After I wrote the article about the subconscious mind not knowing the difference between the truth and a lie, I was asked about a call to action. People wanted some ideas about what they can do to minimize the possibility of your subconscious going for a lie over the truth. Admittedly, I dropped the ball. I will try to make it up to you. Here is the link to that post: https://jennifermcclellanjohnson.wordpress.com/wp- admin/post.php?post=664&action=edit
With practice, you can prevent the subconscious mind from controlling your choices. The subconscious acts fast often based upon assumptions and biases. When you notice an emotional response, ask yourself “where did this thought or feeling come from?” You can also ask yourself “is this based on facts or just familiar thought patterns?”
Asking for evidence is another way to train your mind to favor facts over feelings. When your subconscious says that ” I do not trust anything about this person,” your critical thinking could respond by asking “is this feeling is based upon past experience or something happening right now?” Asking these questions will help your brain to look for data and not only instinct.
Can you name your biases? We all have mental shortcuts like confirmation bias and negativity bias. When you acknowledge these biases, they lose some of their power.
When we meditate or journal, we get to observe our thoughts without reacting to them. While observing these thoughts, we have the opportunity to notice which thoughts are noise from the subconscious and which ones are from conscious logic.
The last tip that I will share might be the most challenging , especially when we think that we are right and that our way of thinking is logical . Being able to seek external input is often helpful. Talk to someone who is objective and trusted who can challenge your reasoning or offer another perspective.
Which of these tips are you most likely to use to “check yourself?”
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