The human mind is split into two very different sections. The conscious mind, which is responsible for all our conscious thoughts and decisions, and the subconscious mind, which regulates our autonomous activity, such as knowing how much pressure to apply to your grip in order to pick up a delicate object without breaking it.

The mind can be best thought of as a computer, the subconscious as the processor and the conscious as the monitor and keyboard. Our subconscious mind is a kind of guardian; it looks after our body and helps us to survive. We can´t normally directly communicate with our subconscious mind and it can´t directly communicate with us. When our subconscious mind wants to tell us something it will often do it in a dream, of course, to confuse matters, the message will be far from clear. It is as though our subconscious speaks a different language. Communication from it appears in the form of cryptic clues, metaphors or gut feeling.

Although our subconscious can do many a task that consciously would be impossible, it also has one very basic characteristic. Somewhere between our two minds is what we call the critical factor. This is probably best described as a door, at which is a guardian. Our subconscious mind will process anything that enters it no matter how bizarre. So, as long as you can get a suggestion through the door it will be obeyed.

The purpose of the guardian is to protect us. If there were no such function the world would be an absolute chaos. There are only a few things that can relieve the guard of his duties, and one of these is hypnosis.

The door to the subconscious mind does sometimes open when it would be best kept closed. An overload of stress upon the conscious mind can cause it to close down and allow the subconscious to take over. The critical factor door swings open and before you know it a ridiculous suggestive is willingly accepted, sorted and planted deep in the subconscious. This often results in some deep-seated emotional problem. This process is usually the cause of many phobias and, because they are planted at the subconscious level, it is absolutely useless to try and overcome these problems consciously. They will remain until another `conflicting suggestion´ replaces them. This is where hypnotherapy comes to the rescue.

The guardian´s door can also be carelessly opened whilst we are deeply relaxed. Although this would appear a danger, it is this very process that the `progressive relaxation´ technique relies upon for its success. Suggestion can also enter your subconscious through shock, confusion, daydreaming, authority figures, emotion and rules.

The door to the subconscious is also left open in children until around the onset of puberty. This allows them to gather information on which they will base their adult life. It is probably the main reason that most people will vote the same as their parents, after hearing many a biased remark whilst in their childhood. It is also the reason that children believe in Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy. Thoughts can also enter the subconscious mind through repetition, advertisers are very aware of this fact and exploit it to try and push the sales of their products. This can also be seen in the child who no longer believes in Santa. Who has ever heard of anybody having to go to a hypnotherapist to rid themselves of such childhood beliefs?