Free Unconcious

0 Commentsby   |  11.29.10  |  The Schools of Psychology (Part IV-B)

I really enjoyed all the cognitive value association experiments we explored in class some weeks ago. If used properly, its like mind control. The way Juice was paired with Hitler forever planted a notion of suspicion in my mind, and Danielle is all the more angelic because of her compassionate match. So, really, how much control do we have over our impressions and thoughts? Some common idioms come to mind: you are what you eat, home is where the heart is, and a quote from Mr. Vonnegut: “Be careful what you pretend to be because you are what you pretend to be.” The idea has been around awhile, and psychology is now bringing evidence to support the concept of subconscious influence on conscious perceptions. For instance, for all you Bible lovers out there, in 2 Corinthians 10:5 Paul suggests we “take captive every thought” and subjugate it to Christ so that we can recognize philosophies contrary to the “knowledge of God.” Also, in Proverbs 4:23, the author commands the student to “guard your heart” as “everything you do flows from it.” Though I often hear this verse from peers in regard to romantic encounters, the context fails to uphold such an appropriation of wisdom. It seems the scripture is explaining the path to a wise lifestyle and contains suggestions for preserving righteousness. Anyway, all of this was going through my mind in class that day (I know, its a lot. what can I say?), and I happened to recall a commercialized idea that applies the concepts presented by the research. It’s easy to find online. If you search “Mind Movies” into Google you’ll find a host of products or suggestions for self enhancing subconscious training through repetition of positive statements about dreams or goals. Cool, right? Well, still during this class period, my incredible mind postulated innumerable possibilities for the enhancement of learning through the tailoring of specific non-conscious stimuli in the learning environment. I’m tired of reading motivational posters. That takes conscious effort. How about we modify the language of instructional pamphlets, train teachers to use positive value enforcing language, and extend recess for all ages (I know, its hard to fathom how that last one relates, but trust me, I spent a whole class period delving into the mysteries of the mind)? I regret that I am unable to list all the incredible possibilities here, as I failed to translate my time-sensitive ideas to a medium before the end of class. But, we all know that a collection of minds supersedes any lone individual, and paired with the priming on the unconscious, I foresee amazing reforms. Basically. I found the possibilities to be exciting.

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