Subconscious

What Is the Subconscious?

The subconscious is a popular term referring to the psychological realm that operates beneath conscious awareness and influences thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Academically, Freud's concepts of the 'unconscious' and 'preconscious' are considered more precise terms.

History of the Term

Freud initially used the term 'subconscious' but later replaced it with 'unconscious,' finding the former too vague. In modern psychology, 'unconscious' is also more commonly used in academic contexts than 'subconscious.'

Popular Understanding

In everyday usage, the subconscious is often invoked to explain the following phenomena:

Habits: Repeated behaviors become automated and are performed without conscious attention.

Intuition: Making judgments based on a 'feeling' rather than logical analysis.

Implicit learning: Acquiring patterns or rules without being consciously aware of doing so.

Priming: A prior stimulus unconsciously influences subsequent behavior.

Working with the Subconscious

The self-help field often claims that 'reprogramming' the subconscious can change behavior, though scientific support for such claims is limited. That said, research does suggest that repeated self-suggestion, visualization, and meditation can influence implicit attitudes and habits.

In psychotherapy, becoming aware of unconscious patterns and working to change them is one of the core processes of healing. If you're curious about what might be shaping your behavior beneath the surface, Mindy would be happy to explore that with you.