Understanding The mind
Thinking, feeling, acting: one connected mind.
The Trilogy of Mind
Philosophers and psychologists have long explored three fundamental dimensions of mental functioning: cognition (thinking), affect (feeling), and conation (motivation and action). Historically known as the Trilogy of Mind, this framework describes how we interpret experiences, process emotions, form beliefs, and translate intentions into behavior.1
- CognitionThinking
- AffectFeeling
- ConationActing
The Triune Brain Theory
The traditional Triune Brain Theory, developed by neuroscientist Paul MacLean, proposed three systems:2
- NeocortexAssociated with reasoning, language, conscious thought, and decision-making.
- Limbic SystemAssociated with emotions, memory, motivation, and emotional learning.
- Reptilian ComplexAssociated with survival instincts, automatic responses, and habitual behaviors.
What modern neuroscience shows
Modern neuroscience provides a more accurate understanding of how these functions work together. Rather than operating as three separate systems, thinking, feeling, and acting emerge from interconnected neural networks3 that continuously communicate and influence one another. Our thoughts can shape our emotional responses, emotions can influence our decisions and actions,4 and repeated experiences can reinforce or modify established beliefs and behavioral patterns.
This interconnected relationship also reflects the brain's remarkable capacity for neuroplasticity—the ability to reorganize and adapt through learning and experience. As we develop new ways of thinking, regulate emotional responses, and practice different behaviors, neural connections can strengthen or change over time, supporting the development of healthier habits and more adaptive responses.5
Scientific References
- Hilgard, E. R. (1980). The Trilogy of Mind: Cognition, Affection, and Conation. Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences, 16(2), 107–117.
- Steffen, P. R., Hedges, D., & Matheson, R. (2022). The Brain Is Adaptive Not Triune: How the Brain Responds to Threat, Challenge, and Change. Frontiers in Psychiatry, 13, 802606.
- National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Research Domain Criteria (RDoC): Domains and Constructs.
- Salzman, C. D., & Fusi, S. (2010). Emotion, Cognition, and Mental State Representation in Amygdala and Prefrontal Cortex. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 33, 173–202.
- Yin, H. H., & Knowlton, B. J. (2006). The Role of the Basal Ganglia in Habit Formation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 7(6), 464–476.
Meet the Gatekeeper.
The Conscious Mind is analytical and logical. It is where we problem-solve - assess situations and implement resolutions.
The processing capacity of the conscious mind is limited to short-term memory, multi-tasking of about 1-3 events at a time and averages about 40 bits of information per second.
The Conscious Mind is also where “willpower” comes into play. One thing to understand about willpower is that it is only there to get us through the short term. It is not the most effective way to change a long‐term, deeply rooted program. Over time, our subconscious programming will generally overtake any of our efforts supported only by mere willpower.
The subconscious mind works like a computer. It begins empty. As we grow and learn, its unlimited database stores our experiences and perceptions, and from them come our personality, emotions, learned responses, beliefs, and habits. Once embedded, these patterns become highly resistant to change.
Its processing power is vast. It holds our long-term memory, handles thousands of events at once, and works at an average of 4 billion bits per second.
The subconscious mind is very literal, so we need to be specific when we communicate with it. It speaks back to us through emotions.
The subconscious mind is always active and never sleeps. It runs the autonomic nervous system, breathing, digestion, heart rate, and virtually every function of the body.
The Critical Factor is the gatekeeper between the Subconscious Mind, and the Conscious Mind. It functions as a filter for new information coming in from the Conscious Mind and compares/contrasts it to the existing database of beliefs in the Subconscious Mind.
When the newly introduced data does not jibe with the existing database, the Critical Factor rejects it, by not allowing changes in emotional or behavioral responses to occur. This is why it is so difficult to break habits or change our beliefs.
However, there are some programs that we know on a conscious level, limit us from living the life we want. And so how do we get to them so we can change them? Hypnotherapy is the answer! It allows us to bypass the critical factor and implement selective thinking.
Understanding the difference
Hypnosis vs. Hypnotherapy
Hypnosis is the state. Hypnotherapy is how that state is used, with purpose and professional guidance, to create lasting change.
Hypnosis
The state
- What it isA natural state of deep relaxation and focused attention, like being absorbed in a book or a daydream.
- Its purposeRelaxation, entertainment, or simply experiencing the state itself.
- Who guides itA hypnotist, a recording, or yourself.
- Your awarenessOften linked with heightened awareness and suggestibility. You stay fully aware: the conscious mind steps aside to some degree while attention rests on a single point or a broad range of experiences.
- Where it happensFor most people, in the middle of the alpha-to-theta range of brainwaves.
Hypnotherapy
The process
- What it isA therapeutic approach that uses hypnosis to work with the subconscious mind.
- Its purposeChanging limiting beliefs, habits, and emotional patterns.
- Who guides itA certified hypnotherapist, with a plan built around you.
- Its methodsAn umbrella term for many techniques that use specific trance states to solve problems or improve mental and physical conditions.
- Its standingApproved by the British Medical Association in 1955 and the American Medical Association in 1958, part of psychotherapy since its early days, and experiencing a resurgence as studies show it to be effective.
The science behind it
Your brainwaves and hypnosis
Your brain produces electrical rhythms called brainwaves. Researchers have divided them into five basic frequencies, each linked to a specific state of consciousness. Hypnosis gently guides you from a busy mind into the slower, calmer rhythms where change is easier.
The fastest rhythm, associated with bringing information together.
The everyday waking mind, busy and analytical.
The doorway to hypnosis: eyes closed, body easing, mind open.
Where hypnosis happensWhere the subconscious is most receptive to new suggestions.
Where hypnosis happensThe slowest waves, associated with deep sleep and healing rest.
Because alpha and theta states make us highly suggestible, positive programming during hypnosis can be very effective for life changes. Research suggests theta is the rhythm most consistently linked to hypnotic responding, and exact Hz boundaries vary slightly between studies.
Hypnosis is the tool. Hypnotherapy is how it is used to help you change.
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