Clearing Up the Confusion Between the Subconscious & Nervous System

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By Jenny Peterson

In the world of healing, the terms "subconscious" and "nervous system" seem to have become trendy buzzwords. You've likely heard them mentioned together as integral components of the healing process. However, a widespread misunderstanding persists about what they truly signify—and more importantly, how they interact. Many people, unaware of their true functions, end up misdirecting their focus and inadvertently prolonging their path to healing. Today, we're going to clear up the confusion once and for all, because understanding this relationship is crucial to genuine healing progress.

The Subconscious and the Nervous System

Broadly speaking, the subconscious is where your world is interpreted. It constantly scans and assesses patterns, safety signals, and potential threats based on associations and memories it has stored over time. The decisions made here influence how you perceive your environment and reactions, exerting command through signals sent to the autonomic nervous system. This signal, in turn, tells the body whether to trigger a sympathetic or parasympathetic response.

Contrary to common belief, the autonomic nervous system does not independently choose these states; it merely reacts to the subconscious instructions it receives. If your subconscious perceives a threat, the sympathetic nervous system gears your body into a "fight or flight" state; if everything feels secure, it allows your body to remain in a relaxed, parasympathetic state. 

Common Misconceptions Debunked

Many myths circulate about the nervous system being solely responsible for trauma or bodily responses. Biologically, these claims don't hold up. For instance, when you dream of a dangerous scenario, your subconscious creates a protective reaction, not your conscious mind or nervous system. Similarly, imagining biting into a lemon can trigger a physical response, like salivation—this isn’t due to the lemon itself (as none exists) but due to subconscious associations causing this reaction. 

The Limits of Nervous System Work

While nervous system work may provide temporary relief, it is not a comprehensive solution for ingrained subconscious patterns causing chronic issues. Healing requires breaking down and reconstructing these fundamental beliefs. Take Jane, for example, who grew up associating speaking up with negative consequences. Her subconscious, holding onto this belief, triggers a physical stress response even during innocuous adult interactions. While nervous system work can soothe these symptoms momentarily, without altering the core belief, the issue will continuously resurface.

Realigning the Focus on Subconscious Patterns

True healing happens when these underlying beliefs shift. Once the subconscious reinterprets a situation as safe, the autonomic nervous system naturally aligns with this new perspective, eradicating the need for the body to react defensively. Therefore, changing subconscious programming can end the cycle of chronic symptoms and lead to long-lasting healing.

Final Thoughts and Moving Forward

Grasping the distinction between the subconscious and the nervous system reshapes how you approach healing. Recognizing the subconscious as the initiator and the nervous system as the reactor empowers you to focus on altering ingrained patterns rather than endlessly managing physical symptoms. By updating your mental programming, you enable your body's natural healing capacities to thrive. 

If you're realizing that you’ve been emphasizing the wrong things in your healing journey, focusing primarily on your body's responses when the true work lies within subconscious rewiring, you could benefit from structured support like the eight-month Mind Body Rewire program. This program is designed to guide individuals in shifting subconscious patterns, allowing the nervous system to follow suit naturally.

Healing becomes easier when your focus is finally on the aspects that genuinely run the show, liberating you from unnecessary fears and constant body surveillance. Embrace clarity, rewrite your subconscious story, and finally tap into the power within you to become the healer you aspire to be.

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Jenny Peterson is a Chronic Illness Expert, the Founder of MBR (Mind Body Rewire), and the host of The Rebellious Healer Podcast. She helps those struggling with multiple chronic symptoms reclaim their health and freedom—without diets, detoxes, or pills.

For 10 years, Jenny worked as a holistic practitioner, relying on supplements, diet, and detox protocols to support healing. But when she faced her own chronic health struggles, those methods failed her.

When Jenny was on her healing journey, she struggled to find a protocol that provided the structure needed to rewire the subconscious. So she created her own process to heal—and that process became the foundation of the Heal & Thrive Framework, a structured, step-by-step method that helps clients identify the subconscious patterns behind their symptoms and rewire them for lasting relief.

Using this exact process, Jenny fully resolved Lyme disease, digestive issues, panic attacks, skin conditions, cystitis, and more. Her own transformation ignited a mission: to help others break free from chronic symptoms and take back control of their health.

At Mind Body Rewire, we have an unwavering belief that healing chronic health issues doesn’t have to be complicated when the focus is on the root cause: the subconscious. We believe every person is fully capable of creating the health and life they desire when they unlock the subconscious programs influencing it.

Ready to say good-bye to symptoms and hello to freedom?  START HERE