The first step in understanding the mind is to realize that your thoughts are what determines your everyday experiences. This is the basic premise of all spiritual texts and esoteric schools of thought. It is also reflected in many scientific spheres such as quantum mechanics.

People have certain thought patterns that they picked up from the wider society, from their parents, from groups and organizations etc. They then project these thought patterns onto their surroundings. And they then mistakenly believe that their own projections and interpretations are the ‘truth’. But the truth is different for everybody, depending on their particular thoughts. This is why here is so much diversity in the world today.

There are some scientific discoveries and psychological observations which might be of interest in understanding how the mind works. These include:

1. The mind cannot distinguish between real and imaginary.
2. 95% of your activity is subconscious (try being consciously aware of every key you type on your computer. Your progress will be vastly reduced.)
3. Your subconscious has stored everything that has ever happened to you, much like a gigantic computer.
4. We are bombarded with 2 million bits of data every second. It is the job of the subconscious to filter through all of this.
5. The conscious mind remembers between 5-9 pieces of information. This information is passed to the subconscious for processing to free up conscious space.
6. Most of our energy expenditure goes towards the brain.

These discoveries have important implications. If the majority of our lives are fulfilled by the subconscious, it follows that we should try to manipulate our subconscious mind as opposed to our conscious abilities. According to Carl Jung – “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate”. Programming of the subconscious for conscious growth is the basis of affirmations and self-hypnosis for empowerment. But along with these strategies, there are other things to consider in order to create a positive mindset for growth and fulfillment.