Are You Listening? What Your Unconscious Mind Is Trying to Tell You Right Now

In the quiet theater of our minds, there’s a system constantly running in the background, a sort of “default setting” for the brain. It’s a space we rarely visit. We’re usually too busy analyzing the storm of external signals—the pings of text messages, the demands of work, the noise of the world. Our brain’s gatekeeper, the reticular formation, is always on high alert, judging the significance of everything happening out there.

But what happens when the outside world goes quiet? When the constant analysis of external data ceases, a bridge appears. This bridge doesn't lead outward, but inward. It switches our focus to the signals coming from within our own selves. It’s only in this state of inner listening that you can truly hear your own desires, dreams, thoughts, and ideas. This is where creativity is born. It's where you understand what your body truly needs, where deep-seated healing processes are triggered. This shift isn’t instantaneous. It typically takes a good 20 to 25 minutes after the last distraction fades for this inner world to open up.

The philosopher Freud suggested that freedom is the ability to want what you really want. Think about that. Not what you’re told you should want, not what is fashionable or accepted, but what you, at your core, truly desire. When you finally hear that genuine want, your unconscious mind becomes a powerful ally in achieving it.

The Unlearning We Must Do

Developing this ability to hear ourselves takes work, mainly because we are raised in a culture that excels at telling us what we want. From a young age, our instincts are often overridden. A child might say, "I want an apple," only to be told, "No, in half an hour we’ll have a full meal, you’ll ruin your appetite." After a while, the child stops even trying to listen to their own wants. Why bother, when someone else is always there to dictate them?

We carry this conditioning into adulthood. We stand in a restaurant, staring at a menu, and genuinely don't know if we want meat or fish. And if we can’t make such a simple choice that is rooted in our physical needs, how can we possibly possess the tools to know if we should do business with a certain person, enter into a life-changing deal, or start a family with someone? How can we ever tap into that deep intuition, that gut feeling that tells us not to get on a particular airplane?

This internal channel of communication is a vital faculty. Strengthening it is one of the most important things a person can do.

How to Tune In

You can strengthen this channel through many avenues: through creativity, sports, or simply being in nature. And, of course, through practices like meditation. The goal is to enter that default state, and it doesn't always require sitting on a mat in the lotus position.

Consider a symphony concert. Everyone turns off their phones. The musicians begin to play. For the next half hour, nothing of urgent, pragmatic importance is going to happen. The reticular formation, seeing no threats or tasks, gradually calms down. For the average person, this takes about 20-25 minutes. Then, something shifts. The music stops being just an external sound and starts to carry you inside yourself. You begin to hear your own thoughts. Genuine, original ideas begin to surface—not recycled concepts, but your own. You start to listen to what you want.

In this state, the brain finally has the peace it needs to do some housekeeping. Like when guests leave your home and you can finally tidy up, the brain begins to repair internal disturbances, restore balance—what scientists call homeostasis—and heal itself. This is the profound therapeutic power of these trance-like states. It’s the tangible impact of meditation on life expectancy, immunity, and overall quality of life.

The Practice of Inner Silence

If you wish to practice this formally, the conditions are simple.

First, be in a well-ventilated space, as breath is a core component. Second, eliminate all external signals that could capture your brain’s attention. Third, align your spine, whether sitting or lying down, and allow your body to relax. The key is to enter this state without an internal dialogue. You must give your mind permission to be quiet.

From this place of stillness, you can begin to ask questions. You don't need to force an answer with words. In fact, it's better if you don't. Set a topic, a question—in some traditions, these are called koans, complex abstract puzzles—and then let go. Release the grip of your conscious logic, your sense of duty, and your morality. Just watch.

The answers will often come not in words, but in images. Images are the language of the unconscious. For example, close your eyes and try to imagine an apple. What did you see? If you vividly imagined a bright red apple, it might be your brain’s subtle way of telling you something. It knows that red fruits, like red meat, often contain more iron, and it might be signaling a deficiency. Your job is simply to create the quiet situation where your brain can finally talk to you, and then to listen.

This is the same process that happens in our dreams. The brain uses images—an elephant, a house, a storm—as props to work through emotional issues and rehearse new ways of reacting to situations that trouble the unconscious. It’s expanding your behavioral repertoire, giving you more freedom.

Meditation is Everywhere

So, you don’t have to be sitting with your eyes closed to be in a state of meditation. Making art is meditation. Playing an instrument is meditation. For some, a quiet cup of coffee on the balcony in the morning is meditation.

Communing with nature is a particularly powerful form. The colors and patterns of the natural world are physiologically calming. When you walk through a forest with no goal—not to get exercise, not to find the quickest route—a purely aesthetic perception arises. You see the world simply as it is, without pragmatic interest. It is in these moments, while walking without purpose, picking mushrooms for the joy of it, or watching the endless rhythm of the waves, that your thoughts begin to flow freely. Your brain starts to bubble up with what is truly important, suggesting solutions from the deep, quiet place of the unconscious.

Please, spend this time on yourself. Believe me, this isn't just a way to relax or spark a few new ideas. Practices like this fundamentally restore metabolic processes, boost your immune system, reduce the incidence of disease, and can lead to profound, natural healing. It is the key to a longer and more vibrant life.

References

• Goleman, D., & Davidson, R. J. (2017). Altered Traits: Science Reveals How Meditation Changes Your Mind, Brain, and Body. Avery.

  This book, written by the author of Emotional Intelligence and a leading neuroscientist, provides a comprehensive and accessible overview of the scientific research on meditation. It confirms the article's claims by detailing how consistent practice can lead to lasting changes in the brain, including reduced activity in the default mode network, improved immune function, and a greater capacity for well-being. It moves beyond anecdotal evidence to present the hard science behind these ancient practices.

• Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.

  While focused on trauma, this seminal work by a leading psychiatrist explains in detail how the brain and body store stress and experiences. It powerfully supports the article’s central theme of inner listening and self-healing. Van der Kolk advocates for "bottom-up" approaches like mindfulness, yoga, and movement to help individuals reconnect with their physical selves and process deeply held emotional information, validating the idea that practices beyond traditional sitting meditation can restore homeostasis and well-being.

• Raichle, M. E. (2015). The brain's default mode network. Annual Review of Neuroscience, 38, 433–447.

  For readers interested in the core science, this article by the neuroscientist who discovered the Default Mode Network (DMN) is a foundational text. It describes the DMN as an intrinsic brain system that is most active during introspective states like daydreaming, recalling memories, and thinking about the future—the very state the article describes as being accessible through meditation. It provides the scientific basis for the "default system" and explains its critical role in self-referential thought and consciousness.