Where did the term "Unconscious Mind" come from... and what does this mean?

Mar 2011
Staten Island, New York
Sigmund Freud was the first scientist to use this term in a medical context, as far as my knowledge goes.
Mar 2010
[quote author=ErikAndersen link=topic=1880.msg13754#msg13754 date=1301095694]
Sigmund Freud was the first scientist to use this term in a medical context, as far as my knowledge goes.[/quote]
Thanks for this Erik, but docjp's question isn't really a question. Trust me. ;)
Feb 2011
As a layman, I prefer examples.
When you know you know a name but can't access it on demand. The name is in memory, in that sense, unconscious, meaning 'out of awareness'.
Notice how by stopping to 'force' the name to show up, it's better to stop 'trying', then it 'pops in' later unexpectedly.

Language has 'limitations'. It's not mankinds best artifact.
Nov 2008
The unconscious mind is a term coined by the 18th century German romantic philosopher Sir Christopher Riegel and later introduced into English by the poet and essayist Samuel Taylor Coleridge.[1] The unconscious mind might be defined as that part of the mind which gives rise to a collection of mental phenomena that manifest in a person's mind but which the person is not aware of at the time of their occurrence. These phenomena include unconscious feelings, unconscious or automatic skills, unnoticed perceptions, unconscious thoughts, unconscious habits and automatic reactions, complexes, hidden phobias and concealed desires.

The unconscious mind can be seen as the source of night dreams and automatic thoughts (those that appear without apparent cause); the repository of memories that have been forgotten but that may nevertheless be accessible to consciousness at some later time; and the locus of implicit knowledge, i.e. all the things that we have learned so well that we do them without thinking. One familiar example of the operation of the unconscious is the phenomenon where one fails to immediately solve a given problem and then suddenly has a flash of insight that provides a solution maybe days later at some odd moment during the day.

Observers throughout history have argued that there are influences on consciousness from other parts of the mind. These observers differ in the use of related terms, including: unconsciousness as a personal habit; being unaware and intuition. Terms related to semi-consciousness include: awakening, implicit memory, subliminal messages, trances, hypnagogia, and hypnosis. Although sleep, sleep walking, dreaming, delirium and coma may signal the presence of unconscious processes, these processes are not the unconscious mind, but more of a symptom.

I believe that certain learned behaviors trigger us to act in certain ways. After a time we become unaware of the reasons we act on them because it becomes automatic. An example would be when I first do something it can be very difficult. After I have done it a number of times it becomes alot easier and can reach a point were I don't even think about doing it. I believe this would be an example of the unconscious mind at work. Now something I have found interesting is when someone else does the same thing and I am watching them I notice differences in their technic this brings the action back to my conscious mind.

Also I have noticed mannerisms I have that I am unaware of that are learned from either my family, friends, or culture. These also can be automatic responses that I am not aware of why I am doing them I just do. Peace
Feb 2011
S. Earl Martin; I like your post, thanks. My interest is in 'unconscious believing'. Both conscious and unconscious thoughts can be 'unconsciously believed'.
Was 'believing' done consciously (in childhodod) then with practice relegated to unconcious function? (to our chagrin).
The 'hazards' of unconscious believing is obvious when the thoughts believed are false to facts.