Psychology Consciousness Studies

Before Consciousness

In Search of the Fundamentals of Mind

by Zdravko Radman Review by David Lorimer, August 2017

Published: 2017
Publisher: Imprint Academic
Pages: 339
ISBN: 9781845409357

Publisher’s description

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 - the two spheres 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.

This is an authoritative volume on the role of the non-conscious in relation to consciousness as the prior basis from which mentality germinates and which is critical to our understanding of the mind as a whole - the non-conscious is ontogenically prior in evolution. Much of the philosophy of mind is in fact a philosophy of the conscious mind and is as such 'conscious-centred'. It is interesting to reflect that just as the vast majority of matter in the universe is dark, so our consciousness is like the tip of an iceberg with the rest underwater. The first part covers relationships between conscious and unconscious aspects of the mind, the second the role of the non-conscious in perception, decisions and thinking, while the third is devoted to the unconscious sophistication of skills in terms of habits and skills, with a particularly interesting chapter on the role of the non-conscious in sport performance, which could equally be applied to the arts. Personally, I am a much better putter on the golf course if I leave things to my non-conscious aspect, although paradoxically, the thought of avoiding a bunker frequently means that you finish up in it! This volume is a valuable addition to the literature on the wider nature of the mind and consciousness.

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