Sigmund Freud first came up with the theory of a conscious and a subconscious mind, but these days the subconscious is on a much firmer scientific footing. Where Freud’s ideas were rather simplistic, we now know that the subconscious is not an unthinking autopilot that needs to be subjugated by rationality, but a purposeful, active and independent guide to behaviour.

In situations where people have to make difficult choices based on large amounts of hard-to-assess information, psychologist Ap Dijksterhuis at the University of Amsterdam has found that they are happier with their decision when acting on gut instinct than when forced to try to think their choice through. ( New Scientist 2007 ) Dijksterhuis is convinced that subconscious thought processes are superior in many situations including most social interactions because they allow us to integrate complex information in a more holistic way than with rational thought processes. Jonathan Schooler from the University of British Columbia found that asking people to explain their reasoning as they went through problem solving exercises actually hindered performance.

Here is experimental evidence for something we already instinctively know : subconscious thinking is the source of inspiration - it is central to creativity. The sort of inspiration that comes in a flash is not just about creativity however. It is important for memory too. For example, when we are having difficulty remembering someone’s name we often consign it to the subconscious mind in the knowledge that it will probably pop into our minds when we are no longer actively thinking about it. Three decades ago experiments at the University of Maine by Colin Martindale using EEGs charted what happens in the creative mind. He asked people to invent stories and found that in the initial stages their brains were remarkably quiet, as though the conscious mind were quiescent while the subconscious mind worked behind the scenes, a similar pattern as during dream sleep and relaxation, two mental states associated with high creativity.
This ‘ inspiration ‘ stage was followed by far more activity especially in the cortex, associated with conscious analysis and evaluation of ideas.( New Scientist 2007 )

Using hypnosis, you can access the subconscious mind to change ingrained habits and patterns of behaviour, to put in place more desirable ways of thinking and behaving that, because they operate at the subconscious level, become easy and automatic for us. You can break addictions, make healthier choices, and live your life from a more positive perspective, enjoying a sense of well-being and happiness.