I like the limbic-cortical contrast set in the brain hardware. I’ve often used the UNConscious-CONscious distinction to contrast the ends of the spectrum of brain software.
Research shows that a lot of what we do is the result of unconscious cognition. For example, your UNC monitors your body homeostasis. When the sensors say that the % of H20 in your body has fallen below an optimum range, you feel thirsty.
BUT there is experimental evidence that you begin the motion to pick up the glass (to get a drink of water) from 45 to 200 milliseconds BEFORE you become aware of feeling thirsty or have the conscious thought “I want something to drink.”
Catching a fly ball – calculating the arc and speed of descent – is a great example of purely mathematic/geometric unconscious cognition.
So the image/symbol of the iceberg pops up again. Perhaps 80% or more of our thinking never makes it to the conscious level.
Now, let suppose for a moment that you are working with some electronics project, and you’re using a soldering iron – an old-fashioned one, very valuable as an example of 1930’s cutting edge technology.
It’s not unusual for a person who drops a red hot soldering iron to try to catch it before it hits the floor – either to protect the floor, or the soldering iron. But – sooner or later (sooner, we hope) – your CON steps in and VETOES the catch. (Most of the time, it’s too late, and the individual gets a serious burn, but was consciously realizing why NOT to catch the iron even as they wrapped their hand around it.)
My hypothesis: we are impelled to act based on cognitive and emotive processes in the UNC; the CON may veto, or put on hold: it issues a HALT command. (Ever see a performance of an actor who is unsure of where to take a scene? There’s a reason why critics use the term “halting performance” to characterize that kind of tentativeness.)
However, what I find interesting is that the CON somehow creates the illusion of identity: most people that I’ve met seem to operate under the model of self that they are what they think (consciously.) Hence the stigma for scoring low on standardized intelligence tests or for being crazy and props for skill at logic.
I suspect that many people actually believe that being thirsty is “recognized” by the CONscious mind, then they make a choice to get up, go turn on the tap and fill a glass of water … when it’s probably more like this:
- UNC notices hydration level, feels “thirst”, is motivated to change level of hydration (drive/emotion)
- UNC tenses legs to rise from chair
- CON notices “I’m getting up from the chair”
- UNC directs footsteps to water tap, arm to pick up glass
- CON “I’m thirsty”
*]CON “I knew that!”
Or, if you already have a glass of water in your hand, reading a book, or watching a film, or talking with someone – the UNC just makes the hand and mouth move and the CON doesn’t necessarily notice that you’ve taken a drink, so it happens “automagically.”