A Thought on Thoughts...

I was discussing the nature of a subconscious with cobweb; that is, a storage closet in our brains for thoughts that are not fully formed. He seemed surprised to learn he has rooms in his brain...

Subconscious thoughts, of course, drive many of our unjustified fears and unreasonable reactions. Evaluating the thought brings a certain clarity that gives it a bit more substance, perhaps identifying a purpose, benefit or applicable use; until that's done, the thought is really not much more than a half-baked notion.

Subconsious thoughts reside in a storage room in our brains typically not much bigger that a broom closet. Some well-balanced folks get by with a junk drawer. A few rare individuals live predominantly in a half-baked frame of mind, so their subconscious storeroom becomes overcrowded in time until those illogical thoughts flood the closet and leak out into the hallway, basically ruining the carpets. Folks who allow this to happen generally ignore the issue until their neighbor downstairs files a complaint because their ceiling is damp.

Typically, subconscious storerooms are a bit messy; half, old and inconclusive thoughts are shoved together forming tangled lines like Christmas lights stored after the hols, until needed the following year when an enthusiastic effort is made to untangle the jangled mess. This often results in frustration reaching a peak until the effort is abandoned altogether and a trip made to Fred Meyer's to purchase fourteen new sets at $7.95 each. (Tangled Christmas lights are what keeps Freddy's in bizness, and tangled thoughts keep therapists similarly employed.)

It's not uncommon, then, for the subconscious storage unit to get a bit disorganized, and thoughts therein quite frequently are forgotten. And then one day you don't have multiples of $7.95 and something nudges at your memory and you recall stashing an old string of thoughts in a closet somewhere. So you put on your waders and strap on an LED headlamp, and set out to check your subconscious closet which you can't quite remember the location of.

After a few wrong turns followed by several more and one embarrassing moment when you accidentally walk in on a couple of fantasies you didn't know were living in your brain, you determine you'd much rather clean toilets than look for a storage room you aren't even sure exists.

The effort to find and organize the room is beneficial, however, and well worth it. We actually do need subconscious thoughts. Kept organized, clearly labeled and appropriately identified, these thoughts allow us to respond in certain situations with alacrity. They hone instinct; increase RRT. First, though, we must determine if the thought is of practical use, or if it is better recycled, as thoughts are 100% compostable. Be green, not mean.

It isn't uncommon for subconscious thoughts to span decades and become so forgotten that we don't know why we are afraid of the moon. We've forgotten that first subconscious thought when we were six and a full moon was shining on our sleeping face when the witch tried to gouge out our eyes, that night the magic covers slipped off the bed.

Regular maintenance, on the other hand, leaves us with a tidy subconscious that feeds us healthy thoughts. It's well worth the initial investment of time, then, to wade in with both feet, spend a couple days getting reacquainted with some long-forgotten thoughts, throw some away, think some through, and store a few others for a rainy day when we have finished tidying up the wordroom.

Once the closet is neatly organized, it's easy enough to keep it that way with the help of a p-Touch labeler and some inexpensive guerilla racks. Regular visits are less time-consuming and yield some enlightenment - like learning that the moon is there to light up witchy sillouettes so our Dream Angel can knock them off their broomsticks with a few well-chosen words and some candy kisses. At this point, we become a well-balanced individual with far less fears and much more energy for tracking down those visiting fantasies for a quick...em, well, chat.

Oooh, wait, I just remembered where THAT room is...sorry, gotta go!