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Quote of the Week

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.”

-Buddha 🌼

This Week's "Subconscious Success" Tip

We often think of physical pain as something that exists only in the moment. But did you know that much of what we label as “pain” is actually a blend of past, present, and future pain?

This week I was experiencing some pain, and I was looking through my past training materials for options on how to work with it on a subconscious level.

I was reminded that Milton Erickson, the father of modern clinical hypnosis, used to say that we describe as physical pain can actually be broken down into 3 different parts:

1) Pain/stress from recalling a memory of past pain (even if it was a minute ago),

2) Pain that is actually present now, and

3) Pain/stress from anticipating that the pain will happen in the future (even if only for another minute). This anticipation are often things we don't even notice like stress, worry, frustration, etc. All of these "lesser" emotions can actually exacerbate the pain.

Sometimes Erickson noticed that the majority of ones pain came from the past or the future, and when he worked with these aspects, the pain would greatly diminish or dissolve entirely.

I actually ended up working with a part of me that anticipated the pain still being there 5 minutes from now, and I noticed how that part actually wanted to "be right" and "predict what's going to happen". It made me wonder how much of pain manifests because we expect it to be there subconsciously.

After I worked with the part, I was more easily able to get behind the possibility that maybe I won't be in pain in the future, and this alone alleviated the pain.

How to Apply This Tip

I'll share with you a quick exercise to try now! This first:

For a more in depth approach to working with physical pain on a subconscious level, I'd recommend working with a subconscious change work guide or a specialist on this topic.

Also, remember that pain is a very helpful signal from your body that something is out of balance, and it needs to be addressed.

Things like hypnosis and other subconscious change work methods can be incredibly effective at removing the perception of pain, so always make sure you consult with a doctor to make sure you're not masking serious, underlying health issues where pain is a surface level symptom.

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Ok now - if you would like to play with how to work with past/present/future pain, try this:

1) Ask yourself, “How much of this pain is due to a past memory of pain?”

Then relax and notice what response you get back from your inner wisdom. How you'll receive the answer will be unique to you. I noticed I get percentages...perhaps because I tend to be a numbers person. But perhaps you might get images, sounds, feelings, or thoughts. Whatever you get, you can thank your internal wisdom for responding.

Then ask yourself "Is it ok to let even a little bit of this past pain go?"

If "yes", allow that to happen in whatever way is natural. Maybe you can imagine the pain dissolving, easily flowing into the earth below you, or being pulled into a magnet (as examples).

If you get a "no", you can either end it there or inquire a little further about what the objection is. Whatever the answer is here could be a great starting place when working with a subconscious change work practitioner. Sometimes our inner parts have objections to change, which is normal.

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2) Now ask yourself, "How much of this pain is from anticipating that it's going to happen in the future?"

Again, relax and notice what response you get back, and follow the protocol with asking if it's ok to let even a little bit of this go now. And...

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3) Lastly ask yourself, "How much of this pain is actually from right now in this very moment?"

Notice what you notice. Your experience might be different now that you've worked with the past and future pain.

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After you do this exercise, you might start seeing the experience of pain differently and feel more resourceful while working with it!

Why It Works (The Short Version)

When you separate pain into past, present, and future components, it becomes easier to manage. Sometimes you’ll find that the real pain in the present moment is much smaller than you initially thought.

Since our subconscious mind doesn't have a concept of time like we do, it's all happening "now" - even stuff that we deemed happened in the past or will happen in the future.

Sometimes parts of our subconscious mind "get stuck" in past experiences and continue to react in similar ways today as they did back then - even though that experience is no longer happening.

Similarly, if we anticipate a future where things aren't going so well, that can create some fear and worry which increases our cortisol and inflammation levels in the body.

Addressing these things can be incredibly helpful so that the subconscious mind can get the message that it's safe in the now and even when things are uncertain.

Ready To Try It?

This week, when you notice discomfort or stress, ask yourself: How much of this is actually happening right now?

Separate out the past and future, and notice how the present moment becomes clearer and lighter.

As you let go of past and future pain, you’ll start experiencing more mental clarity and emotional freedom. And with this, your subconscious mind can shift its focus toward creating new opportunities and success in the present moment.

That's it! Have questions about this week's tip? Want to share something with me? Connect with me!

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Cheers to your success!

-Alina Nikishina

Transformational Coach & Mentor

P.S. The method I specialize in, Core Transformation, can be very helpful with gently clearing un-resourceful emotions about an uncertain future and also reactions that what happened in the past. The mind-body connection is real, and it's great to have tools to help us work with it.

Please reach out if this is something you'd like support with. Let's connect for a casual chat about how the work I do might help on the emotional, subconscious level!

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