question_answer

What are the three levels of consciousness as proposed by Freud? How unconscious is important?

Answer:

Ans.     Freud proposed three levels of consciousness or awareness:

Conscious: This includes our current thoughts whatever we are thinking about or experiencing at a given moment.

Preconscious: Beneath the conscious is the much larger preconscious. This contains memories that are not the part of current thoughts but can be easily accessible with a moment's reflection. For example, what we had for breakfast or our parents, first names.

Unconscious: Beneath the preconscious and forming the bulk of human mind is the unconscious.

(i) It includes thoughts, desires and impulses of which we remain largely unaware.

(ii) Freud believed that much of it was once conscious but has been actively repressed—driven from consciousness because it was too anxiety-provoking. For example,

Freud contended that shameful experiences or unacceptable sexual or aggressive urges are often driven deep within the unconscious.

(iii) The process of repression is itself unconscious and automatic. We do not choose to repress an idea or impulses, it just happens.

(iv) The fact that we are not aware of them, however in no way prevents them from affecting our behaviour. They continue to operate underground, often converting the repressed conflict into anxiety or even psychological disorders.

(v) It is storehouse of repressed libidinal energy.