06 Aug The unconscious, the great present that influences our behavior
By definition, the unconscious refers to everything that is not conscious. So, without us realizing it, it influences our behavior, our emotions, our choices… Daniel Kahneman, winner of the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002, distinguishes between the automatic system and the controlled system. The former is spontaneous and efficient, the latter requires more concentration and reflection. Most of the time, we make decisions without really thinking them through, and let ourselves be guided by non-conscious processes. They also influence the way we behave with others. Several studies have confirmed that it’s the cognitive unconscious that guides us, whether we’re voting, driving or shopping at the supermarket. Our simplest actions (breathing, walking, chewing…) are also unconscious, allowing consciousness to devote itself to other actions. The unconscious also manages our memory and acts on sensory stimuli. This means that the sight or presence of one of these triggers can lead to emotions and/or reactions of varying degrees of violence, depending on whether the memory is pleasant or not (“Proust’s madeleine” that makes us salivate, or a mouse that makes us run away – in the latter case, it’s a phobia). The role of our unconscious is to protect us, drawing on our experiences and knowledge. The practice of hypnosis, whether self-hypnosis or with a professional, enables us to act on phobias, blockages and exacerbated emotions, using the memories buried within us. Hypnosis is also highly effective in pain management and palliative care. An increasing number of surgical procedures are performed under hypnosis. This leads to a reduction inanxiety and stressand the frequent reduction of sedative and analgesic doses.