Let's look at someone trying to quit smoking. For most addicted smokers, the addition is about half-mental, half-physical. This varies with each individual.

The physical portion of the addiction is to nicotine. The psychological part of the addiction is to the relaxing, familiar sensation of handling the cigarette, watching its curling smoke, the deep and relaxing breathing associated with inhaling and exhaling, the taste, and so on.

When quitting, a smoker's conscious mind says, "I will stop smoking — no problem." But the unconscious mind has been conditioned that cigarettes give pleasure, and that's all it can focus on.

The addicted, unconscious mind says, 'Give me a cigarette — now!' It only recognizes what feels good, or what doesn't feel good. It demands a cigarette without regard to right or wrong, and rebels against the conscious mind's decision to not smoke.

During the process of quitting, however, a new habit of being a nonsmoker forms. The unconscious mind gradually gets used to not smoking, and the urges to smoke die away. [See our cool Quitting Tips for more information on how to quit smoking.