The Power of Unconscious Prophecies

How Unconscious Prophecies Lead Us Into “the Void”

Vielleicht kannst du dich mit dem folgenden Beispiel identifizieren:
Maybe you can relate to the following example:

You take on a new task and quickly notice that it’s starting to overwhelm you. You can’t stop it — the voices in your head grow louder and louder. They keep telling you that you’ll never manage it, that the task is far too big, that it might even be irresponsible of your supervisor to assign such a gigantic task to just one person.

And so it happens that you actually spend valuable minutes getting upset about the task and/or convincing yourself that it’s impossible to complete. As if that weren’t enough, you notice that these thoughts begin to follow you around. No, they don’t just take up a few seconds or minutes — they become your shadow, a constant companion that won’t let you go.

Eventually, time slips away. At the end of the week, you realize — unsurprisingly — that the task was simply too big and you couldn’t finish it on time.

Of course, it can go the other way too. But most of the time, we prefer to focus on the negative aspects and mentally prepare ourselves for failure as a form of self‑protection. And that’s exactly how a fiction that feels real quickly becomes reality — the prophecy fulfills itself.

But was the task really doomed from the start? Or did your thoughts — and the time you lost to them — lead you to fail? How much time could you have saved if your mind had stayed focused?

The Unconscious Intervention

I already hinted at the beginning that a “self‑fulfilling prophecy” can also work in a positive way. But how does that actually work?

Imagine your brain as a supercomputer. The output always reflects the quality of the input. So try to communicate with yourself in a forward‑looking and positive way.

Let’s take dieting as an example. Picture yourself in this situation: you step on the scale again. The needle settles on the right side. What do you think? Probably something like most of us do: “Why did I gain weight again?” or “Why am I not losing weight?” Recognize yourself in this example?

Your brain will give you endless reasons why you’re not losing weight or why you’ve gained again.

By the end of the day, you’re demotivated and don’t really feel like continuing. But it doesn’t have to be that way. You could have asked yourself something entirely different, like: “What can I do to lose even more weight?” or “What can I try next?” Again, your mind will respond immediately and offer you plenty of new ideas. The difference is that the result won’t make you sad or drag you down. Quite the opposite — you’ll have lots of great ideas for how to keep working toward your goals without demotivating yourself.

So: always pay attention to how you talk to yourself. Try to stay positive and forward‑focused — never backward‑looking or negative.

What Can I Do?

Mindfulness

Learn to observe your mind from the outside and avoid getting swept away by emotional currents. Notice early when your thoughts are distracting you from your actual task or wasting valuable time with mental back‑and‑forth.

Positive Mantras to Strengthen the Subconscious Self

Don’t worry — this isn’t suddenly turning spiritual. Mantras are simply short phrases that, through repetition, sink into the subconscious and strengthen it. If you notice your thoughts pulling you into a dark spiral again, you could say to yourself:

“Yes, I can do this!”
“This task is a piece of cake!”
“I’ll prove it to myself!”
“If anyone can do it, it’s me!”
“There’s no task I can’t handle — I’ve got this!”
…

Did you notice? Exactly — mantras aren’t all that different from self‑fulfilling prophecies. Both are deeply about how you communicate with yourself.

It Gets Better Over Time

At first, just like me, you’ll find it difficult to listen to your inner voices or even notice them consciously. But over time, they’ll become clearer, and you’ll get better at recognizing and steering them. Never give up — and remember that it’s a long journey with no shortcuts. Don’t let that discourage you. Think instead about the reward for all your effort. Think about pulling yourself out of the unconscious thought spiral bit by bit and walking your own ideal path.

Everything that is, may be. Everything that may be, can change.

Did you enjoy this article? I’d love to hear your feedback. Maybe you know someone who might find it helpful?