Delving deep into the crux that drives it all…
This is a classic book that explores the immense potential of the subconscious mind to influence our lives. Most of what we do springs from that deep level, and here we combine principles from psychology, metaphysics and religion to offer a guide on harnessing the power of that deep part of ourselves for personal growth, success, and well-being.
It was recommended to me through an online writing group a few years ago, where the person running the community pointed out that this is where it all stems from and to have a read to try and get in the right mindset. That way all else should follow. I've since been back for a few more reads, and much in the same ilk as Think & Grow Rich, it's a cornerstone text originally published in 1963.
There are many parts I highlighted but a lot boil down to the same principles so will sum them up in this article…
Key Concepts & Ideas
The Power of Belief
Murphy emphasises that the beliefs and thoughts we hold in our subconscious mind shape our reality. Nothing new there of course but hammered home here; positive thoughts and beliefs can attract positive outcomes, while negative ones can lead to negative results.
Mental Visualisation
Visualisation is a key technique in influencing the subconscious mind. By vividly imagining desired outcomes, these impressions then seep down to your subconscious, which will likely then come to fruition in reality.
Autosuggestion
Now we chat autosuggestion and heterosuggestion. Autosuggestion is where repetitive, positive affirmations help to reprogram the subconscious mind. So that's you purposely doing that upon yourself rather than engaging in negative self-talk etc. Heterosuggestion are suggestions by others and is prevalent out there, so we need to guard against that which isn't true (to us).
The Law of Attraction
Good ol' Law of Attraction makes an appearance… ie. like attracts like. The energy and thoughts you emit through your subconscious mind will attract similar energies and circumstances into your life. A lot of more modern texts build on this idea and make it into some whimsical magical thing, whereas whilst the law does exist, it's more about cause and effect and getting into a mindset that inspires action.
Healing Power of the Subconscious
Getting the mind right can help heal the body, as what goes on there will show itself physically. Whilst this is still not fully understood, it is there and can be tapped into consciously. It can make you sick and help heal you.
Overcoming Fear and Negative Thoughts
It's a bad idea to dwell on fears or negative thoughts, as these can also be manifested by the subconscious mind, which doesn't judge but feeds back what is planted there. Instead, we need to focus on positive outcomes and maintaining a constructive mental attitude. Should be obvious but you'd be surprised how people don't adhere to this, and are in turn surprised by poor results.
Practical Techniques
Throughout the book, Murphy provides practical exercises, such as affirmation repetition, visualisation, and gratitude practices which help readers harness the power of their subconscious mind. It's very repetitive in that sense, but that isn't a bad thing as it helps to reinforce the ideas. You could sum the book up in a few sentences (as with most) but the rest is stories based around the concepts and different angles of delivery.
Video review by Little Bit Better on YouTube
Thanks Joseph! Anything Else?
The bottom line is that by understanding and using the subconscious mind, people can begin to unlock their full potential, help achieve their goals, and go on to live a more fulfilled and successful life. Not being aware, can lead them down the other path. Getting a handle on all this is important whether it comes from this particular book or not.
The subconscious mind is so powerful, and although people know this to a degree, don't necessarily take steps to make the best of it.
You hear all kinds of figures bounded around, but somewhere around 90% of your life is run by the subconscious… so worth knowing and understanding. The flip side is that you use your conscious mind to feed it the appropriate things, and keep out all the crap. Quite a task but it can give you a measure of confidence once you 'master' it.
There are 20 chapters with some more interesting than others, and as it was written in the 60s then it may be a bit more 'old hat' in some places but as ever, these ideas are sound and can be used in conjunction with more modern writings and scientific developments. Principles remain true, and just get adjusted in their delivery over time.
It can be used as a bible of sorts and referred back to now and again. Speaking of 'bibles' it does have religious references in it, but the messages can be taken for what they are rather than where they're from. The author may well be religious but the reader doesn't need to be, although some may be put off by that.
It's the sort of book that would sit alongside Think & Grow Rich and perhaps The Science of Getting Rich as an older text on these types of principles, so find what works for you. It might just hit the spot or not be your cup of tea at all!
First image my own, other image and video linked to source
- 1-50: First 50 BookBabbles
- 51: THE DAILY STOIC - Ryan Holiday
- 52: MAKE TIME - Jake Knapp & John Zeratsky
- 53: GRIT - Angela Duckworth
- 54: WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING - Haruki Murakami
- 55: THE PURSUIT OF PERFECT - Tal Ben-Shahar
- 56: THE SLIGHT EDGE - Jeff Olson
- 57: CONTAGIOUS - Jonah Berger
- 58: THE RICHEST MAN IN BABYLON - George S. Clason
- 59: THE 5 AM CLUB - Robin Sharma
- 60: THINK LIKE DA VINCI - Michael Gelb
- 61: INFLUENCE - Robert Cialdini
- 62: THE ONE THING - Gary Keller
- 63: THE 12 WEEK YEAR - Brian Moran & Michael Lennington