removing roadblocks from your past that inhibit your progress.
Make this year a year of transformation and breakthrough! Take the right steps many who have gone before you have tested and tried. Remember that your external reality can never exceed your internal reality. True success comes from the inside out, so focus on the right areas of growth in your life and the rest will align itself! Take the next step and book a personal transformation session for 50% discount here.
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