Without consciousness we would not have the experientially flavoured
world we have, but without the non-conscious we would not have it at
all; for we would not be able to breathe, eat, move, walk, feel, mimic,
gesture, laugh, etc., and even see, talk, remember, reason, understand,
think, imagine, and make myriad spontaneous decisions as we continuously
do in all life situations, from trivial to existential ones. Without
consciousness we would not be the kind of creatures we are, but what
makes us really unique is our specific non-conscious constellation -- a
basis from which all mentality germinates and which is irreducible, that
is, not representable or in any way simulable.
This collection of essays by leading scholars in consciousness aims to
show that in order to understand mind as a whole we have to also
consider its non-conscious part. Obtaining a more thorough insight into
the non-conscious is indispensable for a better understanding of
consciousness -- consciousness and the non-conscious are to be perceived
not as separated but rather as interconnected. The non-conscious is
habitually associated with automatized motor behaviour, skills, and
habits, but even in their most elementary forms these aspects of mind
require a high level of sophistication and cognitive competence. Most
complex cognitive tasks, such as perception, memory, decision making,
etc. also rely heavily on non-conscious processing, which is not only
faster but also proves to be in many respects more fundamental.
The investigations included in this volume point to the conclusion that
we can behave in a cognitively competent way without recourse to
consciousness; that we may act in a reasoned manner even away from
awareness; that thinking can be instantiated without engaging the sober
conscious reasoner; that our coping in the world is meaningful and
fulfilling even when conscious control and volition are dormant. This
book aims to integrate the non-conscious as a constitutive dimension of
the mind and also to outline how it is indispensable in virtually
everything we do.
