Psychology

The concept of the unconscious mind is a psychological phenomenon that was first put forward in the field of psychology by Sigmund Freud in his theory of psychoanalysis. Sigmund Freud was and he is believed to be father of the psychoanalytic theories. He has left credible history in his career of psychoanalysis. The idea of the unconscious mind has been explored over and over several times in different cultures in a bid to substantiate what are exactly the underlying principles and arguments about this phenomenon.

Various individuals have emitted enough contributions projected towards addressing concerns arising from this debate about the unconscious mind. Although, quit a number have disapproved Freuds conceptualization of the unconscious mind, neuroscientist and experts in the field do adore the fact that the psychoanalytic explanation about the mind and the different levels especially the unconscious mind is true.

For instance, they pose pertinent questions such as what are the sources of such fleeting images which flash our minds and disappear even without seeking attention from the conscious. Why then do these images emit various forms of unconscious anxieties and tensions which can only be detected in the mind within a flash of seconds without even the presence the slightest neuroimaging machines  Thus, it is fair to conclude that the conscious mind exists far away from the unconscious mind and totally away from the unconscious impulses and processes (Cosmos, 2000).

To be able to understand the phenomena behind this debate, there must be a clear cut distinction between unconscious mind and conscious mind, unconscious processes and conscious processes. The most detailed and relatively reliable debate which can be used to explain this is phenomena is perhaps the debate put forward by Sigmund Freud in his psychoanalytic analysis of the mind when trying to address the concept of mental disorders  and how they emerge   and the possible methods of treatment for persons with mental disorders (Lawrence, 2007).

For Sigmund Freud, he argued that the human anatomy is biological. Naturally it is endowed with various mechanisms for sensing and responding to phenomenah.The body structure is made up and guided by instinctual behaviors which keep on influencing behavior and human actions from time to time. Human behavior or actions are predetermined by instinctual drives apparently operating inherently below the conscious mind. In order to present a clearly logical conceptualization of the concept of the unconscious mind, Freud, divided the human mind into three distinct levels (Agnes, 2000).

a). The Conscious mind
b). The Preconscious Subconscious mind
c). Unconscious mind.

In a nutshell the three levels can be represented as shown below in a diagram
According to Freud the mind is made of three levels as shown in the diagram above.
The Conscious mind is the most active structure of the human mind. It is always alert and aware of all the events occurring within the immediate environment.

It is always awake and it is the most commonly used structure of the human mind in day to day encounters. However, it is usually very present and it acts like a store for all the current affairs happing in day to day encounters (John, 2000). Being very active, it keeps memory of all events which are current, fascinating and exciting and recall from memory is never cloudy. If you happen to ask a person, what is your name The answer is always right on the fingures tips since it has been retrieved from the very active memory, the conscious mind.

The preconscious mind lies slightly behind the conscious mind. It is a semi-active mind which is always semi-present. In simple terms it has little knowledge about the very current affairs and recall of events and retrieval to consciousness would require more time for thorough examination and extraction of information to bring it back to the working mind. It is partially an inactive mind and a store of experiences which are relatively intriguing (Owen, 2000). For instance, if a person happens to ask you a mathematical formula you studied in your O, level studies, yes you may have the answer in mind but recall is very cloudy.

However, you may need to be given more time to search your mind and retrieve this information and bring it to consciousness. The preconscious mind is relatively larger than the conscious mind and relatively smaller than the unconscious mind. The unconscious mind is the largest part of the human mind (Agnes, 2000).  It is the largest in terms of unutilized space, the cloudiest of all where recall of information from the inner parameters of the unconscious mind is very difficult and almost impossible.

Freud described this structure of the human mind as the most primitive structure which acts as a warehouse or store of all instinctual desires, physique energy and needs. The unconscious mind is thus seen as a store for all unresolved impulses, bitter experiences and even some excitations which may not have received attention at the conscious and preconscious level. It is primitive because it takes into account bitter and rather dark experiences which may elicit uncomfortable reactions if allowed to revisit the conscious mind.

It is highly characterized by unconscious feelings, automatic skills, unconscious thoughts, unnoticed perceptions, concealed, desires, and phobias, unconscious habits, and behavioral complexities which might not be clearly understood without the critical understanding and conceptualization of the knowledge of unconscious forces.

The unconscious mind is seen ad a repository of forgotten memories, the sources of night dreams, and relatively the sources of other automatic reactions which occur without ones knowledge about their occurrence (Lawrence, 2007). The unconscious mind is therefore defined as a locus of rather very implicit knowledge which we may have acquired through experience and due to under use they are suppressed and projected to the inner parameters of the mind.

These experiences either good or bad in one way or anther revisit our conscious mind and they form very lasting impacts on the conscious mind. In his hierarchical, structuralization of the mind, mind Freud conceptualized that the mind is characterized entanglement of physique forces which operate underneath, or under the surface of the conscious mind. Hidden messages from the unconscious mind evolve as manifestations of interpersonal communication which revisit the mind out of awareness.

Freud interpreted the existence of the hidden messages as symbolic representations which may have actual or real significance. According Freuds theory of psychoanalysis, it addresses more of the unconscious functions than relatively the conscious forces (Marcia, 2001). Cryptic messages depicting the presence conflict between the conscious and the unconscious mind, each competing for attention at particular period of time.  Freud described the human mind as made of three states. That is the, id, ego and superego.

The unconscious mind is therefore colored by id and instinctual forces. Id is therefore is seen as the reservoir of all libidinal forces. Libido emits sexual impulses which seek for immediate gratification of desires. Id desires are primitive they use no logics and they always compete for attention. Id desires can be stored as unresolved conflicts which are suppressed and pushed to the unconscious mind when one is not able to attend to this desires (John, 2000).

However, they also known as, the here and now principles. Meaning, when impulses revisit the conscious mind, they always demand and assert for attention. They are therefore seen as attention seekers. For instance, in an exam room ones tries to tackle a question but the memory fails to bring the image of the answer vividly clear in mind. Once this happen the person encounters some kind of frustrations but they are however suppressed back to the unconsciousness simply because heshe doesnt want to experience the frustrations (Szazs, 1996).

During the night when the mind is at rest these experience may come as an insights  unrevealing the answers to  the question, although the exam is so  far much gone and this might not  be useful any more, but as a result,  the person will seek relatively partial satisfaction although not full (Owen, 2000).

These impulses are normally driven by instinctual libidinal forces. Therefore, according to Freud, he described the unconscious mind as that structure of the human mind which acts as a store for all painful repressed impulses in which one would never think about recalling. These memories are most often manifested in the form of psychotic or neurotic behaviors and usually dreams.

The unconscious mind plays a very significant role in shaping and forming the human personality structure. Our behavioral characteristics are highly influenced by the forces existing within the unconscious mind. For instance, it is very cloudy and extremely difficult to recall our childhood past experiences (Cosman, 2000). However, within the course of development we encounter various challenges which in one way or another are frustrating or exciting. It becomes very difficult to resolve impulses of unresolved conflicts and what happens people get stagnated either in thought or behavior. These experiences are however bitter and they would render a person no chance to assert himself in a few areas.

For example, a child who has never been breastfed simply because the mother passed on immediately after birth may exhibit maladjustments in social live and portray some abnormal behaviors. These impulses are forces which are repressed and evolve slowly in ones life as they seek for attention. Since one did not experience this pleasure vested in breasting, he she might starting sucking, her lips, or the tongue in order to quench the pleasure missed during those early days (Marcia, 2001). These actions occur unconsciously even without ones knowledge.

According to Freud, corruption of information in the unconscious mind may lead to mental disorders, especially when a person is subjected to high levels of tension and stress resulting to depression.  According to Freud we fall sick because we do not understand the nature of our mental operations and especially the basic functions of the mind (Owen, 20000. He further argued that some of the psychological disorder possessed by various human beings are not merely biological and natural conditions which cannot be rectified they are however manifestation of repressed impulses and they can easily be addressed through simply ,mere talks to the patient through psychoanalysis.

Similar conditions are likely to be associated with females who suffer from personality disorders due to lack of self confidence  and develop disorders  such as anorexia nervosa, due to lack of self acceptance and appreciation (Agnes, 2000). Lack of an identifiable personality structure and identity will emit frustrations which would be stored deep in the unconscious mind and they will continue to influence behavior from time to time.

Schizophrenia and other types of brain disorders as stated by Freud are just but mere manifestations of unconscious disturbances occurring in the inner mind, in deed caused by a series of emotional impulses of unresolved anxieties and feelings of homosexuality (Lawrence, 2007). In his approach towards advancing his conceptualization of the concept of the unconscious mind, Freud coined in yet another very new term known as compromise formation.

What is compromise formation and how does it occur
In his elaboration about this concept Freud explained this notion by engaging his debate much on the struggle between the structural states of the human mind. That is the ego and the id.  The two structures constantly emit conflicts as each seeks for attention and an opportunity to assert itself (Cosman, 2000). Ego represents the two structures of the human mind, that is the conscious and the subconscious (Lawrence, 2007).

They are always alert and they always struggle to assert themselves by keeping themselves preoccupied by the present experiences. The id is a representative of the unconscious mind which is cloudily colored and shaded by dark, yet primitive impulses and desires.

As stated before, these desires constantly seek for immediate gratification and satisfaction of impulses. It is the here and now principles which knows no tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.  Ones tension arises id would want to assert itself irrespective of the situation or context. However, on the other hand, ego is the reality principle. It is very logical and aware of the societal norms, values and principles which should be observed and followed when agitating for various demands (Agnes, 2000). It is aware of the real and yet right objects to engage in order to repress tension. Id knows nothing to do with these principles. Pushed forward by the forces of the unconscious mind, the id would wish to invade the conscious preoccupy it with such tensions in the verge for achieving gratification.

The ego who dominates the conscious mind will not allow these forces to assert themselves. Therefore, the ego would suppress such impulses and push them further to the inner mind the unconscious mind. These wish fulfillments are rather blocked from visiting the conscious mind and this creates some kind of an antagonism, a pull and push kind of controversy which later yields to some kind of compromise. Compromise formation therefore refers to that kind of an outcome which is created from constant coalition of interests between the id and the ego (Marcia, 2001).

In this case the ego will disapprove the repressive forces of the id and a balance might not be achieved that immediately or even forever.  However, the outcome of the conflict is what some people May refer to as a dream or symptoms.  When this happens it is evident to say that the two conflicting ends might not have received attention at all and therefore they have sort relatively incomplete expression (John, 2000). This is usually a dynamic process characterized by drives and opposing defense mechanisms. The term compromise is therefore used to describe a kind of a partial satisfaction which may be achieved after the long ranging antagonism.

A good example of this phenomenon is the experience with day dreams which occurs within the dimensions of symptom manifestations as relative forms of reaction formation or substitutive impulses.  For example, Freud used these phenomena to explain the notion of wet dreams among males and in most cases adolescents boys who are experiencing tensions and sexual upheavals, but they are highly restricted by the ego desires in asserting their id forces (Owen, 2002). These boys would therefore develop sexual attraction to the opposite sex counter parts, but they are unable to reach them, one because society discourages that, two because of parental restrictions imposed to shape their ego.

However, they develop sexual feelings which they are hard to express, so they project them hard to the unconscious mind. Within the night these feelings would gradually begin to evolve emitting very strong sexual desires, and the boy imagines himself holding a lovely girl he has always admired in class (Szasz, 1996). Therefore, he takes hold of the girl and does practically what he would have done if he had that girl at hand. As a result the boy ejaculates on his bed sheets and this some how emits some partial fulfillments.

So according to Freud, dreams are manifestations of unresolved desires, anxieties and excitations which always seek for survival and assertion in the conscious mind.

In conclusion the human mind is made up of three levels, and the three levels are characterized by three different states of the mind. The Id, ego and superego. These states always emit tensions which cause conflicts of interest in the struggle towards asserting the self. Id resides in the unconscious mind, while the unconscious mind is the most remote and dark structure of human mind made up of painful, bitter impulses and experience. Memories in this store will keep on influencing ones life from time to time thought out life.