The Body Knows: Faith, Somatic Cognition, and the Subconscious Mind
As a root cause therapist and bioenergetic/somatic facilitator, I’ve come to understand that the body is not just a vessel, it’s a living archive of our experiences, emotions, and truths. In my work, we often access the subconscious mind, yet everything we explore is grounded in the body. It is within the body that the answers reside, long before the mind fully grasps them.
As a Christian who has studied the Bible deeply,
I can honestly say that many of its words, meanings, and origins only truly became alive for me when they were embodied. There’s a richness and depth in scripture that cannot be fully understood through the intellect alone.
Now, when I read passages, I don’t just understand them—I feel them. I understand why the body is referenced so often in scripture.
A quote that has always drawn me in, yet whose magnitude I never fully grasped, is 1 Corinthians 6:19-20.
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
It reminds us that our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit,
yet it wasn’t until I began integrating embodied practices that I truly felt the weight and wisdom of this truth.
In one of my recent blogs, I revisited the subconscious mind and a method we use in therapy, muscle testing, also known as Applied Kinesiology. In scientific and somatic circles, this is often called
Somatic Cognition
the ways in which the body itself processes, stores, and expresses information, influencing perception, decision-making, and memory.
For many Christians, this can be a lightbulb moment, like a switch suddenly flipping on.
The story of the Apostle Paul in prison, in Romans 7:15-20,
For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; but what I hate, that do I.
If then I do that which I would not, I consent unto the law that it is good.
Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.
For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me.
In the original Greek, Paul’s cognitive intent often conflicted with his automatic emotional habits. He wrestled with
impulses, urges, and sensations
The exact tension between mind and body that modern science calls embodied cognition. The body stores patterns, signals resistance or dissonance, and shows us where alignment is missing. Understanding the science of the subconscious illuminates what scripture has been pointing to all along: our hearts and bodies are deeply entwined with our decisions, responses, and spiritual integrity.
Consider the heart. It contains over 40,000 neurons within the cardiac nervous system, processes information independently, and influences perception, emotional response, and decision-making. It does not merely pump blood, it sends continual signals to the brain that affect how we feel and behave.
In essence, the heart can process information subconsciously, long before the conscious mind even notices.
Applied Kinesiology, specifically the “sway test,” allows us to access these cues. By taking a simple “yes” or “no” through the body’s response, we can uncover truth and alignment that the conscious mind may miss.
This is reflected in Matthew 5:37:
“But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’”
On the surface, this calls for honest speech, but when we view it through embodied cognition, it is about alignment of mind, body, and spirit. Our decisions, truth, and responses are influenced by posture, tension, breath, and energy long before we consciously act.
The body is an internal barometer for truth. Integrity requires alignment saying “yes” while internally feeling fear or resistance leads to misalignment.
Through body awareness, discernment becomes possible.
Here are some practices I use to integrate embodied cognition into daily life:
Pause and sense before speaking: Notice the sensations in your body before responding.
Check heart coherence: Pay attention to your heart rate variability (HRV) as a reflection of emotional and physical alignment.
Muscle testing: Simple cues through sway tests or touchpoints can reveal subconscious truth.
Reflection: Take time to journal or notice where the body signals resistance or alignment.
Through these practices, we honor the wisdom of the body, the intelligence of the heart, and the truth that scripture has long pointed us toward.
When mind, body, and spirit are aligned, we live from integrity, clarity, and a place of authentic discernment.
Our bodies are living guides, storing experiences, detecting truth, and influencing every decision we make, often before our conscious mind is aware.
If you want to experience this alignment for yourself and discover the truths your body already knows, I invite you to book a discovery call with us or explore more of our work. Step into a journey where mind, body, and spirit move in harmony, and discover the power of embodied cognition in your own life.
