1. Alan has completed the new Pain Recovery Program. To read or share it, use this updated link: https://www.tmswiki.org/forum/painrecovery/
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Our TMS drop-in chat is tomorrow (Saturday) from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM Eastern (***NOTE*** now on US Daylight Time). It's a great way to get quick and interactive peer support, with Steve2 as your host. Look for the red Chat flag on top of the menu bar!

subconsciousness vs. unconsciousness

Discussion in 'General Discussion Subforum' started by Dani-jwz, Aug 18, 2020.

  1. Dani-jwz

    Dani-jwz New Member

    Hi everyone,



    I have a question which I could not get really answered searching the web or this forum.

    In the TMS theory distinction is made between unconsciousness and consciousness. However, it is not clear to me whether by unconsciousness, actually the unconsciousness is meant, or the subconsciousness.

    After reading some about the difference, I found that the unconsciousness could be seen as an inner child, with irrational desires etc. and also were the repressed emotions that are at the basis of TMS are 'stored'.

    The subconsciousness, I see more as a computer, that processes al input you get (sound, taste, visuals and all of that information/data) and also does the work on the background to keep you alive (heartbeat, blood pressure etc.).

    So, let us say the unconsciousness is full of emotions, that become too much or too intense. Why would anyone not share something which could not be held anymore? So, I thought, maybe it is the subconsciousness that actually is in control over your body, that causes the pain, to distract you from the unconsciousness. It is the task of the subconsciousness to keep you alive and increase your surviving odds. So maybe, just as regulating heartbeat, creating pain is a standard reaction to noticing feedback from unconsciousness that its getting too full with emotions?

    Maybe this is total BS, but I hope to get some opinions in this.

    The reason I ask this, because maybe that the distinction could be relevant, since maybe unconsciousness and subconsciousness need a different approach in being reprogrammed.

    Thanks!
    Danial
     
  2. AnonymousNick

    AnonymousNick Peer Supporter

    From "The Mindbody Prescription": "In reality, we have three minds: the conscious, the unconscious and the subconscious. This book is concerned primarily with the first two. The third, the subconscious, is the realm of perception, cognition, language production and comprehension, reason, judgement, physical and instrumental skill and the wellspring of creativity. It is a fascinating area but is relevant here only to the extent that learning takes place in the subconscious, and learning is the foundation of the therapeutic process."

    Other things I have read on it are less clearly defined, but Dr. Sarno used "unconscious" to drive home the idea that it's something we're simply not consciously aware of. I think what you might be saying in treating these aspects with different approaches is interesting, since the ego (within the Sarno model) has both conscious and unconscious aspects. The unconscious repression that leads to symptoms bypasses the conscious part, but the conscious part probably shares similar attitudes about emotions and maybe that's how it works: convincing yourself to change your own mind about how you've been looking at your life. Sarno often said that you would think a person would rather deal with the feelings than induce these horrible torturous pains, but this is clearly a process that happens anyway. So, even though your concept of the subconscious isn't the same, it might be describing a similar dynamic of a conflict in the mind. Not BS at all, great question.
     
    Grimbo likes this.

Share This Page