114. On the Problem of the Unconscious in Psychiatry D. D. Fedotov

Scientific Reseaich Institute of Urgent Medical Aid, Moscow

Summary

The unconscious is not some independent phenomenon granted to man by nature. The unconscious (which in the past was always conscious) is never free from the influence of the conscious and of its control. Essentially, mental activity is'a blend of the conscious and unconscious.

To the category of unconscious should be attributed that part of mental activity which lies beyond the limits of consciousness. 1 In this connection, priority should be given to such a form of mental process as memory.

Such clinical notions as depersonalization, delirium, etc. may be considered from the point of view of "conscious" and "unconscious". In some cases the act of suicide is carried out at the moment when the unconscious breaks through the control of the situation and the uncontrolled tendency prevails.