Free Beyond the Power of Your Subconscious Mind by C. James Jensen Page B

by the data we have collected along the way that triggers our response.
    At the conscious level, four basic things occur:

     
    1. We perceive incoming stimuli through our senses.
    2. We go through a process of comparison or identification.
    3. We analyze what we have identified.
    4. We make a decision for directed action, reaction, or inaction.

     

     
    Let’s elaborate on each of these functions. We can refer to the following model for ease of reference:

     
    1. Perception. We perceive incoming stimuli in the conscious mind through our senses. We see, hear, feel, smell, or taste something. (We also have many more senses than the Basic Five still being taught in school. For example, intuition, sense of balance, etc.)
    2. Comparison. We simultaneously go into our subconscious to identify what it is that we are perceiving. Is it a car? An airplane? A boat? A bird? An elephant? A certain kind of food? A friend? An enemy? Or is it something we have no data on whatsoever?
    3. Analysis. Once we have retrieved data telling us what it is that we are perceiving, we ask our self, “Is this a good thing? A bad thing? Something that will make me happy? Sad? Comfortable? Uncomfortable?” etc.

     
    As we wrote earlier, small children learn from primarily two sources:

     
    • Imitating one or both of their parents (since our parents are our primary source of love, we will do almost anything to gain their approval).
    • Moving toward that which makes us comfortable or moving away
from or avoiding something that may make us uncomfortable.

     
    4. Decision. Once we have made this internal self-analysis, we make a decision for action, inaction, or reaction.

     
    So, the bottom line is, we are all making decisions based largely on past experiences we have had or data we have received about something that may or may not be the truth. Our data also includes all of our beliefs, attitudes, and opinions, we have been formulating since birth right up to the present day, many of which may be completely out of date. Many of us become “prisoners” of our data. Our data, or subconscious, is like the hardware that literally “runs us.” We all operate on certain programs, but for many, they keep operating the same old programs (i.e., B.S., or “Belief Systems”) that may no longer be relevant.
    As Eric Hoffer, American author and recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom, so beautifully states:

     
    In a time of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists.

     
    We all know people who allow very little “gray” in their lives. Most everything is black or white. They have very definite opinions about almost everything and very little interest in considering different viewpoints or any new data or information that may cause them to change their view or opinion.
    The learners who “inherit the earth” view education as a continuous life-long process. They are constantly seeking new data, challenging some of their own assumptions, and willing to be introspective in analyzing their subconscious data bank to determine what “programs” may need to be updated and what old data may be erroneous, causing them to make decisions that no longer serve them well. Their egos are in check and the truth is more important than being “right.”
    Let’s look at how three different people may react totally differently to identically the same situation, not based on the truth or reality of the situation, but rather based on their past experiences. Imagine that I am giving a lecture on the subject I am presently writing about. I ask for three volunteers to come onto the stage. Three ladies, Mary, Sally, and Jane volunteer. I ask them to be seated at a round table. I tell them we are going to have a discussion about snakes. We are going to talk about the garter snake. I tell them how the garter snake does not have teeth, cannot bite, and eats insects, not