The clerk, the unconscious, the ego, and the mystic

By Josiah Groth

Featured Columnist

We have been talking about the ego, but did you know that there are other aspects of the human mind? Maintaining a balanced working relationship between all four major aspects is important to our happiness and success in life.

The first aspect of mind is the clerk. The clerk handles all of the secretarial work. It has no major opinions or agenda and acts a bit robotically to file, sort, and recall information. When our clerk begins to fail us, we cannot remember details, lose words, or forget to keep appointments. A healthy clerk keeps us sharp and efficient.

The second aspect of mind is the unconscious mind.  It is referred to as the repository, and the metaphor of a vast ocean is commonly used to describe it. This storehouse of sensory data can be accessed by the clerk. It also sends impulses and impressions out on its own that can influence our dreams and our thoughts. The unconscious is powerful, immense, and misunderstood.

Both repetition and strong emotion increase the power of unconscious impulses. Working with our addictions, habits, and desires helps to slow down the power of these impressions so that they do not overwhelm us and carry us in unhelpful directions.

The third aspect of mind is our ego, the self-appointed boss. We have already covered how our loud, bold, and myopic ego can get itself into trouble. At its core, ego’s perspective is what creates all of those problems. Ego sits facing the physical world. Its self identifications are all based on sensory data alone and not on one’s deeper self.

The fourth aspect of our mind is the mystic, the enlightened mind. This is the part of our mind that is thought of as being able to listen to our deep, intuitive impulses. Where ego faces solely forward, listening to the physical world, the mystic listens to both our senses and our more subtle, more connected self. The personality of the mystic is one of quiet as opposed to the ego’s bluster. Thus, it is said that the soft voice of wisdom coming from the mystic is often overshadowed and overridden by the rowdy voice of ego.

What does it all mean? Happiness and wellness are best achieved via a healthy relationship between all four aspects of our mind. With all four players working efficiently and as a team, we can accomplish our life’s purpose with grace.

Looking for details on how to nourish and strengthen each aspect of mind? There are more details than we can get into today. However, the best practice for nourishing all four aspects of mind is meditation. If you would like to learn more about meditation, it is best to consult someone who practices regularly or join a yoga class/meditation group.

Josiah Groth is the owner of Back to Bliss Wellness. More information on his practice is available at backtoblisswellness.com.