orth into reality whatever belief or information is stored there. For this reason it behooves a person to diligently examine deeply-held subconscious beliefs in order to clear out the negative, destructive ones. Sometimes the subconscious is referred to as the subjective mind (33).
The conscious mind is the intellectual, thinking aspect of the person, which is often termed the objective mind. This part of the person gleans information with the five senses and learns through observation, experience, and education. Its highest function is the process of reasoning.
According to Murphy, it is possible to make great changes in one's life by working with the subconscious mind. He gives instances where a person can eradicate specific fears, recall forgotten memories, establish greater self-control, and change long-held major premises about oneself. Such psychological work can greatly improve the quality of a person's life, if one cares to take responsibility for the contents of one's own mind. Murphy emphasizes that the quality of thought influences life (43).
Chapter 3. The Miracle-Working Power of Your Subconscious
In this chapter, Murphy refers to the ground-breaking work of psychologist William James who said that the power to move the world lies in the subconscious mind (47). We all are endowed with magnificent wisdom and intelligence if we care to use it on the problems of self and the world around us. He stresses again at this point that it is quite important to impress right ideas upon the subconscious mind because whatever is there will become acted out in reality.
Murphy claims that this significant truth was known by great religious and spiritual leaders of centuries past--Moses, Isaiah, Jesus, Buddha, Zoroaster, Laotze,-- although they might have used different methods of explaining the idea (48). He gives specific instances where one can control and improve bodily conditions with the use of subconscious...