Changing Subconscious Beliefs

There is an occult saying : by serving we are served. 

This is a simple statement of universal law and I was reminded of it this afternoon when a friend asked me to write about the subconscious mind. She had no idea I had been giving the matter a good deal of attention for the previous 24 hours!

The subconscious, with its rigid programme of set beliefs plays an essential part in the healthy functioning of every one of us. It is not, however, famous for flexibility and has no “reasoning” capacity. 

The only way to change a subconscious belief is by conscious re-programming.

In times of significant life change this aspect of mind perceives a threat to the System or Life it upholds. It then moves in to protection mode.

Fear manifests first, causing us to pull back from the intended course of action. If no remedy is applied at this point the subconscious has the power to drive us into “acting out” or creating dramas. Extreme tiredness is another favourite strategy, which may also manifest as feeling “ill” with no specific symptom.

Any or all of these may be employed, and can be highly effective in derailing our positive desire to improve because they are based on a deep seated and firmly held belief.

How can we deal with this sort of activity?

Affirmations are a popular method. They are sometimes helpful in identifying a false belief – primarily by the strength of reaction to the affirming statement. Useful for a small “threat” to the status quo, but what about the big ones?

Some time ago this powerfully simple technique was suggested to me: set aside a time to allow the subconscious voice to speak. 

This can be done in a matter of moments, provided we are reasonably relaxed and uninterrupted. Any authentic form of self expression will do: dance and movement for some of us; pen and paper for others. Song and sounding, paint or pencil – the point is to give permission for the subconscious mind to express its truth. Usually it speaks in symbols, metaphor and allusive imagery so be open to extra-ordinary results.

Once expressed and acknowledged, the limiting beliefs are gently and easily removed and replaced with more supporting ones. This is effectively achieved by means of visualisation and creative imagining, ideally using the imagery presented by the subconscious itself in the earlier exercise.

Be aware too that some limitations, particularly the most challenging ones, may arise from beliefs formed by circumstances encountered previous to this incarnation. The soul selects each form life for its potential field of experience. None of that experience is lost. 

So- when we encounter these kinds of limitation we can be sure we are on the Right Track. Personal growth triggers old fears. Once we become aware of the source belief for that fear we have an opportunity to move through it lovingly – to better things.

Drawing from Life Chapter 18

The week following the Waiheke trip Gracie and Rhona could have been living in a booth at the home show. On the Monday the bulk of their own belongings went into storage, to be replaced with a selection from a house dressing company. The land agent launched the house on the market with extensive advertising, yielding immediate results. Rhona couldn’t work and Gracie had to stay neat and tidy because of the constant stream of people viewing the property. Their original plan to stay until the contract completion date clearly had to be revised. 

By Thursday afternoon Rhona was on the phone to Anna explaining how she was about to be overwhelmed by her own marketing plan. Even though Anna had just taken a job managing a café for a friend of Philip’s, she was completely unfazed by a change in schedule. The apartment was standing ready. They could move in whenever was convenient.

There were more prospective buyers due to inspect Rhona’s house that evening.

She spoke to Joe who was in Auckland working for three days that week. He suggested an outing for Gracie before tempers frayed with all the upheaval. In fact he had already organised it, which delighted her until she found out what was in store.

Rhona was sitting at the dining table explaining the latest developments to Gracie when they heard Joe’s car arrive.

 “Hi Gannet”, he called as he came in, giving Rhona a playful kiss.

He told Gracie they were going out for compulsory fun in Orakei. She had only ever been there for healthy walks with her mother. Her blank face accurately portrayed the level of her excitement.

 Joe told her not to fret adding “We can borrow the helmet.”

“What?” Gracie was beginning to look panicky. “Is it go-karts or something?”

Rhona shook her head. “No-worse in my opinion.”

Joe leaned across the table and whispered “I’m getting you up on that horse. We’re not coming home until I do.”

As they drove in at the Pony Club there was squealing in the back seat. Rhona was laughing at the noise level and the way Joe tried to bury his ears in his jacket collar. “Pipe down.You’ll scare the livestock. Come on, my niece will be here somewhere.”

Joe’s niece Emma was a tall brown haired seventeen year old, with a flawless heart shaped face. She was shy meeting them, but gave Joe a big kiss. “Kia ora Little Joe.” Gracie started to giggle. The uncle was looking sheepish and had to explain Emma’s nineteen year old brother was also called Joe and happened to be taller by an infinitesimal amount. He shepherded the girls away from the car. “It gets dark at six so are you ladies going to get moving or what?”

Emma passed Gracie the helmet she was holding and led her away while Rhona and Joe stayed leaning on the car.

“I wish you could see your face.” Joe said, looking down at her “Gracie will be fine.”

Rhona shoved her hands in her jacket pockets. “I know, but I won’t be.” Joe moved her so he could get behind. Leaning on the bonnet of the car he wrapped her up in his arms, both of them facing the paddock.

“Love your fears Rhona.” His voice was gentle now. “My grandma used to call them signposts to greatness.”

“Mmm”, she clung on to his folded arms. “That’s no comfort for cowards.”

They stood there twenty minutes or so, long enough for Rhona to rehearse all manner of disastrous scenarios in her head. Eventually the girls came into sight. Gracie was concentrating hard as Emma brought her around towards them. Joe pushed Rhona forwards a little and grabbed her hand. “You can’t beat that look on a kid’s face when they first get up there. It’s pure wonder.” Dragging her to the fence, he lifted her bodily over it before she could resist. After joining her in the paddock he half tugged and half bullied her over to where Emma had brought her little party to a halt. Taking the mare’s chin in his hand, and caressing the flare on her nose, he looked up at Gracie. “Listen to Emma now, she’ll tell you how to get off. Come over here Rhona.”

A deathly white Rhona took two very small steps towards him. He started talking softly. She couldn’t hear him properly and she wasn’t sure if he was talking to her or to the horse, but she found herself face to face with the animal sooner than she had wished for.

Joe reached out and took her left fist and prised open the fingers, smiling and murmuring all the while. With her hand under his he began to gently rub the white and tan nose.

Rhona stood looking at the long lashes and the dark brown eyes in front of her. Joe turned away to talk to Emma and Gracie, removing the saddle as he chatted. Emma took it from him and motioned to Gracie to follow her off to the shed. Rhona looked around in a flutter of panic to find Joe was still behind her.

“Oh. There you are.” She sounded so relieved Joe struggled to keep a straight face. He stood with her and waited a bit in silence.

“Joe?” Rhona looked up at him.  “Could I, you know, sit on her. Just for a minute, just to see what it feels like?”

“Sure.” He swung her up off her feet at the same time as he spoke and Rhona found herself deposited in a terrifyingly high place. The next thing he was up behind her and they were moving off across the grass. She was rigid at first. There was an awful jarring sensation but she found it lessened when she unclenched her teeth and took bigger breaths. It seemed a long time before she heard Joe’s voice from above and behind her say “All right girl?”

Rhona nodded and said “yes”, in a strangled fashion.

“Not you Rhona. I know you’re all right.”

There was nothing she could say to that.

They collected takeaways afterwards and ate them in the car at Mission Bay. When Gracie went off to get herself a deluxe ice cream Rhona thanked Joe for the adventure. “You enjoy doing things with young people around don’t you?”

He was looking straight ahead, watching a tanker leaving the port. “Yeah I do.”

She looked at his profile, wondering why it was so hard to say what had to be said. It didn’t come out as well as she hoped either. “Really it’s the mother and child package that attracts you to us isn’t it? It’s not an attraction to me personally.”

He looked at her with a shocked expression. “What makes you say that? I think you’re gorgeous.”

She knew then her hunch was partly right. He had made no move to touch her. He was looking out the window again. “It’s probably just the move and everything upsetting you. Unless something happened while you were away- did it?”

Rhona shrugged. “Well I had time to think about it. Couldn’t we just leave it as fond friends and enjoy that for its own sake?”

He took her hand and kissed her fingers where they curled around his own. “You have decided already.” It was a statement and it was true.