SUBCONSCIOUS POWER

Shannon News, 13 May 1927, Page 3

SUBCONSCIOUS POWER

marvels of memory# BRAIN ALWAYS WORKING, It is generally recognised that Mi .. just before we go to sleep a night, w© say to ourselves: “I intend to wake up at seven tomorrow morning,’ in nearly every case we do so. Probably few people have tried tQ think out this perfectly remarkable power of human beings, says a writer -; In “My Magazine.” " , We go to sleep and remain unconscious until seven o'clock arrives, when something wakes us. Now it--is clear that there is some part of our brain that does not go to sleep, but remains always awake, and at the de- • sired hour it does something to that part which Is asleep,-and awakens ■ it. , Brain not all Conscious. Though in the present state of our knowledge we have no firmly estab- ' llshed explanation of this power, it la - ‘ probable that we owe it to what, la known as the subconscious part of bur brain. Only a relatively small part of 'our brain is conscious; the ■ much.greater part is not actively Ift. and is therefore said to be subconscious. Experience has shown that the subconscious portion plays a great part in our dally lives. Sometiines a man finds himself in a position In which it seems impossible to do some par- ... ticular piece of work,' and , after thinking it over very carefully he puts the matter aside. About a fortnight later he finds himself able to carry through the work he thought ■. impossible.

The subconscious braiii having had the problem placed before . it, took things In hand, and in course of time made the crooked path straight. If we take notice of the conduct of : others, it will often be plainly visible what aims they; are pursuing before - they themselves are really conscious of these aims, because a close observ- .* er can recognise and realise the significance of their subconscious acts. It Never Sleeps.

It is probable not only that the subconscious mind never needs sleep, but also that it forgets nothing. It is also probable that if we could examine the brains of our earliest ancestors of half a millioh years . ago, we should find that the area of their cerebral consciousness' was considerably less than that of the most advanced races of to-day. .

This means that in the course of half a million years a process has been going on by which an ever-in-creasing, proportion of the subconscious brain is being absorbed into the conscious, with the result that our brains are much more, efficient instruments than were those of t the first human; beings.

This process of transformation will continue, and as it does so man's brain will become increasingly remarkable. It is possible that, with the whole of the brain conscious, human beings will forget nothing, and perhaps reach a stage in which they will need no sleep?