Question: Is it scientifically true that our minds are composed of two parts, the conscious and the subconscious mind? Is it true that the subconscious mind is the one that regulates most of our actions?

August 1, 2008

TBC Staff

Question: Will you please answer the following questions? Is it scientifically true that our minds are composed of two parts, the conscious and the subconscious mind? Is it true that the subconscious mind is the one that regulates most of our actions? Is it true that the subconscious mind is also in charge of our learned behavior?

Response: First of all, the mind, which is the realm of our thoughts, is a nonphysical part of the human makeup. It is not to be confused with the brain, which is a physical organ within the body. Since the mind has no physical properties, it is beyond the scrutiny of science.

The idea that we have a subconscious or unconscious mind that determines or influences our behavior is a myth spawned by Sigmund Freud, who some contend came up with the theory while under the influence of cocaine. That was his drug of choice for his own depression and one he highly recommended. Even if something did take place in a realm called the unconscious, there is no way to validly discern what those thoughts may have been. It should be obvious that a supposed unconscious region of the mind that determines our conscious thoughts and actions can be no more than speculation, and self-serving at that.

In their book titled Therapy's Delusions: The Myth of the Unconscious and the Exploitation of Today's Walking Worried, Richard Ofshe and Ethan Watters write:

While it is clear that we all engage in out-of-awareness mental processes, the idea of the dynamic unconscious proposes a powerful shadow mind that, unknown to its host, willfully influences the most minor thought and behavior. There is no scientific evidence of this sort of purposeful unconscious, nor is there evidence that psychotherapists have special methods for laying bare our out-of-awareness mental processes. Nevertheless, the therapist's claim to be able to expose and reshape the unconscious mind continues to be the seductive promise of many talk therapies.

Christians have been drawn into the false belief in the subconscious because of the influence of psychological counseling in the church, especially among so-called Christian psychologists and those who promote inner healing. The result of this completely unbiblical pseudo-scientific concept is that man cannot be held responsible for sinful actions because they were determined without his conscious involvement. Moreover, the outcome leads to a field day of excuses for our sin nature.

The unconscious, or subconscious, is foreign to biblical instruction. God's Word deals with humanity on the basis of conscious behavior over which everyone has control, and thus all are held accountable. There are certainly areas that are a mystery to us related to the heart, mind, will, and emotions, and what the Bible calls the "mystery of iniquity," or sin. But these are beyond man's explorations and are only known by God: "Then hear thou from heaven thy dwelling place, and forgive, and render unto every man according unto all his ways, whose heart thou knowest; (for thou only knowest the hearts of the children of men:); The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart..." (2 Chronicles:6:30; Jeremiah:17:9-10).