We are all aware that we have an inner mind, which is called’ subliminal’, ’subjective’, ‘id’ or the subconscious mind. Freud was one of the first who gave an insight into the functioning of the subconscious mind linking it with the causes of various diseases. Dr Carl Jung, the Swiss psychiatrist, termed the spiritual part of the mind as super conscious, which was directly connected to God.

The subconscious mind works like a computer. The subconscious mind inspires, guides and is a permanent storehouse of memory. Our mind remembers everything we see, feel and experience but to recall is difficult. It is said that the subconscious mind has a memory capacity of 70-100 trillion images because all our feelings, emotions and experiences are stored within us as an image or sound. Just as a computer digitizes everything, our brain too does the same.

Subconscious mind never sleeps, never rests and is always on duty because it controls our heartbeat, circulation of blood, regulates digestion, assimilates, harmonizes and eliminates. It controls all the vital processes and functions of our body and knows the answers to all our problems.

The objective mind learns from observation, experience, education and its great function is reasoning, whereas the subjective mind performs its highest function when our objective senses are in abeyance.

Thoughts are conveyed via the conscious mind to the subconscious by impression made in the brain cells like an image or a movie. It uses every bit of information gathered in our life time and draws all the energy and wisdom within us to bring solutions to our problems.

Suppose one had been bitten by a dog at the age of 10, one will continue to be scared of dogs for the rest of his/her life viewing it from the childhood experience. This is because our subconscious mind remembers the incident. The conscious mind may forget but the subconscious mind remembers in greatest detail unless the event is cancelled from the memory.

Subconscious mind is always awake whether one is asleep, unconscious, under drug or alcohol effect or under coma. One of its functions is to guard us from harm and danger, yet ironically it also causes illness and even self-destruction.

Subconscious mind is infinite intelligence possessed by man beyond time and space, and it helps us to receive new thoughts, ideas, business plans, discoveries, inventions, and knowledge of nature.

Subconscious mind has the habit of taking everything literally. If we keep on thinking that we will never succeed in a particular venture, it is most likely that we will not because we are blocking all positive energy flow into the subconscious. This results only in negative energy getting attracted. Therefore, it is we who are responsible for our successes and failures in life.

If we have conveyed an erroneous concept to our subconscious mind the method of overcoming it is by repetition of constructive and harmonious thoughts, positive attitude and visualizing a happy ending rather than negative thoughts and suggestions.

Doctors have recognized this fact about the mind hence, however complex the operation maybe, they keep on encouraging the patients just before an operation.

During the post operative period visitors are not allowed near the patient because any negative suggestion given will go deep into the patient’s subconscious mind thereby damaging whatever had been done to rectify the patient’s state of health through the operation.

It is very important that we do not use negative suggestions with growing children as it gets rooted in their subconscious mind and reflects later in his/her behavior. This effect can be seen in their behavior, hostility, anxiety, lack of confidence, etc. Whatever one believes in one’s mind is what we experience physically in the outside world. We have two sides of life objective-subjective, visible-invisible, thought-manifestation.

Even prayers and beliefs are positive signals, which we give to our subconscious mind as something acceptable and true. The thought, which is acceptable as true, will automatically execute itself. When we believe we are healthy we will remain healthy as our subconscious mind keeps our immune system in perfect condition.

Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba says, “Faith is the root of tree of mankind on which it survives”.

Faith is the starting point of our spiritual and mental progress. In India we can find umpteen examples of faith, belief and superstitions. These can be explained scientifically whereas many are blindly followed. Faith and belief which are for our own and universal good are acceptable. However, faith, which brings injury to others, either mental or physical, is not acceptable.

Baba said we should develop a sense of Viveka (discrimination), which will help us to demarcate good and bad things. This demarcation comes from Jnana (knowledge). A child who utters bad words may not know the meaning of it hence one should explain the meaning of the word to him so that he does not repeat it.

While praying we do not give any thoughts to negative conditions. This attitude of mind brings a harmonious union of conscious and subconscious mind, which releases the healing power.

In India, we frequently visit temples and shrines and pray. Temples and holy places have positive energies due to the repetition of God’s name, songs, mantras, etc, which soothe our mind. We feel calm and respond in these places with openness. Our subconscious mind unfolds the knot of our problems and gives us the solutions.

During every moment of our life we harbor more negative energies than positive one. Whatever we see around us makes an impact on the subconscious mind and remains deep rooted till reprogramming is done.

Dr. Bruce Goldberg in his book has proved that subconscious mind does not only have memory of our present life but also of the past lives. The subconscious mind may not want us to know anything of the past as per the wisdom it possesses and may decide not to give us any information at all of the past lives that may affect our present life.

However, by scientific hypnosis and past life regression, anyone can go back and witness their life as it was.

Some people having peculiar behavioral problems have been regressed to there past lives to find the cause of the problem in their present life. When the cause is healed the problem disappears instantly.

Subconscious mind never grows old. It is ageless, timeless and endless. Hence it is very important to develop patience, kindness, humility, will power, and responsibility for oneself, peace, harmony, hope and brotherly love towards every creation of GOD.

The subconscious mind can be dealt with creative visualization, positive affirmations and self-hypnosis to bring harmony and balance in all aspects of your life.

How negative attitudes affect a person?

* One parent used to tell his child almost everyday, “You will become a useless person and never become something in life.” When the child became an adult, he was a failure in all aspects of life. Finally, he became a priest and found solace. Parents should be cautious and not use any negative words or commands while dealing with their children.

* A teacher used to motivate his pupils by saying, “Try and try again, you will succeed. Work hard and pray to God for success.” Thus his student turned out to be toppers in academics and brought many laurels to the school. The encouraging words of the teacher worked like magic. (It is better to keep on encouraging, rewarding and praising the children for slightest good done by them. After all there is a deep desire within all of us to be appreciated.

* A widow used to tell her daughter after puberty to be careful of men as they were cheats, opportunists and sex maniacs. This influenced her and she hated men till her late thirties until she met a loving and caring man. She let go of her mother’s influence. (The mother had spoilt an innocent child’s attitude towards men just because she herself was a victim of terrible experiences).

* A young boy when caught masturbating by his father was told that he would become insane. That boy became impotent. Later his problem vanished after scientific counseling and reassurance. (Often impotence is not an organic defect but arises due to deep emotional guilt, which can be easily cured by reprogramming the subconscious mind through positive affirmations.)

* A man met with an accident and fractured his leg. He happened to overhear his doctor saying that he would never be normal again and that he would always limp. This man although clinically certified to be fit, walked with a limp until he met a mind trainer who succeeded in canceling the negative thought from his mind.

There are innumerable examples to prove beyond doubt that subconscious mind remembers the past life as well as present. There is chance that our conscious mind may sometimes forget certain incidences but our subconscious mind remembers everything. It also causes all the emotional and physical disorders arising due to these deep-rooted memories.

Any passing comments or trivial statements can have a devastating effect on our subconscious mind because it is not argumentative or analytical. It accepts all the statements directly on the face value.

It is very imperative that we do not become sad and depressed as negative thoughts crowd the subconscious mind which could react immediately or maybe after several years. It is the responsibility of elders and parents to be very careful in using words when they are amidst children in the formative years as during this time the mind takes concrete shape for many years to come.

Some positive tips for perennial happiness:

* If someone has hurt you physically or verbally, forgive him or her.

* If someone tries to belittle you ignore him or her.

* If someone you advise does not wish to listen to you, leave that person to face his own fate.

* If you help someone, do not expect anything in return. Conflicts between spouses or parent-children arise due to very high expectations.

* If you have a special talent or God gift do not become egoistic and haughty about it or consider yourself superior to others.

* If someone is jealous of you and your achievements, sympathies with them.

* Learn to channels your desire into higher creativity and consciousness by adopting meditation.

* Keep away from malice, as they will not give you perpetual happiness.

* Learn to set new goals in life as this will keep your life interesting and full of zeal and zest.

Baba says, “Life is a challenge, face it. Life is love enjoy it. Life is a song, sing it”. Love is the common denominator for all maladies in life. So we need to develop unconditional love for everything-our work, profession, family, neighbors, GOD, and people we meet socially

You can greatly reduce your chances of catching a cold if you do a yoga nasal wash, called neti, once a day. Start by filling a four-ounce paper cup halfway with warm water, then add 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Put a small crease in the lip of the cup so that it forms a spout. Slightly tilt your head back and to the left. Then slowly pour the water into your right nostril. The water will flow out of your left nostril or down the back of your throat if your left nostril is clogged. Spit out the water if it goes down your throat, or wipe the water from your face with a hand towel if it flows out of your left nostril. Fill the cup again, and then repeat the procedure on the other side, pouring the water into your left nostril and tilting your head back and to the right so that the water flows out of your right nostril.

Stress can lower your immune system and make you prone to colds the. To combat stress, he recommends spending at least 20 minutes each day listening to music that will relax you. To get started, he says, turn on the music, then sit or lie comfortably, close your eyes and take a deep breath. We recommend, however, that you keep the speakers playing, so your body absorbs the sound energy. While the music plays, let your breath slow down and become steady. Listen not just to the notes but to the silence between the notes. This will keep you from analyzing the music, which will allow it to relax you.

Use the corresponding golf ball technique to work the adrenal gland, head, throat and chest reflex points on both hands, reflexology. They also suggest working the head, throat and chest points on both feet.

Fresh pineapple juice is wonderful for colds say, a holistic family practitioner in. It’s less allergenic than citrus and less acidic in the stomach, and it actually contains more vitamin C. It also breaks down mucus better. To treat a cold, she recommends drinking four to six ounces of juice it amount of at least four times a day.

Hot baths and drinking plenty of water are two of the best and simplest water treatments for a cold. Here’s what he recommends. Fill your tub with comfortably hot water (about 102° to 104°F-you can use a regular thermometer to check) and submerge as much of your body as possible. Soak for about 15 minutes. Towel off, jump into a prewarmed bed and rest for at least one hour or longer (be sure to keep yourself warm, with your arms and legs well-covered). Use this teatment one to three times every day until your symptoms subside.

Herbal steam treatments are a soothing way to treat the head congestion that can come with a cold. Heat water to boiling. Then remove it from the heat source and drip a few drops of essential oil into it. In health food stores Eucalyptus, sage and balsam are particularly good for cold congestion, Drape a bath towel over your head and breathe deeply for five to ten minutes. Do this two or three times a day until your symptoms subside.

If you have sinus congestion, a thick green nasal discharge, sensitivity to touch and pain in your cheekbones or on the bridge of your nose, then try a 30C dose of Kali bichromicum once or twice daily until you begin to feel better. If you feel warm, feel better in fresh air, don’t feel thirsty and are unusually emotional, try a 30C dose of Pulsatilla once or twice a day, she says. If you have a chest cold with a cough, are irritable and are thirsty to the point of gulping water, and if your sinuses feel raw, recommends a 3OC dose three times a day. On the other hand, if you feel restless, anxious, irritable and chilly, are thirsty but drink in sips and have a watery, burning nasal discharge, w advise taking a 30C dose of Arsenicum once or twice a day.

Garlic can help prevent colds and help reduce symptoms because it contains a potent antibiotic called allicin, which is released when cloves of garlic are chopped, crushed or chewed professor of pharmacognosy. You can add raw garlic to foods as a preventive measure, or you can buy garlic supplements, which are available in most health food stores. Te best supplemental form is a enteric-coated capsule, which are easier for the body to absorb. We recommend that you follow label directions for dosage; a typical dosage is 300 milligrams daily for as long as symptoms persist.

Grapefruit is a great food for fighting a cold. One reason is that it’s high in vita min C. A lesser-known reason, is that grapefruit helps detoxify the liver. The liver is your front line to the immune system, and when immunity is impaired, you need something that’s alkaline and not acidic to detoxify it. All citrus fruits become alkaline when metabolized in the body, but oranges and other citrus fruits are too sweet to promote proper liver drainage, so you get much better detoxification from grapefruit. He recommends eating one or more grapefruit and their white bitter pulp each day to prevent colds and to build immunity.

Colds are a kapha-vata disorder. Ayurveda, see “All about Vata, Pitta and that You develop a cold when your body has an excess of kapha’s cool, moist characteristics, causing a stuffy or runny nose and lots of sneezing. And, he says, excess vata energy reduces agni, or gastric fire, so you get the chills. But, according to, ginger can reduce excess kapha and restore agni, making it the best medicine for colds and flus.

Here is our recipe for ginger tea: Add just under ½ teaspoon each of ginger powder, fennel seeds and cinnamon and a pinch of clove powder to one cup of hot water. Let the herbs steep for about ten minutes, and then strain them out of the tea before drinking. Drink as much of the tea as you wish.

Because aspirin and ginger are both blood thinners we recommends drinking ginger tea at least two hours before or after you take a dose of aspirin.