The Map of the Subconscious: Unlocking the 10 Functions of Your Inner Mind

The subconscious mind is often seen as something elusive or difficult to grasp. At Mind Works, I take a different approach. The subconscious is not only understandable—it’s something you can actively work with. The Map of the Subconscious is a powerful concept within the Mind Works framework that breaks down the complex workings of your inner mind into ten distinct functions. By understanding these functions, you can navigate your subconscious with greater clarity, transforming limiting beliefs and automatic responses into conscious, empowering choices.

This concept is closely tied to the Overcoming stage of the Process of Change, where we work through past experiences, unresolved emotions, and the core beliefs that have shaped your subconscious. By exploring these ten functions, you’ll learn how to identify and reshape the parts of yourself that are keeping you stuck.

The 10 Functions of the Subconscious Mind

1. External Senses

   • Your subconscious is constantly taking in information from the outside world through your senses. Everything you see, hear, and feel is processed below the level of conscious awareness. This function is shaped by conditioning and external stimuli, meaning that your subconscious filters and interprets sensory information based on past experiences.

   How this affects you:  We perceive our current situation through a lens that is influenced by your past experiences.  We have learnt what things "mean" to us individually, and this may cause us distress if our perception is being informed and directed by earlier adversity and challenge. By becoming aware of this function, you can begin to recalibrate how your subconscious processes external stimuli.

2. Internal Senses

   • This function refers to your internal experience of energy, focus, enthusiasm, health, and stress. Your subconscious is constantly monitoring these internal states, which can profoundly impact your mood and behaviour.

   How this affects you: If you are unaware of the signals from your internal senses, you may push through stress or ignore burnout, leading to negative emotional or physical outcomes. Recognising and addressing these signals can improve your well-being.

3. Self-Concept/Role

   • This function is how you see yourself in relation to others and the roles you hold—whether it's a parent, partner, professional, or friend. Your self-concept is rooted in both your past experiences and your subconscious beliefs about your worth, abilities, and identity.

   How this affects you: If your self-concept is clouded by negative core beliefs, you may underestimate yourself or struggle with self-worth. By redefining your self-concept, you align your actions with your true potential.

4. Relating Function

   • This function governs how you relate to others, shaped largely by your attachment style and early experiences. It's driven by a desire for connection and influenced by subconscious fears of abandonment or rejection.

   How this affects you: If your subconscious holds on to fear-based attachment patterns, you may struggle with relationships or find yourself repeating negative cycles. Understanding this function allows you to transform how you connect with others.

5. Value/Meaning

   • Your subconscious helps you derive meaning and value from experiences. It's the lens through which you interpret the world, often shaped by deeply ingrained beliefs about what's important to you.

   How this affects you: Misaligned values or subconscious narratives can cause you to feel lost or unfulfilled. By consciously aligning your values with your true desires, you can create a more meaningful life.

6. Seeking/Adapting

   • This function is responsible for your ability to adapt to changing circumstances and seek new opportunities. It is tied to your level of self-efficacy—how much you believe you can achieve your goals.

   How this affects you: If your subconscious is filled with doubt or fear of failure, you may avoid risks or resist change. Tapping into this function empowers you to embrace growth and new experiences.

7. Life Experience

   • This function organises the events of your life into a coherent narrative. Your subconscious stitches together memories, experiences, and emotions into a storyline that influences how you view your past and what you expect from the future.

   How this affects you: An unbalanced life narrative may leave you feeling trapped or disempowered. By revisiting and reshaping this narrative, you can free yourself from the patterns of the past and create a more empowering story.

8. Preprogramming

   • Much of your behaviour is preprogrammed by subconscious patterns—these include habits, routines, and even automatic emotional responses. Many of these programs are useful, but some may no longer serve you.

   How this affects you: If your subconscious is running outdated or unhealthy programs, you may feel stuck in negative behaviours. Awareness of these patterns allows you to rewrite them consciously.

9. Level of Alertness

   • Your subconscious constantly monitors your state of alertness, which affects your ability to engage with the world. This function is linked to your energy levels, concentration, and overall mental clarity.

   How this affects you: Fluctuations in alertness can make it hard to stay focused or manage stress. Developing techniques to maintain a balanced state of alertness allows you to perform at your best.

10. Persona Selection

• Your subconscious helps you select which "persona" to use in different situations. Whether it's being a leader, a caregiver, or a student, this function allows you to switch roles based on context.

How this affects you: If you’re unaware of this function, you may struggle with inconsistency in your behaviour or feel overwhelmed by expectations. Learning to manage your personas can lead to more authentic, empowered living.

Working with the Map of the Subconscious

By understanding these 10 functions of your subconscious, you can start to identify areas where you may be stuck, self-sabotaging, or operating on outdated programming. Through tools like hypnotherapy, life journaling, and subconscious exploration exercises, you can begin to map out these functions and actively reshape them.

The Map of the Subconscious helps you understand the mechanics behind your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours. This map provides you with a clear pathway to change—allowing you to navigate your inner world with intention and purpose.

Up Next: Acts and Chapters ↓

The Map of the Subconscious helps you understand the deeper forces shaping your thoughts, emotions and behaviours. It shows how your system learned to protect you, how old experiences still influence you today and why certain reactions feel so immediate or powerful. Once you can see these patterns clearly, something important becomes possible: you can finally understand your story.

This is where the next concept, Acts and Chapters, becomes essential.

Acts and Chapters is not about rewriting your past or forcing a positive narrative. It is about understanding how your life has been shaped by different phases, emotional roles and subconscious patterns. Each chapter carried its own pressures, hopes, lessons and protective strategies. Some chapters lifted you up. Others left marks that still echo in your present.

When you step back and view your life as a series of chapters rather than one single continuous story, a few things become clearer:

• why certain beliefs formed in specific moments

• why your protective parts developed the roles they hold today

• why you repeat certain emotional patterns without meaning to

• why you feel stuck between who you are and who you want to become

• why change feels possible in some chapters and impossible in others

Acts and Chapters helps you see that nothing about you “just happened”.
Every reaction, every pattern, every coping strategy has a chapter where it made sense.

This model ties the entire Mind Works framework together.
The Tower Block shows where you are.
Parts of Self shows who is responding.
The 9 Processes show how pressure distorts your patterns.
The Pillars show what supports your system.
Gears and Scales show how load changes your behaviour.
The Map of the Subconscious shows why your deeper patterns formed.

Acts and Chapters now shows how all of these pieces fit into the unfolding story of your life.

It gives you perspective.
It gives you context.
It gives you a way to understand where you have been and where you are able to go next.

Explore the next concept to see how Acts and Chapters helps you integrate everything you have learned, release what no longer belongs in your story and begin writing the next chapter with clarity and choice.