The unconscious and the non-linguistic mode of thinking

Dieter Lohmar

pp. 209-221

in: Dorothée Legrand, Dylan Trigg (eds), Unconsciousness between phenomenology and psychoanalysis, Berlin, Springer, 2017

Abstract

One of the challenging problems with the unconscious is that it turns out to affect our consciousness and influence our behaviour. This enigma of the effectivity of unconscious contents asks for a theory about how we can at the same time know and not know about unconscious contents. In my opinion this enigma may be solved partly by pointing out that there is a non-language system of representation still working in our mind. I consider the difference of language and non-language systems of representation to be one of the most important steps in the continuum from conscious to unconscious thoughts. In my opinion we do not only refer to states of affairs in language modes of symbolization but also in a system of scenic phantasma accompanied by feelings. The cooperation of both systems can make us understand how to know and not-know something at the same time.