--- title: "3 Conscious mind Quotes By John E. Sarno" description: "3 Conscious mind quotes by John E. Sarno. Plus more from John E. Sarno and more Conscious mind sayings from other authors." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/john-e-sarno-31157_conscious-mind_to-understand-the-phenomenon-of-avoidanc_1554693.jpg" --- > [“To understand the phenomenon of avoidance in TMS one must constantly bear in mind how radically the unconscious mind differs from its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/to-understand-the-phenomenon-of-avoidance-in-tms-one-must-constantly/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e92/john-e-sarno-31157_conscious-mind_to-understand-the-phenomenon-of-avoidanc_1554693.jpg) > [“The pain is due to TMS, not to a structural abnormality. • The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/the-pain-is-due-to-tms-not-to-a-structural-abnormality-the-direct/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fe9/john-e-sarno-31157_conscious-mind_the-pain-is-due-to-tms-not-to-a-structur_2497671.jpg) > [... surgery is a powerful placebo, perhaps the ultimate placebo. The effectiveness of a placebo is directly proportional to the impression it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/surgery-is-a-powerful-placebo-perhaps-the-ultimate-placebo-the/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) [Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d24/john-e-sarno-31157_conscious-mind_surgery-is-a-powerful-placebo-perhaps-th_3233950.jpg) ## Other authors on Conscious mind - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b014/author-joseph-murphy-53444.jpg) Joseph Murphy 25 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/joseph-murphy/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b018/author-napoleon-hill-70196.jpg) Napoleon Hill 22 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/napoleon-hill/) - [Nick Morgan 9 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/nick-morgan/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b005/author-brian-tracy-19621.jpg) Brian Tracy 7 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/brian-tracy/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b015/author-leonard-mlodinow-59709.jpg) Leonard Mlodinow 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/leonard-mlodinow/) - [Kilroy J. Oldster 6 quotes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/kilroy-j-oldster/) - [ ![](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/uploads/sms4s/authors/processed/b006/author-carl-jung-20958.jpg) Carl Jung 6 quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/carl-jung/) ## More by John E. Sarno > [It is perfectly acceptable to have a physical problem in our culture, but people tend to shy away from anything that has to do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-perfectly-acceptable-to-have-a-physical-problem-in-our-culture/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [We must learn to recognize nature's truths even though we don't understand them, for some of those truths may still be beyond the ability…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/we-must-learn-to-recognize-nature-s-truths-even-though-we-don-t/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [“The decision maker in the brain has decided that the overt expression of unbridled rage would ruin the person’s life, and to prevent that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/the-decision-maker-in-the-brain-has-decided-that-the-overt-expression/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [There's nothing like a little physical pain to keep your mind off your emotional problems.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/there-s-nothing-like-a-little-physical-pain-to-keep-your-mind-off/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [“I described a program that is in wide use across the country to treat chronic pain. It bears repeating here that treating pain is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/i-described-a-program-that-is-in-wide-use-across-the-country-to-treat/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [A knowledgeable physical therapist can slowly build up patients' confidence by reassuring them that there is no structural problem and reminding them of the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/a-knowledgeable-physical-therapist-can-slowly-build-up-patients/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [“he decides that bringing up children is the woman’s job, his children are in trouble. Either”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/he-decides-that-bringing-up-children-is-the-woman-s-job-his-children/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [“To understand the phenomenon of avoidance in TMS one must constantly bear in mind how radically the unconscious mind differs from its conscious counterpart.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/to-understand-the-phenomenon-of-avoidance-in-tms-one-must-constantly/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [Most doctors are uncomfortable with medical conditions that have a psychological basis.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/most-doctors-are-uncomfortable-with-medical-conditions-that-have-a/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [... it is highly unlikely that a structural derangement could produce pain equal in severity to acute muscle spasm.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-highly-unlikely-that-a-structural-derangement-could-produce/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [“Acknowledging the important role of the emotions in health and illness, medicine must reexamine its concepts of disease causation.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/acknowledging-the-important-role-of-the-emotions-in-health-and/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [“What one must then do is develop the habit of “thinking psychological” instead of physical. In other words, I suggest to patients that when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/what-one-must-then-do-is-develop-the-habit-of-thinking-psychological/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [“The pain is due to TMS, not to a structural abnormality. • The direct reason for the pain is mild oxygen deprivation. • TMS…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/the-pain-is-due-to-tms-not-to-a-structural-abnormality-the-direct/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [... our diagnosis and treatment of of tension myositis syndrome represent yet another instance of what is possible when the power of the mind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/our-diagnosis-and-treatment-of-of-tension-myositis-syndrome-represent/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) > [It is my impression that 'pain-killing' drugs improve the patient's mood rather than take away the pain.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-sarno/it-is-my-impression-that-pain-killing-drugs-improve-the-patient-s/) [John E. Sarno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-sarno/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "ItemList", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscious-mind/john-e-sarno/#itemlist", "name": "3 Conscious mind Quotes By John E. Sarno", "numberOfItems": 3, "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "item": { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“To understand the phenomenon of avoidance in TMS one must constantly bear in mind how radically the unconscious mind differs from its conscious counterpart. The unconscious is terrified by the rage and reacts to avoid it by keeping it repressed and employing physical symptoms to aid in that repression. One of Freud’s biographers, Peter Gay, likened the unconscious to a maximum-security prison where all the desperate criminals, the undesirables and unacceptables, are incarcerated under heavy lock and key. In other words, they are repressed. If these feelings are already repressed, you may ask, what is the need for a distraction? The prison analogy is particularly apt; the repressed feelings, like desperadoes, will try to escape. Despite the force of repression, powerful emotions like rage will strive to rise to consciousness. I call it the “drive to consciousness.” Yale”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "John E. 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