Most of us have experienced painful events in our life’s journey. Sometimes these are huge and stand out in our minds. We may try to suppress the occurrences. However, the subconscious mind holds considerable sway in our lives having registered these happenstances. If only we could heal this inner angst, right? Well, we can. And, doing so holds significant potential to favorably affect our sleep.

Our subconscious mind records most all that has happened in life. This part of us comprises 90-98% of our minds, depending on how able we are individually toward collecting and comprehending all that is taking place within our lives.

The good news is that our subconscious mind can be reached through our dreams. We can gain from our subconscious although it is, for the most part, seemingly remote and not easily reached. The ability to interpret our dreams takes some time and effort, but is truly worth it. Various book on the subconscious mind are available. Reading self-help books and journaling on my dreams has made a healthy difference in my life.  These efforts made obvious to me that it is my responsibility to find the empowerment needed to overcome  my earlier life experiences for gaining peace of mind. 

Robert Collie, who is considered an expert in “self-helps,” writes that we reach our subconscious through our conscious mind, saying, “Your conscious mind is the porter at the door, the watchman at the gate.”

Since the language of the subconscious mind is pictures, we can impress upon that part of ourselves by giving mental pictures to our subconscious minds.

One of the best ways to do this is through deciding on a disturbing anxiety you need to change in your life. For instance, a divorce left you feeling wounded and betrayed; you are bogged down in a swamp of grief. You know holding that against your former spouse, or any other person or entity that continues to trouble you, hurts only you and not someone or something outside of you. We have to learn to let go if we want to have peace in our lives and sleep well. Yet, the key is knowing. Here is a technique:  Create a mental picture in which you “see” your mental suffering as an object. Give it size, color and shape. Mentally write on it “pain” and specify what that pain is about—a swamped relationship, illness, trauma, or other agony. Next, feel where you store it in your body. Think about it. You will know.

Now, picture with your mind’s eye that you can reach that pain within your body and hold it in your hands. See yourself extracting it from yourself so you can place it in a hot air balloon. Now see with your mind’s eye you are releasing the balloon, allowing it to drift far away and out of sight and out of mind. Feel the freedom . . . feel the empowerment.

The last part is to do this imaging as often as the pain of the divorce, etc., comes to mind in the future while saying, “I am letting go this torment for my own peace of mind and sanity. Remind yourself: I am forgiving what happened to me.”

Please know the above is not meant to simplify the matter of buried pain. Most of us suffer considerably from past experiences. It does take persistence to gain the ability to let go tenacious memories.  But given time we do find healing. The exercise above is one of “speaking” to the subconscious mind through using its language: mental picturing. Experts indicate the subconscious mind is the part of ourselves that we need to reach in order to heal the pain of our lives.

If you feel resistance to doing this, it may be that you believe an untruth or two. For one, believing there is an advantage to holding on to the pain thinking it provides protection is false. Your protection comes from being able to let go the past and forgive what has happened. It is OK to feel angry, as this is being honest with your feelings. That is a good thing. Hurt, anger and fear are normal emotions. Acknowledging these and moving through them is healthy.

Another falsehood is thinking you are affecting another person by hanging onto your distress of being harmed or betrayed by them. The truth is that you only defeat yourself by holding onto embitterment. You do not roil the other person to even the tiniest degree. Think of unforgiven memories as battery acid that can burn a hole in your soul. Ideally, we move on gaining some wisdom from painful situations…maybe even learn how to help others put an end to their pain.

I held onto my pain from a divorce that brought a reservoir of difficult feelings. Looking back, I thought I had to bear that for all of life. I wish someone had told me how to get free. Finally, I woke up, realizing I did not have to carry that awfulness; I could let it go.

I started forgiving my past and continued working persistently at clearing my soul of any and all inner hurts that attempted to raise their ugly heads in life. It felt so freeing to forgive and bring into existence a new state of heart and mind.

Once my children were raised, I gained the needed degrees to be in a professional role for helping others. Having learned how to free my own soul from inner anguish, I began helping others heal. This has brought meaning and purpose to my life.

Jesus said, “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14-15).

That may sound harsh, but He wants us to be at peace—so we can sleep well. In Psalm 127:2b reads, “For so He gives His beloved sleep.” We will always have the option for letting go the fear . . .  letting go the inner anguish—reaching out for the abundant life Jesus intends for us.

Now for those times when we toss on our beds unable to turn off difficult, persistent thoughts causing inner anguish? A technique called “Stop Thought!” has helped many people. It works whether you say the command aloud or silently.

Say, “Stop thought!” (Say it like you mean it!)

If the thought returns. Slowly and deliberately repeat, “Stop thought!” while visualizing each individual letter of these two words: S-T-O-P  T-H-O-U-G-H-T!

The thought may still persist. But be stubborn with your commands: “Stop thought!” Doing this repetitively tells your brain that you are the boss—and you really mean business. Nighty-night. Sleep tight.

Visit what Joy has for you at: www.healinglifespain.com

Or visit www.healing-with-Joy.com

ALL helps on the site EXCEPT FOR JOY’S BOOKS  are free for copying and sharing (yet, please credit website). 

I am not your mental health counselor, but a soul soother . . . one who “helps” where “helps” are needed.

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