Book Review – The Power of Your Subconscious Mind – Dr. Joseph Murphy

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, written by Dr. Joseph Murphy, is one of the best books to explore. The book presents a fruitful and detailed explanation of our subconscious mind and what wonders it can do in our life.

The two spheres of mind: conscious mind and subconscious mind. Subconscious mind, also known as subjective mind, never stops functioning. Conscious mind, also known as objective mind, deals with outward objects.

The objective mind is aware of the objective world through its media of observations through five physical senses. We gain knowledge from five senses and we learn through observations, experience and education. We provide reasoning through our conscious mind.

Subconscious mind perceives by intuition. It is the storehouse of memory. It is important to understand that our subconscious mind performs its highest functions when our objective senses are not functioning. It is that intelligent that makes itself known when objective mind is suspended or in a sleepy or drowsy state.

The book provides detailed presentation of the power hidden inside our subconscious mind and how we can utilize it to make our life happy, peaceful and satisfied.

About the Author

Dr. Joseph Murphy (20 May 1898- 16 Dec 1981) was an Irish author, best known for his book: The Power of your Subconscious Mind. He became the minister of Los Angeles Divine Science Church in 1949 which became the largest New Thought congregations in the country.

Murphy was the firm advocate of New Thought Movement which was developed in late 19^th century and early 20^th century by many philosophers and thinkers. The New Thought Movement aimed to practice new way of looking at life.

PC: Google

Joseph Murphy earned a PhD in Psychology from the University of California, in 1950. He started writing to share his broad knowledge among the public. He wrote more than 30 books which includes:

• The Power of Your Subconscious Mind (1963)
• Within You is the Power (1977)
• Why this happen to me? (1962)
• Infinite Power for Richer Living (1969)

The Power of Your Subconscious Mind, published in 1963 became the immediate bestseller. Millions of copies the said book has been sold.

About the Book

The book is a good read as it has the power to change the way of thinking. We all pray to God for our betterment, and we often get opposite to what we prayed for. Dr Murphy advocates for Scientific prayer which is the harmonious interaction of conscious and subconscious levels of mind scientifically directed towards a specific purpose. The book teaches the scientific way to feel and experience the infinite power within us.

In the word of Dr. Murphy, “Prayers are answered when the individual’s subconscious mind responds to the mental picture or thought in his or her mind. This law of belief is the secret operating principle in all the religions of the world. The law of life is the law of belief.” There are various thoughts running in our mind, feelings and our understanding of the thoughts. We need to believe in our thoughts and direct our mind in the direction which should gives us good health, happiness, peace of mind etc. One should understand what he is doing and why he is doing. The main reason of unhappiness is the way we think and redirect our mind.

The subconscious mind is a secret power which one need to explore. Subconscious mind never sleeps. Even when we sleep, it is the subconscious mind necessary for our heart beat, respiration, digestion, circulation etc. Answers to all the problems lies inside subconscious mind.

The subconscious mind power can be understood by the below excerpt from the book:

Your subconscious mind is the seat of your emotions. It is the creative mind. If you think good, good will follow; if you think evil, evil will follow. Once the subconscious mind accepts an idea, it begins to execute it.

In simple words, what we think follows us back. It is up to us what to think: positive or negative, good or bad. The reaction which we get from the subconscious mind will be determined by the nature of thought we hold in our conscious mind.

We need to understand that our conscious mind is the reasoning mind that allows us to choose. We take decisions from our conscious mind. Our subconscious mind is not involved in the reasoning portion or conscious choice to pick. Subconscious mind is not involved in the reasoning of good or bad, true or false. Once we take any decisions or when we choose, our subconscious mind executes it.

An interesting discussion on autosuggestion and heterosuggestion is provided by the author. Autosuggestion means suggesting something definite and specific to oneself. It is extremely helpful if used properly. It can be positive and negative. Overcoming negative autosuggestion with positive autosuggestion is fruitful for optimistic results. One should autosuggest himself to be good, polite, humble rather than autosuggesting of being fearful, rude, vanity etc. Fear, negative autosuggestion, is the most important factor of not getting succeeded which can be overcome by confidence of “I can do it”, which is a positive autosuggestion.

When we get suggestions from another person, it is heterosuggestion. Suggestions can be used to be disciplined and to take control. We are bombarded with suggestions since our birth and most of them are negative suggestions like you can’t do it, you will fail, you are wrong etc. When grow and become adults, we have the ability to make choices. Destructive heterosuggestions shall be ignored and ruled out, as we have the option to choose. We should filter out what needs to be accepted as a suggestion. The suggestions of others have no power over you. Whatever power they have, they gain because you give it to them through your own thoughts.

Remember, you have the capacity to choose. Choose life! Choose love! Choose health!

The book covers various aspects of subconscious mind and its wonders in 20 chapters. Each chapter provides illustrations from real life which substantiates the power of subconscious mind. Dr. Murphy had beautifully elaborated our thought process which is generally negative and our subconscious mind is the perfect solution to our thoughts and will.

The subconscious mind is filled with infinite intelligence and boundless wisdom. One need to explore this and life will be different. The frustrations which we have in our life is due to the unfulfilled desires. If we continue to think negatively, our life will be full of such negativity and happiness will fade away resulting in heart trouble, tensions and anxieties. Dr. Murphy emphasise on our power to choose. We should choose wisely.

The book focusses a lot on our belief. If we believe and accept as true the fact our desire has already been accomplished and fulfilled, that it is already completed, then its realization will follow as a thing in the future. Most of the problems in life are due to our belief which goes in hypothetical direction. Most of the disease originate in the mind. Nothing appears on the body unless there is a mental pattern corresponding to it.

The instinct of self-preservation is the first law of nature, and self-preservation is the foremost function of the subconscious mind. Your strongest instinct is the most potent of all autosuggestion.

Being rich is a fundamental right, as per Dr. Murphy. There should be right attitude towards money as there is no virtue in poverty. As per the author, poverty is an illness. Read the book for this discussion.

Remember that you lose what you condemn. You cannot attract what you criticise.

The above excerpt is deep. Many people have tendency to criticise money and wealth what other possess. Since there mind is constantly criticising money, they will have trouble in earning the same and their financial condition will remain as it is. As one cannot attract what one criticize.

The book covers many real life problems which we come across in our life at various stages. Very well explains how those problems can be overcome by our subconscious mind. Our subconscious mind is our partner in success, eradicates fear, solves marital problems and many more. The ultimate success in life is the peace of mind which we can achieve by our subconscious mind. Our happiness, relationships, mental peace and happiness etc. can be achieved if we explore our subconscious mind.

The book has several powerful and inspirational extracts which can give an everlasting impact to readers. Some of the excerpts are worth to mention:

• When you want wisdom as much as you wanted air when you were submerged in water, you will receive it.
• You have freedom to choose. You can choose a good habit or a bad habit. Prayer is a good habit.
• The only obstacle to your success and achievement is your own thought or mental image.
• To form a new habit, you must be convinced that it is desirable. When your desire to give up the bad habit is greater than your desire to continue, you are already 51% healed.
• Most of your fears have no reality. They are merely a conglomeration of sinister shadows, and shadows have no reality.
• If you become convinced you are finished, your subconscious mind will accept that belief and bring it into reality. Some people are old at thirty and some are young at eighty.

In a nutshell, the book is powerful and impressive and, at the same time, provides a good knowledge of the wonders that subconscious mind can do. It depends on what we think. If we think good, good will follow. If we think evil, evil will follow. If one thinks he can’t do it, he won’t. if one thinks he cannot succeed, he won’t succeed. It is our own thinking responsible for our happiness, success and peace of mind. We always have the options to choose, choose it wisely.

–Ashish Kumar