How Two Remarkable Thinkers Dr Mehmet Yildiz and Dr Joseph Murphy from Different Backgrounds Helped Me Understand the Subconscious Mind Beyond Theory: An Early Encounter That Stayed with Me and Refreshed in My Late 70s with Huge Impact
Curator’s Notes: This comprehensive and scholarly article reflects on the profound insights gained from Dr. Joseph Murphy and Dr. Mehmet Yildiz regarding the subconscious mind. Initially introduced to Murphy’s metaphor of the subconscious as a garden, the author, a retired health scientist, gradually recognized its real-world implications through decades of professional experience in public health and behavioral science. Dr Mehmet Yildiz later expanded this understanding by integrating contemporary scientific principles, emphasizing how subconscious patterns can be reformed through consistent engagement rather than mere intention in practical and relatable ways to the public. The author highlights that human behaviors are learned and adaptive, suggesting meaningful change arises through awareness and gradual adjustments, thereby reshaping life patterns across various domains. This scholarly cornerstone content was penned and submitted by Dr Micahael Broadly, a retired health scientists and public health officer now leading the Health and Science publication on Medium.com and Substack.com.
Here’s What Dr. Murphy and Dr. Yildiz Taught Me About the Power of the Subconscious Mind Across Six Decades of Scholarly Investigation
Dear Subscribers,
Today I want to share my thoughts about two impactful leaders in the subconscious mind work.
In my youth and early in my career as a scientist and public health officer, when my thinking was firmly shaped by clinical discipline and structured inquiry, I came across The Power of Your Subconscious Mind by Dr. Joseph Murphy, introduced to me by a mentor who was a philosopher at the University of Melbourne.
At that stage, I was deeply immersed in environments where evidence, measurement, and clearly defined frameworks guided understanding. Concepts that could not be directly observed or tested were approached with a degree of caution, not dismissal, but careful distance, as a principle of a doctoral fellow.
Murphy’s work did not fit comfortably within my scholarly framework. His suggestion that unseen patterns of thought could influence tangible outcomes felt unfamiliar, almost difficult to reconcile with the models I had been trained to trust.
Yet, despite this initial hesitation, one idea persisted well beyond the final page. It was not framed as data or theory, but as a simple metaphor that carried unexpected depth.
He described the subconscious mind as a garden. At the time, I regarded this as an accessible teaching device, a way to communicate a complex idea in relatable terms.
However, what I did not recognise then was that this metaphor would remain with me for decades, gradually revealing layers of meaning through lived experiences rather than immediate intellectual acceptance.
When Metaphor Became Observable Reality
As the years progressed, my work in public health, behavioural science, and clinical observation began to reveal patterns that aligned closely with that early metaphor.
We don’t struggle because we lack knowledge. More often, we struggle because something deeper guided our behaviour, something that operated below conscious awareness yet influenced decisions consistently.
I observed this in my clients and students who understood what they needed to do for their health but found themselves returning to the same habits. I saw it in professionals who possessed insight yet remained caught in cycles of stress and reactivity.
Over time, it became clear that behaviour was not driven just by conscious intention, but by embedded patterns formed through repetition and reinforcement in the subconscious mind.
In this context, the garden metaphor shifted from abstraction to structure. Thoughts could be understood as inputs, emotions as amplifiers, and repetition as the mechanism through which patterns stabilised.
What appeared to be choice was the result of previously conditioned responses operating with efficiency beneath awareness. The metaphor, once simple, began to resemble a system.
A Second Encounter That Brought Structure
Many decades later in 2025, I encountered How Tapping Into My Subconscious Mind Changed My Life by Dr Mehmet Yildiz, my mentor who introduced me to this platform. Reading this work as an editor and beta reader did not feel like encountering a new idea.
Instead, it felt like revisiting a long-standing observation, this time presented with a level of clarity and structure that aligned with contemporary scientific understanding.
What distinguishes Dr Yildiz’s contribution is the breadth of integration. Rather than presenting the subconscious as an isolated concept, he situates it within a network of interacting systems, including cognition, neurobiology, cognitive science, emotional regulation, and behavioural adaptation.
This approach reflects what modern research supports, that human functioning cannot be meaningfully separated into independent domains.
This perspective introduces a critical insight. The subconscious does not operate in compartments. It continuously integrates experiences across areas such as health, relationships, decision-making, and more.
As a result, change does not occur in isolation. It happens through alignment across interconnected systems, gradually and through consistent reinforcement of our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours.
From Intuition to Measurable Mechanism
One of the most compelling aspects of this progression is the convergence between earlier philosophical insight and modern scientific explanation.
Concepts such as neural plasticity, conditioning, and adaptive learning from the work of Dr Yildiz provide a framework through which subconscious processes can be understood in measurable terms.
Repeated thoughts can strengthen neural pathways, emotional intensity reinforces learning, and behavioural patterns become increasingly efficient over time.
Dr Yildiz extends this understanding by incorporating biological nuance, including brainwave states associated with learning and receptivity.
These concepts, grounded in neurobiology and cognitive science, align closely with practices that Murphy described in more intuitive language, such as visualisation and reflective suggestion.
The connection between the two is not coincidental but reflective of the same underlying phenomenon viewed through different lenses.
This alignment offers a meaningful realisation. What was once described through metaphor and belief is now being examined through empirical observation. Thefore the new book appealed to me from a holistic angle.
The terminology has also evolved, yet the core insight remains consistent. Human behaviour is impacted by patterns that operate below conscious awareness and are reinforced through experience.
Where Interpretation Requires Careful Balance
Despite this alignment, there is an important distinction between the two approaches. Murphy’s framework, influenced by the New Thought tradition, tends to emphasise belief as a primary driver of change.
While attention and expectation do influence behaviour, this perspective can sometimes lead to simplified interpretations of complex processes.
In practical settings, this simplification can create unrealistic expectations. Individuals may assume that sustained positive thinking alone will produce meaningful change, only to find that underlying patterns remain unchanged.
This leads to frustration rather than progress, particularly when deeper behavioural systems are not addressed.
Dr. Yildiz offers a more grounded interpretation aligning with scientific theories. He frames change as an emergent property of aligned systems, where cognition, emotion, behaviour, and biology interact over time.
This perspective is consistent with longitudinal research in health and behavioural science, which shows that sustainable change is gradual, structured, and reinforced through repetition and meaning rather than isolated intention.
The Subconscious as an Adaptive System
From my perspective, the most significant shift in understanding arises when the subconscious is viewed not as an abstract force but as an adaptive learning system.
It encodes patterns based on experience, refines them through repetition, and applies them automatically to reduce cognitive effort. In doing so, it becomes both efficient and highly influential.
This perspective introduces an important moment of clarity. Patterns that shape behaviour are not fixed traits, but learned responses.
As such, they can be influenced, adjusted, and gradually reshaped through consistent input. The process is neither immediate nor effortless, yet it remains accessible across the lifespan.
In my own work, particularly with ageing populations, this understanding has proven essential. Patterns that have developed over decades do not change through force or urgency.
They change through awareness, reflection, and gradual realignment. Encouraging observation rather than immediate correction allows individuals to engage with their patterns in a more constructive way.
Change as a Process Rather Than an Event
Across more than five decades of professional observation, one principle has remained consistent. Meaningful change is rarely abrupt. It develops through small, repeated adjustments that accumulate over time.
These adjustments may appear insignificant in isolation, yet their combined effect becomes increasingly visible.
I have seen individuals improve their health through incremental behavioural shifts rather than dramatic interventions.
I have seen emotional resilience develop through increased awareness of internal patterns. I have seen purpose re-emerge later in life when actions begin to align with meaning rather than habit.
This gradual process reflects the nature of the subconscious system itself. It responds to consistency, relevance, and reinforcement. Once understood in this way, change becomes less about effort and more about alignment.
Two Thinkers, One Continuum of Insight
Reflecting on both Murphy and Yildiz, I see no contradiction, but continuity.
Dr. Murphy introduced a generation to the importance of the inner world, framing it in language that resonated with the understanding of his time. Dr. Yildiz extends that foundation, offering a structured and interdisciplinary perspective that aligns with contemporary science.
The progression between the two represents a shift from intuition to integration. One highlights the existence of subconscious influence, while the other explains its mechanisms and applications.
Together, they provide a more complete picture of how internal patterns shape external outcomes.
This continuity reinforces a central insight that remains relevant across disciplines and generations. Human behaviour is not random.
It is patterned, learned, and adaptive. With awareness and consistent engagement, these patterns can be influenced in meaningful ways.
A Final Thought Worth Holding
If there is one idea that emerges clearly from both works, I invite you to focus on this:
The subconscious mind does not operate as a mysterious force that determines outcomes independently. It functions as a system that encodes and applies patterns based on experience, often outside conscious awareness.
Understanding this shifts the focus from control to engagement. Rather than attempting to force change, individuals can begin to observe, understand, and gradually reshape the patterns that guide their behaviour. This approach replaces uncertainty with clarity and effort with direction.
Two thinkers, separated by more than six decades, arrive at a shared conclusion through different paths. The patterns that shape our lives are learned, reinforced, and capable of being refined. That insight, once fully understood, changes how we interpret both behaviour and possibility.
Apart from accessing the early manuscript of Dr Yildiz’s book, I was also honored and privileged to write the Foreword for it which I will share in another story.
The book How Tapping Into My Subconscious Mind Changed My Life was published on 30 April 2026, exclusive to Amazon initially allowing readers to benefit from the KDP subscription program. The paperback and hardcover was also published and ready for purchase. ISBNs: 979–8258148292, 979–8258149633.
This book is part of his upcoming bundle, The Cognitive Health and Longevity Bundle, including 5 relevant health and well-being books. The author introduced in a recent story:
How the Subconscious Impacts Cellular Intelligence, Healthspan, Superlearning, and Graceful Aging
Here’s Why I Decided to Create “The Cognitive Health & Longevity Bundle: 5-Book Combo for Healthspan, Superlearning…medium.com
The author, Dr Mehmet Yildiz, shared multiple chapters of this wonderful book on this platform, I link them here to get a quick taste of this remarkable book. I believe you will enjoy it as much as I did:
What Science Reveals About the Subconscious Mind and Why It Matters
Embedding Intentions into the Subconscious for Manifesting What We Truly Want
Using the Subconscious Smartly to Nurture What We Truly Need Based on Maslow’s Hierarchy
Carl Jung’s Lasting Legacy and the Living Language of the Subconscious Mind
The Noological Dimension: Using Logotherapy to Enrich the Subconscious Mind for Wellbeing
Neuroception: The Subconscious Mind With Embodied Intelligence
I will create a series of excerpts from this book, How Tapping Into My Subconscious Mind Changed My Life and publish them on my publication Health and Science as educational resources. Stay tuned!
You can also check out a review of this book written by a distinguished psychologist and psychoanalyst, Dr Bronce Rice on Medium.com and Substack.com. I link to his remarkable review of this exceptional book:
Here is the Medium version of the review by Dr Rice
Here is the Substack version of the review by Dr Rice
By the way, I decided to start a series about scholarly sexual health stories on this platform and others. I introduced my goal and plan in a new story.
Why I’m Launching a Scholarly Sexual Health Series: A Public Health Perspective
Sexual health touches identity, relationships, wellbeing, and personal dignity, yet it remains one of the least openly…medium.com
You are welcome to contribute to this series on my publication, Health and Science on Medium. I also plan to curate these stories on my Substack publication (Health & Science Research by Dr Michael Broadly) and guest blogging magazine at Digitalmehmet community blogs. If my time allows I might also compile a book with the content of my series to reach a broader audience.
You can find the submission guidelines for the ILLUMINATION Integrated Publications from the following links:
ILLUMINATION, Curated Newsletters, SYNERGY (Newsletter Booster), Technology Hits, Health and Science,ILLUMINATION Book Chapters, Readers Hope, ILLUMINATION Gaming,Videos/Podcasts, Magnetic Newsletter Pro, Substack Mastery Boost, ILLUMINATION Scholar (NEW), ILLUMINATION Local News and Documentaries (NEW), ILLUMINATION Retirement, Aging, and Legacy (NEW), ILLUMINATION Philosophy and Metaphysics (NEW)
Thank you for reading my stories and joining our publications.
About Me
I’m a retired healthcare scientist in my late-70s. I have several grandkids who keep me going and inspire me to write on this platform. I am also the chief editor of the Health and Science publication on Medium.com. As a giveback activity, I volunteered as an editor and content curator for Illumination publications, supporting many new writers. I will be happy to read, publish, and promote your stories. You may connect with me on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook, where I share stories I read. You may subscribe to my account to get my stories in your inbox when I post. You can also find my distilled content on Substack: Health Science Research by Dr Mike Broadly.
Here is my latest curated collection: Mike’s Favorite Stories on ILLUMINATION Publications — #277
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