How to Explore Our Subconscious
Our underworld seeks patterns and shapes responses dependent upon the emotions underlying our experiences. It builds patterns that protect us or help us to thrive. If we feel under constant existential threat it shapes our underlying patterns which emerge as beliefs to protect us. If we feel safe and protected then it shapes our underlying patterns to encourage us to thrive. These are deep impulse responses which are hardwired into us. For this reason I avoid situations in which it is clear that I am not welcome or appreciated because my underworld won’t lie and will shape my underlying response accordingly. This will result in engagements with my environment designed to protect myself. I have found that actively seeking situations which nurture, protect and appreciate us, is fundamental to healthily working with your underworld, and severing serially hostile situations and environments is a necessary factor in healthy engagement.
Engaging our underworld is very simple, we naturally do it as children. Daydreaming, wandering, playing and sitting deep in thought are things that children naturally do, if they are left alone to be. What we have to do is regularly set time aside to idle, wander, daydream and play. The most important point to remember is to remain idle, relaxed, and to commit to the times that you spend in this space as a regular practice.
There are often traumatic memories, of pain, humiliations, sadness, loss and others, which will inevitably arise. These are things that happened to us. They are not us. What these times allow is a chance for our MEMORIES of these experiences to replay so that we can digest them into our narrative selves. If these memories are so traumatic that you have had to resort to addictive behaviour to prevent their resurfacing then you really need to seek help before starting such a journey.