Elsie Lincoln Benedict – the forgotten wonder woman of self-help who I wrote about here on my February 15, 2015 blog post – taught me something profound.
Book from 1921
I was reading her 1921 book, How to Unlock Your Subconscious Mind (sometimes called Mental Analysis: How to Unlock Your Subconscious Mind) when I came across this insight in the final chapter:
Insight from Elsie
“Whatever your conscious mind affirms, visualizes and suggests to the subconscious, the subconscious will build into your life.”
For you and I today, that’s probably not news. But in 1921, it was a breakthrough new concept.
It basically said that you could choose what you want with your conscious mind, and with intention and imagery, you could get it into the subconscious, where it would take seed and begin to grow.
Why is this so important?
Because Elsie said something else right before revealing that concept that was even more insightful, and something so profound that I had to reread it a few times.
Elsie wrote –
“This newest, hitherto unpublished and most far-reaching of all the discoveries concerning the laws of human life is that every human being GETS his supreme subconscious wish.”
In short, there is a type of prime directive in your subconscious mind.
It is the secret guiding desire for your life.
You may not know what it is, but your subconscious is attracting into your life everything to make it real.
What you are getting right now is a match to the secret desire of your subconscious – your “supreme subconscious wish.”
In my own work, I talk a lot about counter-intentions.
A counter-intention is a hidden belief in contrast to what you consciously say you want.
You might consciously say you want a new job, but unconsciously believe you won’t get one due to the economy (or some other excuse/reason/belief), and your unconscious, being more powerful, will make the counter-intention come true.
Ad for free lectures circa 1917
Elsie would probably agree but her deeper insight is that the subconscious has one major intention and it will allow nothing to come about to contradict it.
Elsie explains –
“Let us repeat: Your supreme subconscious wish dictates your life. It permits nothing seriously to interfere with its materialization. It is automatic, implacable. What you want most of all, as a condition in your life, it will get for you.”
Now think about this.
If your conscious intent is to attract more money – for yourself or others or causes you believe in – but your secret subconscious wish is to avoid money so you consider yourself “spiritual,” then your subconscious mind will make sure that you get your chief hidden intention — and stay broke.
Your subconscious secret desire will win.
It’s the same scenario with anything you can name.
Want a relationship but secretly want to stay alone because it feels safer?
Then nothing you do will work because the secret intent of your subconscious will control the outcome. You will be alone but “safe.”
Want better health but secretly want to stay ill so you can avoid taking actions and risks in the world?
Then your overriding subconscious desire will make sure you stay ill. You will be sick but “risk free.”
Elsie goes on to explain that your secret desire is for a feeling or condition, not anything specific. She says –
“Our supreme subconscious wish is never for any specific thing or person but for a condition, a certain avenue of self-expression.”
Elsie’s insight, offered in 1921, is a mind opener.
Elsie Lincoln Benedict
Here’s why –
First, realizing you have a secret subconscious “prime directive” helps explain why you are attracting what you have in your life: your subconscious insists on it.
Second, realizing you can change your subconscious secret desire to something else – with your conscious mind affirming and visualizing a new outcome – is enlightening and empowering.
Once again, Elsie has rocked my world.
I trust you see the power of these insights from our dear woman of the 1920s.
But here’s a suggestion –
You can sit and reflect on what your subconscious might want for you, which will help explain what you are attracting into your life.
You can then use your conscious mind to offer new instructions to your subconscious, reprogramming it to help you attract more of what you consciously prefer.
Got it?
Elsie was pointing the way to the hidden operations in our mind, long before positive psychology and neuroscience came into play.
Thank you, Elsie.
I love you.
Ao Akua,
Joe
PS – Unraveling your own beliefs can be tricky, since you are the one wrapped up inside of them. The fastest way to expand your mind is with the help of your own Miracles Coach. Check out Miracles Coaching.
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16 Comments
Thanks Joe
Those are words words by Elsie
But does she say in the book HOW to reprogram the mind?
She said:
“You can then use your conscious mind to offer new instructions to your subconscious, reprogramming it to help you attract more of what you consciously prefer.”
But she doesnt say how to offer new instructions to the subconscious mind.
Can you elaborate for us please?
Thanks
Hi Michael. Her opening quote in my post answers your question: “Whatever your conscious mind affirms, visualizes and suggests to the subconscious, the subconscious will build into your life.” So there you go: affirm the new program, visualize it, and suggest it to your subconscious.
Thanks bro
Thanks Joe 🙂
Hello Mr. Vitale! I do not speak English. I do not know where to write to you. I have a bit of a strange question. I am a citizen of Ukraine and is already one year living in Belarus. I’m worried about my country. In Ukraine, said that the blame for the war in Russia. In Belarus in the news that the US provides weapons. What show do you have?
Hello Joe,
I’ve been on my own quest in the use of the Law of Attraction and have been finding that my life is working out much better when my thoughts are positive and in line to what I really want in my life.
I’ve put your suggestions to use a little differently and that is we have a choice as to what we what to attract into our lives (I love the word choice). The way to make that choice is to do what you suggest and reflect on what our subconscious wants for us. As the late great George Harrison wrote, “ if you don’t know where your going any road will take you there”. When we know, then we can go! I should set that to music.
Thanks for your writings,
Frank
Joe
I have been following you for many, many years
You also introduced me to your friend Craig Perrine, whose work I enjoyed very much
Can you tell me of his new website? Because his twitter is outdated and so is his blog
Is he ok?
If you can give me an update on him or how I could contact him I would appreciate it
Thanks
Hi Michael. I haven’t seen Craig since my 60th birthday party but he is alive and well. I’m sure he will be glad you asked.
Hi Joe,
I’m confused by that blogpost of yours, and most of the selling messages on your Website I must say.
I listened to the training you gave on Ho’oponopono in Maui with Dr. Len. I was very interested and very touched by it, and I thank you very much for that.
In that conference you mentioned that you completely changed your approach on intentions setting and attracting wealth (or anything else) in people’s life. You said that you don’t “believe” and practice anymore intentions setting because they are coming from the ego, and not the Divive aspect of us. The only thing we have to do then is to “clean” (in the Ho’oponopono way) so we can get inspired by the Divinity on what is good for us in our life.
So I am quite confuse to see that in your latest blog post, you are still taking about intentions, about getting cars and stuff. Even the first video on your Website is a clip from the Secret were to talk about the Universe being like a bid shopping catalogue for all the things you (your ego) wants in your life.
What about authenticity here? Do you still market about intentions of the ego because it sells so well in our egoistic driven world, but really believe and practice something else deep down?
Thanks for clarifiying your thoughts for someone that was so impacted by the hole Ho’oponopono conference but found a completely different message on your Website…
Thomas
Hi Thomas. Thanks for your sincere question. You’ll need to read my more recent books and blog posts to fully understand, but I very much believe in intentions (your brain needs them) but I want my intentions to come from inspirations. That’s the key difference. An inspiration can be for anything, from a car to a movement to end homelessness. Once received, it then becomes the intention. Nothing wrong with cars and “stuff” (it’s part of the spiritual experiencing the material) but it needs to come from inspiration first. Hope that helps. All the best. – joe
Thanks Joe for your answer. In regards to our present discussion, which of your more recent books do you recommend me to read?
Probably AT Zero. http://www.amazon.com/At-Zero-Secrets-Miracles-Hooponopono/dp/1118810023/