The mind has two parts: the conscious and the subconscious. Needs and habits are processed by the subconscious mind, which is the part of the mind that does not use logic. That explains why logical arguments don't help you when you want to quit smoking.
Iceberg
You can think of the mind as being like an iceberg. The conscious mind is the little bit that sticks out of the water.
If you didn't know about icebergs, you might think that that was all there was to the mind; logic. However, the thing about icebergs is, most of it is hidden away under the water.
It's the same with the brain; most of the processing is done by the subconscious. The subconscious does not use logic; it just tries different things until it finds something that works.
Learning to Ride a Bike
Question: How come there isn't a book to teach you how to ride a bike?
Answer: Because nobody knows how they do it. Everyone learns the same way - they keep trying (and failing) and trying some more until they can do it!
You can easily demonstrate that you can ride a bike by doing it.
You know the general principle is something to do with steering versus balance.
However, you couldn't teach anyone else what they have to do with their body to make it happen.
Starting to ride a bike is a classic example of subconscious learning; you just have to keep trying until the subconscious mind stumbles on something that works.
Speech
Most of the processing done by the brain is hidden from us. An example of that is speech. We take it for granted that we can speak; we decide what we want to say... and then what?
It just happens. You don't know how to set the right tension on the muscles of your larynx to get the right tone, you just know that you can make your voice go higher or lower.
A New Skill
It's like when you learn a new skill, such as riding a bike or driving a car. To begin with, you have to think what to do, but the more you practise, the more automatic it becomes.
Tenacious
The trouble with the subconscious is this: once it has learnt how to do something, it will stop trying and move onto something else.
Getting the subconscious to unlearn a learnt skill is very difficult. Once the subconscious has acquired a skill it will cling to that skill tenaciously.
Smoking Cessation
The smoking "habit" rests on a weak chemical dependence on nicotine and very strong mental need to continue the habit. Both of these dependencies reside in the subconscious mind.
As we now know, that means that:
- You don't know why you continue to smoke, but you do
- You actually want to stop smoking, but can't seem to manage it
- No amount of gruesome medical evidence is going to convince you to stop
Hypnosis
When you are in a hypnotic trance, your conscious mind is disabled and suggestions go direct to your subconscious mind. The therapist can then "convince" your subconscious mind that your body will be fitter now that you are a permanent non-smoker.
More than eight out ten of the clients that I see at my practice in Hinckley stop smoking after the first session.
If you need any more sessions, they are FREE.
You owe it to yourself to stop smoking. Call 07815 596 628 now.
