mrs. neal's not-so-conventional MEDITATION [CLASS] for TEENS...

I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
marvelous are thy works;
and that my soul knoweth right well.

– Psalm139:14

 

You’ve already read a lot here about your mind, and the power of your subconscious mind.

I am going to illustrate in this chapter how it works, but first a bit of a review.

The conscious mind and the subconscious are not two separate minds — they are two separate parts of one mind, and they function differently from each other.

The conscious mind is used to reason and make decisions. When you make a choice — regardless of how simple or complex — it is with your conscious mind.

The subconscious works subjectively in the background, without conscious choice and without judgment. The subconscious is amazing; it is always at work — processing information, running the autonomic systems of the body, and leading the conscious mind. Whatever you have programmed into your subconscious will be accepted as real by your subconscious — the subconscious does not distinguish between what is real and what is not.

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Let’s Take A Test!

I love tests! Don’t you? I took an interesting test back in the early 1970s; it consisted of five scenarios that would reveal what was going on in the subconscious mind.

(Note:  The following test is based on the one I took way back in the 70s. I have modified the concept so I can use it with teens. It can tell you a lot about yourself — if you take the time to interpret it.)

 

Get out a piece of paper and a pencil — time for a test!.

Read each of the following scenarios carefully, one at a time, then write down your responses.

Don’t over-think these; just write down whatever comes into your mind.

There are no wrong answers to any of these; whatever you write down is the correct response. There should be no test anxiety here! I promise you will pass this test!

 

First, think of your favorite color.

It doesn’t matter what the color is, just get a picture of it in your mind. If it’s a blend of colors, or a pattern, that’s okay. Get a clear image of it — see it in your mind.

Now, write down four words that describe your favorite color that you see in your mind.

Also, if it helps to write a sentence instead of just words, you can do that. Again, there are no incorrect responses.

 

Now, think of your favorite animal.

It doesn’t matter what the animal is, just get a picture of it in your mind. If it’s a mythical or imaginary animal, that’s okay. Get a clear image of it — see it in your mind.

Now, write down four words that describe your favorite animal that you see in your mind.

 

Last, if I were to pop in to see you unexpectedly, there is a room in your home that you don’t want me to see.

It doesn’t matter what room it is — and it doesn’t have to be your room.

Think about that room and why you don’t want me to see it, then write down four words that explain why you don’t want me to see this room.

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So, What Does All Of This Mean?

Let’s start with the color.

There is a reason why we all have a favorite color, why we are drawn to that color, why we want to wear that color, wrap ourselves in that color, paint the walls that color, buy a car that color.

When you think of that color, you subconscious goes to work and starts sending messages to your conscious mind.

On a SUBCONSCIOUS level, right NOW, at this point in time, the words you chose to describe your color are how YOU see YOURSELF.

 

Now, the animal.

There is a reason we all have a favorite animal, why we are drawn to that animal, why we have a sort of admiration or connection to that animal.

When you think of that animal, your subconscious goes to work and starts sending messages to your conscious mind.

Again, on a SUBCONSCIOUS level, right now, at this point in time, the words you used to describe the animal are how YOU THINK the WORLD SEES YOU; the image you think you project. Not necessarily how the world does see you, just how you think the world sees you.

Interestingly, the words are usually not the same on these two lists. In all the years I have been giving this test to students, I’ve only had a couple of students with all four responses the same, a few more with three that are the same, a few more with two that are the same, and a little more frequently, one is the same.

 

Clearly, the way we see ourselves (our image of who we are), and the way we think others see us, (the image we think we project to the world), is very different.

Think about that.

 

Now, about that room you don’t want me to see.

There are things about ourselves that we want to keep private, that we don’t want anyone to know about us. Those words you wrote down are the things you want to keep to yourself — the things about yourself that you don’t want to share.

 

Can you guess what the #1 response is to this one?

“Messy.”

Kids think their lives are messy.

Let’s face it — life is messy, and not just for kids!

 

I have had students who tell me there is no room that they wouldn’t let me see, that they wouldn’t care if I saw any room.

This is a correct answer for these students. There are those who are very open and have nothing they feel they need to keep to themselves.

— ♦ —

While this is a fairly simplistic test, it does give you something to think about — some insight into your subconscious mind and how it works.

The hard part...

You need to figure out what all those words mean to you.

— ♦ —

 

THINK TIME:

How is your self-image different from
the image you think you project?

 

THE HOWs and WHYs
and OTHER LESSONS

 

Science is not only compatible with spirituality;
it is a profound source
of spirituality.

– Carl Sagan,
scientist / astronomer