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In this blog, we’ll explore the unconscious mind, the part of our brain responsible for feelings, sensations, intuitions, and the symbolic language of images and metaphors rather than words.
This realm of mind is powerful, often abstract, and typically outside our everyday awareness. We’ll discuss how to enhance our relationship with the unconscious, not only for self-development but also for those working in coaching, therapy, or change work, who want to help others bridge the gap between unconscious experience and conscious reality.
hemispheres, models such as The Master and His Emissary by Iain McGilchrist offer a compelling framework: two “minds” that interact and sometimes conflict (WARNING: This is a heavy read... Don't say I didn't warn you).While not entirely accurate neurologically, this metaphorical framing can still offer immense practical value when exploring unconscious processes.As complex beings, we operate on multiple levels of awareness. When we feel stuck, when we hit an emotional wall or face internal conflict, this can come from to our conscious and unconscious minds are not being aligned with one another. Therapeutic approaches like hypnosis, work to create shifts in which the unconscious mind but often the client is left without conscious awareness of there issue. Metaphors of Movement on the flip side aim to unify these two aspects of consciousness, bringing clarity, resolution, and movement to previously stagnant parts of our experience.
Unconscious misalignment may even manifest as psychosomatic symptoms or emotional overwhelm. When a client can’t express what’s wrong or feels misunderstood, it’s often a sign that something significant lies outside of conscious awareness.
The video below talks about how Hypnotherapists can utilize Metaphors of Movement within their change work practice.
Through hypnosis, NLP, and other therapeutic modalities, practitioners often explore a technique known as parts work. This approach involves engaging with various perceived aspects of the self—such as the conscious and unconscious mind, or even internal voices that say things like, “There’s a part of me that doesn’t want to do X.” These internal “parts” can take many forms: inner guides, resistances, saboteurs, protectors, or perpetrators.
Recently, I explored this through a modality called alchemical hypnosis, specifically a process known as the Conference Room. This process blends hypnosis, parts work, shamanic principles, and symbolic communication. One powerful aspect of this work is using idiomatic metaphors—such as movement and spatial dynamics—to navigate the inner architecture of the psyche.
By incorporating metaphor-based, idiomatic communication, you can help clients gain direct, experiential insights into their internal world—without interpreting it for them. These metaphors act as bridges to unconscious understanding, making abstract internal dynamics feel tangible and actionable.
