Understanding our Unconscious
“When there is a lack of relationship between our conscious and unconscious sides, we are living a life outside of harmony.”
We spend so much time moving through life unaware of every moment or action that it’s difficult to differentiate which of our behaviours are conscious and what are deeply entrenched unconscious reactions to the world.
We’ve all experienced the unconscious; some might be doing it while reading this as your mind trails off to a more decadent fantasy, letting your unconscious somewhat take in this information. The unconscious is the unknowable part of ourselves, the deep and boundless inner universe that our ego lacks awareness of.
Current scientific studies estimate approximately 95 percent of brain activity is unconscious. Included in the unconscious are formed habits and patterns, automatic body functions such as digestion and breathing, creativity, emotions, personality, beliefs and values, cognitive biases, and long-term memory.
We overlook our unconscious because it is truly out of our awareness, it wouldn’t be unconscious if we knew about it. Our ego, the seat of our conscious awareness, is merely a flickering star in the vast universe of the unconscious. Yet, when there is a lack of relationship between our conscious and unconscious sides, we live a life outside of harmony.
Our unconscious drives and impulses dictate how we go through life. In the words of the Swiss psychiatrist Dr. Carl Jung: “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life, and you will call it fate”.
So, how do we build a relationship with our unconscious? An excellent place to start by simply observing and noticing the subtle trends in our behaviour.
Here’s an example: when we are swept up by an evocative emotion it isn’t because we consciously manifest it, but rather it is a reaction out of the unconscious. We see this in sudden outbursts, such as arguing with our partner over a simple request like taking the garbage out.
This reactive emotion can quickly turn into a mood, which forms a dark cloud over our psyche. After the cloud dissipates and we reflect on what happened, we realize we weren’t ourselves. An unconscious mode of reaction took us over. Once that realization is made (whether by us or our partner, more often than not it’s someone else who points it out for us…), we can reflect on the unconscious causes of this emotional outburst. The process can take days, months, and sometimes years, depending on how rooted the unconscious reaction is to our psyche.
It is often said that contemplation is the purification of the unconscious. When we look to excavate the root cause and follow the threads that cause our unconscious thoughts, emotions, and patterns of behaviour, we can work to shift how we move through life. However, it must be noted that there is always psychological pain at the birth of consciousness - a price has to be paid. Nevertheless, when we are relentless in shining a spotlight on the dark unknown of our psyche we inevitably build a strong foundation for our relationship with the unconscious.
The unconscious is a powerful place, yet we often resist its power. The ego craves control and will stop at nothing short of tyranny to achieve its conquest. Yet, the unconscious will still find its way out and ensure it speaks its peace. So, it then becomes our duty to develop a working alliance between the two. This allows for reciprocity, understanding, and genuine growth.
We must recapitulate our relationship with the unconscious to move through and beyond the painful growth we encounter in our lives. By cooperating with and consulting with our unconscious, we bring balance and equilibrium into our psyche, thus bringing back control and insight into our lives. When we know, we have power, we walk through life with confidence and understanding that translates to living a fuller existence.