The Heart Mind• Definition: An inner

guide that puts us in touch with our true-self, our life purpose, and provides insight into how to best steer our life. It has an intelligence that seems to know us better than we know ourselves.

Losing Touch with the HeartGiving our attention to:- Others approval- Lying to get people to like

us- Suppressing our feelings

to get what we want.

Ends in Depression, Anxiety, wrong choices in career, friends, and people we marry.

Getting in Touch with the HeartSay what you meanMake decisions that

reflect your valuesPerforming an inner

ritual often like meditation, journal writing, prayer, or nature.

My experience: Golf – Pianist – NYL - Counseling

We often say, “It wasn’t in my heart..What does your heart

or gut say…I followed my heart…I knew in my heart…From the bottom of my

heart…..In my heart of hearts”

The Heart Feels Things Before the BrainActions in the physical Heart precede the actions of

both body and brain……The Heart perceives something in our environment

and sends a running report to the brain to make a proper response through neurotransmitters.

Kathy’s Dorm Room

The Self-Image and EgoThe Self-Image The EgoThe combination of all the

messages and experiences that have happened to you that form the picture of who you believe you are.

It is the way you think about yourself.

Elephant 12 foot shuffleTrick mirrors

• The selfish part of you.• Social programming that told us

we are a separate being apart from others.

• It will distort reality to get you to believe you are more powerful/important than you think.

• It is fragile and feels it has to control everything or it will die.

• You can give it sex, food, drink.. and it always wants more.

Differences Between Heart and Ego ValuesHeart Values Ego Values

Inside orientedSeeks truthMotivation: meaningDecision Maker: ConscienceLearns from bad experienceTrue self

Outside orientedSeeks powerMotivation: self-gratificationApproval from othersCrippled by bad experiencesFalse self

The 3 Minds1. The Heart/Superconscious Mind

2. The Reasoning/Conscious Mind

3. The Non-reasoning/Subconscious Mind

The Heart/Superconscious MindThis insightful mind provides creativity, inspiration,

and inner/outer fulfillment through meditation, dreams, journalizing, prayer, intuition, daydreaming, etc

People who have overcome deadly addictions attribute it to letting go of their willpower, conscious mind and allowing the superconscious mind to take control. 12 step programs have highest success.

Religions champion the “Heart.” (2 Nuns)Atheistic doctors say the brain has a spiritual region

that activates with mystical/meditation practice.

The Reasoning/Conscious MindThis “Captain of the ship” mind directs its thoughts

into action through willpower, discipline, focus, and reasoning.

Examples of using deliberate thoughts include: visualization problem-solving, affirmations, and goal-setting.

The Non-reasoning/Subconscious MindThis habit-mind works without awareness

calling upon previous memories, thoughts, feelings, and instincts to create positive and/or negative behaviors.

People who sabotage their success, can’t stop their addictions, and repeat unhealthy habits and behaviors have an subconscious mind in control of the personality instead of the conscious mind.

The Gardener MetaphorThe Conscious Mind is

the gardener who plants the seeds (thoughts) into the soil which is the Subconscious Mind.

If you can plant hard work, commitment, and visualization into your subconscious mind or worry, doubt, and fear to pursue your college degree.

The Computer ProgrammerThe Conscious Mind is

the Computer Programmer who programs encouraging, successful, positive thoughts into the Subconscious Mind.

The Subconscious Mind is like the software that will obey any command you give it.

How Diverse Philosophies Value the 3 Minds

Subconscious Mind

Conscious Mind

Superconscious Mind

Trad. Psychology X XAlcohol Anon. XMaterialist XHypnosis XReligious-Fund.New Age X X

Research Studies on PrayerOver 150 studies confirm the positive effects of

prayer. They are double blind studies (no placebo).Heart attack patients who were prayer for left the

hospital sooner with fewer complications.Fungus that was visualized to stop growing occurred

in 151 out of 194 culture dishes.Rice in a jar will look like rice 19 days later when

prayed and talked to while rice that was cursed turned brown and rotted away.

See the research journal references in the book.

Find an Inner Ritual that Works For You

Try Meditation (helped college students attain significantly higher GPA’s (Hall, 1999).

PrayerJournal WritingTime in NatureQuiet ReflectionAsk yourself, “What part of my life should I spend

more time and energy on?How should I make it happen?