How to Use Your Unconscious Mind: 5 Practical Tips + Exercise

A woman smiling and pointing toward her head with both hands illustrates how to use your unconscious mind

What hidden forces shape our decisions without our awareness? How can we harness the power of our unconscious mind rather than being controlled by it? Leonard Mlodinow reveals how our unconscious mind constantly processes information beneath our awareness. Learning how to use your unconscious mind effectively means recognizing gut feelings, questioning automatic judgments, and developing greater self-awareness of these hidden processes. Keep reading to discover practical strategies that will help you work with your unconscious mind rather than against it.

Music and Memory: How It Can Improve Cognitive Decline

An old record player on a table near a window because music is good for memory decline

What effects can music have on those with cognitive decline? Why is music processed differently than other memories? According to Daniel J. Levitin in I Heard There Was a Secret Chord, music and memory are closely linked. This is because the brain processes music memories differently than typical memories. Here’s why music can be helpful for those with cognitive decline, such as dementia.

Examples of Insights: How Some People Saw What Others Didn’t

A cartoon depiction of Isaac Newton under the apple tree illustrates examples of insights

What patterns do breakthrough thinkers notice that others miss? How do some people make connections that revolutionize entire fields of knowledge? In his book, Seeing What Others Don’t, Gary Klein explores what causes breakthroughs in thinking. His research reveals fascinating examples of insights in science, medicine, engineering, architecture, literature, and more. Keep reading to discover how these examples of insight demonstrate what sets breakthrough thinking apart.

Internet Distractions: Why Is Going Online So Addictive?

A woman looking at a computer screen, pulled in by internet distractions

Why are internet distractions so alluring? How are algorithms created to keep us distracted? In Attention Span, Gloria Mark says we wouldn’t be drawn to electronic distractions if not for the internet. Digital connectivity makes more information readily available than ever before, but this comes with some unanticipated costs. Keep reading to learn how the internet plays a big part in our subconscious psychological desire to lose focus.

How Consciousness and Language Are Intertwined (Julian Jaynes)

A person with a thought bubble with the word "ideas" over their head depicts the link between consciousness and language

What role did language play in the emergence of human consciousness? How did metaphorical thinking transform our ancestors’ cognitive abilities? Julian Jaynes proposes that consciousness developed not through biological evolution but through cultural changes driven by language. He argues that consciousness and language are deeply intertwined, with metaphors allowing humans to express abstract concepts and develop self-awareness. Read on to explore Jaynes’s theory about how our minds evolved from hearing divine voices to developing rich inner lives.

Sigmund Freud & the Unconscious Mind: Did He Get It Right?

A photograph of Sigmund Freud by Max Halberstadt illustrates Sigmund Freud's unconscious mind theories

How much of your thinking happens without your awareness? What invisible forces might be guiding your decisions and perceptions right now? The human brain processes information in ways that largely escape our conscious notice. Science writer Leonard Mlodinow explains how modern neuroscience has confirmed Sigmund Freud’s core insight that unconscious processes shape our experiences and behaviors. Keep reading to learn about Sigmund Freud’s unconscious mind theories and the developments scientists have made since Freud.

How Does Music Work in the Brain? (Daniel J. Levitin)

Musical notes around a brain, showing how music works

When you listen to music, what happens in your brain? What’s the difference between focused listening and experiential fusion? In his book I Heard There Was a Secret Chord, neuroscientist and musician Daniel J. Levitin explains how the human brain experiences music. He details why two people experience music differently and why everyone has different tastes. Continue reading to understand how music works in the brain.

Freud: Determinism Is Real, But We Have Some Control

A black and white sketch of Sigmund Freud illustrates Freud's determinism philosophy

How much control do you truly have over your thoughts and actions? What happens when your unconscious mind influences decisions you believe you’re making consciously? For Sigmund Freud, determinism was an inescapable reality. The concept seemed to fit well with his ideas about the unconscious mind. But, he also believed that we can gain some control over our lives through understanding the hidden influences of unconscious forces. Keep reading to discover how the relationship between your conscious and unconscious mind might be more complex—and more fascinating—than you realize.

Westworld & the Bicameral Mind: How the Theory Comes to Life

The Westworld logo illustrates Westworld and the bicameral mind

What if human consciousness wasn’t always part of our mental makeup? How did ancient humans experience their minds before developing self-awareness as we know it today? In HBO’s Westworld, the bicameral mind theory comes to life. This concept, laid out in Julian Jaynes’s book The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, suggests that consciousness evolved from an earlier mental state. Keep reading to learn how Westworld illustrates Jaynes’s revolutionary ideas about consciousness.

Narratization: How Our Minds Write Storylines (Julian Jaynes)

An open storybook, clouds, and a silhouette of a girl's head illustrates narratization

What role does narratization play in the development of human consciousness? How does the ability to create coherent stories from our experiences separate conscious beings from non-conscious ones? In his book, The Origin of Consciousness in the Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind, Julian Jaynes explores how consciousness emerged. He identifies “narratization”—our ability to string experiences into coherent stories—as a fundamental component of consciousness that helps us make sense of our reality. Read more to examine this fascinating concept through the lens of both evolutionary history and modern interpretations.