Fun Social Experiment

bykst / Pixabay

Today my husband and I had a bunch of fall chores to do, but with the sun shining bright, we decided to take a few minutes off to sit in the sun. It’s a real joy to feel the last warm rays of the season as it won’t be long until the snow flies.

I have recently been fascinated with exploring the subconscious mind because I believe much of what I know has come from deep within me–not my conscious thoughts–but rather my unconscious or subconscious brain.  I believe it powers us more than any of us ever realize, and recently Dr. David Eagleman, a cool neuroscientist, explained as much on The Brain, a series on PBS.

So as my husband and I relaxed in the sun today, we both became quiet and closed our eyes.  To my surprise, after having a nice conversation maybe five minutes before, I looked over to see my husband fast asleep.

I watched his mouth drop open, and his breathing level as he drifted deeper and deeper.  I pondered for a minute:  He is out cold, sleeping without question. What if I did a little experiment?!

What if I woke up him and said, “Hey!  You’re sleeping!  Do you know how long you slept?  You got a whole hour in!”

I wondered if I could lie to his unconscious brain.

I know he wasn’t consciously awake. I could have gotten up and walked away and he wouldn’t have noticed.

Would he know if I lied?

Or would he believe that he did rest that long and could I trick him into feeling refreshed?  Which means he would be more productive for the rest of the afternoon! Ha!

When I went to wake him, he jumped–cajoled from his nap!  He was truly out.

Do you think he fell for my lie?  Or not?

Why do you believe what you believe?

I found this utterly fascinating!

And I can’t lie, so I confessed the truth to him in a matter of minutes and he found it quite humorous! Thank goodness.