Mind Driver

Which process drives the mind?

By my understanding, there’s 3 basic processes of the mind; Instinct, Subconscious, & Consciousness (further explanation in a post from early last yr; Plane’s of Brains). Control over the steering wheel of the mind seems to vary quite a bit throughout life. At least between conscious control and subconscious processes, they seem to take turns daily, in the driver's seat. They also seem to influence each other to significant degrees, as I further discovered in a post from last week; Sub Ctrl Alt Conscious, and from 2 days ago; Subconscious Update. 

Based on that understanding, it seems that in the moment of conscious thought, consciousness is steering that particular thought, but any time someone is lacking conscious awareness and attention to something specific, the subconscious takes the steering wheel. Besides the subconscious steering during times of lack of focused awareness, it also seems to be steering other reactions, besides the specific focus of conscious awareness, even while someone is being conscious of something. As well, the subconscious seems to be a backseat driver, to steer which conscious thought process begins next, at any time a conscious train of thought finishes. This may give a lot of steering control to the subconscious, but at least there is still potential for conscious thought to correct and reinstruct the subconscious, when it gets out of line, and starts shouting inaccurate directions from the backseat. 

Besides these 2 fighting over the steering wheel, there is a 3rd in the car, wanting to give directions. Instinct may be the 1 that taught either of the others, to drive in the 1st place. Instinct is the preprogramming which your mind started with. It may have been a noob driver while you were a baby and toddler, but without it, the car never would have left it’s initial position. Instinct was necessary to keep you alive, before sufficient knowledge, experience, and memories were learned through subconscious and conscious processes. Besides the basic reactions required to survive as a baby and toddler, instinct still continues to give basic direction throughout your life. 

Similar to the way that the subconscious directs conscious thought, instinct seems to direct the subconscious. Instinct is the preprogramming to strive for anything, or avoid anything. It’s your instinct which steers you in the direction of food when hungry, or toward finding a companion, or acquiring a safe and comfortable place to live. Instinct will also steer you away from something that causes pain, or away from something which causes fear, as a potential threat. Instinctual preprogramming is what causes sensory perception of basic measurements, to be strived for, or avoided. The subconscious uses these basic directions, to then attempt to record more accurate sensory measurements in memory. The subconscious uses the basic direction, to determine positive or negative, for the more accurate measurements (new factors) it saves in memory. 

If you react to something based on positive or negative reinforcement linked with an experience in memory, it is subconscious taking the steering wheel. But often, instinct is still a backseat driver giving direction, or sometimes instinct is the driver’s trainer, using the second steering wheel and pedals in the passenger’s seat. Often, both instinct and subconscious can be driving in the same direction, simultaneously. A lot of the time, something you are driven toward, is something you are pursuing because it’s your preprogrammed instinct, but also because of subconscious experience. Since the subconscious took directions from instinct, in order to save factors in memory for what is positive, it is likely that a lot of the time, they will agree to go toward that same positive factor in life.

Considering that the subconscious directs initial conscious thought, there is also a decent probability that in any given situation, your consciousness will steer you in the same direction as your subconsciousness. Therefore, it seems probable that in a lot of situations, all 3 will be steering in the same direction. But just as the subconscious saves more accurate details of factors in memory than instinct, which can change the desired steering direction, conscious thought also saves more accurate details of factors in memory, than the subconscious. If conscious thought saves a memory of a more accurate detail of a factor, it can outrank the subconscious, and steer toward another factor in contradiction from the subconscious.

There seems to be 3 in the car that all want to drive. Often, they will agree in the direction to steer, but if there’s any disputes, it seems there is a hierarchy of who gets control. If subconscious disagrees with instinct, the subconscious takes authority. But if consciousness is actually in the car at the time, and calculates a better direction, it can take highest authority. It seems there can be agreements, or disagreements between the 3, including potential backseat drivers, but at least consciousness has the ability to assert authority, as the Mind Driver.

Sub -Conscious Shift

How do memories shift from conscious thought, to become subconscious reaction?

If you awarefully repeat something enough times, it seems to shift into the subconscious, so that the memory data can be accessed quickly, without you being conscious of it. This seems to be the method of learning many things, that humans use, and the concept of this method can be taken advantage of for many improvements (as I further explained, in my last post; Subconscious Update). The difference of neurological function, after this shift, could be relevant to the function of consciousness and subconsciousness. 

A major component of this shift from conscious thought, to subconscious reaction, is likely neural pathway reinforcement. Once a neural pathway is used repeatedly, it allows an ease of electrical flow through that pathway. But there should still be a difference in neurological function (besides ease of flow), between the processes of a conscious thought, and a subconscious reaction. Reinforcing a neural pathway, makes the flow more probable, but if it was the same neurons being accessed during both scenarios, of conscious and subconscious function, then it seems likely we would experience both in the same way. But we don't. 

It may come down to the quantity and sequence of neurons which are accessed. During conscious thought, it seems we are accessing neural combinations representing memory of factors, as well as the interaction between those factors. I posted a summary of this concept, early last yr; Conscious Comprehension. Accessing memory of an interaction between factors, or effect that 1 causes on the other, seems to be the main step which takes additional time and additional neurons (compared to subconscious reaction). Accessing the neural combo for this step, seems to require accessing a sequence of neurons representing a time period of the interaction between the factors (or time period of the action of a factor causing a change to another). Other neural access, such as subconscious, seems to often only access static data of sensory measurements (such as an image, rather than video recording). But if conscious thought requires this longer time period of sequential neural access, how can it be shifted into a subconscious, faster reaction?

It seems likely that once a repeated conscious process, shifts to a subconscious process, the additional sequential neural combos, representing the factors’ interaction, are bypassed. The factors themselves (represented by neural combos) are still accessed, and still saved as part of the overall macro neural combo, but the details of the interaction of cause and effect between the factors, are left out of the macro combo. This shift to a subconscious reaction neural combo, saves the relevant factors, but skips the longer time period necessary for the interaction. 

If you think about it, with the eg of language, learning new words usually requires conscious comprehension of the meaning of the word, and how that word interacts with other words, and which factors are applicable for the word. But once the word is used often enough, the understanding of how that word interacts with other words or applicable factors, no longer comes to mind (without deliberate analysis of it). Just the memory of basic factors are saved, after the shift to subconscious, such as memory of the pronunciation, the visual spelling, and the factors which the word represents. Learning the concept of simple addition, could be another eg. During learning, you are consciously aware of the interaction between factors being added, and the effect of the result. You are consciously aware of the interaction of 2 objects being added to 2 other objects, causing the effect of the new total being 4. Once this neural combo is shifted into the subconscious, you automatically access this memory, to quickly know that 2+2=4. Only the memory of the factors are accessed, after the shift, skipping the memory of the cause of adding, affecting the result of 4. Or in the case of learning to drive, you are conscious of the effect of the car stopping, caused by pressing the brake. But once this thought process shifts to the subconscious, you automatically do the action of pressing the brake pedal, without accessing memory of the interaction between the brake pedal and the car stopping. 

The neural function of learning something consciously, seems to take more time because of additional sequential neural combos being accessed. But, by skipping the memory access of the interaction between factors, and saving a new macro neural combo of only the prioritized factors, this function is sped up, through the process of a Sub -Conscious Shift. 

Subconscious Update

What benefits are there for intentionally allowing subconscious processes?

The subconscious tends to be a less accurate mechanism, than conscious thought, for causing a reaction, since it doesn’t consider as many details or distinguishments and connections between factors. As I described in my last post; Backspace Subconscious, the subconscious can even direct further conscious thought to be mistaken and incorrect. So typically, it seems that there wouldn’t be much benefit to intentionally allowing subconscious processes. But there should be some exceptions. 

Using your subconscious would have an effect on connectivity between neural pathways. Since the subconscious is more likely to be incorrect than conscious thought, times of using the subconscious, could have another downside, of reinforcing neural pathways that are incorrect. But, that is only in comparison to conscious thought. The subconscious is still more likely to be correct than accessing no memory data at all. So considering subconscious data which is correct, reinforcing these pathways would be beneficial and useful, since 1 main advantage that the subconscious has over conscious thought, is that it’s faster.

 For eg, most language which we use regularly seems to utilize some subconscious connections. Words seem to build into our subconscious, so that we can automatically and quickly access them. While using language, usually we are thinking consciously, but the factors or concepts that we are consciously thinking about, are subconsciously linked to the label, saved in memory. Reinforcing the subconscious links between labels and factors/ concepts should be useful for quick communication. Physical tasks involving technique (such as sports, or playing an instrument etc), would be another example, where reinforcement of subconscious neural pathways would be useful. This is basically the concept of training or practicing for a task, until it's been repeated enough that those neural pathways are accessed quickly and easily.

Another more complex exception for usefulness of allowing subconscious processes, could be trying to consciously correct or update the subconscious. Subconscious data seems to be quite difficult to access consciously, as I further explained in a post from a few weeks ago; Conscious Subconscious Memory Access, but at times when something obvious stands out about a mistake in your subconscious, corrections could be made consciously. If you allow subconscious processes to occur, but then quickly after, analyze the process, it should be plausible to consciously notice any distinct problems, and to then attempt to determine the cause of the problem. 

The key may be to analyse the subconscious processes quickly afterwards, since at that time, the neural pathways would be recently reinforced, allowing easier access to the same pathways. An example where this occurs for me, seems to be remembering dreams. Considering dreams are a subconscious state (as I further explained in a post from a yr ago; Seam of a Dream), remembering dreams is usually quite difficult, but if I try to remember a dream right after I wake up, it is easier to remember. This is likely because the neural pathways have been freshly reinforced. Playing sports may be another eg. of using a lot of subconscious processes, since speed is often necessary to react quickly. If you try to remember details of a lot of the fast paced action, after a game is over, it seems to be quite difficult. But, if you try to consciously analyse a play directly after it happened, it’s easier to remember, for the potential of determining mistakes in your subconscious reactions, and improving. With the eg. of language, at times of noticing a recent mistake in speaking or writing, or significant relevance of the meaning of a label, we can consciously reinforce more accurate neural pathways for that label.

Besides relying on your own memory of your subconscious, perhaps a more effective method could be allowing a 2nd perspective. Someone else could point out mistakes or problems of times when your subconscious is active, or you could even record yourself, to analyse it afterward. 

Another potential benefit to allow subconscious processes, could be to find useful connections in memory, which you are not consciously aware of. This may be typically less applicable or useful, but there could be scenarios when “thinking outside the box” could help. If “the box” is considered to be your usual conscious understanding and awareness, there’s some chance that you have something in memory that you’re not aware of, but which your subconscious can access. 

The benefit of allowing subconscious processes, seems to mainly be, reinforcing neural pathways for quick reactions. Using post-conscious analysis to correct mistakes, and reinforce the more effective neural pathways, for future quick access, can allow the significant benefit of a Subconscious Update.

Backspace Subconscious

In what ways, and why does the subconscious influence the conscious mind to access incorrect information? 

Situations such as cognitive dissonance, the placebo effect, and biases, seem to involve the subconscious mind influencing the conscious mind to be incorrect, at accurate analysis. Why does this happen?

In my last post; Sub Ctrl Alt Conscious, I hypothesized how the subconscious seems to generally be the process which steers the direction of initial conscious thought. The process of subconscious seems to be continuously active while someone is awake, and works faster than conscious comprehension, so is likely the 1st to react, in order to guide direction for further conscious thought. This could explain how the conscious mind seems to be caused to inaccurately analyse information, at times. 

Cognitive dissonance is when someone tries to justify their actions, by explaining the reasons why they did something, while truly believing the reasons, despite the reasons being incorrect. When the subconscious mind is accessing memories of the actions which an individual has taken, and a driving instinct is for them to feel positive about that action, perhaps the subconscious is receiving feedback to prioritize further conscious neural access, in the direction of memories of plausible justifiable reasons for taking that action. When someone is correct about something, they receive positive feedback for being correct. This may be the driving cause for the direction of being correct, even when the person actually is not.

These reasons would have an ease of neural connection, because of previous conscious comprehension of cause and effect and interaction of the factors at hand. As I further explained in the previous to last post; Subconscious Conscious-Memory Access, conscious thought in the past, seems to reinforce neural pathways to comprehendable connections between factors in memory. This, then influences subconscious thought to use those same pathways. There seems to be a cycle of influence, since the subconscious then influences direction of conscious thought.

This cycle may be relevant to the placebo and nocebo effect. A placebo is basically the mind causing positive effects because it mistakenly believes that something exterior to the mind is causing those effects. A Nocebo is basically negative effects. If someone is consciously aware of reasons for which they believe something should cause effects for them, this could create reinforcement for neural pathways between the factor which they believe should cause effects, and the effects they believe should be caused. Then the subconscious will automatically cause neural connections to the effects which the person is expecting. Whether placebo or nocebo, the effects which occur, are caused by the mind, evidently, so once effective neural pathways have been made to those effects, the mind seems to then cause those effects (by whatever means). If you then ask the person what caused the effects, they will consciously answer incorrectly, that the exterior factor caused it, rather than their mind. Mistaken beliefs of the conscious mind, causes the subconscious to cause the effects.

Biases may be more simply caused by the inaccuracy of the subconscious. Since the subconscious is influenced by previous experiences, and the individual is unaware of the influences (as further explained in a post from early this year; Subconscious Subjection), a bias seems to be basically this influence in itself. When someone thinks that 1 option is the best, despite alternate rational reasons, this is likely the subconscious directing their conscious mind to that option because their previous experiences with that option, received enough positive feedback. If the bias is that an option is worse, then it is likely caused by previous negative subconscious feedback for that option. Since the subconscious is influenced to have a particular preference or dispreference, this then directs conscious decision making to prioritize that option. This may even lead to cognitive dissonance, where the person may then describe reasons for their preference, which are not the actual reasons. Since a bias is caused by the subconscious, the person is usually unaware of it, so their conscious mind then finds connections to reasons for the bias.

It’s a bit scary, the way the subconscious can incorrectly influence the conscious mind. It can cause;

-Cognitive dissonance, by incorrectly remembering reasons to justify an action 

-Placebo or nocebo, which can be helpful in cases of placebo, but the subconscious is still promoting incorrect reasoning

-Or Biases, of the mind unawarefully using subconscious influence of past experiences

But, being aware of these inaccurate influences of the subconscious, and how they function, can likely allow room for more effective conscious control, with the option to hit Backspace on your Subconscious. 

Sub Ctrl Alt Conscious

Does your subconscious control and alter your conscious thoughts?

It seems like the subconscious mind controls conscious thoughts at least to some degree, since it is faster, and constantly active.

It seems likely that subconscious mind function is an ongoing process, which is the stem of where conscious thought begins. I explained more details of the function of the subconscious in a post from early this yr; Subconscious Subjection, and the function of consciousness; Conscious Comprehension. It seems that the subconscious is functioning constantly, since it seems to constantly cause reactions, without the individual being aware. Any subtle reaction which you take, without awarefully considering to do that action, would be the function of subconscious. At any moment, you are likely taking some subtle reaction, without being aware. Whether it’s stretching, adjusting your position for comfort, looking in the direction of a noise, or doing anything which has been built in to your subconscious as a habit, such as flicking the signal for changing lanes, the subconscious is always fast at work. Even learned muscle control, is likely caused by the subconscious, such as riding a bike, playing sports, or even walking up stairs. 

Besides times of the senses stimulating the subconscious, the mind seems to have constant neural access to various memories, any time that a person is awake. At any point of a lack of sensory stimulation to prioritize neural access, the brain seems to revert to accessing various neurons of subconscious memory, which is too vague and indistinct to be consciously aware of. The priority for neurons to be accessed would likely be caused by either ongoing emotion at the time, or ease of neural pathways reinforced by repeated use of that pathway. At these times of lack of conscious thought, and lack of significant sensory stimulus, whatever is prioritized by the subconscious, would likely be the cause of the next conscious thought of more detailed information.

The subconscious is also faster than conscious thought, since it functions by accessing less sequences of memories than conscious thought, and is more effective for quick reactions. Therefore, any new thoughts that come to the conscious mind, were likely already processed by the subconscious. If the subconscious has constant neural activity being triggered by all the senses, and works faster than conscious thought, any time that something in your environment triggers a thought, the subconscious would be the first to process it, before triggering any conscious thought. It seems that during the process of subconscious activity of accessing neurons (representing memories), some of those memories are prioritized, and accessed in more detail, to cause focused conscious thought. Whether the neurons used for conscious thought are the same as used for the subconscious, or another section of the brain is triggered for conscious thought, may be another question. Regardless, the neural content which is focused on, is likely often prioritized based on subconscious positive or negative feedback connected to those memories. 

Once conscious thought has been initially triggered, it seems that it is mostly out of control of the subconscious (considering the definition of subconscious, includes lack of conscious awareness). The mechanisms of positive and negative feedback prioritizing which memories to be accessed, could be involved in both subconscious and conscious mind function, but at the time of continued conscious thought, it seems that the more focused and detailed neural combos (and connections between them) which are being accessed, are no longer controlled by the subconscious. This would be at times when the mind is making active conscious connections between memories, through the process of thinking about cause and effect, or interactions of various factors or concepts. Once that specific active train of thought finishes, control is likely given back to the subconscious to activate the next conscious thought.

The subconscious seems to have significant control to alter and steer the direction of the start of the next conscious thought. It may lose control once an active train of thought is occurring, but the number of times throughout any given day, where the steering wheel is given back to the subconscious, seems it would have a profound effect, to Sub-Control & Alter Consciousness. 

Subconscious Conscious-Memory Access

How does your subconscious mind access conscious memory data?

By conscious-memory data, I mean neurological memories which have been influenced by your conscious mind. By conscious mind, I mean consciously aware focus. Focus seems to be quite relevant, as I further explained in a post from 2 weeks ago; Fundamental Focus, regarding focus for both incoming data from your senses, and on pre-saved memory data during times of conscious thought. For more detail on what I mean by “conscious thought”, see a summary post from early last yr; Conscious Comprehension. 

Subconscious access to this memory data, which has been influenced by conscious focus, should be quite different than if the data had not been influenced by conscious focus. Conscious focus seems to cause an entirely different flow to neurological memory data. For 1 thing, it causes more prioritized memories to be saved when an experience 1st occurs. With more prioritized data (perceived through the senses), this causes an ease of electrical flow to more particular neural combinations (which represent memories). With more focus on certain factors saved in memory, the brain will be more likely to access those factors, rather than the less defined data which your subconscious would have saved otherwise (as further explained in another post from 2 weeks ago; Conscious Subconscious Memory Access). 

Secondly, the focus during later thought processes, causes a similar effect, of ease of electrical flow to neural combos representing more accurate factors within memory. As I further explained in a post from last month; Conscious Neural Combo, conscious focus on factors during thought processes, seemingly causes new neural links between neural combos of factors, which creates macro combinations. These new neurological connections and combinations would not only be more probable to be accessed during conscious thought, but also during subconscious thought. 

Considering the subconscious mind function to be basically a faster method of accessing fewer and more basic memories, in order to cause a reaction, after the influence of conscious focus, it will now have all new neural pathways and combos to access quickly. Examples of times that a person uses subconscious mind function, would be circumstances involving quick reaction time (such as fast paced sports, or quick driving reactions), or dreaming, or being drunk. During these times, the subconscious mind should be caused to quickly access memories which were articulated through previous conscious focus. I explained more detail of the difference in method of subconscious mind function, in a post from early this yr; Subconscious Subjection. This function is likely the method for almost all animals all the time, but humans have the influencing effect of conscious focus.

With the advantage of times of conscious comprehension, effective combinations of the interaction between factors, can be saved as a macro combinations, for use of the subconscious mind. For eg, in soccer, my regular subconscious reaction, when an opposing player rushes me, while I have the ball, is to just quickly kick the soccer ball in the direction of the opposing goal. But with conscious comprehension, I can comprehend that I should stay calm and control the ball to make a more accurate pass. If I save the neural combo required, which represents the memories for the comprehension of the interaction of those factors involved, then at future times, my subconscious will be able to quickly access that neural combo, allowing me to quickly react by controlling the ball, rather than kicking it in a panic. Another eg, could be that anyone can consciously comprehends that driving while drunk is dangerous. If you save that as a neural combo, which is reinforced for easy neural access, then even while in the subconscious state of being drunk, you are more likely to access that same neural combo, and react by not driving when you need to get somewhere. 

Without the subconscious being influenced by previous conscious focus, humans likely wouldn't be able to put even 2 words together at times of being drunk or dreaming. Conscious focus is what allows so many words of language to be saved as shortcuts in memory, to the relative concepts or factors associated with each word. Once the required combinations of neurons, for memories of words, have been consciously saved, the subconscious mind can access those same memories with ease. Combinations of words (such as phrases) are also likely saved as macro combinations for the subconscious to access, without the need for conscious thought. This may explain why it seems that in dreams, only basic words or phrases tend to occur. Since dreaming is a subconscious mind state, the mind can’t make complex new relations between words (or concepts), because of the lack of comprehension of interaction between factors, but the mind can still use pre-existing neural combos, created through previous conscious thought. 

The function of the subconscious mind seems to be significantly influenced in which memories to access, as a result of consciously pre-articulated neural pathways and combinations. The influence of conscious focus is likely to cause the benefit of quick subconscious access to more effective and accurate memories (created from times of comprehension of cause and effect), during those times of Subconscious Conscious-Memory Access.

Dreametaphor

Why do dreams seem to often be a metaphor of our subconscious?

Assuming that dreaming is a state of subconsciousness, as I further explained in a post from a year ago; Seam of a Dream, why does it often seem to consist of fictional, unrealistic, and bizarre scenarios, yet represent emotions which we actually have while awake? 

If you think of common nightmares, they usually involve some aspect of a fear which the individual has in real life. There seems to be a ratio of the more nightmares someone has, the more fear they have. Children seem to have a lot of nightmares, as well as have a lot of irrational fears. Once most fears are gone, as someone learns more, and understands those fictional things that they feared, dont exist, nightmares seem to be reduced. Or if someone has had trauma of some sort, they will often have nightmares related to a fear developed from the trauma. Fear is 1 of the most controlling instinctual emotions, as it developed to be beneficial to cause the individual to avoid danger, so perhaps it makes sense that it can have a lot of control over dreams.

If someone has a common emotion (such as fear) throughout their day or life, that means, various stimulus trigger that emotion. While dreaming, subconscious seems to be the overriding control mechanism for the mind. Since the subconscious functions mainly on basic instinctive feedback, connected to memories (as I further explained in a post from earlier this year; Subconscious Subjection), it makes sense that emotions would have a lot of cause in what the mind accesses while dreaming. As your brain accesses neurons of memories, while dreaming, common emotions for the individual, are likely to be triggered. Once that emotion is driving the mind, the incoherent portions of memories which are being accessed, will fill in the “dream”, with factors connected to that emotion (or easy to access). A memory within a dream can trigger an emotion, and an emotion can trigger factors within memory. 

It may be an emotion which starts the dream (rather than a memory stimuli starting the emotion), if that emotion is persisting while asleep. But either way, when the subconscious is in control, and there’s no active sensory perception as input for the main stimuli, factors saved in memory and emotion, seems to be the main triggers for what your brain accesses while sleeping. A feedback loop seems plausible, with memory access to factors, and emotion connected to those factors.

As long as there is an emotion driving the dream, this should cause various factors in memory to be triggered by that emotion, and create a sort of metaphor for the emotion. The inconsistency of realisticness while dreaming, may make sense, simply because memory access is not very accurate, and subconsciousness does not comprehend rational connections between factors, to make it realistic. Basically, by definition (or at least mine), subconsciousness is a lack of comprehension of the interaction between factors, or how anything functions. It’s a more simple method of reaction to stimulus, based on instinctual feedback or reinforcement, connected to memory. Without an understanding of the function of cause and effect between factors, the mind will pick factors that have no rational connection, to fill in dreams. 

During a dream, the brain seems to be accessing various factors, saved in memory, with a flow of electricity to combinations of neurons, without the conscious mind controlling rational connections. Factors accessed in memory while dreaming, would be connected in incredibly complex ways, including recurrence of perceiving or thinking about certain factors, while awake. This would make flow to those combinations of neurons more probable (besides the triggering from emotion causing certain factors in memory to be accessed). 

Dreaming seems to be a state of neural access to factors saved in memory, which is driven by emotion and influenced by common connectedness to certain factors within memory. But with subconsciousness lacking comprehension of connection between factors, the brain seems to portray a scenario resembling the driving emotion, using irrational factors, to create a Dreametaphor.