| Abstract: |
Discusses Freud’s concept, referred to as derived consciousness, of what it is for nonconscious psychical processes (NPPs) to become conscious, emphasizing 3 points: (1) Each time an NPP becomes conscious, the event is fleeting or momentary, although it may be repeated immediately or later; (2) the process of becoming conscious of NPPs is a matter of their gaining access to the perception-consciousness system; and (3) NPPs that become conscious do so in a derived, produced, artificial way. NPPs are described as objective psychical processes, in contrast to subjective conscious psychical processes (CPPs). It is contended that an NPP is necessarily about something else, something beyond itself, and it does not possess a subjective side as every CPP does. It is suggested that some NPPs are thoughts to the effect that one has or had a certain wish or conviction. The latter thoughts come into existence as a result of the hypercathected process of becoming conscious of the unconscious psychical process that has the same or a similar subject matter. It is concluded that this nonconscious awareness of oneself as having a certain wish or conviction are NPPs with contents that characterize the contents of other NPPs and include the fact that these other psychical processes belong to one. (49 ref) ((c) 1999 APA/PsycINFO, all rights reserved) |